Batman has an awful lot of villains with doctorates.
Batman has an awful lot of villains with doctorates.
Just off the top of my head, there's Scarecrow, Ivy, Harley, Hugo Strange, Kirk Langstrom, and I think I read that Freeze had his revoked.
Batman is the world's greatest detective. His villains need to compete on an intellectual level, and in fiction a doctorate is short-hand for "smart" and "an expert in the field."
Good point. I suppose there are only so many Killer Crocs and Solomon Grundys you can have before he's just abusing guys with learning disabilities.
My favorite moment from the old Batman animated show was when the rogues were sitting around telling their stories about how they almost got Batman. Actually, I wouldn't do it justice, just watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UUr7bM1A6s
Of course there's a twist at the end that changes the moment a bit, but it was still hilarious.
Killer Croc has skin condition, not learning disability.
A deeply traumatized sociopath trust fund billionaire that keeps bullying the scientists who only want to save the planet.
Yup, that tracks.
Wait…
I'm doing a PhD right now. I understand.
So it's about a billionaire punishing intellectuals who want to reshape society?
A billionaire beating up a bunch of starving postdocs!
Fuck. Elon is the hero we deserve.
Education leads to radicalization lol
He doesn't have a doctorate but Joker is stated to be an expert chemist almost on par with Scarecrow, just different focuses.
Ra's Al Ghul is 600 years old, a master of multiple martial arts and languages, has first-hand knowledge of all kinds of history, and is the leader of the League of Shadows.
And I'd be willing to throw most supernatural villains in the list too.
It's not the intelligence I find as interesting as the formal education prior to villainy.
I just remembered Hush.
Tom Elliot was one of Bruce's childhood friends, but always kind of a psychopath. He set up his parents murder, and then used his inheritance to go to medical school and become a master surgeon.
My spouse likes to remind me that I'm one bad lab accident away from becoming a super villain. He's not wrong.
I think also Manbat?
To be fair, the only one of my friends with a PHD is also the most supervillain-y.
Yep, Man-Bat is Kirk Langstrom. I wasn't sure which name was more recognizable.
That was back before degrees were financed with tax payer money.
Not in the US. Have you seen the cost of higher education?
Continue the thought to its natural conclusion: That was back before degrees were financed with tax payer money... which allowed people to fall into indentured servitude with debilitating repayment schemes that most will carry until they die. Pros: Someone way smarter than you is making your coffee, waiting on you, driving you around, and delivering your packages. Cons: Society doesn't actually get to benefit from the advanced degree it fronted the money for.