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WHO COUNTS IN COUNTDOWN? – Episode #41 by Bruce MacIntosh
Riddle me this: What appears once a week, moves backward but looks forward, and can confuse you even if you get it? The answer - of course - is DC’s Countdown series, where the numbering is counting down to a climactic finish, and mystifies some readers who don’t know how all the pieces will fit into the new DC Universe. Fear not! The Pulse is here to help solve these puzzles. This week we’ll de-mystify the enigmatic evil-doer turned good, The Riddler. RIDDLER
The Riddler has been around nearly as long as his arch-nemesis, the Batman – since Detective Comics #140 (Oct 1948) – and his personality has displayed as many sides as an unsolved Rubik’s Cube. He has been alternately portrayed as a wacky trickster with a penchant for leaving clues about his crimes, to a psychotic killer with an obsession to taunting his pursuers with his quixotic intellect.
Despite the variation of his temperament, the compulsion to tip off the Batman about his crime by leaving a riddle has remained consistent. This gimmick is what makes the character so appealing and enduring: The World’s Greatest Detective racing against the clock to solve the clues planted by the Criminal Calumniator. (Fun with words!)
The Riddler – whose real name is Edward Nygma – is undoubtedly the Batman’s most intelligent foes, and would prevail with more frequency were it not for his compulsion to drop clues for the Caped Crusader in advance of every crime. Since the Batman is purportedly one of the smartest men in the DC Universe, he usually makes short work of the riddles, making his biggest challenge arriving in time to thwart the crime. (Batman rarely – if ever – struggles to solve the riddles, which surprises this writer. Although part of the Caped Crusader’s cachet is his mental infallibility, you would think some writer would take advantage of the urgency created by the delay in solving a particularly intricate riddle.)
Like most of Batman’s rogues, the Riddler rarely prevails, and his personality quirk of leaving clues usually leads to his undoing. However, one recent story – which will be discussed below – proved to be the exception.
Although he first appeared in 1948, the Riddler went on a 17-year hiatus, only to resume his criminal activities in Batman #171 (May 1965). He was quickly installed as one of campy crimefighter’s main adversaries in the Batman TV show, which premiered in January, 1966. Veteran character actor Frank Gorshin’s portrayal of the Riddler as a loquacious larker with a flair for crime made the villain a household name, and probably the first image that probably comes to mind when the character’s name is mentioned to anyone over about 35.
As a result of the fame accorded by TV show, the Riddler appeared in comics eight times in various Batman titles in the three years following that 1965 appearance. The TV show famed out abruptly after only two seasons, and DC must have eschewed overexposing the character. So he did not resurface in comics until seven years later. He has made more or less yearly appearances to plague the Batman (and occasional other DC heroes, such as Robin, the Question, and in particular – Green Arrow) since 1975.
Riddler’s Origin Unlike many comics baddies, the usually green-clad Riddler has no super-abilities. His shtick derives not from exposure to radiation or even advanced technology, but from a psychologically-abusive father.
The Riddler’s “origin”, as it were, was encapsulated in a text piece at the end of Justice #2 (Dec 2005), and recounted the powerful events depicted in Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #187 (Mar 2005). The Justice piece was headlined, “From Bruce Wayne’s private files in the Batcomputer”: “It is easy to think of the Riddler as a creature of pure pride. So confident is he in his genius that he leaves behind clues and puzzles related to his crimes and dares the police to try to solve them… [T]he greatest tragedy of his childhood was the presence, not absence, of his father. There is a story about Edward being caught cheating as a boy.
“…Nigma’s father punished him severely and maliciously for this and insisted on one thing – that from that moment forward, his son would always speak the truth. So if Edward was forced, verbally and physically, during an age of natural preadolescent rebellion, to speak the whole truth regardless of consequence or prudence, what then?
“It wasn’t until his father died that Edward turned to crime. But his crimes were unique. He left riddles that, if understood, would be an admittance of guilt. Could these clues be part of a compulsion to speak the truth? Is it in response to guilt? Perhaps it is the result of a cruel father’s zeal to raise an honest son. This could be the tragedy of the Riddler.”
One of the fundamental tragedies of Edward’s childhood that led to a bizarre life of crime as an adult, is that he was being punished for a rime he didn’t commit: His father refused to believe that Edward had never cheated, but in fact was able to solve complicated problems and score perfectly on tests because of his prodigious intellect and genius-level problem-solving abilities. The fact that his father was forcing him to tell the truth by admitting that he was cheating was in truth a conundrum that would irreversibly mold Edward’s personality for life: He was at once compelled and prevented from telling the truth. To reconcile this internal conflict, he would forever be forced to tell the truth only by hiding them in clever deceits – his riddles.
Recent Appearances Like most of the villains in Batman’s Rogue’s Gallery, the Riddler appeared in a key role in the “Hush” storyline that ran in Batman #608 through #619 (2002 – 2003). In that story, it is revealed that he suffered from cancer and in the hopes of a cure, immersed himself in one of Ra’s Al Ghul’s Lazarus Pits. He also became involved in an elaborate plan to help Dr. Thomas Elliot bring together Batman’s Rogues Gallery of villains to exact revenge on Bruce Wayne. Although the plot was aimed not at the Batman, exposure to the Lazarus Pit caused a psychotic episode where the Riddler deduced that Bruce Wayne and the Batman were one in the same.
The Riddler never revealed Batman’s secret identity, however, because the Caped Crusader convinced him that disclosing the secret would be akin to revealing the solution to a riddle – something the Riddler is psychologically incapable of doing. In addition, such a disclosure would reveal that the Riddler had used Ra’s Al Ghul’s Lazarus Pits without permission, marking him for retaliation by the League of Assassins. (The Riddler spent the One Year Later period following Infinite Crisis in a coma, and upon emerging had lost all memory of Batman’s secret identity.)
Hush returned in Batman – Gotham Knights #50 - #52 (Apr – Sep 2004) to beat the stuffing out of the Riddler for playing him and all the other Batman foes for chumps. In this storyline, it is the Joker who is depicted as the criminal mastermind and intellectual superior of the Batman Rogues. The Riddler is – unfortunately – portrayed as a bit of a simpering poser.
The Cowardly Lion routine was continued in the “Low” story in Detective #797 – 799 (Oct – Dec 2004), where the Riddler seeks sanctuary from Poison Ivy, who only humiliates him. The two square off in a physical battle in which Riddler goes down to a humbling defeat.
Following Infinite Crisis, the Riddler is back in Arkham Asylum and immediately sprng by the events of the destructive supernatural events of Day of Vengeance. He and a multitude of super-villains unite to form the Society and attack Metropolis. Unfortunately, the Riddler is struck in the head by the Shining Knight’s mace, and rendered comatose.
Thankfully, writer Shane McCarthy rescued the Riddler and returned his cunning and intellect. The 5-part “Riddle Me That” story appeared in Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #185 - #189 (Jan – May, 2005), and was masterfully illustrated by Tommy Castillo and Rodney Ramos. This story alternated between flashbacks of the homeless amnesiac having recently emerged from his coma, to the cunning and confident post-plastic surgery Edward Nygma. Edward is aided by an ex-NSA codebreaker to recover from his trauma, but it turns out that he was being used by the academic all along.
Shedding his traditional green tights and Bowler hat, and sporting a new “playa” image, Nygma develops an elaborate plan to steal the mysterious Scroll of Minos from a museum. He matches wits with the Batman, foiling the Dark Knight at every turn. If there is any weak point in the story, it is the clichéd use of swapping a “bad” twin for the “good” (which got stale 40 years ago when Patty Duke did it). But this doesn’t hinder the brisk pace of the story, filled with Castillo’s dark and moody depiction of Batman in action.
The most interesting and important element of the “Riddle Me That” story is the surprise ending that shows that even the seemingly-infallible Batman can be outwitted, when faced with the cunning intellect of an opponent like the Riddler.
Another recent appearances of the Riddler bear highlighting – as he confronts not his usual foe, the Batman, but Star City’s protector – Green Arrow. These stories further demonstrate the possibilities for a super-character who uses brains rather than brawn. The peccant puzzler appeared twice to confound Green Arrow in that hero’s title. The first was in a three-part story in Green Arrow #35 through #37 (Apr – July, 2004), where the Riddler went on a crime spree to steal arcane magical artifacts to distract GA and Conner Hawke from the real culprit, a man named Albert Davis.
The Riddler leaves clues for Ollie and son that he is camping out in Star City’s stadium with an atomic bomb, to distract the city’s law enforcement and costumed heroes from Davis’ real goal: To throw the city into technological darkness and call forth demons who would punish any crime committed within the enclosed city limits. (Including children stealing food from abandoned stores to survive.)
The Riddler also played a key role in the opening oeuvre of Alex Ross’ recently-concluded Justice series, (Issues #2 & #3, Dec 2005 & Feb 2006.) He is one of the many characters plagued by a common dream of a cataclysmic end to the (DC) Universe, and as one of the mental heavyweights in the Universe’s criminal element, is drafted by Lex Luthor to help bring about a new order.
It has been uncertain whether Justice was more of an “Elseworlds”-type story, or whether certain elements would fit into the proper continuity of the DC Universe. However, there have been rumblings that somehow the events of Justice fit somewhere in the new Multiverse created in the wake of Infinite Crisis and 52. Therefore, it is possible that it is this Riddler who may be playing a part in the events of Countdown.
Or… is it the Riddler who returned in full force to the DC Universe-proper, in Detective #822 (Oct 2006) and #828 (Apr 2006)? Although he again sports his lime-green sports coat, Bowler and Question-mark cane, this Riddler is a completely new take: Now he has reformed and become a private detective. He even helps Bruce Wayne clear himself from a murder accusation. (Although he still does not recall having previously discovered Batman’s secret identity, there are several panels that show he is nagged by a buried memory of something significant regarding Bruce Wayne.)
Is the Riddler’s reformation a temporary side-effect of having recently emerged from his coma? Is this merely a ruse? Or has he truly refored? The pages of Countdown give us only the first line of this riddle, and we’ll be looking to further appearances of the Criminal Quizmaster in other DC titles over the next year for remaining pieces of this puzzle.
NEXT WEEK IN WHO COUNTS IN COUNTDOWN? One of the key elements in DC’s pre-Countdown ad campaign was headlined, “The Search for Ray Palmer”, and depicted a magnifying glass focused on the minute Atom – who is apparently very unhappy that he has been found. Nevertheless, as we have seen in recent issues of both Countdown and The All-New Atom, the search is on and the fate of the Universe hangs in the balance. It involves not only the new Atom Ryan Choi, but the new Challengers of the Unknown – Donna Troy, Jason Todd and a rogue Monitor. How did Ray Palmer get into this tight spot? Find out next week in Episode #40 of Who Counts in Countdown?Posts: 21381 | From: PA | Registered: Aug 2002
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Let me again say I am really digging these. These are the most-bestest presentations of character histories. Thanks, Bruce!
Posts: 545 | From: Southeast Michigan | Registered: Mar 2002
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In my mind only two people made The Riddler cool: the late (and much missed) Frank Gorshin and writer Paul Dini.
Mr. Gorshin made The Riddler the "thinking hero's villain". He infused the character with the right amount of menace, vanity, and ego that didn't make him a poor man's Joker (like Jim Carrey did). With Gorshin, The Riddler vs Batman was the ultimate battle-of-wits. One-upmanship to the Nth level. And who could forget that laugh.
The two-part episode "Hi Diddle Riddle" gave us Gorshin's Riddler at his best.
What Paul Dini has done is nothing short of good ol' fashioned writer's smarts. The Riddler as a detective??? That concept has TONS of potential. And so far, it's been fun.
The Riddler. When treated right...can be very formitable.
-------------------- With One Magic Word...SHAZAM! Posts: 54 | Registered: Oct 2005
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“…Nigma’s father punished him severely and maliciously for this and insisted on one thing – that from that moment forward, his son would always speak the truth. So if Edward was forced, verbally and physically, during an age of natural preadolescent rebellion, to speak the whole truth regardless of consequence or prudence, what then?
The Riddler never revealed Batman’s secret identity, however, because the Caped Crusader convinced him that disclosing the secret would be akin to revealing the solution to a riddle – something the Riddler is psychologically incapable of doing. In addition, such a disclosure would reveal that the Riddler had used Ra’s Al Ghul’s Lazarus Pits without permission, marking him for retaliation by the League of Assassins. (The Riddler spent the One Year Later period following Infinite Crisis in a coma, and upon emerging had lost all memory of Batman’s secret identity.)
