#ComicBytes: Five DC villains who know Batman's identity
What's the story
The mask is not to protect the hero, but the ones he loves. Over the years in comics, several villains have discovered the identity of the man who wears the mask of the caped crusader. While this is reasonable, considering Batman tangles with some of the most brilliant minded criminals, it puts him at considerable risk. Here are five villains who know Batman's identity.
Bane
The man who broke the Bat
The venom-fueled mercenary, Bane might easily be the least intelligent villain on this list, but he is obsessed with the Batman, specifically with breaking him. While his deduction skills may be below average, Bane's study of body language is excellent. He sees Bruce Wayne moving at one of his parties and the similarity with Batman's movements immediately becomes clear to the dangerous villain.
Joe Chill
The man who made the Bat
Ironically the villain responsible for the creation of Batman also knows his identity. Joe Chill was the small-time crook who mugged and killed Bruce Wayne's parents, Thomas and Martha. Batman confronted Chill in 'Batman #47' where he revealed his identity while pressing Chill to confess to the murders. Notably, his strong moral code led him to spare even the life of his parents' killer.
Lex Luthor
The matching of genius intellects
Lex Luthor is one of the smartest villains in the DC Universe. Thus it is unsurprising that he would guess Batman's true identity. In the 'New 52' comics, Luthor picks up on Batman's devastation at the persecution faced by Dick Grayson. Having cracked the puzzle, he arrives at Wayne Manor and blackmails Batman to allow him to join the Justice League.
The Joker
The best minds of our generation destroyed by madness
The Joker is one of the most paradoxical villains on this list. Despite knowing Batman's identity on several occasions, he willingly chooses to ignore it, since the existence of Batman validates his own existence. Though he is uncaring about Bruce Wayne's existence, he taunts Bruce in 'Batman #663' saying 'Why be an orphaned boy when you can be a superhero?'
Hugo Strange
You always remember your first time
Although Dr. Hugo Strange has been replaced by smarter and more dangerous villains, his intelligence cannot be undermined. He was the first Batman villain to uncover Bruce's identity which lands him the top spot on our list. In 'Detective Comics #471' Strange manages to see Batman without his cowl and the deductive process is very simple to the evil scientist from thereon.