Everyone loves a cool bad guy. We usually cheer for the heroes but everyone once in a while it's fun to lower our inhibitions and actually root for the bad guy.
There are many big name villains that get loads of attention such as Joker, Venom, Darkseid, etc. Last month we started taking a look at some of the lesser villains with a focus on Spot.
This month we will continue by looking at another villain that won't get his own action figure anytime soon despite his ingenuity at creating a somewhat original theme. Let's spice things up a little and take a look at the Condiment King.
== TEASER ==
Condiment King actually first appeared in Batman: The Animated Series and was created buy Bruce Timm and Paul Dini. With creators like those, there has to be some potential in the character. His first appearance in comics occurred in BATGIRL: YEAR ONE written by Chuck Dixon and Scott Beatty.
We don't really know much about Condiment King's origin before he took on his costumed career. In the comics, Mitchell Mayo came up with the idea to take different types of condiments as his weapons. It may sound like an absurd idea but you have to admit it's not one that anyone else would think about.
Condiment King wasn't taken seriously. It turned out that during a stint at Arkham Asylum, Poison Ivy taught him a little about using different spices in his mixtures. This is when Robin (Tim Drake), Ted Kord and Black Canary realized how potentially dangerous he could be. No one would consider getting shot with condiments as hazardous but it was noted that Condiment King's guns could cause anaphylactic shock. Unfortunately this still wasn't enough for him to be taken seriously.
He was taken seriously by General Immortus as he was brought into his group of second-string villains and given a slight upgrade in his weaponry. His time with Immortus didn't last long as Human Flame and Condiment King had a brutal falling out. Let's just pretend that didn't happen since the "New 52" has reset some events and character histories.
The idea of shooting ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc might seem like a joke but the fact that most wouldn't take him seriously gives him a little edge. When he is seen by the heroes, they would most likely let their guard down. This could give him the opening needed to win the day. With the knowledge he gained from Poison Ivy and the fact that buying his supplies would be easy, he wouldn't have a problem replenishing his ammunition.
It's time for Condiment King to reclaim his throne as a true villain. But then, he never really had a throne to begin with. Let's give this saucy villain a chance to rise to the challenge of being a true villain. It's clear he would relish the chance to move up in the ranks of comic book villainy. Besides, how many times do we want to see the same old villains?