Killer Croc

Killer Croc
Killer Croc Art by Francesco Mattina.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Detective Comics #523 (February 1983) (cameo) Batman #358 (April 1983) (Full)
Created by	Gerry Conway Gene Colan
In-story information
Alter ego	Waylon Jones
Team affiliations	Secret Society of Super Villains Suicide Squad
Notable aliases	Croc, King Croc
Abilities	Superhuman strength, durability, and senses Experienced alligator wrestler Reptilian teeth, claws, and scale-like skin Regenerative healing factor

Killer Croc is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and by artist Gene Colan. The character's first appearance was a shadowy cameo in Detective Comics #523 (February 1983) and Batman #357 (March 1983) then his full appearance in Batman #358 (April 1983). Killer Croc belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery.

Depicted as having a rare genetic condition that gives him a crocodilian appearance, sideshow wrestler Waylon Jones develops into a dangerous and animalistic criminal. The extent of his resemblance to a crocodile varies between merely a large man with hardened skin, and essentially an anthropomorphic crocodile. The character is often portrayed as having cannibalistic tendencies.

The character has been adapted into various other media featuring Batman, including animated TV series and film, video games and novels. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje portrayed Killer Croc in the 2016 live-action feature film Suicide Squad.

Fictional character biography

In Croc's initial string of appearances, a Batman and Detective Comics crossover story arc that culminated in Jason Todd adopting the mantle of Robin, he was depicted as an unnamed, shadowy figure in a trenchcoat. A ruthless criminal who wants to become the crime kingpin of Gotham City, Croc works behind the scenes using methods like sniping to eliminate his criminal competitors. He briefly is in competition with a small army of Batman villains under the leadership of the Joker. When Batman finally confronts his mysterious foe, the villain is revealed to have a massive physique and reptilian appearance. It is then revealed that his real name is Waylon Jones, born with a form of atavism that imparted him with reptilian traits. His alcoholic aunt grew to hate her nephew's hideous appearance and brutal behavior. While still an adolescent, his aunt abused him and bullied him by calling him names like "lizardboy" and "a reptilian freak".^[1] Croc killed his aunt and became a criminal. After countless killings he faced off against Batman and the new Robin, who defeated him.

In these original, pre-crisis appearances, Killer Croc resembled a powerfully built man covered entirely in green scales, but was still basically human in his facial proportions and build. He was also originally depicted as killing Jason Todd's parents (this was later retconned to make Two-Face their murderer). His appearance and personality have become increasingly bestial, explained in the comics that his disease has slowly robbed him of all identifiable human traits. In his most recent appearances, he has an elongated snout and tail.

Post-Crisis

Killer Croc escaped custody and began living with a group of homeless people and caused thefts to support his new family. Batman tracked him down and Croc went into a homicidal rage. When new water tunnels, which would flood Killer Croc's new home, were opened Croc seemingly sacrificed himself to hold the water back.^[2]

In reality, Croc was buried under rubble and was freed from his prison by storm drains. Killer Croc survived on rats and was isolated for months, driving him further into madness. Croc went on a rampage after a confrontation with a vagrant and Croc wound up in a shopping mall. After delivering several blows to Croc, Batman is distracted by a glimpse of Bane. Croc then grabs Batman and tries to break his back. He fails, and Bane pits himself against Croc, breaking his arms. He is then put back into Arkham Asylum.^[3]

When Bane breaks the inmates out of Arkham Asylum in the Knightfall saga, Croc attempts to get revenge on Bane. While in the sewers, he smells Bane and goes after him and the two fight each other atop a ledge. Bane casually breaks one of Croc's arms again, but Croc keeps fighting him through it until the ledge they are standing on breaks and the two fall into the sewers. The fight ends up as a draw. Croc later returns, attacking the docks to try and lure Robin out, but is defeated by Dick Grayson (now acting as Batman after Bruce defeated Valley before taking time off for self-analysis) without realizing that he is facing a new Batman. Killer Croc is left for the police in a fishing net.

In a storyline that ran in Batman #521 and #522, Croc is summoned by a paranormal force to break out of Arkham and make his way to the Louisiana swamps. Batman follows him there, only to find that the mysterious force is actually Swamp Thing, who offers Croc a place in the swampland where he can finally give in to his animal side and live free from human persecution.

Killer Croc has appeared in both the Hush storyline and its chronological follow up, Broken City. In the former, he is infected with a virus that greatly increases the rate of his devolution, 'overseeing' a kidnapping for Hush before Batman defeats him; this provides Batman's first clue that someone else is orchestrating events, as he knows that Croc is too stupid to attempt a complex scheme like a kidnapping. Though Killer Croc was briefly restored to his original form The Mad Hatter, under Black Mask's orders, implanted Killer Croc with a device that made him loyal to Black Mask caused the virus to return. Batman freed Croc from Black Mask's control. Croc attempted to take revenge on the Mad Hatter but was stopped by Batman but Croc escaped.

In 2005's Detective Comics #810, Killer Croc attempts to cure his condition. When the doctor fails, Croc devours her and retreats to the sewers, vowing vengeance on Batman and Black Mask.

In Infinite Crisis, Croc becomes a member of Alexander Luthor, Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains.

One Year Later during the Face the Face storyline, Killer Croc is shown to have been feeding on the dead body of Orca.^[4] He next shows up in Countdown where he breaks free from his shackles in Arkham Asylum and attempts to kill Jimmy Olsen, who uses elastic powers to escape. Killer Croc is then subdued.^[5]

He is later seen among the exiled supervillains in Salvation Run. After the Martian Manhunter is defeated and imprisoned in a fiery cage, Croc suggests that he eats him. Lex Luthor forbids it however.

During the Final Crisis storyline, Killer Croc can be seen as the member of Libra's Secret Society of Super Villains.^[6] Killer Croc is later turned into a Justifier.^[7]

In the Battle for the Cowl storyline, Killer Croc is recruited by a new Black Mask to be a part of a group of villains aiming to take over Gotham.

During the events of Brightest Day, Killer Croc is accidentally released from his cell by a guard whom Osiris kills when Deathstroke and his band of Titans infiltrate Arkham. While attempting to flee from the facility, he is attacked by Osiris who mistakes Killer Croc for his old enemy Sobek.^[8]

The New 52

In this timeline of The New 52, Killer Croc makes an appearance in the flash back in Roy Harper's memories, having the head of a crocodile. He is seen fighting Roy in Hell's Kitchen but quickly notices Roy isn't fighting back. He figures out that Roy's trying to have him commit assisted suicide ("death by croc"), and comforts the ex-sidekick knowing Oliver Queen screwed him over publicly by taking his shares of Ollie's Company and tells him that this is not the way to go out. Roy says he was not that bad of a guy before blacking out, but Killer Croc reminds him next time he will not be so nice.^[9] He is then passingly referenced by Roy as he is Roy's current sponsor for his alcoholism at the time when Roy was in a bar with Jason Todd. Roy is only drinking water, but knows Waylon would disapprove.^[10]

During the Forever Evil event Croc began ruling over Gotham's lower class. Croc murders a corrupt swat team that murdered one of the few people who were nice to him. When the Crime Syndicated invaded Earth Croc took over Wayne Tower. However Bane arrived and threw Croc out a window. Croc survived and was unwillingly injected with Venom, turning Croc into a hulking giant. However Bane defeated Croc again.

While institutionalized in Arkham, Killer Croc meets Sybil Silverlock, a woman with dual-personality disorder. He bonds with her softer personality, and she shows him a picture of her daughter, Olive. Sybil has him promise to look after Olive if he ever gets out.^[11] After the destruction of Arkham Asylum,^[12] Killer Croc escapes in the midst of the chaos through underground tunnels, which connect the asylum to Gotham Academy, where Olive is a student. Croc begins watching over Olive, but she soon discovers his presence at the academy. She asks him about her mother while she was in the asylum, as its destruction has now put Sybil in a coma. While they are talking, Batman becomes aware of Killer Croc's position, and attacks. Olive and Killer Croc escape through the tunnels he used before, and the two come to a swamp. He and Olive bid goodbye, and he tells her that if she is like her mother, to come and find him one day.^[13]

DC Rebirth

Killer Croc went into the sewers and became the leader of Gotham's outcasts. Killer Croc then, in revenge, killed a corrupt swat team that had killed one of the few people who treated Croc kindly.

Powers and abilities

Killer Croc's backstory explains that he was born with a condition resembling epidermolytic hyperkeratosis, a disfiguring skin disorder. However, it is actually a form of regressive atavism, meaning that he has inherited traits of ancestral species of the human race such as reptiles. This condition has been augmented by the presence of a metagene. Consequently, he has several extraordinary physical abilities relating to his endurance, speed, and strength, making him able to lift up to two tons.

His skin is hardened to the degree that it is nearly impenetrable to ordinary forms of abrasion including high caliber weapons fired from a distance. He possesses a degree of super strength; for example, he was able to tear a bank vault door off of its hinges with minimal effort. He has demonstrated regenerative powers allowing him to heal and restore lost limbs and teeth. He possesses superhuman reflexes and speed, especially while he is moving underwater. Killer Croc also has an enhanced sense of smell. Once he has become familiar with a person's scent he can track them from miles away. As his appearance and personality has grown more and more bestial, his misanthropy has increased dramatically. He is jealous and hateful of "normal" people and often lashes out violently without provocation. As a result of these feelings of jealousy, Croc will often entertain himself by grabbing hold of small, pointy objects as a source of comfort.

Croc's main weakness is consistently portrayed in most adaptations, aside from The Batman series, as being his low intellect. He typically resorts to brute force to solve most problems, allowing Batman to outmaneuver him in combat by thinking his way through the problems he faces in defeating the powerful Croc. Batman regularly describes his foe as an animal rather than a man. He acts almost solely on instinct and hardly ever takes the time to plan or rationalize his actions.

Character redesign

In recent years, Killer Croc has been portrayed as being much more reptilian than in past incarnations. An action figure made by Kenner in 1998 featured a tail and dinosaur-like feet. When Mattel got the license to make DC products in the early 2000s, they released their own version of Killer Croc, sculpted by Four Horsemen Studios. This version also featured a tail and dinosaur feet. In late 2005, a re-release of this figure was modified so that the tail, along with his shirt, was removed. This version also sports a more "human" head.

The 2002-2003 Batman storyline Hush featured a more bestial Croc who had been mutated against his will to appear more reptilian. This version of the character was drawn by artist Jim Lee.

In The New 52 he is shown to have a crocodile-like head, though how this came to be has not yet been revealed. Such a design had previously appeared in Red Hood and the Outlaws drawn by Kenneth Rocafort.

Other versions

Joker graphic novel

In the non-canon graphic novel, Joker, written by Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo, Croc is portrayed as a large, muscular black man with a scaly skin condition. Of all his previous designs, this is the most human, without a snout, tail, or claws. The book hints that Croc enjoys feeding on human flesh, with the story's narrator remarking that Croc "has a certain... eccentric way with evidence". Croc is shown leading a gang of thugs, and later becomes a high-level member of Joker's newly formed gang. This vision of the character is not unlike the one from Azzarello's previous work on Batman, Broken City.^[14]

Batman Beyond

In the Batman Beyond comic, Killer Croc is mentioned as being a prisoner in a Cadmus Labs facility; his cell is briefly attacked by the new Hush, a clone of Dick Grayson, when Hush escapes the facility before he decides to simply leave. Another Cadmus official later contemplates releasing Croc to lure Hush out, but Amanda Waller dismisses the idea due to the potential for collateral damage.^[15]

Batman/Aliens

In the crossover Batman/Aliens 2, Killer Croc is part of an experiment by the twisted black ops officer Doctor Fortune to create hybrid soldiers using DNA from the aliens and the DNA of some of Batman's villains, hoping to harness the villains' genetic traits for survival without their psychological trauma. However, her use of Croc proves to be her undoing as Batman notes that Croc turned to villainy because he was naturally ruthless rather than being subject to any sort of trauma, resulting in the Croc/Alien hybrid tearing Fortune's head off before Batman manages to drown it after destroying her offshore base.

Batman: Crimson Mist

In Batman: Crimson Mist, Killer Croc begins as a rumoured serial killer stalking Gotham's sewers, later joining Two-Face's gang as the muscle. Faced with the threat of the vampire Batman stalking and killing his opponents, Killer Croc and Two-Face form an alliance with Commissioner Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth to trap Batman in the Batcave and expose him to the sunlight (although Croc briefly contemplated just physically tearing Batman apart himself before the others pointed out that he was too fast for Croc, the vampire Batman proving more than a match for him physically when they did engage in close-quarter combat despite his withered physical condition). Although Croc and Two-Face attempt to kill Gordon and Alfred when Batman is believed dead, Alfred is able to help his old master recover by sacrificing his life and blood to give Batman the strength to stop Gotham's last criminals. With Alfred's sacrifice, Batman impales Croc with a stalactite, commenting that Croc can keep his cold blood thanks to Alfred's sacrifice having sated his appetite for the moment.^[16]

"Flashpoint"

In the alternate timeline of the "Flashpoint" storyline, Killer Croc kidnapped the people of Gotham and imprisoned them in the sewer. Batman then arrived and attacked Killer Croc. Killer Croc was about to strike back at Batman, but Batman stabbed him in the head with his own machete. Batman rescued the people that Killer Croc had imprisoned.^[17]

Batman: Earth One

In the second volume of Batman: Earth One series, in contrast with the mainstream continuity's version, Waylon Jones appears benign and is not a cannibal, and is dubbed “Killer Croc” by the media due to his ichthyosis condition. His mother sold him to the Haly's Circus when he was a child, and forced to perform there until he escapes. Jones hides in Gotham’s sewer system out of fear of the society’s discriminations over his genetic disorder. He helps Batman locate the Riddler’s underground hideout, and later aids his fight against the villain. Batman offers Jones a place in Wayne Manor in addition to help him find a cure for his condition, and asking his help in finding a location to establish his own hideout after his experience at the Riddler’s.

Injustice: Gods Among Us

Killer Croc appears in Injustice: Gods Among Us's prequel comic, he observes the argument between the heroes in silence until Cyborg angrily attacks Batman after discovering the virus he had uploaded into him during their first meeting, with Croc commenting that as "pretty evil". When Harley Quinn releases all the inmates to attack the heroes, Croc goes straight for Batman, preventing the Dark Knight from coming to his son Robin's aid as he's dragged underground by Solomon Grundy. Croc is next seen holding Batman down while the Riddler prepares to crush his skull with a large rock. Riddler is knocked out by Green Arrow and Croc is dispatched with a headbutt from Batman.

"Batman '66"

Batman '66 features a version of Killer Croc in the reality of the 1966 Batman television series. This version of Waylon Jones was a henchman of King Tut and drank an elixir that transformed him into the reptilian monster Killer Croc. He uses his newfound strength to commit various crimes in Gotham. Batman and Robin interrogate his girlfriend, Eva, and find out she's in on his plan to become Gotham's biggest crime lord. They chase him down into the sewer where they defeat Croc and arrest him.^[18]

Tiny Titans

Killer Croc was a recurring character in the children's series Tiny Titans renamed "Kroc." He was often depicted causing trouble showing up, and his rude and messy actions were often compared to the clean and tidiness of Alfred.

DC Bombshells

In the DC Bombshells continuity, Killer Croc resides in the Belle Reeve Manor House in the bayous of Louisiana with the Coven (Batgirl, Enchantress, and Ravager), all of which he used to date at one point. The four occasionally helps others in nearby towns using potions and poisons for those who have been harmed by men. When Francine Charles comes with an offer from Amanda Waller, he agrees to help her convince the Coven to take Waller up on her offer. The four and Francine eventually form Waller's Suicide Squad. This version was formerly a handsome young man who was transformed into a crocodile monster from the Enchantress' magic.^[19]

In other media

Television

• Killer Croc appears in several television series in the DCAU:
  • The character first appears in Batman: The Animated Series, voiced by Aron Kincaid. "Killer Croc" Morgan is a former pro wrestler who turned to crime. In this series, he is given lumpy gray skin, as opposed to the normal green. He first appears in "Vendetta", where he tries to exact his revenge on the ones responsible for his imprisonment, including Detective Harvey Bullock. However, he is ultimately stopped by Batman. Croc later appears in "Sideshow", where he escapes a train prison transport and ventures into the mountains. There, he stumbles upon a group of former sideshow attractions, who take him in due to Croc being a "freak show" as well. But Batman follows his trail and tracks him down, eventually apprehending him once again. In "Almost Got 'im", Killer Croc is revealed to be a member of the villains poker game, consisting of Poison Ivy, Penguin, Two-face, and Joker. He tells a story of throwing a rock at Batman as his closest scheme to killing Batman, defending the scheme with "it was a big rock". This Croc is revealed ultimately to be Batman in disguise. In "Trial", the villains at Arkham Asylum arrange their own trial for Batman's "crimes" against them, and Killer Croc was assigned to guard Batman, although the latter still managed to escape. In "Bane", Croc and his gang pull a heist, but are confronted by Batman and Robin. As Croc makes his getaway in the sewers however, he is ambushed and subdued by the supervillain Bane, before being brought back to prison.
  • Killer Croc returns in The New Batman Adventures, now voiced by Brooks Gardner. He, along with the other characters, has been revamped, now featuring a bulkier build with green scales and skin, making him look even more reptilian. In the episode "Love is a Croc", he breaks out of a Gotham courthouse after his trial for first-degree murder, and attempts to escape, until he is confronted and subdued by Batman. The criminal Baby Doll later breaks him out of a prison escort, and the two subsequently form an alliance and retreat to Croc's hideout in the sewers. They then start committing crimes together, coming to be known as Gotham's "Bonnie and Clyde". But even though Baby Doll falls in love with him, she overhears Croc boasting about manipulating her to achieve his own ends. Enraged, she tricks him into thinking that they planned to hold the city ransom by threatening to blow up a nuclear power plant. In reality, Baby Doll's goal was to overload the reactor and kill herself, Croc, and all of Gotham. However, Batman and Batgirl arrive, and they manage to prevent the reactor from reaching critical mass. Croc then pursues Baby Doll and prepares to kill her, only to be stopped by the Dark Knight. As Croc and Batman fight, the villain is injured and knocked out when he reached for hot water pipes. He makes his final appearance in the episode "Judgment Day" where he is seen trying to get Penguin to fence stolen jewels. A villain known as the Judge attacks and defeats him by throwing him off the top of the bridge. Batman manages to rescue Killer Croc.
  • In the Batman Beyond episode "Terry's Friend Dates a Robot", an android replica of Killer Croc battles the new Batman in a simulation.
• Killer Croc appears in The Batman voiced by Ron Perlman. In this version, Croc is even more reptilian and crocodile-like than past versions and has a tail, although he also demonstrates a greater intellect and is much more sane and non-cannibalistic than traditional interpretations of the character due to his plan to steal money by flooding downtown Gotham by reversing pumps designed to drain Gotham canals in times of flooding. He appears to be much stronger than Batman, and much like a crocodile, he's able to stay underwater for long periods of time. His origins are mostly unknown, with Croc providing little evidence about his past beyond his Cajun accent, although one of his henchmen tells Batman that there are different rumors: That he is a genetic experiment gone awry who then turned mercenary, that he deals with the wrong kind of voodoo magic in the swamps, or that he is simply a circus freak (it is never explained which, if any, story is true). He recruits three criminals (two of whom are referred to in the credits as Vic and Freddy) as henchmen to help him flood Gotham City. He has two pet crocodiles that he can command. Batman later deprived him of his air supply enough to be taken down and left for the police to arrest him and his henchman (remarking that "Crocs may like water but they're no fish"). In "Team Penguin", Killer Croc returns as part of the Penguin's Team Penguin (which also consisted of Firefly, Killer Moth, and Ragdoll). Killer Croc is defeated when Batman freezes the water he was in. In "Rumors", Killer Croc and his henchmen later appear as one of the captive victims of Rumor after he ambushed him and his henchmen in their hideout. In "The End of the Batman", Killer Croc, Penguin, Ventriloquist, and the Joker team up to commit a crime spree now that they are under the protection of the vigilante Wrath.
• Killer Croc appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Night of the Batmen" voiced by Stephen Root. He, Bane, Blockbuster and Solomon Grundy try to steal a gigantic gold statue only to be stopped by Captain Marvel dressed as Batman.
• Killer Croc appears in Beware The Batman, voiced by Wade Williams in a Cajun accent. In "Animal", Killer Croc is depicted as the kingpin inside Blackgate Penitentiary. When he hears that Key is imprisoned with the data of a powerful computer code worth billions and Batman himself is imprisoned alongside him, he orders his men to create a riot inside Blackgate to deal with the two himself. Killer Croc challenges Batman to a fight in an underground arena, brutally beating him in the process. Batman snaps and attacks the softer skin underneath Killer Croc, nearly beating him to death before Katana stops him. Batman, Katana, and Key escape when the police break up the riot. Killer Croc is shown escaping Blackgate into the sewers, declaring them as his new home. In "Choices", Killer Croc lays a trap for Batman and Katana, trapping them in concrete in the middle of a subway track, and patrolling the area to prevent any rescue. Barbara Gordon arrives at the subway station to help them hack into the computers as Oracle and re-direct the train routes to stall them until Alfred Pennyworth could rescue them. Killer Croc catches Barbara and nearly eats her before Batman and Katana break free. Batman defeats Killer Croc by pushing him near an oncoming train, which launches Croc near a wall and knocks him out.
• A "proto" Killer Croc will appear on the television show Gotham.^[20]

Film

• Killer Croc appears in the Batman: Gotham Knight segment "In Darkness Dwells". During the segment, it is mentioned by James Gordon that this version is afraid of bats. In this version, Waylon Jones is a cannibalistic serial killer. The urban legend in the segment goes that he was an infant born with the disfiguring skin disorder epidermolytic hyperkeratosis and that his mother abandoned him in the sewers of Gotham City. As an adult, he files his front teeth into points to compliment the reptilian appearance of his skin and becomes a circus sideshow performer. Later, now called Killer Croc, he goes on a killing spree that eventually lands him in Arkham Asylum. There, his homicidal impulses intensify during treatment by Dr. Jonathan Crane as he experimented on Killer Croc in his fear aversion therapy program. Croc escapes from Arkham and flees to the sewers along with Crane (now known as The Scarecrow) and a handful of escaped Arkham inmates. There, Scarecrow performed another experiment on Croc by injecting his fear toxin into parts of his body. When Scarecrow orchestrates the kidnapping of Cardinal O'Fallon, Croc infiltrates the church and carries him down into the sewers. Batman comes to investigate, and Croc attacks him, biting him and infecting him with the fear toxin that is coursing through Croc's own body. After a lengthy battle, Batman fends off Croc by shoving a smoke grenade into his mouth. Croc is not seen since.
• Killer Croc appears in Son of Batman, voiced by Fred Tatasciore. In this version, he was using a genetic mutagen, that he referred to as steroids, to increase his already fearsome abilities which included extra muscle mass and a crocodile-like tail. He gains the upper hand at one point, but is subdued thanks to Talia al Ghul and is taken to Arkham Asylum where withdrawal from the Mutagen is causing his body to slowly fall apart. Regardless, Arkham's staff refuse to treat him because of the personal risk to their health. Batman agrees to save Croc if he gives up the location of his Mutagen supplier, Kirk Langstrom. Killer Croc at first refuses to talk, but changes his mind when Batman singlehandedly rips off his damaged tail.
• Killer Croc appears in the animated film Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts, voiced by John DiMaggio. He appears as a member of the Penguin's Animalitia, sporting a metal lower jaw.
• Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje portrayed Killer Croc in the 2016 feature film Suicide Squad, making it Killer Croc's first live-action appearance.^[21] It is mentioned that he once lived in Gotham and fought against Batman until he departed to find somewhere to belong, eventually being driven to cannibalism by the abuse he suffered at the hands of Gotham's citizens. When he is recruited to Task Force X, he is initially as reluctant as the others, but eventually decides to work with Colonel Rick Flag even after Flag gives them a chance to leave, accompanying a SEAL scuba team to recover a bomb that was lost in a flooded underground tunnel to destroy the Enchantress. At the film's conclusion, Croc remains in jail, but is provided with drinks and a television set in his cell.
• Croc appears in Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants with DiMaggio reprising his role. Sometime prior to the film Croc ratted Bane out to the GPD causing the two to develop a rivalry. Croc, Clayface, Bane, and Chemo are freed from Arkham by Mr. Freeze and The Penguin. Croc winds up the test subject to a serum which turns him into a Godzilla esque kaiju. Croc is eventually defeated by Batman and Croc returned to his original size.

Video games

Lego Batman

• Killer Croc appears in Lego Batman: The Videogame as a playable character with vocal effects provided by Steven Blum.^[22] This incarnation of the character is in the employ of Penguin and possesses super strength, an immunity to toxins and is able to dive underwater.
• Killer Croc appears in Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes voiced by Fred Tatasciore. He appears as a boss fight and unlockable character.
• Killer Croc appears as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, with Fred Tatasciore reprising his role now in a Cajun accent. In comparison to the previous two games where he was a mini-figure, Croc is redesigned as one the big figures of the game.

Batman Arkham

Killer Croc appears in the Batman: Arkham series where he has been voiced by Steven Blum^[23] in Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and Arkham Knight, and by Khary Payton in Arkham Origins.

• In the continuity of Batman: Arkham Asylum, Croc is portrayed as physically larger than most of his comic book counterparts, standing at a colossal eleven feet. He is interred at Arkham Asylum as a cannibalistic murderer, although his many other crimes include racketeering and the smuggling of illegal drugs. The asylum staff, who hate and fear the aptly dubbed "monster", only feed Killer Croc with animal carcasses once a week and confine him to an unused sewer, with an electrifying shock collar to discourage troublemaking. This solitary confinement has only succeeded in magnifying Croc's intense hatred of humanity; a psychiatrist believes he now views people as nothing more than potential food. In addition to hating Batman, Croc holds a grudge with Aaron Cash, having tried to eat the guard during a break out attempt, but only managing to devour Cash's left hand. This resulted in a constant craving to eat the rest of Cash. He appears early on in the game when he is taken to the sewers and passes Batman escorting a recently captured Joker. He vows to kill and devour Batman before he receives a shock and is taken away. Later in the story, Batman infiltrates Arkham's old sewer network in search of rare Venom roots for an antidote for the Titan drug that Joker has created, only to find The Scarecrow threatening to unleash his fear gas into Gotham's water supply by dumping it into the sewers. Killer Croc emerges from the water and attacks Scarecrow, then falls back when Batman activates his shock collar via Batarang, taking Scarecrow with him. While searching Croc's lair for the roots, Killer Croc ambushes the player repeatedly, only to be easily stunned into retreat each time by hitting his shock collar with batarangs. He is defeated for the final time while charging over an unstable floor, which Batman destroys with explosives, sending Croc plunging down. After Batman leaves his lair Croc shouts up saying that he will find him. Killer Croc's hand is one of those that will appear at the end of the game (sometimes it is his hand or Bane's hand or Scarecrows hand) grabbing the titan box out in the bay.
• In a cameo appearance in Batman: Arkham City, after surviving the incidents of Batman: Arkham Asylum, he is now imprisoned in the new walled-off incarceration districts known as Arkham City. It is revealed in his profile that guards tried to lure him back to the sewers of Arkham Asylum by using pieces of dead inmates. However he managed to escape the Asylum sewers during this and his whereabouts were unknown after. During the game, Killer Croc has taken refuge in Gotham's maze-like sewer network, killing other inmates who wander into his domain. He is presented as notably slimmer here than his previous incarnation, likely due to an inconsistent food supply. The player can encounter Killer Croc in a time-sensitive Easter egg after Batman has encountered Ra's al Ghul in 'Wonder City' for the first time but before Batman leaves the sewers. Upon using the remote-controlled Batarang to hit a button, Killer Croc bursts through the wall telling Batman that he is not welcome. Killer Croc then smells "death" on Batman (as a result of Joker infecting Batman with his own life-threatening illness) and decides not to bother trying to kill him. Killer Croc then retreats into the water promising to come after his corpse later. Killer Croc can also be spotted in the Iceberg Lounge combat challenge map, through the use of a remote-controlled Batarang. He sits at a table with Penguin, smoking a cigar and having a drink, but he does not speak or join in the fighting.
• In the prequel Batman: Arkham Origins, he appears as one of the assassins hired by The Joker (posing as Black Mask). He first appears at Blackgate Penitentiary, helping the crime lord break out his imprisoned men and murder Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb. While escaping, he is confronted by Batman and the two fight on the rooftops of the prison. Batman defeats Killer Croc and interrogates him, learning about the other assassins sent to kill him. He later runs into Batman during the second attack on the prison, only to flee at the arrival of the GCPD and be taken back into custody. This younger Croc is significantly smaller than his portrayal in the other games, and more or less resembles a human (an uncertain Batman even refers to him as a "human-shaped crocodile"). His desire for the fame and fortune of being Batman's killer imply his mutation has not yet spread to the point where he is more monster than man.
• Killer Croc appears in Batman: Arkham Knight. In his cameo, his design was also updated with a larger body, spikes, and a tail. Killer Croc appears while Batman is under the effects of Scarecrow's fear toxin and hallucinating that he is Joker. Killer Croc is shown standing in the midst of Penguin, Riddler, and Two-Face. Killer Croc is knocked out by a speeding Joker-Batmobile. It is also mentioned in recorded dialogue for random thugs that Scarecrow's new hideous physical appearance is because his face was severely damaged by his encounter with Killer Croc in Arkham Asylum. Killer Croc also appears in the December "Season of Infamy" downloadable content (DLC) pack, in the side misson "Beneath the Surface". After the events of Arkham City, he is captured by staff working for Iron Heights Penitentiary and experimented on in an airship above Gotham Bay by Warden Ranken. It is discovered that he has regenerative capabilities, thanks to his mutation, even being able to regrow lost limbs, but at the cost of further mutation. During the events of the game, he breaks out of his cell and destroys the airship, causing it to crash near the memorial bridge. Killer Croc then breaks out the prisoners and kidnaps Warden Ranken, demanding that he reverse the mutation that has occurred. He is defeated by Batman and Nightwing, and is taken to the GCPD Headquarters, along with the surviving members of Iron Heights' staff and the fellow prisoners aboard the airship; Ranken is imprisoned in an adjacent cell, with Batman vowing to have Warden Ranken face justice. Killer Croc's severed arm is later placed in the GCPD's Evidence Room, with Cash remarking that while he pities Croc for the torture he endured aboard the airship, he still cannot forgive him for eating his own hand.
• Killer Croc appears as a playable character in the mobile game Batman: Arkham Underworld in his Arkham Asylum incarnation (but voiced by Khary Payton in the same style as his Arkham Origins incarnation, strangely). The tank-like Croc is unlocked after the player defeats him in response to him encroaching on their turf, after which he becomes playable, using his incredible strength and armor-like hide to dominate the battlefield.
• Killer Croc makes a brief appearance in Batman: Arkham VR, where he kills Robin after the Boy Wonder is imprisoned in the sewers.

Other games

• Killer Croc makes an appearance in the negatively received video game Batman: Dark Tomorrow. He is apparently being manipulated by the Joker, attacking Batman when the Caped Crusader attempts to rescue police Commissioner Gordon from the Joker.
• Killer Croc appears in DC Universe Online on several occasions, one of the first being as an illusion conjured by the Scarecrow. The actual character also appears at the Cape Carmine Lighthouse, where at one point heroic players may best him and Deathstroke before being permitted to proceed. Croc may also forge alliances with villainous players, revealing that he has been hired by Carmine Falcone to assassinate Bane.
• Killer Croc makes a cameo appearance in Injustice: Gods Among Us. In the Arkham Asylum level, if one of the characters is thrown through the cell door on the right side of the second tier, they will be attacked by Croc, Penguin, Two-Face, and Riddler before being punched by Croc into the next tier of the Arkham arena. He is also in Batman's S.T.A.R. Labs, where Batman must fight prisoners escaping from Stryker's Island before the player fights the villain.

Books

In the novel Batman: Knightfall and Beyond, based largely on the comics storyline, Killer Croc is said to have suffered from "a raging skin cancer" that turned the outer layers of his flesh into a hardened covering when he was younger. He escapes from Arkham Asylum when Bane and his men destroy it, freeing most of Batman's major foes in the process as part of a plan by Bane to wear him down before Bane himself "breaks" him. Batman later defeats Croc in a one-on-one fight in the sewers, crushing a cylinder of knock-out gas against the underside of his nose to disable him. Croc is then arrested and held in Blackgate Prison with the other Arkham escapees until the asylum can be rebuilt.

See also

• List of Batman Family adversaries

References