Batman has faced a wide variety of interesting foes over the years, but none more threatening then the terrible King Tut! King Tut was originally created for the 1960's Batman television show, starring Adam West, and was a popular returning character. King Tut, played by Victor Buono, was originally a college professor who studied Egyptology named William McElroy.
Whenever McElroy would recieve a blow to the head (which happened in every episode he appeared in) McElroy would transform into his alter-ego, King Tut. Tut, believing himself to be the actual King Tut, would try to conquer Gotham City as his own kingdom, but he was always thwarted by Batman and Robin. At the end of the conflict, Tut would receive another blow to the head, reverting him back to McElroy, who would have no memory of his crimes as Tut, leaving him free to resume his career as a professor. While King Tut was a somewhat campy villain for Batman to fight, and despite his popularity, the character did not appear in the comics for years.
In Batman Confidential #26 however, King Tut would make his first proper appearance in the DC Universe. The story begins with both the director of a local Gotham museum and a former member of the board being attacked by Tut, with Tut leaving behind riddles for Batman to solve. Batman, taking a look at each attack, tells Commissioner Gordon that the Riddler could be behind these attacks. However, when the two approach Riddler at Arkham Asylum, Riddler is actually offended at the idea that someone else would copy his motif, and offers to help Batman. Riddler even predicts the next method of attack that Tut would use as an offer of goodwill, but Batman rejects Riddler's help. However, after deducing who would be killed next, Batman arrives too late and finds that Riddler was correct in guessing the method of death. However, when Batman returns to Arkahm to confront Riddler about this, Riddler has already escaped.
While Batman watches over the suspected next victim, another member of the museum board, Ms. Leigh Carson, he realizes too late that King Tut has already infiltrated her home. However, the Riddler confronts Tut, and protects Carson long enough for Batman to arrive. Batman, still believing Riddler to be the mastermind, attacks Riddler, unaware that the real killer, King Tut, is still in the area. After Batman fends off Tut and saves Leigh Carson, and realizes that Riddler may be able to help in this situation, he begrudgingly accepts the Riddler's help to track down King Tut before he kills again. Both Batman and Riddler deduce that Tut has an obsession with the Hymn of Aten, which is how he dictates the time of attacks, and determine that his knowledge of Egyptology means he might be a former employee of the Gotham museum.
Eventually, they narrow their suspects down to one Victor Goodman, the name being an homage to Victor Buono. When Batman and Riddler ask Leigh if she is aware of Goodman and his potential motives, she recalls that Goodman was upset at the King Tut exhibit not arriving in Gotham (due to potential criminals like Riddler stealing from it). After confrontation with the board, Victor received a a blow to the head, which caused him to become slowly unhinged, and eventually led to the King Tut persona. With this knowledge in mind, Batman and Riddler track down Goodman's place of residence, only to almost die in an explosive trap set for them by Tut.
With the less then dynamic duo preoccupied by the house explosion, Carson tries to communicate with Goodman, believing him to be innocent. However, Carson is captured by Tut once again, though she's seemingly sympathetic towards Goodman's motives, agreeing with Goodman's hatred of the museum she worked for. Batman and Riddler arrive on the scene, and though Tut still resolves to kill Carson, Riddler decides to hit Batman over the head, and side with Tut.
This proves to be a bluff, as Riddler manages to free Carson while Tut goes to deal with Batman. Riddler's deception doesn't last for long however, as Tut quickly realizes he was had. Miss Carson however, tries to kill the Riddler, but the latter manages to escape death, while Batman ultimately deals with Tut. With Tut brought to justice, Riddler peacefully returns to Arkham, and when questioned by Batman as to why Riddler didn't actually try to kill him, Riddler responds that Batman is his only intellectual equal in Gotham, and killing him would be no fun at all. Despite Tut being in jail, he receives a visitor: Miss Carson, who decides to dedicate herself to being his accomplice, and his queen, going by the name Ankh.
While King Tut himself only made one recent appearance in DC's current continuity, the decision to use him after so many years was interesting. While it's not uncommon for characters to appear in cartoons, movies, or television shows first, then transition to comic books later (as was the case with Harley Quinn and Renee Montoya), utilizing a character like King Tut was unexpected. The Batman Confidential story-line that featured King Tut was published forty years after the Batman 60's show had ended, and it would be a few years until the show reemerged in the form of animated movies and comic books. King Tut was a campy villain that, for all intents and purposes, did not mesh well with the contemporary version of Batman, but this story-line proved that Tut could be a serious, formidable, opponent in his own right. While Tut has yet to face off against Batman again, it's entirely possible that Tut will once again challenge the Caped Crusader. Hopefully Batman can recruit the Riddler this time as well, as this "dynamic duo" proved that sometimes, two heads really are better then one.