Zsasz
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Victor Zsasz (referred to as Zsasz or Mr. Zsasz) is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe.
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[edit] Overview
He is a serial killer and is a nemesis of Batman. He usually kills with a knife, and carves a tally mark somewhere on his body whenever he kills someone.
[edit] History
Zsasz first appeared in Shadow of the Bat #1 (1992), and his origin story was told in Batman Chronicles #3 (1996); both stories were written by Alan Grant. His name is derived from that of psychiatrist Thomas Szasz.
Zsasz was the head of his own international company and had amassed a large personal fortune in addition to his family's wealth. At the age of 25 his parents died in a boating accident, sending him into a deep depression. He turned to gambling, losing money in competitions around the world. One night, he ended up in a Gotham City casino, where he gambled everything he owned and ended up losing it all to the Penguin; afterwards he saw that his life was empty, driven by desire, and there was no point to his existence. While he was attempting to commit suicide by jumping from Gotham Bridge, a homeless man tried to assault him with a knife after he refused to give him money. Instinctively grabbing the knife, Zsasz saw in the man's eyes that all life is meaningless and that nothing nor anyone does matter. He then proceeded to stab the man to death as a "gift" for saving his life. From then on, he dedicated himself to "liberating" others from their pointless existence. He usually preys on young women, but has no qualms over whom he murders. He slits his victims' throats and leaves them in lifelike poses, adding a tally mark to his body each time. He has been diagnosed as insane, and is regularly incarcerated in Arkham Asylum courtesy of Batman, breaking out on occasion to carry on killing.
During the Knightfall saga, he took an all girl's college hostage and held the students at knife point until Batman arrived. Though weakened both physically and mentally, Batman duked it out with Zsasz and tried to ignore the lunatic's mockery. He finally snapped, however, after Zsasz said that they were really one and the same, prompting Batman to beat on him with an added viciousness. Batman most likely would have killed Zsasz with his bare hands had the police not stopped him.
During Arkham's reconstruction, after Jeremiah Arkham inherited the asylum from his uncle, Zsasz bribed a contractor to include a secret passage leading out from his cell. Although Zsasz was restrained during the daytime when he was treated personally by Jeremiah Arkham, he was brought back to his cell at night, when he would leave the asylum through the passage. After murders fitting his modus operandi began surfacing, he was not found out until Batman faked insanity in order to get a closer view.
Zsasz was not seen in any major villainous role again until Detective Comics #815, released in March 2006, entitled Victims. Before a quarterly psychiatric review, Zsasz killed his guards with metal poles attached to his neck bracket, and escaped to kill again. Batman went on a hunt for Zsasz, which proved unsuccessful until Zsasz gained access to a charity event (attended by Bruce Wayne) and stabbed his beloved butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Wayne saved Alfred's life by driving him to a hospital.
To lure Zsasz to him, Wayne held a press conference in which he announced that Alfred was still alive. Having already made a scar for Alfred, Zsasz realised that his tally was off by one ("My skin... it's crawling... every inch of it feels... wrong.") During the second part of Victims (Detective Comics #816), after a fight with Batman, Zsasz proceeded to the hospital to finish off Alfred. Batman caught him off-guard and knocked him unconscious, thus saving Alfred's life and sending Zsasz back to Arkham.
[edit] Other media
Most likely due to the nature of his crimes, Zsasz does not appear in any of the Batman cartoons. He does, however, appear in the 2005 film Batman Begins, played by Tim Booth, singer with the British band James.[1]
In the movie, Zsasz may or may not be a serial killer; he is sent to Arkham Asylum along with many assassins who work for Mob boss Carmine Falcone due to the testimony of Dr. Jonathan Crane (aka the Scarecrow.)
He is also one of the first to leave his cell in the Arkham breakout prompted by Ra's Al Ghul (when he leaves his cell and looks away from the camera the tally marks on his neck are clear), and he almost kills Assistant District Attorney Rachel Dawes with his knife. Batman saves her by punching Zsasz in the head, but he is still at large by the end of the film.
It is rumored Booth will reprise the role in the upcoming sequel, The Dark Knight, where in the opening scene, in a James Bond like opening, Batman chases him down and catches him.[2] [3]
He is the only villain in the movie not to speak, although he does so in the graphic novelisation of the movie.
The tie-in book featuring the development art, and the visual guide to the film, also feature a shot of Booth in costume, referring to Zsasz as a serial killer. In the credits and script for the film, as well as all the books and the graphic novelisation, his name is spelled "Zsaz". Only the novelisation of Batman Begins refers to him as "Victor Zsasz".
[edit] Video Game Appearances
In the Batman Begins video game, Zsasz appears chained to a wall while Detective Flass asks him what Dr. Jonathan Crane is planning. The dialogue here (provided by Booth) seems to make it clear that, at least in the game, Zsasz is genuinely insane. Zsasz later threatens Rachel, as in the movie, but she takes advantage of Batman's appearance to taser him while he is distracted. The game explains his trademark scars and says that he's "running out of room."
Zsasz also appears as a boss in the Batman: Dark Tomorrow game.
