Who is the most fearsome villain in the DC Universe? Forget the Joker, he’s nothing but a clown. Move over Lex Luthor, you can’t even grow a mullet. Step aside Darkseid, you might be a New God, but you haven’t harnessed the power of polka-dots!
That’s right, we’re talking about Polka-Dot Man. Are you rolling your eyes? Don’t act so smug dear reader, Polka-Dot Man has left Batman cowering in fear. Have you ever scared the Dark Knight? I didn’t think so. With Polka-Dot Man making his cinematic debut this weekend in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, let’s take a look at his dotted rap sheet.
Dick Grayson was Robin before he became Nightwing, Wally West was Kid Flash before he became Flash, and Abner Krill was Mr. Polka-Dot before he graduated into Polka-Dot Man. That’s right, like most of DC’s epic characters, Polka-Dot Man had to evolve. Mr. Polka-Dot first appeared in Detective Comics #300, which immediately tells you how important he is. This was the 300th issue of Detective Comics, the first title DC ever published!
If you’re a DC UNIVERSE INFINITE member, you could read the issue, and I’d recommend it because I suspect Abner Krill’s polka dot beginnings will surprise you. Let’s start with the cover, which depicts Batman and Robin fleeing in terror as Mr. Polka-Dot shoots his deadly dots at them. “Great Scott! One of the dots on that fantastic criminal’s costume has become a flying saucer! And that other one he ripped off has changed into a flaming sun,” the Dark Knight cries. That’s right, Mr. Polka-Dot can conjure miniature suns! Things are getting crazy, and this is just the cover. Imagine seeing this on the newsstand in 1962.
To learn more about Polka-Dot Man’s evolution into DC’s toughest villain (no joke!), head over to DC Comics!
Are you with us when we say that Polka-Dot Man is tough as nails? Let us know in the comments! 
