The Hilariously Dumb Origin Of The DC Movies' New Villain

By:
The Hilariously Dumb Origin Of The DC Movies' New Villain

Last week, it was announced that the main villain of the forthcoming DCEU movie Birds Of Prey -- which stars the all-female superhero team of Black Canary, Huntress, Cassandra Cain, Renee Montoya, and Harley Quinn -- will be Black Mask. This is great news for comic fans, because it finally gives us a shot at seeing Black Mask's dumbass origin story play out on the big screen. Before Black Mask was Black Mask, see, he was Roman Sionis, heir apparent to a billion-dollar cosmetics company and victim of the world's clumsiest birthing doctor.

THE FIRST THING HE EVER SAW WAS A MASK.
DC Comics

AND THEN-- AH--!
DC Comics

This sets off a lifelong hatred of masks, or at least whatever he pretentiously thinks of as masks. When his parents smile around guests, he refers to them as wearing "masks." When he gets told to smile during his family's vacation and just can't, he describes himself as "being unable to force a mask." If the internet had existed at the time this comics was written, he'd have been drawn sitting at his computer listening to Papa Roach and unironically calling people "sheeple" because he's just so deep, you guys.

BUT HE PUT ON A MASK OF EAGERNESS. I'M CERTAIN I SHALL, MOTHER. WP
DC Comics

This fixation on masks eventually comes back to bite him when, in the midst of an emo-esque mood swing, he tries to befriend a raccoon ("also trapped in a lifelong mask") and gets savaged, which results in him taking a trip down to hallucination town.

WHAT THE HECK, MIGHT AS WELL PET THE LITTLE--
DC Comics

HE SHRIEKED FOR THE CHAUFFEUR UNTIL The NAME WAS UNRECOG- NIZABLE.
DC Comics

BUT THAT ADMCA ROLOWER OURD MEVER REFOASORTE 704SGED MIM STRAISHT DOwY O MELL.
DC Comics

Roman survives and grows up to inherit his father's cosmetics company -- and immediately tanks the operation by launching a range of makeup inspired by Cyndi Lauper and Boy George:

JANUS IS TAKING A BAD NEW APPACH, GENTLEMEN. 'Ve DECIDED TO GEAR OUR ENTIRE proecro TO BE IN THE FOREFRONT, LEADING THE WAY WITH A RADICAL NEW LINE..
DC Comics

In a desperate effort to turn the company around, he then launches a line of makeup that burns people's faces off.

YOU SEE, THE COMPOUND NO TIME FOR THAT. LITERALLY BONDS TO THE SKIN YET WASHES OFF WITH MILD BUr I 'm SOAP, AND THE BONDING AFRAID T AGENT NEEDS TESTI
DC Comics

.UNTIL... DAMMIT, I TE YOU IT THE NAW MAREUP XOU BOUCHT/ THE RASH... GETTING WORSE.. AND THE SKIN ON my FACE. IT's GOT PEELING ore.. TO BE
DC Comics

His "losing face" causes him to fall into a psychotic rage that ends with him fashioning a black mask from his father's casket and setting up a criminal organization headquartered inside the crypt, whereupon he starts dressing like a 1930s gangster for reasons that aren't adequately explained.

OBEYME.' GO TO THE AND THEN-- OTHER COFFIN- AND KNOW THAT THE MASK DESTROYS ONE IDENIITY WHILE CREATING ANOTHER: KNOW THAT THE MASK RECREATES THE WEAR
DC Comics

We don't know about everyone else, but sending five superheroes to whoop his ass might be overkill. Is there any way that DC could just borrow Squirrel Girl?

Adam Wears is on Twitter and Facebook, and has a newsletter about depressing history that you should definitely subscribe to.

Support your favorite Cracked writers with a visit to our Contribution Page.

For more, check out Germany Ends Decades Of Totally Weird Video Game Censorship and Here's The Creepy Backstory Behind 'Hey There Delilah'.

Follow us on Facebook, see?

Scroll down for the next article

MUST READ

Forgot Password?