Lawrence Loman, a.k.a. the Squid is a Chinese crimeboss in Gotham City. He takes control of the underworld and almost succeeds in defeating the Batman on several occasions. He was a short, fat, cartoonish character that talked with a speech impediment.
History
The Squid first appeared in Detective Comics #497 where the ruthless mobster and his gang stole a satchel full of important documents that Batman eventually recovers. Batman is wounded in the process, and the Squid trails him and tries to kill him without success.
After the downfall of Rupert Thorne and Tony Falco, the Squid returned and was poised to fill the power vacuum in Gotham's underworld left by the fall of Thorne and Falco, setting up a hideout in an old warehouse near the piers, where he and his gang had prepared to make their comeback to Gotham City. Soon, the Squid gained an unlikely allegiance from the villain Killer Croc. Initially, Croc was content to work a protection racket for the Squid at the visiting Sloan Circus but he soon wanted more. The Squid, meanwhile, was able to capture a giant squid which he named "Gertrude", which he kept in a huge aquarium in his hideout, usually feeding his rivals to it. In an attempt to gain control of the Gotham underworld, he and his crew succeeded in capturing Batman and nearly feeding him to Gertude. Batman was able to barely escape from the tank with his life. After witnessing Batman's escape from Getrude, Killer Croc sauntered away, informing the Squid that "this outfit smells of loser."
The Squid was furious, grabbing and shaking Croc by the lapels of his jacket and knocking off his hat to reveal red eyes and reptilian green flesh. "NOBODY touches Croc, little man," he snarled. "Especially not a five-cent hood like you." Croc's sharp eyes spotted the concealed Dark Knight as he made his exit but he kept his silence. Returning later in the night, Croc aimed a high-powered rifle at the Squid and finally stops the oriental menace by shooting him from a rooftop. Looking down at the fallen Squid, Killer Croc smiled. "Like I said -- NOBODY threatens Croc".
The Squid survived despite his grave injuries, and eventually recovered. He continued his criminal activities in Gotham, secretly still maintaining a hold on the city's underworld.
The Squid returned in the 52 storyline, as he is one of the organized crime figures recruited by Intergang boss Bruno "Ugly" Mannheim during Intergang's rise to power in Gotham City.
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