Summary
The “Pale Driver” is a terrifying Gotham villain introduced in
Legends of the Dark Knight
#18 who struck fear in the hearts of Gotham’s other criminals, before being locked away in Arkham by Batman, never to return.
Despite initially working for Penguin, the Pale Driver quickly sought control of Gotham City, even targeting Penguin himself, before being taken down by the Caped Crusader.
This one-off character has the potential for a dramatic return, as he could be one of the most exciting horror-based Batman rogues haunting Gotham City.
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Batman has fought tons of terrifying enemies over the years, but one of his scariest enemies is someone no one remembers. The “Pale Driver” was a man hired by the Penguin to take out rival criminals, but he quickly became a force far too terrifying for anyone to control – which is exactly why DC needs to bring him back.
The Pale Driver was introduced in Legends of the Dark Knight #18, and quickly proved to be one of the scariest, most daunting criminals in Gotham. So terrifying, in fact, that even the man who hired him – mob boss the Penguin –lost control of his subordinate, and came to be threatened by the Pale Driver himself.
The Pale Driver started out taking out the criminals Penguin wanted, but then he quickly decided he wanted control of Gotham City. The Pale Driver started going after Penguin’s men and even tried to kill Penguin himself.
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Very little is known about the Pale Driver. He isn’t even given a name in
Legends of the Dark Knight
#18. The only things known about him are he works for hire, and he drives a seemingly supernatural van.
The “Pale Driver” Was A Villain’s Villain
Legends of the Dark Knight #18 by Rob Williams, Juan Jose Ryp, David Lopez, Santi Casas, and Saida Temofonte
Very little is known about the Pale Driver. He isn’t even given a name in Legends of the Dark Knight #18. The only things known about him are he works for hire, and he drives a seemingly supernatural van. This vehicle makes no noise, gliding silently down the streets of Gotham, and it obeys the Pale Driver’s commands, opening and closing the back doors whenever he needs. The other thing about this strange vehicle is the fact the back of it seems bottomless, as well as terrifying. Every person who sees it is instantly horrified, before being tossed in and never seen again.
The Penguin is one of the biggest mob bosses in Gotham City, and he’s managed to keep that position through remarkable cleverness and cruelty. Penguin has manipulated Batman to take down his rivals in the past, and failing that, he has no issue just hiring hitmen to take out rival gang members, but when he hired the pale driver in Legends of the Dark Knight #18, it quickly spiraled out of his control. One thing that made the pale driver interesting is that he wasn’t just another villain obsessed with beating Batman.
The Pale Driver Is Waiting In Arkham To Make A Dramatic Return
The Pale Driver was a one-off character, but one with the potential to be so much more than that. Having a horror-based villain who goes after Batman’s rogues would be an entirely new dynamic for Batman, and could lead to some very interesting stories.
In his brief appearance, the Pale Driver actually seemed to have no interest in Batman at all; instead, he focused on trying to kill the Penguin. The Pale Driver was a one-off character, but one with the potential to be so much more than that. Having a horror-based villain who goes after Batman’s rogues would be an entirely new dynamic for Batman, and could lead to some very interesting stories. Batman’s Batmobile could also be rivaled by the pale driver’s mysterious van, which is not something most villains challenge Batman with.
In Legends of the Dark Knight #18, Batman confronted the Pale Driver, and after nearly being tossed into the back of his van, managed to defeat the pale driver and lock him up in Arkham. Unfortunately, this is where the Pale Driver’s story ended, as no one has seen him since. Which is unfortunate, given that while Batman has many terrifying villains, the Pale Driver really presented something new to Batman. Not only could the Pale Driver potentially match the Batmobile with his supernatural van, but he also struck fear in the hearts of Batman’s villains, but for a very different reason.
Legends of the Dark Knight #18 is on sale now from DC Comics!