See, who I am depends on your point of view. From those who have been used and forgotten, lost in the alleys and crying in the morgues over victims caught in the crossfire, I could be seen as Gotham's savior. But maybe I don't care about Gotham. Maybe I'm just someone who likes to see fear in people's eyes as they search for an answer. Was it a wasteful life or a meaningful one? Is there anything after death? The ultimate riddle. I suppose you can call me the Riddler. 
- — Riddler src
The Riddler is a serial killer who is obsessed with both riddles and with learning the answer to the "ultimate riddle": the identity of the Batman.[1]
History
Becoming the Riddler
Six months after the death of Mayor Cobblepot, the mysterious serial killer who calls himself "The Riddler," is murdering people in Gotham, hoping to get Batman's attention.
After a bombing, Batman chases the Riddler who is challenging him, but falls off a roof in the process of attempting to catch him.
Though Batman finds the Riddler's sewer-based hideout, he fails to stop the killer from bombing a rapid transit train. Using discovered clues, Batman deduces that these killings were not random; they were actually targeted, specifically that the Riddler is targeting the people who Mayor Jessica Dent and her brother Harvey are trying to find as trying to take over the remains of Cobblepot's criminal network, such as Sal Maroni. Bruce is later accused of being the Riddler after the real Riddler frames him in an attempt to divert James Gordon's investigation, but Jessica is able to provide Bruce an alibi so he is not arrested. During a riot at the police precinct caused by the Riddler, Harvey Dent is disfigured and wounded by Cobblepot's former henchman Sal Maroni, dying as a result of serious wounds caused by a Molotov cocktail hitting his face directly, and Jessica goes insane with grief, disfiguring her own face. After chasing the Riddler (and with Waylon Jones' help) Batman subdues the killer.
He was subsequently arrested by the Gotham City Police Department alongside Maroni, and brought up on 43 charges of murder.[2]
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
- Computer Hacking: The Riddler can both remotely detonate bombs and remotely control electronics such as security at the GCPD Headquarters, though he appears to need to be close by in order to accomplish these tasks.
- Demolitions: The Riddler is a serial bomber.
- Genius Level Intellect
- Tactical Analysis
Other Characteristics
- Obsession: Though he is not obsessed with finding answers to most riddles, in fact killing people regardless of whether or not they answer the riddles he poses correctly, the Riddler does have an obsession with learning the identity of the Batman, to the point of murdering people specifically to gain his attention.
Notes
- Edward Nigma/the Riddler was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, first appearing in Detective Comics #140. However, the Earth-1 version of Edward Nigma/the Riddler first appeared in Batman: Earth One #1 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.
Related
- 2 Appearances of Riddler (Earth-1)
- 1 Images featuring Riddler (Earth-1)
- 1 Quotations by or about Riddler (Earth-1)
- Character Gallery: Riddler (Earth-1)
Footnotes
  Batman Villain(s) |