Killer Croc (DC Animated Universe)

Note: This page is about the Animated Series version of the character, for the original version, see Killer Croc (comics).

"Terrific. Just what I need now, the freak job in the cape! (Batman: You're no prize yourself) What can I tell ya? Bein' a reptile man ain't pretty, but it has it's upside, like having the strength of a crocodile for instance! But I guess you learned that by now, huh? The hard way."

- Killer Croc's first appearance "Y'know, they used to call me Killer Croc, the meanest dude in the wrestling federation! Now they'll call him the guy who iced the Batman!"

- Killer Croc while attempting to drown Batman

Waylon Jones, better known as Killer Croc, is a recurring antagonist in the critically acclaimed cartoon series ''Batman: The Animated Series. ''

Killer Croc, much like almost every other villain and character in the series, is based on his comic counterpart and retains most of his origins. However, this version of the character went under many clear design changes and looks far less reptilian than in other depictions.

Much like in the comics, Waylon Jones was a child born with a rare skin disorder that caused him to look more and more reptilian as he grew up. As an adult, he became a circus sideshow performance and later used his reptilian strength and abilities to become a professional wrestler before finally deciding to turn to a life of crime, becoming one of Batman's deadliest enemies.

He is voiced by Aron Kincaid in The Animated Series and by Brooks Gardner in The New Adventures.

Vendetta
In his first appearance, Killer Croc attempts to take revenge on the three men responsible for him being sent to prison when he first started his life of crime; Spider Conway, Joey "the snail" Martin and Detective Harvey Bullock.

At the start of the episode, an unseen Croc begins the first phase of his revenge plot. While Spider Conway is being transported by a prison boat, nervous that someone will get to him before he's been transported, Croc swims underneath the boat and plants a bomb on it, causing all of the guards to jump out, giving Croc enough time to kidnap Conway. During the kidnapping, Croc accidentally leaves behind a flake of his own skin, which Batman later collects. Afterwards, Croc brings Conway back to his lair and later attacks him when he wakes up.

After crime boss Rupert Thorne is revealed to not be behind the kidnapping, Batman begins to suspect Harvey Bullock himself of organizing the kidnapping, as Conway had once provided testimony that made him suspect of taking bribes from Thorne, although the case was dropped. Croc then disguises himself as Bullock in order to frame him for the next phase of his revenge; the kidnapping of Joey "the snail" Martin. After knocking out the guard and stealing his keys, Croc enters Joey's cell and introduces himself as "your worst nightmare", before dragging him off. After this, Bullock is arrested.

While analyzing the scale found at the crime scene, Batman realizes that the scale's cell structure is human, yet it's texture is almost reptilian. After doing research on where crocodiles take their prey, Batman finds Joey and Conway in an underwater cavern and unties them, only for Croc to return. Killer Croc immediately attacks Batman and puts him in a headlock and then attempts to drown him, although Batman manages to break free of his grip. During their fight, Batman ties Croc's legs together with a rope and notices that Conway and Joey were escaping and captures them in his hands and swims off with them before Croc unties himself.

Batman later discovers a Miami news story about Killer Croc during his days as a sideshow attraction, professional wrestler and later as a small time criminal, and realizes that Croc's next target is going to be Harvey Bullock.

After Detective Bullock is released from prison, Croc breaks into his car and forces him to drive. Croc explains to Bullock that he escaped from prison through the sewer system and that he set up Bullock to be arrested so he knew what it was like to be imprisoned. When he attempts to grab Bullock, his hand is grabbed by Batman, who was secretly sitting in the back seat. After Bullock crashes into a streetlight, Croc attempts to escape into the sewer and is pursued by Batman. Croc lures Batman into a different part of the sewer and turns a valve that begins filling up the area with water. After being knocked into the water and reemerging, Croc attempts to drown Batman again, only for Batman to use his grappling hook to anchor Croc to a wall, which Croc ends up bringing down by accident, causing him to be buried in rubble. Batman manages to bring Croc out of the water and turns gives his unconscious body to Harvey Bullock.

All Most Got 'Im
"(Joker: Anyone else want a go?) ME! There I was, hold up in this quarry, when Batman came nosin' around. He was getting closer, closer! (Poison Ivy: And?) I THREW A ROCK AT HIM! (All:......) Poison Ivy: So Harvey, what became of the giant penny?) It was a big rock."

- Croc's infamous attempt to kill Batman In Almost Got 'Im, Croc is playing poker with the Joker, Two-Face and Penguin in a club. When the other villains begin to theorize on Batman's origins, Croc attempts to share his opinions, only to be shut down by Joker, who doesn't want to hear his robot theory again. When Poison Ivy arrives, Croc tries to kick her out, only to be easily beaten down by her instead.

After getting back up, Croc brings up that at least one of them should have been able to defeat Batman at some point, causing the villains to talk about the times in which they had nearly killed the Dark Knight. In Croc's story, he states that he nearly killed Batman in a quarry by throwing a big rock at him, although the other villains are unimpressed with his story and pretend he never said anything.

After Joker tells the villains about his most recent encounter with Batman, Croc asks him what he did with Catwoman after Harley Quinn knocked her out. Joker explains that he and Harley had kidnapped Catwoman and taken her to the Pussykins pet food factory, planning on turning her into cat food and sending some to Batman. However, Croc then grabs Joker and throws him at a near by table and it's revealed that Batman was disguised as Croc the entire episode in a complex sting operation to get Catwoman's location from Joker and that the entire club was filled with members of the GCPD.

Bane
In Bane, after the titular assassin is hired by Rupert Thorne to kill Batman, he informs Thorne that he plans to find Batman by locating Killer Croc, who has recently escaped Arkham Asylum.

Afterwards, Croc and his gang break into a warehouse using their truck and he instructs one half of his goons to steal the warehouse's contents while the other half cracks into the safe. However, after Batman and Robin arrive, Croc opts to simply just carry the safe out of the building instead of robbing it, only to be blinded by Batman and run away. Croc then briefly incapacitates the Dynamic Duo by throwing a series of lead pipes from a construction site at them and retreats into the sewer. However, Bane breaks through the sewer's walls and tells Croc that Batman is his to destroy, only for Croc to refuse to give up the right to kill Batman, resulting in Bane pumping the Venom serum into his body and beating Croc within an inch of his life.

Later, Batman interrogates the now bruised and beaten Croc in Arkham Asylum and learns from him that his attacker could make himself twice as big and had a South American accent.

Batman: The New Adventures
In Batman: The New Adventures, Killer Croc received a complete redesign (much like most other characters in the series) and now both looks far more reptilian and more like his comic counterpart.

Love is a Croc
In Love is a Croc, Baby Doll watches Croc in court for first degree murder on television. After being declared guilty by the judge, Croc tries to play a sympathy card with the judge by claiming people have always treated him badly because of the way he looks, which unknowingly gets Baby Doll to sympathize with him due to her also having been mistreated due to her body never having grown up due to her systemic hypoplasia. However, when the judge refuses sympathy, Croc breaks out of his straight jacket and goes on a rampage, defeating multiple bailiffs and breaking out of the courthouse before being taken down by Batman.

Baby Doll, now feeling sorry for Croc, visits him in his new fish tank-like cage in Arkham Asylum and gives him chicken to eat. Baby Doll explains to Croc that she respects him because he never lets his appearance undermine his self-confidence, however, Croc states that he is "going up the river tomorrow" and that his days are numbered, although Baby Doll assures him that "maybe fate will take a hand". The next day, Baby Doll sabotages Croc's prison transport and frees him.

After being freed, Croc and Baby Doll begin a somewhat romantic relationship and become known as Gotham's Bonnie and Clyde. Later, Croc and Baby Doll rob a Casino Cruise-ship together and are forced into an encounter with Batman and Batgirl. After incapacitating Batman and Batgirl, Croc refuses to leave without the money he stole from the ship, which later factors into Croc's anger, causing him to angrily storm out of his hideout. While he is out, Croc cheats on Baby Doll with other women, stating that he plans on ditching her after a few more jobs. Unknown to Croc, Baby Doll had been following him and saw everything he was doing, both enraging and deeply saddening her.

The following day, a vengeful Baby Doll and Croc break into Gotham's Nuclear Plant, with Croc believing Baby's intentions are to threaten to detonate the core unless they're paid ransom money, however, Croc is horrified to learn that her real intentions are to set off the core to kill him, herself and all of Gotham City. When Croc orders Baby Doll to stop the core's destruction, she tells him to do it since he likes working solo. After Batman and Batgirl arrive to stop them, Croc and Batman end up fighting each other. After their fight, Croc chases down Baby Doll and tries to kill her by dropping her into a turbine, only for Batman to save her. Croc is defeated when, against Batman's warnings, he tears open a pipe and gets blasted by scalding hot water. He is presumably taken back to Arkham.

Trial
In Trial, Croc steals multiple diamonds for Penguin in order to sell them to him, however, he is ultimately ripped off after Penguin gives him less money than the diamonds are worth.

Croc is later attacked by the violent new vigilante known as The Judge, and is knocked off a bridge, however, he is saved by Batman.

Trivia

 * In Bane, the moment in which Croc is brutally beaten by the titular villain in the sewers is based on the same moment in the comics
 * Likely due to censorship laws, this iteration of Killer Croc's origins does not mention his physically and mentally abusive aunt or his cannibalistic tendencies.