Like many officers on the Gotham City Police Department at that time, Arnold Flass was as corrupt as they come.
History
His illicit activity was conducted with the approval of Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb, who often turned a blind eye to Flass' extracurricular activities. He specialized in shakedowns and was always willing to accept a bribe – if the price was right. When affairs proved unsatisfactory, Flass and several of his cohorts would often resort to violent measures to assure the outcome of their goals.
Year One
Approximately three months before Batman's arrival, Flass was partnered with a lieutenant detective from Chicago – James W. Gordon. He attempted to bring Gordon into the department's fraternal fold, but he quickly realized that James was a man of strong moral fiber, one who refused to allow the department to corrupt him as it did everyone else.
Fearing that Gordon was not a "team player", some weeks later Flass obtained approval from Commissioner Loeb to teach the new lieutenant a valuable lesson. One evening, Flass and his cronies (also cops) waited for Gordon in the shadows of the parking garage at police headquarters. Donning ski masks, they mercilessly brutalized him with wooden baseball bats, careful not to allow him to be hospitalized. During the incident, Gordon recognized Flass' laughter from beneath his mask and swore to pay him back.
That same evening, Jim followed Arnold and his pals to the home of one of their friends. He patiently waited outside while the officers whiled away the evening. After everyone left, Gordon cornered an inebriated Flass and challenged him to a fight. Aware of Flass' military service, Gordon inwardly commented that it had been "fifteen years since [he] beat up a Green Beret." He even tossed Flass a baseball bat to help him even the odds. The bat did little good however, as Gordon quickly took him down. He handcuffed Flass with his own handcuffs and left him lying naked on the side of the road. The embarrassment of the situation guaranteed that Flass would not report the incident back to Loeb.
Shortly thereafter, Gordon became a hero to the media, and Commissioner Loeb was forced to order his men to leave Jim alone – much to Flass' lament.
Flass continued with his underhanded operations however and even suffered through a chance encounter with the Batman. The crooked detective sensationalized the affair when he reported his findings to headquarters describing the Batman as a horrible demonic monster with fangs and flying fingernails. His ultimate downfall came at the hands of a man named Jefferson Skeevers. Skeevers was a narcotics dealer who frequently paid Flass substantial bribes insuring that the detective would "look the other way" while conducting business. Lieutenant Gordon found Skeevers, however, and arrested him. Initially, Jefferson was unwilling to reveal any incriminating information against Flass or Commissioner Loeb. Loeb even had Skeevers released on bail.
A visit from the Batman changed all of that, however. Batman crept into Skeevers' hotel room and terrified him so immensely that the following day he went to police headquarters and filed a report with James Gordon. In the report, Skeevers revealed everything he knew about Flass and about Loeb. Gordon brought an indictment against Detective Flass, and he faced a sentence of ten years in prison. He made a deal with then-District Attorney Harvey Dent to testify against Loeb and the other corrupt officers on the force for leniency.
Later Years
Years later, Flass started a personal vendetta against James Gordon and he assaulted the Police Commissioner and his fiancée, Sarah, before kidnapping James Gordon, Jr.. Flass endangered the boy's life, but the kid was saved by Batman and Flass was stopped by Commissioner James Gordon.[1]
Afterwards, Flass got a job working as a bouncer at a sleazy strip club called the Cheetah Room to make ends meet. He was outside for a cigarette break when he was murdered by the Hangman Killer. From the wounds on his fingers, he appeared to have put up a fight.[2]
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
Notes
- Although Flass's place of birth has never been officially revealed, he was likely born in Gotham City. In Batman #404, he is seen wearing a Gotham City High School varsity jacket, indicating that he was at least living in the city during his teenage/high school years.
Related
- 9 Appearances of Arnold Flass (New Earth)
- 12 Images featuring Arnold Flass (New Earth)
- Quotations by or about Arnold Flass (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Arnold Flass (New Earth)
Footnotes
  This character is or was an officer of, or held a title in the Gotham City Police Department, in any of its various incarnations. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the "GCPD members" and "Police Officers" categories. |
 Batman Villain(s) |