#80 - Torque
First Appearance: Nightwing #1 (Oct 1996)
"Get your head on straight, Soames." ~Blockbuster
I can't get this guy any higher, but I freakin' love Dudley Soames, despite his low placement. There's just so many great and important characters coming up. Soames was an enforcer for Roland Desmond (the smarter, stronger brother of the original Blockbuster), until a botched job left Blockbuster's hands around his neck. Blockbuster twisted his head around 180 degrees, but timely arrival of paramedics kept him alive, but facing backwards. Soames then became determined to not only take down Blockbuster but also the corrupt Bludhaven police force that betrayed him.
I love this guy's attitude. For several years in Nightwing, he was wreaking havoc on EVERYONE in Bludhaven. His unusual and frightening appearance was only further highlighted by his manic, brutal behavior that reminded me of Bronson in Death Wish mixed with an insane Dennis Hopper. He's just a guns-blazing killer with a revenge streak. You kind of want to root for him even while you're hoping Nightwing takes him down, and he becomes a major piece of Chuck Dixon's chess game of Bludhaven. I recommend reading the entire Chuck Dixon Nightwing run; characters like Soames become mainstays in the story, well-developed and constantly changing parts of an elaborate tale that took years to tell.
Greatest Torque Story Ever Told:Nightwing #65 - During the Bruce Wayne: Murderer storyline, Soames finally completed his long-running plan for revenge, prepared to finally deal his finishing blows. It was the culmination of years of storytelling for Torque, and it was pretty great.
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RandomName basically describes it. It's a list of the top 100 Batman villains. (Note: This isn't MY list. So, if you don't agree with it, don't freak out and rant in the comments)
