Batman has many notable villains that fill not only his Rogues' Gallery, but also the padded walls of Arkham Asylum. Some of these, such as The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin and Two-Face have become iconic and instantly recognizable. Others are incredibly obscure, with a few lacking appearances in more than one or two stories.
The Answer is one such villain, as he's never actually been shown facing Batman. Instead, his story is relayed via a Secret Files book, and he's yet to reappear since. This could be due to how repetitive he is among other Batman villains, but it could also be that The Answer was simply an afterthought.
Who Is The Answer, Batman's Most Forgotten Villain?
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Created by Alan Grant and Mark Buckingham for Batman Villains Secret Files and Origins #1, The Answer was born Michael Patten. Relatively unassuming, he became a civil engineer in adulthood, all the while harboring an intense fascination with ancient cultures. His historical research led him to believe that Earth was once affected by a great global catastrophe that was sure to strike again.
This theory was backed up by an immense earthquake that struck Gotham City (likely during No Man's Land), that killed Patten's family and sent him over the edge. Engaging in crimes to get humanity's attention, Patten, now calling himself The Answer, felt that only he could make mankind aware of their imminent destruction. His crimes were quickly put to an end by Batman and his former sidekick Nightwing, and he's apparently been locked in Arkham ever since. He's yet to be in any actually story, with the Secret File on him being just that, a file of biographical information.
Will The Answer Ever Show Up In Another DC Comic Book?
The main reason that The Answer has yet to actually appear in a comic is that he's somewhat redundant in Batman's Rogues' Gallery. His role as a sort of conspiratorial warning against dangers to or of modern society are essentially what chief foe Ra's al Ghul is all about. Given how popular and prominent that villain is compared to someone who's not even a one-hit wonder, it's no surprise that DC has failed to bring Patten back. Given how huge Batman's group of villains already was, it's even stranger that Alan Grant even needed to make up a new character to begin with, let alone one who was never used afterwards.
The obscure character could show up and vex another street-level DC hero, however. Given his name and tendency to dabble in conspiracies, The Answer is the perfect foil for Hub City's The Question. Patten could note how corrupt different aspects and institutions in society have become, attempting to remove them from power to save said society from annihilation. The Question could then combat his ambitions, all while pondering whether he's actually right.
The Answer could also be tied into climate change and environmentalism, again fitting more with The Question than Batman due to similarities with the villainous Poison Ivy. The premise could give Patten something "relatable" or topical, all while his actions make him anything but. This would make the moral debate over said actions increasingly poignant and transform the villain into more than just a goofy, gimmick. This would all definitely work for The Question, who lacks exclusive villains. It might be a bit too close to recent cinematic versions of Bane or The Riddler, however, and it is this factor that may continue to prevent the Answer from ever really facing Batman.