Ratcatcher Was First Introduced In DC Comics As A Batman Villain
Created by writer Alan Grant, his frequent collaborator John Wagner, and late illustrator Norm Breyfogle, Ratcatcher made his DC Comics debut in a two-part story featured in Detective Comics, released in April and May of 1988. It sees the sewer-dweller taking on the Batman, who is lured into the hunt for the criminal when he hears the screams of one of four men being held captive by him underneath the streets of Gotham City.
The Dark Knight himself just barely escapes capture by Ratcatcher and his furry minions when he becomes trapped in the sewer with only a torch and a bucket of gasoline at his disposal. Batman actually uses the equipment to vanquish the rats as they try to attack him, before successfully defeating Ratcatcher and bringing him and his two surviving prisoners back to the surface, where they are being expected by the GCPD. Speaking of which, while Batman was stuck in the sewers, Commissioner James Gordon was able to uncover the villain’s true identity.