| Count Vertigo | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | World's Finest Comics #251 (July 1978)[1] |
| Created by | Gerry Conway (writer) Trevor Von Eeden (penciller) Vince Colletta (inker) |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Count Werner Vertigo(1978–2011) Count Werner Zytle(2011–present) |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Team affiliations | Secret Society of Super Villains Checkmate Suicide Squad Injustice Society Longbow Hunters Injustice League |
| Notable aliases | White Queen's Knight |
| Abilities |
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Count Vertigo (Werner Zytle) is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics. Created by writerGerry Conway and artistsTrevor Von Eeden andVince Colletta, the character first appeared inWorld's Finest Comics #251 (1978). In theDC Universe, Count Vertigo is the last descendant of the royal family that ruled the smalleastern European country ofVlatava, which was taken over by theSoviet Union and later devastated by theSpectre.[2] The character serves as an enemy of the superheroesBlack Canary,Batman and laterGreen Arrow.
Two incarnations of Count Vertigo,Cecil Adams and Werner Zytle, appear inArrow, portrayed bySeth Gabel andPeter Stormare, respectively. Additionally,Michael York,Greg Ellis, andSteve Blum have voiced Vertigo in animation.
Count Vertigo was created by writerGerry Conway and artistsTrevor Von Eeden andVince Colletta, and first appeared inWorld's Finest Comics #251 (1978). Vertigo's costume was designed by Von Eeden, with the patterning of his cape being a tribute toSteve Ditko's distinctively arcane artwork.[2]
Count Vertigo first appeared inStar City, where he attempted to steal back the jewels his parents had sold when they escaped toEngland.[3] Due to having a hereditary inner ear defect that affected his balance, Vertigo had a small electronic device implanted in his right temple to compensate. Tinkering with the device, Vertigo learned he was able to affect other people's balance as well, distorting their perceptions and inducingvertigo. Donning a costume and taking the name "Count Vertigo", he embarked on a life of crime. This would bring him into conflict with the heroesGreen Arrow andBlack Canary.
Vertigo later joins theSuicide Squad in exchange for a shortened prison sentence, and it is revealed that he hasbipolar disorder. After the Suicide Squad disbands, Vertigo is captured by rebels fromVlatava, who intend to use his powers to overthrow the Vlatavan government.[2]
Vertigo is captured byPoison Ivy when the Suicide Squad came in and resolved the conflict and Kaligari (then-ruler of Vlatava) was murdered. Vertigo was Ivy's slave for a long period of time, during which he grew to hate Ivy and frequently threatened to kill her when he was free of her control.Amanda Waller frees Vertigo from Ivy's control, enabling him to stop a group of missiles from hittingDome of the Rock inJerusalem at the behest of the villainKobra.[4]
Vertigo attends rehab and expunges the chemicals that had been pumped into his body by both Ivy and the rebels, unwittingly curing him of the disorder that had plagued him for so long. Vertigo is unable to cope and approachesDeadshot, one of his teammates, hoping that he will be willing to kill him. The running subplot would ultimately culminate in the last pages of the first volume ofSuicide Squad, in which Deadshot and Vertigo stood across one another, Deadshot ready to kill him. Vertigo realizes that this was ultimately an indirect suicide, and that would ruin his chances for the afterlife. Deciding for now that he would deal with the disease that now indirectly plagued him, he abandons the duel.[5]
Vertigo later returns to Vlatava to ensure that he would once more become its rightful ruler. While his forces are at war with the government's army, theSpectre appears and is horrified by the slaughter. In a fit of rage, the Spectre deems Vlatava and its inhabitants to be full of sin and decides to cleanse it, sparing only Vertigo and Vlatava's president.[6]
Working for the American government for a while, Count Vertigo eventually sought out his old enemyGreen Arrow. Vertigo decided to leave his vendetta behind and focus on more positive prospects, getting his life back on track. He later appears as a member of the newInjustice Society.[2] He also shows up as an operative of the Suicide Squad when they attempt to dissuade the Justice League from investigating the "Salvation Run" project.[7]
Vertigo appears in the revampedCheckmate title as part of its regular cast as the White Queen's Knight under White Queen Amanda Waller.[2] He is later seen capturingthe Rogues responsible for the murder ofBart Allen, alongside a new Suicide Squad consisting ofBronze Tiger,Captain Boomerang (Owen Mercer),Plastique,Multiplex, and Deadshot.
In September 2011,The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Count Vertigo made his debut inGreen Arrow (vol. 5) #22. The character is renamed Werner Zytle and depicted as the ruler of Vlatava. Though of noble heritage, his family lost their fortunes and had to flee to Canada. While in Canada, Zytle becomes involved with organized crime, using the profits from his activities to return to Vlatava and reclaim his birthright.[8] Vertigo later appears as a member ofRichard Dragon'sLongbow Hunters.[9]
Count Vertigo is trained in classical martialcombat and the sports ofboxing,fencing, andequestrianism. He has also been trained injudo andkarate.
His "Vertigo Effect" has long since been internalized through circumstances that have not yet been revealed. He uses his power to disrupt his enemies' balance. In hand-to-hand and melee combat, Vertigo uses his power to disorient his opponents. He also uses the Vertigo Effect to disrupt the aim of gunmen, snipers and the like. The exact range of the power is yet to be determined, seeing as how on one mission, guards watching him in action on camera were also affected by his power. This ability is also capable of disrupting guidance systems on missiles, vehicles, and detection systems. Count Vertigo also wears magnetic boots with which he can walk walls or ceilings. In later appearances, he gains the ability of flight.
An alternate universe variant of Count Vertigo appears in theFlashpoint tie-inDeadman and the Flying Graysons. This version lost his family during theAmazon-Atlantean war. He attempts to retrieveDoctor Fate's helmet before being killed in battle and giving the helmet toDick Grayson.[10][11]
TheArrow incarnation of Werner Zytle appears in the non-canonical tie-in comicArrow: Season 2.5.
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