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I am the law! I am judge! Jury! And Executioner!
~ Barnes while killing Maxwell Symon.

Nathaniel Barnes, or the "Executioner", is a major character in Season 2 and a major antagonist in Season 3 of the TV series Gotham.

In the second season, he replaces Sarah Essen as the Gotham City Police Department's commanding officer after she was killed by Maniax leader Jerome Valeska. In Season 3, Nathaniel becomes infected with the blood of Alice Tetch which causes him to become insane and release his inner hatred on criminals of Gotham. Upon realizing how good it felt to punish criminals he decided to become a serial killer to rid Gotham of its evil.

He was portrayed by Michael Chiklis, who also portrayed Vic Mackey in The Shield, Dell Toledo in American Horror Story: Freak Show, Big Fat Paulie in Family Guy, and Melander in Parker.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Before Barnes becomes Captain of the GCPD, he was originally part of the marines. During a mission in the desert, Barnes and his colleagues captured three insurgents when caught in a sandstorm. Without visibility they were involved in a shootout, simultaneously, one of their prisoners, a child with his hands tied, tried to escape. Barnes immediately jumped on him, putting his gun in his mouth and shot without thinking. For years he was tormented by the memory until it made peace with him and he came to accept that it was just a man who acted unpredictably to the situation.

After hearing of Sarah Essen's unfortunate demise, Nathaniel took the stand to become the new commanding officer. Barnes' first order of business was to fire every cop with known corrupted histories. Barnes took a liking to Detective Jim Gordon's moral compass and recruited him to be part of a Strike force team, with police officers who've just graduated from the academy since they're minds haven't been corrupted by Gotham's corruption.

Conflict with Gordon[]

While both Barnes and Gordon had similar views in making Gotham safe again, Gordon's methods were questionable in Barnes' opinion. Barnes believed that criminals should be properly put away by the book, but Gordon believed that one could bend the law as criminals have now manipulated the system to their advantage and were legally untouchable. Barnes and Gordon's father-son relationship was greatly compromised when trying to stop Mayor Theo Galavan. Gordon realized how corrupt Galavan was after Oswald Cobblepot tried to kill him for killing his mother. Barnes admitted that although Galavan was guilty, it would be impossible to prove it as they had no solid leads.

The GCPD finally covered a solid lead when they found the previous mayor, Aubrey James, who claims that Galavan had kidnapped him to take his spot as mayor. Unfortunately, upon Galavan's prosecution, James recanted his statement and claimed it was Cobblepot that kidnapped him and told him to blame it on Galavan. Upon hearing Galavan's release, Gordon became infuriated and yelled that he would get the former, casing two police officers to escort Gordon out of the courtroom. When the two cops are found dead and Gordon is nowhere to be found, Barnes places a wanted list out on Gordon. Alfred Pennyworth and Lucius Fox arrive at the GCPD to report that Bruce Wayne is missing, and say that Galavan is the obvious suspect, as he wants to take over Wayne Enterprises. Despite knowing that Galavan is corrupt, however, Barnes refuses to try to prosecute him again without solid proof.

Fox returns to the GCPD to tell Barnes that Gordon is at Galavan's residence. Upon finding a handcuffed Galavan with Gordon holding a gun to Galavan's head, Barnes and officer Vargas step into the room and tell Gordon to put his gun down. As Jim lowers his gun, Cobblepot and his associates step into the room and knock both Vargas and Barnes out. Hours later, Galavan is found dead and Barnes is now left unclear about whether or not the person he treated like a son has killed a person in cold blood.

A month later, Barnes appears to give testimony to Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent about his actions on the night Galavan was killed. Gordon claims that he wasn't involved in Galavan's killing and Cobblepot probably murdered him, stating that after he knocked Barnes out he took Galavan and outran Gordon. Although doubtful of Gordon's testimony, Barnes decides to go against his better judgement and chooses to believe that Gordon is innocent. Barnes becomes more suspicious of Jim when an eyewitness steps forward claiming that he saw Gordon kill Galavan. After receiving a message from Officer Pinkney that Gordon may be a threat, he enters Pinkney's apartment with the first thing he sees is Pinkney's corpse being stood over by Gordon. Barnes finds a form revealing that Pinkney was the eyewitness and Gordon killed the former to stay out of jail and sends him to Blackgate Penitentiary. Gordon is later found innocent when it was proven that Pinkney's murder was a set up by Edward Nygma. Although free, Gordon decides not to return to the GCPD, disappointing Barnes.

Birth of the Executioner[]

Gordon brings in Alice Tetch, a woman whose blood will corrupt the mental stability of a human being to the GCPD. She is the sister of hypnotist Jervis Tetch, who has been abusing her since they were children. Barnes shows genuine concern for Gordon, who appears deeply troubled, and asks him what is going on. Gordon admits that Tetch put him under a hypnotic spell during a confrontation, and that ever since he has been having suicidal thoughts. Barnes decides to allow Gordon to speak with Alice and get information on her brother.

Before Gordon can find out what he needs to know, however, Tetch launches an assault on the precinct, with the help of luchador wrestlers The Terrible Tweeds, and kidnaps his sister. Gordon attempts to stop them, but Tetch uses the hypnotic spell to force Gordon to place a gun to his head, which forces Barnes to knock Gordon unconscious with his cane. Barnes has Gordon placed on suicide watch and gets him transferred to another facility, but Bullock helps him escape by bribing the driver so they can go after Tetch and rescue Alice. Despite Gordon managing to break the spell during their confrontation with Tetch at an abandoned amusement park, Alice is killed during a struggle with her brother. When Barnes investigates the crime scene, a drop of Alice's blood drips into his eye, infecting him.

After realizing that he has been infected with the Tetch virus, Barnes gathers information on what happens the virus' victims, but keeps his own infection a secret from everyone. Barnes goes to Lee Thompkins for more information on Alice's blood. Lee tells Barnes that during an experiment with three rats, tests resulted in the rats have increased strength and stamina, but the study ended after one of the rats went insane and chewed his way out of his own cage and killed the other two rats. Barnes questioned why one of the rats became corrupted when the others didn't and Lee explains that either the rats didn't have a chance to show symptoms or they were immune to the virus' effects since it's common for a person to live with a disease without any adverse effect. Later that day, Barnes exhibits enhanced strength and healing when he no longer needs his cane to walk anymore. As the virus inside grows, Barnes becomes more infuriated with the criminal scum of Gotham and comes to the point where he almost beats them to death while in interrogation. When Tetch holds everyone at the Founder's Dinner and attempts to make them drink Alice's tainted blood, the GCPD quickly come to the rescue. Barnes tackles Tetch to the ground and beats him. Upon seeing Barnes veins reshape, Tetch realizes that he is being affected by his sister's blood and laughs on how fun it will be when Barnes turns. Gordon arrives at the GCPD and meets Barnes. Gordon tells Barnes that he now wants to return to his job as a detective in order to keep a previous promise made. Barnes accepts Gordon's choice, saying that both he and the GCPD needs Gordon on their side.

While Barnes tries the best of his ability to conquer the urges driven by Alice's blood, he is driven to his boiling point when he sees a bloodied man driving away in his van. Barnes follows the man to an abandoned building and plans to arrest him until he sees the man pouring acid on a corpse. The man explains that he wasn't the killer and that his only job was to dispose of the bodies and tells him that his boss, Toad was the one who tasked him with disposing the body. Although Barnes would normally arrest him and let the law take it's course whether or not it would eat away at him, he refuses to let the man go free. As the man cries for Barnes to simply arrest him like a usual cop would, these pleas go unanswered as Barnes uses his enhanced strength to rip the man's head off. The next day Gordon and Bullock find the corpse of Paulie Pennies, the man whom Barnes had killed.

At Arkham, Barnes visits Tetch. Barnes wants to know how to get rid of the virus inside him. Tetch offers to reveal everything he knows about the virus, on the condition that Barnes tells him which aspect of his nature is affected by Alice's blood. Barnes tells Tetch that Alice's blood has brought out his rage against criminals. Tetch then gloats that there is no cure, and sneers, "You give in and let my sister win". When Barnes grabs him by the throat, Tetch tells him that, as the virus progresses, he will begin to hear "voices" whispering in his head. Tetch tells Barnes that eventually the voices will show him what the world really is and that every aspect of "Captain Barnes" will be wiped out to make room for Alice. Barnes refuses to believe this and swears that he will make things right.

In a report it says that the John Doe Pennies was trying to get rid of had his face cut off before the acid, Barnes decides to investigate in the John Doe's killing, starting with the lead on Toad in order to redeem himself for killing Pennies. Barnes finds Toad in a local bar and begins to interrogate him. When Toad becomes hostile, Barnes easily beats down Toad's henchman, he pushes Toad down on a pool table, threatening him with a broken beer bottle. Toad tells Barnes that his gang was only responsible for getting rid of the bodies and that the one doing the killing was a plastic surgeon named Dr. Symon, who cut people's faces off to give criminals a new identity. As Alice's blood thickens, Barnes tells Toad that he is guilty, but snaps back to sense when he remembers that he's trying to settle things the right way. Toad gives Barnes the location where Symon kills people and manages to save a woman from being cut by Symon. Before Barnes arrests Symon, he sees a disembodied face in Symon's lab. Barnes demands to know how many people Symon has killed, but the doctor invokes his right to an attorney. Just as Tetch described, Barnes begins to hear voices screaming "guilty" in his head and knocks Symon to the ground with his gunpoint at the doctor's head. Barnes manages to fight his inner demons and spares his life, arresting him by the book instead of killing him.

Now bringing justice to Symon's previous victims, he decides to bring justice for Paulie Pennies and plans to turn himself in. Before revealing himself as the killer, Barnes decides to go to Lee's engagement party, but upon celebrating, he finds Symon who managed to pay off the victim to stay quiet and is now a free man causing the voices to return. Barnes who is now sick of people like Symon using their connections to escape the legal system and follows the doctor to the bathroom. When Symon jokingly gives Barnes his card, Barnes beats him to a pulp. Barnes tells Symon that both he and the entire city are guilty, and decides to pass judgement. Symon begs for his life, protesting that, as a police officer, he has to follow the law; Barnes replies that he is "judge, jury, and executioner", before slamming Symon through a brick wall and falling to his death. Instead of turning himself in like he had originally planned, Barnes decides that more criminals must face his judgement, and begins his new life as the Executioner.

Court of Owls[]

After having been incarcerated at Arkham for quite some time, Barnes is about to be transferred. While two orderlies deliver him to a van, Barnes suddenly breaks the chains holding him and attacks the orderlies, killing one of them by breaking the man's neck with his bare hands. However, when he is about to flee he is suddenly attacked by a masked assailant. Although Barnes attempts to fight back, he eventually succumbs to the tranquilizer dart the attacker used.

When he regains consciousness, he is chained up again but not at Arkham; he has been delivered to the headquarter of the Court of Owls. Their apparent leader, Kathryn, welcomes Barnes and says that they share the same goal of "cleansing" Gotham City. Barnes tells her that, in that case, she could release him and Barnes would do so. However, Kathryn replies that her plan for cleansing Gotham is on a far greater scale and that in order for the plan to work, they need the virus inside of him. She tells that her scientist has been instructed not to drain Barnes completely and to Barnes' horror, the scientist is revealed to be Professor Hugo Strange.

When Kathryn learns that Gordon has betrayed them, she has Barnes brought before her once more. She orders Barnes to kill Gordon, and Barnes agrees. He eventually tracks Gordon and Bullock down to a Court warehouse where the two investigate the bomb. After a brief struggle, Barnes knocks both of them out. He takes Gordon with him, but leaves the unconscious Bullock behind.

Barnes delivers Gordon to Kathryn, who leaves Gordon at Barnes' mercy. Barnes subjects Gordon to a kangaroo court, naming himself judge, jury and executioner. He "rules" that Gordon is guilty and sentences him to death by beheading. Before he can bring down his blade, however, Gordon states that Barnes' new masters are nothing but murderers. He reveals that they plan to unleash the Tetch virus upon Gotham, which will infect both the innocent and the guilty. Barnes claims that the virus is not a weakness, and that the strength and clarity coming from it are a gift. He then prepares to kill Gordon, who stalls him by making a last request: He wants to wear his detective's badge one last time. Barnes agrees to the request and pins Gordon's badge on him, giving Gordon enough time to pull the pin of one of the grenades Barnes has attached to his armor. Although Barnes manages to hurl the grenade away from him in time, the explosion signals the nearby GCPD squad of Gordon's presence and they storm into the room. Barnes escapes by jumping out of the window.

Barnes later turns up at the precinct and sets off a gas canister which knocks out the officers. He gets into a fight with Gordon, Bullock and Alfred Pennyworth, who have Kathryn in custody at the department. During the battle Barnes gains the upper hand, but an angry Kathryn orders him to stop his "nonsense" and help her escape. Taking offense, Barnes decapitates Kathryn, which angers Alfred as she was his way of finding out where Bruce Wayne was being kept by the Court of Owls. Barnes fights Gordon, who manages to gain the upper hand by blowing off Barnes' blade wielding hand with a shotgun, and has him brought into custody. However, Barnes escapes before he can be locked back up in Arkham.

Victims[]

Kill count: 12

  • Unnamed prisoner - shot
  • Evan Pike - Shot dead by him and Jim Gordon
  • Two hitmen - shot
  • Paulie Pennies - decapitated
  • Maxwell Symon - thrown through wall and from large height
  • Three unnamed criminals - hung
  • Sugar - shot dead
  • Jim Gordon - attacked two times (survived)
  • One Arkham Guard - Neck broken
  • Kathryn Monroe - decapitated

Appearances[]

Appearances for Nathaniel Barnes
  • Rise of the Villains: Strike Force
  • Rise of the Villains: Scarification
  • Rise of the Villains: By Fire
  • Rise of the Villains: Mommy's Little Monster
  • Rise of the Villains: Tonight’s the Night
  • Rise of the Villains: A Bitter Pill to Swallow
  • Rise of the Villains: The Son of Gotham
  • Rise of the Villains: Worse Than A Crime
  • Wrath of the Villains: Mr. Freeze
  • Wrath of the Villains: A Dead Man Feels No Cold
  • Wrath of the Villains: Mad Grey Dawn
  • Wrath of the Villains: Into the Woods
  • Wrath of the Villains: Pinewood
  • Wrath of the Villains: Azrael
  • Wrath of the Villains: Unleashed

Season 3[]

  • Mad City: Better to Reign in Hell...
  • Mad City: Burn the Witch...
  • Mad City: Look Into My Eyes
  • Mad City: New Day Rising
  • Mad City: Anything for You
  • Mad City: Follow the White Rabbit
  • Mad City: Red Queen
  • Mad City: Blood Rush
  • Mad City: The Executioner
  • Mad City: Ghosts
  • Heroes Rise: Light The Wick
  • Heroes Rise: All Will Be Judged

Trivia[]

  • A very obscure Batman enemy named The Executioner, real name Willy Hooker, made his first and only appearance in Detective Comics #191, published January 1953. He was a vigilante who murdered wanted criminals in order to collect the reward money, which brought him into conflict with Batman and Robin. It is unclear if the producers of Gotham were inspired by this Executioner, and intended Barnes to be a revamped version of the character.
  • He shares similarities to other vigilantes from the Batman universe and media:
    • Barnes' "Executioner" persona shares similarities to "The Judge" from The New Batman Adventures, who was a third personality of the show's version of Harvey Dent. This includes Barnes hearing "guilty" over and over in his mind, and the end scene with Barnes in his cell and in a straight jacket and repeating guilty is similar to the ending of "The Judge" episode, in which Dent is also seen in a straightjacket repeating the words.
    • Barnes shares a physical resemblance to Quincy Sharp - a character appearing in the popular Batman: Arkham video game series. Both of them also wished to clean up Gotham City and appeared to work on the right side of the law, however soon turned to corruption and madness and began using methods of murder to try and accomplish their goals of "saving" the city.
    • His blade is similar to the signature weapon used by the Phantasm, the titular antagonist of the animated movie Batman: The Mask of the Phantasm. The Phantasm was also a vigilante who slayed criminals in Gotham to bring them to justice, although that characters motives were different from Barnes.
  • He is the third supporting protagonist and "good" character in Gotham to later develop into the antagonist and villain, with the first two being Barbara Kean and Edward Nygma. Coincidentally, they were all affiliated with James Gordon and initially acted as support to him before turning bad (although Barnes did start to have a somewhat frosty relationship with him later on).
  • Barnes is similar to an early Gotham antagonist Davis Lamond, AKA The Balloonman, who appeared back in the third episode of season 1. Both men were law abiding who soon lost all hope and began targeting criminals, mainly those who were repeatedly let off due to the corrupt nature of the law. Both of them also wanted Jim Gordon to join them on their quest to clean up the streets of Gotham, although he refused twice. However unlike David who did it of his own free will and showed no signs of mental illness, Barnes only went down the dark path due to being infected with Alice Tetch's tainted blood which drove him to madness.

Navigation[]

           Gotham-5428254c4abd4 Villains

Gotham City Police Department
Gillian Loeb | Nathaniel Barnes | Arnold Flass | Tom Dougherty | Edward Nygma

Falcone Crime Family
Carmine Falcone | Mario Calvi | Sofia Falcone | Fish Mooney | Butch Gilzean | Aubrey James | Oswald Cobblepot | Victor Zsasz | Arthur Penn

Trident Intercontinental Shipping
The Dollmaker | Patti and Doug | Thomas Schmidt | The Catcher

Maroni Crime Family
Salvatore Maroni | Frankie Carbone | Gabe | Oswald Cobblepot

Court of Owls
Ra's al Ghul | Shaman | Kathryn Monroe | Hugo Strange | Ethel Peabody | Talons

Penguin's Gang
Oswald Cobblepot | Edward Nygma | Butch Gilzean | Gabe | Arthur Penn | Victor Zsasz | Headhunter | Ivy Pepper | Victor Fries | Bridgit Pike | The Penguins

Wayne Enterprises
Sid Bunderslaw | Reginald Payne

Red Hood Gang
Butch Gilzean | Gus Floyd | Clyde Destro | Trope | Regan | Haskins

Order of St. Dumas
Father Creel | Theo Galavan | Tabitha Galavan

The Maniax
Theo Galavan | Barbara Kean | Jerome Valeska | Robert Greenwood | Aaron Helzinger | Arnold Dobkins

The Lady's Organization
The Lady | Matches Malone | Eduardo Flamingo | Billy Boy

Monsters
Theo Galavan/Azrael | Bridgit Pike | Victor Fries | Fish Mooney | Nancy | Sid | Subject 514A | Ridgeback Monster | Basil Karlo | Marv | Tweaker

The Mutants
Mutant Leader

Cult of Jerome
Jerome Valeska | Dwight Pollard

League of Shadows
Ra's al Ghul | Nyssa al Ghul | Shaman | Anubis & The Hunter | Eduardo Dorrance | Barbara Kean

Church of Jeremiah
Jeremiah Valeska | Ecco | Sykes

Legion of Horribles
Jerome Valeska | Oswald Cobblepot | Butch Gilzean | Jervis Tetch | Jonathan Crane | Victor Fries | Bridgit Pike

Raven Society
James Harwood | Bet Sykes | Peggy Sykes | Frances Gaunt | John Salt | Nelson Thursday | Arthur Pennyworth

Others
Mario Pepper | Davis Lamond | Richard Gladwell | Stan Potolsky | Electrocutioner | Aaron Danzig | Dorothy Duncan | Leslie Thompkins | Dr. Marks | Gerald Crane | The Ogre | Dick Lovecraft | Larissa Diaz | Grace van Dahl | Carlson Grey | Professor Pyg | Richard Sionis | Deever and Dumfree Tweed | Griffin Krank | Zaardon | Merton | Warden Reed | Jane Cartwright | Magpie

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