All 6 of Batman’s Brand New Villains Explained

Matt Fraction’s Batman (2025) continues to accelerate its momentum, and the 12th issue has shown it’s ready to add to that chaos. It teases six brand new villains for the Caped Crusader to confront, while he is competently aided by his son Damian Wayne and the successor to his legendary butler, Verity Pennyworth.

Verity is a sharp operative trained by a mysterious organization named the Society of the Midnight Key. The mental projection of Alfred from Bruce’s mind convinces him of her capability, and she proves it straight away by hitting it off with Damian almost immediately. She continues to demonstrate her impressive skill throughout the issue, brilliantly orchestrating events to Batman’s advantage.

In the story, Gotham has essentially been taken over by criminal forces, with Vandal Savage acting as the Gotham City Police Commissioner and Poison Ivy as the Mayor. This makes Batman’s allies even more necessary as he has to juggle fights against several adept villains all at the same time.

The new foes in question are presented as highly capable assassins, with unique methods of killing that have been displayed in the short time they’ve spent on the pages. They are each introduced while in their lethal elements, and their codenames and real identities are provided in dedicated text boxes following their exploits.

Der Giftmörder

Der Giftmörder, also known as Professor Anton Anker, was the first villain to be introduced, spotted within Robinson Park. There, he met with a man to deliver an ivory item. The buyer was thoroughly impressed, to which Anton proudly declared it was his own creation, also revealing it contained a lethal toxin.

The poison quickly took hold of his victim, who was sweating profusely, bled from the eyes, and foamed a green substance from the mouth. Anton remarked that he rarely operates personally, but relayed a message from his likely employer in German nonetheless, stating “Nobody runs forever darling,” before promptly leaving.

From this initial exchange, it becomes exceptionally clear that he is a skilled craftsman adept at concocting fast-acting poisons with fatal effects. He doesn’t waste any time conducting business and is skilled at concealing his true intentions, even when face-to-face with a target inspecting the object of their impending demise.

His moniker and speech indicate he is likely of German origin, adopting a title like Der Giftmörder while offering classic German phrases not once but twice towards the end of the encounter. He also seems to be quite elderly, sporting aged features like fully white hair and wrinkly skin, along with round glasses that imply poor vision.

Lord Fantome

The second villain to be introduced goes by the name Lord Fantome, also known as Thomas Doinel. He wears an eerie mask and demonstrates remarkable skill in wielding different types of blades. In his first appearance, he is seen hanging near the balcony of a presidential suite at the Neapolitan Hotel.

He hovers directly above his mark, a burly man under witness protection who is clearly unsatisfied with his current situation. The comic doesn’t show exactly what happens, but with a blade in hand and his target completely defenseless, it is safe to assume he completed his mission without any major issues.

He appears again in another scene at the Beacon Hotel, this time targeting Der Giftmörder. The two are in a vacant elevator and get into a vicious scuffle, with Anton applying his poison with haste, though Fantome physically overpowers him regardless. Just as he is about to deal the final blow, Batman swoops in and knocks them both out cold.

In this particular battle, the masked assassin repeatedly brandished deadly daggers from beneath his sleeves. He showed unreal tenacity, continuing to fight even after taking a heavy dose of poison to his face and getting up after taking several hits from Batman. After he was subdued, he was taken along with Anton and restrained in the Dynamic Duo’s home base.

Sr. Sueño

Sr. Sueño, also known as Cesario de Díaz Hermanos, is built up as a much more intimidating foe. There is only one page dedicated to him in the issue, but it is more than enough to paint a clear picture. On a talk show hosted by Vicki Vale, a masked wrestler named King Panther extensively elaborates on his twisted nature.

King Panther is a famous luchador who takes immense pride in his craft, and he explicitly describes Sr. Sueno as the worst evil he has ever laid eyes upon. Despite his astounding record of over 1,200 wins in his 1,340 recorded matches, he considers it his greatest failure that he could never lay him out for good.

The luchador can be seen in one panel surrounded by a host of provocatively-dressed costumed women, and in another by bloodied opponents inside a ring. In both cases, it is clear he is a man of high status and tremendous strength, with King Panther even warning that not a single soul in Gotham is safe while Sueno remains.

Vector

Vector, also known as Dr Amelia Danton, is an assassin who first appears in the Monarch Theatre in Park Row. The venue is hosting the renowned actress Alice Foss and premiering her newest film. She takes a seat alongside her shady producer Milo Bernbaum, and the latter is offered a seemingly harmless bag of popcorn by an unassuming staff member.

It turns out this snack is filled with tiny little scorpions, which aggressively assault the man from the inside, ultimately killing him. The woman who offered him the popcorn is then revealed to be the assassin Vector, disguised in a staff uniform and revealing the swapped bag originally intended for the man.

From this encounter, she is clearly familiar with insect-based attacks, with her critter of choice being scorpions. In an earlier graphic shared teasing the villains, she was represented by a stone statue featuring the iconic scorpion appendage on her human form. This is set to be her established style, and she will no doubt make some waves in future issues.

Spyder Black

The fifth villain, Spyder Black, is also known as Ludlow Durand, and she makes her mark aboard the airship HMA Majestia. A certain room within the vessel depicts the aftermath of an intimate encounter between her and an influential man. Believing she was inside, he opened the bathroom door gun-in-hand only to find an explosive rigged to blow.

Naturally, it detonates in the next frame, and takes a huge part of the airship with it, as Spyder Black adeptly parachutes off the craft. She is clearly skilled with explosives, covertly carrying such a lethal bomb aboard a luxurious aircraft and setting it up without immediately raising any suspicion.

She is also likely experienced in the art of seduction, luring a prominent man to bed while hiding her true intentions and flawlessly achieving her real objective. Most importantly, she displays astounding confidence, fearlessly jumping off a vessel hovering thousands of feet in the air in the wake of a fiery explosion.

The Mysterious Voice

The final assassin is not explicitly revealed and, as such, does not have a confirmed name yet, but they seemingly appear in the last scene of the issue featuring the Joker. This version of the Clown Prince of Crime was apprehended and placed under the care of Dr. Annika Zeller, who aimed to reform the mad villain.

She performs this at the Arkham Tower using the Crown of Storms. It is a highly advanced device capable of altering neurological pathways. While it doesn’t completely rewrite his brain, it provides enough clarity of thought for him to objectively analyze his past actions and truly reflect on the damage he can cause.

Joker randomly awakens in his specialized fluid tank and is greeted by a voice that proclaims they are not going anywhere. It is an extremely brief exchange, but it likely points out the remnants of his dormant insanity, affirming it cannot be extinguished and foreshadowing his role as the sixth outlaw.