 Anarky is a fictional character , appearing in comic books published by DC Comics . Co @-@ created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle , he first appeared in Detective Comics No. 608 ( November 1989 ) , as an adversary of Batman . Introduced as Lonnie Machin , a child prodigy with knowledge of radical philosophy and driven to overthrow governments to improve social conditions , stories revolving around Anarky often focus on political and philosophical themes . The character , who is named after the philosophy of anarchism , primarily espouses anti @-@ statism ; however , multiple social issues have been addressed through the character , including environmentalism , antimilitarism , economic inequality , and political corruption . Inspired by multiple sources , early stories featuring the character often included homages to political and philosophical books , and referenced anarchist philosophers and theorists . The inspiration for the creation of the character and its early development was based in Grant 's personal interest in anti @-@ authoritarian philosophy and politics . However , when Grant himself transitioned to the philosophy of Neo @-@ Tech , developed by Frank R. Wallace , he shifted the focus of Anarky from a vehicle for socialist and populist philosophy , to rationalist , atheist , and free market thinking . 
