Oswald Cobblepot (Batman 1966 TV Series)

Fancying himself an "aristocrat of crookery,"^[2] the Penguin often took pride in opposing the forces of law and order--most of all Batman and Robin. Several times during his life, the Penguin went even further in perverting the law, pretending to be a reformed citizen and disguising his criminal enterprises as law-abiding businesses.

"Partnership" with Batman

Ironically, one of the Penguin's most ingenious plots came about when the Penguin was unable to think up a new crime--a great distress to him, as he was soon due to be released from prison. Soon, however, he found a solution to his dilemma: tricking Batman into planning his next heist. Thus, shortly after his parole, the Penguin opened an umbrella shop and had his men distribute free umbrellas around Gotham. At the Penguin's command, these umbrellas would spin into a frenzy and create small explosions, sowing chaos across the city. This chaos soon drew attention from Batman and Robin, who eventually reasoned that the misbehaving umbrellas were clues hinting at the details of the Penguin's next heist. The Penguin, though publicly maintaining that he was a reformed citizen, soon orchestrated another bizarre "clue," launching a massive umbrella into the street. Attached to this giant umbrella was a colorful "Batbrella" dedicated to Batman, which the Caped Crusader took to the Batcave for analysis.

In truth, however, there was no pre-planned crime behind the umbrellas; instead, the Penguin expected Batman's keen mind to deduce a meaning from his meaningless clues and thus create the blueprint to a crime. The Batbrella, which secretly contained a listening device, would then relay Batman's exact words to the Penguin. Despite the ingenuity of this idea, it was not foolproof; Batman initially failed to deduce anything from the Batbrella, and instead visited the Penguin's shop in his civilian identity of Bruce Wayne, intending to plant a listening device of his own. The shop's anti-burglar system foiled Wayne's efforts, and the Penguin, not recognizing Wayne, declared his newest "customer" to be a corporate spy and ordered the man killed.

Fortunately for all parties, Wayne managed to escape the shop unharmed, and soon returned to the Batcave to re-analyze the Batbrella. Eventually, the Caped Crusader concluded that the Penguin's "clues" signified an attempt to kidnap actress Dawn Robbins. Thanks to the Batbrella, the Penguin heard Batman detail exactly how he expected the kidnapping to be executed, as well as how it could be foiled. With this information, the Penguin and his men successfully kidnapped Robbins, easily outwitting Batman and Robin in the process. After the kidnapping, the Penguin worked out a large ransom with Robbins's agents, to be delivered at a neutral ground: Wayne Manor.

To the Penguin's glee, the microphone inside the Batbrella continued to supply him with information about the Dynamic Duo's plans: namely, that Batman and Robin were planning to ambush him at Wayne Manor, intending to hide in the suits of armor that normally stood inside the mansion's foyer. On the day of the exchange, the Penguin arrived at Wayne Manor, sprayed the two suits of armor with knockout gas, and departed with the ransom. Unbeknownst to him, however, Batman and Robin had discovered his microphone shortly after Robbins's kidnapping; their talk of ambush had been a feint, and the armor had contained dummies. The real Dynamic Duo soon followed the Penguin back to his hideout, beat him (and his gang) into submission, and returned him to prison.

Penguin Protective Agency, Inc.

After serving another long stretch in the penitentiary, the Penguin found himself paroled once more. Again, the arch-criminal pretended to be reformed, this time selling himself as a professional crime-fighter. To this end, the Penguin hired several of his own men to commit crimes around Gotham City--crimes that he would then heroically "foil" in front of witnesses. This charade won the Penguin the confidence of many citizens, including socialite Sophia Starr, who became smitten with him. Batman and Robin, however, remained skeptical of the Penguin's supposed reformation. When Starr openly hired the Penguin to protect her jewels, the lawmen quickly concluded that he actually intended to rob Starr.

To thwart the Penguin, Batman planned to swap Starr's jewels with fakes--a plan that the Penguin already suspected and confirmed when he found Alfred trying to plant a listening device on him. Afterward, the Penguin turned the tables on Batman and Robin, and caught the heroes just as they were opening Starr's safe to swap the jewels. As a result, Batman and Robin were framed as criminals; all of Gotham was soon turned against the duo, and even Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara were forced to declare the Dynamic Duo to be outlaws. Undaunted, Batman and Robin continued to investigate the Penguin, driving the supposedly reformed criminal to more direct measures; when the duo trailed him to a fair, the arch-criminal had them knocked out and strung up behind the targets of a shooting gallery. This done, he invited Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara to take aim, giving both men guns that had been secretly outfitted with live ammunition.

Though Batman and Robin were unable to make contact with the unwitting policemen, they nevertheless managed to outsmart the Penguin and escape his trap unharmed. Shortly afterward, however, they were, to the Penguin's delight, apparently gunned down during a police chase. The Penguin took this opportunity to repossess (and redecorate) the Batmobile, and initiate his real plan: proposing marriage to Starr, so that he could steal all of the presents that Starr's wealthy friends and relatives were sure to send to the wedding.

The wedding and the subsequent theft both went as planned, and the Penguin and his men soon fled the altar in the Batmobile, having stuffed the car's trunk with their ill-gotten gains. An unexpected snag, however, soon appeared: Batman and Robin were still alive, having falsified their deaths with the help of Gordon and O'Hara. The heroes soon pursued the shocked Penguin on the Bat-Cycle, leading to a lengthy chase on the outskirts of Gotham. Eventually, Batman and Robin brought the Batmobile to a halt via remote control, leaving the arch-criminal trapped. The Penguin was then apprehended, and the Dynamic Duo's names were cleared.

Powers and Abilities

Abilities

Paraphernalia

Equipment

"Senseless" Umbrellas: Umbrellas that spun wildly and created small explosions upon receiving an electronic signal from the Penguin. Handed out around Gotham for free as part of the Penguin's "senseless" crimes, which sought to create umbrella-related chaos around Gotham without the expected follow-up robberies.
Monster Umbrella: An umbrella the size of a small building, launched from a special pad on the roof of the Penguin's "legitimate" umbrella shop. Had the Batbrella attached to its handle.
"Batbrella:" A colorful but otherwise ordinary-looking umbrella with a silver plaque on its handle. The handle secretly contained a tiny microphone, with which the Penguin listened in on Batman's deductions.
Knockout Umbrella: An umbrella that sprayed knockout gas from its tip.
Penguin Magnet: A powerful electromagnet that attracted the metal tools in the Batman and Robin's utility belts, effectively gluing the Dynamic Duo to the wall that it was attached to.
Bulletproof Umbrella: An umbrella that formed a bulletproof shield when expanded. Handle also contained an extendable metal hook.
Dry Ice Umbrella: An umbrella that emitted dry ice fumes to dispel steam and smoke.
De-Magnetizing Umbrella: An umbrella that, according to the Penguin, contained a "high-powered de-magnetizer coil" which could repair malfunctioning electronics; its handle also contained a "secret radio detector" that sounded in the presence of any listening devices.
"Emergency" Umbrellas: Umbrellas that spun around and spewed confetti upon receiving a signal from the Penguin's main umbrella.

Transportation

Penguin Line: A steel cable with a grappling hook attached to one end, fired with a special catapult. Meant to create a zip-line between two buildings, with a set of giant umbrellas hanging from the cable for riders to hang on to.
Penguin-Sub

Weapons

Penguin Gas, whose chemical composition was unknown but which, presumably, combined an anesthetic with a central-nervous-system depressant.
Cement-Filled Umbrella: An umbrella made extremely heavy due to being filled with cement; when thrown, can knock out a grown man in one hit.
Umbrella Guns: Umbrellas that could act as both air-soft guns and real firearms, capable of firing both pellets and live ammunition.

Notes

This version of the character is exclusive to the continuity of the television series Batman, its tie-in comic book series, related live-action movie and animated movies, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders and Batman vs. Two-Face. It is an adaptation of Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin. The original character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane and first appeared in Detective Comics #58.
The Penguin was portrayed by Burgess Meredith on Batman and in Batman: The Movie, and voiced by William Salyers in Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders and Batman vs. Two-Face.
- Before Meredith was cast, the role of the Penguin was offered to Spencer Tracy, who allegedly turned down the role because the producers wouldn't let the Penguin kill Batman in the series finale, and Mickey Rooney, who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.^{[citation needed]}
- Meredith was later offered a role in Tim Burton's Batman Returns as the Penguin's father. However, ill health (specifically, the Alzheimer's disease from which he was then suffering, complications of which eventually caused his death) dissuaded Meredith from taking the part.^{[citation needed]}

Trivia

The Penguin's real name was never used in the TV series.
The Penguin speaks several phrases with alliteration. (Examples: "Come, my capricious cronies in criminality"; "Pre-pubescent pipsqueaks".)
The Penguin has a hideout stationed in Alaska.^[3]

External Links

Bat-Mania UK's page on Meredith's Penguin

Footnotes

↑ Batman '66 #2
↑ The Penguin's alternate nicknames in the DC Comics include "The Gentleman Of Crime."
↑ Batman: "Fine Feathered Finks"

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."

Batman Villain(s) from the 1966 series

This character, team or organization, was primarily an enemy of the Batman in either the 1966-1968 television show, related 1966 film, tie-in comic book series or the animated movies. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Batman (1966 TV Series) Villains category."

[1] Batman '66 #2

[2] The Penguin's alternate nicknames in the DC Comics include "The Gentleman Of Crime."

[3] Batman: "Fine Feathered Finks"

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Oswald Cobblepot (Batman 1966 TV Series)

Contents

History

Criminal Career