The Riddler appears inBatman (1966), portrayed byFrank Gorshin in the first and third seasons andJohn Astin in the second season.[citation needed] This version was inspired by the Riddler's firstSilver Age appearance, with the premiere episode being an adaptation ofBatman #171. Gorshin would be nominated for anEmmy Award for his performance, which elevated the character's popularity and turned him into a major member of Batman'srogues gallery.[citation needed]
The Riddler appears inThe Batman (2004), voiced byRobert Englund.[4] This version sports aGothic appearance and is served by henchmen called Riddlemen.[citation needed] In the past, he and his partner Julie (voiced byBrooke Shields) worked on a device capable of enhancing the human brain when he was approached by a businessman named Chuck Gorman (voiced byBob Gunton), who wanted to purchase the rights to the device, though Nygma refused. When the device malfunctioned at a demonstration, Nygma accused Gorman of sabotaging it and attempted to kill him, only to be foiled by Batman. In the present, Nygma becomes the Riddler to make another attempt on Gorman's life, only to learn that Gorman is innocent and it was Julie who sabotaged their device out of greed.
The Riddler appears inBatman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced byJohn Michael Higgins.[4][5] In his most notable appearance in the episode "The Criss Cross Conspiracy!", he is targeted byBatwoman, whom he had publicly unmasked and humiliated ten years prior.
The Riddler appears in theJustice League Action episode "E. Nygma, Consulting Detective", voiced byBrent Spiner.[6][4] This version is a detective, reformed criminal, and rival of the Joker who sports a shaved head.
The Riddler appears inHarley Quinn, voiced byJim Rash.[7][4] This version is a member of the Legion of Doom in the first season and theInjustice League in the second season. Additionally, he takes on a muscular physique after being captured byHarley Quinn's crew and being forced to power their mall lair in the latter season. As of the third season, he has returned to his slim physique and entered a relationship with theClock King. In "Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special", the Riddler proposes to Clock King and the pair get engaged.
Edward Nygma / Riddler appears in series set in theDC Animated Universe (DCAU), voiced byJohn Glover.[4] To avoid confusion with theJoker, the producers ofBatman: The Animated Series chose not to portray this version as Frank Gorshin's cackling trickster fromBatman (1966); instead portraying the Riddler as a smooth intellectual who presents genuinely challenging puzzles and dresses in a sedated version of Gorshin's preferred costume for the character. The series creators also admitted they did not use him often because his character made story plots too long, complex, or bizarre, and they found it difficult to devise the villain's riddles.[9]
The Riddler first appears inBatman: The Animated Series (1992),[4] with his design consisting of a green suit, purple mask, and a staff that lacks the usual question mark-shaped design. Introduced in the episode "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?", Nygma was originally a video game developer before being unjustly fired by his greedy boss, Daniel Mockridge, who stole his ideas.[4]
The Riddler makes minor appearances inThe New Batman Adventures, now sporting a unitard with a large question mark and no hair and mask.
TheBatman (1966) incarnation of the Riddler appears in theself-titled film adaptation, portrayed again by Frank Gorshin.[11][12]
Edward Nygma / Riddler appears inBatman Forever, portrayed byJim Carrey.[13][14] This version is an eccentric, amoralWayne Enterprises inventor who designs "The Box", a device seemingly capable of projecting images into a person's mind while transferring neural energy into others to enhance their intellects. AfterBruce Wayne rejects his invention due to ethical and safety concerns, Nygma becomes the Riddler to prove his superiority to him by obsessively sending him puzzles to solve. Nygma later allies withTwo-Face and goes on a crime spree to fund his own company, NygmaTech, mass-produce the Box's technology, and market it as a means of enhancing how viewers watch television; allowing him to absorb all ofGotham City's citizens' intelligence and deduce that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Ultimately, Batman shatters the master box, which overloads the information flow into Riddler's brain, damaging the latter's mind and driving him insane before he is incarcerated atArkham Asylum, thinking he is Batman.
Edward Nashton / Riddler appears inThe Batman (2022), portrayed byPaul Dano.[15][16][17] This version is a maskedserial killer, partly based on the real-lifeZodiac Killer, who seeks to "unmask the truth" about Gotham City's upper class while leaving cryptic messages for Batman, wears military cold weather gear, and uses the alias "Patrick Parker", a name that was falsely added to Wikipedia in 2013.[18][19][20][21][22] Additionally, Nashton grew up inThomas Wayne's orphanage, which was underfunded after corruption siphoned off its endowment, holds a grudge against Bruce Wayne for his privileged childhood, and ironically sees Batman as a kindred spirit. After killing three corrupt city officials and crime bossCarmine Falcone, Nashton allows himself to be captured and sent to Arkham Hospital so that Batman can discover his ultimate plan: bombing Gotham'sbreakwaters and flooding it while his online followers carry out a massacre at the opposing mayoral candidate's election night rally, which Batman andCatwoman narrowly thwart. Later, in Arkham, Nashton befriends hismysterious cellmate.
TheBatman: The Brave and the Bold incarnation of the Riddler appears inScooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced again by John Michael Higgins.[4] It is revealed that he is a former assistant ofProfessor Milo and seeks to revive a dimensional portal project he was involved in.
Edward Nygma appears inBatman: Hush, voiced byGeoffrey Arend.[4] Similarly to the comics, this version deduces Batman's identity as Bruce Wayne while using a Lazarus Pit to cure hisbrain tumor. However, Nygma goes on to use the alternate alter-egoHush to manipulate other supervillains into destroying Batman on multiple fronts while usingClayface to assume his Riddler identity to maintain appearances. Ultimately, Nygma's plans are foiled and he is killed byCatwoman.
The Riddler appears inBatman: The Enemy Within, voiced byRobin Atkin Downes.[27][4] This version is 60 years old; known as "Gotham's original costumed criminal", having operated years prior while the city was controlled byThomas Wayne andCarmine Falcone; a former employee of theAgency's scientific division SANCTUS; and a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and practitioner ofBartitsu, which he uses in conjunction with his cane. Additionally, he was a test subject in the Agency's experiments with the "LOTUS virus", a bioweapon that allowed him to maintain his youth, but drove him insane. After disappearing for several years, he resurfaces as the leader of a criminal group called the Pact to steal the LOTUS virus as well as pursue personal revenge against the Agency and target Batman. In the midst of his attacks,Lucius Fox is inadvertently killed by a missile strike onWayne Enterprises. Batman eventually defeats the Riddler, who is assassinated by Lucius' daughter Tiffany. The Pact andAmanda Waller use the Riddler's body to create their own versions of the LOTUS virus, but their samples are destroyed by Agent Iman Avesta.
Edward Nashton / Enigma / Riddler appears in theBatman: Arkham video game series, voiced byWally Wingert.[4] This version had an abusive father who accused him of cheating in a riddle solving contest before beating him. This resulted in Nashton becoming obsessed with riddles and proving his intellectual superiority. He would later go on to become a police consultant and the apparent head of theGotham City Police Department (GCPD)'s Cybercrime unit, during which he operated as Enigma before eventually becoming the Riddler.
While the Riddler does not physically appear inBatman: Arkham Asylum (2009),[4] he hacks into Batman's communication system and challenges him to solve riddles, most of which involve collecting trophies in hard-to-reach locations. Upon completing all of the Riddler's challenges, Batman triangulates the former's location inGotham City and has him arrested by the GCPD.
The Riddler makes his first physical appearance in the sequelBatman: Arkham City (2011).[4] He, along with many of Gotham City's criminals and supervillains, was captured and sent to ProfessorHugo Strange's Arkham City, a lawless, walled city whose inhabitants are free to wreak havoc. The Riddler kidnaps former Arkham guard Aaron Cash's medical protection team, places them in death traps, and threatens to murder them to force Batman to solve his riddles and challenges, which he has scattered throughout Arkham City. Additionally, the Riddler employs moles embedded in theJoker,Penguin, andTwo-Face's gangs. After Batman eventually outwits the death traps and rescues some of the hostages,Oracle discerns the location of the Riddler's hideout, where Batman rescues the remaining hostages and subdues the Riddler.[28]
A young Nashton, as Enigma, appears in the prequelBatman: Arkham Origins (2013).[citation needed] He establishes a series of signal jammers throughout Gotham City to disrupt Batman'sBatwing and hacking transmitter as part of a plot to blackmail Gotham's most prominent citizens and rid it of the corrupt despite putting innocent lives at risk. To further his plot, Nashton also has informants and pieces of extortion recordings scattered throughout Gotham. After uncovering and decoding the recordings and destroying the jammers Batman finds Enigma's hideout, which he has already abandoned leaving behind a prototype trophy.
InBatman: Arkham Knight (2015),[4] the Riddler allies with theScarecrow andArkham Knight to kill Batman, builds robotic assistants, establishes more challenges for Batman, and coerces him into completing them by takingCatwoman hostage via an explosive collar. As he completes the challenges, Batman locates the keys needed to remove her collar before the pair confront the Riddler in a "Riddler Mech" and his army of robots. After defeating him, Batman takes the Riddler to GCPD headquarters. In the "Catwoman's Revenge" DLC, set after the events of the main game, Catwoman infiltrates the Riddler's lair while he is incarcerated and transfers his money from his account to hers before leaving his lair to self-destruct.
The Riddler appears as an unlockable playable character in the mobile gameBatman: Arkham Underworld.[citation needed] For this game, he wields a sawed-off shotgun along with his cane, which he can use to electrocute enemies, create holograms, and sabotage electronic devices. He can also summon two of his robotic minions for assistance.
TheDC Animated Universe (DCAU) incarnation of the Riddler appears inThe Batman Adventures.[citation needed] He attempts to reform,[34] but struggles to do so. To help him, Batman recruits the Riddler to answer the riddle of how the Penguin became Gotham's mayor.[35] However, theClock King beats the Riddler into a coma.[36] While the comic was cancelled before the latter's fate could be resolved, the writers planned to have him come out of his coma with amnesia and attempt to uncover his identity.[37]
Two characters based on the Riddler appear in published material set in the continuity ofBatman andBatman Returns
The first isNorman Pinkus who appears inBatman: Resurrection and its sequelBatman: Revolution. This version is the son of Philmont and Martina Pinkus, a copy boy for theGotham Globe, the head of the paper's "Riddle Me This" puzzle section, and a vigilante investigator who anonymously helps the GCPD solve numerous crimes via their tip line, all the while using the pseudonymEdward Nygma to protect his loved ones from possible reprisals from the likes of Carl Grissom and Max Shreck. InResurrection, viewing himself as an intellectual rival to Batman, Pinkus sends him riddles to solve which later help Batman identify Dr. Hugh Auslander as Dr.Hugo Strange, and he secretly works with the Red Triangle Gang to save Batman from Strange's Monster Men. InRevolution, he begins investigates the crimes of the Aeterna Militia revolutionary group, and of the vigilante killer William Matthew Stokowski/The Archer.
^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacadaeafag"Riddler Voices (Batman)". Behind The Voice Actors. RetrievedDecember 14, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
^Game Informer features a two-page gallery of the many heroes and villains who appear in the game with a picture for each character and a descriptive paragraph. See "LEGO Batman: Character Gallery",Game Informer 186 (October 2008): 93.
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