The characters of DC have made their mark in many forms of media, including TV, movies, and even video games. There have been countless games starring DC's most famous heroes, like the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader. It's common for characters who originated in print to transcend to different forms of media, but it's also possible for the reverse to happen.
Characters such as Harley Quinn and Rene Montoya were initially created for the Bruce Timm Batman animated series but got so popular that they were eventually incorporated into the proper canon. However, they weren't the only characters to first appear in another medium. Some DC characters didn't make their debut on the printed page but through the pixels and polygons of video games instead.
10 Ace Ranger Was Blown To Pieces
Shortly after Sunsoft's video game adaption of the 1989 Tim Burton film, they decided to make a sequel of sorts with Batman: Return of the Joker for the NES. In contrast to the source material where Batman is opposed to firearms or any form of lethal force, the game is a side-scrolling run and gun in the vein of titles such as Mega Man and Contra.
The game's first boss is a huge gun-toting goon named Ace Ranger. He and the rest of the henchman are blown to smithereens by Batman's projectiles.
9 The Illusion Of Big Riddle Was Shattered In Batman Forever
The home console adaption of Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever managed to somehow be worse than the film that it was based on. A mixture of a beat 'em up and a 2D fighter akin to Mortal Kombat, the game was an utterly tedious and boring action title whose only saving grace was its hilarious digitized characters.
However, one enemy was brought to life through CGI rather than a live-action actor. In a major deviation from the film, the Riddler transforms into a hulking monster dubbed "Big Riddle." Once the illusion is shattered, Batman defeats the Riddler.
8 Emperor Zaas Tried To Take Over The Earth
Developed by Taito of Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble fame, Superman for the arcades pitted the Man of Steel against the dreaded Emperor Zaas. The game is a pretty standard beat 'em up where players can fly, punch, kick, and shoot projectiles.
Players took control of Superman and Superman (yes, there are two Supermen) to take on the alien menace bent on seizing control of Metropolis and the rest of the planet Earth. The two eventually faced off against Zaas in his spaceship to thwart the Emperor once and for all.
7 Sin Tzu Orchestrated A Prison Break And Raised The Dead
Ubisoft Montreal's second console attempt with the Batman animated mythos featured an original character created by Jim Lee. Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu was a beat 'em up where the caped crusader and his allies were tasked with protecting Gotham from a prison breakout orchestrated by the aforementioned warlord.
The game was released in 2003 and met with middling reviews. For years, the character was largely forgotten about until the third issue of Suicide Squad Most Wanted: El Diablo and Killer Croc. In the comic, Sin Tzu is shown to be leading an army of undead soldiers at the Aces Chemical Plant.
6 Bloody Mary Shot Bigby Wolf With A Silver Bullet
Bloody Mary made her debut at the end of episode 3 of Telltale's The Wolf Among Us. Serving as a prequel to Bill Willingham's Fables comic series, the game sees Bigby Wolf investigating the murder of a fable.
When Ichabod Crane becomes the prime suspect, Bigby attempts to take him into custody. However, some unseen force has an interest in Crane, so Bloody Mary is hired to procure him from Bigby and Snow White. When the two refuse to hand him over, Mary gleefully shoots Bigby with a silver bullet and takes Crane by force. She doesn't fare so well in the rematch.
5 Joker harnessed the Power of the Titan Project
In Arkham Asylum, Batman uncovers a secret project being worked on by Doctor Penelope Young. Harnessing the power of Bane's venom, the Titan Project was intended to help weaker patients endure more strenuous treatments, but it turned its recipients into rage-filled hulking monsters.
Doctor Young's project was in danger of getting defunded before receiving a generous donation from some mysterious benefactor. Unfortunately, that benefactor turned out to be the Joker, who wanted to use the Titan to create an army of monsters under his control. At the end of the game, Joker injects himself with the formula and faces off against Batman in the final boss fight.
4 The Children of Arkham tried to get revenge on the Waynes
In Telltale's Batman series, Bruce Wayne learns about the dark secrets of his parents. Thomas and Martha Wayne were always put on a pedestal by the bereaved heir, but it turns out that all that wealth and power was gained through organized crime.
Anyone who learned about Thomas' business was drugged and committed to Arkham Asylum. These revelations came courtesy of a terrorist group known as The Children of Arkham. Led by Vicky Vale to avenge those who the Waynes had silenced, The Children of Arkham aimed to bring down Bruce and everyone who collaborated with his father.
3 Scorpion Took On The Clown Prince Of Crime
Scorpion made waves with his flaming skull and his iconic "get over here!" Making his debut in the classic 1992 arcade fighter Mortal Kombat, the undead Ninja has made his mark on both the gaming industry and in comics. He along with his Lin Kuei rival, Sub-Zero, are partially responsible for the ESRB ratings system.
Their violent finishing moves involved immolating their victims and ripping their spinal cord, respectively. In the realm of comics, Scorpion faced off against the clown prince of crime and many more in the crossover, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.
2 The Arkham Knight Knew All Of Batman's Tricks
Appearing in the final entry of Rocksteady's trilogy, the eponymous Arkham Knight knows all of Batman's tricks and seems to harbor some personal grudge against him. Allied with Scarecrow and the rest of the escapees from the asylum, the Arkham Knight utilizes his tactical and combat prowess to break the dark knight.
At the same time, Batman is haunted by visions of the J0ker induced by Scarecrow's fear toxin, and he recalls an ally that he failed to protect. It turns out that the Arkham Knight's identity was this fallen ally, Jason Todd. The Arkham Knight would later appear in DC comics, albeit with a different secret identity.
1 Faith Saw A Compassionate Side Of Bigby Wolf
It's a night like any other: Sheriff Bigby Wolf receives a concerned call from Mr. Toad. He arrives to discover that Woody's been beating on a working girl named Faith in a drunken stupor. After the sheriff makes a vain attempt to talk the woodsman to his senses, the two engage in a violent fistfight.
Before Woody can trigger Bigby's transformation, Faith incapacitates him with his own axe. Bigby is thankful for the rescue and shows Faith a compassionate side of him that few fables ever see. The last words he hears Faith say before finding her dead on his doorstep are: "You're not as bad as everyone says you are." Despite dying early on, Faith was majorly important to the events of both the Fables: The Wolf Among Us comic series and video game.