Roland Daggett
| Roland Daggett | |
|---|---|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Batman: The Animated Series |
| Created by | Bruce Timm |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Roland Daggett |
| Team affiliations | Daggett Industries |
| Partnerships | Professor Milo |
| Supporting character of | Batman |
Roland Daggett is a fictional character in the DC Animated Universe, voiced by Golden Globe-winner Edward Asner. He was introduced in Batman: The Animated Series as a powerful, corrupt businessman, and an enemy of Batman. The president of Daggett Industries, a pharmaceutical company, he is depicted as being a large, physically imposing man with smoothed back reddish-brown hair and blue eyes.
Fictional character biography
Feat of Clay
In the two-part episode Feat of Clay, Daggett Industries develops "Renuyu", a face cream which enables the user to modify their face to their desire, and which Daggett is secretly going to sell through direct marketing because it is too addictive to be sold in stores. In need of a test subject, Daggett uses Matt Hagen (voiced by Ron Perlman), an actor who was disfigured in a car accident, to commit crimes (disguised as Bruce Wayne) for Daggett in return for supplies of the formula. After Hagen botches an attempt to steal incriminating evidence from and kill Lucius Fox, Daggett plots to have Hagen killed and cuts off his Renuyu supply, knowing that Hagen will come to steal some. The plan works, but Hagen does not die when Daggett's henchmen Raymond Bell (voiced by Scott Valentine) and Germs (voiced by Ed Begley, Jr.) force-feed untested fluids down his mouth and leave him for dead. Instead, the compound morphs Hagen into a shapeshifting creature known as Clayface. At the same time, Batman apprehends Bell, who states that "Bruce Wayne" helped in the attempt on Fox's life. Bell is handed over to the police but refuses to reveal anything about Daggett's involvement.
In part two, Daggett makes preparations to take over Wayne Enterprises, by sending Germs to kill Fox in hospital, although Batman foils him. At the same time, Daggett goes on the talk show Gotham Insider, where he hopes to advertise Renuyu, but Clayface ambushes him during the show and attempts to kill him. Batman intervenes and manages to stop Clayface (who secretly escapes by faking his death) and subdue Daggett.
"Appointment in Crime Alley"
In this episode, Daggett attempts to destroy Crime Alley with explosives to make way for a block of condos. With the help of his henchman Crocker (voiced by Jeffrey Tambor) and the arsonist Nitro (voiced by David Lander), Daggett plans to make the explosions look accidental, and to be giving a speech across town as an alibi. Batman, after receiving information from a man who witnessed Crocker and Nitro kidnap Leslie Thompkins in a building rigged to explode, manages to disconnect some of the bombs, reducing the number of destroyed buildings and saving Leslie. Batman publicly accuses Daggett of planning the arson, and tells Daggett that he will be sent to prison once Crocker and Nitro confess. Daggett, however, denies involvement, and falls back on his image as a pillar of the community. Crocker and Nitro are taken to prison while Daggett goes free. Although Batman is enraged that Daggett got away scot-free, Leslie consoles him to let it go, and that "Daggett won't escape the law forever".
"Cat Scratch Fever"
Daggett's next scheme is to release a virus in Gotham City that will make innocent cats and dogs into bloodthirsty predators, with the help of Professor Milo. Daggett has the only antidote, planning to make a fortune and rehabilitate his public image. Daggett hires two people named Paunch and Jessy to pose as straycatchers and capture as many stray animals as they can. One of them turns out to be Isis, a cat belonging to Selina Kyle, who takes matters into her own hands and investigates. Batman and Catwoman manage to put an end to Daggett's scheme, but this time successfully acquire implicating evidence which goes public. At the end of the episode, it is revealed that Daggett has declared bankruptcy.
"Batgirl Returns"
In a desperate attempt to restore his image and company, Daggett steals a Jade Cat from a museum and hopes to sell it on the black market. Naturally, the police target Catwoman, thus allowing Daggett to get revenge on her for helping to expose him during "Cat Scratch Fever". Catwoman works with Batgirl and tracks Daggett to the abandoned Renuyu laboratory, the same place who used the formula on Matt Hagen before turning into Clayface in the events of Feat of Clay. Daggett's men capture Batgirl and Catwoman, who manage to escape with Robin's help. Catwoman resolves to kill Daggett by dropping him into a vat of acid. Though she drops him, he is saved by Batgirl and Robin, and sent to prison.
In other media
The Dark Knight Rises
Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn portrays Daggett, who is a minor antagonist in The Dark Knight Rises, though he is renamed John Daggett.[1] John Daggett employs Bane and Selina Kyle to force Wayne Enterprises into bankruptcy and allow Daggett to take over the company. He bribes Selina Kyle to steal copies of Bruce's fingerprints and Bane to crash Gotham's stock market. Daggett's plans to take control over Wayne Enterprises fails when Bruce suspects Daggett's involvement, and enlists businesswoman Miranda Tate to keep Wayne Enterprises out of Daggett's hands. Daggett attempts to kill Selina after she retrieves the prints but she escapes, and Daggett himself is later betrayed and killed by Bane. It was revealed that Bane was using Daggett's construction firms to stage a heist on Wayne Enterprises' Applied Science Division.
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