Riddler

Riddler (known mostly as The Acertijo in Latin America and as Enigma in Spain) is a fictional character, supervillain, and enemy of Batman. He was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang. His first appearance was in Detective Comics No. 140 (1948). The Riddler is known for his green suit with a question mark on it, and is obsessed with puzzles and word games. He likes to commit crimes and confuse the police and Batman by giving them complex puzzles and building mechanical devices, crafts, puzzles, letters, series or notes.

Unlike most of Batman's villains, the Riddler is not a severely mentally challenged or psychopathic killer, he is just somewhat narcissistic due to his huge ego, which causes him to brag about his intellectual superiority to Batman. His direct conflicts with the Riddler are typically more cerebral than physical and usually involve defeating the other intellectually.

Fictional story

Riddler has an obsession with riddles, puzzles, and word games. The character frequently delights in proving his "intellectual superiority" to the public. and in confusing Batman and the police by sending them complex clues. His name is a pun on itself, Enigma (Edward Nygma) meaning a person or thing that is mysterious or difficult to understand. With this coy use of a trick, the Riddler's crimes are extravagant and ostentatious. The character is represented with a domino mask, either with a green suit and a bowler hat, or a green placemat with question marks. A black, green or purple question mark serves as a visual motif.

The character's origin story tells of the Riddler, whose real name is Edward Nashton.(Edward Nygma to later writers), becomes fascinated with puzzles at a young age. After a teacher announces that a contest will be held on who can solve a puzzle the fastest, Nigma sets his sights on winning, longing for the glory and satisfaction that success brings. He sneaks into the school one night, takes the puzzle off the teacher's desk, and practices it until he can solve it in under a minute. With this, he wins the contest and is given a riddle book as a prize. Later he became a carnival employee who excelled at cheating his customers out of his money with his strange puzzles and mind games.

But he soon gets bored and wanting more challenges and excitement, he dons the "Riddler" to challenge Batman, believing him a worthy adversary. In his first encounter with the Dynamic Duo, Edward first tried to confuse the crime fighters with his infamous double-entry Riddle Clues and then tried to kill them both in a glass maze with traps on a pier, sealing the door so they they are unable to leave the structure before it explodes, only for Batman and Robin to escape and the Riddler to "disappear"; after being struck in the sea by the explosion, leaving only his trademark & # 34;? & # 34; Floating in the water.

In the Batman: The Long Halloween arc, Riddler appears as an informant, first appearing when he is hired by Carmine Falcone to find out who the party killer is. but finally he loses his patience with him and attacks him, but leaves him alive. The attack was planned to coincide with the "April Fools Day" holiday, and various items belonging to him were left at the scene. This may be why the Riddler stayed alive, as matters are traditionally reversed around the holidays. He appeared again in the same chapter of the story where Harvey Dent is disfigured, when Batman goes to him for information about the attack. He plays a slightly larger role in the sequel storyline Batman: Dark Victory, in which Batman turns to him to discover the meaning of the Hangman's Lost Games left at the murderous Hangman crime scenes. He later appeared as a juror for Two-Face during the hangman's trial.

In Catwoman: When in Rome, he joins Selina Kyle on a trip to Italy in search of the origins of her companions. She there she manipulates her into believing that some of Batman's most dangerous enemies are after her. He has his henchmen employ various tricks and weapons used by the Scarecrow, Mr Frezze, and the Joker to accomplish this. He hopes to extract Batman's true identity from her, but to her dismay, she doesn't really know or care.

The Riddler appears in the series titled The Question, convinced to become a "great villain" by a prostitute he meets on a bus. He hijacks the bus and starts running riddles, killing and robbing anyone who gets it wrong. The question quickly overpowers him by asking him philosophical riddles in return. He is outmatched and has a mental breakdown before being released as a reward for solving one last riddle.

In the one-shot "Riddler: The Riddle Factory," the Riddler becomes the host of an underground game show that focuses on digging up dirt on celebrities. Many of the famous people he humiliates end up committing suicide soon after, suggesting that perhaps Riddler did more than just inspire his deaths. In the end, his actions turn out to be a front for his attempts to find the hidden treasures of & # 34; Scarface & # 34; Scarelli, a Gotham City gangster who lived long before Batman's reign in crime fighting.

In the three-part Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight story 'The Primal Riddle', written by Steve Englehart, the Riddler devises one of his greatest death traps: Batman is thrown into a narrow pit which is slowly filling with water. The walls are electrically wired, and a set of bumpers is the only thing keeping the water from touching the walls and causing Batman to be electrocuted to death. The only options Batman seems to have are death by choice.

Riddler has a working relationship with the villain Cluemaster, though he initially resents the villain for seemingly copying his modus operandi. In his first meeting, he plants his partner with a bomb and sends Batman on a pursuit of riddles that could lead to his deactivation, as well as straying from his real plan: to steal a large quantity of goods from priceless baseball. The two team up on a few occasions afterwards, working together on a grand scheme shortly before Cluemaster's apparent death in the pages of Suicide Squad.

After Harley Quinn briefly breaks free of her devotion to the Joker, she attempts to throw a huge party at Wayne Manor, only to discover that the Riddler is also targeting the building. The two gangs engage in a firefight, but Harley gains the upper hand when Big Barda (who was secretly in league with her at the time) interrupts the conflict and captures the Riddler and his men. Throughout the story, he makes constant allusions to a "mystery" that he is hiding inside the mansion, and after his arrest, the damage caused to the building causes the entrance to the Batcave to open. Edward 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 is easily defeated.

During a crisis caused when Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth was broken, causing the laws of truth to break and reality to be shaped by individuals' perceptions, one of the symptoms was when Batman he found himself unable to solve any of Nigma's riddles. But nonetheless, he was still able to defeat him as Edward was unable to solve the riddles either, likely reflecting the public perception that the Riddler's riddles are unsolvable, stating that he managed to "improvise"; to defeat him. His low reputation among the heroes and villains was reflected when the Flash noticed that Batman was in trouble with the Riddler and it was a clear sign that the world was ending.

Riddler and the Secret Society of Super Villains

Riddler is a lousy hand-to-hand combatant and not at all agile at running away, as he appeared in Detective Comics #797-799, where Riddler seeks Poison Ivy's refuge only to be humiliated in a physical duel, which she easily wins. However, he can also be very manipulative and intelligent, as he was in Batman Magazine No. 619 (November 2003) corresponding to miniseries 12 of "Hush" where Riddler is the criminal mastermind, who has been masterfully manipulating all the villains in a conspiracy to kill Batman.

In a story arc called "Hush" it is revealed that the Riddler is suffering from cancer, which also affected the mother of Dr. Thomas Elliot. Riddler uses Ra's al Ghul's Lazarus Pit to rid himself of the disease and offers to sell the secret to Elliot with a chance to cure his mother. However, Elliot is actually anxious for his mother to die in order to inherit his fortune.

Elliot, who secretly happens to be the masked criminal "Hush," wants revenge on his childhood friend Bruce Wayne, for which they will work together and so Riddler sets up with Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, the Joker, the Scarecrow and Jason Todd join a Secret Society to destroy Batman.

In the story "Trailer", Hush reappears and seeks revenge on his narcissistic friend Riddler for which he seeks refuge, with the Joker and the Penguin. And he offers to tell the Joker who had killed his wife, Jeannie, if the & # 34; Clown Prince & # 34; protects you from hush. The Joker immediately agrees, but eventually Hush, with the help of an imposter, Prometheus, defeats him and makes him flee Gotham for his life.

Edward Nigma as a private investigator

In Infinite Crisis, Edward Nigma is on the side of the law. When he comes out of a year-old coma he seems to have overcome his compulsion for riddles and rejects the title "Riddler", using his real name instead. He amasses a fortune legally as a private detective and works alongside Batman to solve a series of crimes, though Batman is reluctant and suspicious of Batman's true motives. Later, he is hired by Nightwing to investigate museum burglaries while tending to a badly injured Dick Grayson, after being attacked during a gang war between The Whale and the Penguin. During this event, he managed to deduce Nightwing's identity.

Nigma is put into a vegetative state by Poison Ivy in her attic, which she had claimed as her hideout. After his house is damaged by a new villain hoping to make a name for himself by killing Catwoman, he breaks out of his trance riddle. Seeing the damage done to his house, he proceeds to attack the assailant, who had caused the damage, while he is staying with Catwoman, Ivy, and Harley, in his shelter.

Not long after, in one case, Eddie discovered that the murders were being carried out by a gang looking to replace the Riddler in the world of crime, due to his reformation. With the help of Dick Grayson as Batman, the group is thwarted. But due to a bomb near his face, the scars force Nigma to re-wear his old Riddler mask and act suspiciously, suggesting that he may very well return to a life of crime.

This is also hinted at later when Nigma helps his associates Catwoman, Ivy and Harley, who solve a murder, only to discover that the girls were being used as bait by Dr. Aesop against him.

Clothing

The Riddler's typical costume is a green leotard full of question marks and a purple eye mask. He then replaced it with a green tuxedo full of question marks, low hat and black mask. The Riddler's latest suit is a green tuxedo with only 2 question marks: one on the hat and one on the tie.

In many editions it has two inseparable female assistants (Query and Echo); in others, like Batman and his Batmobile, he appears in a green vehicle with & # 34; ??? & # 34; on the license plate which he ironically calls the & # 34; Enigma-mobile & # 34; or with a kind of sunglasses and even in some more recent ones without a shirt and with a tattoo of a question mark on his abdomen.

The only thing that never changes in all editions is his interrogative-shaped cane and his haughty way of speaking.^{[citation needed]}

Appearance in other media

TV series

Animation

• Riddler appeared in the television series Batmanplayed by Frank Gorshin and then John Astin, who replaced Gorshin and played Riddler in an episode. In it, Riddler is one of Batman's most recurring and dangerous enemies. As a curiosity, Gorshin gave the voice to Hugo Strange inThe BatmanBut only until his death.

Riddler in the center, accompanying Joker (above) and Pingüino (below), from the 1966 television series.

• In the DC Animated Universe Riddler appeared in some series, with the voice of John Glover:
  • Riddler appeared in Batman: The Animated Series. In this version, where he received the name of Edward Nigma, he was an employee of the company Computron, for which he had created the successful game "El Enigma del Minotauro", but was unfairly dismissed by his boss, Daniel Mockridge. Two years later, Nigma decides to get revenge on Mockridge, under the name of Riddler in the episode "You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?". It appears again in the episode "What Is Reality?", as the main antagonist. In "The Worry Men" appears as a puppet and in "Trial", he is part of the jury to inculcate Batman, but he is defeated. In "Riddler's Reform", he reformed apparently, but tries to kill Batman later, however, he is defeated and sent back to the Arkham Manicure.
  • Riddler reappeared in The New Batman Adventures but with a different design. It appears in "Over the Edge", as one of the villains vited to speak against Batman, but in the end it was a dream of Batichica. In "Jugdement Day", he appears being ambushed by the judge during one of his thefts, along with Mo, Lar, and Cur. It is mentioned in the episode "Mad Love" by El Joker, who did not want to copy style.
  • Riddler last appeared in Superman: The Animated Series, in the "Knight Time" episode, where during a meeting with the Crazy Hat and Bane, it is ambushed by Superman and Robin, who apprehend it easily in the bars of a cage. This was his last appearance in this universe of fiction.
  • In the series Gotham GirlsRiddler is mentioned in "Gotham in Pink" and in "Hear Me Roar".
  • In the series Batman BeyondRiddler does not appear, but a mannequin with his outfit appears in "Black Out", "Dissapearing Inque", "Splicers", "Terry's Friend Dates a Robot", and "Sneak Peek".
  • Originally, Riddler would have appeared in Justice League Unlimitedas a member of the Legion of Evil, but it was not possible at the end for its appearance in The Batman. His appearance had been a tribute to the fact that he was one of the members of the original Legion Challenge Of The Super Friends.
• In 2005, an interpretation of Riddler debuted in the episode The Batman, "Riddled", with the voice of Robert Englund. This version displays a gothic appearance and is served by minions called Riddlemen. The Riddler Revenge episode reveals that Nygma and her partner Julie (with the voice of Brooke Shields) worked at a university on a device to improve the human brain. Nygma was approached by a man named Gorman (with the voice of Bob Gunton) who offered to buy the rights of invention, but Nygma refused. After the device failed in a demonstration, Nygma accused Gorman of sabotage. After an attempt to kill Gorman, Nygma fled when Batman rescued him. In the episode "Riddled", Nygma has adopted her Riddler character. Years later in "Riddler's Revenge", Nygma tried to kill Gorman again, but Batman stopped him and Nygma realized that it was not Gorman who sabotaged him, but his own partner, Julie; who betrayed Nygma for greed, which broke Nygma's heart.
• Riddler appears in Batman: The Brave and the Boldwith the voice of John Michael Higgins. He is mentioned but not seen during Batman's call to Commissioner Gordon in "Deep Cover For Batman!" In the "A Bat Divided" teaser, Riddler has a "Riddle Me This" game program where Booster Gold can't solve puzzles, damaging Batman. Batman finally gets free and both fight Riddler and his minions. The Batman riddle for Riddler is "Why are you like a cement watch?" With the answer "Because they're both having a bad time." In the main story of "The Criss Cross Conspiracy," he was the target of Batwoman's revenge, whom he had humiliated ten years earlier by unmasking it in public.
• In the television series Young JusticeRiddler appears in the "Terrors" episode, in which he is imprisoned in a prison which he said could contain Superman; in the episode the prisoners plan a escape but are detained before escape, but in the end Hugo Strange admits that the only prisoner who escaped was Riddler.
• Riddler makes an appearance in Teen Titans Go! the episode "The Titans Show", where Control Freak takes him, along with other supervillains, to face the Titans.
• Riddler appears in Justice League ActionWith Brent Spiner's voice. This version does not wear a mask and has a shaved head. In the episode "E. Nygma, Detective Consultant" after being released from Arkham Asylum, Riddler helps Wonder Woman and Green Arrow find Batman after Joker captured him and, due to the fact that Joker is stealing his guess. The riddles that Riddler deciphers take them to Solomon Grundy's cell, where Riddler distracts him with a finger trap, the Iceberg Lounge, where the riddle was under the Penguin trick umbrella, and the Gotham Art Museum, where Joker catches Wonder Woman. When Green Arrow freed from the tape trap, he and Wonder Woman prevent Batman from cutting the statue of the Lady of Justice when Joker tempts Riddler to use the voice-activated trap to resolve the Mississippi riddle. Joker being apprehended, it was revealed that Joker did this because Riddler ate his donut. As long as Riddler walked away, he quotes, " Guess this, Gotham. Who is improving every day in all aspects? Me."
• Riddler appears in the web series DC Super Hero GirlsWith the voice of Yuri Lowenthal. He appears as a student at Super Hero High.
• Riddler appears in the animated series Harley QuinnWith Jim Rash's voice. In "Until death separates us", he is imprisoned in Arkham Asylum, but he causes a massive leak after smuggled an orange seed for Hiedra Venenosa. Later a wave of crimes begins before capturing Batman and Harley Quinn into a deadly trap to force Joker to save one of them. After the latter chooses Batman, Riddler reveals that the trap was false and that he partnered with Ivy to convince Harley that Joker doesn't love her. After this, he makes minor sporadic appearances for the rest of the first season, some of which established him as a member of the Legion of Evil. At the premiere of the second season, "New Gotham", Riddler formed the League of Injustice together with other villains and former members of the Legion as Penguin, Mr. Cold, Two Faces and Bane to take advantage of the chaos caused by Joker when Gotham City destroyed. The villains have divided the ruins of the city among them, but they refuse to give Harley Quinn an equal part, which led her to try to dismantle the League. In the following episode, "Riddle U", after having dealt with Penguin, Harley and his team go after Riddler, who settled at Gotham University, learning that his territory has clean energy and water. On the way, they discover that he used hijacked encoders as human batteries and receive help from Barbara Gordon to take him down before using him to feed his mall den. Finally it manages to escape, but chooses to return for the moment, as the mall offers several benefits that the Gotham slum does not offer. In the "Dye Hard" episode, it apparently became muscular after running on the wheel for a long time, Riddler is released by Doctor Psycho, who left Harley's crew to get revenge on them, and steals a mental control helmet that Psycho uses to strengthen his psychetic powers and enslave an army of Parademons in his attempt to seize Gotham and finally the world. Despite their best efforts, they are finally defeated in the episode "Lovers 'Quarrel" and later imprisoned in Arkham in "The Runaway Bridesmaid".
• Riddler appears in the television series DC Super Hero GirlsWith the voice of David Hornsby. This was shown in DC Fandome as a preview of season 2, where Robin captures him first before Batgirl.

Live Action

Cory Michael Smith plays Edward Nygma in the television series Gotham.

• In the television series Gotham, Edward Nygma, played by actor Cory Michael Smith, appears as a Gotham City police officer. He constantly supports James Gordon and Harvey Bullock in his research, always highlighting his questions of ingenuity and puzzles. He later became a villain betraying the police and became a collaborator and friend of Oswald Cobblepot.

Movies

Live Action

Jim Carrey interprets Edward Nygma/Riddler in Batman's Burton/Schumacher tetralogy.

• Riddler appeared as one of the four main antagonists Batman: The Movie.
• In Batman's Burton/Schumacher Tetralogy, Riddler appeared in these films:
  • Riddler would have appeared on the canceled Batman Continues Tim Burton, played by Micky Dolenz or Robin Williams. He would ally with Chip Schreck, the son of the late Max Schreck, so Batman (Michael Keaton), Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Robin (Marlon Wayans) would have to stop them.^{[chuckles]required]}
  • Riddler appeared in the movie Batman Forever by Joel Schumacher, where he was played by Jim Carrey. Here, Edward Nigma was an employee in the Wayne and Bruce Wayne Company invention department was his obsession. However, after showing him his scientific project, which was a device to control brain waves, he is rejected by Bruce, feeling underestimated, and he hated it, until he became Riddler. He's joining Two Faces and catching Dr. Chase Meridian, but Two Caras dies and Riddler is imprisoned in the Arkham asylum, going crazy, claiming to be Batman.
  • Despite not appearing in Batman & Robin by Joel Schumacher, his attire can be seen in the Arkham Manicure at the time when Bane causes chaos to release Mr. Freeze.
  • Jim Carrey was expected to re-interpret Riddler on the cancel. Batman Unchained Joel Schumacher.
• In the Trilogy of Nolan:
  • Originally Riddler would have appeared in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), but not having a story, it was ruled out. For the paper they were considered Johnny Depp and David Tennant.
• DC Extended Universe:
  • In Suicide Squad, Riddler's name appears in Killer Croc's criminal report.
  • Riddler would have appeared in the film directed, produced and starred by Ben Affleck: The Batman.
  • Riddler would have appeared in Justice League 2directed by Zack Snyder.
  • A small mention of Riddler becomes present in the Peacemaker series, which according to the neighbour of the protagonist's father is one of the enemies of superhero Batman.
• The character appeared in the movie The Batman 2022, led by Matt Reeves, being played by Paul Dano.

Animation

• Riddler would have appeared in the cancelled movie Batman: The Animated Serieswhich ended up becoming the "Trial" episode.
• In the animated film Batman Beyond: Return of the JokerA mannequin with Riddler's outfit can be seen.
• Riddler would have appeared in the cancelled animated film (after special) The Batman vs. Hushlike one of the secondary antagonists, along with The Joker, Catwoman, and Clayface.
• In the DC Universe Animated Original Movies, Riddler appears in these films:
  • Riddler appears in the animated film Batman: Under The Red HoodWith Bruce Timm's voice. He appears in a Batman flashback, where he remembers when he defeated him with the help of Jason Todd.
  • Riddler appears in Batman: Assault on Arkham folded by Matthew Gray Gubler. In the movie, Amanda Waller sends the Suicide Squad to kill him, because in his cane he has confidential information. But by helping the Squadron get rid of their bombs in the neck, they forgive Riddler's life, letting him run away. Also, he's suspected of having The Joker's bomb.
• Riddler appears in the animated film LEGO Batman: The Movie - DC Super Heroes UniteLike a minor antagonist.
• The Riddler version of Brave and the Bold appears in Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the BoldWith John Michael Higgins retaking his role. It is revealed that Riddler began his career as a laboratory assistant to Professor Milo and seeks to revive a project of dimensional portal in which he was involved.

Video Games

• In the saga Lego BatmanRiddler appears in these games:
  • Riddler is the first leader in the video game Lego Batman: The Videogame. He forms a group composed of Dos Caras, Cara de Barro, Mr. Freeze, Hiedra Venenosa, and him. Try to steal all Gotham City gold along with Two Faces, but Batman and Robin stop them. Riddler is last seen complaining in his Arkham Boyhood cell.
  • Riddler appeared in Lego Batman 2: DC Super HeroesWhere along with Two Faces, Harley Quinn, The Joker, and the Penguin, they rob the Monarch Theatre in "Theatrical Pursuits", but Batman defeats them. In "Arkham Asylum Antics", he is on the Two Face Truck, but he is defeated again by Batman, just to be locked up again, but escapes. After that, Batman defeats him on Wayne Enterprises' rooftop, where he then becomes a buying character.
  • Riddler appears again in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gothambut it's not part of the main story. He's a playable character. The Riddler version of Frank Gorshin appears as chief at the extra level "Same Bat-Time! Same BAT-Channel!"
• In the saga Batman: ArkhamRiddler appears in these games:
  • Riddler appears in Batman: Arkham AsylumLike one of the antagonists.
  • Riddler returns in Batman: Arkham Citywhere he strikes again. As a curious fact, when Batman solves some riddle, Riddler blames the player to see the solutions on the Internet, breaking the fourth wall
  • Riddler appears in Batman: Arkham Knight hiding trophies or giving various challenges. It bothers when the Scarecrow reveals that Batman is Bruce Wayne. In a hallucination, it is revealed that he married Harley Quinn and that he will have a child.