Professor Pyg remains just on the cusp of villain-stardom. Since 2007 Pyg has appeared on the page as well as screens both big and small; cameoing in the Beware The Batman TV show and The Lego Batman Movie. Now in its 4th season, Gotham looks to add the fearsome Professor to their lengthy roster. Here are 7 Fast Facts needed to get acquainted with the tortuous tutor.
1. Professor Pyg was Created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert
Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Andy Kubert, the Professor quickly became one of the most disturbing Batman villains by way of his grotesque mask and mentality. The pig mask being an odd representation of his belief in idealized uniformity.
2. He Debuted in Batman #666
Professor Pyg’s first appearance is little more than a cameo in Morrison’s Batman 666. The entire issue takes place in a not-so-distant future, where Damian (Batman’s son) is now a trench-coated Batman. Pyg’s only screen-time in his debut is as a fresh corpse. Police discovered he had been crucified in a local church supposedly thanks to the newly minted Batman. While his beginning may have been his end Grant Morrison would still have plans for the Professor.
3. Pyg First Faced Off Against Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne
At the time of his creation, Pyg faced a very different Batman and Robin. After Bruce’s death in Final Crisis, Dick Grayson dons the cowl and Damian Wayne becomes his Robin. Thanks to Grant Morrison’s excellent writing their series was a mixture of fun and excitement. As one of the overarching villains Pyg made his mark by almost surgically altering the boy wonder. Luckily, Bruce returns and saves the day in what would be his first encounter with Pyg.
4.His Goal is to Transform People into His Own Idealized State
Pyg seeks to surgically replace everyone’s face with one of his own creation. This would remove remove any sense of individuality as it seeks to forward a more uniform society.
5.In a Former Life, the Professor was a Respected Surgeon.
How else could he so routinely remove and attach faces both new and old to his many victims? Though he has chosen the moniker of “Professor”, it appears as though he may also have been a Doctor.
6.He Invented a Drug that Would Induce Alzheimer’s.
To create the perfect, uniform being Pyg needed his subjects to be of like behavior. The first sign of his eventual madness lies in his premiere invention that would effectively dampen the mind removing any autonomy. He would perfect this practice later on by creating his surgically altered “dollotrons”.
7.Professor Pyg is Named for the Greek Myth and Play, Pygmalian.
A 5 act play by George Bernard Shaw, Pygmalian is a modern-day adaptation of the Greek myth of Pygmalian. It is said Pygmalian, a Greek sculptor of great fame, once loved a piece of his own so much it came to life. An incredibly unique and surprising way to justify the frightening work of the good…Professor.
He’s made his fair share of appearances elsewhere. Even warranting a cameo on the Batman: The Brave and the Bold TV show on Cartoon Network. Despite the increasing appearances he has never been quite as riveting as he was when facing a Dick Grayson Batman. As Gotham is looking to expand upon this insane instructor with multiple episodes, it seems he’ll be getting the attention he deserves.
While he may have piqued in the pages of the writer who created him, Pyg has an inescapably haunting face. One not easy to forget. Batman is forever destined to duel with his many foes. And Professor Pyg appears destined to be among them.