Mutants (DC Comics)

Last updated
Mutants
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance The Dark Knight Returns #1 (February 1986)
Created by Frank Miller
In-story information
Member(s)See Members

The Mutants is the name of a fictional street gang appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. While the Mutants were first seen in The Dark Knight Returns , there were other incarnations of the Mutants that appeared in later Batman comics.

Contents

Fictional team biography

The Dark Knight Returns

In the pages of The Dark Knight Returns , the Mutants are a youth gang that was formed sometime after Bruce Wayne retired as Batman. When the Mutants cause trouble in Gotham City at the time when crime is at an all-time high, Bruce Wayne becomes Batman again. Following his fight with Two-Face, Batman fights the Mutants. Although Batman defeats the Mutants with his advanced weaponry in the ensuing battle, the Mutant Leader ends up goading him into a fight. During their hand-to-hand brawl, Batman, despite being able to match the Leader in strength, is rusty and slightly slow due to a decade's lack of activity which results in him getting seriously injured. Carrie Kelley creates a diversion, allowing Batman to immobilize the Mutant Leader, and the two of them escape. The Gotham City Police Department arrive and arrest the Mutant Leader and those with him. While in police custody, the Mutant Leader is visited by the unnamed Mayor of Gotham City who wants to negotiate with him. This ends with the Mutant Leader killing the mayor by tearing out his throat causing Deputy Mayor Stevenson to be sworn in as the new Mayor of Gotham City. Assisting in Batman's plan, Gordon has the Mutant Leader released while Carrie spreads the word of a showdown between Batman and the Mutant Leader. The two engage in a fight at a sewage run-off pipe surrounded by members of the Mutant gang. Leveraging the mud from the sewage to slow him down, Batman deals the Leader a brutal defeat. Seeing Batman defeat their leader, the Mutants disband and some of them come together as a group called the "Sons of Batman", using excessive violence against criminals, while others splinter off into gangs such as the Nixons and Bruno's gang. [1]

Mainstream comics

The mainstream version of the Mutants were seen causing trouble until they fight Dick Grayson as Batman and Damian Wayne as Robin. [2]

In 2011, "The New 52" rebooted the DC Universe. The Mutants are seen taking place in a smuggling operation conducted by Leviathan. They were defeated by Batman Incorporated. [3]

When Booster Gold accidentally brought Jonah Hex to the present, he finds a family being endangered by the Mutants led by King-Boss-Champion Steaktube. He manages to shoot them until the police and Batwing arrive. [4] After getting out of Arkham Asylum using Amadeus Arkham's great-grandson Jeremiah Arkham as a hostage, they steal a car and come across a GCPD checkpoint where both groups are attacked by the Mutants. Jonah Hex takes some guns from the downed police officers and starts to fight the Mutants in a gunfight. [5]

Membership

The Dark Knight Returns members

Mainstream comics members

In other media

Television

Film

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References

  1. ↑ The Dark Knight Returns #1-2. DC Comics.
  2. ↑ Batman #700. DC Comics.
  3. ↑ Batman Incorporated #1. DC Comics.
  4. ↑ All-Star Western (vol. 3) #21. DC Comics.
  5. ↑ All-Star Western (vol. 3) #22. DC Comics.
  6. ↑ Robinson, Tasha (December 5, 2001). "Frank Miller interview". A.V. Club.
  7. ↑ Harper, Jordan (director); John Behring (writer) (March 14, 2016). "Wrath of the Villains: This Ball of Mud and Meanness". Gotham. Season 2. Episode 14. FOX.
  8. ↑ Bailey, Rob (director); Tze Chun (writer) (January 17, 2019). "Penguin, Our Hero". Gotham. Season 5. Episode 3. FOX.
  9. ↑ "Gotham Knights Gives a Major Dark Knight Returns Villain His Live-Action Debut". 30 March 2023.
  10. ↑ Connelly, Brendon (April 14, 2011). "Movie Version Of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns In The Works". Bleedingcool.com. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
  11. ↑ Allstetter, Rob (July 23, 2011). "Comic-Con 2011". comicscontinuum.com. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  12. ↑ Yehl, Joshua (February 15, 2017). "The LEGO Batman Movie Easter Eggs and References". IGN Africa.
  13. ↑ Vanacker, Rebecca (April 20, 2021). "Zack Snyder's Justice League Dark Knight Returns Easter Egg Confirmed". ScreenRant. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
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