Hey guys, it's me again, and hoo boy it's been a while since I last posted. Mainly due to the fact that school and things in my personal life have been getting in the way, but alas the hiatus is finally over and I'm back for the month of October! Now since October is known for being a month full of spooks, I started to ponder what I should write about. Suddenly, I began to think about writing about a superhero for October. And there is truly no other superhero that fit's the Halloween atmosphere more than this guy:
Yes folks, today the spotlight is gonna be on the dark knight. For over several decades, Batman has been entertaining people worldwide with his kickass adventures, memorable supporting cast and of course, his iconic rogues gallery. And with a history as rich as Batman's, you can be sure that there were some moments that disturbed the hell out of a lot of people. But which one's stood out the most? Which one's left the greatest impact? Well today we're here to answer those questions in full detail. So without further ado, here are the top 5 most terrifying Batman moments.
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| DARKNESS! NO PARENTS! |
5. Charlie Pisses off the Joker (Batman: The Animated Series)
Batman the animated series is regarded by many to be one of the greatest cartoons ever made. And for good reason, this show really broke the mold for animated series back in the 90's by delving into more mature stories and themes that haven't been touched upon by a cartoon before, not to mention it's amazing writing and character development. But one of my favorite episodes of the show by far is the one titled "Jokers Favor", which shows just how terrifying things can be for a normal person in a world full of superheroes and supervillains,
Now just imagine, it's late at night and your pissed off and completely drained due to a bad day at work and your stuck in traffic. And to top things off you hear on the radio that a deranged psychopath is on the loose and you should take caution. Suddenly, a car cuts you off on the freeway and you decide that it's the last straw, so you drive up to the car that cut you off and you curse out that asshole of a driver.
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| This loser is you. |
Feels good doesn't it? But there's a problem. You take a look at the guy you just cursed out and realize that it's The Joker. And you just pissed him off.
Terrified, you take off trying to escape from the lunatic but he stays hot on your tail and forces you off the road. He then forces you out of your car and almost kills you until he decides to stop at the last minute due to you pleading for your life. The clown then takes a look at your personal information and then tells you that he'll call you up when he needs a favor, whenever it might be as he walks off towards his car, letting out a maniacal laugh as he does so. And you are just left there, shaking like a leaf.
What I loved about this moment, is how the writers just turned a relatively everyday ordeal into a life threatening situation. Usually, if you unleash some road rage chances are you'll either get ignored or have the bird flipped at you. But unleashing road rage at a supervillain? Now that is some creativity right there. Which is why this moment is the perfect way to start off our list.
4. The Dark Knight comes to dinner (Batman Year One)
If you're a veteran comic book reader like me, then chances are that you already know about how Bruce Wayne became Batman. A little kid sees his parents get shot by a mugger, vows to become a hardened badass in order to avenge them, But by far my favorite version of Batman's origin is Batman: Year One by Frank Miller. This story did a superb job of portraying how Batman and Gordon became friends in their war on crime. Now Gotham is known for arguably being the most crime ridden city in the entire DCU. But if you thought Gotham is bad now, you really should've seen it in the pre-Batman days. The mob used to rule Gotham with an iron fist and the police force regularly worked with them as well. But all that change when Bruce Wayne first decided to put on that cowl, and he lets these scumbags know it!
One night while the mob is enjoying dinner, the wall is blown up and everything goes dark. And then things are lit up by a small flame, with dark menacing figure looming over the table while giving a bone chilling threat.
One of the things that makes Batman cool is that he strikes fear into the hearts of criminals everywhere and in this scene not only are the criminals scared shitless but it also manages to intimidate the reader as well. But as the same time, you just can't help but smile at the fact the Batman is going to put these cowards in their place and bring down the mob.
3. Jokers Threat (The Dark Knight)
Now when The Dark Knight came out in theaters, everyone went nuts. The story was awesome, the stunts were awesome, the characters were awesome, it's just pretty much everything you'd want in a good film. But the thing that took the cake for millions of people around the globe was Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. My god, this was probably the most realistic and most scariest performance of the clown prince of crime to date. And the scene that seals the deal for everyone was this one. Here, Bruce and Alfred view a threat that Joker makes towards the city of Gotham, all while a fake batman is taken hostage and... you know what? Just watch the video:
Holy shit. Holy Shit. If that didn't send chills down your spine then I don't know what will. Like I said before, the main reason why Heath's performance as the Joker was so effective was because of how real it seemed. We've seen things like Joker throwing cyanide pies into peoples faces or trying to patent fish (yes that actually happened before). But this made you feel like a person like the Joker could actually exist in real life. And to me, this shows usually the scariest kinds of villains are not the ones with magical powers or the ones that can destroy a city block with their bare hands. Sometimes the scariest ones are entirely human like you and me.
Needless to say, Heath definitely deserved that posthumous oscar and this was one hell of a role to be remembered by.
2. The death of Jason Todd (Batman: Under the Red Hood)
Now what would a list of the scariest Batman moments be without one of the most pivotal moments in his history? The death of the boy wonder, Jason Todd to be specific. It all starts on a night where Jason defies Batmans orders to go after the Joker, and of course the lunatic captures Jason and starts to brutally beat him down with a crowbar. When Joker is done he taunts Jason before leaving and blowing up the building he's in, with Batman arriving just in time to see the explosion and Jason's corpse. Now I know what your probably thinking, "dude this is more sad than scary". True, Jason's death is one of the biggest tear jerkers in dc's history but here's why I find it terrifying. First of all you have to remember that Batman is essentially a father figure to all the robins he's taken under his wing, so in this situation he's racing against time to save what is essentially his son from his arch nemesis. Now just imagine being a parent wondering where your child ran off too late at night. Then you realize he's in grave danger, and with your parental instincts kicking in, you start hauling ass to where your child is. Heart racing, hoping that there's still time you can save him. But alas, your too late and now your failure to save your child is going to haunt you for the rest of your life.
It's a harrowing experience that no parent should ever have to go through, and if Gwen Stacy's death wasn't a sign that the Silver Age was over, then Jason's death definitely was.
1. Batman himself (Batman: Arkham Series)
The arkham games were full of pants crapping moments, so believe me when I say that it was extremely hard for me to choose a moment to put at number one. Then it hit me. It's the titular character himself. Why you ask? Because for years, you've merely watched Batman scare his foes into submission whether it be in comics, tv shows, or movies. But in the arkham series, you actually get to be him, and you actually get to make the thugs life a living hell.
To give an example, just picture yourself as a thug in arkham asylum. The Joker and the rest of the rogues have taken over the island and your in a tight, dark, secluded room while armed to the teeth with a machine gun. Suddenly, The Joker lets you know over the speakers that one of your crew has been taken out. Surprised, you and your buddies run over to as side of the room, and sure enough there's a fellow thug on the ground. Unconscious. It's a good sign that Batman's in the area, but no worries you and your crew are armed? What could happen?
You soon get your answer when your hear another thug scream. As you whip your head around, you see him dangling from a gargoyle before he eventually passes out from the blood going to his head. The Joker radios you again, letting you know that he's really getting pissed off at your incompetence. You and your bros decide to split up and find the Bat but alas your numbers continue to dwindle and it becomes clear who's the predator and who's the prey.
Your heart as beating like a drum as you realize your the last man standing. You scream out to the Batman telling him to come out and you're not afraid of him. And sure enough, the Bat swoops down from one of the gargoyles knocks you to the ground, and all you see is a demonic looking pointy eared figure giving you a piercing glare before everything goes to black.
While the Arkham games have had plenty of shocking scenes that will forever be etched into our memories. There is truly no greater memory than being the most feared character of the story.
But those are just my picks for the scariest Batman moments. So do you agree? Do you have your scary batman moments? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know. Until then, I wish you all a Happy Halloween.
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