| NOTE: This page is only for Carmine Falcone's characterization in The Batman Saga, considering the original comic counterpart was not voted Pure Evil. Therefore, only the film version's info and crimes should be listed here. |
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This Article Contains Spoilers -
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot / character elements in a story, you may not wish to read beyond this warning: We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of said media should you continue. That is all. |
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"Mature Content Warning!" |
| “ | Look, your father was in trouble. This reporter had some dirt. Some very... personal stuff about your mother, her family history. You know, everybody’s got their dirty laundry, that's just how it is. But he didn't want none of it coming out, not right before the election. And your father tried to pay the guy off, but he wasn't going for it. So, he came to me. Well, I never seen him like that. He said, "Carmine, I want you to put the fear of God in this guy." And when fear isn't enough... Oof. Hmm. Your father wanted me to handle it, so I did. I handled it. I know. You thought your father was a Boy Scout. But you'd be surprised what even a good man like him is capable of in the right situation. | „ |
| ~ Carmine Falcone to Bruce Wayne about his father's past acts. |
| “ | You think you're gonna scare me with that mask and that cape? I'm gonna start crying, and all of a sudden, some big secret's comin' out? Let me tell you something. Whatever I know, whatever I've done, it's all going with me to my grave. | „ |
| ~ Falcone taunting Batman. |
| “ | You don't think this hurts me? My own flesh and blood? You made me to do this... just like your mother... | „ |
| ~ Falcone while attempting to strangle Selina to death. |
| “ | Oh, so you’re a big man now Oz, huh? Really Oz? Cause to me, you were always just a gimp in an empty suit. | „ |
| ~ Carmine’s last words before being shot. |
Carmine Falcone is the overarching antagonist of the 2022 film The Batman and one of the two overarching antagonists (alongside The Riddler) of its 2024 spin-off miniseries The Penguin.
He is the most powerful crime lord and kingpin in Gotham City, with near-total control of its criminal underworld, as well as having most of its police and elected officials on his payroll. By the time of Batman's second year as the vigilante of Gotham City, a mysterious serial killer known as the Riddler starts targeting several of Falcone's associates to bring his reign to an end. Additionally, Falcone also operated as a serial killer known as the Hangman, personally strangling numerous women to death while ultimately framing his daughter, Sofia, for the serial murders.
He was portrayed by John Turturro in The Batman. In flashbacks in The Penguin, he is portrayed by Mark Strong who also played Lord Henry Blackwood in Sherlock Holmes, Sir Godfrey in Robin Hood, and Matai Shang in John Carter.
What Makes Him Pure Evil?[]
In General[]
- For 20 years, he ruled as the de facto ruler of Gotham with a tyrannical iron fist. He and his criminal empire would engage in acts and practices such as drug-dealing, political corruption, gambling, prostitution, embezzlement, and arranging for people's murders. His notorious acts include engaging in hijacking the Gotham Renewal Fund with the collaboration of other crime lords and corrupt officials in Gotham, as well as serving as a police informant that led to Salvatore Maroni's imprisonment alongside Falcone consolidating his control of the Gotham City Police Department.
- He would periodically engage in sadistically strangling women to death as the Hangman, while also possibly engaging in acts of rape in the process.
- It is heavily implied that he takes sick pleasure in personally choking women to death, given that he has done this to multiple women and attempted to do the same thing with his daughter, which is something that possibly turns him on sexually, showing how disturbing he is.
- Despite having to compete with the Riddler, who flooded Gotham City in an attempt to kill thousands of people, Falcone stands out due to having far more personal cruelty, such as being responsible for Gotham's corruption, having his own daughter be tortured in Arkham for ten years, and feeding his henchmen to crocodiles.
Background[]
- He forced his underboss Johnny Viti to introduce him to his cousin, Isabella, because he was smitten by her looks, which suggested that he lusted after her. After marrying her, he was apparently abusive towards her and forced her to have his children, Alberto and Sofia, which made her suffer from trauma and depression.
- It is implied that he was abusive towards his children, especially Sofia. Considering that she would violently scratch her neck in her sleep, this carries the implication that he would strangle her. He also saw his son, Alberto, as a disappointment because of his drinking and drug habit (which is implied to be caused by him) and was never going to grant him control of the Family. After his wife left him once before, he most likely threatened Alberto and Sofia if she did not return.
- After finding out his wife was going to take the kids and leave him, he strangled her to death and covered it up by making it appear she hanged herself, which gave Sofia nightmares after she discovered her corpse.
- He had a mobster of his named Pinchy Rovegno killed for talking to the FBI.
- When a journalist named Edward Elliot had damaging information about Martha Wayne that would ruin her husband Thomas' mayoral campaign, Falcone had him killed, much to Thomas' horror. This was likely done in order for Falcone to possess leverage to use against Thomas Wayne.
- Although Thomas had asked Falcone to scare the reporter off to protect Martha, Thomas never intended for Falcone to murder the journalist, expressing regret and horror upon discovering this act.
- After Thomas told Falcone that he was going to turn himself in and confess what he had done to the police, it is presumed he orchestrated the shooting of Thomas and Martha about a week later to keep what he did a secret. This act would scar their son, Bruce, for life.
- He, Salvatore Maroni, and the other corrupt officials took advantage of the fallout of Thomas and Martha's deaths to usurp their legacy and embezzle money from their Renewal fund, stealing millions of dollars for their own benefit. This would place dozens of orphaned children, including Edward Nashton, out on the streets, which ended up causing several of them to die while rendering them homeless. These horrifying events led to Nashton becoming the Riddler, making Falcone indirectly responsible for the Riddler's destructive campaign as well as the emergence of Batman.
- He likely entered a forced relationship with a woman named Maria Kyle, who eventually gave birth to an illegitimate daughter named Selina Kyle, who later became known as Catwoman.
- At some point, Maria overheard something damaging about Falcone, which resulted in Falcone personally strangling her to death and leaving their daughter behind to be orphaned.
- He murdered six women who worked as escorts or waitresses at the Iceberg Lounge and 44 Below by strangling and hanging them.
- He strangled and hanged a reporter named Summer Gleeson for investigating the Hangman murders and for speaking to Sofia about them.
- He framed Sofia for Gleeson's murder and the other six women he murdered simply for speaking to Gleeson and for questioning him about her mother’s death. He then had her committed to Arkham State Hospital for a decade, where she was tortured, abused, and traumatized by the patients and the head doctor (who was on his payroll).
- This action led to Sofia seeking revenge on her family because he forced them to frame her and neglect her, which led to the death of his family, with the exception of Sofia and Gia Viti. It also led to Sofia disbanding the Falcone Crime Family and reorganizing it as the Gigante Crime Family, even giving his former associates the money that he kept for himself simply so that they would join her. This showed how selfish and despised Falcone really was, to the point that even his own daughter and employees would turn on him to spite him and his legacy.
- He forced his family members to lie to the police by making false statements about how Sofia was mentally unstable from an early age, including Carla Viti (who had a good relationship with her in the past before becoming strained in the future), although Carla herself and the other members of the family displayed no remorse for what they did.
- He ratted out Maroni in a drug bust, which resulted in him being imprisoned, and allowed Falcone to be the sole ruler of Gotham.
- After Maroni was imprisoned, he stole his ring and wore it as his own to taunt him.
The Batman[]
- He fondly caressed over Selina, which she hated, causing her to leave when she was unable to tolerate it anymore.
- According to Gil Colson, if Falcone were ever revealed as the rat, he would kill the entire family of whoever revealed him. This indirectly causes Colson's death, as he chose to be killed by Riddler to keep his family safe after Riddler interrogated him for information.
- He strangled Catwoman's girlfriend, a sex worker named Annika, to death in order to cover up her knowledge of the deal.
- After Bruce confronted Falcone about the journalist's murder upon hearing of it, Falcone claimed the journalist was hired by Maroni to dig up dirt on the Waynes and that Thomas asked him to take care of it, so Falcone said he did and admitted to killing the journalist, and he hinted at the possibility that Maroni was the architect of the Wayne's deaths.
- Though Falcone and Maroni were rivals, whom Falcone had put in prison, he was merely reassuring Bruce in a way that gets him off without raising too many questions.
- After Selina attempted to kill Falcone in revenge for her mother and Annika, Falcone cowardly gained the upper hand on her and attempted to strangle her to death as well, gloating about how he did the same thing to her mother as well. He also engaged in indirectly blaming Selina and her mother for his violent acts while doing so.
- Despite bringing Oswald Cobb (also known as the Penguin) into the Falcone Crime Family, even promoting him with his own club, drug operation, and making him his right-hand, he never respected him and only saw "The Penguin as entertainment," according to Johnny Viti. Even in his last moments, he diminished Penguin for thinking he could be more while even insulting his disability.
- His fate of being assassinated by the Riddler while under arrest is played for pure satisfaction and karma, as Falcone was responsible for countless atrocities as well as the rampant corruption in Gotham and for his abuse on his children and the murder of women, including Selina Kyle's mother.
Trivia[]
- The Batman director/writer Matt Reeves cited that one of his inspirations for Carmine Falcone was Noah Cross, the main antagonist of Chinatown, who is also Pure Evil. His hobby of murdering women by strangling them to death and (possibly) raping them also is possibly inspired by notorious serial killer Ted Bundy.
- Falcone's role as both a mob boss and informant were based on gangster Whitey Bulger, an Irish-American criminal who informed on other criminals to the FBI in return for them turning a blind eye to his own. Similar to Falcone, Bulger strangled a young woman who he believed would inform authorities of his activities. Matt Reeves cited the documentary film Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger (which chronicles his trial and conviction) as one of the primary inspirations for Falcone's character.
- He is thus far the only version of Carmine Falcone to be considered Pure Evil.
- He was once Near Pure Evil as it was thought he was outheinoused by Riddler, before the flashbacks in The Penguin revealed the extent of his tyranny over Gotham City.
External Links[]
- Carmine Falcone on the Villains Wiki
- Carmine Falcone on the Batman Wiki
- Carmine Falcone on the The Batman Universe Wiki
- Carmine Falcone on the Hate Sink Wiki
- Carmine Falcone on the Ultimate Evil Wiki
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 Pure Evils
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