Batman, from the DC universe, is one of their most popular characters, and he is been meticulously recreated. His several personalities, fights, moral code, and never-ending internal conflict are all depicted in comics or animated shows. His battle against injustice and his conscience in not killing them add a layer of complexity to the characters’ decisions.
Batman is not an extraterrestrial, and he possesses no extraordinary abilities. On the majority of occasions, his willpower, knowledge, and strategy have always brought him victory. His mental and physical health is at its peak, and he is perhaps the best version of himself that any human can be. As a result, he is on par with all meta-humans and superhumans.
We see how Superman is beaten to a pulp in the animated series “Dark Knight Returns.” His abilities are best demonstrated when he avoids Darkseid’s near-impossible omega beams.
Although Flash was able to outpace Superman on one occasion, he was unsuccessful. Batman did neither run nor fly; instead, he managed to bounce off a parademon, causing the ray’s path to be confused, allowing the parademon to be killed. He is wealthy and possesses a large collection of weapons and armors that aid him in battle.
With all of that established about the character, the next question is “What if Batman was evil?” and it is not a very unclear notion. Several nasty and warped Batman equivalents can be found throughout the DC multiverse. In today’s video, we will talk about OWLMAN, an evil version of the Justice League from another dimension, commonly known as the Crime Syndicate.
Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky created Owlman, who first appeared in Justice League of America issue 29 in 1964. Despite multiple reboots, Owlman always manages to make a comeback, with each incarnation revealing a darker version of himself. So, without further ado, let us get started on this character’s origin story and appearances.
DARK ORIGIN OF OWLMAN?
Owlman is Thomas Wayne, Jr., a member of Earth 3’s Crime Syndicate. He is Batman’s villainous doppelganger. The Waynes – Thomas Wayne, Sr., and Martha Wayne – were one of Gotham’s wealthiest families, and Thomas Wayne, Jr. was their eldest son. Thomas intended to assassinate his parents because he believed they were mismanaging their money. He first tried to persuade his younger brother, Bruce, to assist him, but when the time came for the killings, Bruce hesitated and tried to talk Thomas out of it. Because Thomas saw this as a show of weakness and murdered Bruce while his butler and servant, Alfred, assassinated their parents.
Thomas was very devastated by Bruce’s death, despite it being done by his own hand; Bruce was the person he loved the most. Thomas began to establish his authority and domination over Gotham throughout the years by taking on the guise of Owlman. He exploited his disguised persona to terrorize his adversaries, to blackmail, threaten, and buy off everyone significant in Gotham until the city was practically his.
He saw that in order for ordinary folks to have authority, they must first develop and maintain systems of order, and he fought to establish and maintain those systems via terror. Despite his enormous might, a gap in his heart remained where his brother’s affection had previously been. While at a circus, Thomas encountered Richard Grayson, a child with exceptional acrobatic abilities whom Thomas considered deserving of filling Bruce’s vacancy.
Richard’s family was murdered by Thomas, who used the boy’s anguish to provide emotional support, leaving him vulnerable to Thomas’ control. Talon, Thomas’s sidekick and accomplice in crime, was persuaded to join him. Richard had no idea who had murdered his family, and Thomas confessed when he realized he was on the verge of learning the truth.
As a result, the young man, filled with rage, resolved to track down and assassinate the Joker, Owlman’s most formidable foe, in order to prove his dominance. However, in the subsequent conflict, Richard was murdered, leaving Thomas alone once more. Owlman and the newly created Crime Syndicate – the most potent squad on Earth, were able to rule the globe.
On Earth 3, the Crime Syndicate is a group of evil equivalents of the Justice League. Atomica, Deathstorm, Grid, Johnny Quick, The Martian, The Outsider, Owlman, Power Ring, Sea King, Superwoman, and Ultraman were first members. Despite their tremendous strength, the Crime Syndicate could not fight the Anti-Monitor.
This dimensional invader wiped off the majority of life on their planet and was forced to seek a new universe to go to. Owlman and his comrades decided to flee to Prime Earth and attempted, but failed, to make the passage. They were stranded between dimensions for five years until Pennyworth, who had come through, organized an escape.
OWLMAN STORY IN JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS
Owlman is the primary adversary of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, a direct-to-DVD animated film. He is a founding member of the Crime Syndicate and Batman’s Earth-3 counterpart who seeks to destroy it upon discovering the Multiverse.
On a parallel Earth, Owlman is a member of the Crime Syndicate and has a romantic relationship with Superwoman. His past is unclear, other than the fact that he describes himself as “being human” and hence never being good. He initially appears in front of Lex Luthor and the Crime Syndicate, following an attempt to flee after his colleague, the Jester, sacrificed himself.
After witnessing Luthor’s escape to another dimension via a traveling device, he gets to know about the Multiverse and, due to his pessimism and disenchantment, he threatens to destroy the Multiverse by annihilating Earth-Prime in order to make “the only choice that really matters,” believing that all other choices made by humans are meaningless illusions that lead to “the source of the cataclysm”. Later, he and Superwoman, along with many Made Men, stormed the headquarters of his world’s Justice League.
Lex Luthor and the Justice League suddenly appeared in front of them. The Justice League engaged in combat with the Made Men before fleeing the headquarters, which turned out to be a flying plane. As the Shazam family arrived, Owlman pursued the heroes on his aircraft. Owlman came out of his jet as Wonder Woman landed, shooting a rifle at her. Owlman was able to fly away safely when Wonder Woman tossed him from his jet. Later, Owlman was observed meeting with the Crime Syndicate. He talked about his intentions for the QED bomb.
His cohorts agreed since they thought it was a threat scheme. They had no idea of his actual plot to destroy all planets. He is able to build the Quantum Eigenstate Device with the assistance of the other members of the Syndicate (QED). Owlman and Superwoman surreptitiously hunt for Earth-Prime while they are building the equipment. He was subsequently spotted, along with the rest of the Crime Syndicate, waiting for Superwoman. Ultraman got impatient and eager to complete the bomb.
Just then, one of Superwoman’s soldiers returned after assisting her in finding the Quantum trigger in the parallel universe and handed the Quantum trigger to Owlman: the QED’s critical piece. While the Justice League arrived at the Crime Syndicate’s moon base, they engaged in combat with their parallel selves as Luthor attempted but failed to stop the QED device. After defeating Batman, Owlman is able to locate Earth-Prime and teleports himself and the QED there. Batman teleports to Earth-Prime with the assistance of Johnny Quick to fight Owlman.
The two struggle and Owlman wonder why Batman chooses to protect mankind despite being so similar. Batman responds that, while they are similar, there is one distinction: Only Owlman “blinked” in reaction when the abyss stared back at them as they glanced into it. Before the QED detonates, Batman teleports both the QED and Owlman to a frozen, inhospitable Earth. Owlman has the chance to cancel the explosion, but he just says, “It doesn’t matter.” Owlman and the frozen Earth are both annihilated as the QED detonates.
WHAT MAKES OWLMAN SO DANGEROUS?
Owlman, like his spatial twin Batman, is extraordinarily intelligent. As one of the heads of the Crime Syndicate, he has also shown to be a very effective criminal thinker and organizer. He had no trouble grasping concepts that were alien to his world, such as Existential Nihilism or the Multiverse. He could even pinpoint the Prime Earth, which he wished to destroy in order to bring reality to a halt.
He also has knowledge of other universes, unlike his counterpart. His brilliance, along with his disregard for life, makes him one of the most lethal incarnations of Batman to date. He possesses the same martial arts abilities as his inter-dimensional counterpart, Batman. Paired with his improved exoskeleton, these abilities made him a formidable foe. He defeated Batman with little effort and would have won if he hadn’t been arrogant. Owlman is also a competent fighter, as evidenced by the fact that he battled his counterpart, Batman, to a stalemate.
He fights in a more ferocious manner than Batman. Unlike his predecessor, he wears an improved exoskeleton that considerably boosts his strength, stamina, and endurance and does not impair his mobility, speed, or agility and is equipped with highly advanced weaponry. The costume Owlman wears permits him to fly through the air. This places him far ahead of Batman, who, despite his expertise, lacks superhuman abilities. Owlman’s armor appears to offer him substantially increased power, as he is able to trade blows with Wonder Woman for brief periods.
During his last confrontation with Batman, he declares that they would be evenly matched if Superman faced him. Lex and The Jester stole a battery that powers the QED, or Quantum Eigenstate Device, explosive. Because it is comprised of pure energy and cannot be destroyed, Lex concealed it on the Justice League Watchtower. When Owlman discovered it on the Justice League’s Earth, he dispatched Superwomen and her Made Men to fetch it; once delivered, it began to light, and he linked it to the QED with the intention of blowing up Earth-Prime.
Lex created a contraption that seems to be a special pistol but allows him to travel to other Earths. Owlman stole the designs while ram-shacking one of Lex’s League hideouts and recreated them with minor enhancements, which Superwomen utilized to locate and collect the Quantum Trigger. While fighting Batman, the Superwomen considered sending him to a parallel planet, one filled with monsters and the other icy and desolate.
During his last confrontation with his counterpart, Batman was able to steal it from his belt and throw Owlman to the desolate earth, where he would have frozen to death if the QED weapon hadn’t already killed him. During his confrontations with Lex Luthor’s Justice League, Owlman employed a stealth jet. Owlman’s cloaking gadget always drove Luthor insane.
During his fight with the Wonder Women, she knocked him off and grabbed control of the vehicle, allowing the Justice League to flee. Superwoman’s Made Men caused a storm, which short-circuited the plane’s chameleon circuit while it was still invisible, rendering it permanently shrouded. After their experience on the other Earth, Wonder Woman returned to her own planet and utilized it as her Invisible Jet.
EVIL VERSIONS OF OWLMAN IN VARIOUS FORMS OF MEDIA
Diedrich Bader voices Owlman in the episodes “Deep Cover for Batman!” and “Game Over for Owlman!” from Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The Injustice Syndicate’s leader is Owlman. To get to Batman’s dimension, Owlman uses the Phase Oscillator. Batman imprisons him in the Batcave after a skirmish. To bring the syndicate to justice, Batman disguises himself as Owlman. Owlman escapes and frames Batman while dressed as him in “Game Over for Owlman!”
Owlman’s Batman outfit is virtually identical to the original 1930s design, complete with hand-only gloves, a high wing mask, a dark grey bodysuit, black accessories, and a bright yellow utility belt with a circle. Later episodes indicate that this was an older version of Batman’s outfit before he converted to the more friendly-looking present one. Owlman gathers a posse of supervillains to join him.
With the heroes on his tail, Batman joins forces with the Joker. Owlman utilized Batman’s computer to identify flaws in order to apprehend Green Arrow, Blue Beetle, Plastic Man, Red Tornado, the Atom, and Aquaman. Owlman bargained with Batman to give him the Phase Oscillator in exchange for the release of the captive heroes. When it came time to confront Owlman and his criminal pals, Owlman let Joker work on the wax trap.
Batman announces that he travels to different Earths to gather the Batmen in order to combat the baddies and release the captured heroes. Earth-1 Batman uses a smokescreen to capture Owlman and the Joker. While the other criminals are apprehended, Owlman is sent to his dimension in bondage.