Polka-Dot Man

Polka-Dot Man
The Polka-Dot Man as depicted in Detective Comics #300 (February 1962). Art by Sheldon Moldoff.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Detective Comics #300 (February 1962)
Created by	Bill Finger Sheldon Moldoff
In-story information
Alter ego	Abner Krill
Species	Metahuman
Team affiliations	Suicide Squad
Notable aliases	Mister Polka-Dot
Abilities	Can turn the polka-dots covering his costume into a variety of devices

The Polka-Dot Man (Abner Krill) is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is primarily a minor enemy of Batman, and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery.

The character made his live-action debut in the DC Extended Universe film The Suicide Squad (2021), portrayed by David Dastmalchian.

The Polka-Dot Man first appeared in Detective Comics #300 (February 1962).^[1]

Shortly after Batman began appearing in Gotham City, his growing renown inspired an entire generation of costumed rogues who committed largely harmless crimes to attract his attention in the hopes of matching wits with the legendary vigilante. Among these was a local crook named Abner Krill,^[2] who decided, for reasons unknown, to launch a crime wave based on spots and dots in Gotham City, where he inevitably came into conflict with Batman and Robin. As Mister Polka-Dot, he wore a costume covered in multipurpose spots. He succeeded in capturing Robin, but Batman defeated him.^[3]

Years later, Krill (now calling himself the Polka-Dot Man) was driven to crime once more when he found himself unemployed, penniless, and desperate to pay his bills. No longer able to afford his original electronically gimmicked costume, he instead resorted to using a baseball bat in a poorly thought-out robbery attempt, which resulted in him assaulting Gotham City Police Department officer Foley. He was then beaten badly by Detective Harvey Bullock, who was sick of costumed villains in the city. The assault put the Polka-Dot Man in traction and he filed a brutality suit against the police department, which resulted in Bullock being forced to see a psychiatrist.^[4]

Following his recovery, Krill became a committed alcoholic who spent more time drinking himself into a stupor in sleazy bars than troubling Batman.^[5] The fact that Robin had tracked him down with a leopard became something of a running joke among other villains.^[6] As Nightwing, Dick Grayson encountered the Polka-Dot Man a second time when he trashed My Alibi, a bar known for underworld regulars who vouched for each other's whereabouts when they were off committing crimes. Nightwing pitched Krill through a window display and into the street, where he was picked up by the police.^[7]

In Final Crisis, Polka-Dot Man joins a group of villains working for General Immortus before being killed in battle.^[8][9] He is eventually resurrected following The New 52 and DC Rebirth relaunches.^[10]

When he created his costume, Abner Krill possessed advanced technology in the form of the costume's polka dots, which were controlled through the costume's belt (although in some versions of his character the dots are on his skin as a result of a medical experiment, as opposed to being attached to his costume). When attached to his costume, they were inert, but once removed, they would enlarge in size and become various different devices which could aid in his crime sprees, most notably a flying saucer which he used as a getaway vehicle.^[3]

Gimmicked dots used by the Polka-Dot Man included:

• Flying Buzzsaw Dot, a red polka dot designed as a projectile with a circular saw blade.
• Flying Saucer Dot, a yellow polka dot which expanded rapidly into a flat, man-sized glider and is controlled by a series of buttons on his belt.
• Sun Dot, a gold polka dot designed as a projectile that emits a blinding, disorienting light.
• Bubble Dot, a white polka dot which expanded into a translucent flying capsule. Like the Flying Saucer Dot, it was steered by a belt apparatus.
• Fist Dots were red, yellow, and orange polka dots designed as projectiles. They were thrown at once and gimmicked to resemble human fists. When bounced off opponents at close range and in concert, these dots could produce concussive effects.
• Hole Dot, a black polka dot that opens a teleportation transport system.
• Bangles, a group of bangles that release acidic polka-dots.

Polka-Dot Man makes minor non-speaking appearances in Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

• Polka-Dot Man makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in The Lego Batman Movie.
• Polka-Dot Man appears in The Suicide Squad, portrayed by David Dastmalchian.^[11][12] This version is the son of a S.T.A.R. Labs scientist who exposed him and his siblings to an interdimensional virus in an attempt to turn them into superheroes. As a result, he grows multicolored pustules on his body over time, which he has to expel at least twice a day and can use as destructive projectiles.^[13] After killing his mother, he is sent to Belle Reve Penitentiary. In the present, Amanda Waller recruits Polka-Dot Man into the Suicide Squad to battle Starro, during which he is killed.^[14]

• Polka-Dot Man appears as an unlockable playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.^[15]
• Polka-Dot Man appears as an unlockable playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains, voiced by Greg Miller.^[16][17] This version is a member of the Legion of Doom.

• Polka-Dot Man makes a cameo appearance in Batman '66 #30.^[18]
• Polka-Dot Man appears in the Injustice 2 as a member of the Suicide Squad until he is killed by Jason Todd.^[19][20]

• List of Batman family enemies