Ogre (DC Comics)

Ogre is a name used by a fictional supervillain and an organization appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The supervillain is primarily an enemy of Batman. The organization primarily serves as an enemy of Aquaman.

Publication history

The Ogre and the Ape debuted in Batman #535.

While that is their only appearance in the mainstream DC Universe continuity, a version of the Ogre later appeared in a story arc in the non-canon series Batman Confidential.

Fictional character biography

Ogre is a genetically altered man whose brother is a genetically experimented Ape created by Doctor Winston Belmont. The man, Michael Adams, was increased in strength and the Ape in intelligence. The name of the project Belmont created was Project Mirakle, which was a top secret government project at Atsugi whom tested spy planes, as well as experiments on humans in the late 1950s. These experiments were made in order to create the perfect human agent but when funding was excavated so were the subjects. The 23rd human experiment, Michael Adams, managed to escape after 22 previous deaths. The Ogre tracked and murdered the scientists who collaborated with the project only to be tracked by Batman himself. In the end, the Ape died and the Ogre left with the Ape's body while Batman handed the surviving scientist over to the police.^[1]

Organization

In the Pre-Crisis Earth-One continuity, there is an unrelated criminal organization called O.G.R.E. which was short for Organization for General Revenge and Enslavement. Led by a mysterious leader known as Supreme One, O.G.R.E. attempted to steal a supply of atomic rockets only to end up fighting Aquaman and Mera who thwarted their plans even after their assassins Huntress and Typhoon defected from O.G.R.E. to help Aquaman.^[2]

O.G.R.E. later returned where they swindled a California millionaire named Eliot Harlanson into purchasing an atomic bomb as part of their plot to destroy Atlantis. The FBI set up a sting operation to bring O.G.R.E. down. Agent 03, Honey James, pretended to be Harlanson's girlfriend and secretly brokered the sale of a "dud" a-bomb. As the bombing of Atlantis was alerted, the FBI moved in and apprehended the remaining members of the O.G.R.E. organization.^[3]

In post-Crisis mainstream continuity, O.G.R.E (also known as the Exchange) now stands for the Ocean Going Resource Exchange. They are an environmental firm that comes into conflict with Aquaman and the Sea Devils.^[4]

Other versions

Batman Confidential

In the Batman Confidential universe, the Ogre character is re-imagined as O.G.R.E., a mechanical armour and disaster-rescue system developed by Waynetech. In Bruce Wayne's second year as Batman, the O.G.R.E. system goes out of control and on a rampage through Gotham City. The O.G.R.E system attacks Lex Luthor but Luthor is saved by Bruce Wayne. It is eventually discovered that the pilot of the machine is dead and his mind is lost in the machinery. After defeating O.G.R.E., Batman vows to restore the pilot back to life if possible.^[5]

In other media

• A loose adaptation of the Ogre character appears in Gotham, portrayed by Milo Ventimiglia. This version is a handsome and seductive serial killer named Jason Lennon (born Jakob Skolimski), who underwent cosmetic surgery to remove a facial disfigurement he was born with after murdering his father's employer, a wealthy heiress, in a fit of rage. Lennon lures women and subjects them to so-called "tests" as he searches for the perfect mate, murdering her when they fail to meet his impossible standard.^[6] Called the Ogre by the police, Lennon got away with his murders as he kills the loved ones of any officer who pursues. When the murder of one of the Ogre's victims is brought to the attention of Detective James Gordon and Harvey Bullock in the episode "Beasts of Prey," former begins going after the Ogre despite later knowing he was set up to fail. In the episode "Under the Knife," the Ogre contacts Gordon over the telephone to warn him to end his investigation or else a loved one of his will be killed. Despite the Ogre's warning, Gordon continues the investigation and learns of Lennon's true identity. But by then, despite his initial plans to kill her, Lennon fell in love with Barbara Kean and kidnaps her. In the episode "The Anvil or the Hammer," Barbara wakes up the next morning where Jason tries to convince her to stay as Barbara claims that Jason is pretending. Jason claims that he wanted to kill Barbara until he saw the real Barbara in her. Barbara resists Jason's advances causing him to do his time with Barbara the hard way. Jason has Barbara chained up in his BDSM so that they can start again as well as the fact that his apartment is soundproof. He then drugs Barbara's water which kicks in after showing her pictures of his previous victims. When Barbara regains conscious, Jason wants Barbara to pick a person to kill at knifepoint. With info from a Foxglove Club employee named Sally who was spared by Jason, Gordon and Bullock head to the apartment near the Gotham Royal Hotel where she advises that they kill him and not arrest him. Upon arrival, they find his apartment empty. Gordon answers the phone where Jason states that Barbara never needed Gordon where the sound of a train hints to where Jason is heading. Jason arrives at the house of Barbara's parents as Jason prepares to kill them in front of Barbara. Gordon and Bullock arrive to find Barbara's parents dead as Jason ambushes Bullock. Then Jason confronts Gordon where they end up in a fight. After getting stabbed, Jason holds Barbara at knifepoint as Gordon tells him to drop the knife. Bullock arrives behind Jason and distracts him long enough for Gordon to shoot him in the head but manages to cut Barbara's throat before he fell dead. With the Ogre's hold of fear over the police gone, Gordon was applauded for his efforts.

See also

• List of Batman Family adversaries
• List of criminal organizations in DC Comics
• List of Aquaman enemies

References

External links

• Ogre at DC Comics Wiki
• O.G.R.E at Comic Vine