Over the years, there have been many menacing villains in DC Comics. They can be brilliant like Lex Luthor, savage like Cheetah, or chaotic like the Joker. Polka-Dot Man is none of those things and a whole lot less.
The name might be part of the problem. Sometimes he's called Mr. Polka-Dot, which is somehow less scary. And his real name of Abner Krill doesn't exactly inspire fear or dread in his enemies. While the Polka-Dot Man has been known to be quite vicious at times, he's also been at least be a relatively nice guy on some occasions. Here are some moments where he was whole
Inspired By Batman
Everyone has a reason why they do what they do. In the case of the Polka-Dot Man, his inspiration was Batman. The only problem is that Batman didn't exactly inspire him to become a hero, not that it's his fault.
Like many villains in Gotham, the existence of the Caped Crusader inspired the Polka-Dot Man to put on a costume while committing crimes. Still, it's actually kind of sweet in its own strange way.
Started Off As Mister Polka-Dot
To be completely frank, being called "Polka-Dot Man" isn't going to strike fear into the hearts of anyone. Well, except for fashion designers. Somehow that name was actually a step up from the one he started out with.
His original name was Mister Polka-Dot, which is actually less menacing. It sounds like the name of a children's entertainer. All in all, the first criminal name he went by was kind of adorable, even if it wasn't going to intimidate Batman.
First Crime Was Robbing A Carpet Cleaning Company
When embarking on a career as a costumed criminal, everyone has to start somewhere. And in the case of the Polka-Dot Man, that first crime was robbing a dry cleaner. It wasn't exactly making a name by trying to kill Superman, but it was at least realistic.
From there, he would go on to commit a miniature crime wave by breaking into similar businesses. Oddly enough, this might have been his signature series of crimes, and it went down so early in his career.
Tried To Give Up Being A Criminal
Like many low-level members of Batman's gallery of rogues, Polka-Dot Man eventually decided to give up the criminal lifestyle. Being one of the little fish in such a big pond isn't a great way to get by, and the life caught up with him.
To his credit, Polka-Dot Man did his best to go straight, but that isn't easy in Gotham at the best of times. For a former criminal trying to build a better life for himself, the task is nearly impossible. That's probably why the attempt didn't last very long.
Gets Beaten Up By Harvey Bullock
The Gotham City Police Department has the nearly impossible task of maintaining any semblance of order in a community that defies it. Sometimes, that requires cops who are as tough as nails.
One of those officers is Detective Harvey Bullock. Unfortunately for Polka-Dot Man, he relapsed his life of crime, put on the old costume, and tried to rob a store with a bat. The result was a beating from Bullock so savage that fans actually felt bad for the guy.
Has An Adorable Costume
Speaking of Polka-Dot Man's costume, it's hard not to acknowledge how delightful it is. The thing is white and covered in bright, multi-colored polka-dots, as fans would expect for someone with a name like his. In a city as dark and shadowy as Gotham, it really pops.
But each of the polka-dots can be removed and become a different weapon or tool. It might not be the best costume for camouflage or even subtlety, but the level of engineering and creativity has to be respected.
Insane Polka-Dot Gimmick
Taking a step back from the look of his costume and the inherently impressive feat of engineering it represents, the gimmick itself is more than worth examining.
Honestly, it's about as arbitrary and strange a villain gimmick as fans will find in the comics. Riddler wears a costume covered in question marks, but that at least makes a certain amount of sense. Polka-dots were a fun but strange choice.
Became A Semi-Celebrity In Gotham
After his debut as a villain and several epic failures, Polka-Dot Man became somewhat of a celebrity in Gotham. Maybe people responded to his style. Knowing Gotham, they probably just enjoyed rooting for the underdog. Polka-Dot Man actually became a mainstay of the talk show circuit.
But that part of his story did not end well as Gothamites became increasingly fascinated with the likes of the Joker and Harley Quinn. Polka-Dot Man's star faded incredibly quickly. Still, it was nice that he enjoyed that fame, even if it was short-lived.
Has A Ridiculous Ego
It takes a pretty massive ego to decide to put on a costume and become a supervillain, though the same is true of heroes as well.
In the case of the Polka-Dot Man, he might have the most out of whack ego out of all of Batman's enemies or members of the Suicide Squad. Somehow, it works on him, though. His huge ego makes him even more endearing and fun to watch.
Almost Impossible To Take Seriously
There are a lot of extremely serious villains in DC Comics. It's hard to imagine Darkseid doing or saying anything that was intentionally funny. And for a clown, Joker rarely brings fun and frivolity to the life of Batman.
Fortunately, there are also villains like Polka-Dot Man around. While he might not be intentionally lighthearted, it's almost impossible to be brought down by a guy covered in multi-colored spots.