What if comic book characters held their own Squid Game? Would they give out prizes at the end, or would it conclude with disappointment and (worse) death? For example, the Viltrumites' contest would be a challenge of strength, with the prize being the ability to continue living. With that in mind, here are ten comic book characters who would (for better or worse) run a Squid Game competition.
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven would make this a tournament to see who’s worthy to fight him, but mask this as something for money. This would probably infuriate the winner. Depending on who won determines if this works in Kraven's or his opponent's favor.
Catwoman
Catwoman would be interesting because no one would die because of her. Instead, there’s a likelihood that you’d be arrested for theft. Why? Because this wouldn’t be anything official.
Catwoman would be training the next generation of cat burglars like she did in Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War. In the end, there wouldn’t be a prize, but you’d gain skills that would keep you rich forever.
Arcade
Before there was a Squid Game, Arcade was having people play games and ride rides like rollercoasters and carousels for his amusement (normally mutants). Sadly, there was no prize. It was life or death in an amusement park designed to kill you. There was also the one time in Avengers Academy where Arcade held it on an island like a murder version of Survivor, and the time in X-Factor where he booby-trapped Mutant Town.
Regardless of the theme, there was no cash prize. The only thing you won was the gift of life if you escaped.
Joker
You’d think the Clown Prince of Crime's Squid Game theme would be something like a circus or playing cards. But, having all of his prisoners play games that relate to Batman would be funnier. Why would he do that? Because he’s the most obsessive comic book character ever. So why wouldn’t he have his victims play games that involve the Dark Knight and members of his family?
Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy’s game wouldn’t be for willing participants. She’d force the worst polluters to go through the same thing the plants they kill go through. Or maybe it would just be a deadly maze with killer greenery. So, more of a torture chamber than a game, but people would still watch.
Wonder Woman
While Ivy’s would be about punishment, Diana’s would be about building people up. Her contest would be physically grueling and mentally strenuous. However, anyone competing would come out of it a better person. Not just for going through it. Wonder Woman would leave everyone with words of wisdom that they’d never forget.
Riddler
Because Edward Nygma strikes me as someone who would change the theme after each game and base it on popular events. Some would be mythical (like in Batman: The Animated Series: If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?) or real moments that shaped the world, like Feudal Japan or the Roman Empire. The best part is he’d actually pay the person who won. However, everyone else would die.
Loki
Sadly, no one has any chance of winning Loki’s game, and there would be no prize. The only question is if he’d lie and say there was. And, if you did survive the frost giants, dark elves, and random magical traps, there would be some small print that says you won’t win anything. On top of that, you’d be stuck somewhere in the Nine Realms with no chance of getting home.
Mad Hatter
We’ve seen him use his Mad Hatter-themed bases in DC Comics, Batman: The Animated Series, and Arkham Knight. It was creepy then, and it would be more so as a game. No one needs to see a dirty version of Alice in Wonderland because Jervis Tetch is a weirdo.
Mephisto
If Mephisto were going to host a game, the goal would be to win your soul back. In order to win, you’d have to do unspeakable things. Unfortunately, if you completed your tasks, you’d probably damn yourself, thus losing your soul to Mephisto again.
Scarecrow
Have you played Arkham Knight or seen what happens when people are hit with Scarecrow’s fear toxin? That would be Jonathan Crane’s entire game. He’d spray his gas, watch you lose your mind as you hallucinate, and observe what happens. In the end, he’d say your prize was the gift of surviving and overcoming your fears.
Mr. Sinister
Nathaniel Essex’s contest would be a tribute to himself. Everything involved would look like him, be an exact clone, or a bastardized version of the X-Men. It would be sick, depraved, and leave you scarred for life. And, to top it off, he’d steal your DNA in the process.
Iron Man
This is the only one on the list that would be fun and (relatively) safe. Tony Stark gives the contestants a chance to win money by reenacting battles that Earth's Mightiest Heroes fought. You could be fighting Loki with the original Avengers, battling Norman Osborn in the Siege of Asgard, or Captain America leading a charge like in Fear Itself. But the one thing that remains consistent is that Tony would be by your side. That is, until the end, where you fight him in the Civil War arena.
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