Warning! Spoilers ahead for Catwoman #31
In the latest issue of DC Comics' Catwoman, it's just been revealed how fearsome Batman's next villain truly is, and he may be even more frightening that the Scarecrow himself. Known as Simon Saint, the mysterious and sinister businessman has just set up shop in Gotham with Saint Industries, and he already has several different clandestine operations in the works to undermine Gotham City, making it more scared and malleable to fit his needs. Now, this new issue of Catwoman proves how much power he really has over those in his employ.
In Catwoman #31 from writer Ram V and artist Fernando Blanco, Selina Kyle undergoes a rescue mission that's also an impressive heist, saving a captive Poison Ivy while also stealing a fortune in stolen art. However, the entire reason Ivy was captured in the first place was because she was being experimented on and used by a secret lab on Saint's payroll, using her unique genetic makeup to fashion a brand new and devastating drug for Gotham's streets. While the leading scientist Dr. Siddhart Roy was ordered to destroy Ivy once their work was finished, the art collector decided to secretly keep her in containment, bringing her home to be the crown jewel of his collection.
However, now that Catwoman has rescued Ivy, Dr. Roy knows that he's in a massive amount of trouble. He has defied the orders of Simon Saint, and Ivy's new freedom most likely means that Saint will find out about Roy's failure sooner rather than later. As a result, the scientist determines that the last thing he wants is to face the powerful man, claiming that Saint can be truly frightening when things don't go his way. Shockingly, Roy determines to take his own life in front of Catwoman rather than face Saint in the wake of his failure.
While Selina has no clue who Simon Saint is, it seems as though she will soon enough if the issue's final pages are any indication. The end of the issue features Saint himself, who already knows about Catwoman and Ivy, determining to use his connections and power to destroy Alley Town, the borough of Gotham under the protection of Selina herself. Not only is Saint actively working against Catwoman, but he still has his master plan to generate new levels of fear within Gotham alongside Scarecrow, getting the city to the point where they'll accept his Magistrate program and peacekeepers without resistance.
In any case, it seems as though Saint has just as much capability to be as frightening as his partner Scarecrow, albeit using his insane resources and immense power as weapons rather than fear toxin. That being said, Simon Saint hasn't been put on Batman or Catwoman's radar as a major threat just yet, but it's more than likely that that will soon change with coming issues set in Gotham City.