If you were a supervillian...

[theoneandonly]

If you had been a supervillain looking to make a name for yourself in Gotham how would you deal with batman armed with the knowledge of his secret identity? Bane, Ra's Hush and the riddler to name a few had the knowledge and have gained temporary or short term victories but how would you go taking Gotham from batman and setting up your criminal empire over there?

[shadowsgirl]

I would kidnap and torture Alfred to break the Bat, but then again, that maybe isn't the best idea......

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[Photon Torme]

Keep it to myself until I catch Bruce in a vulnerable and/or relaxed posture. No easy task and it could be a very very very very long wait. Perhaps find a way to befriend him... establish myself as a philantopist in Gotham.... maybe chiefly helping out victims of crime.... If I had enough time and power, perhaps I'd infiltrate the Justice League and try to establish credibility there. But, the key would have the trap ready top spring in that elusive, unguarded moment

[Photon Torme]

Or lay the ground work for a big score.... Then just release the info and evidence to the media .... and then let the ensuing shit storm to provide cover

[masahikotahara]

I would kidnap people close to him and give him the chance to out himself to the public and prove to them he really is Batman (like give the public access to Wayne Manor and the Batcave). Every hour/day he would not comply with my demands, I would kill one of my abductees and leave their bodies/body parts on the streets of Gotham (in public places).

Pretty grim, probably because I'm binge-watching Narcos at the moment...

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[batnbreakfast]

If I were a supervillain in Gotham I'd be tired of getting my ass handed to me every night by a guy in a costume and move to Florida.

[Godlike13]

Id do it in the daytime...

[Dr Quinch]

I would steal Bruce Wayne's newspaper every morning just to annoy him.

[zhris]

I'd take the Fredrick Wertham approach; public opinion is easily swayed, and Bruce has had an awful lot of little boys come and go...

Yes, it's distasteful, but potentially effective.

[phantom1592]

Batman relies a LOT on his gadgets, armor and gear (at least lately). I would arrange a way to take him out as Bruce Wayne. No grandstanding, no 'stealing Gotham from Batman'. Just poison his champagne or cut his brake line or something when he's at a fundraiser and not decked out in batarangs, utility belts, and bulletproof armor.

Knowing he's actually Batman... keep an eye on him at all times and take him out from a distance before he even knows your there. No sneaking off to the bathroom... pretending to be drunk... or flirtingwith the ladies... You KNOW he's batman, watch for the trick.

I loved How Hush nearly killed him by cutting his batline swinging through the city and watching him fall to his 'near' death. A good sniper should be able to a LOT of damage to him without ever raising a warning.

[Halvarpkr]

I would start by planting a story with alex jones!

[dietrich]

Id do it in the daytime...

LOL batman's weakness.

[krazijoe]

Ding Dong Dash or Flaming bag of poo...

[Ascended]

Okay, well, first off I wouldn't want to setup a criminal empire in Gotham. That city is a cesspool. Who, aside from the insane, would *want* to rule it? Even if you're crazy rich you're still living in a crapfest of a city. Me, I'd head somewhere nice, that doesn't have a superhero. And then I'd keep my criminal empire strictly on the down low. No one should know it, or I, even exist. Superheroes tackle the big, flashy problems or get involved when bodies start washing up. They almost never notice the bribes, threats, or city officials who suddenly decided to retire and move out of State.

But if, for whatever reason, I decided that Gotham was the place for me and I knew who Batman was......

I dont think I'd try to kill him. Some of the best villains out there have tried and failed. And when Bruce has been taken off the table, what does it accomplish? Nothing. You get a few weeks, maybe a couple months, while the heroic community in Gotham re-shuffle the deck and then you've got a new Batman running around. We've seen that plenty of times, between Jean-Paul, Dick (twice) and Jim Gordon. Killing Bruce Wayne gains you nothing except a target on your back. And not just from the heroes, I doubt the Joker would take too kindly to me putting a bullet in the head of his favorite playmate.

So killing Bruce is a non-starter. And he's too stubborn to bend to public pressure even in the face of a mounting body count. We've seen that plenty of times before too, when someone demands Batman reveal himself. Doesnt work. People will die but Bruce will eventually catch me, and then it doesnt matter what I know. No one will believe me (Im a convicted felon after all) and even if I have proof and I pull Bruce down after the fact, Im still in jail.

I dont think revealing Batman's identity would actually accomplish much, as far as my goals are concerned. If Bruce gets outed, his company collapses. That kills the economy of Gotham and if no one has any money, what the hell am I going to steal? How is anyone going to pay for the stuff I smuggle in? And while revealing Batman's ID might get Bruce put in prison, its more likely he'd just go underground. And a Batman who doesnt have to put any effort into the Bruce Wayne persona is a Batman who is an even bigger pain in my ass. And its unlikely that revealing Batman's ID would bring down all the other heroes with him. Some of them would escape being connected to Bruce Wayne. So once again I have a pissed off heroic community after my blood.

I think what I'd do, and this would be a gamble, but I think what I'd do is set up a parlay. Go to Bruce himself and tell him; "I know who you are and I know who all your buddies are (I lie if I dont actually know). And that info will be released if anything ever happens to me for any reason at all. Wayne Enterprises will crumble even if you evade prison and Gotham dies with your company. But what we're gonna do is this. I'm taking over the crime in this city, and I'll make you a deal. I wont deal drugs to kids or near any schools, ever. I'll keep advanced, dangerous tech out of the city. I won't kill cops or innocent people unless they shoot first and I wont even screw with politics any more than your average union or special interest. I control organized crime, which means I control how bad the city gets, and I'll make sure the city prospers. You tackle the gangs, the muggers, the rapists, the leftover lunatics and any metahuman or supernatural threat that shows up. But you dont screw with me or mine. You get a nicer, cleaner, safer city. I get rich, and even richer because the city is nicer and cleaner and safer. Everyone wins."

We've seen deals like this between Daredevil and the Kingpin and between Flash and the Rogues. And while Batman is a different animal, I think the offer has a chance to work. I scratch his back by providing a "nicer" flavor of crime. He scratches mine by taking out the competition. He can't take me down without losing his life, I can't take him down without having to deal with the gangs and crazies. The economy of Gotham improves, which means my empire grows and Batman can feel like he's made a difference.

Of course, that means a day will come when one of us no longer needs the other....but that's what Deathstroke is for.

[theoneandonly]

Okay, well, first off I wouldn't want to setup a criminal empire in Gotham. That city is a cesspool. Who, aside from the insane, would *want* to rule it? Even if you're crazy rich you're still living in a crapfest of a city. Me, I'd head somewhere nice, that doesn't have a superhero. And then I'd keep my criminal empire strictly on the down low. No one should know it, or I, even exist. Superheroes tackle the big, flashy problems or get involved when bodies start washing up. They almost never notice the bribes, threats, or city officials who suddenly decided to retire and move out of State.

But if, for whatever reason, I decided that Gotham was the place for me and I knew who Batman was......

I dont think I'd try to kill him. Some of the best villains out there have tried and failed. And when Bruce has been taken off the table, what does it accomplish? Nothing. You get a few weeks, maybe a couple months, while the heroic community in Gotham re-shuffle the deck and then you've got a new Batman running around. We've seen that plenty of times, between Jean-Paul, Dick (twice) and Jim Gordon. Killing Bruce Wayne gains you nothing except a target on your back. And not just from the heroes, I doubt the Joker would take too kindly to me putting a bullet in the head of his favorite playmate.

So killing Bruce is a non-starter. And he's too stubborn to bend to public pressure even in the face of a mounting body count. We've seen that plenty of times before too, when someone demands Batman reveal himself. Doesnt work. People will die but Bruce will eventually catch me, and then it doesnt matter what I know. No one will believe me (Im a convicted felon after all) and even if I have proof and I pull Bruce down after the fact, Im still in jail.

I dont think revealing Batman's identity would actually accomplish much, as far as my goals are concerned. If Bruce gets outed, his company collapses. That kills the economy of Gotham and if no one has any money, what the hell am I going to steal? How is anyone going to pay for the stuff I smuggle in? And while revealing Batman's ID might get Bruce put in prison, its more likely he'd just go underground. And a Batman who doesnt have to put any effort into the Bruce Wayne persona is a Batman who is an even bigger pain in my ass. And its unlikely that revealing Batman's ID would bring down all the other heroes with him. Some of them would escape being connected to Bruce Wayne. So once again I have a pissed off heroic community after my blood.

I think what I'd do, and this would be a gamble, but I think what I'd do is set up a parlay. Go to Bruce himself and tell him; "I know who you are and I know who all your buddies are (I lie if I dont actually know). And that info will be released if anything ever happens to me for any reason at all. Wayne Enterprises will crumble even if you evade prison and Gotham dies with your company. But what we're gonna do is this. I'm taking over the crime in this city, and I'll make you a deal. I wont deal drugs to kids or near any schools, ever. I'll keep advanced, dangerous tech out of the city. I won't kill cops or innocent people unless they shoot first and I wont even screw with politics any more than your average union or special interest. I control organized crime, which means I control how bad the city gets, and I'll make sure the city prospers. You tackle the gangs, the muggers, the rapists, the leftover lunatics and any metahuman or supernatural threat that shows up. But you dont screw with me or mine. You get a nicer, cleaner, safer city. I get rich, and even richer because the city is nicer and cleaner and safer. Everyone wins."

We've seen deals like this between Daredevil and the Kingpin and between Flash and the Rogues. And while Batman is a different animal, I think the offer has a chance to work. I scratch his back by providing a "nicer" flavor of crime. He scratches mine by taking out the competition. He can't take me down without losing his life, I can't take him down without having to deal with the gangs and crazies. The economy of Gotham improves, which means my empire grows and Batman can feel like he's made a difference.

Of course, that means a day will come when one of us no longer needs the other....but that's what Deathstroke is for.

Extremely well thought reply. It seems you have given a lot of thought to this plan of yours and it just might work. You my friend have the makings of being a great crimelord.