Black Mask

"No one goes up against the Black Mask and lives."

- The Black Mask

The Black Mask (real name: Roman Sionis) is a villain from the Batman series. He was the son of a very wealthy couple, that died in a fire. He got their money and their company, but went bankrupt. His company was saved by Bruce Wayne (Batman) and Sionis hates him for that. His mask is carved out of the Black coffin of his mother.

Personal History
Roman Sionis came from a rich familiy, his father was a very successful industrialist. His parents dragged him around to parties, and would force him to become friends with the children of other wealthy families in Gotham City, like the young Bruce Wayne. His parents hated other people like the Waynes though, but they put on almost social masks in public to seem like more charming people. Roman hated these "social masks". He would later inherit the prosperous Janus Cosmetics Corporation after his parent died in a very suspicious fire. Roman quickly drove the company into the ground, leaving the company open to a Wayne Industries buyout.

Roman Sionis was driven mad by losing his legacy, and he turned his hatred on Bruce Wayne. Donning a mask carved from his mother's black coffin, he began murdering Wayne employees. In the ensuing battle with Batman, Sionis's mask became permanently burned into his face as a living death mask. In the next years he would become one of Gotham City's most ruthless and sadistic crimelords, commanding the "False Facers", an army of masked henchmen. With each loss to Batman, his empire shrank and his sadism grew. Among his many crimes were the destruction of a community center on Gotham's East End, the painstaking murder of Catwoman's brother-in-law, and driving her sister Maggie insane.

War Games
Believed dead at Catwoman's hands, Black Mask survived, and when Gotham City's gang wars erupted - part of a "war game" created by Batman that went horibly wrong - they created a power vacuum in the underworld that he could exploit to build a criminal empire. He murdered Orpheus, a costumed gang leader secretly working with Batman to end the unrest in Gotham, and he took the tragic hero's identity and gained the trust of the teen hero Spoiler. This way he learned information vital to his cause before he betrayed and tortured her. Following Batman's plans, the fake Orpheus rallied all the factions, revealed his true identity and initiated a spree of carnage. Black Mask became the undisputed ruler of the entire Gotham City underworld.

The End
Deathstroke later approached Black Mask offering him a plice within The Society. Black Mask was eager to strenthen his increasingly tenuous grip on the underworld since Batman was targeting his operations. He accepted the offer and Captain Nazi and Count Vertigo were sent after Batman. However, these villains were defeated, and Batman ultimately prevented the Society from securing a foothold in Gotham.

In an attempt to "Improve Himself" after this debacle, Black Mask threatened the most important people in Catwoman's life, from Slam Bradley to Holly Robinson. Still thinking that Catwoman adhered to a strict no-kill rule, Black Mask was caught by surprise when Catwoman took revenge by shooting him in the head and blowing his jaw off. However, Black Mask survived. After the shooting, Seline Kyle passed the mantle of Catwoman to her friend Holly Robinson. Not long after, Holly was arrested for the killing of Black Mask.

Black Mask II
In the "Battle For The Cowl" storyline, a new Black Mask surfaces. He has drugged several of Arkham Asylum's inmate, including The Great White Shark, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, Victor Zsasz, Jane Doe and Scarecrow, with a substance that can kill when triggered. Black Mask is quickly acknowledged as the leader of the group when he blows up much of Arkham Asylum. He then prepares for his ascension by destroying Two-Face's and Penguin's reign and becoming Gotham City's crime lord again. Eventually, the new Black Mask is revealed to be Jeremiah Arkham, administrator of Arkham Asylum. After being defeated by Batman, he is imprisoned in the rebuilt Arkham Asylum.

Batman Arkham Origins
Black Mask a.k.a Roman Sionis, appears to be the main antagonist of Batman: Arkham Origins, after hiring eight assassins, including Bane, Deathstroke, Deadshot, Shiva, Killer Croc, Copperhead, Electrocutioner, and Firefly to hunt down and kill the Batman on Christmas Eve.

However it is revealed that it is actually Joker masquerading as Black Mask that ordered the hit, after forcing a tied up Sionis to kill his mistress, kidnapping him and stealing his money, by staging a violent raid on Sionis's bank. After Batman intercepts them at the bank, he discovers Joker's plan and watches as Joker detonates a bomb within the bank and makes off with with Sionis and his money. Joker then brings the captive Sionis to his own steel mill which the clown prince of crime promptly takes over, and has Sionis chained up deep within the mill.

Later after Batman tracks the Joker to the steel mill he comes across Sionis and frees him. Batman then begins to interrogate Sionis on the Joker's whereabouts, by breaking several of the fallen crime lord's ribs. Sionis however refuses to speak wanting the pleasure of murdering the Joker himself, just as the Dark Knight is about to malfuntion Sionis's pacemaker as an incentive, the assassin Copperhead attacks him. Sionis then makes his escape from the mill but not before offering the assassin anything she wanted in return for killing the Bat and making him suffer.

Much later after the Joker has been defeated and taken into custody, Black Mask takes back control of his empire and almost immeadiatly starts putting his highly toxic drugs back on the streets to be sold. Batman quickly puts a stop to Black Mask's resurgence to power, by destroying all of his drug stashes before confronting him personally and defeating him and all of his men in combat. Black Mask is then taken into custody by the Gotham city Police and incarcerated in Blackgate prison.

He is said to have taken complete control of the Gotham underworld.

Batman: Arkham Asylum
The Black Mask doesn't appear in the game Batman: Arkham Asylum. One of the Riddler's riddles revolves around him.

He has an entry in the Character Bios. His profile states:

Following the suspicious death of his multi-millionaire parents in a fire, Roman Sionis inherited their fortune and then went on to bankrupt their company. Saved by a buyout by Bruce Wayne, Sionis came to resent and hate Wayne. Fixated on the concept of masks, Sionis carved one from his father’s black coffin and sought revenge; his ensuing battle with the Dark Knight caused his mask to be burnt into his skin, remaking him as the Black Mask. Sionis is now a feared gang leader and one of the most powerful mob bosses in Gotham, with a burning hatred of the Batman.

Batman: Arkham City


Black Mask's only appearance in the main story is in the beginning, where he is seen holding several TYGER guards at bay with a chair. He is then restrained by the TYGER guards at the Arkham City entrance. This is one of the Easter eggs. He is also downloadable content, as a boss in the Robin challenges.

A wanted poster of him can also be seen on the part of the wall that he blasted. It is revealed that using stolen explosives he was able to excape Arkham City but was later recaptured.

He is voiced by Nolan North, who also did the voice of the Penguin in the game.

Facts
Real Name: Roman Sionis

Occupation: Professional Criminal

Base of Operations: Gotham City

Eyes: Brown

Hair: None

Height: 6 ft 1 in

Weight: 195 lb

First appearance: Batman #386 (August, 1985)

Attributes

 * Obsessed with masks
 * Harbors a hatred of Batman and Bruce Wayne
 * Face resembles a black skull
 * Feared and powerful mob boss
 * Skilled marksman, known for his double handguns