Fanfic / C Listers

C Listers is a Batman fanfic written by Batty28, focusing on Gotham's population of C-list villains. The fic follows the daily lives of Firefly, Polka-Dot Man, Killer Moth, Ratcatcher, and Anarky, which mainly consists of moronic stunts, attempts to get on the dating scene, and wanton crimes.

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List of tropes applying to this fic:

• Adaptational Villainy: Zig-zagged with Anarky. While Lonnie here has the same motivations as he does in the comics, he's also a Card-Carrying Villain who hangs out with the other villains and is considered insane enough to be regularly sent to Arkham Asylum.
• Affably Evil:
  • Harley Quinn. She's friendly to pretty much everyone, serves as Firefly's therapist, and takes Polka-Dot Man out on a spa day to help with his low self-esteem.
  • Polka-Dot Man. He's a shy, kind dork and probably the sanest of the C-listers, but he's still a supervillain and it's mentioned he's killed people in the past.
• Bait the Dog: The Taped Interview Sessions arc strips away the Sympathetic P.O.V. to show just how dangerous and terrifying the main characters truly are. In particular, Ratcatcher is revealed to be a remorseless serial child murderer and Killer Moth is shown to be a chillingly manipulative narcissist who's been secretly using Firefly as an attack dog.
• Big Bad Wannabe: Killer Moth desperately wants to be "the anti-Batman", the protector of the underworld, but his efforts are offset by the fact he's a cowardly, moronic Manchild.
• Breather Episode: The Road Trip chapters, and the Sun, Sea, and B&E chapters.
• Butt-Monkey:
  • Kite Man is constantly mocked for being a total dumbass and invariably horribly injured in every chapter he appears in.
  • Firefly, who's frequently subject to being Mind Raped or nearly horribly killed.
  • Killer Moth. Pretty much everyone looks down on him for being a moron, and all of his schemes backfire on him constantly. Things get even worse for him when he turns Firefly against him, with his own poor decisions leading to the entire Gotham underworld gunning for him and getting him transformed into a cannibalistic monster.
• C-List Fodder: While the fic does focus on C-list villains, it's generally averted and most of them prove to be just as capable as the A-listers. It's played straight in the case of Sewer King, who's eaten alive by Killer Croc.
• Cut Lex Luthor a Check: Sarah points out to Killer Moth that his inventions show real mechanical genius and that he could actually make a lot of money were he to sell them legitimately. He considers it, but he's ultimately too obsessed with living out his fantasy of being "the anti-Batman" to do so.
• Dirty Coward: Killer Moth will bail at the first sign of trouble, and his efforts to be the protector of the underworld always fail because he abandons his charges and runs off with the loot the second the cops show up.
• Eaten Alive: Sewer King is messily devoured by Killer Croc.
• Even Evil Has Standards:
  • It's implied the reason Killer Croc forced Ratcatcher out of the sewers was because he preys on the homeless children Croc tries to protect. When, at Cleo's urging, Ratcatcher rescues some of these children from Sewer King, Croc allows him to have half the sewers as his domain, though he warns Ratcatcher that he'll eat him alive if he crosses into Croc's half.
  • Zig-Zagged with Killer Moth. He's horrified at the sight of someone Firefly burned alive, but the revelation he's killed people himself implies that his reaction is motivated more by his cowardice than anything else. It's played straight when he's cured from being Charaxes and is absolutely horrified that he ate the apartment complex's landlord and nearly ate Firefly.
• Evil Is One Big, Happy Family: All of the rogues genuinely get along for the most part and are essentially a fun-loving, dysfunctional family that occasionally tries to kill each other.
• Evil vs. Evil: The rogues battle each other as much as they fight Batman. Firefly is especially good at getting other villains gunning for him, though he's mean enough himself that he generally comes out alive.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: Mr. Camera, on account of being a perverted jackass.
• Gone Horribly Right: Killer Moth finally gets people to take him seriously when he turns himself into Charaxes, a feral, cannibalistic monster that eats the apartment complex's landlord and nearly kills the C-Listers before being taken down by Batman. Once he's restored to normal, he's absolutely horrified by what he's done, though he does admittedly enjoy that people are now a little more wary around him.
• Hero Antagonist: Any superhero featured automatically becomes this, given the fic centers around Gotham's supervillain population.
• I'm a Humanitarian: Killer Croc. Ratcatcher complains that he can't use the sewers anymore because Croc will eat him alive if he does.
• Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain:
  • Subverted by Polka-Dot Man. His goofy costume, his ridiculous name, and his shy, dorky personality make him seem like one of these, but in actuality he's very powerful and has a pretty good track record of victories under his belt. The only reason why he isn't an A-list villain is because of his own insecurities.
  • Zig-Zagged with Killer Moth. He's a moronic failure in a ridiculous costume and every crime he participates in ends in total failure, but he's still dangerous since he's managed to manipulate Firefly into being his attack dog without his partner ever knowing, and how sympathetic Moth is tends to vary.
• Lack of Empathy: It's present in all of the villains, but it's particularly evident with Firefly and Ratcatcher. They have a select few people they genuinely care about, and pretty much everyone else is fair game to be indiscriminately murdered.
• Manchild: Killer Moth is pretty much a little kid trying to play supervillain. He starts to lean into Psychopathic Manchild as more of his dark side is revealed, but he's ultimately too much of an incompetent moron to truly make the leap.
• Morality Pet:
  • Sarah for Firefly. She's the only person who can get him to at least consider not lighting people on fire, and she's actively trying to improve his mental health.
  • Cleo is the only person who can motivate Ratcatcher to genuine altruism.
• Noble Demon: Killer Croc. He's cannibalistic and generally dangerous to anyone who crosses paths with him, but he'll let fellow outcasts live and protects the homeless children of Gotham.
• Not-So-Harmless Villain: A recurring theme. The C-list villains are all goofy and amiable, so it's easy to forget how dangerous they truly are.
  • The Mad Hatter's whimsical attitude makes him come off as harmless, but the entire Gotham underworld is terrified of him because he's an expert at brainwashing people through Mind Rape. During his introduction, he manages to put almost the entire rogues gallery under his control all for the sake of a tea party.
  • Polka-Dot Man is a socially inept, sweet-natured dork who wears an absolutely ridiculous costume, which makes people prone to underestimating him. In fact, he's almost obscenely powerful and has a pretty good track record, frequently beating seemingly stronger opponents in a straight-up fight with ease.
  • Zig-Zagged with Killer Moth. He seems like an archetypical Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: he's a cowardly, amiable loser with grand ambitions he can't possibly live up to, and absolutely terrified of his best friend and partner Firefly's habit of burning people alive. Chapter 19, however, reveals he's killed a lot of people; all of his cowardice and standards are the result of a weak stomach rather than any actual morals, and he's totally willing to resort to murder if it comes to it. Chapter 36 reveals he's a lot worse than previously thought; he's been manipulating Firefly the whole time throughout their friendship and has been basically using him as an attack dog, and is actively trying to sabotage any attempts to help him with his mental issues. Of course, he's still a total moron and his efforts to show off the dangerous edge that absolutely no one knows he has backfires when Firefly catches on and starts gunning for him. Killer Moth then starts trying to find a way to become dangerous without someone backing him up, eventually forcing Kirk Langstrom to transform him into a moth monster, turning him into a powerful cannibalistic mutant that eventually has to be brought down by Batman.
  • Ratcatcher is a grumpy loner who spends most of his time playing the straight man to the other rogues, which makes it all the more terrifying when he reminds the audience that he's a remorseless and misanthropic serial killer. At one point, he gleefully confesses to having his rats eat homeless children alive, proclaiming that he might as well since nobody cares about them anyway.
• Power Perversion Potential: Mr. Camera mainly uses his power to try and peep on women. Pretty much no one likes him as a result.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
  • Poison Ivy gives one to Firefly calling him out his intimacy issues and how lonely he is after seeing how terrified he is by the prospect of a kiss while after she hypnotizes him with her pheromones while trying to kill him.
    Poison Ivy: Are you…? Are you scared? Tearing you apart you don't batter an eye, but a kiss? A kiss and you're shaking like you've had a dose of Scarecrow's fear toxin? You truly are terrified, aren't you, Lynns? What a truly sad, lonely, little man you are. I bet you’ve never wanted something more in your life. But whatever is messed up in your head…. I prey on people’s desires, not their fears. Not fear like this at least. Pathetic. Go. When I kill you, your death will be painful and slow, that I promise, but I won’t be taking advantage like that… even you don't deserve it.
    Firefly: You're… not going to kill me?
    Poison Ivy: Yet. You're pathetic and lonely. I think letting you live with this.. is a greater punishment then killing you. What a very small man you are. You're not even worth turning into mulch. Yes, keeping you alive while you desperately crave something you will never allow yourself to have? Oh that… that is a far greater punishment then anything I could come up with. Besides.. it's not me you want, is it..? Ohhh.. I know all about your desires for Doctor Cassidy… Harley, bless her, talks in her sleep. Why don't you go to Sarah now, you little creten? Show her how pathetic you truly are.
  • Firefly gives a brutal one to Killer Moth, calling him out on trying to ruin his relationship with Sarah, being a manipulative asshole, and a failure in general.
    Firefly: Any last words, you lying, meddling, son of a bitch?
    Killer Moth: I'm sorry! Mm so- so sorry! I’m sorry!
    Firefly: Sorry ain't gonna cut it, Drury. You… you tried to get in the way of things with me and Sarah! You almost did! And I know why you did it, you fucking idiot! You honestly think I'd stop burning stuff, that I’d leave you in a mess?
    Killer Moth: I just.. I.. you.. you were going to leave! Leave and let me burn…
    Firefly: No, Drury.. I wasn't gonna let you burn, not then. Now though? Now, I’m gonna burn you… I warned you.. cross the Firefly and you burn.
    Killer Moth: No… please! I don’t wanna die!
    Firefly: Shouldda' thought of that before you decided to screw with my life. You can manipulate me with our work, but you crossed a line trying to manipulate Sarah. She's mine. You can't take her away from me. You shot yourself in the foot, like you always do, because you’re a fucking idiot!
    Killer Moth: I'm not an idiot! I'm not an idiot! I'm not!
    Firefly: Really? Your little plan didn’t work out, did it?
    Killer Moth: Only because Crazy Quilt sold us out, because you asked him to! You set him up! You set us all up!
    Firefly: You were going to leave them all in the dust anyway, like you always do! Because that’s just what you do. Oh poor little Drury Walker, orphaned and no one wanted him! Did it ever occur to you why?
    Killer Moth: You can't say shit, Garfield, you were an orphan too!
    Firefly: I had a sister. You had nobody. No one wanted you, no one wanted to be friends with you, because let's face it.. you're one of life’s losers. I was the first friend you ever had, you even said that to me when you were drunk, real awkward by the way. You know I don’t do mushy stuff. Still, that's what you said and look at how you treated me? You backstabbed me because you were jealous and scared. It's pathetic! [He aims his flamethrower at Killer Moth.] You're pathetic. Won’t even be missed.
    Killer Moth: What would Sarah say if she knew you did this!?
    [Firefly pauses. Killer Moth takes advantage of this and throws a grenade at Firefly that explodes, trapping him in a cocoon]
    Firefly: You’re nothing without me, Drury! When we met you were a drunken loser! You'd lost everything!
    Killer Moth: Shut up!
    Firefly: All because… you got beaten up.. by a girl on her first night.. on the job!
  • Firefly gives another one to Killer Moth when the previous TRYSS motivates him to use a serum to transform himself into a horrific, cannibalistic moth-like monster.
    Firefly: You… You idiot! What the fuck were you thinking?! You did this to yourself! All because you could never stand on your own! Because you shot yourself in the foot like you always do! You were the closest thing I had to a friend and you treated me like dirt! Then you tried to get in the way of Sarah and me, did you think I wouldn't be pissed off at you?! Go on! Eat me! Go on! Get your fucking glory and fucking eat me, but guess what? It won't change anything because you will always be a joke!
  • Ratcatcher gives a brief one to Sewer King.
    Ratcatcher: You're pathetic! Just a small, little man, who wants to make himself feel big and powerful!
• Running Gag:
  • Baby Doll swinging from a chandelier whenever she gets drunk.
  • People bringing up Firefly's fear of intimacy, especially Harley.
• Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: Poison Ivy has it out for Firefly because he burned down a park once. Seeing as how they're both supervillains, their rivalry results in them frequently attempting to murder each other, but that's par for the course when it comes to the rogues gallery.
• Then Let Me Be Evil: After a Breaking Speech from Black Mask, Firefly decides to embrace his madness and abandon his Morality Pets.
• Toxic Friend Influence: Killer Moth is gradually revealed to be one for Firefly. During an interview with Sarah, he boasts that he's been manipulating Firefly from day one and encouraging his darkest impulses so that he'll stay as his partner and continue to protect him from the enemies he's made in the Gotham underworld, as well as being genuinely afraid of his friend abandoning him.
• Villain Protagonist: This very premise of this fic is showing the perspectives of Gotham's C-list supervillains in their day-to-day lives.
• Wham Line:
  • After receiving a Breaking Speech from Black Mask that persuades him to want to burn Gotham to the ground, Firefly wonders what Sarah and Amanda would think, only to cut himself off.
    Firefly: No. I'm not Garfield Lynns. I'm the Firefly, and Gotham's going to burn.
  • When Anarky is about to be killed by Professor Pyg, Pyg is suddenly shot in the shoulder by Two-Face.
    Two-Face: Gentlemen, I'm Harvey Dent. It's a pleasure to meet you both and… I would like to help.
• Would Hurt a Child: Ratcatcher feeds homeless children to his rats, rationalizing it because nobody misses them anyway.
• Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Killer Croc makes a policy of looking after the homeless children of Gotham. He'll reward anyone who helps them, and brutally murder anyone who makes the mistake of abusing them while he's in the area.

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