Real Name: Rupert Thorne
Occupation: Mob Boss
Marital Status: Single
Base of Operations: Gotham
Height: N/A
Weight: N/A
Eyes: N/A
Hair: N/A
First Appearance: Detective Comics #469 (May 1977)
Created By: Steve Englehart

Thorne was a corrupt politician being blackmailed by Doctor Phosphorus into turning the city against Batman. After Phosphorus was defeated, Thorne persuaded his fellow city councillors to declare Batman an outlaw. He attempted to gain complete control of Gotham City by becoming Mayor of the city. Learning that Professor Hugo Strange knew Batman's secret identity, he captured and tortured him to make him divulge it. Strange resisted, however, and apparently died in the process. Even though he had the body disposed of, Thorne was literally haunted by strange visions and sounds of Strange taunting him.

After failing in his campaign against Batman and spending some time in hiding, he secretly returned to Gotham. He got the corrupt Hamilton Hill elected as Mayor, and then had his puppet fire Police Commissioner James Gordon in favour of Peter Pauling, who was on Thorne's payroll. Thorne finally identified Bruce Wayne as Batman after acquring photos of him changing costume from reporter Vicki Vale. Thorne then hired Deadshot to kill Wayne. Deadshot was unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Thorne was still haunted by the ghost of Hugo Strange, and it was eventually revealed that Strange had faked his death and tormented Thorne with experiments designed to simulate ghostly experiences. Thorne became convinced that Hill and Pauling were plotting against him and trying to drive him insane. Thorne killed Pauling but was eventually apprehended by Batman.

Thorne was shown incarcerated in Blackgate Penitentiary when Doctor Phosphorus made an attempt on his life, one that was prevented by Batman.