- "You came to this beautiful woman 'cause you had a problem. A Penguin problem. Pax Penguina was gonna last. But Sofia had an idea... What if there was a killer, real vicious son of a bitch, huntin' the police? All slice an' dice."
- —Lazlo Valentin reveals his identity to Jim Gordon[src]
Lazlo Valentin was a contract killer and assassin hailing from the southern United States that impersonates serial killers. He was hired by mob figure Sofia Falcone in a conspiracy to end Oswald Cobblepot's control over the Gotham City Police Department and in turn aiding in her rise through the criminal underworld. He donned the persona of Professor Pyg, a serial killer with a troubled past that targets corrupt police officers and wealthy civilians for revenge, sometimes dressing them in pig flesh. This served as a means to turn the police department against Cobblepot and support detective Jim Gordon's promotion to captain. Valentin was ultimately murdered by Falcone to avoid her conspiracy from being leaked to the public, with Gordon claiming that he was killed in a shootout.
During his presence in Gotham, Valentin appeared as the main antagonist of the first third of Season 4, before Sofia took over the role in the second third, in which Valentin then turns into the secondary antagonist of.
Biography
Background
South of the United States, Lazlo Valentin operated as a contract killer and serial killer, where he would mimic other serial killers and undergo different identities. In one of these instances he committed several murders down south, but managed to evade custody and changing his face with the use of surgery and metal plates under his skin.
Terrorizing Gotham
Ten years following the murders down south, Lazlo was hired by Sofia Falcone (the daughter of retired mob boss Carmine Falcone) in order to help in her scheme to take over the Gotham City criminal underworld and build back up her father's fallen criminal empire. Lazlo headed to Gotham, where he undertook the identity of Professor Pyg and used another serial killer's MO by targeting corrupt cops, murdering them and dressing in the severed heads of pigs. The Pyg's actions soon caught the attention of detecives Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullcok, who soon tracked him down to his lair, only to find a kidnapped officer with a grenade in his stomach. After the explosion, he took the detectives hostage and explained to Gordon that he had suffered greatly because of the greedy pigs in power. When Gordon broke free of his restraints, Pyg slit Bullocks throat and escaped.
Pyg taunting Harvey Bullock
Pyg later sent 44 pig heads to the GCPD, one for every cop, except Jim Gordon. In response to his officers getting murdered, crime boss the Penguin began a city-wide manhunt for the Pyg. When three officers went missing in the Narrows, the GCPD and Penguin's men located two of them, one alive, one dead, and a third missing. Gordon rode with the remaining officer, Fisole, in the ambulance, where they discussed the Pygs motives. Fisole told Gordon that the Pyg mentioned a place where there was "justice no more". Gordon deduces that he meant an abondoned courthouse and as he was about to leave, Fisole told him he's "one of the good ones".
As Bullock and Penguin prepared there men to storm the courthouse, Gordon received a phonecall from Pyg, who told him that he spells his name with a Y, because it's short for Pygmalion, and that he wants to create a better Gotham, and a better Gordon. He warned Jim not to enter the courthouse and that he's "one of the good ones". Jim realized that Fisole was infact the Pyg, and that he has been playing them from the start. Against Gordon's urges, Bullock and his men entered the courthouse and found what appeared to be the Pyg.
Pyg removes his makeup
Bullock shot the figure, who they discover is rhe missing officer. This sprung Pyg's trap, causing machine gun turrets to open fire on them. Gordon ran in and destroyed the turrets with a rocket launcher.
Later, Gordon received another call. Pyg, removing his disguise, told the detective that the next stage of his plan will be epic, and that Gordon was his muse.
Final Act
A few weeks later, Pyg disguised himself as a rabbi and murdered six homeless people by giving them poisoned donuts and then harvesting their organs. He then cooked them into pies and left two of the bodies in a tent outside of the GCPD to be devoured by pigs. Gordon and Vanessa Harper tracked the Pyg
Pyg takes Harper hostage
to an abondoned factory and found the remenents of his crimes. Pyg appeared and stabbed Harper, before taking her hostage and escaping in his van. At the crime scene, Gordon and Lucius Fox found a message, whice was an extract from Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal. It described the rich eating the poor, specificly the orphans. Gordon realized that the Pyg will target the fundraiser at Sofia Falcone's orphanage. At the orphanage, Pyg disguised himself as the chef. When Gordon arrived, he was locked in the kitchen with Harper by the Pyg and his men, but soon managed to escape. Meanwile, Pyg revealed himself to the guests and served his meal, preforming his 'Meat Pie Tango'. When Sofia interrupted his dance, Pyg stabbed her in the hand. Penguin resused to eat, before Pyg threatened Martin, at which point Penguin scoffed down his pie. When a guest refused, Penguin yanked the blade from Sofia's hand and stabbed him in the head. An injured Sofia struggled to eat when Pyg urged her, so Penguin attempted to aid her. At this momemt, Gordon burst in and took out the Pyg's
Pyg battles Gordon
men. Whilst the guests escaped, Gordon brawled Pyg on the dinner table. Managing to dodge several hits from various knifes and meat cleavers, but was almost bested by the Pyg, before pulling the blade from the dead guest's head and stabbing Pyg in the shoulder, taking him out.
Onlookers watched as the Pyg was escorted out by Gordon and taken into police custody.
Sent to Arkham
Lazlo Valentin listening to "Ave Maria" at Arkham.
Lazlo Valentin was then locked away at Arkham Asylum. During his stay, he was allowed to spend some time in the facility's recreation room along with fellow prisoners. There Valentin exchanged the vinyl record a gramophone was playing and instead started playing the vinyl disk "Ave Maria". Even though Pyg and several other inmates enjoyed the music, one of them spoke to Lazlo, telling him that he doesn't like that song since his mother used to beat him to it and it also played when he killed her. He afterwards ordered Professor Pyg to turn the music off and threated to kill him otherwise. However, Valentin stayed calm and slowly turned to the man, further provoking him by asking why his mother used to beat him, questioning if it was because he was a naughty boy or him stuttering. This caused the inmate to punch Lazlo in the face, causing the metal plates under his skin to dislocate and therefore disfiguring his jaw and cheek. Not impressed by this incident, Pyg declared that he really wished the other prisoner wouldn't have done that before shoving his metal jaw back into his original place. Lazlo then stated that he paid a fortune to look this good and afterwards turned back to the gramophone. Heavily outraged, the inmate run towards Professor Pyg who quickly broke one of the vinyl disks in half to ram one fragment into the man's chest before he could even reach Lazlo. Valentin then calmly flipped the other half and thereupon slit the fellow inmate's throat who collapsed dead on the ground. Pyg afterwards turned back to the gramophone, further enjoying "Ave Maria" while the guards are still trying to enter the room as the gate is held shut by another prisoner.[1]
Death
Lazlo shoots Sofia Falcone.
Shortly after, Carmine Falcone came back to Gotham to prevent a gang war between Cobblepot and Sofia. He met with Sofia and the Sirens at the Falcone Manor to inform his daughter that he came when Penguin called because she was going to lose the war and has brought disgrace to the Falcone name. To punish her father for not supporting her, Sofia ordered a hit on her own father carried out by Lazlo Valentin and her other henchmen. As Carmine was about to leave the Falcone Manor along with Sofia to take her back to Miami, a black van drove by and a shooter attacked the group, killing Don Falcone. To prevent Sofia from being suspected, Lazlo was hiding behind trees and bushes to shoot Sofia in none vital areas of her body to ensure her survival. Sofia Falcone then made use of this incident to establish Penguin as the one who ordered the hit and thereby convinced James Gordon to hunt, arrest and imprison him.[2]
Personality
The Pyg’s true personality is difficult to pin down since much of what people know of him is really different disguises, façades, and impersonations. However, what is clear is that Lazlo Valentin has somewhat of a fragile ego, which is shown when Jim Gordon tells him no one will remember his reign of terror on Gotham.
Abilities
- High-level intellect: Lazlo possesses a far above average intelligence. He would stage his murders to make them appear as if then had been committed by other killers.
- Master tactician: Lazlo is very skilled at making plans and therefore was capable of escaping Arkham Asylum. He was able to methodically create traps that would lead to his victims being captured or killed. He was also attacked a black market surgeon to trick the police into thinking he had his face altered following his escape from Arkham.
- Indomitable will/High tolerance for pain: Lazlo has shown to never give up on pushing through his goals even if he has to violate himself to accomplish them, as shown when he stabbed himself with a knife to outsmart the GCPD.
- Weapons Proficiency: Lazlo is proficient in the use of various knifes and butcher axes.
- Skilled knife-thrower: Valentin is skilled at throwing knives, such as when he threw a blade at James Gordon at the Falcone Mansion.
- Hand-to-hand combat: Lazlo is a skilled combatant, even able to take on ex-soldier James Gordon.
- Leadership: He was able to sign up two men as servants to assist him in his plan to feed human pies to the rich.
- Toxicologist: Lazlo has some knowledge of poisons as shown when he killed six homeless people by poisoning the food he gave to them.
- Impersonation/Acting: Lazlo is a very talented actor, even able to fool Jim Gordon with one of his disguises.
- Singing: Lazlo is talented at singing as shown when he fed human pies to Gotham's wealthy elite.
- Skilled Cook: Lazlo is good at cooking and was capable of making pies out of human flesh.
- Expert Marksman/Rifles; Lazlo was able to use a rifle and shoot Sofia without hitting any of her vital organs.
- Voice Alteration: Lazlo was able to change his voice to make himself sound like someone else. However, this skill requires mental focus as he could revert to using his regular voice if his emotions get to him.
Appearances
Season 4
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Trivia
- Executive producer Bryan Wynbrandt stated in an interview, "Professor Pyg is set to be the big villain of the first part of the season, and Jerome is going to be taking over the back half."[3] This makes Lazlo Valentin the sixth 'big villain' of the series, behind Fish Mooney (Season 1), Theo Galavan (Rise of the Villains), Hugo Strange (Wrath of the Villains), Jervis Tetch (Mad City), and The Court of Owls (Heroes Rise).
Notes
- In the DC comics, Lazlo Valentin, alias Professor Pyg, is an insane scientist who experimented on humans to turn them into genderless mind-controlled beings known as Dollotrons. In regard to the Dollotrons appearing on the show, Michael Cerveris stated that "You do have characters in Gotham where the way we know them in the comic book is much later in their lives. It's possible that the Dollotrons are a later part of his life. You know, that doesn't mean that they just decided to get rid of it."[4]
- Testaments to his insanity are him cooking pies out of human flesh, and in the video game Batman: Arkham Knight, he is said to be unhinged even by Gotham's standards.
- Before his apparent death on the show, Lazlo Valentin's M.O. was said that he impersonated serial killers, going as far as to change his voice and reconstruct his face for his personas. Whether or not Valentin was impersonating a real serial killer known as Professor Pyg, or if he invented the role himself is unclear.
References
- ↑ Lilien, Steven & Wynbrandt, Bryan (writer) & Milito, Louis Shaw (director) (November 23, 2017) "A Dark Knight: Things That Go Boom". Gotham. Season 4. Episode 10. FOX.
- ↑ Cannon, Danny (writer) & Stephens, John (director) (December 7, 2017) "A Dark Knight: Queen Takes Knight". Gotham. Season 4. Episode 11. FOX.
- ↑ http://comicbook.com/dc/amp/2017/10/06/gotham-villains-season-4-spoilers/
- ↑ http://comicbook.com/2017/10/31/gotham-professor-pyg-michael-cerveris-batman-comics/