Origin

A gangster of some renown in Gotham City who was responsible for swindling Martha Kane's family out of all their money. He sought to expand his holdings by purchasing a series of slum lots in Gotham in order to gentrify the area, but was prevented by Leslie Thompkins' clinic, which operated out of one of the buildings on the block. He instigated a series of reprisals and attacks on the clinic and staff members, each of which failed. Following a failed attempt to start an outbreak of a deadly strain of rat-bite fever he shot and nearly killed Roger Elliot, who turned on him in court, resulting in Pierce being sent to prison for 37 years.

Creation

Judson Pierce was created by Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen. He made his first appearance in Batman: Streets of Gotham #14.

Major Story Arcs

House of Hush

Released from prison, Pierce is picked up by Tony Marchetti and Mr Zzz, who are fulfilling a promise to Marchetti's uncle Sallie Guzzo. The pair are soon drawn into his plan to kill Bruce Wayne in order to fulfill a vendetta against the Wayne family. He leads his team to abduct Wayne, who is actually Hush in disguise. Hush takes control of the group, promising to ensure that the real Bruce Wayne dies so long as Pierce and the others help him achieve his goals also. Pierce accompanies Hush to recruit Doctor Death and to kidnap Jeffrey Carter, before travelling to Wayne Enterprises. There, Hush betrays Pierce and Dr Death, shooting Pierce in the shoulder and locking them both in a storage room. In order to escape, Dr Death concocts a volatile liquid that burns Pierce's skin, disfiguring him but also curing his cancer and enhancing his strength. He is imprisoned along with Marchetti and Mr Zzz.

Powers and Abilities

Following his exposure to Dr Death's chemical compounds, Pierce has superhuman strength. Any other powers are unknown, though it is possible he may have regenerative abilities. He is a cunning and ruthless criminal.