Over the years, the dynamic duo of Bill Finger and Bob Kane created several iconic comic book characters. In addition to a long list of heroes, Finger and Kane were also credited with creating a vast collection of villains. While many of these villains have had a lasting legacy with DC, one villain in particular continues to rear his ugly head. Well half of it at least. Do you know who this is?
Harvey Apollo Dent, a/k/a Two-Face made his debut appearance in Detective Comics #66 in 1942. Growing up, Dent suffered much hardship at the hand of his abusive and mentally-ill father. Due to this abuse, Dent started developing repressed mental illnesses including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Despite these challenges, at 26, Dent’s hard work saw him become the youngest district attorney in Gotham City. He is elected to the position about six months before Bruce Wayne takes up his role as Batman. Dent forges a strong working relationship with Commissioner Gordon and Batman to rid Gotham of Sal Maroni and Carmine Falcone. Unfortunately, Falcone had help of his own and hired a corrupt attorney to provide Maroni with sulfuric acid. The acid is thrown in Dent’s face in Batman: The Long Halloween leaving part of his face disfigured.
When he was a child his father had a trademark coin that he used in a perverse nightly “game,” which always ended in a beating. This experience later left Dent unable to make choices on his own, relying on the coin – part of which was disfigured by the acid as well – to make all of his decisions. The combination of his partially scarred face and his reliance on the coin, Dent took up the name of Two-Face. While attempting to take revenge on Maroni, Two-Face is imprisoned in Gotham’s Arkham Asylum. Throughout his criminal career, Dent uses his special coin to decide whether or not to do something or kill someone. On several occasions, a flip of the coin seemingly determined the fate of Batman. Across his long history, Two-Face has been affiliated with the Injustice League, the Injustice Gang, the Underground Society, and even the Joker from time to time. Though not always on the best terms.
Two-Face has made several appearances in various comic books, feature films, animated television series, and video games. Richard Moll, Troy Baker, Billy Dee Williams, and Tommy Lee Jones have all portrayed Two-Face in various adaptations. More recently, Aaron Eckhart portrayed the character in The Dark Knight, while Nicholas D'Agosto plays Two-Face on the television series Gotham. The latest animated film starring the villain, Batman vs. Two-Face, features William Shatner as the voice of Two-Face. This film is scheduled for DVD release on October 10, 2017.
Clearly, DC fans haven’t seen the last of this ambiguous villain.
