Edward Nashton (New Earth)

Live Action
Batman (TV series)

Frank Gorshin played the Riddler in the 1960s Batman television series and spin-off movie, with John Astin substituting once on the series. The popular television series was inspired by the first Silver Age appearance of the Riddler, with the premiere episode being an adaptation of this issue (Batman #171). Before the television series, the character was a minor villain with only three appearances in two decades, but the exposure of the series - especially with Gorshin's extremely popular interpretation - elevated the character in the comics to a major enemy. Gorshin also portrayed the Riddler in Legends of the Superheroes in 1979.

Batman Forever

Jim Carrey played the role in the 1996 movie directed by Joel Schumacher. Playing the character very close to Frank Gorshin's interpretation, Carrey presented Edward Nygma as an scientist obsessed with Bruce Wayne whose fragile mind cracks under his idol's rejection. When Wayne shuts down his plans for a brain altering device Edward calls "the Box," Nygma spirals into a stalking mentality, leaving riddles for Bruce at his home while slowly transforming himself into a cracked reflection of Bruce. Grasping onto fellow psychotic Two-Face, Nygma draws inspiration for his new identity from a fortune telling machine dressed in the Riddler's classic question marks. After convincing Two-Face to join him in a partnership, the pair ravage Gotham on a crime spree, with Batman unable to stop them. Eventually using "the Box" (which has become the most popular TV accessory ever and feeds Nygma people's throughts and knowledge), the Riddler discovers Batman's identity of Bruce Wayne and kidnaps Wayne's love interest, Dr. Chase Meridian. Once Batman and his new partner Robin deduce the Riddler's identity, the Duo race to Nygma's factory on Claw Island, where Edward tests Batman to see what is more dominant in him, the hero or the man. Once defeated from an overload of thoughts from "the Box," Riddler is brought to Arkham where he now believes himself to be Batman. His costume is seen later in Batman and Robin.

Cartoons
Batman: The Animated Series In the popular 1990's TV series, the Riddler began as Edward Nygma, a game designer fired for wanting royalties on a popular game. In revenge, Riddler kidnapped his corrupt boss, forcing Batman and Robin through a giant labyrinth to save him. This first appearance does show Batman bringing Riddler to justice, however as Nygma's antics instilled his boss with a deep seeded paranoia, Batman reasoned Edward had won. A later episode shows the Riddler supposedly going straight, only to venture back to crime. His later appearances in The New Batman Adventures became spares after this, as the character was given to highly complex or campy storylines. In all appearances, Riddler was voiced by John Glover.

The Batman In the Riddlers latest incarnation, he appears to have gone through a drastic overhall. He is portrayed with long black hair and wears a green body catsuit with a black question mark on the front of the suit. He appears to also wear shoulder pads and either has a tattoo of a line going down his arm, ending in a question mark on his hand, though this could be part of the costume. The one thing that hasn't changed is the mask, he still wears the green eye mask he has been portrayed with before, though this one actually covers his eyes with a white material. What is also new is the gothic like green lipstick that continues down to his chin. This modern and younger Riddler was made to look more gothic so that he fitted into the modern world where many categories of people exit. His cane appears to be more showing with a bubble on the end supporting a sharp question mark symbol.

This alternate Riddler has the same obsession for Riddles that his normal counterparts do, he cannot help but "tell the truth through riddles". His first encounter with the Bat was when he was a scientist designing a unique helmet, it was sabotaged and he attempted to kill the person he believed sabotaged it, Batman prevented this, Nigma then taking on the Persona of "The Riddler". The bats first encounter in the episode "Riddled" involved the Bat and Detective Ellen Yin defusing "bombs" placed all over the city by him, in the end this appeared to be a diversion, mearly geletin desert in containers, the clues the riddles left led to the real crime that was being committed, the Riddler was immediately stopped by both. In all his appearances, the Riddler was voiced by Robert Englund.