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Amygdala (comics)
Encyclopedia
Amygdala is the alias of DC Comics
character
Aaron Helzinger, who is a sometime opponent of Batman
. He has reduced mental capacity, is prone to outbursts of violence and has super-strength due to medical experimentation on his brain, chiefly the removal of his amygdala
.
As demonstrated in Klüver-Bucy syndrome
, individuals with lesion
ed amygdalae in real life experience a wide range of emotions, including anger, but frequently in response to the wrong stimuli
.
refers to the bundle of nerve cells in the brain
that control emotional associations of many kinds. Helzinger's amygdala cluster was removed in an attempt to cure him of his homicidal rage. This procedure resulted in Amygdala becoming exceedingly angry and was the opposite of what the surgery was supposed to achieve. Easily led due to his childlike nature, Amygdala has been the pawn of a number of Batman villains, but when properly medicated, he can be peaceful.
Amygdala first appeared in Shadow of the Bat
#3 in 1992 during the story arc of the four-parter Batman: The Last Arkham
which began the new line of comics. In the issue, Amygdala was forced to attack Batman by the maddened Jeremiah Arkham
. Batman subdued Amygdala, but was then forced to face more inmates.
Amygdala later appeared in Part 2 of the year-long story arc Batman: Knightfall
, which also saw other characters introduced in Batman: The Last Arkham return to the comic book universe, most notably Zsasz
and Jeremiah Arkham. In Knightfall, Amygdala was freed from Arkham Asylum
by Bane
along with numerous other inmates and was soon under the control of the Ventriloquist
. Batman intercepted Ventriloquist, but was promptly attacked by Amygdala. As Ventriloquist escaped, Batman subdued Amygdala once more and the villain no longer took part in Knightfall.
He has been released into the community on numerous occasions, where he has been an ally and friend of Dick Grayson
(Nightwing
, the former Robin
). He lived in the hero's apartment building and worked as a warden in Lockhaven Prison. When Blockbuster was in the process of breaking Nightwing down both physically and emotionally, he blew up Grayson's apartment complex with Amygdala inside. Amygdala survived, but he was heavily traumatized by the death of his friends.
In the Infinite Crisis
storyline, Amygdala was among the villains that joined Alexander Luthor, Jr.
's Secret Society of Super Villains
. He also appeared in the 2008 mini-series Gotham Underground
, drinking in the Penguin
's Iceberg Lounge.
tale Batman: Crimson Mist- the third part of the trilogy that began with Batman & Dracula: Red Rain, which saw Batman become a vampire-, Amygdala makes a cameo during the vampire Batman's assault on Arkham Asylum, where he is killed and then beheaded by the vampire Batman.
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
Aaron Helzinger, who is a sometime opponent of Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
. He has reduced mental capacity, is prone to outbursts of violence and has super-strength due to medical experimentation on his brain, chiefly the removal of his amygdala
Amygdala
The ' are almond-shaped groups of nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain in complex vertebrates, including humans. Shown in research to perform a primary role in the processing and memory of emotional reactions, the amygdalae are considered part of the limbic system.-...
.
As demonstrated in Klüver-Bucy syndrome
Klüver-Bucy syndrome
Klüver-Bucy syndrome is a behavioral disorder that occurs when both the right and left medial temporal lobes of the brain malfunction. The amygdala has been a particularly implicated brain region in the pathogenesis of this syndrome. The syndrome is named for Heinrich Klüver and Paul...
, individuals with lesion
Lesion
A lesion is any abnormality in the tissue of an organism , usually caused by disease or trauma. Lesion is derived from the Latin word laesio which means injury.- Types :...
ed amygdalae in real life experience a wide range of emotions, including anger, but frequently in response to the wrong stimuli
Stimulation
Stimulation is the action of various agents on nerves, muscles, or a sensory end organ, by which activity is evoked; especially, the nervous impulse produced by various agents on nerves, or a sensory end organ, by which the part connected with the nerve is thrown into a state of activity.The word...
.
Fictional character biography
Anatomically, the amygdalaAmygdala
The ' are almond-shaped groups of nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain in complex vertebrates, including humans. Shown in research to perform a primary role in the processing and memory of emotional reactions, the amygdalae are considered part of the limbic system.-...
refers to the bundle of nerve cells in the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
that control emotional associations of many kinds. Helzinger's amygdala cluster was removed in an attempt to cure him of his homicidal rage. This procedure resulted in Amygdala becoming exceedingly angry and was the opposite of what the surgery was supposed to achieve. Easily led due to his childlike nature, Amygdala has been the pawn of a number of Batman villains, but when properly medicated, he can be peaceful.
Amygdala first appeared in Shadow of the Bat
Batman: Shadow of the Bat
Batman: Shadow of the Bat was a comic book series featuring Batman, published by DC Comics. The series ran for 96 issues, from 1992 to 2000. The stories took place in Batman's then-current continuity along with Detective Comics and Batman, in contrast to Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, which...
#3 in 1992 during the story arc of the four-parter Batman: The Last Arkham
Batman: The Last Arkham
"The Last Arkham" was a four-part Batman story arc that started the Shadow of the Bat comic book series in mid-1992. The storyline began in Shadow of the Bat #1 , and finished in Shadow of the Bat #4 . DC Comics later compiled the four issues into a trade paperback in 1996...
which began the new line of comics. In the issue, Amygdala was forced to attack Batman by the maddened Jeremiah Arkham
Jeremiah Arkham
Jeremiah Arkham is a fictional character in DC Comics' Batman comic books, in which he serves as the current head of Arkham Asylum, an institution for the criminally insane. He debuted in 1992 in Shadow of the Bat #1 during the four-part story arc, Batman: The Last Arkham, that kicked off the new...
. Batman subdued Amygdala, but was then forced to face more inmates.
Amygdala later appeared in Part 2 of the year-long story arc Batman: Knightfall
Batman: Knightfall
"Knightfall" is the title given to a major Batman story arc published by DC Comics that dominated Batman-related serial comic books in the spring and summer of 1993...
, which also saw other characters introduced in Batman: The Last Arkham return to the comic book universe, most notably Zsasz
Zsasz
Mr. Zsasz is a fictional villain who appears in books published by DC Comics, usually as an enemy of Batman. He is a serial killer who usually kills with a knife and carves a tally mark somewhere on himself for every victim.-Fictional character biography:...
and Jeremiah Arkham. In Knightfall, Amygdala was freed from Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
by Bane
Bane (comics)
Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
along with numerous other inmates and was soon under the control of the Ventriloquist
Ventriloquist (comics)
The Ventriloquist is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Batman in the . The Ventriloquist first appeared in Detective Comics #583 and was created by Alan Grant, John Wagner and Norm Breyfogle...
. Batman intercepted Ventriloquist, but was promptly attacked by Amygdala. As Ventriloquist escaped, Batman subdued Amygdala once more and the villain no longer took part in Knightfall.
He has been released into the community on numerous occasions, where he has been an ally and friend of Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
(Nightwing
Nightwing
Nightwing is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. It was conceived as a Kryptonian analogue to the character of Batman, with Nightwing's frequent partner Flamebird based on Robin...
, the former Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
). He lived in the hero's apartment building and worked as a warden in Lockhaven Prison. When Blockbuster was in the process of breaking Nightwing down both physically and emotionally, he blew up Grayson's apartment complex with Amygdala inside. Amygdala survived, but he was heavily traumatized by the death of his friends.
In the Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
storyline, Amygdala was among the villains that joined Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor Jr. is a DC Comics character who turned from a hero to a villain. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Alexander has a prominent role in the DC Universe storylines Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis....
's Secret Society of Super Villains
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
. He also appeared in the 2008 mini-series Gotham Underground
Gotham Underground
Gotham Underground is a nine-issue limited series from DC Comics, written by Frank Tieri, with art by Jim Califiore.The series looked at the repercussions of Countdown to Final Crisis and focuses on the Batman Family banding together to prevent a gang war to find out who will occupy the territory...
, drinking in the Penguin
Penguin (comics)
Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot III is a DC Comics supervillain and one of Batman's oldest, most persistent enemies. The Penguin was introduced by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, making his debut in Detective Comics #58 .The Penguin is a short, rotund man known for his love of birds and his...
's Iceberg Lounge.
Powers and abilities
Amygdala is a huge man with the strength and endurance of a championship bodybuilder. His emotional instability and explosive rage enhance this even further, making him prone to bouts of boundless violence unrestrained by the usual barriers and limits set in place by one's self-awareness.Other versions
In the ElseworldsElseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
tale Batman: Crimson Mist- the third part of the trilogy that began with Batman & Dracula: Red Rain, which saw Batman become a vampire-, Amygdala makes a cameo during the vampire Batman's assault on Arkham Asylum, where he is killed and then beheaded by the vampire Batman.
Television
- Amygdala appears in the Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
episode "The Cat and the Canary." He was seen at RouletteRoulette (DC Comics)Roulette is a supervillainess in the DC Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Roulette's grandmother was a Golden Age villain of the same name, who ran a conventional casino and fought Mister Terrific . The current Roulette believes Terry Sloane to be her grandfather, but it is indicated...
's Meta-Brawl.