Gotham City is home to some of the most vile fictitious villains in all of comics. From Joker all the way to Kite-Man, there is no shortage of evil-doers for the Dark Knight to go up against.

However, with such a wide array of villains, some of Batman’s enemies can be easily forgotten. One of those enemies is none other than Black Mask. Recently, Black Mask has seen a surge in popularity and will be making his live-action debut in the upcoming Birds of Prey movie. To help prepare for what may come, here is our list of 10 things to know about Black Mask.

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10 Birth and Real Name

Roman Sionis was born to an incredibly wealthy family in Gotham. Unfortunately, mere moments after his birth, Roman was dropped on his head.

While this didn’t lead to much initially, it is later theorized that this is what caused his lack of empathy for others. As a child, Roman grew to hate his parents. For him their status caused them to “wear masks,” hiding who they really were from the rest of the world. Eventually, Roman would grow and come to play a major role in the family business. After taking over by force, Roman’s lack of interest in the business ran the company into the ground.

9 Childhood Friends With Bruce Wayne

Thanks to the Sionis wealth, Roman grew up around Gotham’s other wealthy families, including the Waynes. However, Roman hated most other families almost as much as his own parents.

As a child, Roman was forced to get along with Bruce Wayne. Though their interactions have nothing to due with Black Mask’s hatred for Batman, Roman has just always hated Bruce Wayne. Therefore, the loss of his company stung even more when Bruce Wayne offered to bail Roman out. The irony in Roman’s hatred is that Bruce actually does wear a mask, but not in the way he thinks.

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8 He Killed His Parents

As mentioned previously, Roman took over the family business by force. Eventually, his hatred for his parents grew so much that he couldn’t take it anymore. So, to get rid of them, Roman started a fire and trapped his parents inside. Afterward, Roman inherited the company and went about his business as though very little had actually happened.

Despite the fact that his parents weren’t the best people, Roman’s lack of remorse was some of the first steps in his journey to becoming one of Gotham’s biggest crime bosses.

7 Founded the False Face Society

While Black Mask himself is a relatively obscure villain, the False Face Society is even more obscure. However, this band of small-time criminals has still caused a fair amount of troubles for Batman and the GCPD over the years.

For the most part, the False Face Society was just like any other gang of henchmen. However, some of them would eventually begin to cause trouble for Black Mask, making them a bit more distinct. In order to save himself, Black Mask actually offered intel on specific members of the society in order for the police to look the other way. While definitely not the best leader, the Society is still a key part of Black Mask’s backstory.

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6 His Mask is Melted to His Face

Black Mask

One thing that many people don’t realize about Black Mask is that the iconic skull that he wears is actually permanently fused to his face. After setting a fire at one of Bruce Wayne’s events, Black Mask is interrupted by Batman and Robin.

In trying to flee, Roman stumbles into the fire he set. As a result, the mask melted itself into the rest of Roman’s skull, permanently bonding the two. Though the mask hasn’t hindered Roman in any way, it definitely helps with his iconic look and namesake.

5 Enjoys Torturing Others

Part of what earned Black Mask his reputation was his incredible, almost obsessive, interest in torture. According to Black Mask, he typically views it as an art form and believes that there is something to appreciate in causing someone else pain. Granted, he came incredibly close to intensely torturing Batman himself, putting the Dark Knight through some intense mental strain.

In the physical sense though, Black Mask was actually able to capture Stephanie Brown—spoiler. Though Stephanie was eventually able to escape, Black Mask still put her through some intense torture, only furthering his reputation while also giving Batman another reason to take him down.

4 In Other Media

Black Mask’s biggest appearance outside of the comics has been in Batman: Arkham Origins. Though the character didn’t play as big a role as people initially thought he would, it still allowed the character to step into the spotlight for a minute. However, a version of his father appears on the Gotham TV show, and Roman has made some animated appearances as well.

Recently, actor Ewan McGregor has begun to bring the character to life on the big screen, debuting a live-action version of Black Mask in next year’s Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). At the moment, it is unclear how McGregor will spin the character for a wider audience, but fans alike are hopeful and ready to see what becomes of the character.

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3 Other Versions

Ewan McGregor as Roman Sionis, aka Black Mask, in Birds of Prey

Roman isn’t the only person to call himself the Black Mask. While Bruce Wayne was presumed dead and Dick Grayson was Batman, a new Black Mask began to cause trouble in Gotham. It is later revealed that the new Black Mask was none other than Dr. Jeremiah Arkham. For those unfamiliar, Jeremiah Arkham is the nephew of Amadeus Arkham, the founder of the infamous Arkham Asylum. After becoming too much like his patients and exposed to some chemicals, Jeremiah’s sanity snaps, allowing him to become the new Black Mask.

Furthermore, ever since DC’s Rebirth relaunch, it was revealed that Roman’s father also had a brief stint as a masked criminal in Gotham known as “The Mask.” While still very different from Roman’s version, it is still a part of the Black Mask mythos.

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2 His Time As Batman

During the War Games epic, Black Mask actually managed to pull off a rather convincing portrayal of Batman himself. In being a master manipulator, it makes sense that Roman would actually be a decent actor. However, he wasn’t able to fool everyone, as Joker immediately saw through him, shooting Roman shortly after.

However brief Roman’s time as Batman was, the fact that he actually managed to convince people that he was Batman is still a true testament to his skills.

1 Ran Gotham’s Largest Criminal Empire

One of the things that made Black Mask such a threat was the power he held over Gotham’s criminal underworld. Almost single-handedly, Roman was able to ascend to a position where he controlled nearly all crime in Gotham. Roman was so powerful that even Batman couldn’t make a move against him without making things worse.

Furthermore, Roman would hold this position until Jason Todd returned from the dead as Red Hood. Initially believed to be Batman at first, Jason swooped in and toppled everything Roman had built in a single night. Since then, Roman’s grip on Gotham hasn’t been nearly as big. However, it still shows just how capable he is, especially in the long run.

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