Lock-Up (comics)
Encyclopedia
Lock-Up is a DC Comics
villain and an enemy of Batman
. He first appeared in one episode Batman: The Animated Series
and was incorporated into DC's mainstream continuity Robin
#24 (January 1996).
voiced by Bruce Weitz
. Lyle Bolton is a large, muscular man specializing in incarceration and high tech security systems.
When Arkham Asylum
was in dire need of a new Head of Security, Bruce Wayne felt Lyle Bolton, a security expert at Wayne Enterprises, was the perfect man for the job. What Bruce and the doctors at Arkham did not know was that Bolton pushed the boundaries of the law and used unnecessary means to keep his prisoners in line. Bolton proved so malicious that the Scarecrow
, the "Master of Fear" himself, managed an escape from Arkham not to resume his life of fear-based crimes, but merely to escape him out of pure fright. Bruce Wayne became suspicious about how Bolton was keeping the Arkham inmates in check so well, and about the complete terror Bolton had instilled in Scarecrow, so he set up a hearing with Mayor Hamilton Hill
, Commissioner Gordon
, and Dr. Bartholomew, chief of medicine at Arkham. After questioning the uneasy inmates of Arkham, including the Ventriloquist and Scarface
, Harley Quinn
and the Scarecrow, Bruce Wayne discovered that Bolton had been torturing
, threatening, and assault
ing the inmates, including holding Scarface (who in this episode resembles Bolton) over a can filled with termite
s. Following a blowup at the hearing, where he assaulted several Arkham orderlies and attempted to attack his accusers, Bolton was relieved of his post at Arkham.
After his release, Bolton called the city "an open wound" and became convinced that the press was supporting crime by glorifying criminals on television, assisted by a legal system seemingly set up and enforced by both the politicians and police to serve as a revolving door for criminals instead of bringing final justice to them. Bolton then created a costume and tools, started calling himself Lock-Up and began to arrest the people he deemed to be at the root of Gotham's problems. Summer Gleason was his first victim where Batman had his first encounter with Lock-Up. Batman tried to stop Lock-Up, but was repelled. When meeting up with Harvey Bullock, Batman learned from him that Commissioner Gordon and Dr. Bartholomew were also captured. They knew that his next victim is Mayor Hamilton Hill
where Harvey had every available police officer put Mayor Hill on heavy guard. Unfortunately, Lock-Up used a smokescreen to make off with Mayor Hill. Lock-Up held his victims hostage aboard USS Halsey F-84, a decommissioned battleship. The hostages were freed by Robin
while Batman defeated Lock-Up. Lock-Up was placed in a cell in Arkham, where he was mocked by the same inmates he once tormented (especially Scarecrow). Bolton wasn't too bothered by this though, because now he could keep an even closer eye on "his" prisoners stating that "they'll never slip past me again".
. He subsequently appeared in Detective Comics
#694 (Feb 96) in which he captured the minor villain Allergent. In both these stories he only made a brief appearance at the end, removing the villain before Batman and Robin could return to the scene.
His first full appearance was in Detective Comics #697-699 (June-Aug 1996), which began with him capturing Two-Face
,
and taking him to his private prison alongside Charaxes, Allergent and several gangsters. He is stopped by the police while targeting a criminal turned state evidence and is revealed to be Lyle Bolton, previously discharged from the police academy for being too gung-ho, and dismissed from several security jobs (unlike the animated version, he had not worked at Arkham). Lock-Up escapes, and captures minor street criminal Alvin Draper (actually Tim Drake's undercover identity).
When Nightwing
finds his hide out, Lock-Up decides to drown all his prisoners in an underwater death-trap. Batman intervenes and defeats Lock-Up, saving the villains, Nightwing and Robin.
Lock-Up later appeared during the No Man's Land storyline, having taken control of Blackgate Prison in the aftermath of the earthquake. He had enlisted KGBeast
and the Trigger Twins
to act as wardens for his prison, and rules with an iron fist; Batman only tolerates his presence because he requires Lock-Up to keep captured criminals in check to prevent Gotham being overrun, although Lock-Up is under strict orders to treat the prisoners well. Towards the end of the storyline, Batman
enlists Dick Grayson's help in overthrowing Lock-Up so Blackgate could be used for the lawful side once again.
Lock-Up makes a very brief appearance in Villains United
: Infinite Crisis
Special where it seems the Society
made use of Lock-Up's prison expertise to break metas and humans out of prisons all over the world, leading to the big fight in the final issue of Infinite Crisis.
More recently, Lock-Up has been affiliated with Ventriloquist
II alongside other Gotham criminals Killer Moth
and Firefly. During this association, Lock-Up was badly wounded by Metropolis
outfits Intergang
and the 100. Recovering, Lock-Up was sent to a prison world alongside other criminals in the Salvation Run
limited series
.
reality, Lock-Up appears as an inmate in the Doom prison. Lock-Up is killed by Eel O'Brian
.
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...
villain and an enemy 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 first appeared in one episode Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
and was incorporated into DC's mainstream continuity 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...
#24 (January 1996).
Batman: The Animated Series
Before appearing in the comics, Lock-Up appeared in his self-titled episode of Batman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
voiced by Bruce Weitz
Bruce Weitz
Bruce Peter Weitz is an American actor. He is perhaps best-known for his role as Sgt. Michael "Mick" Belker in the 1980s TV series Hill Street Blues for which he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1984.-Early life:Weitz was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, the son...
. Lyle Bolton is a large, muscular man specializing in incarceration and high tech security systems.
When 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...
was in dire need of a new Head of Security, Bruce Wayne felt Lyle Bolton, a security expert at Wayne Enterprises, was the perfect man for the job. What Bruce and the doctors at Arkham did not know was that Bolton pushed the boundaries of the law and used unnecessary means to keep his prisoners in line. Bolton proved so malicious that the Scarecrow
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
, the "Master of Fear" himself, managed an escape from Arkham not to resume his life of fear-based crimes, but merely to escape him out of pure fright. Bruce Wayne became suspicious about how Bolton was keeping the Arkham inmates in check so well, and about the complete terror Bolton had instilled in Scarecrow, so he set up a hearing with Mayor Hamilton Hill
Hamilton Hill (comics)
Hamilton Hill is a DC Comics character. He is the mayor of Gotham City and an adversary of Batman.-History:Hamilton Hill is a corrupt politician who ran against Arthur Reeves in the mayorial elections in Gotham City. Hamilton Hill defeats Arthur Reeves when Reeves’s "Batman identity" photos turn...
, Commissioner Gordon
James Gordon (comics)
James Worthington Gordon, Sr. is a fictional character, an ally of Batman that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
, and Dr. Bartholomew, chief of medicine at Arkham. After questioning the uneasy inmates of Arkham, including the Ventriloquist and Scarface
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...
, Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn was first introduced as a villain on September 11, 1992, in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, later adapted into DC Comics' Batman comic books. As suggested by her name , she is clad in the manner of a traditional harlequin jester...
and the Scarecrow, Bruce Wayne discovered that Bolton had been torturing
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
, threatening, and assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
ing the inmates, including holding Scarface (who in this episode resembles Bolton) over a can filled with termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
s. Following a blowup at the hearing, where he assaulted several Arkham orderlies and attempted to attack his accusers, Bolton was relieved of his post at Arkham.
After his release, Bolton called the city "an open wound" and became convinced that the press was supporting crime by glorifying criminals on television, assisted by a legal system seemingly set up and enforced by both the politicians and police to serve as a revolving door for criminals instead of bringing final justice to them. Bolton then created a costume and tools, started calling himself Lock-Up and began to arrest the people he deemed to be at the root of Gotham's problems. Summer Gleason was his first victim where Batman had his first encounter with Lock-Up. Batman tried to stop Lock-Up, but was repelled. When meeting up with Harvey Bullock, Batman learned from him that Commissioner Gordon and Dr. Bartholomew were also captured. They knew that his next victim is Mayor Hamilton Hill
Hamilton Hill (comics)
Hamilton Hill is a DC Comics character. He is the mayor of Gotham City and an adversary of Batman.-History:Hamilton Hill is a corrupt politician who ran against Arthur Reeves in the mayorial elections in Gotham City. Hamilton Hill defeats Arthur Reeves when Reeves’s "Batman identity" photos turn...
where Harvey had every available police officer put Mayor Hill on heavy guard. Unfortunately, Lock-Up used a smokescreen to make off with Mayor Hill. Lock-Up held his victims hostage aboard USS Halsey F-84, a decommissioned battleship. The hostages were freed by Robin
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....
while Batman defeated Lock-Up. Lock-Up was placed in a cell in Arkham, where he was mocked by the same inmates he once tormented (especially Scarecrow). Bolton wasn't too bothered by this though, because now he could keep an even closer eye on "his" prisoners stating that "they'll never slip past me again".
DC Comic history
Lock-Up's first comic appearance was in Robin #24 (Jan 1996) in which he captured CharaxesKiller Moth
Killer Moth is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Batman #63 published in 1951. Killer Moth originally wore a garish costume with striped purple and green spandex, orange cape and a moth-like mask....
. He subsequently appeared in Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
#694 (Feb 96) in which he captured the minor villain Allergent. In both these stories he only made a brief appearance at the end, removing the villain before Batman and Robin could return to the scene.
His first full appearance was in Detective Comics #697-699 (June-Aug 1996), which began with him capturing Two-Face
Two-Face
Two-Face is a fictional comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. and is an enemy of Batman. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #66 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger....
,
and taking him to his private prison alongside Charaxes, Allergent and several gangsters. He is stopped by the police while targeting a criminal turned state evidence and is revealed to be Lyle Bolton, previously discharged from the police academy for being too gung-ho, and dismissed from several security jobs (unlike the animated version, he had not worked at Arkham). Lock-Up escapes, and captures minor street criminal Alvin Draper (actually Tim Drake's undercover identity).
When Nightwing
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....
finds his hide out, Lock-Up decides to drown all his prisoners in an underwater death-trap. Batman intervenes and defeats Lock-Up, saving the villains, Nightwing and Robin.
Lock-Up later appeared during the No Man's Land storyline, having taken control of Blackgate Prison in the aftermath of the earthquake. He had enlisted KGBeast
KGBeast
KGBeast is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in DC Comics publications primarily as an opponent of Batman.- Back story :Anatoli Knyazev, code-named "The Beast", and known to the C.I.A. as the "KGBeast" was trained as an assassin by "The Hammer," a top secret cell of the KGB...
and the Trigger Twins
Trigger Twins
The Trigger Twins are the names of two sets of fictional Western themed comic book characters published by DC Comics.-Heroes:The Trigger Twins first appear in All-Star Western #58 , the first issue of that title under its new name , and was one of the features that replaced the previous stars, the...
to act as wardens for his prison, and rules with an iron fist; Batman only tolerates his presence because he requires Lock-Up to keep captured criminals in check to prevent Gotham being overrun, although Lock-Up is under strict orders to treat the prisoners well. Towards the end of the storyline, 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...
enlists Dick Grayson's help in overthrowing Lock-Up so Blackgate could be used for the lawful side once again.
Lock-Up makes a very brief appearance in Villains United
Villains United
Villains United is a six-issue comic book limited series, written by Gail Simone with art by Dale Eaglesham and Wade Von Grawbadger, published by DC Comics in 2005...
: 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...
Special where it seems the Society
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
made use of Lock-Up's prison expertise to break metas and humans out of prisons all over the world, leading to the big fight in the final issue of Infinite Crisis.
More recently, Lock-Up has been affiliated with 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...
II alongside other Gotham criminals Killer Moth
Killer Moth
Killer Moth is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Batman #63 published in 1951. Killer Moth originally wore a garish costume with striped purple and green spandex, orange cape and a moth-like mask....
and Firefly. During this association, Lock-Up was badly wounded by Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
outfits Intergang
Intergang
Intergang is a fictional organized crime group in Superman and other DC comics. Armed with technology supplied by the villainous New Gods of the planet Apokolips, it is a potent foe who can seriously challenge the most powerful superheroes...
and the 100. Recovering, Lock-Up was sent to a prison world alongside other criminals in the Salvation Run
Salvation Run
Salvation Run is a seven-issue 2007-2008 DC Comics limited series which was designed to tie in to the company's major event series Final Crisis in 2008.-Premise:The premise of the series, which is based on a pitch by George R. R...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
.
Flashpoint
In the FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
reality, Lock-Up appears as an inmate in the Doom prison. Lock-Up is killed by Eel O'Brian
Plastic Man
Plastic Man is a fictional comic-book superhero originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Cole, he first appeared in Police Comics #1 ....
.