Our villain’s origin series delves into the lives and backstories of terrible villains we have seen on TV, the big screen, or in comic books. We will examine one such monster in today’s video, whose appearance and actions will make your skin crawl. You might be wondering where we found this villain. So, we went back to the one place where bad guys had taken over — Gotham, of course. While the likes of the Penguin, Two-Face, The Riddler, Poison Ivy, and The Joker are all well-known villains, there is one who is exceptionally twisted, brutal, and terrifying to see in action. That foe is serial killer Victor Zsasz.
The character originally appeared in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1 in June 1992. He is a sadomasochistic and psychopathic serial killer who leaves a tally mark for each of his victims on his body. Zsasz is a member of Batman’s rogue’s gallery, a group of criminals that constantly challenge Batman. In addition to comic books, the character has appeared in a number of other media.
Zsasz was voiced by Danny Jacobs in the Batman: Arkham video game franchise, and he was also performed in live-action by Anthony Carrigan in the television series Gotham and Alex Morf in the Arrowverse series Batwoman’s second season. Tim Booth portrayed the character in the 2005 film Batman Begins, and Chris Messina in the DC Extended Universe film Birds of Prey (2020).
Let us go right into the backstory of this infamous and dreaded serial killer, shall we?
Mr. Zsasz Tragic Origin
Victor Zsasz is the most heinous of sociopaths, a serial killer who uses tally marks on his skin to mark the deaths of his victims. He believes that humans are mindless “robots” who seek purpose and meaning through materialistic and superficial means. He is deceptively smart and brilliant, frequently manipulating or intimidating his victims before murdering them and arranging them in lifelike poses for the cops and Batman to locate.
Mr. Zsasz had a wealthy upbringing. He grew up in a loving, wealthy household and graduated from college at the top of his class, later going on to accumulate his own money through numerous businesses. In fact, Victor was a successful worldwide businessman in his own right. He had earned a great wealth, which he added to the money he had inherited from his parents, before beginning his reign of terror on Gotham and the rest of the globe, and became one of Batman’s most terrifying opponents. Things began to fall apart in his life after this.
Zsasz’s parents died tragically in a boating accident when he was 25, and while he understood what had happened, he couldn’t help but feel unhappy. One can’t help but feel bad for him and sympathize with him because we all know that while losing one parent is bad enough, losing both parents to a freak accident is something one wouldn’t even wish upon their worst enemy.
The loss of his parents sends him into a downward spiral as he becomes confused about why he is alive and what it means to live. This fuels his sadness and confusion which pushes him into depression, making him look for outlets. They say misery loves company and where else to find miserable or downcast people but at a bar or a gambling den thus, Zsasz became engrossed in high-stakes gambling to distract himself from his growing depression. He ignored his businesses while amassing and then losing, vast sums of money in card games.
This put him into a downward spiral that included a gambling addiction and deep sadness. As a result, he lost multiple bet-money competitions, fuelling his addiction. Everything came to a head in one game, when Zsasz staked everything on a game versus the Penguin and lost. Victor gambled everything he had at the Iceberg Lounge Casino, eventually losing everything to the Penguin himself.
He was broke, alone, and miserable, and he was going to end it all when he was accosted by a homeless man. He put an end to the man and discovered his calling as a serial killer. The Penguin, if there is one villain or someone who can be considered to have had the most influence on Victor’s transformation into the serial killer he became, it has to be The Penguin. While Victor’s gambling addiction and his personal sense of emptiness sprang from the loss of his parents, Penguin was the catalyst for everything else in his life.
Zsasz knew at that point that no amount of money could change the hollow person he had become or give his life meaning, so he fled the casino, to attempt suicide on the Gotham Bridge. A vagrant threatened him with a knife for anything he had on him before he could jump.
Zsasz fought back and realized the homeless man was just as empty as he was, as he looked into his eyes. When Zsasz saw the homeless man’s terror and hopelessness, a new perspective dawned on his life. As a “gift” for saving his life, Zsasz then stabbed the man to death. He dedicated himself from then on to “liberating” others from their meaningless lives. Zsasz used the knife to slice a tally mark into his arm, the first of many to come, to keep count of all the people he planned to “assist.”
He referred to his victims as ‘zombies’ and despite the fact that he killed indiscriminately and on some occasions, young ladies were also his victims. His method of murder was to slice the throats of his victims and leave them in lifelike poses for the authorities to uncover, all the while building to his collection of tally mark scars on his body. All of this resulted in him having repeated run-ins with Batman and landing him in Arkham Asylum and Blackgate multiple times.
Escaping From Arkham Asylum
A major thing that Zsasz is known for is engineering his famous escape from Arkham Asylum, right under the noses of all the guards. He had already documented 47victims in The Last Arkham, in his first unique appearance. Jeremiah Arkham portrays him as a serial killer with no obvious motive, who is too brilliant and dangerous to care. Psychiatry faces a difficulty. Zsasz attracted the attention of Gotham’s defender Batman as a result of his misdeeds. Zsasz was apprehended and taken to Arkham Asylum for treatment. But, as we all know, no good villain ever sits quietly and serves their time in prison, and Zsasz was no exception. Thus he planned his elaborate deception to escape Arkham Asylum and continue with his evil practices.
Despite his incarceration, Zsasz persuaded a contractor, Zolly Hiram, to add a secret tunnel leading out of his cell during the restoration of Arkham Asylum under its new director, Jeremiah Arkham, who inherited the asylum from his uncle, Amadeus Arkham. Zsasz was restrained during the day while being treated by Jeremiah Arkham, but he was returned to his cell at night, where he would flee the institution by the hidden route, which the night guards were unaware of. This allowed him to escape and roam the streets at night, free to commit whatever crimes he wanted to and he would return in the morning and no one would have any idea about his misdeeds!
He murders a family, two students, and one pedestrian, each time using a knife, his preferred weapon, and leaving them as if they were still alive. Following the emergence of murders that suit his pattern of operation, Batman and Commissioner James Gordon staged Batman’s insanity in order to get him into the asylum and investigate Zsasz.So that he might be near Zsasz and expose him, Batman pretends to kill an officer and gets detained in Arkham. While Batman was in the asylum, Zsasz persuades Jeremiah to get all of the inmates together and confront Batman. Jeremiah Arkham was particularly cruel to Batman, who had allegedly slain a police officer; Zsasz had damaged Jeremiah’s psyche and reduced him to a mere minion during the “therapy.”
Due to his ongoing chats with Jeremiah, Zsasz deduced that Batman was a ruse and murdered the contractor as well as another inmate at Arkham who was aware of Zsasz’s scheme. Following that, Victor assassinates Zolly Hiram, the architect in charge of the asylum’s reconstruction and designer of the tunnels offered to the highest bidder, and Everard Mallett, the only inmate who knew about the tunnels existence. However, Batman was able to uncover the mystery of his misdeeds with the help of Nightwing. Zsasz almost kills Nightwing in the end but is stopped by Batman and returned to his cell, causing an end to his sinister activities, at least temporarily.
Mr. Zsasz Injured Batman and Taunted Him With The Notion That They Were More Alike
Like a true villain, he was not one to back away from playing mind games with and taunting Batman. They did share a similar backstory of losing their parents and he used that and a whole host of other comparisons to try and mess with the Dark Knight’s mind. This took place during Zsasz’s appearance in Knightfall. He held a school of girls captive during Knightfall. He also killed the two police officers who were dispatched to apprehend him while he held the young women hostage. When Batman arrived on the scene, he immediately confronted the enemy.
During the fight, Zsasz hurt Batman and taunted him with the idea that they were more alike than Batman would like to believe, comparing their methods of tracking down others and claiming that Batman enjoyed fighting the guilty just as much as Zsasz enjoyed attacking the innocent. Though physically and mentally drained, Batman fought Zsasz and tried to ignore the lunatic’s ridicule until he snapped, severely beating him until Renee Montoya, who was also being held captive by Zsasz, intervened. Harvey Bullock personally threatened Zsasz as he was escorted out of the boarding school by police.
However, that wasn’t his last encounter with the Bat that he thought was so much like himself. He attacked Alfred Pennyworth while Bruce Wayne was at a charity function after he fled prison. Because Alfred was brought to the hospital before he could die and a mark had already been carved for him, Zsasz became hellbent on completing the task and killing the butler. Batman fought the killer but lost him when the police, who were also seeking to catch Batman at the moment, intervened in their struggle and unwittingly let Zsasz get away. He lured Zsasz to Alfred’s location and managed to overpower and catch him seconds before he could kill Alfred in a dangerous move.
What makes Mr. Zsasz so dangerous?
Now that we know his dark and traumatic origin and his activities as a ruthless serial killer, we must explore the most important section – why is he so dangerous and what sets him apart from other murders that run amok and wreak havoc in Gotham? Well, look no further, your answer is right here.
Zsasz is a master of Hand-to-Hand combatant at an advanced level, having dislocated Batman’s arm in a fight and nearly killing him. Zsasz is also an expert at utilizing knives for torture and warfare, and he has several knives on him at all times. This is demonstrated when after the Infinite Crisis, Victor disappeared for a long period until reappeared in Detective Comics #815. Following his release from prison, he continues on another killing rampage until he arrives at a charity function.
When he arrives, he discovers Bruce Wayne hosting it, and in the ensuing turmoil, he stabs Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce’s ally, and lone family member. Bruce makes an announcement of Alfred’s existence after surviving the attack, knowing Victor would have already left a tally mark on his body. He goes after Alfred in the hospital in order to feel complete but is immediately stopped and imprisoned by Batman.
He is also an expert at throwing knives and other bladed weapons. When it comes to physiology, Zsasz has an extraordinarily high pain threshold and has no qualms about injuring himself. This is demonstrated when Victor accepts Black Mask’s proposition and proceeds to dress in Armani suits while developing a financial empire. Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s son, and the new Robin, is called in to investigate.
Damian discovers that Victor has kidnapped children in order to create a fighting arena in which each child must struggle to kill another child until they face Victor. Showing his disregard for anyone’s life, including his own. After being abducted by one of Victor’s associates, Damian is enraged by this news and subdues Victor, severely injuring him. In keeping with his father’s moral ethic, he deliberately misses Victor’s spine with his sword, allowing the villain to escape with his life.
He is also at what’s known as “Peak Human Condition.” Due to his intense training, Zsasz is in good shape and boasts a high level of strength, agility, and flexibility, allowing him to face Batman on level ground. Apart from his strength, combat tactics, and ability to throw knives and other weapons, Zsasz is also a very educated individual who has proven to be a skilled planner, capable of thinking on his feet, and well-versed in a range of disciplines, particularly philosophy. He’s also an expert in business management, having developed his own empire at a young age.
He also gains superhuman strength when he turns into a Man-Bat. Victor makes many appearances in the New 52 period of DC Comics. Victor is hired by Ignatius Ogilvy, aka Emperor Penguin, to “leave his mark” on Gotham after being released by The Joker during the Death of the Family storyline. Victor is given a knife with Emperor Penguin’s insignia on it and coated with the Man-Bat serum in an attempt to turn Gotham citizens into monsters. Knowing that Victor’s fixation with finding victims will result in an outbreak of Man-Bat creatures devastating the city, Emperor Penguin releases the serial murderer, who eventually transforms into a Man-Bat.
After gambling away his entire money, Zsasz felt hopeless. This led to depression and severe mental illness, which is what makes him so deadly. When a homeless man stopped him from committing suicide, he had a revelation that rendered Victor Zsasz crazy, believing that by murdering people, he is liberating them from the misery of existence. It is impossible for anyone to argue with him because of his belief system.
Creative and Terrifying Versions Of Mr. Zsasz In Various Forms Of Media – Explored
Zsasz has been seen in many Batman-related media which stretch far beyond the realm of comics. Because his character is so dark and twisted, it often makes for great viewing. When it comes to TV, Victor Zsasz, played by Anthony Carrigan, makes his live-action television debut in the Fox series Gotham. He is portrayed as a brutal and remorseless assassin and hitman with a cruel sense of humor who leaves a tally mark for each person he kills somewhere on his body. Victor Zsasz is frequently accompanied by a gang of female contract killers dressed in leather.
He works as a hitman for criminal lord Carmine Falcone on a regular basis. Victor Zsasz was played by Alex Morf in the second season of the live-action series Batwoman. In this version, he is a hitman who sells his services to the highest bidder and has previously encountered Ryan Wilder. His major adversary is Batwoman. He also appears in the Brad Morris-voiced Harley Quinn animated series episodes “There’s No Place to Go But Down” and “The Runaway Bridesmaid.”
Zsasz has also been featured on the silver screen where Victor Zsasz is a character played by Tim Booth in the 2005 film Batman Begins. Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes charges Zsasz, an enforcer for mobster Carmine Falcone, with many murders. After being pronounced clinically crazy by the hospital’s administrator, Dr. Jonathan Crane, who secretly works for Falcone, he is eventually transported to Arkham Asylum. During Ra’s al Ghul’s siege on Gotham City, Zsasz escapes from Arkham and attacks Rachel along with the other convicts before being apprehended by Batman.
Zsasz is still on the loose, according to a promotional website for The Dark Knight. He also makes a cameo appearance in the Christian Lanz-voiced direct-to-video animated feature Batman: Assault on Arkham. Victor Zsasz further makes his DCEU debut as a henchman working for Roman Sionis / Black Mask in the film Birds of Prey, played by Chris Messina. Sadistic and loyal to Sionis, Zsasz takes it upon himself to keep an eye on his employer’s new driver, Dinah Lance and discovers that she has been leaking information to the cops. Helena Bertinelli assassinates him after learning that he was one of the hitmen who assassinated her family. Victor Zsasz is also voiced by Reid Scott in the animated film Injustice.
He is also a regular in Batman-centric video games, Arkham, to name one – appearing in all 3, Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and Arkham Knight.
This brings us to the end of the origin story of Victor Zsasz. Make no mistake, he is not your ordinary serial killer.