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Anarky

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/anarky_vol_2_no_1_5463.jpg

Alter Ego: Lonnie Machin

First appearance: Detective Comics #608 (November 1989)

A child prodigy with knowledge of radical philosophy and driven to overthrow governments to improve social conditions.


  • Adaptational Villainy: He's gotten this treatment every time he's adapted for other media, probably because having an anarchist hero isn't something that translates well into mainstream culture.
    • Beware the Batman dropped his complex philosophy in favor of being a self proclaimed sociopath and aimless terrorist that acts as a stand-in for the Joker.
    • And while Batman: Arkham Origins was more faithful to the comics, Anarky was still depicted as a violent terrorist. In the comics, most of Anarky's actions were targeted at specific individuals, and although some of his actions put his targets in critical condition, he wasn't a killer and he would avoid collateral damage. In Origins, Anarky plans to blow up buildings connected to what he believes are the root problems of society, and he's unconcerned with who might get hurt in the process. He's also portrayed as somewhat less rational than his comic book counterpart. You probably wouldn't hear the comic Anarky ranting against soft drinks, for example.
    • And again in Arrow, where Lonnie is an Ax-Crazy sadist who prompts an Even Evil Has Standards reaction from Season 4's Big Bad.
  • Anarchy Is Chaos: Averted. Indeed, confronting the idea that this just might be what will happen if he succeeds in bringing about the anarchic revolution horrifies Anarky into giving up his plan in "Metamorphosis".
  • Anti-Villain: Anarky has slid along the scale of anti-villainy over time, starting out initially as a Type III in early incarnations, while a Type IV beginning with Anarky series. His Type IV status continued in some minor appearances during his period of obscurity and the Red Robin "Money Spider" era.
  • Bad Habits: Anarky's costume was originally designed by Norm Breyfogle, with some minor input from Alan Grant. Grant requested that Anarky appear as a cross between the black spy of Spy vs Spy fame, and V of V for Vendetta. While you might imagine that these two archetypes would naturally blend to create a fashionably anachronistic, yet impressive coat, or perhaps an imposing and striking long robe augmented with a middle-age cloak motif, you'd be wrong.
  • Bomb-Throwing Anarchists: A subversion, Anarky goes against the anti-intellectual, ineffectual, or violent stereotypes associated with anti-anarchist propaganda.
  • Cartoon Bomb: Anarky's primary weapon may be his scepter, but his secondary weapons include wick-fused bombs of the stereotypically anarchist sort. His assortment of trick bombs typically includes gas bombs and smoke bombs.
  • Chest Insignia: The circle-a symbol of anarchy, naturally.
  • Expy: As noted above, "The Terrorist", V is usually seen as the inspiration for Anarky, but Grant, like V's creator Alan Moore, drew his philosophical approach from his own beliefs. The 12-year-old Lonnie could also hardly be based on a mysterious adult terrorist. In truth, Grant based Lonnie on Chopper, a child graffiti artist/rebel from Judge Dredd, given Chopper's popular debut just a few years earlier. Anarky even used spray painted circle-a (anarchy) symbols as his calling card, in a nod to Chopper's hobby.
  • Failure Is the Only Option: Given that the DC Universe exists as a plausible mirror representation of the real world, so long as an anarchist revolution doesn't take place in reality, Anarky can't overthrow the governments of the DC universe.
  • Reflective Eyes: A unique effect sometimes used for Anarky's metallic mask, allowing the audience to see the emotion of someone Anarky is looking at reflected on Anarky's own face.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: In any normal comic, someone trying to destroy every government on the planet would be the bad guy. Anarky, however, is doing it to free the people, and holds himself to a high moral and idealistic standard while he's doing it.
  • Zorro Mark: Leaves graffiti of an anarchy symbol as a Calling Card.

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