#20 - Blockbuster II
First Appearance: Detective Comics #345 (Nov 1965)
"That's the secret, the essential truth of your nature. You could take every beating I dish out. You might even enjoy them. You have absolutely no regard for your personal safety. But the people around you -- well, that's a different matter. Isn't it? I'll take out the people you care about -- hell, even strangers you stand next to on the street -- you won't be able to shake someone's hand without marking them for death. Do you like being alone, Dick? I'll make sure you can't save any of them. Loved one by loved one, innocent by innocent... it'll never stop. I'm never going to stop. I can keep this up forever." ~Roland Desmond
Blockbuster was a super-strong beast fueled by rage. How do you make that character better? Make him a super-strong super-intelligent beast fueled by rage. That's what Chuck Dixon did when he took the recently deceased Mark Desmond's brother, Roland, and sold his soul to the devil in exchange for the unholy marriage of powers and brains.
Cass Cain had her archnemesis in Cain, Steph Brown had her archnemesis in Cluemaster, and my opinion is that Nightwing's archnemesis is easily Blockbuster II. Desmond had a Kingpin-like stranglehold on Bludhaven, turning it into a haven for his own criminal empire, and his hatred and vitriol for Nightwing seemed to know no bounds. He sought vengeance for a crime he mistakenly thought Nightwing had committed, and soon it became clear that his life's work was to tear Dick Grayson's apart. I don't think anyone, even the Joker, has ever so desperately wanted to tear down a Bat-family member's world the way Desmond wanted to destroy Nightwing and it was so utterly perfect. Honestly, from Nightwing #1 to Nightwing #93, Blockbuster's role in the title ultimately produced one of the best runs in the Batman franchise, with consistent quality storytelling month after month, and that's exactly what a good villain does. When the bar for storytelling is raised thanks to your very appearance, you're the type of character we need in comics.
Greatest Roland Desmond Story Ever Told:Birds of Prey #21-22: The Hostage Heart - Blockbuster uses his keen mind to manipulate the Birds of Prey in order to get the heart of a denizen from Gorilla City. Great use of both the brains and the physical condition of Desmond.
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Top 100 Batman VILLAINS
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)
