Nods to Lester Carthan: How old are the Batman villains?

[OverMaster]

We know Ra's al Ghul is/was several centuries old, the Basil Karlo Clayface looked quite old (early 60s?) before his full transformation, and the General is around Robin's age IIRC (as well as Anarky, but he counts more as an antihero than pure villain), but how many references do we have about the ages of the other Batvillains?

Off the top of my mind, the only one I remember having such references are Joker and Harley Quinn. Joker stated in 'Going Sane' he was 39 years old back then. Now, that is doubly suspicious because it was a LotDK story (blurry canonicity), and because Joker's memory and sanity make any statement of his too untrustworthy. Still, that's the closest we have, AFAIK, to any close statement of his age. Assuming 10 or 12 years have passed since that year one-esque story, that'd make Joker around... 49-51 years old now.

Of course, Joker once was in a Lazarus Pit bath ('The Demon Laughs'), so that could have rejuvenated him a bit.

In 'The Code' in No Man's Land, a thug tells Harley she was 'young enough to be Joker's daughter'. Also, IIRC, she got her job at Arkham shortly after graduating from college. I'd say Harley must be one of the youngest members of the Rogues' Gallery (early to mid-20s?).

I always have pictured Harvey Dent as being the same age than Bruce, too, but beyond that, it's so hard to say. I mean, really how old is Killer Croc? How old is the Riddler? Scarecrow?

[Santanico]

The Riddler, to me, generally looks like he's in his mid- to late-thirties (the receding hairline he usually sports confuses the issue a bit, though). The Scarecrow appears to be in his early- to mid-forties. (I do know that he was born on November 16th, making him a Scorpio. There, aren't you glad you know that now?) Killer Croc...God knows, though I'd guess late twenties/early thirties. Of course, in the absence of any concrete ages being given, much of this depends on the whim of the artist, really.

Also, I'm not sure if it's strictly canon anymore, but Catwoman, during Year One, was not yet twenty. (This is stated in Mindy Newell's excellent - and unjustly forgotten - Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper.) And Poison Ivy was a college student when Woodrue began his experiments on her, which - assuming that about ten years have passed - would make her roughly 28-31, which seems about right.

[Azrael52]

Ventriliquist is probably late 40's.

[OverMaster]

Ventriliquist is probably late 40's.

I'd say Arnold is older than that. He has fully white scarce hair, and has been refered to as an 'old man'. I'd place him in his late fifties.

[Lester C.]

I googgled my name and this thread popped up. As far as ages of Batman goes, unless otherwise stated, I always assume they are around the age of Batman.

[Kristofer]

The better question should be.....

Why do the heros age and the villians not age ?

I mean, Dick Grayson has gone from being a child to being a college student to leaving Gotham to become Nightwing...Tim Drake has gone from being a middle schooler to being a high schooler to being on his own in Bludhaven.....and yet, The Joker hasnt aged any at all nor Two-Face..

I can see Clayface not seeing any age due to his stature and Penguin because he isnt, technically, all human....but the humanoid villians have all remained the same age since the 40s (aside the Kingdom Come series, which makes sense due to it being a future time anyway)

[Santanico]

I'm assuming that's because no one really wants to see Batman and his rogues chasing each other around in walkers.

[OverMaster]

Kristopher: Unless you are talking about Batman Returns, the Penguin is fully human. Odd looking, but human. Killer Croc and Poison Ivy are far more inhuman/something else than him.

Also, it looks like Kirk Langstrom/Man-Bat has aged a bit. IIRC, in his debut he was just married and without children, and now he has a son and a daughter.