Laurence Graham (Batman: Arkham City)

First Appearance: Batman: Arkham City (2011)

Played By: ?

A wireless communications engineer operating in Gotham City, Laurence was hired by Professor Hugo Strange to set up several relay points around Wonder Tower during the period of time it took for the Arkham City facility to become operational.

When the prison finally is opened- six months after completing the job- Laurence was taken prisoner and was incarcerated in the complex. He discovered that someone was going to kill him and speculated that it was someone in the employ of Hugo Strange. 

He was shot and killed by Deadshot.


"Batman: Arkham City (2011)"

During Batman's investigation of Arkham City, Laurence used a radio to try and contact someone who would be able to help him. Hiding on the roof of one of the old G.C.R Towers, his signal was finally heard by Batman. 

Batman questions him on why he was on the roof and Laurence begins to explain about being employed in the development of the prison. Just before he can reveal the "specifications" of the network relay points he had installed, he is shot and killed by a sniper bullet fired by Deadshot. 

The Joker's Corpse (Batman: Arkham Knight)

First Appearance: Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009): Road to Arkham

The Joker is Batman's main nemesis, dedicated in causing madness and spreading chaos across Gotham. He is a murderer with no regret or remorse for his actions. He eventually died from a disease that was caused by exposure to the Titan Formula.


"Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)"

The day after the events of Harley Quinn's revenge on Batman for not being able to save her "puddin'" - two weeks after the Joker died- The Joker's corpse was cremated by Commissioner Gordon and Batman while they both watched and  listened (in the background) to the song on the radio "I've got you Under my skin" hoping that death would rid them of the "Clown Prince of Prime" permanently.

Delta-Fifty (Doctor Who Series Four)

First Appearance: Doctor Who Series Four Episode Four: "Planet of the Ood"

Played By: Silas Carson


The personal Ood of Managing Director Mr. Bartle of Ood Operations, he underwent surgery to have his hind brain removed and had the translation ball stitched on in it's place. In the year 4126 he had contracted Red-Eye and murdered Bartle. He later died from a gunshot wound he had suffered during his escape from the Ood Operations compound.


"Planet of the Ood"

After calling Halpen an "idiot" for "bleeding us dry" with the decision to lower the price of Ood to 50 credits, Bartle orders Delta-Fifty to bring him the previous months military files with the plan to sell Ood to the army as they "always need new grunts." He returns with the domestic file, which is promptly given back to him with another request for him to get the right file. However Delta- Fifty throws down the file and tells Bartle that the "file is irrelevant." When Bartle retorts the Ood uses his translator ball to electrocute him.

During Halpen's viewing of the security footage he questions Dr. Ryder on the fate of the Ood. Ryder replies that Delta-Fifty had been shot during his escape and that the wound would have probably killed him by the time that had elapsed between the incident and the arrival of Halpen. 

He finally falls into the snow, where his song is heard by the Doctor. The latter and Donna Noble find him lying close to death. After telling Donna to give him a hand and not call the Ood an "it" the Doctor tries to find his heart (although not sure whether the Ood has one) and asks Donna to keep him company and talk to him. He tells Donna his name on her request, who uses the translator orb to speak into (not knowing there was no need to do so) and tries to comfort him with the fact the Doctor can help him. He tries to tell them about "The Circle" and that "the circle must be broken." Just as the Doctor questions what the "circle" is, the red eye takes him again and he bolts upright before dying. 

Donna asks whether they should bury him, but the Doctor tells her that the snow "will take care of that."

Mr. Bartle (Doctor Who Series Four)

First Appearance: Doctor Who Series Four Episode Four: "Planet of the Ood"

Played By: Paul Clayton


The managing director of Ood Operations on the Ood Sphere, Mr. Bartle was murdered by his personal Ood- Delta- Fifty - after the latter had contracted "red-eye."


"Planet of the Ood"

Bartle watched an advertisement made by the cooperation, commenting to his boss- Klineman Halpen- over his communicator watch that he liked the directness of the phrase "buy one (Ood) now"  and the message that the Ood are nothing more than servants that had been shipped across the stars for human use. However he gets annoyed that the price for an Ood was "50 credits", trying to argue the cutting of the price. But Halpen tells him that this cut was due to a slump in sales and that he should "get going" with sales using the new price. He hangs up and angrily calls Halpen an idiot, claiming that he was "bleeding us dry."

Ordering his Ood to get him "last month's military export figures" making a side comment that "the army always needs more grunts" as he takes a seat behind his desk. He is contacted by his Solana Mercurio- head of marketing and galactic liaisons- (who he asked to call him earlier), telling her to "pitch like never before" to compensate for the lower price during a visit from potential Ood buyers, wanting to get rid of the Ood in large numbers/

Delta-Fifty returns with the domestic file and hands it to Bartle, who demands to get the right one. However the Ood throws down the file and tells him that the "file is irrelevant." When Bartle questions why his Ood is suddenly disobeying orders, the Ood uses his translator ball as a weapon and electrocutes him, sarcastically remarking that he has a "nice day."

Halpen (who has arrived to see what is happening with the Ood) witnesses the attack on the security footage and learns that after the Ood killed Bartle he fled the complex, but not before getting shot by security. 

The New Earth Senate (Doctor Who Series Three)

First Appearance: Doctor Who Series Three Episode Four: "Gridlock"

One of the main ruling bodies of the planet New Earth, the Senate held council and resided in the New New York over-city.

In the year 5,000,000,029 the entire senate along with those in the over-city were exposed to a mutated chemical airborne virus that killed them and most of the planet's population (except those that were in the Under-City and Motor Way).


"Gridlock"

After being teleported away from the Motor Way by Novice Hame, the Doctor angrily demanded to speak with the Senate about the people trapped in the Motor Way/ However she sadly tells him that they are "inside the senate" and lets sunlight into the room to reveal that all the senate members have been reduced to skeleton and asking the Goddess Santori to "bless them."

Hame goes onto explain how the city of New New York had fallen, showing him a used Bliss patch that had been on one of the Senate's dead members and telling him about the virus capable of killing the world in "seven minutes." 

However just before the Senate did die, they set up a planet wide 100 year long quarantine and warned neighboring planets that it was unsafe to help them.

Bliss Virus (Doctor Who Series Three)

First Appearance: Doctor Who Series Three Episode Four: "Gridlock" (Mentioned Only)

Mutating from a compound within the chemical mood drug known as Bliss, the Bliss Virus became airborne and killed the whole of the world in "seven minutes flat." Due to the prevention of the Senate, Novice Hame and the Face of Boe (despite the Senate's death) the virus was unable to infect anyone else after the initial epidemic and it itself "perished."


"Gridlock":

During her explanation of what happened twenty four years earlier with the death of New NewYork at the Senate building, Novice Hame shows the Doctor a used Bliss Patch that she had removed from the corpse of a user and tells him about the how the virus had killed New Earth in a matter of minutes. 

Just before the Senate had succumb to the virus; they sealed off the under-city from the over, leaving the system to be run automatically with the limited power that was left (and eventually had run out) and activating an 100 year quarantine that stopped any neighboring planets from helping them. In the outbreak The Face of Boe used his mist to protect Novice Hame from the virus; leaving them the only two individuals in the over-city. 

Yet the virus was unable to sustain itself without anymore hosts to infect and it eventually died leaving the planet able to be repopulated once the Doctor opened the roof of the Motor Way and let the residents of the under-city return above ground to the over-head.

Bliss (Doctor Who Series Three)

First Appearance: Doctor Who Series Three Episode Four "Gridlock"

One of the latest Mood Patches that were on the market at some point prior to  the year 5,000,000,029 of New New York. The drug was bought worldwide, becoming highly addictive and was taken often by those who used it. However a "virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne" resulting in the deaths of the whole New New York and the rest of the world in "seven minutes flat."


"Gridlock"

Whilst explaining to the Doctor about the death of the entire senate and the fall of the city of New New York, Novice Hame removes a used Bliss patch from a corpse and explains about the virus created by the compound's mutation.

The Naturists (Doctor Who: Series Three)

First Appearance: Doctor Who: Series Three Episode Four: "Gridlock"

Played by: 

Male Naturalist: Chris Ilston
Female Naturalist: Zoe Jeffries

 Residents of New Earth in the year 5,000,000,053, the Naturists were a couple who were among those millions sealed inside the New New York Undercity just before the airborne virus- that had mutated from the chemical “Bliss”- could kill them. At some point they decided to go on the Motor Way.

“Gridlock”

During the Doctor's journey to the bottom of the New New York Motor Way in pursuit of Martha Jones (who had been taken as a “hostage” by Milo and Cheen) he surprises the couple who are in the front of the car. The female naturalist, who was reading a magasine called “Hanging Out” uses it to cover herself as the Doctor tells them not to mind him and continues to the car's exit hatch to continue his chase.

The Macra (Doctor Who: Series Three)

First Appearance: (Original Series) Doctor Who: Episode: "The Moonbase Episode Four"

First Appearance: (New Series) Doctor Who: Series Three: Episode Four: “Gridlock”

 The Macra had devolved from a race capable of building it's own empire into a mindless, giant crustacean that fed off poisonous gasses (possibly even people). One colony of the Macra survived on the planet New Earth, where they found there way into the Motor Way and bred, using the fumes from the car exhaust and some of the people travelling on the “Fast-Lane” as food for survival.

“Gridlock”

The Macra attack and destroy a car (car-1015) that was illegally travelling in the fast-lane, taking advantage of the fact that the steering wheel was locked (due to the three adult minimum as a car-share policy for New New York's Motor way). The couple driving the car where killed.

They later crush another car that is travelling behind Car-434 diamond 6, which is being driven by a cat-kind called Javit. Just before her death and the death of her other two passengers, she warns Martha, Milo and Cheen to drive and escape before they too die.

Later when the Doctor reaches the final layer of the Motor Way traffic before the “Fast Lane” begins, he hears the Macra beneath him. Unable to discover what the noise is from the rather startled business man (who owns the car) and questioning what the “lights were” (the Macra's eye-stalks), he uses the main console of the car and the sonic screwdriver to activate the ventilation system below, recognising the shapes and form of the hundreds of creatures below to be “The Macra” as the gas slightly began to clear.

After failing to get access to the main Motor Way, Martha tells Milo to turn off everything in the car hoping that it would stop the Macra from detecting them and trying to claw at them with their pincers. Despite protests Milo does and the attack stops immediately.

The Doctor explains that the Macra “used to be the Scourge of this Galaxy” feeding off polluted gas and created/ ran a “small empire” that was driven by the enslavement of humanity to mine gas for them. When the business man states that they don't look capable of building empires, the Doctor states that the billions of years between the fall of the Macra empire and the current time he was in now (5,000,000,053) had led them to devolve into mindless “beasts.”

The Doctor tries to argue with Novice Hame (who has followed him through the cars) that they can go down and that the Macra are a dangerous threat to everyone, but she teleports him away claiming that the situation is far worse than he knows.

After deciding to turn the engines back on and continue driving The Macra continue their assault on the car, while Milo tried to steer through the swarm of pincers. One of the Macra successfully grabs the car and starts compressing it, but the car gets away when another Macra slams it's claw into the first.

The Macra were left alone after the Motor Way was finally opened and all the drivers escape, losing both their food sources.

Forever Evil (2013) Whole Series Review

It is very rare thing to find a comic book series where the concept of good and evil has been turned on it's head: where the good guys have all but disappeared and it is up for those considered villains to fill in the void to defend the world against a threat even more viscous than them.

After the cliffhanger of Trinity War, the Crime Syndicate begin to make their claim on Earth with the mission to bring together the masses of Justice League enemies to form their own private army. But when Lex Luthor discovers that there is no Superman left to defend the world, the self declared last defense of Earth has to rise to the occasion and fill in for the hero he held in so much contempt for. Forming a team with a diverse range of villains who do not wish the world to be owned by the Syndicate, Luthor and a very driven Batman must take the battle to the Earth 3 doppelgangers if they don't tear themselves apart in the process. Yet the infighting in Luthor's Injustice League is nothing to compare with what we see between the Syndicate when a second Luthor steps on the scene and is revealed to be in partnership with one of them.

While the aftermath of this will stretch into the future and sets the scenario up for an even bigger event that we are witnessing now: the battle between the Anti-Monitor and Darkseid.

Yet like all story arcs you need to follow not only this title, but several others; including Justice League (2011) and Suicide Squad (2011). This follows the main throng, but you do miss an awful lot of both origin and side information from this title. That being said this series would encourage you to pick up it's spin-offs without much of a thought. 

This another great story from Geoff Johns and David Finch, this title delves behind the simplistic role of "just a villain" and gives a beautiful depiction of the idea of a hero. What makes a hero? Is it someone who wears a costume and fights in the name of justice? Or is just those who want to make a difference? This title explores Lex Luthor's personality, taking away from the cold-hearted shrewdness and Machiavellian manipulation, you see in some powerful and emotive scenes that deep down he strives to protect those he loves. 

 Now the story and dialogue, which are well crafted and capture; dark humor, emotional (and believable) relationships between characters and tense battles are enhanced by some exceptional art work from Richard Friend. Friend's work depicts the brutality of conflict between these two power-house teams that is both bloody but tasteful in the way it kills off it's characters :)


If we are talking about relationships then there is no finer example than the relationship between Bizarro and Luthor. What started as a Victor Frankenstein/ and his "monster" (the creator and his creation) type of relationship grew into the desire for the former sacrificing himself to protect the latter when he was in danger. Luthor's outburst showed the attachment that had grown between them, which makes the sacrifice even more heart wrenching. The relationship was also the platform to allow Luthor's darkest secret, which made an equally turning point where we see a chink in Lex's Kryptonite Armour. 

If I had to chose a favorite character in this title, it would have to be either Earth 3's Green Lantern opposite Power Ring or the clone of Superman with reverse powers- Bizarro. Power Ring is a rather weak and pitiful character, who was more a victim of his own weapon and the tool of the Syndicate to be used, rather than being completely evil. While Bizarro's sweet and innocent nature (only being "alive" for a minimum of a day) just makes his death even more heart breaking. He only has a few lines, but the words he does utter just add to the power of the character.


In conclusion the Forever Evil (2013) series is one of the best comics that have been published in DC's latest imprint (The New 52) and I would highly recommend it to those fans of the anti-hero. 

(An individual issue by issue review and synopsis will follow shortly)

Welcome to Aeternus Malum: Oderint dum Metuant :)

Welcome to Aeternus Malum: Oderint dum Metuant. This is a blog that is dedicated to comic books, tv shows and popular culture in the world.

My name is Jonathan Allan and I'd like to both thank you for clicking on this blog and also wish that you enjoy what you are reading and what you are watching on the accompanying  Youtube channel. 

The name "Aeternus Malum" came from (and is the translated title of) one of my favorite comic book series; Forever Evil (2013), while "Oderint dum Metuant" (Let them hate as long as they fear) among other things are the words of the Secret Society of Super-Villains in DC Comic's New 52 Imprint and pays homage to the comic book industry that I owe so much for.

Wanting this to be an inclusive blog for all of you reading it, I am very happy to take; comments, feedback and requests from you in order to make this blog better and contain material that you want to read and hear from.

So thank you again for reading this. I hope you all enjoy and say to you...

"HAVE A NICE DAY"- The Grid (throughout his comic book career)

:)