Professor Pyg
| Professor Pyg | |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Batman #666 (July 2007) |
| Created by | Grant Morrison Andy Kubert |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Lazlo Valentin |
| Team affiliations | Circus of the Strange |
| Abilities | Gifted scientist |
Professor Pyg is a fictional character in DC Comics and an enemy of Batman and Robin. He was created by Grant Morrison and first appeared in a cameo in Batman #666 (July 2007). He is a regular character in the Batman and Robin series. His real name is revealed in Batman and Robin #3 to be Lazlo Valentin, a low-rent "extreme" circus boss.
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[edit] Character overview
[edit] Inspirations
Morrison describes the character as "one of the weirdest, most insane characters that's ever been in Batman. We hear a lot about Batman facing crazy villains but we tried to make this guy seem genuinely disturbed and disconnected".[1]
Grant Morrison's main inspirations for the character came from the Momus written (for Kahimi Karie) song Pygmalism and both the song and character are references to the play Pygmalion, giving Pyg a reference to his desire to transform people into an idealized state.[2]
[edit] Fictional character biography
[edit] Circus of the Strange
Pyg proclaims the "Year of the Pig", as he and his Circus of the Strange appear in Gotham City as part of the plan by Dr. Hurt. Pyg starts the campaign of making people "perfect", while his minions capture Robin (Damian Wayne).[3]
Pyg attempts to release an addictive identity-destroying drug in the form of a virus into Gotham through infected Dollotrons, humans modified by Pyg into genderless, lobotomized beings with special masks fused into the skin on their faces. He initially sold the drug/virus to gangs who were using it to control prostitutes. His plan is foiled when Batman, having extracted his whereabouts from Pyg's captured henchman Phosphorous Rex, is heading to stop him and save Robin. Batman arrives at Pyg's disused fun fair hideout (previously used by the Joker in The Killing Joke), where Robin had just escaped from Pyg's efforts to convert him into another Dollotron. Together with Batman, they succeed in subduing Pyg and his Circus of the Strange, with all the Dollotrons seemingly captured.
[edit] Black Glove
He is arrested and taken to Blackgate Penitentiary. However, he is later freed by Simon Hurt's enforcers, the 99 Fiends gang, and is given a new mask in place of the one he lost. Being a major part of the plan created by Hurt and the Black Glove, Pyg is to wreak madness and havoc across Gotham with his currently spreading viral infection. At the same time, both Batman and Commissioner Gordon are captured when 99 Fiends attacks them, and a giant army of Dollotrons appears out of nowhere. Batman breaks free, while Pyg is aiming to perform his surgery on Gordon as a part of his performance to the Black Glove, at a "party" held at Crime Alley. This "party" is foiled by both Batman and the Joker (who has Robin captured), who is revealed to be Dr. Hurt's opponent. With the Black Glove terminated by Joker's laughing gas, Pyg and Hurt are nearly captured by Batman, only to subdue him with the help of a drugged Gordon.
Later, Robin (Damian Wayne), is freed by the Joker as a part of a plan to stop Dr. Hurt. Robin assaults Pyg's personal van and liberates Gordon, only to be caught by 99 Fiends. At this point, Pyg leaves Hurt and his 99 Fiends, and is heading to complete his own agenda in the city. Batman and Robin's fight against Simon Hurt, who impersonates Thomas Wayne, is nearly lost, but everything changes with the arrival of the original Batman, Bruce Wayne. While Bruce Wayne is dealing with Simon Hurt, he sends both Damian and Dick Grayson (the current Batman) to stop Pyg.
Professor Pyg is seen in the center of the drug infection, surrounded by his Dollotrons and the numerous addicts. He is performing on the makeshift, bizarre mobile "scene" (which is reminiscent of the one the Joker (played by Jack Nicholson) used in Tim Burton's Batman). Behind the scene is a "box" which he promotes, claiming to the maddened crowd that he has the salvation, the drugs which will take away the pain, and the masks which take away everything else. The "box" appears to be a mobile Dollotron converter, as numerous people are seen entering it from the one side, only emerging as Dollotrons from the other. Dick and Damian succeed in defeating Pyg, luring him out of the crowd by tricking him with his "mother". He is captured and taken to Arkham Asylum.
A new villain named Son of Pyg briefly appears as an agent of the Leviathan organization. He is defeated by Batgirl during a plot to turn a group of teen mercenaries-in-training into agents of Leviathan.[4]
[edit] The New 52
Professor Pyg later appears as one of the Arkham inmates who attempts to escape from the facility during a riot, only to be stopped by Batman and Nightwing.[5]
[edit] Possible Future
In the future depicted in non-canon Batman #666, Professor Pyg and some members of the Circus of the Strange have become prominent criminal bosses in Gotham City. He is found dead by the police, without his mask and crucified upside down in a church. A very special Dollotron is also seen, much improved from what is seen in his other appearances.
[edit] The Dollotrons
The Dollotrons are Professor Pyg's personal army of zombie-like, mind-controlled people. They wear doll-like dresses and have bag-like doll faces permanently attached to their original faces that cannot be removed surgically. The process of creating them is not entirely revealed, but it is implied it involves brain surgery, genital mutilation, and mind-altering drugs.
The number is evidently in the hundreds, as many of them appear suddenly when Pyg is around.
The most notable Dollotron is Scarlet, the Russian daughter of one of Pyg's victims, but as Pyg is stopped before other surgeries are performed, she remains sane and later joins the Red Hood as his side-kick. She leaves Gotham City, scared and tired of the craziness with Red Hood. Her mask eventually wears off by itself, though any lasting damage is as yet unrevealed.
A non-canon improved strong and agile Dollotron appears in the future reality of Batman #666.
[edit] In other media
[edit] Television
- Professor Pyg makes a quick one-shot cameo appearance along with Flamingo and King Kraken (of the Club of Villains) in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "The Knights of Tomorrow!". He is shown being defeated by the future Batman and Robin.
- Professor Pyg has also been announced to be one of the main villains for the future animated Batman series, Beware the Batman, scheduled to air in 2013.
[edit] References
- ^ http://au.comics.ign.com/articles/986/986031p2.html
- ^ http://www.newsarama.com/comics/060904-Grant-Batman.html
- ^ Batman and Robin #2 (September 2009)
- ^ Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1
- ^ Batman (vol. 2) #1
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