Ra’s al Ghul

• Debut: Batman #232 (June 1971)
• Created By: Dennis O’Neil, Neal Adams, Julius Schwartz

Whether he is called “the demon” or “the demon’s head,” Ra’s al Ghul is certainly a massive threat. As the leader of the League of Assassins, he helped to train several notable villains Batman has fought over the years. In some versions of Batman’s history, Bruce Wayne actually trained with the League to become the superhero he is today. While other villains are experienced, Ra’s al Ghul goes well beyond that as he has been alive for a very long time. The length will depend on the story, but it usually tends to be several hundred years. Thus, he has learned from many major warriors throughout history. How does he stay alive so long?

He is about to achieve this through a series of Lazurus Pits, which can heal the body and even bring some back to life. Due to his long life, he’s one of the greatest tacticians Batman has ever faced. Ra’s is also a better hand-to-hand fighter than Batman, as he knows nearly every martial art to ever exist. He has gotten in Batman’s path several times over the years, with one incident involving al Ghul trying to level Gotham entirely. Ra’s is not without honor and usually refuses to lie as a result. In spite of being one of the best Batman Rogues Gallery villains, Bruce Wayne is his grandson’s father. Thus, he often refuses to end Batman’s life.

The Joker

• Debut: Batman #1 (April 1940)
• Created By: Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Jerry Robinson

Joker has done some horrific things in his long history, but he has no true origin that helps us know why he is as he is. Yet often, he realized he could not really ever hurt Batman physically enough for it to matter. Thus, he went after others he loved. In the infamous “Death in the Family” storyline, Joker ends Jason Todd’s life. Of course, Todd was Batman’s newest Robin. This was a massive blow, but Joker didn’t care. During The Killing Joke storyline, The Joker finds out Barbara Gordon is Batgirl. This leads him to track her down and “sexually assault” her, while also beating her to an inch of her life.

She was also paralyzed in the incident, and DC Comics kept this canon for the mainline universe. It does not stop there, as Joker has also done things like blow up a school and hospital. Perhaps his most recent horrifying action was making Superman think Lois Lane was Doomsday, thus resulting in the Man of Steel flying into space with her. Lane was pregnant and contained a timer connected to her heart. If her heart stopped, the timer would too. Which had been connected to several bombs all over Metropolis. Which meant he lost his wife, unborn child, and Metropolis in minutes all due to a joke by The Joker. He is the greatest villain, so how could he not be the best of the Batman Rogues Gallery villains?

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