CSBG Archive
Vote for Batman’s 75 Greatest Friends and Foes!
In honor of the seventy-fifth anniversary of Batman, we’re going to be doing four straight months of polls having to do with Batman. Future installments will deal with Batman creators and stories, but this month will be about Batman friends and foes.
Batman has both a rich and varied supporting cast plus a killer Rogues Gallery, so here you will be casting your vote for who you feel are the greatest Batman villains as well as the greatest Batman friends/associates of all-time!
You folks all vote in the comments section here up until 11:59 Pacific time, April 19th. I’ll tabulate all the votes and I’ll begin a countdown of the top 75 beginning April 21st.
Okay, here are the guidelines!
1. Vote in the comments section below, making sure to include that classic word “ACBC” somewhere in your comment so your vote will be marked invisible.
2. Vote for your TEN favorite Batman villains as well as your TEN favorite Batman supporting cast members/associates/fellow superheroes. So you’ll be listing 20 characters in total.
3. Rank each list of ten from #1 (what you think is the greatest character) to #10 (what you think is the 10th greatest). I’d prefer it if you actually numbered your entry, #1-10. It’s easier for me to count. On that note, please also avoid listing them like this “1) 2) 3) 4),” because 8 with a ) after it transforms into a smiley face in the comments section (this one 8) ). Just plain ol’ “1. 2. 3.” works best.
Here is a template for how your list should look:
TEN GREATEST BATMAN VILLAINS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.TEN GREATEST BATMAN ALLIES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.ACBC
4. Your top choice will be given 10 points, your second choice 9, etc.
5. On the friends list, do not vote for teams, like the Justice League or the Outsiders. Just list individual heroes. So, for instance, list Black Lightning not the Outsiders, Superman not the Justice League, etc.
6. As for villain teams, the general rule of thumb is, “Did they first fight Batman as a team?” If the answer is yes, then they can be voted on as a team. If no, then no.
7. You can put Catwoman and Talia Al Ghul on either list or both, if you so choose.
8. For simplicity’s sake, just go with Dick Grayson, Barabra Gordon, Jason Todd and Tim Drake instead of their superhero identities, because they’ve each had multiple identities. Although if you really want to just say Nightwing, Oracle, Red Hood and Red Robin, I’ll accept them accordingly. But if you just say “Batgirl” or just say “Robin” then I won’t know who you mean.
9. Make sure to include ACBC in your ballot.
If you have questions and or requests for clarification, feel free to ask them in the comments section below.
Remember, please include the following word: ACBC – on your ballot. It will make it so your ballot appears invisible to other readers, so only I can read it (and count your vote secretly).
Most importantly, have fun!
Now vote!
51 Comments
April 8, 2014 at 3:39 am
Are the two lists going to be combined into one single top 75 list?
April 8, 2014 at 4:23 am
Alfred for the win!!!!
April 8, 2014 at 4:26 am
Struggling to think of ten allies that I actually like
April 8, 2014 at 4:39 am
I had the same problem as DanCJ, as I’ve never been interested in Batman’s stable of underage peons and hesitated to call characters with fully formed worlds to inhabit themselves mere “allies of Batman”.
April 8, 2014 at 4:48 am
Oops – Sorry I accidentally cut off the code when I pasted it in
April 8, 2014 at 5:59 am
Can we vote for Kal-El as a “supporting cast” of Batman ?
April 8, 2014 at 6:02 am
Sorry, double post.
Do we have to separate the clayface(s) ?
April 8, 2014 at 6:21 am
This may have been covered before, but are the Ventriloquist and Scarface the same character or separate characters? While I have seenthem separated out, I’m not well-read enough to know if that was ever a lasting thing.
April 8, 2014 at 6:52 am
Reading is fundamental.
April 8, 2014 at 7:40 am
Oops… #10 Batman Villian: Mr. Freeze
April 8, 2014 at 7:59 am
Does Cameron Chase count as an ally or foe? Or both?
April 8, 2014 at 8:37 am
Let’s go King Tut!
April 8, 2014 at 9:29 am
So would you put Amanda Waller as a villain?
April 8, 2014 at 9:51 am
Well, that was fun
April 8, 2014 at 9:53 am
TEN GREATEST BATMAN VILLAINS
1. Joker
2. Ra’s al Ghul
3. Hush
4. Bane
5. Harley Quinn
6. Two-Face
7. Mr. Freeze
8. Scarecrow
9. Riddler
10. Penguin
TEN GREATEST BATMAN ALLIES
1. Alfred
2. Dick Grayson
3. Jim Gordon
4. Barbara Gordon
5. Superman
6. Tim Drake
7. Damian Wayne
8. Leslie Thompkins
9. Wonder Woman
10. Terry McGuiness
April 8, 2014 at 10:04 am
well since you posted your for all to see, I thought about adding Terry Mcguiness to mine but I thought just calling him in allie would be a down grade. He was Batman. If Brian wants to make a list of top Batmen other than Bruce Wayne he’d definitely be at the top of the list.
April 8, 2014 at 10:11 am
Alllies
1. Alfred
2. Jim Gordon
3. Dick Grayson
4. Superman
5. Barbra Gordon
6. Tim Drake
7. Terry McGuiness
8. Lucius Fox
9. Leslie Tompkins
10. Selena Kyle
Villains
1. Joker
2. Ras Al Ghul
3. Bane
4. Scarecrow
5. Mr. Freeze
6. The Riddler
7. Hush
8. Red Hood
9. The Penguin
10. Clayface
April 8, 2014 at 10:23 am
TEN GREATEST BATMAN VILLAINS
1. Joker
2. Riddler
3. Ra’s al Ghul
4. Bane
5. Two-Face
6. Harley Quinn
7. Penguin
8. Scarecrow
9. Mr.Freeze
10. Hush
TEN GREATEST BATMAN ALLIES
1. Tim Drake
2. Alfred
3. Jim Gordon
4. Dick Grayson
5. Superman
6. Barbara Gordon
7. Lucius Fox
8. Leslie Thompkins
9. Cassandra Cain
10. Terry McGuiness
April 8, 2014 at 10:38 am
Villains:
1. Joker
2. Mr. Freeze
3. Two-Face
4. Riddler
5. Catwoman
6. Penguin
7. Bane
8. Scarecrow
9. Harley Quinn
10. Clayface
Allies
1. Alfred
2. Jim Gordon
3. Dick Grayson
4. Superman
5. Catwoman
6. Wonder Woman
7. Tim Drake
8. Barbara Gordon
9. Lucius Fox
10. Aunt Harriet
April 8, 2014 at 10:43 am
Please stop voting for Hush. Please.
April 8, 2014 at 10:46 am
I included the code that starts w/ AC & ends in BC. I assume my vote went thru but don’t see my post with the usual “Your comment is awaiting moderation.” Did it go through?
April 8, 2014 at 11:00 am
Top 10 Enemies
1. Joker
2. Mr. Freeze
3. Baby Doll
4. Mad Hatter
5. Harley Quinn
6. Scarecrow
7. Riddler
8. Two-Face
9. Egghead
10. Professor Pyg
Top 10 Allies
1. Dick Grayson (Robin 1/Nightwing)
2. Alfred Pennyworth
3. Comissioner Jim Gordon
4. Tim Drake (Robin 3/Red Robin)
5. Terry McGinnis (Batman Beyond)
6. Superman
7. Harvey Bullock
8. Barbara Gordon (Batgirl/Oracle)
9. Cassandra Cain (Batgirl 2)
10. Gray Ghost
April 8, 2014 at 11:05 am
TOP TEN GREATEST BATMAN VILLIANS
1.Bane
2.Mr. Freeze
3.Ra’s al Guhl
4.Harley Quinn
5.Hush
6.The Joker
7.Two-Face
8.Scarecrow
9.Riddler
10.The Mad Hatter
TOP TEN BATMAN ALLIES
1.Alfred
2.Catwoman
3.Dick Grayson
4.Tim Drake
5.Superman
6.Lucius Fox
7.Barbara Gordon
8.Jim Gordon
9.Wonder Woman
10.Cassandra Cain
April 8, 2014 at 12:06 pm
I know Joker is going to be no.1 but is he honestly anyone’s FAVOURITE villain?
I am so bored of him. Haven’t seen a good interpretation of the character since Heath Ledger.
Snyder’s was so ridiculously crazy that there’s no way he could have achieved half the things he did in the story.
For most of the 90s / 2000s he went around calling Batman “Bats” and making lousy puns.
His self-titled series in the 70s was mostly awful
50s / 60s he was fairly silly kids fare
1980s and 1940s he was pretty cool.
But most of all I’m just BORED of The Joker.
April 8, 2014 at 12:31 pm
Top 10 Enemies
1. Talia Al’Guhl
2. Lady Shiva
3. Ra’s Al’Guhl
4. Marko Cain
5. Mad Hatter
6. The Riddler
7. Catwoman
8. Man-Bat
9. Professor Pyg
10. Killer Moth
Top 10 Allies
1. Dick Grayson
2. Talia Al’Guhl
3. Cassandra Cain
4. Selena Kyle
5. Damian Wayne
6. Stephanie Brown
7. Tim Drake
8. Alfred
9. Leslie Thompkins
10. Oracle – Barbara Gordon (not Batgirl)
April 8, 2014 at 12:43 pm
TEN GREATEST BATMAN ALLIES
1. Dick Grayson
2. Jason Todd
3. Tim Drake
4. Damian Wayne
5. Ace (Dog)
6. James Gordon
7. Alfred Pennyworth
8. Terry McGinnis
9. Barbara Gordan
10. Harvey Bullock
TEN GREATEST BATMAN VILLAINS
1. Kirk Langstrom (Man-Bat)
2. Arnold Wesker (Ventriloquist)
3. Garfield Lynns (Firefly)
4. Jonathan Crane (Scarecrow)
5. Talia Al Ghul
6. Oswald Cobblepot (Penguin)
7. Slade Wilson (Deathstroke)
8. The Joker
9. Harvey Dent (Two-Face)
10. Roman Sionis (Black Mask)
April 8, 2014 at 1:07 pm
I know Joker is going to be no.1 but is he honestly anyone’s FAVOURITE villain?
No. Everybody who voted him as #1 is lying for some reason.
April 8, 2014 at 1:29 pm
I do find The Joker dull, but he’s also such a force of nature intertwined with the batman mythology it’s impossible to not rate him number one. He’s the force equal and opposite to batman. but as far as an actual character beyond that I agree, when looked at on his own he’s pretty uninteresting. Same reason people love Silence of The Lambs but don’t like Hannibal.
April 8, 2014 at 1:30 pm
The number of people voting for Hush is kind of mind boggling. He really is a terrible character.
April 8, 2014 at 1:48 pm
Hoosier X wrote: No. Everybody who voted him as #1 is lying for some reason.
Hi Hoosier X – I mean that I think many may be voting Joker no.1 because he’s the most iconic / famous Batman villain. So my question stands – is he your favourite? Or just the automatic choice for no.1 without really thinking about it? Thanks, LMC
April 8, 2014 at 1:52 pm
Archie Leach – I do sort of agree with you, in that it was made so obvious who Hush was from the beginning despite the Robin red herrings (eg. endless flashbacks of Bruce and Tommy, even after his “death” – why would they be in the story if he wasn’t Hush?).
Also it was ANOTHER riff on the whole childhood friend becomes adult enemy. A bit of a cliche. However, he could have gone on to become a strong character if other writers had done something interesting with him. Sadly that doesn’t seem to have happened….
April 8, 2014 at 1:57 pm
TOP 10 ALLIES
1. Alfred Pennyworth
2. Dick Grayson
3. Selena Kyle
4. James Gordon
5. Tim Drake
6. Barbara Gordon
7. Jason Todd
8. Clark Kent
9. Damian Wayne
10. Harvey Bullock
TOP 10 VILLAINS
1. The Joker
2. Two Face
3. The Penguin
4. The Riddler
5. Poison Ivy
6. Harley Quinn
7. Ra’s Al Ghul
8. Talia Al Ghul
9. Bane
10. Mr. freeze
April 8, 2014 at 2:06 pm
C’mon, Batman Jones!
April 8, 2014 at 2:12 pm
Villians
1. Poison Ivy
2. Joker
3. Scarecrow
4. Man Bat
5. Harley Quinn
6. Two-Face
7. Court of Owls
8. The Riddler
9. Clay Face
10. Penguin
Allies
1. Catwoman
2. Dick Grayson
3. Wonder Woman
4. Barbara Gordon
5. Kate Kane
6. Aquaman
6. Superman
7. Huntress
8. The Flash
9. Red Robin
10. Red Hood
April 8, 2014 at 2:32 pm
Besides the example Brian gave, I find myself wondering “which Clayface?” Since there were at least three of them. Not so much a problem with the two Two-Faces, nobody remembers the second.
April 8, 2014 at 3:02 pm
THE GREATEST OPPOSITION:
1. The Joker
2. The Clown Prince of Crime
3. Joe Kerr
4. Puddin’
5. The Laughing Man
6. Jack Napier
7. The Ace of Knaves
8. Red Hood
9. The Harlequin of Hate
10. Dr. J. Reko
ALLIES:
1. That Old Stick-in-the-Mud Butler
2. The Boring Big Blue Cheddar Superman
3. That Damn Stiff Gordon
4. That Boring Nightwing
5. The Woman Stealing Wanna-Be Robin Hood Slash Batman (hmmm, now that’s a good idea) Green Arrow
6. My Girl Barb Gordon
7. The Stupid Ninja Kid
8. That Old Bat Thompkins
9. Not Yet Red Enough Robin
10. Fatass Bullock
April 8, 2014 at 3:06 pm
For what it’s worth, I used the “civilian name” as well as the Clayface name.
For anyone wanting to vote for a Clayface:
Basil Karlo — the 1940s one and the current one, started as an actor who became a “real-world” slasher movie villain and is now an “ultimate Clayface ” with the powers of all his successors. Possibly the only version who exists in the New 52 continuity.
Matt Hagen — the first of the shapeshifting Clayfaces; in the comics, he was an unscrupulous treasure hunter, but the Bruce Timm animated series gave him Karlo’s actor backstory
Preston Payne — the one with the flesh-melting death touch and the mannequin girlfriend, who wears an exosuit to hold himself together. Also the version in the Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth GN by Morrison and McKean. Pre-52, he was killed off
Sondra Fuller — aka Lady Clay, who eventually ended up with Preston in the “the Mud Pack.” They had….
Cassius — The kid Clayface from Knightfall, briefly seen again in Batman v.1 #550
Clay-Thing — a scientist who developed the power to melt people into clay after taking a smaple of Cassius’s blood
Todd Russell — The Clayface from the Brubaker/Cooke Catwoman relaunch, a victim of experimentation by unknown parties
Hush’s Clayface — A guy who was recruited by Hush after a chemical palnt explosion made him a “clayface” creature
Ethan Bennett — never used int he comics, he’s the version from The Batman series, the one where the Penguin had ninja robot girl sidekicks and the Joker never wore shoes
Also, there have been four Two-Faces: the famous one is Harvey “Apollo” Dent (or Harvey Kent in the 1940s), but there’s also Paul Sloane (reinvented by Brubaker and Rucka as “Charlatan” in one of their last arcs in Detective Comics) and two Golden Age impostors who tried to frame Harvey during Harvey’s period of reform, one of whom was his butler, Wilkins!
There are also three Killer Moths — the best-known is Drury Walker/Cameron Van Cleer/Charaxes, but there’s also Danko Twagg, a gadgeteer type who claimed to be the “real” Moth but committed suicide when captured by the Birds of Prey, and the otherwise unnamed Moth successor seen briefly in “Face the Face” and Gail Simone’s Secret Six.
April 8, 2014 at 3:12 pm
VILLAINS:
1. The Joker
2. Ra’s al Ghul
3. Two-Face
4. Riddler
5. Bane
6. Poison Ivy
7. Penguin
8. Scarecrow
9. Mr. Freeze
10. Harley Quinn
ALLIES:
1. Dick Grayson (Nightwing)
2. Alfred Pennyworth
3. James Gordon
4. Barbara Gordon (Batgirl)
5. Damian Wayne (Robin)
6. Tim Drake (Red Robin)
7. Clark Kent (Superman)
8. Jason Todd (Red Hood)
9. Selina Kyle (Catwoman)
10. Leslie Thompcans
April 8, 2014 at 4:18 pm
TEN GREATEST BATMAN ALLIES
1. Alfred Pennyworth
2. James Gordon
3. Dick Grayson (Nightwing/ Robin !)
4. Tim Drake (Robin III)
5. Clark Kent (Superman)
6. Wonder Woman
7. Dr. Leslie Thompkins
8. Barbara Gordon (Oracle)
9. Selina Kyle (Catwoman)
10. Matches Malone (The guise)
TEN GREATEST BATMAN VILLAINS
1. The Joker
2. Ras Al Ghul
3. Two Face
4. Victor Zsasz
5. Black Mask
6. Bane
7. The Scarecrow
8. Poison Ivy
9. The Penguin
10. The Riddler
April 8, 2014 at 4:29 pm
You’re gonna have to put that ACDC thing in bold or some shit, Brian
April 8, 2014 at 4:50 pm
Ace the Bathound!
April 8, 2014 at 4:51 pm
While I didn’t use him I was thinking about Bat-Mite and how he doesn’t really fit well on a list like this. He likes Batman and tries to help him, but usually causes him more problems so he’s really more of a non-villianous antagonist.
April 8, 2014 at 7:46 pm
I so wanted to vote for the Metal Men. I think they had a yearly tradition of appearing in Brave and Bold when I was a kid.
April 8, 2014 at 8:03 pm
Can Bob Kane be on our list of villains?
April 8, 2014 at 8:07 pm
@ Omar Karindu – thank you, man! I had in mind ‘Clayface III’, as I remember him referenced in the original ‘Who’s Who . . ‘ series. Your confirmation spares me rummaging through longboxes!
April 8, 2014 at 10:15 pm
Clayface III was in this one great story Batman Annual 11. For my money, the best Batman story Alan Moore wrote.
April 8, 2014 at 10:16 pm
Why is everyone “afraid” to also list Dick Grayson as “The Batman”
April 8, 2014 at 10:35 pm
Joe Chill
Joker
Catwoman
Ra’s
Two Face
Penquin
Scarecrow
Riddler
Man-Bat
“Boss” Zucco
Alfred
Superman
Gordon
Dick
Lucius
Talia
Barbara Gordon
Terry
Katana
Oliver Queen
April 8, 2014 at 10:56 pm
allies
1 Alfred
2 Jim Gordon
3 Dick Grayson
4 Selina Kyle
5 Clark Kent
6 Tim Drake
7 Barbara Gordon
8 Cassandra Cain
9 Jason Todd
10 Leslie Thompkins
hon. mentions: Damien Wayne, Luscious Fox, Stephanie Brown, Ace the Bathound, Harold
villains
1 Joker
2 Harley Quinn
3 Ra’s al Ghul
4 Bane
5 Joe Chill
6 Hugo Strange
7 Two Face
8 Scarecrow
9 Poison Ivy
10 Man Bat
hon. mentions: Riddler, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Owl Man, Wraith, Prometheus
April 8, 2014 at 11:08 pm
I would have Joel Schumaker and Chris O’donell somewhere in my top 10 villains…
April 9, 2014 at 12:04 am
ACDC
Allies
1.Alfred
2.Barbra Gordon
3.Jim Gordon
4.Dick Grayson
5.Selena Kyle
6.Superman
7.Tim Drake
8.Damien Wayne
9.Ace the Bathound
10.Harvey Bullock
Villains
1.Riddler
2.Harley Quinn
3.Joker
4.Court of Owls
5.Ra’s Al Ghoul
6.Two-face
7.Mr. Freeze
8.Penguin
9.Talia
10.Ventriloquist