Roger Hayden

"Don't worry, Doctor. Everything is as it should be. The stage is set. Worlds will live. Worlds will die. And the universe will never be the same."

—Roger Hayden to John Deegan^[src]

Roger Hayden, also known as Psycho Pirate, is an inmate at Arkham Asylum. He briefly escaped during the Elseworlds event, but was eventually captured by Batwoman and incarcerated again, next to John Deegan.

In an erased future, Roger was an individual connected to the night of the Flash's disappearance in 2024.

Biography

Original multiverse

Arkham Asylum

When Oliver Queen and John Diggle found John Deegan, he escaped by opening all inmates' cell doors, creating a distraction. When Roger got out of the building, he hit Barry with a large candy cane and rode in the car stolen by his accomplice, but was stopped short by Batwoman. Roger was apprehended once more and brought back to his cell.^[1]

After Deegan was admitted in Arkham Asylum, Roger made friends with him, and he somehow knew and stated that the universe will never be the same as a result of worlds living and worlds dying.^[2]

Anti-Monitor Crisis

During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, Roger Hayden as well as everyone in the multiverse except for the seven Paragons, was killed in an antimatter wave by the Anti-Monitor on December 10, 2019,^[3] only to be restored a month later, after the Paragons and the Spectre created a new universe.^[4]

New multiverse

Possessed by the mask

At some point, Hayden stole the mask from the Kahndaqi Embassy, giving him powers and making him insane in the process. He began a criminal career and eventually was imprisoned in Arkham Asylum. After his imprisonment, the Asylum took the mask to storage and later gave it to the Central City Museum.^[5]

Erased future

Roger Hayden was involved in the events of 2024, when the Flash battled the Reverse-Flash before disappearing from the timeline. He was arrested afterwards (presumably for criminal activity of some sort), and claimed to have the ability to remember the events of that night in the way they were supposed to happen, while many others have claimed contradicting versions of the events (whether the Flash was assisted by Supergirl and the Atom, or a team of the Green Arrow, Batwoman, and the Elongated Man). Psycho Pirate claimed multiversal awareness, speaking that the crisis event resulted in whole worlds living and dying. The research of his account continued 25 years later.^[6]

It is unknown if this timeline still exists, as the date of the event was changed to 2019 when Team Flash destroyed Cicada's dagger.^[7]

Personality

"Finally, the inmates are running the asylum."

—Roger Hayden^[src]

Roger is a deranged, insane individual rightfully belonging to Arkham Asylum. He seized the chance to escape given to him by John Deegan, attacked multiple people, and tried to steal a vehicle. After being placed back to Arkham, he ended up in a cell near the now transformed Deegan. Roger spoke with him, trying to make friends, while speaking of a coming multiversal crisis.

Powers and abilities

Former powers

• Powers via mask: When wearing the mask, Roger is a host to the mask entity and draws all of his power from it.
  • Pathokinesis: Roger is able to use his powers of empathy to make other individuals feel what he wants them to feel.

Alternate timeline powers

• Multiversal awareness: Roger was aware of the multiverse and grave consequences for it as a result of the Crisis.^[6] As of late 2018, as seen following the Monitor's test of Earth-1, he implied that he already had this ability, as he stated after the Elseworlds reality was erased that the universe would never be the same after what was coming.^[2]
• Temporal awareness: Roger claimed to be able to remember the events of the crisis despite conflicting accounts presumably caused by timeline alterations.^[6]

Abilities

• Stealth: Roger was able to sneak up behind Barry Allen and Cisco Ramon, even with the former having the reflexes as Green Arrow, without being noticed.^[1]

Equipment

Original multiverse

"What the hell are you supposed to be?"

—Cisco Ramon to Roger Hayden^[src]

• Psycho Pirate mask: Roger uses this as his villainous alter ego, Psycho Pirate.^[1]
• Candy cane: Roger used a large candy cane to knock down Green Arrow.

New multiverse

Former equipment

• Medusa Mask: Roger Hayden stole the mask from the Khandaqi Embassy and after he was taken down it went into storage at Arkham Asylum.^[5]

Appearances

The Flash

Season 5

• "Nora" (name seen)

Season 7

• "Masquerade" (pictured)

Arrow

Season 7

• "Elseworlds, Part 2"

Supergirl

Season 4

• "Elseworlds, Part 3"

Behind the scenes

• In the DC comics, Psycho-Pirate is a supervillain who wears a Medusa Mask that can manipulate the emotions of others. His first appearance in the comics was Showcase #56.
  • Hayden played a pivotal role during the Crisis in Infinite Earths, in which he was granted part of the Anti-Monitor's power, allowing him multiversal and temporal awareness. This became the character's most defining feature, allowing him to see various "forgotten" variations of timelines and universes in DC's omniverse.
  • Hayden was originally planned to appear in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, but there was not time for another character.^[8]
• The Medusa Mask, associated with the character of Roger Hayden, was seen as one of the artifacts in Jasper Winters' millhouse.

References