Waylon Jones was born in a poor section of Tampa, Florida, to a mother who died in childbirth, and a father who abandoned him. He arrived in the world with a condition which resembled epidermolytic hyperkeratosis, which was a serious skin disorder that had him covered in scales. It was later revealed that what Jones actually had was a form of regressive atavism, which meant that he’d inherited traits of ancestral species of humanity like reptiles. His inherited condition was then greatly amplified by being born with the metagene. So in addition to his physical deformity, he had great strength and endurance as well.
But Jones was not raised in a loving home, having been taken in by his aunt, who was an abusive alcoholic who resented having to care for him. Fleeing from his abusive environment after murdering his aunt in a fit of rage, he found work as an alligator wrestler in a sideshow carnival with the nickname Killer Croc. Tired of being gawked at and mocked by the carnival patrons, he then ran off to Gotham City, to begin a life of crime. He quickly rose to the status of one of Gotham’s premiere criminal bosses, an astonishing achievement given that Croc was never very smart, and actually had below average intelligence. He eventually crossed paths with the Batman, and when he ultimately defeated Croc, he was soon placed in Arkham Asylum. But this encounter began a long simmering animosity for the Caped Crusader.
Like most of Batman’s most notorious adversaries however, Croc would escape from Arkham again and again, and always, he’d be defeated and be sent back, even more humiliated. Each time this happened, he became more angry and monstrous, with his actions matching his appearance, and he went on several murderous crime sprees. Like the crocodiles of urban legend, he eventually found a home in the sewers of Gotham City. In addition to becoming an enemy of the Batman, Croc also found himself at odds with the criminal mastermind named Bane, who once broke both of his arms as a way of demonstrating his strength. For a time, he lived in the bayous of Louisiana with the elemental known as the Swamp Thing.
