History Monster / DCLiterature

* ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' by Dennis O'Neil (''Film/BatmanBegins'' & ''Film/TheDarkKnight'') & Greg Cox (''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''): Unlike his more passive film counterpart, the novel version of [[PsychoPsychologist Dr. Jonathan Crane]], ComicBook/TheScarecrow, is presented as a [[AdaptationalVillainy terror-loving maniac]]. Starting out using several of his students as test subjects, [[DrivenToMadness driving them mad]] in the process, Crane allies with the League of Shadows in the present, creating and supplying them with [[IKnowWhatYouFear Fear Gas]] so as to unleash it onto Gotham and drive the city to tear itself apart. Along the way, Crane performs more experiments in fear on his hapless patients at Arkham, orders the murder of a nosy attorney, and drives his partner, Carmine Falcone, insane to silence him. During the attack on Gotham, Crane led a prison riot, [[CopKiller murdered a police officer]], and tried to run down Rachel Dawes and [[WouldHurtAChild a child]] she is protecting. Crane then a drug dealer and kills a junkie as a test run for a lethal hallucinogen. In his final appearance, Crane takes a spot in Bane's conquered, anarchy-filled Gotham, presiding over a KangarooCourt where everyone from corrupt politicians to innocent people are forced to walk across the icy river of Gotham, invariable leading to their deaths as they break through the ice, much to Crane's delight.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}: Doomsday Prophecy'' (''[[{{Gamebooks}} Super Powers Which Way Books]]''):
** ComicBook/TheJoker is as deadly as ever. In one story path, Joker sends Batman threatening messages through the Gotham Gazette newspaper, announcing his intentions to kill Batman and destroy Gotham City, by killing half the city's population. Joker attempts this by delivering enough poison to the citizens of Gotham City, either by dumping chemicals into the city's [[WaterSourceTampering water supply]]; adding poison to the Gotham gas line; or using planes to spread poison across Gotham City.
** ComicBook/TheRiddler is [[AdaptationalVillainy more sinister than usual]]. Threatening to "end Batman", Riddler kidnaps Commissioner Gordon and attempts to use a CarBomb to kill him and Batman. Later, Riddler lures Batman to Washington DC, where he kidnaps an actor dressed as Batman and threatens to drop him from a great height if Batman does not reveal his secret identity. But his worst act is luring Batman to a puppet show called ''The Riddle'', held in a children's theater. Riddler sets the theater on fire, willing to let the [[WouldHurtAChild children in the audience die]], just to get the better of Batman.

* ''[[Literature/MiracleMonday Superman: Miracle Monday]]'': [[TheHeavy C.W Saturn]], a demon from Hell and the chief servant of [[{{Satan}} Samael]], is [[EstablishingCharacterMoment introduced]] torturing 666 condemned souls. Samael tasks Saturn with breaking Superman's spirit, for if he succeeds there will be nothing to stop Samael from conquering the universe and allowing evil to rule over the cosmos. Saturn comes to Earth and decides to test Superman by causing various disasters for Superman to deal with. He creates an earthquake that causes a tidal wave to head towards to Metropolis; causes trains to crash; causes a chemical plant to caught fire; and nearly explode and causes a building to start collapsing. After that, he [[DemonicPossession posseses Kristen Wells]], Clark Kent's new coworker. In Wells's body, at first Saturn just commits cruel pranks, though some are deadly. After Superman spoils some of Saturn's fun, he decides to get serious and uses his powers to make all the nuclear weapons in the world launch. Saturn's ultimate goal is to force [[SadisticChoice Superman kill Wells in order to stop him]], knowing that will break Superman's spirit and allow evil to win.

* ''Literature/TheFurtherAdventuresOfBatman'': In the story "Bone", by Will Murray, ComicBook/TheJoker is once again presented as a sadistic SerialKiller. Seemingly wanting to discover Batman's true identity, Joker goes to the house of a millionaire named Archie Bittner, blowing up Bittner's security guard and kidnapping Bittner. Joker takes over the airwaves and [[TearOffYourFace removes Bittner's face]] on live TV, saying he will do this to another person every night till Batman reveals his identity. Joker kidnaps two other people and removes their faces. Joker attempts to do the same thing to Commissioner Gordon, but Batman saves Gordon and drives the Joker off. In the end it is revealed that Joker had no interest in Batman's identity and [[ForTheEvulz went on this killing spree for fun]].

** [[PsychoPsychologist Jonathan Crane]], the [[ScaryScarecrows Scarecrow]], is a fear-loving sadist who becomes one of Sin Tzu's "generals" in his war on Gotham. Locked away in Arkham Asylum for his latest crime of forcing dozens of innocent college students to tear each other apart, Crane escapes Arkham and leads a group of criminals he drives insane to march on Gotham, where Crane sprays countless people with his patented [[IKnowWhatYouFear Fear Gas]], driving them to get into bloodbaths with each other. Spraying and terrorizing Commissioner James Gordon, he [[ForcedToWatch forces Batman to watch]] just because [[KickTheDog the man is Batman's best friend]].
* ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' by Dennis O'Neil (''Film/BatmanBegins'' & ''Film/TheDarkKnight'') & Greg Cox (''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''): Unlike his more passive film counterpart, the novel version of [[PsychoPsychologist Dr. Jonathan Crane]], the [[ScaryScarecrows Scarecrow]], is presented as a [[AdaptationalVillainy terror-loving maniac]]. Starting out using several of his students as test subjects, [[DrivenToMadness driving them mad]] in the process, Crane allies with the League of Shadows in the present, creating and supplying them with [[IKnowWhatYouFear Fear Gas]] so as to unleash it onto Gotham and drive the city to tear itself apart. Along the way, Crane performs more experiments in fear on his hapless patients at Arkham, orders the murder of a nosy attorney, and drives his partner, Carmine Falcone, insane to silence him. During the attack on Gotham, Crane led a prison riot, [[CopKiller murdered a police officer]], and tried to run down Rachel Dawes and [[WouldHurtAChild a child]] she is protecting. Crane then a drug dealer and kills a junkie as a test run for a lethal hallucinogen. In his final appearance, Crane takes a spot in Bane's conquered, anarchy-filled Gotham, presiding over a KangarooCourt where everyone from corrupt politicians to innocent people are forced to walk across the icy river of Gotham, invariable leading to their deaths as they break through the ice, much to Crane's delight.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}: The Ultimate Evil'': In this novel by Andrew Vachss, and the graphic novel adaptation, [[BigBad William X. Malady]] is a wicked sociopath who makes a profit off of the [[WouldHurtAChild lives of children]]. Originally the leader of a child pornography ring he ran from Gotham City, Malady fled the country after having the benevolent Thomas and Martha Wayne gunned down for investigating his crimes, then [[HeKnowsTooMuch having the gunman himself killed]]. Taking up residence in the foreign country of Udon Khai, Malady immediately installs a private military group that he uses to regularly kidnap innocent children from poor villagers, killing any who attempt to stop them. Malady then uses the children as {{sex slave}}s until they wear out from exhaustion, at which point Malady either kills them or simply lets them drop dead. Having subjected hundreds of children to this horrific fate while simultaneously paying pedophiles worldwide to send him videotapes of themselves raping children for him to sell on the black market. Malady, in order to prevent moles from infiltrating his organization, has instituted an initiation protocol where, if one wishes to gain access, they must rape a child on film. When Rhama Bgyn, leader of the rebels who fight against Malady's tyranny, has him at gunpoint, Malady [[DirtyCoward pathetically begs for his life]] and disgustingly offers to "replace" Rhama's late cousin, who died because of Malady. A disturbingly realistic villain who, despite his lack of a gimmick or powers, William X. Malady stands out as one of the most monstrous villains Batman has faced.

** [[BigBad Sin Tzu]], unlike the original, more generic video game iteration, is [[AdaptationalVillainy portrayed in the novel]] as a sociopathic mass murderer who views compassion and love as weaknesses. Raised as an assassin and always taking sadistic pleasure in his various atrocities, Sin Tzu eventually betrayed his own cult and drove them all to tear each other part in insanity upon gaining power of his own. Becoming a [[BloodKnight warlord and tyrant]] obsessed with nothing more than [[TheConqueror conquest and destruction]], Sin Tzu has killed thousands across Asia in his march towards domination, enslaving and "reeducating" entire countries at a time. Upon arriving in Gotham City, Sin Tzu unleashes thousands of monstrous criminals onto the streets, using his power to make them even more vicious so as to spread mass death and chaos throughout the city. Siccing some of Batman's worst foes on him, and turning the rest into [[AndIMustScream living trophies]], Sin Tzu ultimately plans to murder Batman and ensure that every last one of his thousands of minions are killed in a blaze of glory just to illustrate the latest chapter of his self-written book. A monster who saw [[LoveIsAWeakness human emotion as such a weakness]] that he abandoned and possibly murdered the only woman he ever loved just to prove this point, Sin Tzu was one of the worst foes Batman faced.

* ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'', by Dennis O'Neil (''Film/BatmanBegins'' & ''Film/TheDarkKnight'') & Greg Cox (''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''): Unlike his more passive film counterpart, the novel version of [[PsychoPsychologist Dr. Jonathan Crane]], the [[ScaryScarecrows Scarecrow]], is presented as a [[AdaptationalVillainy terror-loving maniac]]. Having gotten his start in his criminal ways after using several of his students as test subjects, [[DrivenToMadness driving them to the brink of madness]] in the process, Crane allies with the terrorist group the League of Shadows in the present, creating and supplying them with [[IKnowWhatYouFear Fear Gas]] so as to unleash it onto all of Gotham and drive the city to tear itself apart in madness. Along the way, Crane performs more horrifying experiments in fear on his hapless patients at Arkham, orders a nosy attorney be murdered, and drives his partner, Carmine Falcone, insane to keep him from talking to the police about their crimes. After his plan to drive Gotham mad fails, during which Crane led a prison riot, murdered a police officer, and tried to run down Rachel Dawes and a child she is protecting, Crane becomes a drug dealer of a lethal hallucinogen, using it on a junkie then murdering the man as a test run. In his final appearance, Crane takes a spot in Bane's conquered, anarchy-filled Gotham, presiding over a KangarooCourt where everyone from corrupt politicians to innocent people are forced to walk across the icy river of Gotham, invariable leading to their deaths as they break through the ice, much to Crane's delight. A sadistic monster who plans to cure fear simply so he can rule over the "brave new world" as leader, Jonathan Crane more than matched up with the likes of the Joker and Bane, despite his [[FauxAffablyEvil seemingly polite, harmless exterior]].

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}: Dead White'', by John Shirley: [[BigBad White Eyes]], also known as "Big White", real name Hiram Bunch, is the absolute leader of the [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain supremacist Bavarian Brotherhood]] in Gotham. A steroid-abusing brute of a man who fancies himself the avenger of Adolf Hitler, White Eyes proceeds a wave of crime violence, arms dealings, and murders through Gotham to unsettle the nation before unveiling his real goal: destroying key points all over America to throw the country into chaos and allow him to take over as supreme dictator, before spreading out to the rest of the world with the intention of erasing all of the "mud-races" from the planet. In preparation for this, White Eyes keeps a gallery of enslaved minorities and forces them into grueling and inevitably fatal work for months at a time in an abandoned gold mine; [[BadBoss executes his own minions]] for reasons as varied as simple failure to simply use them as test subjects for his weapons; and kidnaps a young woman named Beth, intending to use her as "breeding stock" and attempting to rape her out of frustration once his base is infiltrated by Batman. Once his plan is toppled, White Eyes simply elects to abandon the rest of his men and blow up the capitol himself, murdering his most trusted henchman once he refuses to abandon the others and taking an entire family hostage to deter Batman from pursuing him.

* ''The Further Adventures of the Joker'' anthology: In the story "Bone", by Will Murray, ComicBook/TheJoker is once again presented as a sadistic SerialKiller. Seemingly wanting to discover Batman's true identity, Joker goes to the house of a millionaire named Archie Bittner, blowing up Bittner's security guard and kidnapping Bittner. Joker takes over the airwaves and [[TearOffYourFace removes Bittner's face]] on live TV, saying he will do this to another person every night till Batman reveals his identity. Joker kidnaps two other people and removes their faces. Joker attempts to do the same thing to Commissioner Gordon, but Batman saves Gordon and drives the Joker off. In the end it is revealed that Joker had no interest in Batman's identity and [[ForTheEvulz went on this killing spree for fun]].

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* ''[[Literature/MiracleMonday Superman: Miracle Monday]]'': [[TheHeavy C.W Saturn]], a demon from Hell and the chief servant of [[{{Satan}} Samael]], is [[EstablishingCharacterMoment introduced]] torturing 666 condemned souls. Samael tasks Saturn with [[HopeCrusher breaking Superman's spirit]], for if he succeeds there will be nothing to stop Samael from conquering the universe and allowing evil to rule over the cosmos. Saturn comes to Earth and decides to test Superman by causing various disasters for Superman to deal with. He creates an earthquake that causes a tidal wave to head towards to Metropolis; causes trains to crash; causes a chemical plant to caught fire; and nearly explode and causes a building to start collapsing. After that, he [[DemonicPossession posseses Kristen Wells]], Clark Kent's new coworker. In Wells's body, at first Saturn just commits cruel pranks, though some are deadly. After Superman spoils some of Saturn's fun, he decides to get serious and uses his powers to make all the nuclear weapons in the world launch. Saturn's ultimate goal is to force [[SadisticChoice Superman kill Wells in order to stop him]], knowing that will break Superman's spirit and allow evil to win.

* ''[[Literature/MiracleMonday Superman: Miracle Monday]]'': [[TheHeavy C.W Saturn]], a demon from Hell and the chief servant of [[{{Satan}} Samael]], is [[EstablishingCharacterMoment introduced]] torturing 666 condemned souls. Samael tasks Saturn with [[HopeCrusher breaking Superman's spirit]], for if he succeeds there will be nothing to stop Samael from conquering the universe and allowing evil to rule over the cosmos. Saturn comes to Earth and decides to test Superman by causing various disasters for Superman to deal with. He creates an earthquake that causes a tidal wave to head towards to Metropolis; causes trains to crash; causes a chemical plant to caught fire; and nearly explode and causes a building to start collapsing. After that, he [[DemonicPossession posses Kristen Wells]], Clark Kent's new coworker. At first in Wells's body Saturn just [[EvilIsPetty commits cruel pranks]], though some are deadly. After Superman spoils some of Saturn's fun, he decides to get serious and uses his powers to make all the nuclear weapons in the world launch. Saturn's ultimate goal is to force [[SadisticChoice Superman kill Wells in order to stop him]], knowing that will break Superman's spirit and allow evil to win.

* ''[[Literature/MiracleMonday Superman: Miracle Monday]]'': [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils C.W Saturn]] is a demon from Hell and [[TheHeavy the chief servant]] of [[{{Satan}} Samael]]. Saturn is [[EstablishingCharacterMoment introduced]] [[ColdBloodedTorture torturing 666 condemned souls]]. Samael tasks Saturn with [[HopeCrusher breaking Superman's spirit]], for if he succeeds there will be nothing to stop Samael from [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt conquering the universe and allowing evil to rule over the cosmos]]. Saturn comes to Earth and decides to test Superman by causing various disasters for Superman to deal with. He creates an earthquake that causes a tidal wave to head towards to Metropolis; causes trains to crash; causes a chemical plant to caught fire; and nearly explode and causes a building to start collapsing. After that, he [[DemonicPossession posses Kristen Wells]], Clark Kent's new coworker. At first in Wells's body Saturn just [[EvilIsPetty commits cruel pranks]], though some are deadly. After Superman spoils some of Saturn's fun, he decides to get serious and uses his powers to [[NukeEm make all the nuclear weapons in the world launch]]. Saturn's ultimate goal is to force [[SadisticChoice Superman kill Wells in order to stop him]], knowing that will break Superman's spirit and allow evil to win.

Given [[Monster/Monster/DCUniverse the source material]], it comes as no surprise that literature based on Franchise/TheDCU feature [[CompleteMonster heinous villains]].\\