The Penguin (Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character made his first appearance in Detective Comics #58 (December 1941) and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.Detective Comics #58 (December 1941) The Penguin is one of Batman's most enduring enemies, belonging to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery. The Penguin has repeatedly been named one of the best Batman villains and one of the greatest villains in comics by William Ouellet Tremblay. The Penguin was ranked #51 in IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time.
The Penguin is a Gotham City mobster who fancies himself the "Gentleman of Crime". He is most often seen as a short, fat man with a long nose who wears a monocle, top hat, and morning suit while carrying his signature umbrella, which may conceal a gun, gas sprayer, knife, mini-helicopter or other unconventional tools. The Penguin owns and runs a nightclub called the Iceberg Lounge which provides a cover for his criminal activity.
Batman sometimes uses the nightclub as a source of criminal underworld information. Unlike most of Batman's rogues gallery, the Penguin is completely sane and in full control of his actions. According to his creator Bob Kane, the character was inspired by the advertising mascot of Kool cigarettes in the 1940s--a penguin with a top hat and cane. However, similarities have been found between Penguin's design and the appearance of the Dick Tracy character Broadway Bates, who was introduced in 1932. Co-creator Bill Finger thought that the image of high-society gentlemen in tuxedos was reminiscent of emperor penguins.
The character has been featured in various media adaptations, including feature films, television series, and video games. His live-action portrayals include those by Burgess Meredith in the 1960s Batman television series and its spin-off film, Danny DeVito in the film Batman Returns, Robin Lord Taylor in the television series Gotham, and Colin Farrell in the film The Batman and a self-titled spinoff series. Paul Williams, Tom Kenny, Nolan North, Wayne Knight, Stephen Root, and Elias Toufexis, among others, have voiced Penguin in animation and video games.
Publication history The Penguin made his first appearance in Detective Comics #58 (December 1941) and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The character received a solo title as a part of the Dawn of DC initiative, with the book being written by Tom King and drawn by Rafael de Latorre.
Penguin has appeared in these Comics in Chronological order:
Best of DC #10 (March 1981) The Origin of the Penguin Batman Vol. 1 #99 (April 1956): The Golden Eggs Batman Vol. 1 #155/2 (May 1963): The Return of the Penguin Batman Vol. 1 #169 (February 1965): Partners in Plunder Justice League of America #40 (November 1965): Indestructible Creatures of Nightmare Island World's Finest Comics #159 (August 1966): The Cape and Cowl Crooks Brave and the Bold #68 (October-November 1966: Alias the Bat-Hulk Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #70 (November 1966): The Catwoman's Black Magic Batman Vol. 1 #190 (March 1967): The Penguin Takes a Flyer into the Future Batman Vol. 1 #191 (May 1967): The Day Batman Sold Out
Batman Vol. 1 #200 (March 1968): The Man Who Radiated Fear Justice League of America #61 (March 1968): Operation: Jail the Justice League Batman Vol. 1 #201 (May 1968): Batman's Gangland Guardians Batman Vol. 1 #257 (July-August 1974): Hail Emperor Penguin Justice League of America #135 (October 1976): Crisis in Eternity! Batman Vol. 1 #287 (May 1977): Batman-Ex--As In Extinct Batman Vol. 1 #288 (June 1977): The Little Men's Hall of Fame Detective Comics #472 (September 1977): I am the Batman Detective Comics #473 (November 1977): The Malay Penguin Detective Comics #474 (December 1977): The Deadshot Ricochet World's Finest Comics #261 (February-March 1980): Showdown at Gotham City
Detective Comics #492/4 (July 1980): The First Bird Brave and the Bold #166 (September 1980): Requiem for Four Canaries Best of DC #10 (March 1981): The Origin of the Penguin Brave and the Bold #185 (April 1982): The Falcon's Lair Brave and the Bold #186 (May 1982): The Treasure of the Hawk-God's Tomb Brave and the Bold #191 (October 1982): Only Angels Have Wings Detective Comics #526 (May 1983): All My Enemies Against Me Batman Vol. 1 #374 (August 1984): Pieces of Penguin Detective Comics #541 (August 1984): C-C-Cold Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 (August 1985): Worlds in Limbo Crisis on Infinite Earths #9 (December 1985): War Zone Batman Vol. 1 #400 (October 1986): Resurrection Night!
Fictional character biography Golden Age Originally known only by his alias, the Penguin first appeared in Gotham City as a skilled thief, sneaking a pair of priceless paintings (valued at $250,000 in 1941 dollars) out of an art museum by hiding the rolled-up canvases in the handle of his umbrella. The Penguin later used the stolen paintings as proof of his underworld acumen to a local mob boss, who allowed him to join his crime family. With the Penguin's planning, the mob pulled off a string of ingenious heists. The "be-monocled bird" and the mobster eventually fell out, leading Penguin to kill him with his umbrella gun. The Penguin became the leader of the mob and attempted to neutralize Batman by framing him for the theft of a statue which Penguin, himself, had stolen. As part of the plot, Penguin actually already owned the statue and was framing Batman and Robin to commit insurance fraud. The Penguin's plans were eventually prevented, but the bandit himself escaped.
Penguin later set himself up as an underworld advisor, selling his foolproof plans to different criminals. When the criminals pulled off a successful heist, Penguin would kill them and steal their loot. To get to the bottom of this caper, Batman posed as a rival criminal called "Bad News Brewster". Despite Penguin realizing that Batman was posing as a criminal, Penguin was brought to justice.Batman #14 (January 1943)
Penguin soon became less violent and began to obsess over birds and umbrellas. After breaking out of prison, Penguin heard that Batman didn't consider him a threatening villain. To prove Batman wrong, Penguin built himself gimmick guns and fishing poles. Batman was able to defeat him with an umbrella.Batman #17 (July 1943)
Penguin is paroled from prison and asked to release his birds as a sign of good will. Penguin proceeds to open up an umbrella company and fools Batman into endorsing his products, which contained special magnets. Following the robbery, Penguin flees to Oasis Beach Island in the Caribbean Sea, where he attempts another umbrella-themed theft before being apprehended by Batman and Robin.Batman #70 (April 1952)
Silver Age Born Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, the Penguin was bullied as a child for his short, penguin-like appearance. Several stories relate that he was forced, as a child, to always carry an umbrella by his overprotective mother due to his father dying of pneumonia from refusing to take one while going out in the rain. His parents owned a bird shop, where Cobblepot spent most of his time with the birds, seeing them as his only friends, and lavishing them with attention. His love of birds would eventually lead him to study ornithology in college, only to find out that he knew more about birds than most of his professors did. In some versions, Cobblepot turns to crime after his mother dies and the bird shop, along with all of her birds, is repossessed to pay her debts.The Best of DC #10 (March 1981)
While in prison, Penguin and Joker heard the news that Batman is retiring. This turned out to be a ruse.Batman #191 (May 1967) As Batman was shaking off the effects of Scarecrow's fear pills, Penguin escapes from prison and ends up apprehended by Batman and Robin.Batman #200 (March 1968)
Doctor Destiny manipulates Penguin, Doctor Light, Lex Luthor, Tattooed Man, Cutlass Charlie, Captain Boomerang, Floronic Man, and I.Q. into switching appearances with the Justice League, with Penguin swapping with Batman. The Justice League manage to thwart this plot and apprehend the villains.Justice League of America #61 (March 1968)
The Penguin made his last Silver Age appearance during the last appearance of the Earth-One Batman. After he and a multitude of Batman's enemies are broken out of Arkham Asylum and Gotham State Penitentiary by Ra's al Ghul, the Penguin carries out Ra's' plans to kidnap Batman's friends and allies. Penguin, Joker, Mad Hatter, Cavalier, Deadshot, and Killer Moth attack Gotham City Police Headquarters, but are infuriated when Joker sabotages their attempt to hold Commissioner James Gordon for ransom. A standoff ensues, with Joker on one side and Penguin and Mad Hatter on the other. The Joker quickly subdues both with laughing gas.Batman #400 (October 1986)
Post-Crisis Following the rebooting the history of the DC Universe, the Penguin was relegated to sporadic appearances, until writer Alan Grant (who had earlier penned the Penguin origin story "The Killing Peck" in Secret Origins Special #1) and artist Norm Breyfogle brought him back, deadlier than ever.
In this continuity, Oswald Cobblepot is an outcast in his high-society family and their rejection drives him to become a criminal. In keeping with his aristocratic origins, the Penguin pursues his criminal career while wearing formal attire such as a top hat, monocle, and tuxedo, especially of the "white-tie-and-tails" design. He is one of the relatively few villains in Batman's rogues gallery who is sane and in full control of his actions, although still ruthless and capable of extreme violence.
During their run, the Penguin forms a brief partnership with hypnotist Mortimer Kadaver, who helps him fake his own death as a ploy to strike an unsuspecting Gotham, only for Kadaver to include a post-hypnotic suggestion that will leave Penguin back in his comatose state and only able to be awoken by a command that Kadaver alone knows. The Penguin later kills Kadaver, after plugging his own ears with toilet paper so that the hypnotist no longer has power over him.Detective Comics #610-611 (January - February 1990) After Batman foils this particular endeavor, the Penguin embarks on one of his grandest schemes ever in the three-part story "The Penguin Affair". Finding Harold Allnut being tormented by two gang members, the Penguin takes in Allnut, showing him kindness in exchange for services. Harold builds a gadget that allows the Penguin to control flocks of birds from miles away, which the Penguin utilizes to destroy radio communications in Gotham and crash a passenger plane. This endeavor, too, is foiled by Batman, who hires Allnut as his mechanic.
The Penguin resurfaces during Jean-Paul Valley's tenure as Batman and is one of the few people to deduce that Valley is not the original Batman. To confirm his theory, he kidnaps Sarah Essen, places her in a death trap set to go off at midnight, and turns himself in, utilizing the opportunity to mock her husband Commissioner Gordon as midnight approaches. An increasingly infuriated Gordon is nearly driven to throw him off the police headquarters roof before Valley rescues Sarah moments before midnight. As Valley leaves, he says, "There's nothing the Penguin can throw at me that I haven't encountered before." The Penguin reluctantly agrees with this sentiment, accepting that he has become passé.Showcase '94 #7 (June 1994) Subsequently, the Penguin turns his attentions to a new modus operandi, operating behind the front of a legitimate restaurant and casino called the Iceberg Lounge.Detective Comics #683 (March 1995)