(Marco):
98-516: Weather Wizard (Mark Mardon) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . Weather Wizard made his first live-action appearance in the television specials Legends of the Superheroes (1979), played by Jeff Altman . The character latter appeared in the television series The Flash , played by actor Liam McIntyre , who played Mark Mardon. He appeared in
196-447: A domino mask and either a green unitard decorated with question mark prints or a green suit and bowler hat . A black, green, or purple question mark serves as his visual motif. He commonly says "Riddle me this," before stating his iconic riddles. The Riddler has been adapted into numerous forms of media, having been portrayed in live action by Frank Gorshin and John Astin on the 1960s television series Batman , Jim Carrey in
294-471: A serial killer surfaces on the streets of Gotham City, the Riddler homes in on closing the case, only to find that the killer is actually one of his former victims out for revenge. The young man, whose girlfriend was caught in the crossfire of a gunfight between Nigma's gang and security guards, captures Riddler and attempts to kill him, but Batman intervenes just in time and saves his former foe's life. In
392-416: A "big-time villain" by a prostitute he meets on a bus. He hijacks the bus and begins asking riddles, killing and robbing anyone that gets them wrong. Question quickly subdues him by asking him philosophical riddles in return. He is outwitted and has a mental breakdown before being set free as a reward for getting one last riddle right. In the one-shot "Riddler: The Riddle Factory", the Riddler becomes
490-548: A big scheme shortly before Cluemaster's apparent death in the pages of The Suicide Squad . The Riddler once had two henchwomen named Query and Echo (real names Diedre Vance and Nina Damfino respectively) who first appeared in Detective Comics Annual Issue #8, July 1995. Once employees of an underground club called Pandora's Box, became a duo biker gang robbing small convenience stores. One night, as they were attempting to rob another store, they forced
588-404: A booby-trapped glass maze on a pier, sealing the door so they could not leave the structure before it exploded, only for Batman and Robin to escape and the Riddler "vanishing" after getting knocked into the sea by the explosion, leaving only his trademark "?" floating in the water. Riddler's origin is the same as his Golden Age counterpart. The first Silver Age appearance of the Riddler introduced
686-521: A carnival employee who excelled at cheating his customers out of their money with his bizarre puzzles and mind games. He soon finds himself longing for greater challenges and thrills and dons the disguise of the "Riddler" to challenge Batman , believing him to be a worthy adversary. In his first encounter with the Dynamic Duo, Riddler first tried to confound the crime-fighters with his infamous double-entry Riddle Clues and then tried to kill them both in
784-447: A contest will be held over who can solve a puzzle the fastest, Nigma sets his sights on winning this, craving the glory and satisfaction that will come with the victory. He breaks into the school at night to practice the puzzle until he is able to solve it in under a minute. Due to this he wins the contest and is given a book of riddles as a prize. His cheating rewarded, Edward embraced the mastery of puzzles of all kinds, eventually becoming
882-480: A customer at gunpoint to surrender the goods, not knowing it was the Riddler who was about to start his criminal career. Seeing their potential, he hired the bikers and ultimately became Query and Echo (although some iterations include Quiz and Query). Aside from their matching outfits (mostly unitards with fishnet leggings) and non-distinctive personalities, they differ in hair color and skin tone. Query has lighter skin, long blonde hair, and often wears what looks like
980-537: A fanatic narcissist , egocentrism , and megalomania crossed with severe obsessive compulsion ". Like most of Batman's enemies (and Batman himself), the Riddler has no superhuman abilities but is a highly cunning criminal strategist. He is not especially talented in fisticuffs (although his endurance has grown from having to engage in it over the years), but sometimes employs weaponry that exploits his gimmick, such as exploding jigsaw pieces, question-mark-shaped pistols, and his infamous question-mark staff, known to house
1078-581: A fancy restaurant, under Dick's covert surveillance. Dick admits that Riddler is indeed on a path of recovery, but must still be watched. After washing up in the men's room, Riddler sees a gossip show on closed-circuit television, showcasing a plainclothes Harley getting into a car with Hush disguised as Bruce Wayne. He then calls Selina and tells her to turn on her television. Sometime later, Riddler arrives at his office to find his secretary bound and gagged at her desk, with Harley, Ivy, and Selina waiting in his office. The women tell him that they are being framed for
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#17327830894951176-481: A police cap. Echo has darker skin and short black hair. They exhibit great agility and combat skills. After several issues, Query and Echo have since made little appearances and brief mentions in both the comics and other mediums. As one of Batman 's most famed and popular adversaries, a number of alternate universes in DC Comics publications allow writers to introduce variations on the Riddler that are not part of
1274-484: A pool of his own blood, Riddler rose to his feet and limped out of the office, seemingly unfazed. Edward quickly healed from the wound, carving a question marked shaped scar over the wound, before murdering Dr. Jaime Knowles. Riddler is then seen meeting with Poison Ivy, discussing the Joker's need to rid anyone who could potentially kill Batman before him. The duo is then ambushed by gunmen working for Carmine Falcone under
1372-414: A priceless scroll out from under Batman's nose. In the years that followed, he largely turned away from crime to instead focus on gaining wealth and social influence. After orchestrating a brutal series of assaults on Green Arrow , as revenge against his defeat at his hands during the " No Man's Land " era, Riddler gravely injures and almost kills both Green Arrow and Arsenal . He once again escapes before
1470-426: A series of issues written by veteran Batman writer Paul Dini , the Riddler returns, having spent much of the previous year in a coma due to brain damage after being struck in the head by Shining Knight . When he awakes, he is cured of his insanity and of his obsession with riddles, while retaining both his genius intellect and his mammoth ego. He subsequently reinvents himself as a private detective, taking on
1568-566: A storybook theme park. During the Riddler's last pre-Crisis appearance, the villain was released from prison (along with most of Batman's other enemies) by Ra's al Ghul . Each villain is offered ten million dollars to kill Batman. In Batman: The Long Halloween , the Riddler appears as an informant. The Riddler is hired by Carmine "The Roman" Falcone to tell him the identity of the Holiday Killer . Falcone eventually loses his patience with Riddler and has his daughter throw him out on
1666-634: A vital clue that he used a Lazarus Pit without his permission, and the League of Assassins would subsequently retaliate against him. The fallout from the Riddler's failed scheme is played out in Batman: Gotham Knights #50-53. In the story "Pushback", Hush reappears and beats Riddler senseless across a rooftop. Seeking refuge, Riddler goes to the Joker and the Penguin. He offers to tell the Joker who had killed his pregnant wife Jeannie if
1764-455: A way normal humans cannot. Other traits may include megalomania and possession of considerable resources to further their aims. Many supervillains share some typical characteristics of real-world dictators , gangsters , mad scientists , trophy hunters , corrupt businesspeople , serial killers , and terrorists , often having an aspiration of world domination . The Joker , Lex Luthor , Doctor Doom , Magneto , Brainiac , Deathstroke ,
1862-586: A weather-manipulating wand and become a criminal. After Barry Allen's death in Crisis on Infinite Earths , the Weather Wizard retires for a time before returning during Underworld Unleashed . Weather Wizard joined up with Blacksmith and her rogues. Through her, he learns he has a son from a one-night stand with Keystone City police officer Julie Jackham. Their son, Josh, had exhibited internalized weather-controlling abilities and Mardon wanted to have
1960-448: A wide variety of technological devices and weapons. Still, his theme is flexible to his crimes, compared to similar criminals: all the Riddler requires is to be able to describe his threatened crime with a riddle or puzzle. Riddler once tried to commit crimes without leaving any clues using self hypnosis; however, he learned too late that while he was asleep his unconscious mind left riddling clues, causing Batman and Robin to capture him. He
2058-582: A young woman introduced as Enigma , Riddler's daughter. Riddler and Enigma escape, delivering the Jade Society member list to Gilda Dent. Riddler is paid but is more interested in another reward, which Gilda promises after one more job. This occurs in "Pieces", where Gilda reveals herself to her estranged husband Harvey, who is now the disfigured criminal Two-Face . She hires Riddler and Enigma to help Two-Face best Mario Falcone and reclaim his coin. The plan works; Riddler and Enigma defeat Batman and reunite
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#17327830894952156-519: Is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . The character was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang , and debuted in Detective Comics #140 in October 1948. He has become one of the most enduring enemies of the superhero Batman and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery . In his comic book appearances, the Riddler
2254-423: Is a guest along with Bruce Wayne on board a ship during a party. During the party, an old friend of Bruce's falls overboard and is mauled to death by sharks. Riddler appears to solve the case with the suicide of the apparent murderer, and quickly takes the credit. However, Batman finds evidence that suicide was a setup to divert attention away from the real killer. Bruce suspects foul play, and eventually tracks down
2352-442: Is a socially awkward child seemingly without social contacts besides his father, who pushes him extremely harshly in his studies. He also regularly beats and humiliates Edward due to him being the shameful result of a short lived affair with a prostitute. When Edward fails to get a full score on a test that ends with an unrelated riddle, he is beaten and humiliated even more. Edward tries to commit suicide, fails, and instead sneaks into
2450-495: Is able to understand his lifelong obsession as born out of a traumatic compulsion to prove his intelligence. Having made this connection, the Riddler spends some of his vast fortunes, acquired over many years of crime, to get minor plastic surgery and extensive tattooing , covering most of his torso with his trademark question insignia. He returns and kills the codebreaker – who had pieced together his identity but could not act on it – then promptly steals
2548-520: Is apprehended, but only after Batman suspects Riddler went to great lengths to orchestrate the ordeal, including poisoning himself with a nearly lethal dose of Joker gas to skirt suspicion and act on a grudge between him and Blackspell. Riddler's return to villainy is cemented in "Eye of the Beholder". Investigating the Sensei 's attack on the Jade Society, Batman (Dick Grayson) is ambushed by Riddler and
2646-546: Is completely baffled that Batman is indeed there since he was only stalling for time until he thought of something, leading him to wonder if there truly is a Bat-signal in his cane (a panel during Riddler's "bluff" shows that there is indeed a Bat-signal in his cane, as a green question mark alongside a map shows up inside the Batmobile 's window). After the ordeal is over, the young writer hugs Riddler, thanking him for saving her life. Afterward, she and Riddler go out to dinner at
2744-533: Is depicted as a criminal mastermind in Gotham City . He has an obsessive compulsion to incorporate riddles , puzzles , and death traps in his schemes to prove his intellectual superiority over Batman and the police. His real name–Edward Nigma–is a pun itself; an "enigma" is a person or thing that is difficult to understand. With this self-conscious use of an elaborate gimmick , the Riddler's crimes are often theatrical and ostentatious. The character commonly wears
2842-436: Is easily defeated. This event helps lay the foundations for Riddler's future confrontations with Green Arrow. During a crisis caused when Wonder Woman 's Lasso of Truth was broken, resulting in the laws of truth breaking down and causing reality to be shaped by the perceptions of individuals, one of the symptoms was when Batman found himself unable to solve any of the Riddler's riddles but was nevertheless still able to defeat
2940-633: Is horrified to discover that they killed a child. Weather Wizard is one of the exiled villains featured in Salvation Run along with his fellow Rogues: Captain Cold , Heat Wave , Mirror Master , and Abra Kadabra . In Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge , Weather Wizard and the rest of the Rogues reject Libra 's offer, wanting to stay out of the game. Before they can retire, they hear of Inertia escaping and work together to kill him. Weather Wizard and
3038-581: Is next seen escaping Arkham Asylum during the worldwide supervillain breakout engineered by Alexander Luthor Jr. 's Secret Society of Super Villains days after the prior supernatural disaster. Riddler reappears as part of the Society's "Phase Three" attack on Metropolis . He is defeated by the Shining Knight and is struck in the head by the Knight's mace. In Detective Comics #822, the first of
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3136-416: Is revealed that Riddler suffers from cancer (specifically a brain tumor), which also afflicted the mother of Dr. Thomas Elliot . Riddler uses one of Ra's al Ghul 's Lazarus Pits to cure himself and offers Elliot the chance to cure his mother as well, provided he pays a large sum of money. However, Elliott is, in fact, eager for his mother to die to inherit her fortune. Elliott, who goes on to secretly become
3234-621: Is shown to be skilled with engineering and technology, having confronted Batman and Robin with unique and elaborate deathtraps. He is also well known for being Batman's most intelligent adversary and in turn, has a grudging respect for Batman, in that he is the only adversary that has an intellectual genius equal to the Riddler. However, the threat that Riddler actually poses is somewhat inconsistent across his various stories. His most formidable depictions emphasize his intelligence and cunning, portraying him as one of few rogues capable of seriously taxing Batman's mental prowess, while also willing to take
3332-430: Is sometimes found in comic books and may possess superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero . Supervillains are often used as foils to present a daunting challenge to a superhero. In instances where the supervillain does not have superhuman, mystical, or alien powers, the supervillain may possess a genius intellect or a skill set that allows them to draft complex schemes or commit crimes in
3430-528: Is there that he manipulates her into believing that some of Batman's most dangerous foes are after her. He has his henchmen employ several gimmicks and weapons used by the Scarecrow , Mr. Freeze and the Joker to achieve this. He hopes to extract Batman's real identity from her, but to his dismay, she actually does not know or care. The Riddler appears in The Question series, being convinced to become
3528-569: The Inspector Gadget animated series, Dr. Evil and Mr. Bigglesworth from the Austin Powers film series , or Dr. Blowhole from the animated TV series The Penguins of Madagascar . The overarching villain of Star Wars , Emperor Palpatine , leads the tyrannical Galactic Empire , and was inspired by real-world tyrannical leaders. Riddler The Riddler ( Edward Nigma , later Edward Nygma or Edward Nashton )
3626-460: The Cluemaster , although he initially resents the villain for seemingly copying his modus operandi . In their first encounter, he sets his fellow rogue up with a bomb and sends Batman off chasing riddles that would lead to its defusing, as well as away from his real plan: to steal a vast amount of priceless baseball merchandise. The two team up on a few occasions afterward and work together on
3724-814: The Golden Glider for an unknown plot. In Doomsday Clock , Weather Wizard and the Rogues are among the villains who meet with the Riddler to discuss the Superman Theory. Weather Wizard originally wields a wand that enables him to control weather patterns. Mark has utilized it to project blizzards, summon lightning bolts, fly via air currents, create fog, and generate winds. Essentially, he could produce any type of weather imaginable, as well as other phenomena such as tornadoes. Thanks to Inertia's 30th century psychological therapies, his mental blocks were permanently removed. Weather Wizard can now manipulate
3822-582: The Green Goblin , Loki , the Reverse-Flash , Black Manta , Ultron , Thanos , and Darkseid are some notable male comic book supervillains that have been adapted in film and television. Some notable female supervillains are Catwoman , Harley Quinn , Poison Ivy , Mystique , Hela , Viper , and the Cheetah . Just like superheroes, supervillains are sometimes members of groups, such as
3920-827: The Injustice League , the Sinister Six , the Legion of Doom , the Brotherhood of Mutants , the Suicide Squad , and the Masters of Evil . In the documentary A Study in Sherlock , writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss said they regarded Professor James Moriarty as a supervillain because he possesses genius-level intelligence and powers of observation and deduction, setting him above ordinary people to
4018-458: The Outsiders arrive to save them. Sometime between this incident and the events of Hush, Riddler was hired to steal artifacts imbued with mystical powers from one of Star City's museums, and then distract the authorities so that the related rituals could be commenced. He sends Team Arrow on a wild goose chase around the city and then reveals that he has an atomic bomb housed in the stadium where
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4116-533: The Rogues . In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called "DC Rebirth", which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". The Riddler makes his first true appearance in the new DC continuity relaunch in Batman (vol. 3) #19. An inmate of Arkham once again, he rather cooperatively assists Bane in unlocking a high tech door, allowing Bane access to confront Batman. In
4214-563: The "Nygma" surname and becoming the Riddler. Due to other events in the story, it is unlikely that it is meant to be considered as canonical . The Riddler is a criminal genius capable of extraordinary lateral thinking in decoding and formulating puzzles of all kinds. As a private detective during the time he was reformed, he demonstrated investigative skills that rival those of the Dark Knight. However, Batman's observations note that "[Nigma] exhibits personality disorders consistent with
4312-407: The 1995 film Batman Forever , Cory Michael Smith on the 2014 Fox series Gotham , and Paul Dano in the 2022 film The Batman . John Glover , Robert Englund , Wally Wingert , and others have provided the character's voice ranging from animation to video games. The character's origin story recounts Edward Nigma's fascination with puzzles from a young age. After a teacher announces that
4410-453: The 1st of April. Outside Falcone's he is confronted by Holiday who fires several shots at him without harming him due to it being April Fool's , the killer also leaves several items pertaining to their identity at the scene. This may be why Riddler was left alive, as matters are traditionally reversed on the holiday. He appeared again in the same chapter of the story in which Harvey Dent is disfigured when Batman comes to him for information about
4508-663: The 2008 mini-series Gotham Underground , Riddler investigates the Penguin's involvement with the events of Salvation Run . He saves Dick Grayson working undercover during the Gotham Gang War between Penguin and Tobias Whale and deduces that Grayson is Nightwing . He appears in Battle for the Cowl: The Underground , where he is hired by the Penguin to find Black Mask . To that end, he tracks down Selina Kyle, meeting up with Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy in
4606-503: The 2014 first, second and fifth season of the series. Clyde Mardon appeared in the 2014 pilot episode of The Flash , played by actor Chad Rook. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino , the character made his first appearance in The Flash #110 (December 1959). Mark Mardon is the brother of Clyde Mardon, a scientist who discovered a method to control weather before dying of a heart attack. Mark uses Clyde's research to create
4704-533: The Batman before him is a new one. Additionally, Riddler reveals that the next victim will be the sister of the second victim, a young romance writer, something that Dick needed Alfred Pennyworth and the Batcave computer to figure out. In the end, Dick goes off to confront the killer, while Riddler agrees to look after the intended victim. After a brief, but an expected misunderstanding about Riddler's intentions with
4802-502: The Black Mask. As he chases Catgirl away from her robbery of the venue, the Riddler is rocked by a bomb detonation, the trauma re-awakening his psychosis. Cackling, rambling and insane, he terminates his contract with Cobblepot and disappears. In "Riddle Me This", the Riddler still "acts" as a private eye and teams with Batman to solve the murders of a mysterious sorcerer named Sebastian Rothschild (aka Sebastian Blackspell). Blackspell
4900-667: The CCPD. Alongside the Trickster (whose arm Edward had placed a bomb in), Riddler begins ruthlessly punching and beating the Flash (Barry Allen) before the speedster is quickly rescued by the Pied Piper . Riddler then threatens to have his drones open fire on the citizens of Central City once more. However, he is eventually defeated and imprisoned by a uniformed effort between the Flash and
4998-543: The Clown Prince of Crime would protect him from Hush. Joker immediately agrees, but eventually, Hush, with the help of the impostor Prometheus , defeats him, forcing Riddler to flee for his life. In Detective Comics #797-799, the Riddler seeks shelter from Poison Ivy only to be humiliated when Ivy easily overwhelms and tortures him with her powers. As revealed in Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #185-189,
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#17327830894955096-527: The Dents. The Riddler is rewarded with multiple dossiers of himself. When Enigma calls him a has-been, Riddler retorts with a new riddle: "What's green and purple and bleeds profusely?". Enigma's response is cut short by her scream, implying that the Riddler has murdered his own daughter. In 2011, " The New 52 " rebooted the DC universe. Riddler appears as an inmate at Arkham Asylum in Batman (vol. 2) #1. Redesigned in
5194-524: The Lazarus Pit, the Riddler deduces Batman's secret identity ; he then reveals his knowledge to Hush. He has Clayface shapeshift into the form of Batman's (presumed dead) protégé Jason Todd to torment Batman, who is haunted by the former Robin's death. Batman first thinks that Riddler had stolen Todd's corpse and hidden it, but it was revealed in a later storyline, Batman: Under the Hood , that Todd
5292-513: The Riddler and his men. During the storyline, Riddler makes constant allusions to a "mystery" that is hidden within the mansion, and after his apprehension, damage done to the building causes the entrance to the Batcave to open. Riddler sees this, and then declares that he has "solved the riddle of Wayne Manor". During this period, he attacks Black Canary and Green Arrow in Star City , and he
5390-526: The Riddler continues to be steps ahead of the Dark Knight, he is eventually defeated by the combined efforts of Batman, Commissioner James Gordon and Wayne Enterprises CEO Lucius Fox . He is later moved to Arkham Asylum. Riddler appeared one more time in New 52 in the last three issues of The Flash . Holding a presumed dead Heat Wave hostage, it is revealed that the Riddler designed a range of deadly drones around Central City, drones that he had out-sourced to
5488-591: The Riddler is stripped of his deductive powers and left to rot as a member of Gotham City 's vast and invisible homeless population. A chance encounter with an ex- NSA codebreaker gives him a positive environment in which to recover his mind. During that stay, he experiences an induced flashback that leads him to realize that his father had abused him many years ago. Envious of his son's academic achievements in school, and unable to understand his brilliance, his father believed he had cheated on his accomplishments and beat him out of jealousy. Once Riddler discovers this, he
5586-487: The Riddler was cross-examined by Bruce Wayne, who was disguised as Lex Luthor at the time. In the later Bronze Age, Riddler was among the villains recruited by Joker to take down Killer Croc. They were defeated by Batman, Robin, Batgirl , Catwoman , and Talia al Ghul Near the end of the Bronze Age, the Riddler went into hiding, working in a winery. Eventually he is inspired to return to crime and lured Batman into
5684-496: The Rogues visit Sam Scudder's old hideout and unveil a giant mirror with the words In Case of Flash: Break Glass written on it. Afterward, Mardon is still on the run with the Rogues. In The New 52 timeline, while Weather Wizard's past with Barry Allen remains almost unchanged, his origins are slightly different. Now called Marco Mardon he and his brother, Claudio, are Latino and the heads of an organized crime family. After their father's death Marco runs away, eventually becoming
5782-522: The Secret Society of Super Villains who have placed Deathstroke on trial for appearing to have reformed. Riddler, using Hector Hammond 's abilities, convinces the Society that Deathstroke is indeed evil by showcasing a simulation of Deathstroke killing them all right before Deathstroke himself is kidnapped. In the Watchmen sequel Doomsday Clock , Riddler hosts an underground meeting with
5880-669: The Star City Rockets play. However, as a side effect of the ritual performed with the artifacts, the city is plunged into complete darkness, and Green Arrow uses this to his advantage, moving in and apprehending the Riddler. Riddler later shows up in Infinite Crisis #1, with a group of villains, which includes the Fisherman and Murmur , attacking the Gotham City Police Department . He
5978-415: The Weather Wizard, but is called back after Claudio's murder. The Flash, looking for Patty Spivot who had been kidnapped, later attacks and submits Mardon forcing Elsa, his brother's widow, to reveal she was the kidnapper and also Claudio's killer. This revelation drives Marco to the edge, making him attempt a suicide-murder by calling lightning to strike himself and Elsa, but he survives and is approached by
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#17327830894956076-426: The approaching guards with details of their children and families, Riddler walks out freely before intruding into Joker's office. Riddler seemingly offers the Joker a partnership, acknowledging that if either of the two men individually kills Batman, the other will be left forever unsatisfied. However the Joker shoots Riddler in the stomach and quickly departs, Batman appearing through the window and giving chase. Left in
6174-603: The attack. He plays a slightly larger role in the story's sequel Batman: Dark Victory , in which Batman turns to him to figure out the significance of the lost games of hangman that are left at the scenes of the Hangman killer's crimes. He later showed up as a member of Two-Face 's jury during the Hangman's trial. In Catwoman: When in Rome , he joins Selina Kyle on a trip to Italy in search of his fellow rogue's origins. It
6272-399: The character's classic status and history of compelling stories, while others argue that most of his popularity has come from media other than his comic storylines and enjoy the notion of knowing that his "real" threat level is overrated. Since The New 52 reboot, Riddler has been consistently depicted as a serious threat, with notable successes. The Riddler develops a working relationship with
6370-407: The conflict, blackmails and interrogates Kite Man into giving up Joker's location. However Batman, after a brief fight between him, Riddler and Joker, becomes disgusted by Riddler's actions and quickly grabs a blade, breaking his one rule of no killing to stab Riddler. However, Joker, who finally begins to laugh again, prevents Batman from doing so. The present-day Riddler shows up next as a member of
6468-434: The drug to Wayne Enterprises, earning Batman's trust for the time being. In Countdown #42, Riddler claims to Mary Marvel that he has gone straight and is now a detective. The two join forces to defeat Clayface , and after witnessing Mary's new malicious approach to crime-fighting, suggests that she consider finding a mentor to help her control her powers or at the very least get some anger management counseling. After
6566-465: The eight-part story arc "The War of Jokes and Riddles", commencing with Batman (vol. 3) #25, flashbacks to a year after the events of " Zero Year " have Batman recounting the details of a war between Riddler and Joker. He is first seen in custody at the GCPD, assisting them in solving a variety of crimes, including locating Joker's whereabouts, before stabbing a police officer to death 26 times. Blackmailing
6664-450: The events of the first issue, and Harley's mental state, he quickly declines and brushes off Poison Ivy's threats. In his efforts, he discovers that these deaths are in fact homicides orchestrated by a serial killer who leaves subtle clues to the next victim within the body and time of death of the current victim. While attempting to alert the media, he provokes Dick Grayson, who is now acting as Batman. Almost instantly, Riddler deduces that
6762-521: The flame and responds to Nigma's assertion that they are now allies with hostile dismissal. The Riddler is then hired by Bruce Wayne to track down an experimental drug developed by Wayne Enterprises , currently being tested for muscle stamina and cellular regeneration, which has been stolen by corrupt lab assistant Lisa Newman. He discovers that Newman is staying at the same Athenian Women's Help Shelter as Harley Quinn , falsely claiming to be an abuse victim. With Harley's help, he defeats Newman and returns
6860-442: The host of an underground game show that focuses on digging up dirt on celebrities. Many of the famous people that he humiliates end up creating insincere apology videos shortly afterward, suggesting that perhaps Riddler did a good thing. In the end, his actions turn out to be a front for his attempts to find the hidden treasures of "Scarface" Scarpelli, a Gotham City gangster who lived long before Batman's reign of crimefighting. In
6958-403: The killer, whom Riddler is also close to catching before Nigma is bludgeoned over the head by a shark-tooth club . The killer pushes Batman out the window and is about to drop him to his death, when Nigma wraps his tie around an arrow, lights it on fire, and shoots it into the killer's back. As the assailant rolls around screaming, Nigma taunts him, refusing to douse the flames. Batman extinguishes
7056-477: The leader of the Rogues. Mardon was also the representative of the rogues for the Secret Society of Super Villains . In One Year Later , Inertia approaches the Rogues with a plan to kill the Flash . He destroys Weather Wizard's wand and removes the mental blocks that prevent him from using his powers without it. Though Inertia is eventually defeated, the other Rogues beat Bart to death. Weather Wizard
7154-406: The masked criminal Hush, explains he wants to get revenge on his childhood friend Bruce Wayne. The two of them agree to work together and Riddler sets Killer Croc, Poison Ivy , Harley Quinn , Joker, Clayface , and Scarecrow out to destroy Batman, with Ra's al Ghul, Talia al Ghul, and Lady Shiva being temporarily drawn into the scheme as well. During the psychotic break that follows exposure to
7252-491: The murder case of a wealthy socialite. Hired by the socialite's father, he proves that a photo of Bruce Wayne apparently implicating him in the crime depicts an impostor and briefly works with Batman to investigate the crime. He has suffered severe memory loss from the coma, and he barely remembers his own name. He does not appear to remember that Wayne and Batman are one and the same, although he does harbor some suspicions of once knowing something amazing about Wayne. The Riddler
7350-422: The murder of a young woman whose body was dropped into their pool, and they need his help to prove that they had no part in it. After examining the woman's body, he finds that the women were telling the truth, only to be attacked by Dr. Aesop. In Tony Daniel 's "Life After Death", Riddler appears early in the story at a gala party attended by Arkham, Dick Grayson, Huntress , and Oracle , hired by Penguin to find
7448-477: The official DC continuity, variations in which the character's origins, behavior, and morality differ from the mainstream setting. A radically different interpretation of the Riddler is featured in Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo 's Joker . In this version, he wears a solid green jacket with question marks on the very back of it and a circle of question mark tattoos around his abdomen. His cane serves
7546-444: The opening book of the " Zero Year " arc, where his surname is changed from Edward Nigma to Nashton or Nygma. The Riddler later appears in both the second and third chapters of the "Zero Year" storyline. In the canon, the Riddler is Batman's first masked supervillain and is not only able to best Batman twice, but also takes control of Gotham, causing it to become a flooded wasteland where only the intelligent are meant to survive. Although
7644-766: The orders of the Joker to kill Riddler within the hour. However, Poison Ivy attacks the gunmen with her vines, allowing Edward and herself to leave. Riddler eventually formed his team, consisting of himself, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Deathstroke , Clayface, Killer Croc, Two-Face , Firefly , and Victor Zsasz . Waging war on Joker's team across Gotham, Riddler is responsible for poisoning Charles Brown's son, resulting in his transformation into Kite Man who joins up with Joker's team consisting of Cluemaster , Deadshot , Mad Hatter , Man-Bat , Mr. Freeze , Penguin, Solomon Grundy , and Ventriloquist . The war continues, with Riddler and Joker claiming territories across Gotham, before Riddler, who had convinced Batman to side with him during
7742-484: The other villains to talk about the Superman Theory. The meeting is crashed by Comedian who shoots Riddler in the leg. Riddler features in the Infinite Frontier one-shot Batman - One Bad Day: The Riddler #1, wherein he is given a revised origin. Here he is named Edward Tierney, a child prodigy with a genius level intellect who attends a prestigious private college where his father is the headmaster. Edward
7840-834: The point where only he can pose a credible threat to Sherlock Holmes . Fu Manchu is an archetypal evil criminal genius and mad scientist created by English author Sax Rohmer in 1913. The Fu Manchu moustache became integral to stereotypical cinematic and television depictions of Chinese villains. Between 1965 and 1969 Christopher Lee played Fu Manchu five times in film, and in 1973 the character first appeared in Marvel Comics . The James Bond arch-villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld (whose scenes often show him sitting on an armchair stroking his cat, his face unseen) has influenced supervillain tropes in popular cinema, including parodies like Dr. Claw and M.A.D. Cat from
7938-426: The precaution of obtaining firearms to deal with the superhero. Some recent depictions, however, have placed a derogatory focus on his flamboyant gimmickry and relative lack of major victories (even despite this applying to most of Batman's enemies), portraying him as petty, overconfident, relatively harmless, and held in low esteem. The latter approach has proved polarizing, with some fans finding it wasteful in light of
8036-503: The process. In the Gotham City Sirens storyline, Poison Ivy is controlling the Riddler, keeping him in a nearly vegetative state so she can move into his house. When a villain named Boneblaster decides to make a name for himself by killing Catwoman , the fight ends up there. The house is severely damaged, but Riddler is freed from Ivy's control in the process. Seeing his house in shambles, he takes his question mark cane off
8134-406: The same ability without the use of his wand. He tried to kidnap Josh from Wally's wife, Linda , and dissect him to understand how his son gained that ability, but hesitated to harm the child. He was stopped by Flash and sent to Iron Heights , but escaped. After Blacksmith's group disbanded, the Weather Wizard, along with Mirror Master and Trickster , joined up with Captain Cold, who declared himself
8232-403: The school archives and steals the test key for the upcoming course. The teacher finds out and is set to expel Edward from the school. He notes that getting expelled might actually be good for Edward, as he'll still be brilliant but will also have experienced failure and might become a bit more relaxed. Hearing this, Edward snaps and beats the teacher to death. This sets Edward on the way to adopting
8330-565: The style of the new titles, he sports a green mohawk in the shape of a question mark. Riddler appears in more traditional form in the short that concludes Batman #15 "And Here's the Kicker", the third part of " Death of the Family ". After it is revealed that Joker has secretly hijacked Arkham Asylum, Riddler is depicted as a current inmate, calmly biding his time and taunting guards. But when Joker appears and reveals his great respect for Riddler (as
8428-542: The three-part Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight storyline "The Primal Riddle", written by Steve Englehart , the Riddler engineers one of his greatest deathtraps: Batman is thrown into a narrow pit that is slowly filling up with water. The walls are electrically wired, and a set of bumpers are the only thing that prevents the water from touching the walls and causing Batman to die by electrocution. The only options Batman appears to have are death by electrocution and death by drowning, but as always, Batman manages to tamper with
8526-408: The trap's design and develop a route of escape. After Harley Quinn briefly breaks free of her devotion to the Joker, she attempts to hold up a large party at Wayne Manor , only to find that the Riddler is targeting the building also. The two gangs engage in a firefight, but Harley gains the upper hand when Big Barda (who was secretly allied with her at the time) interrupts the conflict and captures
8624-433: The villain when even he couldn't figure them out – most likely reflecting the public idea of Riddler's puzzles being insoluble – claiming that he managed to "improvise" to defeat Riddler. His low reputation among heroes and villains was reflected when the Flash noted that Batman having trouble with Riddler was a clear sign that the world was ending. In the 12-part storyline Batman: Hush , it
8722-510: The villain when he was released from prison. Upon release, the Riddler swore he would no longer leave clues to his crimes. However, during his first attempt at a robbery he discovers that leaving clues has become a compulsion. The Riddler would go on to have more than a dozen appearances during the Silver and Bronze Age. Some notable appearances included a team-up with the Joker and Penguin , where
8820-435: The villain whose dangerous intellect has kept Batman "sharp"), he uses Joker-gas to force Riddler to prove he could have escaped his cell anytime he wanted. To his chagrin, Riddler does and becomes quite alarmed when Joker shares a write-up of his plan to ambush Batman. Joker admits Riddler will have little part in his designs but should stick around for the "show" anyway. The Riddler made an appearance in Batman (vol. 2) #21,
8918-417: The villains used an experimental gas on Batman to turn the hero into a Bat-Hulk. The Riddler also faced Elongated Man in one story, and later the Riddler was lured into a team-up with Batman, where the unlikely pair investigated the kidnapping of a mystery writer. The Riddler was one of several villains who claimed to have killed Batman. These claims were debunked during a super-villain trial, during which
9016-403: The wall and begins to savagely beat the already downed Boneblaster. In the third issue, Riddler attempts to solve a pair of unlikely suicides, the first being the second-best female tennis player in the world, the second an ace race car driver. During his re-enactment of one of the deaths, he is visited by both Catwoman and Poison Ivy, seeking his help in locating Harley after her abduction. Due to
9114-488: The weather without his wand. In The New 52 reality, Marco Mardon returns to utilize his weather wand, but reveals that the device drove him crazy. Weather Wizard appears in series set in the DC Animated Universe (DCAU), voiced initially by Miguel Ferrer and subsequently by Corey Burton . Supervillain A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character . It
9212-426: The writer have difficulty believing. Riddler claims that since his reform, he and Batman have become close and that his cane now has its own GPS that alerts Batman to his location whenever the question mark is twisted. Noting her disbelief, Riddler calmly asks Conundrum with a smirk, "Why is this man smiling?". Just as the Riddler finishes his question, Dick shows up and knocks Conundrum out. Riddler then admits that he
9310-414: The writer hide as the smoke clears, three costumed assailants, enter the wreckage, looking for their victim to mark with their next riddle. The two men are led by a woman going by the moniker Conundrum, and their costumes sport black and green color schemes along with disturbingly familiar question mark emblazoned on their outfits. As Riddler stealthily disposes of the two grunts with his cane, Conundrum takes
9408-436: The writer hostage at gunpoint. Riddler deduces that Conundrum and her men are all college students who specialize in police sciences. Due to his famous rehabilitation, Conundrum's group decided to fill the void with their debut murders. Conundrum admits that Riddler was her idol and that it would be a shame to kill him. At this point, Riddler announces that Batman is en route to their very location, something both Conundrum and
9506-418: The young woman, Dick phones in to announce that he has apprehended and questioned not one, but three killers about their intentions, but got no answers. Riddler almost leaves the woman to her life, when the lights go out unexpectedly. Riddler immediately concludes that Dick has not captured all of the killers, and pulls the woman out of harm's way when a bomb goes off in front of her bookstore. While Riddler and
9604-437: Was alive the whole time and had personally played a role in Riddler and Hush's scheme. When the Riddler threatens to expose Batman's secret identity, Batman mockingly labels it an empty threat. He points out that if Riddler revealed the answer to the riddle "Who is Batman?", it would become worthless, something Riddler would not be able to stand. In addition, Batman warns him that if he reveals the secret, it would give Ra's al Ghul
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