Penguin (comics)

Template:Superherobox The Penguin is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, he first appeared in Detective Comics #58 (1941).

A short, fat man who usually wears a tuxedo and a top hat, the Penguin fancies himself a "gentleman of crime". Unlike most Batman villains, the Penguin does not theme his crimes around a psychotic obsession, but does possess a few eccentricities. He is known for his love of birds and his umbrellas, which allow him to glide through the air, double as firearms or have some other specialized function. He also typically keeps beautiful women around him; there have been suggestions in some comics that he does so to remind others of his monetary influence and to compensate for his own grotesqueness. The graphic novel Batman: Penguin Triumphant suggests that the Penguin keeps these women around because he was so often rejected by women as a teenager.

The Penguin has long been one of Batman's most prominent adversaries and was popularized by Burgess Meredith's wacky portrayal of the character in the Batman television series of the 1960s. Danny DeVito delivered a much darker interpretation of the character in the 1992 film Batman Returns.

Full history

Born Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, the Penguin was teased very much in childhood due to his short stature, obesity, and bird-like nose. In fact, these traits even made him an outcast in his rich, debutante family. Their rejection drove him to become a violent criminal. In keeping with his family's tradition of wealth, the Penguin lives a life of crime and evil, yet executes it with his own self proclaimed high society class and style. He commits crimes with the theme of the various birds he loves.

Unlike most of the Batman villains, the Penguin is a gentleman villain, in control of his own actions and perfectly sane. This lends itself to a unique relationship with his archenemy, Batman. This has extended into the current situation with the Penguin ceasing his direct involvement in crime, instead running a nightclub that is popular with the underworld. As such, he is an excellent source of information on crime and Batman grudgingly tolerates his operations because of that. However, the entrepreneurial Penguin doesn't exactly keep his beak clean; he is often fencing stolen property or arranging early furloughs for incarcerated former criminal associates - for a hefty fee, of course - on the side. During the period when Gotham City was leveled by an earthquake (the "No Man's Land" storyline), he was one of the major players in the mostly-abandoned and lawless city, using his connections (one was eventually discovered to be tied to Lex Luthor and his company) to sell necessities at outrageous prices.

The Penguin's trademark are the various deadly umbrellas he uses to execute his evil plans. In keeping with his pretensions of being a refined gentleman, he also prefers to wear formal wear such as a top hat and tuxedo during his jobs.

The Penguin received his alias from a childhood nickname, bestowed by his peers, who teased him because of his grotesque apperance and love of birds. Some comics suggest that he tried to abandon the title, which he hates, but it has been permanently brought into popularity by Batman. While he hates the nickname, he has cashed in on its popularity with his 'Iceberg Lounge'.

In other media

The Penguin was played by Burgess Meredith in the Batman television series of the 1960s and the spin-off movie. A largely campy interpretation, Meredith's performance is perhaps best remembered through his signature laughter, meant to mimic the squawk of a penguin. It should be noted that the basic plot of "Batman Returns", mainly the Penguin running for mayor is most likely inspired by an episode of the Batman show, which follows the same premise. A notable scene involves Penguin having Batman and Robin dangled over a pit of acid while he runs to 'get help' as both a ploy to remove his enemies and gain some positive press as a 'good samaratian'.

In the 1992 movie Batman Returns, the Penguin was portrayed by Danny DeVito. In this movie, Tim Burton reimagined the character not as an eloquent, sophisticated, short and fat man (as had been traditionally done before), but, rather, as a physically deformed psychopath. In the fall of that year, when Batman: The Animated Series debuted, he was voiced by Paul Williams; due to the close relation in time between the movie and the animated series, the freakish look of the deformed Penguin remained, though toned down some. In 1997, when the animated series underwent a revamp, the Penguin returned to a role more similar to his role in the comic books - as a "legitimate" businessman and mob boss that ran a night club called the "Iceberg Lounge".

The character has also appeared on The Batman, voiced by Tom Kenny. This version leans towards the freakish rendition of the character that Tim Burton first envisioned. In this continuity, the Penguin is primarily concerned with reestablishing the Cobblepot family name in society - by stealing from the citizens of Gotham to rebuild his wealth.fr:Pingouin (Batman)