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DC Comics character From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ratcatcher (Otis Flannegan) is a character appearing in American comic books and other media published by DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of Batman. He belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up the Dark Knight's rogues gallery. Once an actual rat-catcher in Gotham City, Flannegan sank into a life of crime. Calling himself the Ratcatcher because of his special ability to communicate with and train rats, Flannegan has used his minions to plague Gotham on more than one occasion by unleashing hordes of the vermin.
| Ratcatcher | |
|---|---|
| |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Detective Comics #585 (April 1988) |
| Created by | Alan Grant (writer) John Wagner (writer) Norm Breyfogle (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Otis Flannegan |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Place of origin | Gotham City |
| Abilities |
|
A female version of the character named Cleo Cazo / Ratcatcher 2 appears in the DC Extended Universe film The Suicide Squad (2021), portrayed by Daniela Melchior. Taika Waititi portrays the first Ratcatcher, Cleo's father.
The Ratcatcher first appeared in Detective Comics #585 (April 1988) and was created by writers Alan Grant and John Wagner, and artist Norm Breyfogle.[1]
Otis Flannegan is a former rat-catcher in the Gotham City Sanitation Department who claims he could train rats to attack before he is arrested and sentenced to ten years in Gotham State Penitentiary after stabbing a man to death in a street fight. After being released, Flannegan kidnaps the officials responsible for his arrest and tortures them with his rats.[2]
After five years of captivity, one of Flannegan's prisoners escapes. Though he orders his rats to kill him, the latter reaches the surface, where Batman discovers his body, tracks down Flannegan, and easily defeats him upon dispersing his rats.[3] After being re-incarcerated, Flannegan escapes his parole hearing using a flute he carved to control rats via a high-pitched frequency, only to be foiled by Dick Grayson disguised as Batman and captured again.[4]
In Infinite Crisis, Flannegan is revealed to be an OMAC before being killed by a civilian.[5]
In The New 52 continuity reboot, Flannegan is resurrected and makes a minor appearance in Batman Eternal.[6]
The Ratcatcher possesses the ability to communicate and control an army of rats and in-depth knowledge of Gotham City's sewer system and Blackgate Penitentiary's layout. Additionally, he wields a gas gun and can manipulate various objects with cyanide gas.
An original, female incarnation of the Ratcatcher named Cleo Cazo / Ratcatcher 2 appears in The Suicide Squad, portrayed by Daniela Melchior.[12][13] This version is the daughter of an unnamed previous Ratcatcher (portrayed by Taika Waititi),[14] who was originally from Portugal and died from a heroin overdose. Following this, Cazo came to America and used her father's equipment to become a criminal, only to be arrested for armed bank robbery due to authorities considering rats as weapons and incarcerated in Belle Reve Penitentiary. Sometime later, Cazo and her pet rat Sebastian (vocal effects provided by Dee Bradley Baker) join the eponymous squad to infiltrate and destroy Jötenheim, a Corto Maltesean laboratory containing the alien Starro. Along the way, she forms bonds with her teammates Bloodsport, despite his fear of rats, and King Shark.
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