When Lex Luthor and Cobblepot met and locked eyes, they suddenly had a premonition that the other might be very much like themselves.
This similarity did not refer to their backgrounds or the resources they controlled, but to their minds and personalities. In other words, they were both born psychopaths.
People with antisocial personalities shared many traits. That cold, cruel, irritable air could not be concealed by any outward appearance. When two killers met, they could always find resonance in each other's souls at first sight.
To some extent, people like them could be called the opposite of believers in inherent human goodness. Many of them did not become psychopaths because of childhood trauma or psychological scars. They had been born that way and could not be saved.
Cobblepot had been doing fairly well lately. He had become Alberto's right-hand man and risen steadily through the ranks of the Twelve Families. It was foreseeable that once Alberto truly became the next godfather, Cobblepot would be able to carve his surname into the Twelve Families.
Emotionally, he had grown close to the people at the vocational school. He had also taken in all the children of Gotham, satisfying his desire for power while studying under Victor. Victor was like a father to him, constantly guiding and educating him.
But as mentioned before, Cobblepot had gained a better life. He had teachers and friends, and a bright future he could foresee. Yet that had not made him sunny or lively. He remained gloomy and indifferent, lacking sympathy for others and able to derive pleasure from violence and controlling people.
This kind of personality did not change with one's external circumstances. Anywhere outside Gotham, the best place for him would have been a mental hospital. But in Gotham, this illness could not be