Killer Croc (rewrite)

I'm gonna be working on a Killer Croc rewrite since the one we have now is... pretty lackluster. It's not very well-researched and just kinda adds info people find in other places. Having gone through Croc's entire history throughout media several times, I believe I'm capable of rewriting it all plus expanding on this great character. He's not much of a villain currently in the main reality, but even these days you'll see him pop up as an antagonist in many DC stories.

Synopsis

Pre-Crisis[]

Making his true first appearance in Detective Comics (1937) #523 (February, 1983),

JLA/Avengers[]

Killer Croc briefly appears in the grand and canon crossover JLA/Avengers, specifically the third issue (December, 2003). He's part of Krona's army of criminals under orders to kill the heroes of Metropolis, being part of a small group composed of Shrapnel, Silver Swan, Mammoth, Bloodsport, Sonar, Silver Banshee and Poison Ivy. He's the first villain to go down, at the hands of Aquaman. Based on his appearance, he was possibly lifted from his reality during the Pre-Crisis era, but as we don't hear him talk it's impossible to know if he was the original Killer Croc or the less intelligent incarnations that followed.

Post-Crisis[]

These two are part of Post-Crisis, somewhere:

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Batman_80-Page_Giant_2010_Vol_1_1

https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Batman_80-Page_Giant_2010_Vol_2_1

New 52[]

Rebirth[]

Elseworlds[]

“

In Elseworlds, super-heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places - some that have existed, and others that can't, couldn't or shouldn't exist. The result is stories that make characters who are as familiar as yesterday seem as fresh as tomorrow.

„

DC vs. Marvel & Amalgam[]

“	Killer Croc: Oh, look! An audience to watch me tear you to bits! Wolverine: Good. They can applaud your final curtain.	„
	~ Killer Croc and Wolverine as they fight on the streets

Killer Croc first appears in DC vs. Marvel #2 (March, 1996), set in Crossover Earth (as designated in the Official Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Index) a.k.a. Earth-7642 (According to the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe) surfacing from the sewers while fighting Wolverine.

The fight leads to a Warner Bros. merchandise store where the battle's end is left off-screen. Wolverine does reappear later on while Killer Croc does not, which may imply Wolverine either won the fight and killed Killer Croc or that Croc simply escaped.

His story seemingly continued through trading cards, where he mutated due to gamma radiation and received a boost in power, being able to take on the likes of The Incredible Hulk and Abomination.

In the Amalgam Universe (an amalgamation, as its name would imply, of the Marvel and DC multiverses), Croc became one with the Wolverine villain Cyber, merging into CyberCroc. Though we never see him in person, we get to see in Dark Claw Adventures (June, 1997) a life-model-decoy robot that Dark Claw (an amalgamation of Batman and Wolverine) trains with, along with various other antagonists.

Batman: Dark Tomorrow[]

Dark Tomorrow KC — Killer Croc as he appears in the game.

This Killer Croc made his first and only appearance in the 2003 video game Batman: Dark Tomorrow and its 2002 prequel tie-in comic of the same name. He was voiced by Richardo Ferrone.

Batman: The Dark Prince Charming[]

Batman: White Knight[]

“	It was a big rock.	„
	~ Croc's first and only line in the series, referencing his line from Batman: The Animated Series (which was technically said by Batman in disguise).

KC White Knight (2) — Croc's debut, next to Baby Doll.

Killer Croc makes his first appearance in Issue #2 (January, 2018), in a bar meeting with other Gotham City criminals orchestrated by Jack Napier. They are all offered a sip of tequila by Jack who just wants to talk, but it turns out he has made them drink tequila with Clayface inside, Clayface being controlled by Mad Hatter's technology and being used as a conduit to boost the signal and control the others.

Even when mind-controlled, Croc appears to work alongside Baby Doll, and the two were seen together and holding hands at the bar. A statement by Harleen Quinzel later on also implies they're in a relationship, a reference to their temporary partnership in the The New Batman Adventures episode "Love is a Croc".

In Issue #3 (February, 2018), Jack sends Croc and the other criminals on a rampage across Gotham. Alongside Bane, Croc destroys a construction site meant to be Jack's new library for the poor people of Gotham, planned by Jack to frame Batman for the destruction caused by the vigilante not doing well enough. Croc and the other criminals are later discovered by Neo Joker who is working with Mad Hatter.

Neo Joker's bodyguards.

In Issue #4 (March, 2018), Neo Joker uses Croc to rampage across Gotham alongside the other criminals, busting into the Gotham City Police Department Headquarters and wrecking the place. They escape and Neo Joker uses Croc and Bane to indimate Jack into bringing back Joker after sneaking into his building, but she retaliates since she doesn't get anywhere with him.

In Issue #5 (April, 2018), after Neo Joker infiltrates and robs some plans from Wayne Manor, Croc is used yet again to battle the newly upgraded GCPD and the Gotham Terrorist Oppression Unit. He is seemingly captured but manages to escape off-screen, and helps Neo Joker build a massive cannon originally planned for WWII, made by Mr. Freeze's father, in Issue #6 (May, 2018).

KC White Knight (19) — Croc and the others, recaptured.

In Issue #7 (June, 2018) he is present alongside the other criminals when Jack comes to bargain with Neo Joker. In Issue #8 he battles the GTO and is shot unconscious as Neo Joker's headquarters are flooded, presumably dying alongside Baby Doll, but it's later revealed in the Batman: Curse of the White Knight series, in Issue #3 (November, 2019) that he survived and put back in Arkham Asylum, though they relocated him and the others since Arkham was permeated.

He and the other Arkhan inmates are later killed in Issue #5 (February, 2020) by Azrael. His cell says "Hagen", which may be referring to Matt Hagen (Clayface) or it implies that this Killer Croc isn't Waylon Jones as his mainstream counterparts. It's also possible he was put in Clayface's cell, or even more likely, it's a script mistake.

Joker: Killer Smile[]

KC-Guard — Croc emerges from the darkness, in front of a guard

Making brief appearances in Joker: Killer Smile Vol 1 #2 and #3 (February and April, 2020), Killer Croc is first shown in Dr. Ben Arnell's dream sequence, as the cook in a diner called "Arkham's".

Outside of this dream, we see Joker and Killer Croc having a conversation back in Arkham Asylum's yard, and Killer Croc takes part in the riot that breaks out after all the inmates are freed in the third issue.

Dark Multiverse[]

Within the Dark Multiverse, formed of every fear and bad decision ever made or dreamt, Killer Croc has made various appearances across its many realities.

In The Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight (May, 2019), he's one of the several criminals killed by the Grim Knight, a version of Batman who picked up Joe Chill's gun when his parents were murdered and chose to get rid of criminals through murder.

Possible Futures[]

DC One Million[]

It's the 853rd century, one million months after the dawn of superheroes, where either a descendant or a creature using or dubbed with the name of the original was imprisoned at some point in the asylum world of Pluto.

As seen in Catwoman (Vol. 2) #1000000 (November, 1998), all the cells containing the most terrible villains are simultaneously opened, and Croc is one of many that escapes. Despite behaving like a feral beast, he enters a shuttle Catwoman plans to use to escape the planet, leaving trails of slime everywhere. Once he reveals himself, Catwoman swiftly kills him.

Titans Tomorrow[]

A gravestone for Waylon Jones can be seen in Teen Titans (2003) #18, in the Arkham Asylum graveyard, buried along with many other Batman foes, all killed by a deranged Tim Drake who took on the mantle of Batman, something that his younger counterpart swore he would never become.

Batman Beyond: Hush Beyond[]

The entrance to Croc's cell after Hush's rampage

This incarnation of Killer Croc remains unseen in the two issues he's featured or rather, mentioned in, Batman Beyond Vol 3 #1 and #5 (August and December, 2010), but he's an inmate in Cadmus Labs and seemingly obedient to Amanda Waller, possibly working for her albeit as a wild card due to his more feral nature.

HushBeyondCroc2 — Croc's cell after reconstruction

In the story, a deranged clone of Dick Grayson taking on the mantle of the villain Hush goes on a rampage through Cadmus Labs. He kills and injures many people, but is unable to eliminate Croc. It is later proposed to release Croc in order to draw the clone out, but Amanda refuses as he would endanger civilian lives.

Batman in Bethlehem[]

In Damian: Son of Batman #1 (December, 2013), Killer Croc was among the numerous criminals claiming to have killed Batman and be subsequently killed by Robin. Damian Wayne finds him in a swamp and ends his life with a harpoon through the chest.

Based on his mutated appearance, one could argue it's supposed to be Killer Croc after being infected by Hush's virus, but since the comic was made during the New 52 era, it's likely just an artistic choice.

The New Order[]

In a reality where Batman died and Nightwing killed or captured most people 'cursed' with superpowers due to their potentially dangerous abilities, his son Jake Grayson is seen in Nightwing: The New Order (Vol 1) #6 (March, 2018) watching a holographic recreation of one of his father's encounters against Killer Croc, alongside Batman. It's unknown what happened to him in this reality.

Old Lady Harley[]

“

Oh, don't mind my wife... when they're on their ninth life, cats tend to get a bit cranky.

„

OLH-Croc&Catwoman — Waylon and his wife Selina

In this post-apocalyptic reality, decades into the future of the Prime Earth reality, Killer Croc is a retired villain originally stationed in Arkham, now home for criminally insane retirees. He becomes a main protagonist in the series from the get-go, making his debut in Old Lady Harley #2 (January, 2019).

His past is a mystery (likely similar to his Prime Earth self) but we do know that he married Harley Quinn (his "favorite ex" as he says) at some point and later married Catwoman. He also helped imprison Bane in Blüdhaven, though they're currently on friendlier terms. Though Croc uses a cane in his first few appearances, once he loses it he proves he's still strong enough to be a threat to anyone who messes with him or his friends. He currently lives in Poison Ivy's green paradise underneath Coast City.

Batman: Last Knight on Earth[]

KC-LastKnight — Croc alongside his fellow guards

In Batman: Last Knight on Earth Vol 1 #3 (February, 2020), we see Killer Croc marked with the Omega symbol, having become an underling of a villain going by the name "Omega" and the guardian of Wayne Tower alongside Mr. Freeze, Victor Zsasz, Clayface, Bane and Scarecrow.

Thanks to his heightened sense of smell, he detects the cloaked heroes and showcases an impressive healing factor and resistance to pain as he gets his arm cut off by Nightwing and fully heals it in seconds.

Adaptations[]

In other media, Killer Croc is present in a good portion of DC products, especially cartoons.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies[]

Tumblr p3h6qixiXe1urp9uco2 400 — Killer Croc's character model

Croc's sole appearance

In the 2009 animated movie, Killer Croc, much like several other supervillains, tried to collect the 1,000,000,000 dollar bounty on Superman. Though his entire body was designed, only his foot is seen, shortly after Bane is defeated by Batman, who most likely proceeded to beat him after he rushed him alongside other unseen villains.

Arrowverse[]

Though Killer Croc does not physically appear, his real name is mentioned in the episode "Who Are You?" (October 27, 2019) of the Batwoman (2019) TV Series.

Mortal Kombat 11[]

Killer Croc doesn't physically appear in the game, but through the Elseworlds Skin Pack released in January 28 of 2020, the character Baraka can sport a design based on the Batman villain.

Villains Wiki