DC Confirms Batman’s Most Ridiculous Villain Is Arrowverse Canon

Warning! SPOILERS for Batwoman season 3.

Season 3 of DC’s Batwomanhas revealed the existence of the Condiment King, confirming the villain’s place in the Arrowverse. While the ketchup-slinging character is almost universally seen as a joke, Batwoman may be developing Condiment King into someone to be taken seriously. Regardless of whether Condiment King will be used as comic relief or as a significant antagonist, his presence brings more flavor to the already rich Arrowverse.

Batwoman‘s third season follows Batwoman and the Bat Team as they hunt down the trove of villain weapons lost at the end of season two. The weapons proved more dangerous than could be expected: each weapon has found a new user, consequently bringing forth a new generation of supervillains to Batwoman. The Bat Team is forced to confront new versions of Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and Killer Croc, as well as Marguis Jet, Batwoman’s half-brother who has found a twisted affinity for reviving the Joker’s antics. Amidst growing strain within her own family and allies, it seems Batwoman has enough to deal with without the new villains the lost weapons have created.

In the season 3 episode “Meet Your Maker,” a comprehensive list of all the missing weapons is seen when Jada Jet enters detective Renee Montoya’s office. Listed alongside such items as the Mad Hatter’s hat and a sample of Clayface’s mud is the condiment gun of the infamous Condiment King. While the Condiment King hadn’t been explicitly mentioned previously in the current Arrowverse canon, the list found in Batwoman clearly ranks Condiment King as an equal concern to other Batman villains. Condiment King is again mentioned by name in the episode “We Having Fun Yet?” while the Bat Team considers how best to thwart Marquis’ grand attack on Gotham City. If Condiment King’s signature weapon is seen as being just as applicable to combatting supervillains as Scarecrow’s fear toxin, then it’s clear the mustard-manipulator is to be taken seriously in the Arrowverse.

The title of Condiment King has been held by multiple characters throughout DC comics and television shows, though the character was originally introduced in Batman: The Animated Series. True to his name, Condiment King uses a variety of sandwich toppings and spreads to terrorize Gotham City, typically firing ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise from his self-created condiment gun. Mostly dangerous due to his psychotic nature and occasional ability to cause allergic reactions in his victims, Condiment King has a surprisingly sympathetic origin that could elevate the stakes in the Arrowverse. As seen in Batman: The Animated Series, Condiment King was a stand-up comic who was brainwashed into a delusional villain by the Joker. With Marquis seemingly taking over the Joker’s legacy, it is possible that his actions could cause Condiment King to return in full.

Are the references made in Batwoman season 3 mere jokes or is there more Condiment King yet to come? Perhaps the typically comical villain’s canonical existence reflects DC’s recent strategy of bringing their most ridiculous characters true emotional depth, as seen with Polka Dot Man in Suicide Squad and the show Peacemaker. Regardless, one thing is for sure: more inclusion, or even an appearance, of Condiment King in Batwomanand the Arrowverse will be something DC audiences would relish.

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