- It was my own fault. Foolish arrogance led me astray. But I learned my lessons. I'll be back, stronger and smarter than ever.
- — The Penguin src
The Penguin (real name Oswald Cobblepot) is an emotional, calculating and sadistic Gotham City underworld figure who slowly worked his way to the top of the city's criminal organizations. He is the longtime nemesis of Jim Gordon, the on-and-off friend of the Riddler, and an enemy of the Dark Knight.
History
Early life
Oswald Cobblepot was born to Gertrud Kapelput, who left his father, Elijah Van Dahl, in Budapest and raised him on her own in Gotham City in the United States, telling Oswald his father was dead.[3] He was bullied as a child, which caused him to form sadistic and violent tendencies as an adult, as well as a strong attachment to his mother.[4]
Rise in Gotham's underworld
By the time he was thirty years old,[3] Oswald made his way into Gotham's criminal underworld as a personal aide for Fish Mooney, one of the underbosses of the Falcone Crime Family. His fancy dress and beaklike nose gained him the nickname "The Penguin", which he resented. In an effort to attain more power within the underworld, he became an informant for the Gotham City Police Department's MCU, who were attempting to take down Fish despite the rest of the precinct working directly for kingpin Carmine Falcone.
After he gave the MCU information on Fish following the murders of socialites Thomas and Martha Wayne, she discovered this and broke his leg, before turning him over to detectives Harvey Bullock and Jim Gordon. They brought Oswald to the docks, with the intention to execute him and throw his body into the river, but Gordon chose to spare his life and faked shooting him, allowing Oswald to swim away, though swimming with his broken leg caused it to heal incorrectly and force him to walk with a limp for the rest of his life.[5]
Oswald later returned to Gotham, where he took up a restaurant job and befriended Falcone's rival kingpin, Sal Maroni.[6] He then contacted Gordon and became his informant, allowing him to prepare for a gang war over Arkham Asylum, and thwart an assassination attempt on Mayor James.[7]
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No Man's Land
Once the main bridges were destroyed and Gotham was plunged into chaos, the Penguin and his gang started establishing their own territory and took control of the abandoned Gotham City Hall, which Cobblepot would use as his power base for the whole No Man's Land year. Later that night, Penguin's thugs found the bodies of Nygma and Lee Thompkins in the Gotham Narrows and took them to Sofia Falcone's mansion so that Hugo Strange could revive them.[8] However, Professor Strange was secretly contacted by Nyssa al Ghul, who ordered him to put a mind control chip into the brains of Lee and Nygma. She planned to use them in her scheme to avenge the death of her father.[9]
When Jeremiah Valeska's chemicals poisoned the river, Oswald and Nygma both agreed that Gotham was no longer a city but a prison. Penguin suggested that they should escape, whereon Riddler comes up with the idea to built a submarine. The next day, Oswald and Nygma arrived back at Gotham City Hall, where Barbara was waiting at the mayor's office in order to murder Penguin in retribution for killing Tabitha. She explained that she had a look through the secret treasure room, revealing that Selina told her about it. However, Ed then realized she is pregnant, noting that she is glowing. When Barbara raised her gun to shoot Oswald, he decided to offer her to escape from the city alongside him and Ed, so she wouldn't have to raise her child in a toxic waste war zone. Ed and Cobblepot revealed the blueprints of a submarine that can track mines in the river using sonar. Barbara agreed that she will not murder Penguin for the sake of her child and told them to call her once construction on the submarine has finished.[10]
There's something missing here. This section of the article is incomplete, and contains information, but requires more before it can be considered complete. You can help DC Database by editing this page, providing additional information to bring this article to a higher standard of quality.
After the end of the No Man's Land year, Penguin and Nygma were invited to the reunification ceremony at City Hall, where Mayor Chang promoted Jim Gordon to the rank of Commissioner.[11]
The Dark Knight
Six months after the war for Gotham, Riddler and Penguin were apprehended by Commissioner Gordon and taken into custody. Cobblepot was then imprisoned at Blackgate Penitentiary, where he would stay for the next ten years.
When the Penguin was finally released from Blackgate after a decade, he was welcomed by a group of reporters who tried to interview him. When asked about the first thing he will do as a free man, he said that he will lay flowers on the grave of his beloved mother Gertrud. He also revealed that the best revenge against the Commissioner will be a life spent serving Gotham, indicating that Cobblepot will be the villain known as the Penguin for the rest of his days and prevent Gordon from ever finding peace.[12]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Cheating Death: No matter the odds, Penguin always manages to find ways to escape lethal situations that seem impossible to survive. He was fatally shot in the chest by Nygma and sank to the bottom of the cold Gotham River, but was later pulled out of the river alive under mysterious circumstances. During No Man's Land, he was almost shot in the heart by Tabitha and only survived because of a misfire. When Oswald later battled Bane's army to protect Gotham, a grenade exploded right in front of him, yet for some reason only damaged his right eye.
Abilities
- Tactical Analysis: Known to everyone as a "sneaky little bastard", Oswald is capable to planning several moves ahead of his enemies. However, when he is emotional, he is less observant and less tactful.
- Deception: Cobblepot has succeeded in fooling both Fish Mooney and Sal Maroni, acting as an undercover informant for Falcone. Adding to this is he will always talk with a smile to others, unless they've incurred his rage.
- Firearms
- Business Management
- Charisma
- Political Science
- Gadgetry: After Magpie stole the Russifer Diamond from his treasure chamber, the Penguin used booby traps to secure his valuable belongings.
Other Characteristics
- Limp: After being punished for betraying Fish Mooney, Cobblepot's leg never healed right, leaving him with a visible limp. He later had an ankle brace which restored his ability to walk right. However, Gordon shot his knee, restoring his limp.
- Damaged Eyesight: During the final days of the No Man's Land year, Penguin participated in a dangerous battle to defend Gotham from Nyssa al Ghul and Bane. Cobblepot's right eye was heavily damaged when a grenade thrown by the enemy exploded right in front of him and shot shrapnel into his face. The injury caused Oswald's eyesight to become weaker and from now on required him to wear a monocle for the rest of his life.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Monocle
- Umbrellas
Transportation
Notes
- This version of the character is exclusive to the continuity of the television series Gotham, Pennyworth and its tie-in webseries and shorts, Gotham Stories and Gotham: A City Gone Mad. It is an adaptation of the Penguin. The original character was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and first appeared in Detective Comics #58.
- Penguin was portrayed by Robin Lord Taylor.
Trivia
- As of the episode "Mad Grey Dawn", Oswald is 31 years old.
- Given how much time passes over the course of the show, this makes him about 33 when the final season begins, and 43 in the finale.
- The Penguin appeared in ninety-four episodes of Gotham, making him the most commonly-appearing villain on the show.
Related
- 103 Appearances of Oswald Cobblepot (Gotham)
- 10 Images featuring Oswald Cobblepot (Gotham)
- 10 Quotations by or about Oswald Cobblepot (Gotham)
- Character Gallery: Oswald Cobblepot (Gotham)
External Links
Footnotes
- ↑ Gotham: "Wrath of the Villains: Prisoners"
- ↑ Gotham: "Arkham"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Gotham: "Wrath of the Villains: Mad Grey Dawn"
- ↑ Gotham: "Spirit of the Goat"
- ↑ Gotham: "Pilot"
- ↑ Gotham: "The Balloonman"
- ↑ Gotham: "Arkham"
- ↑ Gotham: "A Dark Knight: No Man's Land"
- ↑ Gotham: "Pena Dura"
- ↑ Gotham: "Ace Chemicals"
- ↑ Gotham: "They Did What?"
- ↑ Gotham: "The Beginning..."
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