Best Villain's Lair

General goings on in the 1966 Batman World

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Yellow Oval
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Best Villain's Lair

Post by Yellow Oval »

Who had the best lair or hideout? I found Black Widow's was kind of sinister being under the house with the webs, the deep red lighting, and the phony old robot couple above on the porch.

But it wasn't the best. For me, that was Joker's hideout at the amusement park in his first appearance in 1966's 'The Joker Is Wild'. They had it down pat from the comics what with being in the aforementioned amusement park and in a place surrounded by colorful clown heads on the wall and all the circus-type props and such.

They came sort of close later with 1967's 'The Joker's Last laugh' with the Joker's printing company room having the playing cards and clown figures on the walls.
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Gernot
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Re: Best Villain's Lair

Post by Gernot »

I liked the Joker's hideout in the magic shop,too, and the Penguin's headquarters in the umbrella factory and fish store,too. :)
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Riddlersgurl
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Re: Best Villain's Lair

Post by Riddlersgurl »

I liked the Riddler's first lair, in that switching station underneath the subway. I wasn't too crazy about the tilted camera angles though.

I know it was to show that the villains were off kilter, but it bugged me that I couldn't get a dead straight view of the hideouts! :lol:

Even though it was twenty some odd years before it premiered, it made me think of the Tunnels underneath New York City that were featured in the Beauty and the Beast TV series.
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Riddler Fan
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Re: Best Villain's Lair

Post by Riddler Fan »

I'm kind of partial to Riddler's candle factory lair in "Ring of Wax/ Give 'em the Axe" it fit the story line perfectly.
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Pengy
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Re: Best Villain's Lair

Post by Pengy »

The Penguin's K.G. Bird umbrella factory.
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John Mack
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Re: Best Villain's Lair

Post by John Mack »

George Sander's Mr. Freeze lair that had the infrared machine to warm different sections for "normal" people. That episode has such a James Bond "Dr. No" feel to it to me.

John
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Mr. Deathtrap
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Re: Best Villain's Lair

Post by Mr. Deathtrap »

Citizens,

Batguitarist's observation about the Sanders Mr. Freeze story having a Bondian feel is excellent. In his initial story, Mr. Freeze was very well drawn and his hatred for Batman being personal gives him a wonderful edge.

I'd say the iceberg he hid in after drawing icebergs from the planet's poles to Gotham Harbor would qualify as the best hideout. It was so well hidden. Just try to find it without a homing seal.

The best secret hideout would be the Gotham State Prison, from which Ma Parker operated until Batman figured out she was doing so. From a secrecy standpoint, blowing Batman and Robin to bits after visiting there might have been a strategic blunder like using electric chairs to kill them would have been if the goal is to maintain secrecy. On the other hand, who cares?

Mr. Deathtrap

PS: of course, there was probably a tailor in residence who could have measured the Dynamic Duo for concrete capes before they were taken for a little boat ride.
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exm
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Re: Best Villain's Lair

Post by exm »

I'd give runner-up to Black Widow for having the best exterior to her lair, but it's hard to beat the camera shots of the Riddler's gang running around elaborate, underground plumbing systems in the pilot
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Robin's Girl
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Re: Best Villain's Lair

Post by Robin's Girl »

I don't know if it was necessarily the best villain's lair, but my favorite lair is any lair of Catwoman's. It seemed so cozy, and comfortable, with fluffy fur carpets, plushy pillows, and her comfy bed (even if we didn't see it-when she said she was going to take a catnap, I imagined the bed to be plushy and with lots of pillows). And her "throne" - the chair she always sat in before her henchmen, with the elaborate back, or would curl up or lounge over the arms of the chair. And I loved her cat phones, I wouldn't mind having a phone like hers. :)
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elmrgraham
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Re: Best Villain's Lair

Post by elmrgraham »

The Catwoman,s,The Black Widow,s, and The Siren,s.
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Mr. Deathtrap
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Re: Best Villain's Lair

Post by Mr. Deathtrap »

Citizens,

I've read that Black Widow's spider's den was envisioned as having numerous trap doors and secret passages though which her henchmen would have moved to gain the upper hand during Batfights planned there. Unfortunately, this idea could not be realized for budgetary reasons late in the series second season.

Had the idea been executed, the Black Widow's den beneath the house with the old couple on the porch to allay suspicion might have proven one of the best hideouts to appear on the show. Naturally, it featured sticky webs and their deadly, predatory occupants for those occasions when the defenses were breached.

Mr. Deathtrap
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Ricky
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Re: Best Villain's Lair

Post by Ricky »

I love Catwoman's catacombs in #19/20. The set design with her sort of "crib" then the dugeons looked like a pretty awesome lair, had a sort of fortress feel to it!

The Black Windows as mentioned in other posts has got to be the best! The two old folks at the front causing a diversion, the dark lair underneath (kind of like a batcave for the Black Widow)! Fantastic!
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Riddlersgurl
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Re: Best Villain's Lair

Post by Riddlersgurl »

To me, the Black Widow's lair came off as not only dirty, but gross; with all of those webs everywhere, as well as the spiders! (I HATE SPIDERS!!!!)

It makes me want to take a vacuum cleaner to the place, as well as a honking huge can of bug spray.

Catwoman's lair seemed to be pretty cool, but I remember feeling disappointed that there weren't more cats running around. But then, that would have meant hiring animal handlers, and they were operating on a tight budget as it was.
THERIDDLER
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Re: Best Villain's Lair

Post by THERIDDLER »

Joker's has to be the best villain's lair
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dell
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Re: Best Villain's Lair

Post by dell »

BatfanRicky wrote:I love Catwoman's catacombs in #19/20. The set design with her sort of "crib" then the dugeons looked like a pretty awesome lair, had a sort of fortress feel to it!

The Black Windows as mentioned in other posts has got to be the best! The two old folks at the front causing a diversion, the dark lair underneath (kind of like a batcave for the Black Widow)! Fantastic!
Catwoman's catacombs are one of my favorites, but the more I think about it the less sense it makes. I know I am overthinking it, but let me air my observations anyway.

In the scenes when she has Robin over the pit of tigers you can see lots of torture devices in the background; a rack, a guillotine and posts with manacles, etc. As far as we know, she never tortured anyone (aside from trying to kill Batman and Robin) so what was the point of all this stuff? It lends atmosphere, but why would any criminal go to the effort of buying or having this stuff made to never use it?
dell
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