Arnold Etchison, better known as Abattoir, was a serial killer who was convinced that his family was evil and that he could absorb something of their life force by killing them and desecrating their corpses.
History
He was apprehended and incarcerated in Arkham Asylum.
On his first break-out from Arkham, Abattoir went on a killing spree against members of his family and was stopped by Batman, who also learned that Abattoir's escape was arranged by his cousin as to help his political campaign against crime and get rid of his wife.[1]
Afterwards, Abattoir found a way to escape from Arkham without raising suspicions and started the steps to an unholy ritual to gain immortality. After killing 200 birds and 400 cows, Abattoir intended to kill 600 people. Batman stopped him once again and returned him back to Arkham.[2]
Abattoir escaped Arkham once more when Bane unleashed all the inmates. Thanks to this, Abattoir continued his killing spree and desecration of the corpses on his family crypt until he decided to murder the last living member of the Etchison family: Graham. His first murder attempt was stopped by Jean-Paul Valley, who was acting as Batman at the time.[3] After his first attempt was thwarted, Abattoir blackmailed Lady Clay and Clayface III, by stealing their newborn son and forced them to kidnap Graham and kill Batman. Clayface III succeeded in taking Graham to him, but Lady Clay failed to murder Batman. When Clayface III delivered Graham to Abattoir, he managed to get away before Batman could stop him. Abattoir took his cousin Graham to an abandoned warehouse, where he used a special torture machine that would kill him after a certain time.[4]
Not long after this, Valley found Abattoir's hiding place and chased him into a foundry. The ensuing battle caused Abattoir to hang for his life above a vat of molten metal. Abattoir pleaded for help, but Valley allowed him to fall to his death. Since Abattoir was holding his cousin in his hideout, Valley indirectly condemned Graham Etchison to death.[5]
The death of Abattoir
Afterlife
Abattoir returned as a ghost (during a brief period of increased supernatural activity, worldwide), to torment the original Batman (Bruce Wayne) using Valley´s Batman-armor, but Batman proved much less susceptible to psychological assault than his substitute. Batman tricked Abattoir´s ghost into abandoning the armor and his mission. The ghost had been attempting to cause his last remaining blood relative, a pregnant cousin, to miscarry so he could possess the infant.
More recently, during the Blackest Night, the supervillain Black Hand resurrected Etchison to serve in his Black Lantern Corps.[6] He was among the Black Lanterns that terrorized Gotham City and Commissioner James Gordon and his daughter Barbara until the Blackest Night was over.[7]
Paraphernalia
Weapons
- Bladed Weapons: Abattoir used various bladed weapons during the span of his short career.
- Black Lantern Power Ring: (Formerly)
Trivia
- Abattoir was forty years old at the time of his death.[3]
Related
- 16 Appearances of Arnold Etchison (New Earth)
- 4 Images featuring Arnold Etchison (New Earth)
- 3 Quotations by or about Arnold Etchison (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Arnold Etchison (New Earth)
Footnotes
  Batman Villain(s) |
 Black Lantern Corps member |