List of DC Comics characters: C

Rex Calabrese, nicknamed "The Lion", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He debuted in Batman Eternal #14 during "The New 52" and was created by James Tynion IV, Scott Snyder, Ray Fawkes, John Layman, Tim Seeley, and Jason Fabok.

Calabrese is a mob boss operating in Gotham City prior to Batman's times and wore sharp teeth dentures to evoke his namesake. After Jim Gordon was incarcerated at Blackgate Penitentiary for a crime that he did not commit by Lincoln March, he is visited by Batman as Gordon tells him about Calabrese and how he knew he would not stay on top forever. Gordon would later discover that his cellmate is Calabrese who was arrested under the alias of "Leo Leone". Using his lion-like dentures, he saves Gordon from one of Carmine Falcone's men. Afterwards, Calabrese mentioned to Jim that his daughter grew up without a father and only helped to protect any prison guards who had daughters of their own from going through the same thing that his daughter went through. As Falcone is taken out of Blackgate to be extradited to Hong Kong, he warns that Calabrese will take Gotham City for himself again.

A female nine-year-old messenger of Calabrese approaches Catwoman and leads her to Blackgate Penitentiary to meet him. Upon arrival, Calabrese reveals to Catwoman and he is her father and would like her to unify the crime families of Gotham City. He states to her that whatever last name she has, she can still enforce the natural order.

After the death of Jade McKillen, Catwoman visits Calabrese in Blackgate Penitentiary where she wants to make use of his contacts to help her unify the crime families of Gotham City.

Calabrese later speaks to Gordon stating how he knows that he is innocent of the crime that he was framed for. With Calabrese offering to get him out of Blackgate, Gordon declines and states that he'll use the system that failed him to legitimately get him out earlier.

Selina Kyle later visits Calabrese claiming that he is behind certain black market deals regarding big items. While Calabrese has no knowledge of this and would never endanger her, Selina tells her that he should help her find out who is really behind the black market deals. He does so by dispatching an informant to procure the manifest of the items in question. Seeing the items that were bound for Joker's Daughter, Mr. Freeze, and Scarecrow, Calabrese states that whoever is behind these sales are giving them to Gotham City's worst criminals.

As Jason Bard, Harvey Bullock, and Maggie Sawyer work to get Jim Gordon through the prison riot, Calabrese claims that Penguin called the hit on Gordon and was the cause of the riot.

Rex Calabrese appears in The Penguin, portrayed by Louis Cancelmi. This version is a gangster from Oz Cobb's youth who moonlighted as a revered community figure and knew Oz's family.