#17 - Blockbuster

First Appearance - Detective Comics #345 (Nov. 1965)

The first Blockbuster was Mark Desmond, a chemist who desired to increase his physical strength. Experimenting on himself, he succeeded in making himself stronger and taller, but a side-effect of the process became almost mindlessly aggressive. The mentally debilitated Desmond was cared for by his brother Roland, a local criminal, who kept their mother from discovering what Mark had done to himself. Roland manipulated his brother into committing crimes on his behalf until they came into conflict with Batman and Robin. Roland Desmond became the second Blockbuster after a severe illness forced him to be treated with experimental steroids. Like his brother Mark, Roland became a child-minded super-strong monster.