Carmine Falcone (DC)

“	People from your world have so much to lose. Now, you think because your mommy and your daddy got shot, you know about the ugly side of life, but you don't. You've never tasted desperate. You're Bruce Wayne, the Prince of Gotham; you'd have to go a thousand miles to meet someone who didn't know your name. So, don't come down here with your anger, trying to prove something to yourself. This is a world you'll never understand. And you always fear what you don't understand. „

~ Falcone to a young Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins.

Carmine "The Roman" Falcone is a DC Comics villain most prominently featured in the Batman comics and media. During Batman: Year One and Batman: The Long Halloween, he is a major antagonist and controls much of the Gotham City criminal underworld, which is referred to as "The Roman Empire". He is a supporting antagonist in the 2005 film, Batman Begins, a mentioned character in the 2008 film, The Dark Knight, and one of the antagonists in the 2011 animated film, Batman: Year One.

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History

During the events of Batman: Year One, Falcone virtually runs Gotham City, with the mayor, city council, and Police Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb in his pocket. However, his power base comes under attack with the arrival of the mysterious vigilante, Batman, who quickly destabalizes much of Falcone's holdings and threatening his hold over the criminal underworld.

During the events of The Long Halloween, one of Falcone's private warehouses, containing millions of dollars in stolen cash, is found and destroyed by Batman and District Attorney Harvey Dent. Falcone convinces his longstanding rival, Sal Maroni, to kill Dent during the trial against him. Maroni throws a vial of acid at Dent, disfiguring the entire left side of his face, but not killing him. Dent goes insane and becomes Two-Face. At the end of the novel, Two-Face breaks into Falcone's mansion and murders him.

Carmine Falcone was eventually revived in The New 52 continuity and has returned to Gotham City years after being "run out of town" by Batman and Jim Gordon. He intents to rebuild his criminal empire and restore how crime in the city used to be run, before costumed vigilantes appeared in Gotham.

Other appearances

Batman Begins

Main article: Carmine Falcone (Nolanverse)

CarmineFalcone

Tom Wilkinson as Falcone in Batman Begins.

Falcone appears in Christopher Nolan's film Batman Begins as a supporting antagonist, portrayed by Tom Wilkinson. As in Batman: Year One, which a great deal of the movie's plot is based on, Falcone controls the criminal underworld and much of Gotham City; he is effectively above the law as most government officials are either on his payroll or afraid of him. He is briefly imprisoned and shares a prison cell with Joe Chill, the murderer of Bruce Wayne's parents. years later, Chill makes a deal with Gotham D.A. to testify against Falcone in return for an early release, but Falcone has him killed before he can reveal anything about Falcone's operations.

Bruce confronts Falcone at an underground establishment and tells him that not everyone in Gotham is afraid of him. Falcone dismisses the young billionaire as a harmless nuisance and tells him that real power comes from being feared. He then insults Bruce's father, saying that Chill told him that the elder Wayne "begged like a dog" before Chill shot him. Falcone finally has Bruce beaten up and thrown out.

Years later, Falcone goes into business with Dr. Jonathan Crane and Ra's al Ghul, smuggling a fear toxin into Gotham. Crane, who runs Arkham Asylum, diagnoses Falcone's henchmen as insane when they are arrested so they can avoid prison. Bruce, who by now has become Batman, foils the plot and leaves Falcone unconscious on the scene. While in prison, Falcone tries to blackmail Crane into allowing him a part in the upcoming fear toxin project. Crane instead gasses him with the fear toxin, literally scaring him out of his mind. He is left in a permanent catatonic state, muttering "Scarecrow..." over and over.

Post-Batman Begins

In the sequel, The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent mentions that Falcone is still institutionalized in Arkham Asylum, and that Sal Maroni has taken over the Falcone crime family in his absence.

DC Universe Online

In the beginning of the game, the Joker has the player assist Falcone's men in fighting the police, giving them weapons, and freeing prisoners. It is also mentioned that Joker is helping them in a turf war with the Penguin. When Bane comes to Gotham with his gang selling venom in the Falcone's turf, they hire Killer Croc and the player to take him down. Some other Falcone's later cameo in Penguin's cut scene.

Batman Year One

Falcone makes an appearance in the animated film adaptation of the graphic novel as Gotham's most prominent crime boss. Batman attacks him and leaves him tied up naked to a bed in order to make him an example to all the other Gotham crime bosses. He also goes by the nickname "The Roman". In this film, he was voiced by the late Alex Rocco (who was also known for portraying Moe Greene in The Godfather).

Gotham

Main article: Carmine Falcone (Gotham)

Batman: The Telltale Series

Main article: Carmine Falcone (Telltale)

Falcone appears as the main antagonist of the first episode.