While Zsasz is easy to write as a generic serial killer, his motives for killing are actually rather compelling in a twisted, evil way. He really believes that it is better to die than suffer through life, and has a dark savior complex about it. Also, Rogues, if you missed my comment on the Infinity War post, I was asking if you would ever review Batman: Face the Face? It's a crappy story with good ideas, and I'm curious how you feel about it, especially Dent knowing martial arts.
Agreed. As for Face the Face, I've got zero plans for that right now, but who knows what crazy ideas I get in the future. Been long since I read it though; remember thinking it was 'okay'.
@@mr.rogues4145 Yeah it gave Harvey some well-needed combat feats but it also wrote him as a vain thrillseeker who does evil things for fun. The good side of Harvey, mind you. So yeah, very mixed bag
Great to see more Victor Zsasz related content, he is a pretty unique villain and still very menacing despite being in a world with super powered alien. What adds to his scare-factor for me is how he is creepily realistic, there are people just like him in real life and you can't say the same for most other rogues in fiction
The worst thing about Zsasz is that he's more realistic and, dare I say it, relatable than other comic villains. No gimmicks, no grand capers or schemes, just senseless murder with whatever sharp object he has to hand. Truly terrifying.
Victor Szsasz may not be one of my personal favorite Bat-rogues but he is a fascinating character when done well. Can;t wait to see who this "most requested character" is.
What’s fascinating about Batman villains is that you can find one element of them that is either similiar, deranged or opposite of what Batman has/has done 5th story reminded me how Batman adopts orphans as sidekicks.
This is why Victor is scary. He is a real life serial killer trapped in a world of Superheroes. His motive is terrifying because there is some truth to it. Most people live pointless lives and going through the motions. In his mind, Victor is "saving them." Looking forward to your video on Richard Harrow.
Zsasz has the special something that really makes a batman villain. He reflects Batman himself in some fashion. I think the Zsasz reflection is in that he "saves" people by killing them, which might be reflecting Batman's habit of taking in orphans and other kids as protégés, often resulting in pain and death.
Yeah but he was pretty generic compared to the comics version. He didn’t even seem to have any real motivation. In my opinion, the best version of Zsasz is the one in the Arkham games. I love how he even tells his origin story in Arkham City.
Too be fair, Freeze and half the rogues were reduced to fucking generic henchmen in later seasons so it isn't just Victor. And yes, he was very creepy in the Arkham games.
In Gotham that was horrible decision making, why not just make him Deadshot? All he did was shoot, hell the Tally Man could have been in that role, from One Year Later.
Yeah but most of the rogues on that show at least got backstories and motivations in their debuts (even if most of the time they were ruined in later seasons). Zsasz didn’t and was just some assassin the whole time.
I think Zsasz should be a nightwing villain instead of a Batman because since he's overshadowed by other popular batman villains him being a nightwing villain would give him more time in the spotlight and make him more popular.
So Victor Zsasz is a rich kid, who decided that because his life feels pointless, that means everyone else's life must be pointless too. He's DC's first Post Modernist super villain!
11:18 I literally had my fingers crossed out loud chanting killer moth...I think I'm do for a trip to arkham or maybe hillbrooke.But I’m exited to see who it’ll be
He also told his Origin in the Arkhem City video game via telephone conversations. Obviosly the best Zsasz story ever told because it was told by Zsasz himself.
...And Red All Over from Detective Comics #796 (September 2004) is one of my favorites. Great artwork, one of the few to feature Stephanie as the main Robin, and it just has a great vibe to it. I'm honestly disappointed it wasn't here, lol, but we all have our favorites.
It was very interesting, my favorite one that you mention was streets in Gotham, mostly because he save Black Mask, one of my favorite villain, and reward him with tons of cash. Is like he went from normal average serial killer to some what a business man by the power of the black mask. Is there a reason why he save him? Also i have gain respect for him, mostly in the media they treat him like a easy no threat villain and batman can finish him in one move. But in the comic i see him as a threat , he got intelligence, and can easily get what he want if he play off everything right.
Victims gave me an idea on your next top 5. How about stories about Alfred? Or maybe other supporting characters like Gordon, Bullock, and Barbara before she became Batgirl
Wow these seem like fantastic reads!!!. I even like the short blond crew cut adaptation of Victor!! But the bald look really fits with the whole tally make canvas motive. Like to see him really on the silver screen as a serious and story driven character. It was nice that Nolan put him in B-Begins,fitting but does not give that character cinematic justice. Thank you Mr.Rogues
8:38 The scary thing is that happens sometimes. Some killers have loving families, get everything they could ever want, have friends, girlfriends or boyfriends, wives, husbands, kids and whatever else and still become horrible people who like to hurt and kill innocents for kicks. Not every criminal is the cliche product of abuse and bullying.
Redslash The Last Arkham and Street of Gotham are all my favourite story of Mr.Zsasz comic version here. A great video u made here. Enjoy it and bring back good moment while read through Redslash one.
YES! Thank you for this offering monsieur Rogues, good recommendations for anyone who wishes to know Mr Zsasz better! I loved these 5 stories, nothing to complain about here ^^ Zsasz's eyebrows are out of control on that "Batman Chronicles" cover, haha. I still love that look... (and his face-off with Leslie Thompkins in this series [a "No Man's Land" tie-in] was pretty intense/scary] I'm pretty happy that, after we got a sweet bald Zsasz in *Gotham* , his next live action appearance in *Birds of Prey* will be the blond version. I really hope they don't mess up too badly... When it comes to slasher stories, a favorite of mine featuring our favorite cutter... is one that sadly, I can't manage to remember the name of right now >< I've been googling for 20 min, and I just can't find it. And I'm hesitant to describe the story, since it's a good & gruesome murder mystery slash slasher with a nice twist, and it's impossible to describe it without spoiling the whole thing =/ _So, spoiler alert I guess_ => Remember a Zsasz story (blond version, no shaved head) which spread across 3 issues IIRC, in which a woman tries to pin some murders on him, using his M.O to take her revenge on some people (long story) and she pretends to be a surviving victim of the Tally-marks Maniac himself (when she actually cut herself) to fool the police; but Batman isn't convinced... Obviously, when Vic hears about it, he doesn't take kindly to the imposter implying that he would ever mess up and leave a survivor, so he goes after her... _End of spoilers_ I'll: edit this post if I can find the name of that story, or where it came from. Thanks again Rogues, your videos are always a treat
I had given up on finding this particular Zsasz story, but 2 months later it finally came back to me! It's called *"The Cursed Wheel"* , and it's a gruesome one. I'm re-reading it right now...
@Mr. Rogues: Great job on the video, man! I really appreciate you making this video because I've been looking for more Mr. Zsasz stories to read and this video really helped out! Thanks! :-)
Zsasz is the only one I find out the scariest among the other rogues, because he is the closest thing to a supervillain that we could have in real life
I wonder if the situation of students in peril in "Red Slash" was inspired from the Richard Speck case from the 1960s, which in turn sparked the movies "10 to Midnight" and "Naked Massacre".
yeah I much prefer Zasz's original look: with the sunglasses, the blonde hair, the slight muscle, while his bald look just makes him look more generic if it weren't for the tally marks. I also think they should've stuck with the mastermind thing, make him more threatening and show that there's some sense of logic underneath his madness. but yeah his 'supervillain costume' is just reallly ill fitting, looks like it'd work better for a different character and honestly Zasz isn't really a supervillain so why give him a costume? I do feel like if he DID need some sort of costume it'd be one that shows off his tally marks.
Screwing with a crazy person is never a good idea, but I had a warped idea to rescue a Zsasz victim, then, by the time the killer finds out the person is still alive, they've literally been shipped off to another planet or a space station.
Mr. Zsasz is probably the scariest villain to me because he is the most likely person to actually be in real life. Joker, Black Mask, and other characters can be real but will probably be seen as a joke. Zsasz can be anyone who wears his/her murders like trophies on his/her skin and poses his/her kills out of pure enjoyment. He doesn’t use much ridiculous or convoluted schemes using explosions or chemicals. He just uses a knife, and manages to get away with it until Batman is on the scene.
The problem is how writers tend to turn every Batman villain into Joker... a serial killer with a gimmick. They lose all their motivations, goals, and what separates them from each other.
What fucking creeps me out about Zsasz is that he is perhaps the only Batman villain who has "killing kids" as a constant character traits. Like, usually Batman's villains are more like "If a kid gets between me and my goals, I'll kill them, but otherwise I don't bother". Classic "evil guy" trope, right? Brought up just enough to remind you "These guys are evil", but not an important part of the characters. Zsasz, though? He goes _out of his way_ to kill kids. That's what makes him absolutely bone-chilling to me. We don't have people like Joker in real life, but we have people like Zsasz: to watch him get away with his crimes feels so much wronger than watching Joker doing it.
5.talk about seeing the world in his eyes, I wouldn't add him to the payroll if I were Black Mask 4.Zsasz came so close to finding out Batman's secret identity at that point 3.huh, Zsasz helping Batman track a copycat of him in his first appearance, what are the odds of that happening? 2.something that was adapted to "Arkham City" 1.you just wait til the 6th season of Teen Titans when he and his new entourage attack Terra and her two friends
I would like the video but considering how insane Zsasz is and that the number is 666 go so well together, if I come back tomorrow and it’s 667 you know it’s gonna be 668.
Thank you Rouges. Personally i find that Zsasz is a lot like Firefly and Anarky. Their great characters but most people think that the characters aren't to interesting. Another problem with both of them, is that none of their stories i would call iconic, i mean noone has talked about last Arkham ever. Also if Wickman is like DR Arkham, does that mean he has a deranged daughter that dresses up as the Hilbrock Knight?
I would add Ra’s al Ghul and Hugo Strange to that list. All of those villains have great stories, great motivations, and great backstories and yet people call them boring characters! Instead they flock to overrated villains like Hush, Pyg, and the Batman Who Laughs! It really pisses me off!
@@tayojones9460 Pyg is a character that would fit Zsasz, he's an okay character, but most of his stories that i know( that are memarble) feature Damian Wayne a lot and focus to less Pyg as they go on.
@@goblintributemaker2539 it's the same with characters like Boba Fett, people just seem to like the characters with a great design and don't worry i hate that too.
A Victor Zsasz story I really liked was the one from War Drums, where Stephanie Brown debuted as Robin. There are segments where we see things from Zsasz's perspective, and when we do, things are painted with watercolors, which gives it a unique look. The story itself wasn't particularly memorable, but that was a cool art decision, and the big fight between Zsasz and Batman was good.
@@blackjack0202 I suppose so, though the way you were mentioning it, he wasn't around when Dick was Robin, only when Tim Drake took on the mantle of the boy wonder
Damian Prock Man, I don’t know what you’re trying to say. The story exists. I even told you which issue. Look it up if you don’t believe me. There are several stories featuring Zsasz and the specific one I was talking about had Steph as Robin.
@@blackjack0202 I understand if it exists, but it's like your saying there was no Victor Zsasz since Dick Grayson's days as Robin, that he only came into play when Stephanie Brown was Robin
What an interesting character. I wish he was in TAS or Batman Beyond. I feel like he could have been easy to adapt into a villain for a Batman Beyond movie.
Maybe as a rogue AI who found his way to a prototype of Zeta? He would have been made as a practical joke on a 4Chan-type board, and designed mainly for trolling, without any opportunity for personal growth for exploration. In time, he grew exasperated at the endless nagging, trolling, memeing, and joking. Ah well. It’s a start of a backstory. I don’t have time to develop it further right now.
As per the cutting himself, the new rationale behind that is that he knows people deeply suffering do this to alleviate their emotional pain by turning it into physical pain. In his opinion, in this moment of weakness and honesty, people become the most human. So, whenever he kills someone, he “cuts” himself to remind himself that he too is human, in matters of mind and spirit.
Ideas for "forgotten Batman villains" episodes: the Architect the Brand Atomic Man Doctor Double X Doctor Hurt Mr. Camera Spinner the Squid and Mirror Man.
Geeky or not, I have done DC RP online; had a really good scene playing good ol' Plastic Man working with Batman to bring in Zsasz. Plas was his usual, lighthearted self, until he saw the bodies of the victims. Batman had to hold him back and remind him how heroes behave, to prevent Plastic Man from beating Zsasz to death in a disgusted rage.,
Zasz's outfit in Streets of Gotham is a seriously cool look tho, with the glasses and the nice coat and stuff kinda wish they didn't make him bald though
I'd like him to be this character in a film too. I don't want anymore mob hitman crap either. Just have Batman in a claustrophobic environment chasing Zsasz around Arkham maybe?
Wasn’t the first appearance of Jeremiah Arkham in Morrison’s Arkham Asylum? I really like that Zzazz origin, BUT the ending with the psychiatrist getting close to him was pretty stupid!
Hey Rogues! Your awesome by the way. I doubt you'll see this, because I was busy earlier and didn't get a chance to comment right after the video came out, but the Joker trailers inspired me to write a trailer of my own, that would kick off a Gotham Gangland Extended Universe. Tell me what you think! The music starts as the scene cuts in, it's the beginning of the song "Bye Bye Blackbird," sung by Peggy Lee, It's sometime in the 50's or 60's and a man is hurrying his wife and young son into a car as he jumps in himself and they take off flying down the road. From the looks of the car and the house they're coming from, they are obviously wealthy. We see the dad and mom from the point of view from the son arguing back and forth about what’s going on as they're barreling down a country lane outside of the city and when the son turns his head to look out the window, another car pulls up beside them. The screen cuts to black as we hear gunfire and a car crashing. The camera closes in on the boy in critical condition in a hospital bed. Meanwhile we hear the voiceover of a doctor saying that the boy's vocal cords were damaged, he will never grow properly and he may never walk again. Cut to a scene where his aunt (who's now raising him) is dressing the boy, now older, pudgy, and in a metal full-body brace, in a tux and top hat, saying, " Oooh, Oswald, you're so handsome," while squeezing and then kissing his cheek. Upon his name being said we see the camera closing in on the boy looking at his reflection in the mirror while the music hits a sharp note and the camera does a rapid-fire cut to black again when he looks at it. It then cuts back in to the boy walking around a bird shop, still in his brace and still dressed very well. Cut to some neighborhood kids showing up and making fun of him. They all start following and mimicking his movements down the sidewalk, waddling and making honking sounds. We hear theses honking jeers by all of the kids in unison as a voiceovers, as it cuts to the kids circled around him, pushing him down and kicking him while on the ground. The camera then cuts to a longer scene of later, the boy crying, nursing his nose, which was already rather large and is now also grotesquely broken, making it more hooked and beak-like along with a bloodshot left eye. Another older, much larger and more muscular boy approaches him. Cut to Oswald asking the boy's name in a raspy voice, in which he replies, "Mags," The scene then shows Mags beating up one of the kids later on and teaching Oswald how to rob a shop with a voiceover of him during all this saying that the only way to get anything in the world is to push back harder than it does and then take everything you need. Cut again, and Oswald's now a young man in his twenties, over his aunt's deathbed, crying. He's still in similar looking tattered dress clothes and a full body brace; voiceover of the aunt saying "My brother was a lot of things ... But he wasn't your father." During the voiceover, it switches to overhead shot of a well-dressed older man in an overcoat and suit getting out of the back of a limo somewhere in Gotham. Another man comes up to him clasping him and says, "Welcome, Don Falcone." We now cut to a Carmine Falcone voiceover as it switches between him meeting Oswald and showing him visiting influential people. "My son, first you need to know I'm proud of you. But I want you to do something for me ... In this line of work... (scene of a man and wife entering into a hotel through a circular moving door entrance) "Sometimes people have to die." (the couple are shot by a man with a machine gun). "I know you're always wanting to do more, but you're heart's not in this. I can see it in your eyes" (Shows Oswald looking scared and trying to hide, after looking like he's committed some sort of crime. He's no longer wearing the body brace, but seems to be physically weak and limping slightly). "You've got too good a soul for this job," (Shows Oswald running into a girl, and then cuts to them talking and smiling to each other on a date). "This life isn't you.." (Switch back to young Oswald, and he's crushing a squawking bird in his bare hands, while the kids honking chant starts again, softly, slowly getting louder throughout the rest of the preview). "Please.." Carmine continues, (Cuts to black for the last little bit of dialogue) "Get out while you can." The chant starts to grow louder as it switches to Alberto Falcone grabbing Oswald by the scruff of the neck and screaming at him "You are not by brother!! You're just a stupid little chauffer!! A worthless umbrella boy!! You always will be!!" And then throwing Oswald to the ground (flips between this scene and one where Oswald is helping Carmine out of a limo while holding an umbrella). The honking chant grows louder as we see random action scenes happening and gangs shooting at each other chopped together with Oswald and the girl getting married, and him at some sort of a fancy dress party wearing the original 60's get-up as an homage and a long closing in shot of Oswald standing in the rain next to the limo with an umbrella he has hanging down at his side while he's looking down, all wet and contemplating something. Finally the chant reaches a deafening crescendo and then is cut off. Immediately we get a POV shot from someone looking up the barrel of a gun held by Mags, and Oswald standing next to him. Oswald lights a cigar, while he asks, "What did you used to call me again?" Quick fade to black, and The Penguin title gets painted on screen. After a moment or two of this que with Bye Bye Blackbird playing again, loudly now right at the moment where it says the name of the song. The title and song cut back to Oswald standing in the rain again, where he suddenly let's out a raspy scream of rage, picking up the umbrella, cocking the machine gun inside and firing it offscreen, while his roar turns into a nasty honk-sounding laugh. Cut to release date. Hopefully you like this if you or anyone else reads it! I'm working on a Two-Face one next :)
Wonder what Zsasz's plan is for if he ever eventually runs out of good flesh to put tally marks into. I mean, he HAS to make a mark every time he kills. So... does he just stop killing at that point? I know that's probably the most ineffective plan to stop Zsasz ever since that means he'll have killed thousands of people at that point. But still, something to think about. Speaking of death themed characters. Mr. Rogues, is that Mortimer Cadaver video you once said you were working on still happening? Because it's been a few years now.
In Kevin Smith's "Batman: Cacophony", Zsasz is a veteran at this point and his body is covered from head to toes... and when Bruce tackles him, he was in the process of carving a tally on the last place he had left, his "Richard Grayson" >< That version of Victor was particularly depraved, it would be pretty hard to match, so I guess we'll never know what happens when he runs out of space... Scars on top of scar tissue I guess? ^^'
That would've been an interesting story -- what WOULD he do?? As for Cadaver, I don't know, when/if I bring back that series I might get to him some day.
"Basically what William Wickman does for the Hooligan...wonder how many got that reference...?" (raises hand) Me. I'd be lying if I said Victor Zsasz was my favorite Batman Villain, but by sheer stroke of luck, despite being relatively low on my list (he's in the top 25), I've actually read all of these stories, and...yeah, I...think I agree with the placement. So...yep. Got nothin' else to say. Sorry. XD
@@mr.rogues4145 It stands between him and Firefly for me, too, but both are pretty low on the list. Between the two, I ultimately think I like Firefly more, but it's a bit of a toss-up.
Ah, Victor Zsasz*, alias Mr. Zsasz... 7:45 - 8:00 -- So Zsasz has kind of an evil version of the original Mr. Terrific's origin? Weird... 10:55 -- Your mention of BLACK CHRISTMAS and its iconic eyeball scene looks like the best place To bring up a little thing about Zsasz that I thought worth mentioning, and that's the strange, naturally occurring mask appearance of his eyes present in, well, his first appearances at least. I could be wrong, but it seems as though artists genuinely intended that odd, "black mask with spikey outer corners" wasn't some sort of minimalist costume, but actually some weird, satanic LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE thing going around with his eyes. *Not sure if this is worth mentioning, as I'm not sure if it even means anything, but at some point, DC retconned Steve Ditko's The Question so that his civilian identity, Charles Sage, is a "stage name" based on his birth name, Charles Victor Szasz.
Nice video, I had my own stories video in my channel as well , I have one right now, called Top 10 Lex Luthor Stories. Hoping to do more in the future.
so what we need is a return to form for Zasz, maybe a storyline where people are aware he's dangerous but don't think he's very smart only for batman and the story itself to say otherwise
For the craziest and bizarrest crooks in the annals of crime, check out Hillbrook Insane Asylum: ruclips.net/channel/UC33EiY7xITcG3McljEbXNjAvideos
You know who is even crazier and more disturbing then Joker or Zsasz, Professor Pyg, guy a literal nutcases.
Mr. Rogues well my Forgotten rouge is Deacon Blackfire
@@srstriker6420 he's more underrated than forgotten
Damian Prock well not everyone knows him
@@srstriker6420 obviously, they haven't played "Arkham Knight"
While Zsasz is easy to write as a generic serial killer, his motives for killing are actually rather compelling in a twisted, evil way. He really believes that it is better to die than suffer through life, and has a dark savior complex about it.
Also, Rogues, if you missed my comment on the Infinity War post, I was asking if you would ever review Batman: Face the Face? It's a crappy story with good ideas, and I'm curious how you feel about it, especially Dent knowing martial arts.
Agreed.
As for Face the Face, I've got zero plans for that right now, but who knows what crazy ideas I get in the future. Been long since I read it though; remember thinking it was 'okay'.
@@mr.rogues4145 Yeah it gave Harvey some well-needed combat feats but it also wrote him as a vain thrillseeker who does evil things for fun. The good side of Harvey, mind you. So yeah, very mixed bag
Is that what it did? Wow, it must be worse than I remember...
@@mr.rogues4145 lol
@@mr.rogues4145
"The mask, Gives Zsasz, a shit ton of cash"
Your a poet and u don't know it 😁
Great to see more Victor Zsasz related content, he is a pretty unique villain and still very menacing despite being in a world with super powered alien. What adds to his scare-factor for me is how he is creepily realistic, there are people just like him in real life and you can't say the same for most other rogues in fiction
Agreed. Him being a regular human makes us uneasy because we don't want to think we could be like that.
The worst thing about Zsasz is that he's more realistic and, dare I say it, relatable than other comic villains. No gimmicks, no grand capers or schemes, just senseless murder with whatever sharp object he has to hand. Truly terrifying.
"The Mask, Gives Zsasz, a shit ton of cash"
Your a poet and u don't know it
I would love to see a Top 5 Stories video on the Ventriloquist, Talia al-Ghul, Professor Pyg or the Court of Owls
Same
Ventriloquist and Talia would be badass. Pyg would be cool too. I don't know if there are many Court of Owl stories tho
@@Cobra_125 City of owls Court of owls robin war
What happened to the frog that followed Pyg around? I never see him
He died and never came back.
1:05 - N°5 - Streets of gotham
2:55 - N°4 - Victims
4:40 - N°3 - The last arkham
6:45 - N°2 - The 1st cut is the deepest
9:25 - N°1 - Red slash
Victor Szsasz may not be one of my personal favorite Bat-rogues but he is a fascinating character when done well. Can;t wait to see who this "most requested character" is.
I think it was killer moth
What’s fascinating about Batman villains is that you can find one element of them that is either similiar, deranged or opposite of what Batman has/has done
5th story reminded me how Batman adopts orphans as sidekicks.
This is why Victor is scary. He is a real life serial killer trapped in a world of Superheroes. His motive is terrifying because there is some truth to it. Most people live pointless lives and going through the motions. In his mind, Victor is "saving them."
Looking forward to your video on Richard Harrow.
I suppose so
Zsasz has the special something that really makes a batman villain. He reflects Batman himself in some fashion. I think the Zsasz reflection is in that he "saves" people by killing them, which might be reflecting Batman's habit of taking in orphans and other kids as protégés, often resulting in pain and death.
Plus his wealthy background and how messed up he became. Like Batman. Just a thought
Top 5 Ratcatcher stories (if there even is that many)?
Eh, I think the one video I did on him is enough.
@Isaac Mounce For kite-man I can recommend the comic Joker/Riddler war, it tells Kite-man's Origin, and the rest of the story is great too
@Isaac Mounce I mean if he can do Crazy Quilt stories then surely he can do Polka Dot Man
I like Zsasz, I hate how they water him down when they adapt him in live-action by turning him into a mere mob enforcer.
I liked Victor in Gotham. Not as scary as comic version, but fun to watch.
Yeah but he was pretty generic compared to the comics version. He didn’t even seem to have any real motivation. In my opinion, the best version of Zsasz is the one in the Arkham games. I love how he even tells his origin story in Arkham City.
Too be fair, Freeze and half the rogues were reduced to fucking generic henchmen in later seasons so it isn't just Victor. And yes, he was very creepy in the Arkham games.
In Gotham that was horrible decision making, why not just make him Deadshot? All he did was shoot, hell the Tally Man could have been in that role, from One Year Later.
Yeah but most of the rogues on that show at least got backstories and motivations in their debuts (even if most of the time they were ruined in later seasons). Zsasz didn’t and was just some assassin the whole time.
I think Zsasz should be a nightwing villain instead of a Batman because since he's overshadowed by other popular batman villains him being a nightwing villain would give him more time in the spotlight and make him more popular.
So Victor Zsasz is a rich kid, who decided that because his life feels pointless, that means everyone else's life must be pointless too. He's DC's first Post Modernist super villain!
11:18 I literally had my fingers crossed out loud chanting killer moth...I think I'm do for a trip to arkham or maybe hillbrooke.But I’m exited to see who it’ll be
He also told his Origin in the Arkhem City video game via telephone conversations.
Obviosly the best Zsasz story ever told because it was told by Zsasz himself.
It's like those "Scream" movies, huh jasher?
@@damianprock1650 yeah
@@raven3067 I figured as much, Ghostface makes a phone call to his would-be victim and then kills em
...And Red All Over from Detective Comics #796 (September 2004) is one of my favorites. Great artwork, one of the few to feature Stephanie as the main Robin, and it just has a great vibe to it. I'm honestly disappointed it wasn't here, lol, but we all have our favorites.
It was very interesting, my favorite one that you mention was streets in Gotham, mostly because he save Black Mask, one of my favorite villain, and reward him with tons of cash. Is like he went from normal average serial killer to some what a business man by the power of the black mask. Is there a reason why he save him? Also i have gain respect for him, mostly in the media they treat him like a easy no threat villain and batman can finish him in one move. But in the comic i see him as a threat , he got intelligence, and can easily get what he want if he play off everything right.
Victims gave me an idea on your next top 5. How about stories about Alfred? Or maybe other supporting characters like Gordon, Bullock, and Barbara before she became Batgirl
Your voice is so perfect for these videos
I don’t even read comics but I love to watch your videos 😂
Good enough for me ;)
Wow these seem like fantastic reads!!!. I even like the short blond crew cut adaptation of Victor!! But the bald look really fits with the whole tally make canvas motive. Like to see him really on the silver screen as a serious and story driven character. It was nice that Nolan put him in B-Begins,fitting but does not give that character cinematic justice. Thank you Mr.Rogues
8:38 The scary thing is that happens sometimes. Some killers have loving families, get everything they could ever want, have friends, girlfriends or boyfriends, wives, husbands, kids and whatever else and still become horrible people who like to hurt and kill innocents for kicks. Not every criminal is the cliche product of abuse and bullying.
I liked his original design better
Me too
Great to see new updates
The best thing about Zsasz is that it's really easy to write him while making him good
Dude, ur info on these characters are amazing! Keep up the good work. Always interested in them whenever u post
Thanks mate, glad to hear it!
Killer Moth?? Or am I just dumb
Only the future will tell which it is.
Redslash The Last Arkham and Street of Gotham are all my favourite story of Mr.Zsasz comic version here. A great video u made here. Enjoy it and bring back good moment while read through Redslash one.
YES! Thank you for this offering monsieur Rogues, good recommendations for anyone who wishes to know Mr Zsasz better!
I loved these 5 stories, nothing to complain about here ^^ Zsasz's eyebrows are out of control on that "Batman Chronicles" cover, haha. I still love that look...
(and his face-off with Leslie Thompkins in this series [a "No Man's Land" tie-in] was pretty intense/scary]
I'm pretty happy that, after we got a sweet bald Zsasz in *Gotham* , his next live action appearance in *Birds of Prey* will be the blond version. I really hope they don't mess up too badly...
When it comes to slasher stories, a favorite of mine featuring our favorite cutter... is one that sadly, I can't manage to remember the name of right now >< I've been googling for 20 min, and I just can't find it.
And I'm hesitant to describe the story, since it's a good & gruesome murder mystery slash slasher with a nice twist, and it's impossible to describe it without spoiling the whole thing =/
_So, spoiler alert I guess_ =>
Remember a Zsasz story (blond version, no shaved head) which spread across 3 issues IIRC, in which a woman tries to pin some murders on him, using his M.O to take her revenge on some people (long story) and she pretends to be a surviving victim of the Tally-marks Maniac himself (when she actually cut herself) to fool the police; but Batman isn't convinced...
Obviously, when Vic hears about it, he doesn't take kindly to the imposter implying that he would ever mess up and leave a survivor, so he goes after her...
_End of spoilers_
I'll: edit this post if I can find the name of that story, or where it came from.
Thanks again Rogues, your videos are always a treat
I had given up on finding this particular Zsasz story, but 2 months later it finally came back to me! It's called *"The Cursed Wheel"* , and it's a gruesome one. I'm re-reading it right now...
That Backup Story in Scott Snyders All Star Batman
Always been one of my favorite villains since I read your #1 pick as a kid
Joker: Do you want to know how I got these scars?
Victor Zsasz: Bitch, please...
@Mr. Rogues: Great job on the video, man! I really appreciate you making this video because I've been looking for more Mr. Zsasz stories to read and this video really helped out! Thanks! :-)
That's what it's for!
Such an underrated character, glad to see you giving him some love :)
Zsasz is the only one I find out the scariest among the other rogues, because he is the closest thing to a supervillain that we could have in real life
Great video! Thanks for making it. I will defiently check out those comics. Zsasz is one sick bastard. Can't wait to see him in birds of prey!
Suggestion: favorite Batman cross overs and/or team ups. ( A crossover is with a character from another company, while team ups are within the company
"Being the sick fuck he is..." lmfao
I wonder if the situation of students in peril in "Red Slash" was inspired from the Richard Speck case from the 1960s, which in turn sparked the movies "10 to Midnight" and "Naked Massacre".
"Kinda like what William Wickman does for the Hooligan... Wonder how many got that reference." I literally died laughing when I heard that.
what's the reference?
Sara Fontanini It’s from Hillbrook Asylum.
Really loved Zsasz since his 1st appearance. I'm glad he wasn't a one hit wonder.
yeah I much prefer Zasz's original look: with the sunglasses, the blonde hair, the slight muscle, while his bald look just makes him look more generic if it weren't for the tally marks. I also think they should've stuck with the mastermind thing, make him more threatening and show that there's some sense of logic underneath his madness.
but yeah his 'supervillain costume' is just reallly ill fitting, looks like it'd work better for a different character and honestly Zasz isn't really a supervillain so why give him a costume? I do feel like if he DID need some sort of costume it'd be one that shows off his tally marks.
Zaz legit started the Hunger Games!
Already read two of them, but those other three stories seems like a pretty good read.
Thanks for the suggestions.
This list is absolutely amazing.
Screwing with a crazy person is never a good idea, but I had a warped idea to rescue a Zsasz victim, then, by the time the killer finds out the person is still alive, they've literally been shipped off to another planet or a space station.
I love mr Zsasz.
I do too
Mr. Zsasz is probably the scariest villain to me because he is the most likely person to actually be in real life. Joker, Black Mask, and other characters can be real but will probably be seen as a joke. Zsasz can be anyone who wears his/her murders like trophies on his/her skin and poses his/her kills out of pure enjoyment. He doesn’t use much ridiculous or convoluted schemes using explosions or chemicals. He just uses a knife, and manages to get away with it until Batman is on the scene.
I just stop and live your videos, sir.
Excellent work, ya mind doing one on Top 5 Sabertooth stories and False Face?
The problem is how writers tend to turn every Batman villain into Joker... a serial killer with a gimmick. They lose all their motivations, goals, and what separates them from each other.
I kinda agree with that ,they should make them unique man and no villain should be joker level.
Joker isn't a serial killer though, he's a supervillain. And all comic villains have gimmicks, so I really don't see your point.
I REALLY hope Zsasz is the next villain in the Reeveserse either in the movie or in The Penguin show
What fucking creeps me out about Zsasz is that he is perhaps the only Batman villain who has "killing kids" as a constant character traits. Like, usually Batman's villains are more like "If a kid gets between me and my goals, I'll kill them, but otherwise I don't bother". Classic "evil guy" trope, right? Brought up just enough to remind you "These guys are evil", but not an important part of the characters. Zsasz, though? He goes _out of his way_ to kill kids. That's what makes him absolutely bone-chilling to me. We don't have people like Joker in real life, but we have people like Zsasz: to watch him get away with his crimes feels so much wronger than watching Joker doing it.
I had a feeling the first zasz story would show up, just didn't think it'd be in the middle
5.talk about seeing the world in his eyes, I wouldn't add him to the payroll if I were Black Mask
4.Zsasz came so close to finding out Batman's secret identity at that point
3.huh, Zsasz helping Batman track a copycat of him in his first appearance, what are the odds of that happening?
2.something that was adapted to "Arkham City"
1.you just wait til the 6th season of Teen Titans when he and his new entourage attack Terra and her two friends
I’ve only read one Mr. Zsasz story, and it just so happened to be Redslash, I may have started too good🤷🏻♂️
Hey rogues Could you possible do a forgotten rouges video on lock-up or a underated rouges video on KGbeast please?
Sean Og Brown i would love that i love Lock up and KGB!
@@jonathancrane952 me too!
@@jonathancrane952 Same here.
Those are some good ones
I would like the video but considering how insane Zsasz is and that the number is 666 go so well together, if I come back tomorrow and it’s 667 you know it’s gonna be 668.
Thank you Rouges. Personally i find that Zsasz is a lot like Firefly and Anarky. Their great characters but most people think that the characters aren't to interesting. Another problem with both of them, is that none of their stories i would call iconic, i mean noone has talked about last Arkham ever. Also if Wickman is like DR Arkham, does that mean he has a deranged daughter that dresses up as the Hilbrock Knight?
I would add Ra’s al Ghul and Hugo Strange to that list. All of those villains have great stories, great motivations, and great backstories and yet people call them boring characters! Instead they flock to overrated villains like Hush, Pyg, and the Batman Who Laughs! It really pisses me off!
I would not call Pyg complete My overrated, but I agree with you on the others.
As for Wickman having a daughter who plays dress-up, I guess anything's possible. Quartermain's daughter is a superhero after all.
@@tayojones9460 Pyg is a character that would fit Zsasz, he's an okay character, but most of his stories that i know( that are memarble) feature Damian Wayne a lot and focus to less Pyg as they go on.
@@goblintributemaker2539 it's the same with characters like Boba Fett, people just seem to like the characters with a great design and don't worry i hate that too.
2:28 In the story Damian finds the bodies of some of the kids and ends up vomiting.
A Victor Zsasz story I really liked was the one from War Drums, where Stephanie Brown debuted as Robin. There are segments where we see things from Zsasz's perspective, and when we do, things are painted with watercolors, which gives it a unique look. The story itself wasn't particularly memorable, but that was a cool art decision, and the big fight between Zsasz and Batman was good.
I don't think so, he's been around since Dick Grayson's time as Robin
Damian Prock
No, I get that. The specific Zsasz story I’m referring to was when Steph was Robin. Detective Comics volume 1 issue 796.
@@blackjack0202 I suppose so, though the way you were mentioning it, he wasn't around when Dick was Robin, only when Tim Drake took on the mantle of the boy wonder
Damian Prock
Man, I don’t know what you’re trying to say. The story exists. I even told you which issue. Look it up if you don’t believe me. There are several stories featuring Zsasz and the specific one I was talking about had Steph as Robin.
@@blackjack0202 I understand if it exists, but it's like your saying there was no Victor Zsasz since Dick Grayson's days as Robin, that he only came into play when Stephanie Brown was Robin
Yes! I am so happy you made this video.
Zsasz: To the people that have everything, but yet so little. But who cares as long as you set themark .......i miss my glasses.
Here's an idea: Top Best Arkham Asylum stories
Succ Succ Super Fan Living Hell would obviously be one of them!!
What an interesting character. I wish he was in TAS or Batman Beyond. I feel like he could have been easy to adapt into a villain for a Batman Beyond movie.
Maybe as a rogue AI who found his way to a prototype of Zeta? He would have been made as a practical joke on a 4Chan-type board, and designed mainly for trolling, without any opportunity for personal growth for exploration. In time, he grew exasperated at the endless nagging, trolling, memeing, and joking. Ah well. It’s a start of a backstory. I don’t have time to develop it further right now.
As per the cutting himself, the new rationale behind that is that he knows people deeply suffering do this to alleviate their emotional pain by turning it into physical pain. In his opinion, in this moment of weakness and honesty, people become the most human. So, whenever he kills someone, he “cuts” himself to remind himself that he too is human, in matters of mind and spirit.
I didn't even know there were 5 Zsasz stories
Ideas for "forgotten Batman villains" episodes:
the Architect
the Brand
Atomic Man
Doctor Double X
Doctor Hurt
Mr. Camera
Spinner
the Squid
and Mirror Man.
Dwebly II have you heard of Deacon Blackfire?
@@srstriker6420 Yes I have. After all, he was in Arkham Knight.
Dwebly II yeah and have you read batman the Cult
@@srstriker6420 did you know the Dark Night rises is basically Batman the Cult?
Naim Byrd well it’s more nightfall than the cult
5:30 Good Hillbrook Asylum reference.
I appreciate the William Wickman reference
I Like The Hillbrook Asylum Reference! 5:30
Really good picks
Zsasz could become the tally man
Geeky or not, I have done DC RP online; had a really good scene playing good ol' Plastic Man working with Batman to bring in Zsasz. Plas was his usual, lighthearted self, until he saw the bodies of the victims. Batman had to hold him back and remind him how heroes behave, to prevent Plastic Man from beating Zsasz to death in a disgusted rage.,
Number 5 is a good argument why Batman should at least let somebody else kill some of his rogues.
Zasz's outfit in Streets of Gotham is a seriously cool look tho, with the glasses and the nice coat and stuff
kinda wish they didn't make him bald though
Sara Fontanini yeah so do I
Zsasz' look in this story was based on Woody Harrelson's character in "Natural Born Killers". Good stuff.
Randall Flagg yeah he does and he is going to play carnage in the sequel
Give us Forgoten batman villans profesor milo Victor zasaz and black mask
Those guys are more underrated than forgotten
I'd like him to be this character in a film too. I don't want anymore mob hitman crap either. Just have Batman in a claustrophobic environment chasing Zsasz around Arkham maybe?
Wasn’t the first appearance of Jeremiah Arkham in Morrison’s Arkham Asylum? I really like that Zzazz origin, BUT the ending with the psychiatrist getting close to him was pretty stupid!
Hey Rogues! Your awesome by the way. I doubt you'll see this, because I was busy earlier and didn't get a chance to comment right after the video came out, but the Joker trailers inspired me to write a trailer of my own, that would kick off a Gotham Gangland Extended Universe. Tell me what you think!
The music starts as the scene cuts in, it's the beginning of the song "Bye Bye Blackbird," sung by Peggy Lee, It's sometime in the 50's or 60's and a man is hurrying his wife and young son into a car as he jumps in himself and they take off flying down the road. From the looks of the car and the house they're coming from, they are obviously wealthy. We see the dad and mom from the point of view from the son arguing back and forth about what’s going on as they're barreling down a country lane outside of the city and when the son turns his head to look out the window, another car pulls up beside them. The screen cuts to black as we hear gunfire and a car crashing. The camera closes in on the boy in critical condition in a hospital bed. Meanwhile we hear the voiceover of a doctor saying that the boy's vocal cords were damaged, he will never grow properly and he may never walk again. Cut to a scene where his aunt (who's now raising him) is dressing the boy, now older, pudgy, and in a metal full-body brace, in a tux and top hat, saying, " Oooh, Oswald, you're so handsome," while squeezing and then kissing his cheek. Upon his name being said we see the camera closing in on the boy looking at his reflection in the mirror while the music hits a sharp note and the camera does a rapid-fire cut to black again when he looks at it. It then cuts back in to the boy walking around a bird shop, still in his brace and still dressed very well. Cut to some neighborhood kids showing up and making fun of him. They all start following and mimicking his movements down the sidewalk, waddling and making honking sounds. We hear theses honking jeers by all of the kids in unison as a voiceovers, as it cuts to the kids circled around him, pushing him down and kicking him while on the ground. The camera then cuts to a longer scene of later, the boy crying, nursing his nose, which was already rather large and is now also grotesquely broken, making it more hooked and beak-like along with a bloodshot left eye. Another older, much larger and more muscular boy approaches him. Cut to Oswald asking the boy's name in a raspy voice, in which he replies, "Mags," The scene then shows Mags beating up one of the kids later on and teaching Oswald how to rob a shop with a voiceover of him during all this saying that the only way to get anything in the world is to push back harder than it does and then take everything you need. Cut again, and Oswald's now a young man in his twenties, over his aunt's deathbed, crying. He's still in similar looking tattered dress clothes and a full body brace; voiceover of the aunt saying "My brother was a lot of things ... But he wasn't your father." During the voiceover, it switches to overhead shot of a well-dressed older man in an overcoat and suit getting out of the back of a limo somewhere in Gotham. Another man comes up to him clasping him and says, "Welcome, Don Falcone." We now cut to a Carmine Falcone voiceover as it switches between him meeting Oswald and showing him visiting influential people. "My son, first you need to know I'm proud of you. But I want you to do something for me ... In this line of work... (scene of a man and wife entering into a hotel through a circular moving door entrance) "Sometimes people have to die." (the couple are shot by a man with a machine gun). "I know you're always wanting to do more, but you're heart's not in this. I can see it in your eyes" (Shows Oswald looking scared and trying to hide, after looking like he's committed some sort of crime. He's no longer wearing the body brace, but seems to be physically weak and limping slightly). "You've got too good a soul for this job," (Shows Oswald running into a girl, and then cuts to them talking and smiling to each other on a date). "This life isn't you.." (Switch back to young Oswald, and he's crushing a squawking bird in his bare hands, while the kids honking chant starts again, softly, slowly getting louder throughout the rest of the preview). "Please.." Carmine continues, (Cuts to black for the last little bit of dialogue) "Get out while you can." The chant starts to grow louder as it switches to Alberto Falcone grabbing Oswald by the scruff of the neck and screaming at him "You are not by brother!! You're just a stupid little chauffer!! A worthless umbrella boy!! You always will be!!" And then throwing Oswald to the ground (flips between this scene and one where Oswald is helping Carmine out of a limo while holding an umbrella). The honking chant grows louder as we see random action scenes happening and gangs shooting at each other chopped together with Oswald and the girl getting married, and him at some sort of a fancy dress party wearing the original 60's get-up as an homage and a long closing in shot of Oswald standing in the rain next to the limo with an umbrella he has hanging down at his side while he's looking down, all wet and contemplating something. Finally the chant reaches a deafening crescendo and then is cut off. Immediately we get a POV shot from someone looking up the barrel of a gun held by Mags, and Oswald standing next to him. Oswald lights a cigar, while he asks, "What did you used to call me again?" Quick fade to black, and The Penguin title gets painted on screen. After a moment or two of this que with Bye Bye Blackbird playing again, loudly now right at the moment where it says the name of the song. The title and song cut back to Oswald standing in the rain again, where he suddenly let's out a raspy scream of rage, picking up the umbrella, cocking the machine gun inside and firing it offscreen, while his roar turns into a nasty honk-sounding laugh. Cut to release date.
Hopefully you like this if you or anyone else reads it! I'm working on a Two-Face one next :)
I love Knightfall. why did they get rid of the sunglasses?
2:14 And that's where the Joker kills him because no one is allowed to take his top spot.
When will you do an origins video?
Truly horrifying.
5:30 I understood that reference.
A top 20 Batman Villain List without Mr. Zsasz? 🤔
What's up with Zsasz's glasses/eyes in his early appearances?
I don't know who's more brutal, him or Professor Pyg.
Pyg is more brutal but Zsasz is more interesting.
Pyg is more brutal, but Zsasz is more cunning
Wonder what Zsasz's plan is for if he ever eventually runs out of good flesh to put tally marks into. I mean, he HAS to make a mark every time he kills. So... does he just stop killing at that point? I know that's probably the most ineffective plan to stop Zsasz ever since that means he'll have killed thousands of people at that point. But still, something to think about.
Speaking of death themed characters. Mr. Rogues, is that Mortimer Cadaver video you once said you were working on still happening? Because it's been a few years now.
In Kevin Smith's "Batman: Cacophony", Zsasz is a veteran at this point and his body is covered from head to toes... and when Bruce tackles him, he was in the process of carving a tally on the last place he had left, his "Richard Grayson" ><
That version of Victor was particularly depraved, it would be pretty hard to match, so I guess we'll never know what happens when he runs out of space...
Scars on top of scar tissue I guess? ^^'
That would've been an interesting story -- what WOULD he do??
As for Cadaver, I don't know, when/if I bring back that series I might get to him some day.
Best video yet
Hi I just sub don't know if you done a vid on it but what do you think about batman who laughs
I have a vry strong feeling a major reason why people forgot how smart Zasz is was due to the Arkham games portraying him as barely coherent
Yeah the Arkham games kinda shat on a lot of the characters, which shifted public perception a lot too.
Exactly
They should make an origin movie dedicated to Zsasz
If he becomes more popular they might.
@@mr.rogues4145 well, he did appear in "Batman Begins"
Yeah, they really should
"Basically what William Wickman does for the Hooligan...wonder how many got that reference...?"
(raises hand) Me.
I'd be lying if I said Victor Zsasz was my favorite Batman Villain, but by sheer stroke of luck, despite being relatively low on my list (he's in the top 25), I've actually read all of these stories, and...yeah, I...think I agree with the placement.
So...yep. Got nothin' else to say. Sorry. XD
Yes, I remember seeing him on your list. I think for me he either would've been my #21 or #22 -- it basically stands between him and Firefly.
@@mr.rogues4145 It stands between him and Firefly for me, too, but both are pretty low on the list. Between the two, I ultimately think I like Firefly more, but it's a bit of a toss-up.
Ah, Victor Zsasz*, alias Mr. Zsasz...
7:45 - 8:00 -- So Zsasz has kind of an evil version of the original Mr. Terrific's origin? Weird...
10:55 -- Your mention of BLACK CHRISTMAS and its iconic eyeball scene looks like the best place To bring up a little thing about Zsasz that I thought worth mentioning, and that's the strange, naturally occurring mask appearance of his eyes present in, well, his first appearances at least. I could be wrong, but it seems as though artists genuinely intended that odd, "black mask with spikey outer corners" wasn't some sort of minimalist costume, but actually some weird, satanic LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE thing going around with his eyes.
*Not sure if this is worth mentioning, as I'm not sure if it even means anything, but at some point, DC retconned Steve Ditko's The Question so that his civilian identity, Charles Sage, is a "stage name" based on his birth name, Charles Victor Szasz.
hey Rouges can you do Top 5 Doctor Octopus stories?
Cutting and cutting and cutting
Can someone tell me what’s up with Zsasz’s eyes in the earlier stories?
He's got the crazy eyes?
Nice video, I had my own stories video in my channel as well , I have one right now, called Top 10 Lex Luthor Stories. Hoping to do more in the future.
5:30 I can almost reach that reference
Seems to be a thing with a lot of Bat Rogues that they start out really smart then get relegated to just the villain of the week/month status :/
Very true -- Croc is the prime example of that.
so what we need is a return to form for Zasz, maybe a storyline where people are aware he's dangerous but don't think he's very smart only for batman and the story itself to say otherwise
@@mr.rogues4145 I suppose so, they didn't get his proportions right in "Suicide Squad"