One of the most interesting aspects of Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham is how it reinterprets classic Batman characters in new and fascinating ways. With the movie adaptation now available, let’s take a look at some of the reimagined characters and who they’re based on.
Sanjay “Jay” Tawde/Jason Todd & Dick Grayson
Bruce Wayne’s two wards in The Doom That Came to Gotham likely seem pretty familiar. Dick Grayson is best known in other continuities as the first Robin, who later goes on to be a founding member of the Teen Titans and eventually rebrand himself as Nightwing.
Sanjay Tawde, on the other hand, represents the second Robin — Jason Todd. Killed by the Joker, Todd later comes back to life and becomes the antihero known as the Red Hood. Todd would go on to be a founding member of the Outlaws.
Kai Li Cain/Cassandra Cain
Kai Li Cain represents Cassandra Cain, who is best known as one of the characters to assume the role of Batgirl. As the daughter of assassin Lady Shiva, Cain is a powerful fighter who has also been known as Black Bat and Orphan.
Harvey Dent/Two-Face & Oliver Queen/Green Arrow
You likely already know Harvey Dent is Two-Face, though his transformation into the iconic Batman villain is quite different in The Doom That Came to Gotham. While Poison Ivy turns Mayor Dent into Two-Face here, Dent’s most well-known origin has him scarred by a vial of acid thrown at his face by gangster Sal Maroni, which contributes to his dark transition into a villain.
Oliver Queen is Green Arrow — a member of the Justice League and an ally and friend to many of his fellow DC heroes. Like his movie counterpart, Queen excels at archery and is known as an affluent hero with a sense of humor.
Barbara Gordon/Oracle
Barbara Gordon has had a long and varied journey throughout DC comics. The daughter of Commissioner James Gordon, Barbara is probably the most well-known Batgirl. After being shot by the Joker, Barbara assumed a new role as Oracle — though this Oracle is decidedly less mystic than that of The Doom That Came to Gotham. Barbara has returned to being Batgirl at times in the comics, depending on the year and story.
Jason Blood/Etrigan
In the comics, Jason Blood is a knight who is bonded to the powerful demon Etrigan. Blood often serves as an ally to DC’s heroes, meaning Etrigan often does as well. The hellish demon often speaks in rhyme, which you get to see a bit of in the movie.
Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin
The Penguin is one of the most iconic Batman villains, being played by everyone from Danny DeVito to Colin Farrell. The Penguin of the comics is more of a ruthless gangster that terrorizes Gotham City than a researcher who goes mad and lives with Lovecraftian penguins.
Ra’s al Ghul
One of Batman’s most dangerous villains, Ra’s al Ghul is a centuries-old figure who leads the League of Assassins. Having discovered the Lazarus Pit — pools of chemicals that can revive the dead and reinvigorate the dying — Ra’s is difficult to get rid of. Though they’re enemies, Ra’s respects Batman’s cunning and calls him “Detective” as a sign of said respect.
Talia al Ghul
The daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, Talia has quite a different relationship with Batman in the comics. There, Talia and Bruce are sometimes enemies and sometimes lovers, with Talia being the mother of Bruce’s son, Damian. Talia is a more than capable combatant in her own right, at times leading the League of Assassins herself.
Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy
The Poison Ivy of the comics isn’t an otherworldly being made by Ra’s al Ghul and isn’t involved in Two-Face’s scarring. Instead, she’s a botanist who — depending on the iteration — is exposed to several different toxins or granted power by an elemental force called The Green. Either way, she gains enhanced abilities and the power to control plants, poison others, and control people through pheromones.
Waylon Jones/Killer Croc
Though we don’t learn much about Killer Croc in the movie, he’s a pretty well-known Batman villain in the comics and other mediums. Born with a rare genetic condition that gave him reptilian features, Waylon Jones is a fast, strong, and menacing member of Batman’s rogues gallery.
