The Suicide Squad features a large ensemble of obscure and eclectic DC villains, including the aptly named and oddly outfitted Polka-Dot Man, who wields mysterious powers. Played in the movie by David Dastmalchian, Polka-Dot Man joins Weasel, Ratcatcher 2, Captain Boomerang, Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker, and the rest of the eponymous squad in the battle against Starro. A few of those names are a bit better known, but most will be brand-new to anyone not intimately familiar with the stranger corners of DC lore.
Polka-Dot Man, real name Abner Krill, was first introduced as a Batman villain in the early 1960s. Krill was a minor criminal in Gotham, taken primarily to small crimes and robberies, who succeeded via a high-tech suit he constructed for himself. Covered in dots of various sizes and colors, the costume looked harmless enough. However, each dot could be fired off of the suit as a projectile, and once they were airborne, they would transform into all manner of weapons and gadgets. Flying Buzzsaws, flashbang grenades, and even getaway vehicles could all be summoned by firing the correct dot, all of which were controlled by Polka-Dot Man’s belt.
It’s a ridiculous concept for a ridiculous villain who’s never done much of note in the DC universe, and now it’s being brought to live action. From what’s been seen in the trailers, it appears that The Suicide Squad’s version of Polka-Dot Man has similar powers to his comic book counterpart. Revealed footage shows him firing dots off of his costume to strike foes from a distance, suggesting that his powers are still tied to the suit itself. This time, though, the villain has what appear to be some high-tech gauntlets to go along with his belt, which glow when firing off dots. No major dot transformations have been revealed as of yet, which could mean Polka-Dot Man’s powers have been toned down a bit, and that the dots won't be much more than fancy bullets.
Hopefully, the inherent ridiculousness of The Suicide Squad will mean some of Polka Dot Man’s more baffling comics abilities will also get to come out. His flying saucer dot, for instance, which does exactly what it sounds like it does, would be funny to see in the middle of a giant, bloody battle against Starro. Or maybe the film will introduce some new super-dots just as odd and unexpected as the ones from the comics.
In all likelihood, The Suicide Squad will do little to justify Polka-Dot Man’s ‘60s sci-fi superpowers beyond a couple of jokes. Some characters in the film have even more bizarre powers, like T.D.K. – who can make his limbs fall off – and Weasel, who is a giant weasel. In a world with those other characters, a suit covered in high-tech expanding projectiles doesn’t seem so strange. It should be fun to see Polka-Dot Man showing off all his quirky powers on the big screen when The Suicide Squad releases.
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June 23, 2021 at 12:23AM
