The Riddler
Back to Villains Main > The Riddler
Real Identity: Unknown
Appearances (Movies): Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders and Batman vs. Two-Face
Powers/Skills: Genius
Voiced By: Wally Wingert
The Riddler is the king of conundrums and prince of puzzles who views crime the highest of art forms. He mocks and challenges the intelligence of others with his trademark phrase, "Riddle me this." The Riddler teamed himself with the Joker, Penguin and Catwoman and announced their unholy alliance during Gotham Palace after they took the places of the musical guests, Hector and the Ho Daddies. He opened with the riddle "What kind of band doesn't play music?" The answer, a band of thieves. He followed with his manic laugh. Before the villains ran away, Riddler threw a bomb at the teenagers from the audience. Instead of exploding, the bomb revealed another riddle. The Gotham City police confiscated the riddle. Batman and Robin went over it with Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara at headquarters. Batman quickly knew "nothing" was the answer to "poor people have it, rich people need it, if you eat it, you die." Thinking of related terms, Robin concluded on goose eggs since Farmer Jones delivered his last week and there was a total lunar eclipse last Tuesday night. Batman recalled the Acme Atomic Energy Laboratory opened a new wing about the science of total lunar eclipses.
The villains stole the Replica Ray from the laboratory but Batman and Robin arrived. After a short battle, the villains attempted to get away in the Jokermobile. The Riddler copied a pothole with the Replica Ray and attempted to divert the Batmobile. After Robin fired off a Batzooka blast, Riddler generated a chasm and the villains got away. A balloon floated down to them with a piece of tin foil. They returned to the abandoned Fitzsimmons Frozen Food Factory to decide what to do with the Replica Ray. The Riddler was offended with the Penguin using it just to duplicate money, diamonds, and women since he wanted to execute an artistic vision. Joker, Riddler, and Penguin secretly plotted to use the Replica Ray as a distraction while they executed an art heist. They switched places with their clones and went with an unwitting Catwoman on a Belgravian space shuttle to an abandoned space station. The villains came up with a plan to duplicate Earth so each villain would have a Gotham City to rule. The Riddler's clone declared it would be the greatest caper in the universe.
The villains betrayed Catwoman and vented her out of Airlock 1 to make sure she wouldn't side with Batman and foil their schemes. Batman and Robin had just arrived and rescued Catwoman from certain death. Since they were well out of the jurisdiction of Gotham City, Batman oddly dispensed with the usual rules of combat and beat the trio into submission. The clones, still believed to be the originals, were imprisoned at Gotham State Penitentiary and did hard labor. All the while, Batman became a egomaniac from being exposed to Catwoman's mind control Batnip which was secretly laced with Joker's Laughing Gas. Eventually, the clones of Joker, Riddler, and Penguin expired in prison and combusted into piles of yellow muck. While Robin and Catwoman battled Batman and his clones, the villains robbed museums of their most priceless treasures and irreplaceable artwork. Riddler stole the first puzzle ever, created four thousand years ago, from the Antique Museum. They retreated to Penguin's Pengyblimp once a cured Batman arrived with Robin and Catwoman.
Riddler wasn't pleased with the getaway vehicle being a blimp but Penguin activated booster jets that were soon blown up by Batman and Robin. Riddler was livid. The villains made their way to the top of the blimp with their henchman and waited. As the battle turned in the heroes' favor, Riddler leapt off the blimp. He passed through a clothesline and ended up in a pink dress. He bounced off an awning and landed right on the hood of a police car. Riddler was one of the super criminals "volunteered" to be a test subject for Hugo Strange's Evil Extractor at the state penitentiary. They were affixed to chairs with arm and leg restraints and domes were lowered over their heads. Strange explained the Evil Extractor would siphon the reservoirs of evil deep in the criminals' warped brains then, deposit it into the Collection Vat. Strange told Dr. Quinzel to instigate the extractor protocol. Evil Essence flowed into the vat. Joker had a plan and told the others to concentrate in order to overload the Extractor with their collective evil.
Strange realized what they were doing and ordered Quinzel to turn it off. It was too late, and District Attorney Harvey Dent was exposed to the Evil Essence and turned into a new super criminal named Two-Face. Over six months later, Two-Face sent an invitation to Riddler's hideout inviting him to an auction to bid for the secret identity of Batman and Robin at The Winning Pair Casino. Joker made the first bid at $1 million and was glad he had some spare change laying around between the couch cushions. Penguin told him to be quiet and countered $1.5. Riddler asked why they were like Two-Face's henchmen. He replied because they were all doing his bidding. Joker and Penguin growled. Riddler countered with $2 million. Catwoman with a bid of $3 million. Penguin increased his to $4 million. They argued. The Evil Extractor started secretly gathering their Evil Essence as they argued. Catwoman had enough and declared Batman was hers alone to undo, when she saw fit and not before. She bid $5 million. Everyone gasped.
Joker remarked that was a little rich for his blood and proposed they combine the pot and they could all get a peek. They all agreed and bid $10 million. They won. Two-Face collected the money and excused himself for another engagement. Batman and Robin triggered the death trap they were bound to and escaped certain death by changing the center of gravity then Catwoman slashed the ropes off them. Catwoman flip kicked Riddler. The Gotham City Police Department arrested all the super criminals at the casino but Catwoman was missing.