Lazlo Valentin

**Lazlo Valentin** (died 2022), was a contract serial killer hailing from the southern United States that impersonates serial killers. He kidnapped cops and murdered them In Cold Blood to prove that they are not invincible. He later donned the persona of **Professor Pyg**, a serial killer with a troubled past that targets police officers and wealthy civilians for revenge, sometimes dressing them in pig flesh.

## Biography

South of the United States, Lazlo Valentin operated as a contract killer and serial killer, where he would mimic other serial killers and undergo different identities. In one of these instances he committed several murders down south, but managed to evade custody and changing his face with the use of surgery and metal plates under his skin.

#### Terrorising Gotham

Ten years following the murders down south, Lazlo decides to head on over to Gotham City to start a new track record. When he hears about a guy dressed like a bat in Gotham, he then decides to pay him a little visit. As he later learned that the Batman cares about the civilians, he then kidnaps the commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department James Gordon. Although he does ultimately fail when the Batman stops him and is sent to Arkham Asylum.

## Personality

Professor Pyg’s true personality is difficult to pin down, since much of what people know of him is really different disguises, façades, and impersonations. However, what is clear is that Lazlo Valentin has somewhat of a fragile ego, which is shown when Jim Gordon tells him no one will remember his reign of terror on Gotham.

## Abilities

* **High-level intellect:** Lazlo possesses above average intelligence. He would stage his murders to make them appear as if then had been committed by other killers.
	+ **Impersonation/Acting:** Lazlo is a very talented actor, even able to fool Jim Gordon with one of his disguises.
		- **Make-up artist:** Professor Pyg was capable of using make-up skillfully in order to improve his disguises. For example, he applied fake beards and prosthetic make-up for his nose.
			* **Voice Alteration**: Lazlo was able to change his voice to make himself sound like someone else. However, this skill requires mental focus as he could revert to using his regular voice if his emotions get to him.

* **Expert hand-to-hand combatant:** Lazlo is a highly skilled combatant, able to take on the Dark Knight and Boy Wonder.
* **Master knife wielder/Skilled knife thrower:** Valentin is very accomplished at using knives in combat.
* **Indomitable will/High tolerance for pain:** Lazlo has shown to never give up on pushing through his goals even if he has to violate himself to accomplish them, as shown when he stabbed himself with a knife to outsmart the GCPD.

## Equipment

* **Pig Mask:** Whilst in the guise of Professor Pyg, Valentin wore what appeared to be a severed pig head to conceal his identity. He also put one on the head of Patel to fool the police. Whether it was a real pig head or a synthetic mask is unclear.
* **Kitchen Knives:** Valentin carried a variety of kitchen knives with him as Professor Pyg, to kill or maim his victims. These included meat cleavers, butcher knives, and paring knives.

## Appearances

### Batman

#### Season 3

* A Lesson From Professor Pyg
* Serial Killer (mentioned)

## Trivia

* The "Pyg" is spelled with a "y" because it is shorthand for "Pygmalion". Lazlo claimed he chose this name because he wanted to warp Jim Gordon into a reflection of his own psychotic self-image. In Greek mythology, Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with his own creation.
	+ According to Professor Pyg's co-creator Grant Morrison, the original comics character was inspired by the play *Pygmalion* and the song "Pygmalism" by Kahimi Karie. The Greek myth of Pygmalion also mirrors Professor Pyg's obsession with mutilating his victims to "perfect" them.
	+ This is one of the only variations where Pyg's henchmen, Dollotrons, don't make an appearance.
	+ Regardless of spelling, the pronounciation of Lazlo's last name differs per adaption. Gotham uses 'Va-len-tine', and Batman Arkham Knight, for example, uses 'Va-len-teen'.
	+ Valentin was a wanted murderer in the south, where he lives.

## Behind the scenes

* In the DC Comics, Lazlo Valentin alias Professor Pyg, is an insane scientist who experimented on humans to turn them into genderless mind-controlled beings known as Dollotrons. Refering to the Dollotronsl Michael Cerveris stated that "You do have characters in *Gotham* where the way we know them in the comic book is much later in their lives. It's possible that the Dollotrons are a later part of his life. You know, that doesn't mean that they just decided to get rid of it."