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The Riddler was obsessed with puzzles but would ultimately cheat in order to solve them. He was an enemy of Batman.

Origins

Edward commited a series of riddle themed crimes.[1] However, through some compulsion, the Riddler would ultimately leave riddle clues behind for law enforcement. Eventually, the Riddler would be defeated by the combined efforts of Batman and Robin, seemingly dying when falling into Gotham River.[1]

Batman

The Riddler would survive to plague Batman and Robin once more, this time foiling the Dynamic Duo by offering people cash and prizes for appearing at the scenes of his crimes making him difficult to capture. The plot was eventually foiled and Batman and Robin would apprehend the Riddler.[2]

Years later as the Riddler was released from prison, he tried to convince Batman and Robin that he had gone straight and fooled them by committing acts that seemingly appeared to be crimes. However, the Dynamic Duo deduced that these acts gave out clues to his next real crime, prompting them to capture him, despite the fact the Riddler had designed a special device that made it near impossible for Batman and Robin to apprehend him.[3] Escaping from prison, the Riddler would attempt to curb his compulsion to leave clues to his crimes for Batman by mentally conditioning himself not to. However, this plot would backfire as the Riddler would leave behind subtle clues while sleeping, eventually tipping off Batman and leading to his capture once more.[4]

The Riddler would next team-up with the Joker and the Penguin in a plot against Batman. They spray the Caped Crusader with an experimental gas that turns the hero into a Bat-Hulk. However, Batman would be restored to normal with help from Metamorpho and captures the trio.[5] The Riddler would escape captivity again and partake in another spree of robberies, and later a plot to blow up Gotham City. However, the Riddler's compulsion to leave clues to his robberies once more leads to his being stopped once more by Batman and Robin.[6] Free once more, the Riddler is once again busted by Batman and Robin while attempting to break into a safe.[7]

Back on the loose, the Riddler would commit a series of robberies while Batman is out of Gotham City. However, the visiting Elongated Man would take the case, tracking down the clues. Batman would return and the two would put their detective skills together and capture the Riddler once more.[8] Once more out of prison, the Riddler attempts to stop leaving clues for Batman by hiring crooks to attempt to either hide or booby-trap the clues that he leaves behind. This fails and the Riddler is recaptured, but is bailed out soon after. Knowing that the Riddler would have left a clue in his jail cell regarding his next crime, Batman would ultimately succeed in capturing the Riddler once again.[9]

In his next plot against Batman, the Riddler takes control of another crooks "employment agency" for criminals in an attempt to lure the Dark Knight into a deathtrap, this attempt like his previous plots against Batman ends in failure.[10] Breaking out of jail, the Riddler would next attempt to defeat Batman by overloading him with riddles, however Batman and Robin would catch up to the Riddler, capturing him before he can steal a solid gold model of the Sphinx from the Gotham Art Museum.[11] When Batman was seemingly killed, the Riddler was one of the crooks who claimed responsibility and was a part of a criminal court case headed by Ra's al Ghul to determine the truth, but he was found not guilty of the crime.[12][13]

Jailed again, the Riddler escaped from prison and attempted to gain a massive profit from a gun smuggling operation, until he was foiled once more by Batman and Robin.[14] Attempting to start a career in crime in another city, the Riddler relocated to Houston, Texas. However, he was once more foiled by Batman with the aid of local super-hero Swashbuckler.[15] Batman was next forced to team up with the Riddler against an unknown opponent in a deathmatch.[16] Afterwards, the Riddler was part of a coalition of Batman foes, but was defeated by Batman, Batgirl and Catwoman.[17] Once more inspired to commit crimes after an episode in a winery, the Riddler was once more taken down by the Batman.[18]

When the multiverse is threatened by the evil Anti-Monitor, the Riddler was among the many heroes and villains gathered by Alexander Luthor and Harbinger to hear their petition to help save the multiverse from destruction. The Riddler was among a group of heroes and villains dispatched to Wayne Manor on Earth-One to see the chaos caused by the merging of the remaining alternate universe.[19]

When it appears that the Anti-Monitor is killed, the Riddler is one of the villains gathered by Lex Luthor as part of a super-villain army who's goal it is to conquer all the remaining alternate Earths. He would be dispatched to Earth-Four where he and the Trickster would be ambushed by Changeling.[20] In his last recorded appearance, the Riddler would be part of yet another coalition of Batman villains that the Caped Crusader would put to justice.[21]

Crisis on Infinite Earths

Following Crisis on Infinite Earths, the multiverse was merged into one concise universe, the result of which created a new history for Batman and his rogues gallery, including the Riddler.

This history is continued with appropriate Post-Crisis revisions at Edward Nashton (New Earth)
In the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Pre-Crisis Multiverse was collapsed into a single merged reality and Earth-One ceased its separate existence. Substantial elements (people, places, events, etc.) of Earth-One's reality were folded into the history of New Earth, but significant details about the original history were often changed or excised accordingly. This was the status quo of the DC Universe until Convergence retroactively prevented the Multiversal collapse.



Abilities

Other Characteristics


  • This version of the Riddler, including all history and corresponding appearances, was erased from existence following the collapse of the original Multiverse in the 1985–86 Crisis on Infinite Earths event and later restored following the rebirth of the infinite Multiverse during the Dark Crisis of 2022-2023. Even though other versions of the character may have appeared, this information does not apply to those versions.
  • In one possible future, the Riddler disappeared after a long criminal career. Batman refers to this as the Riddler's final puzzle.
  • The Riddler has been given several nicknames in publication. His original nickname was the "Wizard of Quiz."[1] He has also been called the Puzzle-Prince of Cryptic Crime, and the Puzzle-Pirate.[2] There were several nicknames added later including Prince of Puzzlers, Conundrum Champion, and King of Conundrums.[3]
  • A version of the Riddler existed on Earth-Two, but events surrounding the Riddler's first two encounters with Batman happened similarly on both Earth-Two and Earth-One. While the Earth-One Riddler went on to have a lengthy, if not particularly distinguished, career, the Earth-Two Riddler fell into obscurity and was never seen again.

Related

Footnotes


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Batman Villain(s)
This character, team or organization, has been primarily an enemy of the Batman, or the Batman Family as a whole. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Batman Villains."

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