Saturday, November 6, 2010

5 Reasons 'Dark Knight Rises' Should Feature The Clock King

It's never too early to campaign for various villains in Nolan's upcoming 'Dark Knight Rises.' In this new series, I will devote a post to a plausible villain, and list the reasons why he/she should become the primary villain in 'DKR,' as well as some possible drawbacks.

As we know from earlier reports, The Riddler, Penguin, Mr. Freeze, and The Joker are all out as main foes. Given Nolan's insistence on realism, we could probably rule out other enemies like Killer Croc and Clayface, as cool as they are in their own ways.

Up first, one of my personally favorite comic book villains. The punctual, the data-driven, the horrifically anal Clock King.



Five Reasons The Clock King Works:

1.) Brains - Temple Fugate, or William Tockman, depending on which character you prefer, is a genius that has outwitted The Batman on numerous occasions. His photographic memory and slender frame make him unassuming, but his intellect and creativity would make him a formidable enemy against the World's Greatest Detective.

2.) Technology - Part of what gave Batman the advantage in 'Dark Knight' was his ability to track every citizen of Gotham through the super computer he builds towards the end, leading to his eventual capture of The Joker. Well, imagine a villain gets his hands on equipment like that. The Clock King could work as a modern-day hacker of some kind that plays havoc on Gotham's computer systems. Plus, as Fugate is an inventor on the side, Nolan would have the opportunity to showcase all kinds of new weapons for Batman to take on.

3.) A Poor Man's Riddler - Even with the Riddler out of the third Batman film, The Clock King could still enact plots similar in tone and style, but without the baggage and theatrics the major villain represents. Remember, we already had a colorful villain with The Joker in TDK. Fugate represents a more pedestrian, but nonetheless lethal foe.


"You think I'm pissed now? Wait 'till you ask me for my TPS reports!"

4.) Ordinary is Extraordinary - What I always liked about The Clock King is that he's unassuming. He starts out simply as a consultant (based on his 'BTAS' origins) with an obsession with punctuality. After missing an important date because of a coffee break gone wrong, he suffers a break down and becomes a master villain that nearly kills Batman on several occasions. He's like Michael Douglas' character from 'Falling Down.' You identify with him because he's just an office drone, and in a way you feel bad for him. There's just something very satisfying about seeing an ordinary guy suddenly take on the world, even if he does it for evil purposes. Ra's al Ghul and Joker were all over-the-top foes. It's time for an ordinary guy to step up and take on Bats.

5.) Imagine all the time-related puns - "Hey Bats, too much time on your hands?" Or, "Bats, you've just arrived for your timely execution." OK, maybe not. But there's all kinds of ways to insert humor into 'Dark Knight Rises' when you've got an anal-retentive villain who freaks out if he's even a second late. Joker was funny because he was so casual and self-aware about being a psychopath. It's like he was saying "Yeah, I kill people indiscriminately. It's just who I am." However, Clock King is not so self-aware. His foil is his own ego and condescension towards other people. He's like a misplaced man who would have been more comfortable living during the Victorian Age, yet finds himself born into the wrong age--the wrong time, if you will.


Two Possible Drawbacks:

1.) No Panache - Ra's al Ghul is a ninja from the East with a team of killer assassins at his disposal. Scarecrow uses a fear toxin and wears a frightening mask. The Joker is...well, The Joker. But who's The Clock King? Really, just a smart dude who can time ghastly plots efficiently. Probably hits the sack by 9:00 PM sharp every night.

If Fugate's going to work as the main villain, he needs to be larger than life. Someone we can imagine as a real threat. There has to be something distinct and theatrical to him that sets him apart from the rest.

2.) Too Wimpy - Clock King is a brain, not a body. While Joker and al Ghul can more than hold their own physically against Batman, I doubt Fugate would last more than a few seconds.

Even if Clock King was cast as a hacker of some kind, how does that represent a realistic threat to Gotham, much less to the Batman himself? Shutting down the city's computers or stealing funds via some virus doesn't exactly sound very exciting, unless it's the set-up for something much bigger and deadlier.

Finally, lest there be any doubt that The Clock King could work as the main villain in 'Dark Knight Rises,' I humbly submit a side-by-side shot of him and a certain aforementioned character:


Nerds. Do not trifle with them.

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