34. Bane

He broke the Batman's back. That's why he is here, but like Doomsday, he also achieved true villainy very early in his career. Bane has yet to match his Knightfall efforts, which lead to shattering Bruce Wayne. But DC still continues to view him as a valuable player, a character they seem to be quite interested in expanding upon, if his reported role in Sinister Six is any indication.

A hulking figure fueled by Venom, a drug pumped directly to his brain for all his hulking, super-strength needs, Bane seems like a feckless thug on the surface. However, unlike Doomsday, Bane emerged as one of Batman's most intelligent foes.

His plan to break the Bat was methodical, and worst of all, patient. Bane realized something his fellow Rogues did not: A full frontal assault against Batman is futile. Instead, Bane takes the long way around to weakening the Bat, by breaking down Arkham's walls, letting its prisoners infect Gothamn once again and leave Batman on an exhausting three-month mission to lock them back up. During that time -- and here's where "being patient" comes in -- Bane manages to find the Batcave and wait there to administer the final blow, whose impact still echoes today.