Ratcatcher (comics)

The Ratcatcher

The Ratcatcher
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Detective Comics #585 (April 1988)
Created by Alan Grant
John Wagner
Norm Breyfogle
In-story information
Alter ego Otis Flannegan
Abilities Control over an army of sewer rats
Manipulation over various things with cyanide gases
Use of gas gun

The Ratcatcher (Otis Flannegan) is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics universe, primarily as an enemy of Batman.

Publication history

Ratcatcher first appeared in Detective Comics #585 (April 1988) and was created by Alan Grant, John Wagner, and Norm Breyfogle.

Fictional character biography

At one time an actual rat catcher in Gotham City, Otis Flannegan sank into a life of crime. He's been imprisoned numerous times in his career (he is a regular in Blackgate Penitentiary) for assault, kidnapping, and robbery. Flannegan calls himself The Ratcatcher because of his special talent: the ability to communicate with and train rats. The Ratcatcher has used his minions to plague Gotham on more than one occasion by unleashing hordes of the vermin. In prison, Flannegan is able to smuggle items in and out with the help of his small friends.

Flannegan isn't the most devious or most powerful of Batman's rogues gallery, nor is he insane. His supervillain outfit is a gas mask and vermin control gear. Flannegan is often drawn with rat-like features.

When Infinite Crisis began, the Ratcatcher was being protected by, in addition to his rat friends, the homeless community. When he was discovered and being taken away, one of the homeless attempted to aid Flannegan, but was easily knocked aside by the arresting officers. The man turned out to be an OMAC in hiding, and the injury apparently initiated its release. The OMAC identified the Ratcatcher as a gamma level threat and vaporized him.[1]

After DC's New 52 reboot, Ratcatcher is seen in the series Batman Eternal as part of a plan to subtly destabilize Gotham via public services catastrophes.[2]

Powers and Abilities

The Ratcatcher has the ability to control an army of rats. He also wields a gas gun and can manipulate various things with cyanide gas.

Other versions

Batman: Arkham

Main article: Batman: Arkham

In other media

See also

References

  1. Infinite Crisis #1
  2. Batman Eternal #24 (Sept. 2014)

External links

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