Count Vertigo
Back to Villains Main > Count Vertigo
Real Identity: Count Werner Vertigo
Affiliation(s): Injustice League and Bedlam Syndicate
Appearances (Episodes): Revelation, Coldhearted, Princes All, Royal We, Eminent Threat, Illusion of Control (Impersonated), Overwhelmed, and Nevermore
Appearances (Comics): Cherry Gig, Foreign Affairs, Metallic Aftertaste, Intimate Connection: Memory Five, Last Rights, and Yesterday's Children: Memory Six
Powers/Skills: Vertigo Wave Emission and Armed Combat
Voiced By: Steve Blum
Count Vertigo is a member of the royal family of Vlatava in eastern Europe and seeks to become king through any means possible. Vertigo wears an electrical device that gives him the power to control the balance of others and induce both dizziness and vertigo. On September 29th, Team Year Zero, Count Vertigo attacked Green Arrow and Queen Perdita Vladek in the Star City International Airport with vertigo waves after Merlyn, the assassin he hired, failed to kill them. Vertigo readied his blade prepared with a cover story he came to protect his niece but arrived too late. Black Canary intervened and knocked him out with her Canary Cry.
Count Vertigo took on the leadership role as field commander of the Injustice League. On October 1st, the League dispatched Plant Creatures across the planet and Vertigo issued a $10 billion ransom to the United Nations. Alerted to intruders, Count Vertigo used his power to weaken the Team and the Bio Ship. When the Team foiled their plans, Count Vertigo ordered their deaths. Kid Flash grabbed part of his cape for a souvenir then Artemis jump kicked him and made a sling out of the shard for Kid Flash's shoulder. Count Vertigo surrendered to the Justice League but vowed he would be back.
As a member of the Vlatavan royal family, Vertigo avoided arrest by diplomatic immunity. On November 11th, he attempted to manipulate the death of Queen Perdita, his maternal niece, and take the throne. With the aid of Vandal Savage, the continental United States was covered in extreme snow and the Justice League distracted. Kid Flash still managed to deliver Perdita's new heart on time and defeat Vertigo. The next day, Kid Flash tricked Vertigo into admitting his plan in front of Perdita. She revoked his diplomatic immunity and convicted him of high treason. Vertigo was sent to Belle Reve Penitentiary and was "welcomed" by Brick in the mess hall. At some point, Hugo Strange acted on Vandal Savage's orders and freed every inmate in the penitentiary. Vertigo was later recruited into the Bedlam Syndicate in Markovia.
On July 4, Team Year Eight, Count Vertigo and Dr. Helga Jace observed the meta-activation of Ana von Furth in the syndicate's lab. On July 30, in the evening, Vertigo discovered there were intruders and sent Plasmus after them. Plasmus brought one back to Vertigo and he was surprised one was Superboy. He berated Dr. Simon Ecks for bringing in Prince Brion Markov then had Ecks place both into pods. Vertigo left to verify Eck's claim he was acting under orders. Vertigo was briefed by Joe Henchy that one of the dead subjects in the mass grave came back to life with powers and was aided by a woman in combat gear. Out of frustration with the various incidents, Vertigo contacted Baron DeLamb, the head of the syndicate. He was ordered to shut down operations and move everything off-site. He was not pleased to learn Dr. Jace meta-activated Brion Markov and used his vertigo effect on her. DeLamb arrived soon after. The battle between Super-Cycle and Plasmus prompted Vertigo to boom the syndicate's meta-humans away.
Vertigo, Henchy, Ecks and Plasmus boomed to Nightwing, Tigress, and Black Lightning's location on a beach and attacked. Vertigo used his vertigo effect on them but was hit by one of Tigress's electric trick arrows. Rather than surrender, Vertigo fled the battle in a Boom Tube with Henchy. At some point before September 30th, Vertigo testified to the Light that Superboy and Black Lightning were involved in the Markovian incident. On February 15, 05:45 EET, Team Year Nine, Vertigo followed the Light's order and boomed into the Markovian National Penitentiary and extracted Baron Bedlam and Simon Ecks. On February 16, Vertigo attacked a Team squad in the Markovian Royal Palace's throne room so Bedlam could flee. Nightwing threw one of his escrima batons and knocked Vertigo out. He was imprisoned in the Markovian National Penitentiary along with Ecks, Piotor Platz, and Johann Mintz.
On November 09, 18:17 EEST, Team Year Ten, Vertigo found dinner in the penitentiary to be insulting, peasant food. Suddenly, four Lex-Bots blew a wall and neutralized the guards on duty. The one marked "02" awaited Vertigo's command. Ecks was surprised Vertigo planned the jail break and asked why he didn't tell them. As they were flown out, Vertigo remarked it was a strictly need-to-know basis. In Star City, around the same time, other Lex-Bots in the group kidnapped Queen Perdita Vladek. Vertigo's escape and Vladek's kidnapping were planned as a distraction to conceal the real target was the Kryptonite she was going to secretly transfer to Dr. Roquette in Star City. On November 11th, after 22:42 UTC+2, Count Vertigo entered the room inside the Lexcorp Robotics factory in Madinat Altharwati where Vladek was being held. He attacked the Team with vertigo waves but teased not to sate themselves on his power because he was just the appetizer. Queen Bee stepped out from behind him and enthralled Red Arrow, Arsenal, and Halo then ordered them to kill Tigress, Miss Martian, and Arrowette.
At 22:48 UTC+2, Vladek regained consciousness in the room and was horrified to see Miss Martian, Tigress, and Arrowette dead. Queen Bee informed Vladek her thralls simply dispatched a few unwanted intruders. Vladek turned to Count Vertigo and blamed him. Vertigo could not take credit but heartily approved of Lex Luthor's genius plan. She wanted to know what he would get out of it. Vertigo hinted he would use the chaos of the Markovian Border Crisis to start a nationalistic uprising and act as its demagogue. He mused everyone loved a comeback story and that comeback would start with her assassination by a rogue metahuman. Queen Bee asked Halo to kill Vladek. Halo instead blasted Bee, Vertigo, and Psimon unconscious. The Team made preparations before the mission to counteract Queen Bee's meta-ability and simply played along until the time was right.