#60 - Rupert Thorne
First Appearance: Detective Comics #469 (May 1977)
"You can't be real! YOU CAN'T!" ~Rupert Thorne
Rupert Thorne is easily one of the most important crimebosses in Gotham; despite not having a ton of comic appearances like some of the more well-known mob lords that we've come to know at DC, Thorne has had the benefit of essentially getting two of the best possible appearances a normal guy without masks or powers could ask for. In what is considered by many to be one of the top three runs on Batman, Steve Englehart introduced Thorne as the new City Councilman with a plan to reap the benefits of a crime syndicate now in charge of local government, and he used everything at his disposal to take Batman out. Batman was turned into public enemy #1 thanks to Thorne, and everyone from Deadshot (who has his first appearance since the 50s) to the Penguin is given aid by Thorne to take Batman down. Ultimately, another Batman villain causes Thorne's downfall in one of the most unusual ways ever to appear in Batman book, and Thorne's reign as a crimelord ends with Steve Englehart's run. He serves as an excellent corrupt bureaucrat pulling all sorts of strings.
Thorne also is memorable for his longtime role on Batman: The Animated Series as essentially the only recurring crimelord in Gotham. Batman's quest to take him down is a highlight of several episodes, and thanks to Thorne, regular non-powered crime remains an intriguing and important part of BTAS' plot for several seasons. Good crimebosses are few and far between, but Thorne is definitely one of them.
Greatest Rupert Thorne Story Ever Told: "The Man Who Killed Batman" - One of the best episodes of the BTAS, a man believes that he's inadvertently murdered the Dark Knight, eventually leading to his confrontation with Boss Thorne. This scene is one of my personal favorites in the series, as it really captures just how imposing and menacing Thorne is, and how obsessed he is in his quest to steal Gotham from the Bat's grasp. Great stuff.
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