Vernon Blake

Vernon Blake
General Information
First Appearance:	Batman: The Enemy Within: The Enigma
Affiliations:	The Agency Iman Avesta Agent Patrick Mario Fernandaz
Abilities:	Tactical Espionage Investigation & Tracking Firearm proficiency
Portrayed by:	Christian Lanz

Special Agent Vernon Blake is a minor character in Batman: The Enemy Within. A member of The Agency, he, along with his partner Iman Avesta, were tasked by their superior, Amanda Waller, to track down the Riddler. After being caught by the criminal, Blake's fate can be determined by the choices made by Batman.

Biography

Vernon Blake's history is currently unknown. However, he had been working for the Agency for some time and was partnered with Iman Avesta to capture the Riddler. It's possible that Blake was one of the people that chased the criminal down to Sudan, but was unable to capture him. Eventually, after learning about the criminal's arrival in Gotham, Blake, along with Waller, Avesta and approximately twenty more agents, followed him, in the hopes that they would finally capture him.

Batman: The Enemy Within

The Enigma

Blake was one of the first agents to arrive on the scene of Riddler's attack on the Virago casino, incapacitating three of the criminal's men with his stun pistol. He, along with Avesta, helped Waller gather the men at the casino. When introduced to Batman, he simply just greeted him, but otherwise said nothing during the meeting.

The next morning, Blake and Avesta came to talk to Bruce Wayne about "John Doe", a person of interest in a case that they were working on. As Lucuis Fox left to investigate something, Blake took notice of the briefcase he was holding. He and Avesta asked Bruce a series of questions about the time they had been at Arkham. Blake also backed her when she made accusations against the billionaire about being a criminal, due to his ties to so-called "supervillians" like Lady Arkham, Two-Face and the Penguin. When the Evacuation alarm sounded, they left, promising to continue this at another time.

Nearly two weeks later, Blake and Avesta managed to track down the Riddler through the port logs. However, rather than call for back up, they decided to try and capture him, only to be caught by the criminal and placed in a death trap. When Batman tried to rescue them, he was caught after freeing Avesta. With the Riddler eager to test Batman's apparent rule to not kill, asked the vigilante to answer three simple riddles, but doing so would blast the vigilante and Iman with a ultrasonic blast and possibly kill her. Depending on how Batman answers the questions, Blake is either executed by Riddler or survives the ordeal and later freed by the GCPD. If the former occurs, his death is blamed onto Commissioner James Gordon by Waller and the Agency.

The Pact

The following only occurs if Batman was able to save Blake:

Blake is present when a series of explosions rock Gotham City. He, along with a number of other agents, also investigate GothCorp. Depending on whether the Agency or GCPD is called, Blake will either come to rescue Batman or meet with him after a conversation with Commissioner Gordon. He will tell the vigilante about Avesta's condition and voices his concern that he was responsible for her injuries. Regardless of whether he called Gordon or Waller, he will ask him to work with the Agency closely, implying that they may see consequences from Waller if he doesn't.

Same Stitch

The following happens only if John Doe has become the Vigilante Joker.

After patching himself up, Blake is one of the people Batman can consider calling for information, but decides against it, due him either dying at Riddler's hands or the vigilante believing he will likely still be loyal to Waller.

Personality

Not much is known about Blake's personality, but he seemed to be very reserved and quiet. He seemed to expect the worst out of other people, even believing that Bruce Wayne would not cooperate when he and Avesta interrogated him. He seemed to have faith in the Agency, following Waller's orders without question and, whilst held captive by the Riddler, believed that they would find him. However, Blake seemed to care about those closest to him and take responsibility for actions, even if they were out of his control.

Relationships

Iman Avesta

It seemed that Blake and Avesta had a very good relationship. If he dies at the Riddler's hands, she would be left devastated. If Iman loses her hearing, he would blame himself for her condition, having talked her into helping him arrest the criminal. It is unknown whether he had been aware of her disillusionment with the Agency or whether he shared these beliefs, but it is possible they were not as close to share this information.

Bruce Wayne/Batman

When he and Batman first meet at the casino, they seem to have a neutral relationship. When he and Iman go to Wayne Tower, he seems to have no particular feelings toward Bruce Wayne. After Batman saves him, he seems to respect him and gives him an update on Avesta's condition. However, if he chose not to call Waller, he would warn the vigilante about her actions and tell him to stay on her good side. If Batman created the "Vigilante Joker", it is unknown whether Blake would have be willing to arrest the vigilante or help him avoid Waller's wrath.

Trivia

• Blake's name could be a reference to Robin John Blake, a member of the GCPD and an ally to Batman in The Dark Knight Rises.
• On the Riddler's computer, Blake is listed as "Patrick Blake". This is either an error made by the criminal, an oversight by the developers or a hint to something about Blake.
• Though Blake does possibly appear in several scenes of What Ails You and Same Stitch, he does not speak nor is his voice actor, Christian Lanz, credited as for the role. It's possible that his model is reused for another agent, as opposed to the character making an appearance.