Tally Man
Encyclopedia
For the Batman villain who carves tally marks into his body to mark his murders, see Victor Zsasz.
The Tally Man is the name of two fictional character
s in the DC Universe
. Both characters are supervillain
s.
, and abuse
d horribly by the others in the boy's prison, who called him a "mama's boy." After his release, the boy returned home. When he discovered his sister had died of starvation and his mother had committed suicide
, his mind snapped.
Years later, a figure dressed in the strange dark robes of an old-fashioned tax collector emerges in Gotham City
, calling himself the Tally Man. Hired by the underworld to "collect" on debts owed, his fee is not money, but human lives, claiming to have killed sixty-six people since his original victim and priding himself on his 'rationality'. When Tally Man attempts to collect the "debt" owed by Batman
, he battles Azrael
, who is standing in for Batman while he recovers from a broken back
, mistaking him for the original. Azrael brutally beats and scars Tally Man, leaving him with an even greater hatred for the Dark Knight. Tally Man returns to claim his debt again, only to capture Nightwing
(who has taken Azrael's place as Batman), believing the former Boy Wonder
to be the man who had bested him previously. Although he attempts to torment 'Batman' at a game of Russian roulette
, threatening to shoot him with a gun with a single bullet in its six chambers while his foe is bound and trapped, this game buys Grayson enough time to escape his bonds by taunting the Tally Man, subsequently defeating his enemy.
Tally Man is seen aiding Two-Face
when Gotham City is declared a "No Man's Land" after an earthquake as an executor.
He is one of the villains fighting during the Battle of Metropolis in Infinite Crisis
.
#817 as a new character as part of the One Year Later
storyline. He is reimagined as a man of African
descent. The Tally Man shows up at the household of super-villain Orca
and kills her husband, Terry Capshaw. Tally Man then shoots private investigator Jason Bard
in the arm as he is reaching for his gun. While holding Bard at gunpoint, he reveals his name to be The Tally Man, then shoots Jason at point blank range. At the same time, however, Bard uses his cane to trip Tally Man, whose shot goes into Bard's arm. A struggle ensues wherein Bard, using his martial arts
training, knocks Tally Man unconscious with a swift kick.
It is later revealed that Tally Man is the gunman who had killed these villains and others, including The Ventriloquist
with Harvey Dent's gun and is working as an enforcer for the Great White Shark. This is in revenge for a period of time in Arkham Asylum
where Two-Face had promised to protect the Great White Shark from danger and did not actively move to do so. This latest version of Tally Man commences his activities during the year Batman is absent from Gotham City. He has apparently spent time at Arkham Asylum.
of No Man's Land, Two-Face murders Tally Man during a depression
-fueled fit of psychosis
.
The Tally Man is the name of two fictional 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...
s in the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. Both characters are supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s.
Original Tally Man
The few glimpses provided into the Tally Man's past reveal a tragic childhood. Starving and living in rags, the boy who was to become the Tally Man lived with his mother and sister, in constant fear of the criminals who threatened the family for the money his father had borrowed from them years before. After his father died, those same criminals extorted his weekly fee from the deceased man's wife. The boy begged his mother not to pay, but she tearfully replied, "Everybody has to pay the tally man." One night, when the collector came, his mother could not afford to pay and the criminal beat her. Filled with rage, the boy attacked and brutally killed the money collector with a fireplace poker. The 12-year-old boy was arrested for murderMurder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, and abuse
Physical abuse
Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.-Forms of physical abuse:*Striking*Punching*Belting*Pushing, pulling*Slapping*Whipping*Striking with an object...
d horribly by the others in the boy's prison, who called him a "mama's boy." After his release, the boy returned home. When he discovered his sister had died of starvation and his mother had committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, his mind snapped.
Years later, a figure dressed in the strange dark robes of an old-fashioned tax collector emerges in Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
, calling himself the Tally Man. Hired by the underworld to "collect" on debts owed, his fee is not money, but human lives, claiming to have killed sixty-six people since his original victim and priding himself on his 'rationality'. When Tally Man attempts to collect the "debt" owed by 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 battles Azrael
Azrael (comics)
Azrael is the name of several fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are a group of assassins who were created by The Order of St. Dumas to "enforce god's will"...
, who is standing in for Batman while he recovers from a broken back
Vertebral column
In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...
, mistaking him for the original. Azrael brutally beats and scars Tally Man, leaving him with an even greater hatred for the Dark Knight. Tally Man returns to claim his debt again, only to capture 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....
(who has taken Azrael's place as Batman), believing the former Boy Wonder
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...
to be the man who had bested him previously. Although he attempts to torment 'Batman' at a game of Russian roulette
Russian roulette
Russian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which participants place a single round in a revolver, spin the cylinder, place the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger...
, threatening to shoot him with a gun with a single bullet in its six chambers while his foe is bound and trapped, this game buys Grayson enough time to escape his bonds by taunting the Tally Man, subsequently defeating his enemy.
Tally Man is seen aiding 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....
when Gotham City is declared a "No Man's Land" after an earthquake as an executor.
He is one of the villains fighting during the Battle of Metropolis in 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...
.
Tally Man II
The second Tally Man appears at the end of Detective ComicsDetective 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...
#817 as a new character as part of the One Year Later
One Year Later
"One Year Later" was a 2006 storyline event running through the DC Universe. As the title suggests, it involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Comics Universe following the events of the Infinite Crisis event, to explore major changes within the continuities of the many...
storyline. He is reimagined as a man of African
African people
African people refers to natives, inhabitants, or citizen of Africa and to people of African descent.-Etymology:Many etymological hypotheses that have been postulated for the ancient name "Africa":...
descent. The Tally Man shows up at the household of super-villain Orca
Orca (comics)
Orca is a fictional DC Comics supervillain, who first appeared in Batman #579.-Fictional character biography:Grace Balin attends Gotham Gate college and quickly becomes fascinated with the ocean. She receives a Ph. D in Marine Biology and Bio-Medicine and takes a job at the Gotham Aquarium...
and kills her husband, Terry Capshaw. Tally Man then shoots private investigator Jason Bard
Jason Bard
Jason Bard is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He first appeared in Detective Comics #392, which was published in 1969. He appeared in several back-up stories throughout the 1970s and 1980s in Detective Comics.-Pre-Crisis:...
in the arm as he is reaching for his gun. While holding Bard at gunpoint, he reveals his name to be The Tally Man, then shoots Jason at point blank range. At the same time, however, Bard uses his cane to trip Tally Man, whose shot goes into Bard's arm. A struggle ensues wherein Bard, using his martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
training, knocks Tally Man unconscious with a swift kick.
It is later revealed that Tally Man is the gunman who had killed these villains and others, including 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...
with Harvey Dent's gun and is working as an enforcer for the Great White Shark. This is in revenge for a period of time in 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...
where Two-Face had promised to protect the Great White Shark from danger and did not actively move to do so. This latest version of Tally Man commences his activities during the year Batman is absent from Gotham City. He has apparently spent time at Arkham Asylum.
In other media
In the novelizationNovelization
A novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
of No Man's Land, Two-Face murders Tally Man during a depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
-fueled fit of psychosis
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
.