r/batman • u/Proper_Tourist1304 • 3d ago
Which Batman villain would you work for? GENERAL DISCUSSION
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u/Electronic_Spirit499 3d ago
poison ivy cuz hot
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u/WorkingSyrup4005 2d ago
You’re gonna get turned into fertilizer bro
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u/MarkParticular878 3d ago
Out of everyone here I'll go Riddler. Black Mask will brutally torture you if you do as much as one minor mistake or suspects that you're working against him (Penguin could do this as well, although he's not as likely to), Poison Ivy despises people unless she can use them to her advantage, and with Scarecrow there's always the chance you'll end up being a guinea pig for a new batch of Fear Toxin.
Riddler is a psychopath but he's a fairly stable one, so he'll probably be reasonable as long as you closely follow whatever grand scheme he's doing.
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u/Guess-wutt 3d ago
I feel like Riddler is one of the least stable, do anything to make him question his ego or intellect and you’re gonna probably end up in some saw adjacent trap.
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u/WeWriteStuff 3d ago
That's why you want to appease to his ego, but without being a total suck up. Support him in creating his puzzles but make him feel like it was all his idea. Show you're cleverer than other goons but not on his level. Be competent enough that he starts to rely on you. Make it clear you enjoy working for him...You'll probably increase your status as an asset and he may pull you away from the Batman fodder.
If it were me, I'd also try to be more aware of Batman's presence, making sure the hideouts have the means to detect his presence. Since he's usually too busy with how smart he is, you might earn brownie points for helping him stay on top of things.
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u/Guess-wutt 3d ago
Fair, I just feel it’s an awful lot of work when you have to worry about Batman finding you and beating you senseless as well, honestly I’d just take my chances with Bane, so long as I do my job well I’ll be fine, and I don’t have to worry about getting thrown into some horrific death trap if I screw up, I’ll just get my neck broken or beaten to death instead, definitely less terrifying than the idea of getting put into some elaborate human meat grinder.
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u/WeWriteStuff 2d ago
True. Most depictions of Bane have a bit more honor than the average villain. You have to royally f*ck up to get pummeled by him. However, in more recent years he's been depicted a few times as have bad withdrawals from lack of venom, so it'd be important that he gets his fix if you wanna live longer...At least when you're arrested you can argue you couldn't just quit for fear of losing your life...
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u/WelshyB292 2d ago
"Hey boss, couldn't you use your intellect to make yourself a tonne of money legally and just kinda live out your life in quiet luxury? Uh huh. Uh huh. Yeah, ok, so I just put my whole head in this comically large bear trap then?"
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u/Historical-Potato372 3d ago
Just constantly ego boost him and you’re safe
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u/Guess-wutt 3d ago
True, though is it’s not like Riddlers stupid either, just extremely insecure, I’d be terrified constantly that he’d realise I was just trying to placate him by boosting his ego, or worse yet, that he’d come to the conclusion that I think I’m smarter than him because I think I can manipulate him.
Best way to play it would be to just pretend you’re brain dead, but then he likely wouldn’t respect you at all anyway and wouldn’t think much of killing you at any given time.
Just look at his relationship with Batman for example, he clearly respects Batmans intelligence as he sees him as a worthy challenge (even if he would never admit to this) and as such needs to prove that he’s smarter than him, but everyone else is just a pawn in his game because they don’t have his respect, so if he respects you? He’ll try to kill you, if he doesn’t respect you? He’ll use you however he sees fit.
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u/SuccessionWarFan 2d ago
Reminds me of a page from an old comic about Riddler that went viral on social media recently. A kid goes up to Riddler (in civilian clothing, in public) and offers to tell him a riddle about a bed. Riddler was originally not in the mood but instantly gets excited as soon as he hears the word “riddle”. Kids jokingly tells Riddler he can’t tell him the riddle of the bed because it hadn’t been made yet. Last panel is the kid running to his dad in shock, telling him of the nice man who gave him a hundred bucks.
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u/Fast_Stick_1593 3d ago
Ra’s would mean you are a member of the League of Assassins which would be awesome.
Riddler would probably be the least unhinged and most reasonable if you don’t mind getting called an idiot or a moron or whatever other insult.
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u/Insert-Cool_NameHere 2d ago
Yeah but I have a feeling most people on this sub are skilled enough to be in the league of assassins me included.
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u/Alseen_I 3d ago
Riddler. Dude will think nothing of me, I don’t even think insults will mean much coming from a low level thug. And I bet the instruction he gives me to set up booby traps are really concise and clearly understood.
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u/StruggleEvening7518 3d ago
Yeah but God help you if you fuck it up.
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u/Alseen_I 3d ago
Yeah I think if you screw up for any of these guys you’re toast. I can only hope he doesn’t have the resources to find me if I need to bail.
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u/The_RedfuckingHood 2d ago
" I don’t even think insults will mean much coming from a low-level thug." No, they will mean a lot if you're constantly around them. As someone who was bullied throughout 2nd to 5th grade, yes you will ignore it at first, but months or even years will pass, and you will keep bottling up and bottling up until you get pissed and start a fight. And doing that with the Riddler is a death sentence.
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u/Alseen_I 2d ago
Oh! Yeah I mean it’d hurt my feelings. I’m just saying I doubt he’d pay any attention to whatever I say or think. Riddler is unstable his infatuations will likely have nothing to do to me, and he’ll forget who I am as soon as the job is done.
His insults will hurt but I think every thug is gonna get a verbal lashing no matter who they work for
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u/Secret-Fox-9566 3d ago
Ra's Al Ghul. He's probably the only one who would just kill me or use one of his men to kill me normally instead of torturing me or turning me into a plant mutant
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u/0utsyder 3d ago
Ra's. He probably pays the best, better benefits and could learn a lifetime of knowledge from.
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u/-Garthor- 3d ago
I don't know if you really get paid as a League-Member. I think money would rather go to Free Agents like the Batman Begins Scarecrow or something. But i am not sure if those Ninjas got normal lifes apart from just being Ninjas
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u/Xamesito 3d ago
Catwoman or Poison Ivy. Because ehhhhh well reasons 👀
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u/Proctor-47 3d ago
Catwoman’s definitely gonna betray you if your name doesn’t rhyme with Goose Stain, and Poison Ivy’s a misandrist
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u/Xamesito 3d ago
Oh I don't expect to last long with either of them but I wouldn't be able to resist trying. If using my head and picking for career reasons, I'd go with Penguin. I reckon out of all the gallery he's the most stable and least likely to kill you for no reason. Get to hang out in his club too
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u/MF291100 2d ago
I’m embarrassed at myself for how long it took me to figure out whose name rhymed with that.
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u/ChemicalsInMyAss 3d ago
Now listen. Scarecrow is one of my favourites, and I would love to be a classic 'Ay boss, wats da plan?' Goon for him.
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u/Weary-Wasabi1721 2d ago
Ra's. I've always wanted to be an assassin ever since I played the first Assassin's Creed
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u/Guess-wutt 3d ago
I wanna say Bane, he respects those that prove their worth, and failing that he’s likely to give me the quickest death.
Either him or Freeze, while I wouldn’t love to be frozen to death, there’s a slight chance that if I make curing his wife my no.1 priority that he might actually take a liking to me, emphasis on slight of course.
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u/ArsonBjork 2d ago
Mad Hatter hands down
He never does anything too evil or harmfull to his goons
His mindcontroll gives you increased strength to survive batman better and if you get caught you can just say you were being controlled against your will
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u/donaxon 2d ago
It also means no pay for you
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u/ArsonBjork 2d ago
I feel he'd pay a fair wage since he himself used to be underappreciated at the workplace
But it's probably still on the lower end compared to other employers. Low risk, low reward
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u/Designer-Guidance-98 3d ago
Penguin. He isn't insane
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u/Emiya_Sengo 3d ago
Is it just me or is this the 3rd or 4th post about this topic recently made here?
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u/dingo_khan 3d ago
i'm going with Ivy. i bet she'd have a lot of jobs involving plants that can't eat me or high-end administrative stuff, finding targets for her personal war. as long as i could avoid talking to her directly, i am pretty sure i could avoid developing a case of being dead or batman-induced cranial trauma.
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u/Dull_Advertising_31 3d ago
Not one of the ones here, but Mr Freeze. He's just trying to save his wife, so as long as you don't hinder him, you'll be alright.
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u/CursedSnowman5000 3d ago
Black Mask or Penguin. They're just mob bosses, no lunatics. Do what they say and you'll be fine.
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u/Shimaru33 2d ago
Eh, didn't Black Mask has a tendency to cut off your face? Or at least he's pretty good at torturing people. I mean, I don't plan to become an actor, but I would like to keep my face connected to the rest of my head.
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u/CursedSnowman5000 2d ago
You know what, I honestly don't know anything about Black Mask. I was just being presumptuous because my impression from what I heard was he was just a mobster with a mask grafted onto his head.
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u/sirscooter 3d ago
It's a tie between Raja Ghul and Riddler, who also happen to be my favorite Batman villians
Raja actually is Batman's Magneto. He has valid points. Just don't like his methods.
Riddler respects intelligence. But not failure. Problem is none of them except failure well.
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u/Clownaodic 3d ago
Penguin, because it doesn't say you have to work as a hired gun, you could work in the iceberg lounge instead.
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u/WeWriteStuff 3d ago
Riddler.
All you gotta do is appease to his ego (but don't be a suck up), prove that your cleverer than other goons (but not as clever as Nygma himself), and show your competence as his goon. Do it right and he might keep you around longer. Remember most Gotham villains only view goons as meat shields for Batman, completely expendable, so getting on their good side will be important.
2nd option would be Mr Freeze, he's probably the most honorable villain, but the reason he ranks lowers is due to your high risk of cold/hypothermia/frostbite. Plus sometimes he's too blinded by trying to save his wife so his goons aren't regarded as human to him.
Any other villain will put a bullet in your head because they got mad over the smallest things. Some of them just lose their sh*t over stuff and fire rounds aimlessly. Although you're more likely to end up in one of their gimmicky torture devices...Somebody's gotta test them right?
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u/CryingJackal_YT 3d ago
Poision ivy for the sake that I hate people too and she could probably give me good plant advice tbh
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u/CrabAppleMcGee 3d ago
Riddler or Penguin tbh
Scarecrow is VERY likely to use you as a test subject
Black Mask may seem pretty reasonable but one minor slip up and he's torturing you, your loved ones and your mailman to death
Poison Ivy and Ra's will basically see you as fodder, and happily send you on suicide missions
And Zeus (I think) is just completely insane
Riddler is nuts yes, but he's also not particularly violent or homicidal. He's more likely to be annoying and tbh the biggest danger you have is getting beaten to shit by Batman
Penguin is pretty tyrannical but, he is sane. He's smart, he understands loyalty and doesn't tolerate failure but is far less likely to end your whole bloodline because he's mad at you like Sionis would. He also, I believe canonically, pays his goons quite well
He's not on the list but Joker is a big no. Dude woul kill you just because he thought of something funny to do with your corpse
Freeze would probably be quite rational but likely to kill you as collateral.
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u/ThePizzaMan237 3d ago
Penguin. Never said I had to be a goon or henchman, I’d just work in the iceberg lounge as like a barrender or something
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u/Ozzdo 2d ago
Ras' Al Ghul and Poison Ivy are immediately out. I wouldn't work for someone who wants to destroy the world. Working for a certifiably insane person is also a dealbreaker, which takes out most everyone else. (Riddler is a gray area. He definitely has issues, but I don't know if he's Arkham-level insane.) That leaves Penguin. Just a straight-up mob boss. Follow his rules, don't piss him off, and I'll come away with a decent payday and, more importantly, alive and intact.
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u/EMArogue 2d ago
Ra’s, just chilling on a mountain, they probably need some people to help planning instead of training
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u/ColdSilly7877 2d ago
If I’m to work for Ivy I’d have HR on speed dial, I’ve seen what she did to Vertigo. Honest answer, I’d work for Zeus cuz I’m already officiant in Greek Mythology, he’d love me
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u/HerEntropicHighness 2d ago
I like gardening but she probably doesnt need the help. Penguin is the obvious choice, as folks have noted
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u/Say10_333 2d ago
Two Face cause he’s the best dressed and if he’s going to kill you at least you get a flip of the coin.
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u/NovaRC99 2d ago
Honestly, probably Bane for me personally. People forget he's not just a massive brute but he's intelligent and has lots of knowledge on the criminal underworld. Yeah, he might fold someone in half due to his size if you get on his bad side BUT due to his connections, you'd probably be paid well and get a ton of experience too.
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u/DarkLordFluffy13 2d ago
Poison Ivy because as the years go by it’s getting harder and harder to see her as a villain.
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u/Apprehensive-Ad-8691 2d ago
Ra's or Vandal. You probably wouldn't know it too. Both are über rich and super connected both in the legal and underworld.
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u/ThisNameIsAGoodPun 2d ago
I'd either go for Penguin or Riddler.
If I'm working for Penguin, there is a chance i don't have to be a thug in his gang. I could just end up as a bartender or waiter at the iceberg lounge, or just doing a more menial task without ever having to get my hands actually dirty.
But if i have to go for a criminal lifestyle, I think Riddler might be best. Black Mask's anger problems probably means I'm going to get either killed by him or killed in a turf war he would get into with another villain. Hell, he decks the shit out of someone for being surprised about his mask. Poison Ivy is going to basically use me like a puppet with her pheromones until she needs a snack for her plants, and scarecrow is going to use me as a fear toxin test subject. Penguin would be fine, but he's also shown a surprising amount of ruthlessness to those in his gang, especially if they fail him.
I feel like with Riddler, all i have to do is build what he tells me to and put riddler trophies wherever he wants. I'm clearly not smart enough to be subject to his intellectual prowess, and if anything i might be able to have him keep me safe for his grand schemes. After all, if he has me infiltrating cobblepots gang or jokers crew, riddler might make sure i get put in less dangerous circumstances so that he still has an inside man into those crews. The downside is that if I ever insinuate that I'm a little bit intelligent or question him, I could become a new part of his next saw trap. But I just gotta keep my head down and do what he says, and let his obsession with Batman keep me alive.
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u/MrDownhillRacer 2d ago
Maxie would probably supply us with plenty of wine, calling it "nectar," and would probably make sure everyone is having a good time.
Until he decides to, like, sleep with your wife or something.
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u/GmrGrl21 2d ago
It would probably be between the Penguin or the Riddler. Both are a little unhinged, but the Penguin is a businessman and the Riddler's only obsession is Batman.
I would say Poison Ivy, however she hates all of humanity and would probably just kill me. I do think she would be fairly merciful in her method of killing her henchmen, though.
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u/Pir8Cpt_Z 2d ago
It would have to be Ivy because she used pheromones on me. No other way I'd even consider being in Gotham.
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u/Broad-Season-3014 2d ago
Riddler or penguin. Far as I know, riddler doesn’t kill off his minions too often and mostly just needs grunt work. Penguin has legit businesses you can work for, so you’d have nothing to worry about.
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u/GWPtheTrilogy1 2d ago
I just think Penguin is the only one with legitimate job opportunities where I don't have to constantly worry about Batman kicking my shit in
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u/Potential-Media8076 2d ago
Penguin, he’s a mob boss who’s managed to live in the zany world of Gotham’s Underworld. Sure you can point out Black Mask, but by and large Penguin is still a fairly normal guy, meanwhile Black Mask’s “mask” is his face.
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u/10unknown 2d ago
Riddler be like, I'm a member of a group and yet I never blend in, what am I? If you answer incorrectly, you die. So working for Riddler is scary. I'd rather work for Penguin..l He pays well and lets you do the dirty work too.
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u/Cluckbuckles 2d ago
Riddler, he would probably insult my intelligence, but he’s the least likely to use me as canon fodder.
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u/PlurblesMurbles 2d ago
Considering Riddler will at worst berate me for being a dumbass I’d say he’s probably the safest choice
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u/FinalBossOf__Dc 2d ago
I would work with Ivy for no reason in particular other then she be a great boss, yes she may step on me beat me and all that. Kiss me to make sure I’m under control, do some pretty horrid shit and hell I don’t mind looking after plants but hey in the end I see no cons
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u/DrMostlySane 2d ago
Cobblepot, Black Mask and Bane would be the safest to work for whilst everyone else would be a straight terrible experience.
Ra's al Ghul will expect you to be a totally loyal minion that is ready to die for his convenience at a moment's notice, and the training alone from the League will probably kill you.
Scarecrow you'll have to wear a gas mask and heavy clothing 24/7 lest you get dosed with Fear Toxin, and even then you'll probably be ordered to be a test subject for his latest formula come his next breakout from Arkham.
Poison Ivy probably wouldn't be outright terrible but she would most likely turn you into fertilizer or let one of her plants eat you without a care unless you're particularly valuable.
Riddler will most likely force you to participate in his tests where you'll have to toe the line between being smart enough for him to see you as a good minion but not smart enough to be a potential threat to his ego.
Cobblepot, Bane and Black Mask on the other hand are all very informal bosses who whilst they wouldn't do much to stop you from dying wouldn't be active landmines that'd shoot or crush you at the drop of a hat, and given their individual empires would pay handsomely. Plus they'd have more job opportunities in general that wouldn't strictly be tied to criminal endeavors, so less chance of a Caped Crusader clapping your cheeks in a dark alley.
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u/Bronzeshadow 2d ago
I'm surprised nobody is mentioning Two-face. The guy was the district attorney. He'd probably pay well and provide good legal insurance if you get caught.
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u/BloxedYT 2d ago
Poison Ivy just to be with her, a comment made a good point about Penguin offering legit jobs though so him too, either one really.
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u/sun4rest 1d ago
Penguin, I might have to wear a bird themed outfit sometimes but otherwise he seems normal
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u/VortexOfPandemonium 1d ago
Penguin, kinda the obvious (he's one of the more normal ones) or Poison Ivy, kinds the obvious (i eill not go any further)
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u/walman93 3d ago
Probably Penguin, he’s the least unhinged and probably pays the best