History Main / Idiosyncrazy

** The Red Panda and Flying Squirrel note eponymous themes are a common trait for "sick in the head, wannabe supervillains". It's first seen in the episode "Rabbit Season", where the Red Panda is able to set a trap for that episode's villain, Jackrabbit, after recognizing that the reason for her unusually selective thefts was because she only stole things whose value was measured in karats. He takes the theme to its logical conclusion and has a rabbit statue put in display to lure her in.
** The Mad Monkey invokes this as much as he falls prey to it. He's motivated to be a villain because he views himself as the ideal arch-nemesis to the Red Panda. To this end, he embraces the theme presented by his power to control baboons by committing monkey related crimes.

* The Riddler (Edward Nigma) and riddles. It originated as a harmless theme, but became DarkerAndEdgier as the years went by: Riddler suffers from SuperOCD and narcissistic personality disorder, and ''has'' to leave puzzles to prove how smart he is (he's even been given a FreudianExcuse in the form of a father who, not understanding his son's intelligence, beat him, giving Nigma an obsession with expressing his smarts in convoluted ways). In one instance, Riddler thinks he's found a way around his compulsion by leaving notes instead of riddles...but Batman discovers puzzles embedded within the notes that Nigma ''didn't intentionally leave''--in other words, he's so mentally ill that he doesn't even realize when he's acting on his compulsions. However, he's sometimes able to make this work for him: sometimes, the ''obvious'' answer to his clue masks the ''real'' answer, which is much more difficult to figure out.

* Most of the villains on ''WesternAnimation/CoolMcCool'' fit this mold.

* The Riddler (Edward Nigma) and riddles. It originated as a harmless theme, but became DarkerAndEdgier as the years went by: Riddler suffers from SuperOCD and narcissistic personality disorder, and ''has'' to leave puzzles to prove how smart he is (he's even been given a FreudianExcuse in the form of a father who, not understanding his son's intelligence, beat him, giving Nigma an obsession with expressing his smarts in convoluted ways). In one instance, Riddler thinks he's found a way around his compulsion by leaving notes instead of riddles...but Batman discovers puzzles embedded within the notes that Nigma ''didn't intentionally leave''--in other words, he's so mentally ill that he doesn't even realize when he's acting on his compulsions. However, he's also GenreSavvy enough to make this work for him: sometimes, the ''obvious'' answer to his clue masks the ''real'' answer, which is much more difficult to figure out.

** The Red Panda and Flying Squirrel note eponymous themes are a common trait for "sick in the head, wannabe supervillains". It's first seen in the episode "Rabbit Season", where the Red Panda is able to set a trap for that episode's villain, Jack Rabbit, after recognizing that the reason for her unusually selective thefts was because she only stole things whose value was measured in karats.

* [[TheFlash Flash]] villain Rainbow Raider (real name [[StevenUlyssesPerhero Roy G. Bivolo]]), a failed artist who became obsessed with ''colors'' as a result of his colorblindness.
* {{Superman}}'s enemy Bizarro feels compelled to do the opposite of everything normal people do. This leads to some truly strange behavior, such as building a basement on top of his house.

* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' Kim has fought her share of {{Idiosyncrazy}} villains: Duff Killigan, the homicidal golfer; Frugal Lucre, the world's cheapest criminal; and so on.

* In the ''Podcast/RedPandaAdventures'', the Red Panda and Flying Squirrel note eponymous themes are a common trait for "sick in the head, wannabe supervillains". It's first seen in the episode "Rabbit Season", where the Red Panda is able to set a trap for that episode's villain, Jack Rabbit, after recognizing that the reason for her unusually selective thefts was because she only stole things whose value was measured in karats.

* In the ''Podcast/RedPandaAdventures'' episode "Rabbit Season", the Red Panda notes this is a common trait for up and coming supervillains. It's how he's able to set a trap for that episode's villain, Jack Rabbit. He recognized that the reason for her unusually selective thefts was because she only stole things whose value was measured in karats.

* WesternAnimation/KimPossible has fought her share of {{Idiosyncrazy}} villains: Duff Killigan, the homicidal golfer; Frugal Lucre, the world's cheapest criminal; and so on.

* The Riddler and riddles. Sometimes treated as an actual psychological disorder. At one point, he ''tries'' to stop leaving riddles, without success. Usually, though, he makes his disorder work for him, as the ''obvious'' answer to his clue masks the ''real'' answer, which is much more difficult to figure out.

* Early versions of the Penguin were obsessed with committing umbrella-based crimes, though these days he's simply a portly sociopath with a high opinion of himself.

Batman's rogues' gallery has enough examples that's it's probably easier to list the ones that ''aren't'' crazy.

* SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker, DependingOnTheWriter, may only commit crimes based on the theme of jokes or pranks. Alternatively, the crime itself must be "funny" (albeit according to the Joker's own highly warped sense of humor).

* Crazy Quilt (who's technically more of a Robin villain than a Batman one) was an artist who was also something of a cat burgler on the side. When an accident made him go blind, he opted for experimental surgery that restored his vision but distorted his perception of color, though he was a thief even before the accident that left him blind. He then went crazy and became obsessed with color.
* It's DependingOnTheWriter, but Catwoman has a tenancy to go after anything that has to do with cats.
* Early versions of The Penguin were obsessed with committing umbrella-based crimes, though these days's he's simply a portly sociopath with a high opinion of himself.
* Maxie Zeus is a gang leader believes himself to be the reincarnation of the Greek god Zeus. [[WrongGenreSavvy He is not.]] It's almost laugable given that the Greek Gods existence is an established fact within the DC universe, what with [[ComicBook/WonderWoman a well-known superheroine]] tracing her origin back to Greek Mythology. The key word being ''almost'', as he's very intelligent and resourceful despite his delusions.
* Some of the villains made up for the ''1966 {{Series/Batman}}'' TV series make Batman's comic book rogues gallery seem calm subdued by comparison.

** False-Face ([[Creator/BorisKarloff Basil Karlo]]) ingested a chemical formula that let him change his face anyway he wanted, but at the cost of his own identity, so he started commiting crimes involving forgeries, and impersonation.

[[folder:Franchise/{{Batman}}]]

Batman's rogues' gallery has enough examples that's it's probably easier to list the ones that ''arn't'' crazy.

* Crazy Quilt (who's technically more of a Robin villain than a Batman one) also went crazy and became obsessed with color after going blind, and then getting experimental surgery that restored his vision but distorted his perception of color, though he was a thief even before the accident that left him blind.

* Early versions of The Penguin, have him obsessed with committing umbrella-based crimes, though these days's he's simply a portly sociopath with a high opinion of himself who likes birds.

* A great many Franchise/{{Batman}} villains:
** The Riddler and riddles. Sometimes treated as an actual psychological disorder. At one point, he ''tries'' to stop leaving riddles, without success. Usually, though, he makes his disorder work for him, as the ''obvious'' answer to his clue masks the ''real'' answer, which is much more difficult to figure out.
** Cluemaster, the father of Spoiler, felt a compulsion to leave clues behind at the crime scenes, but he eventually got over it and stopped. Leaving clues, not committing crimes.
** ComicBook/TwoFace is usually compelled to commit crimes based on the number two or the concept of duality. Whether or not he kills a given individual is often determined by the outcome of a coin toss.
** SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker, DependingOnTheWriter, may only commit crimes based on the theme of jokes or pranks. Alternatively, the crime itself must be "funny" (albeit according to the Joker's own highly warped sense of humor).
*** [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Back in the day]] Joker also had a compulsion to leave clues to his ''future'' crimes.
** The Film Freak only commits crimes that are re-enactments of famous movie scenes.
** The Calendar Man (real name [[StevenUlyssesPerhero Julian Gregory Day]]) commits a different crime each day, but will ''re-create that crime exactly, one year later to the day.''
** The Black and White Bandit (real name [[StevenUlyssesPerhero Roscoe Chiara]]), a MadArtist who became obsessed with black and white after going colorblind. He's got a SkunkStripe in his black hair, he has a Dalmatian named Domino, steals things like antique chess sets, etc.
** Joe Coyne (pictured above) was a failure as a criminal. Not only was he regularly caught by the police ("coppers"), his crimes only netted him pennies. Thus, to get back at "coppers and pennies," he launched a career as the Penny Plunderer. A career that Batman ended on his very first outing, but Joe's theme outlived him; he (not, as is often assumed, Two-Face) provided the giant penny that [[SuperheroTrophyShelf became a fixture of the Batcave]].
** UsefulNotes/{{The Silver Age|of Comic Books}} version of the Mad Hatter - the one with the red handlebar mustache - centered all his crimes around hats and other headgear.
** Crazy Quilt (who's technically more of a Robin villain than a Batman one) also went crazy and became obsessed with color after going blind, and then getting experimental surgery that restored his vision but distorted his perception of color, though he was a thief even before the accident that left him blind.
** It's DependingOnTheWriter, but Catwoman has a tenancy to go after anything that has to do with cats.
** Early versions of The Penguin, have him obsessed with committing umbrella-based crimes, though these days's he's simply a portly sociopath with a high opinion of himself who likes birds.
** Maxie Zeus is a gang leader believes himself to be the reincarnation of the Greek god Zeus. [[WrongGenreSavvy He is not.]] It's almost laugable given that the Greek Gods existence is an established fact within the DC universe, what with [[ComicBook/WonderWoman a well-known superheroine]] tracing her origin back to Greek Mythology. The key word being ''almost'', as he's very intelligent and resourceful despite his delusions.

* Some of the villains made up for the ''1966 {{Series/Batman}}'' TV series make Batman's comic book rogues gallery seem calm subdued by comparison.
** Egghead ([[StevenUlyssesPerhero Edgar Heed]]) was a big-headed bald guy who considered himself "the smartest man in the world" despite his obsession with egg-based crimes.
** King Tut was a guy who got hit on the head and started to believe he was an Egyptian pharaoh.
** False-Face ([[Creator/BorisKarloff Basil Karlo]]) ingested a chemical formula that let him change his face anyway he wanted, but at the cost of his own identity, so he started commiting crimes involving forgeries, and impersonation.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE25TheClockKing "The Clock King"]], Temple Fugate is TheSociopath without any emotion, whose only interest in the world is being a ScheduleFanatic, clocks and time: he uses a TimeBomb triggered by an expensive watch, has an AbandonedWarehouse with a RoomFullOfCrazy Clocks, and conducts a BankRobbery by messing with a time lock. [[spoiler: All those tropes were exploited to lure Batman into a trap: Fugate acknowledges his obsession, and uses it against his enemies. The real]] EvilPlan is to kill someone in a ClockTower with the clock hands.

** Maxie Zeus is a gang leader believes himself to be the reincarnation of the Greek god Zeus. [[WrongGenreSavvy He is not.]] It's especially funny given that the Greek Gods existence is an established fact within the DC universe, what with [[ComicBook/WonderWoman a well-known superheroine]] tracing her origin back to Greek Mythology.

** Early versions of The Penguin, have him obsessed with committing umbrella-based crimes, though these days's he's simply a portly guy with a high opinion of himself who likes birds.

** ComicBook/TwoFace is usually compelled to commit crimes based on the number two or the concept of duality.

** The Box Ghost and boxes. At one point, he even steals Pandora's Box.

* {{Superman}}'s enemy SelfDemonstrating/{{Bizarro}} feels compelled to do the opposite of everything normal people do. This leads to some truly strange behavior, such as building a basement on top of his house.

** The SilverAge version of the Mad Hatter - the one with the red handlebar mustache - centered all his crimes around hats and other headgear.

** ComicBook/TheRiddler and riddles. Sometimes treated as an actual psychological disorder. At one point, he ''tries'' to stop leaving riddles, without success. Usually, though, he makes his disorder work for him, as the ''obvious'' answer to his clue masks the ''real'' answer, which is much more difficult to figure out.

-->-- '''The Riddler''', ''Franchise/{{Batman}}: Hush''

* The villain in the ''Film/{{Saw}}'' movies is compulsive about his sadistic torture games, and becomes known and feared for them, his whole life seems to revolve around it. In fact, a major plot point in the later movies is being able to tell the real Jigsaw killer's death traps from those of a copycat using this trope; he ''always'' has to give the victim a means of freeing themselves from the death trap (as he firmly believes he's "helping" them better appreciate life by facing their sins through the game), whereas the copycats usually make the death traps inescapable.