Comics character
Bruno "Ugly" Mannheim is a supervillain appearing American comic books published by DC Comics. He is an Intergang crime boss who is the son of Moxie Mannheim and one of Superman's enemies.[1]
Chad L. Coleman portrays Mannheim in the third season of Superman & Lois.
Publication history
The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #139 (July 1971) and was created by Jack Kirby.[2]
Fictional character biography
Pre-Crisis
Bruno Mannheim is a member of Intergang working under the clone of Morgan Edge. He is also the son of Moxie "Boss" Mannheim. Mannheim and his minions kidnap Guardian, Goody Rickels, and the Newsboy Legion and has them eat a meal laced with pyro-granulate. After letting them go, Bruno states that they will burn up in 24 hours. Guardian forced Bruno Mannheim into giving up the antidote for the pyro-granulate enabling him to save himself, Jimmy Olsen, and Goody Rickels as wells as the Newsboy Legion.[3]
Post-Crisis
In the Post-Crisis, Bruno Mannheim is a member of Intergang. While Superman was dealing with a storm, Mannheim called a meeting with the Intergang council of war where they need to find a way to discredit Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Cat Grant before Morgan Edge's trial.[4]
Mannheim and Intergang collaborate with Toyman when using Apokoliptian technology in his revenge on Lex Luthor. When Mannheim complains that Toyman is going to attract attention to him, Toyman urges Mannheim to stay out of his affairs.[5]
During the "Infinite Crisis" storyline, Mannheim become one of Metropolis' most powerful gangsters and the leader of the Intergang.[6]
Since his return in the miniseries 52, he claims now to have been "reborn" thanks to the New God Darkseid, and to have become a psychopath. During Week 25, now a devoted worshipper of crime itself, he has Intergang follow "The Crime Bible" of which the original copy is bound by the stone with which Cain killed Abel. He is also been shown to now be a cannibal, killing and then eating those whom do not submit to (or simply do not immediately join) Intergang like he did with Mirage. Bruno Mannheim later abducted Kite Man, Lamelle, Rawson, Sewer King, and Squid in order to get them to join Intergang. Some of them turned him down and were killed as a result.[7]
Over the course of the series, he comes into conflict with Renee Montoya, Nightwing and the new Batwoman, whom he wishes to sacrifice. As of Week 48, Mannheim has captured Batwoman and has her bound and gagged to a sacrificial altar, stabbing her through the heart shortly thereafter. When Montoya arrives and rescues her lover, Batwoman rips Mannheim's knife out of her own chest and impales him in the back, seemingly fatally. This is during Mannheim's attempt to turn Gotham into a miniature replica of Apokolips. Batwoman survives her injuries.[8]
Superman encounters him several weeks later, mutated to be several stories tall. Before teleporting away, he states that Darkseid is not his master anymore. Based on that comment, someone else is behind Intergang's recent activity.[9]
In Gotham Underground, Bruno Mannheim and Intergang were involved in a gang war with Tobias Whale.[10]
The New 52
In 2011, The New 52 rebooted the DC universe. Bruno Mannheim was seen as a member of Intergang at the time when Gotham City fell to the Religion of Crime.[11]
DC Rebirth
In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called DC Rebirth which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". Bruno Mannheim was informed by two of his men that the attack on "Author X" has failed. He throws the two men into the swimming pool and electrifies it.[12] Lois and Jon visit Cora Benning's office and find a note stating that she was taken by Intergang. While leaving the office, the three of them encounter Bruno Mannheim in the hall who claims that he is asking for directions. Lois thinks to herself that Mannheim is trying to get her to lower her guard.[13]
