Mister Zsasz

MISTER ZSASZ

Real Name: Victor Zsasz

Class: Human

Occupation: Serial killer, formerly businessman

Group Affiliation: formerly The Society

Known Relatives: Douglas (brother, deceased), unnamed parents (deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Gotham City

First Appearance: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1 (June, 1992)

Powers: Zsasz was a strong and brutal killer, who preferred edged weapons for disposing his victims. He was brilliant, but also a violent psychopath. His body was covered in scars, each mark a record of a kill he'd made.

History: Mr. Zsasz was the son of wealthy industrialists, and he grew up to make his own fortune, showing great skill at business. His parents died in a boating accident, and he went into a deep depression, eventually gambling all his money away. Realizing life was pointless, he prepared to leap from a bridge, but was interrupted by a homeless man that tried to rob him at knifepoint. In pure survival mode Zsasz killed the man with his own knife, but realized it made him feel something. He started seeing the people around him as zombies, and dedicated himself to freeing them from life. He became a notorious serial killer, keeping a tally of victims by cutting scars into his body.

(Hitman #2) -Joker killed a kindergarten class, and the grieving wealthy father of one of the children put a hit out on him. Hitman Tommy Monaghan accepted the contract, and used his superhuman powers to make it past the GCPD and Batman into Arkham. Zsasz and Two-Face spooked even Hitman, and he briefly considered killing them both for free, thinking the world would have been better off if they’d never been born.

(Detective Comics I #815, 816) - While guards escorted Zsasz to his cell an Arkham employee dropped her pen, which Zsasz used to slaughter his guards. He escaped Arkham, snuck into a police charity ball, and stabbed Alfred Pennyworth. The media let Zsasz believe Alfred was dead so that he wouldn't be a continued target, but when Zsasz took a young hostage and killed two police officers Bruce Wayne called a press conference to announce that Alfred was alive to rattle Zsasz. Zsasz freaked out because he'd cut a scar into his body even though he didn't succeed in killing, and he said his skin felt wrong. He made his way to Alfred's hospital room, but was beaten by Batman.

(Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1) - The Society made plans for a worldwide prison break to free every incarcerated supervillain, and they sent Killer Croc to free Arkham Asylum's inmates. Zsasz was one of the released inmates, but most of them were captured and sent back to their cells by a group of superheroes called in by Oracle to deal with Arkham.

(Titans II #28-30) - Deathstroke’s Titans came to Arkham to liberate inmate Allegra Garcia on behalf of a client, and bribed a guard for the run of the asylum. After they double-crossed him he flipped a switch that released all the inmates. Zsasz and his fellow inmates were looking forward to freedom, and attacked the Titans, not wanting them to stand in their way. Batman showed up, and Deathstroke had Allegra use her electromagnetic powers to disable the Arkham inmates security collars. Deathstroke told them they were free to play with Batman, and they allowed the Titans and Allegra to leave.

Comments: Created by Alan Grant & Norm Brayfogle.

Zsasz had a cameo in Catwoman II #60.