Penguin in other media

Adaptations of Penguin in other media
A cosplayer dressed as the Penguin
Created by	Bill Finger Dick Sprang
Original source	Comics published by DC Comics
First appearance	Detective Comics #58 (December 1941)
Films and television
Film(s)	See below
Television show(s)	See below

The fictional supervillain Penguin made his first appearance in Detective Comics #58 (December 1941) and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger,^[1] but has since been substantially adapted from the comics into various forms of media, including feature films, television series, and video games. For example, The Penguin has been voiced by Paul Williams and David Ogden Stiers in the DC animated universe, Tom Kenny in The Batman, and Nolan North in the Batman: Arkham video game series. His live-action portrayals include Burgess Meredith in the 1960s Batman television series and its spinoff film, Danny DeVito in Batman Returns, and Robin Lord Taylor in the television series Gotham.

Television[]

Live-action[]

Batman (1966–1968 TV series)[]

The Penguin is in the 1960s Batman television series, in which he was portrayed by Burgess Meredith. Spencer Tracy was offered the role but he said he would only accept the role if he was allowed to kill Batman.^{[citation needed]} Meredith's performance is perhaps best remembered for his signature laugh, meant to mimic the squawk of a penguin. (One cause of the laugh was the cigarettes the character always smoked, which irritated Meredith's throat as he was an ex-smoker.) His thugs wear black bowler hats and dark clothing adorned with names of various animals of prey, such as birds ("Hawk") or fish ("Shark"), or sometimes simply "Henchman". His prison cell is in the "Supervillains" section next to that of Joker, Riddler, Catwoman, Egghead, King Tut, and adjoining the cell of forger Ballpoint Baxter.^[2] In one episode, he claims to have been an actor. In the theatrical film spin-off, he commands a submarine painted to resemble a penguin. His given name, Oswald Cobblepot, was never used in this series or the film; by Joker's subordinates, and even in criminal court, he is identified instead as "Mr. Penguin".^[3] He occasionally uses "Mr. P. N. Guinn" as an alias.^[4] Burgess Meredith also made a brief cameo appearance as the Penguin in the 1968 episode of The Monkees titled "Monkees Blow Their Minds".

Gotham[]

Robin Lord Taylor plays a young Oswald Cobblepot in the TV series Gotham, as one of the major characters in the show, and he also has been called the show's breakout character.^[5] This version of the character is a ruthless small-time criminal who, at the beginning of the series, works for mobster Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith). The series traces his rise to power and his journey towards becoming the Penguin.^[6] This version of the character has a complicated, love-hate relationship with fellow criminal Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith). The two teamed up but also attempted to kill one another throughout the series. In the final episode, set ten years in the future, Penguin has his usual girth while wearing his typical outfit of tuxedo, top hat and monocle while teaming with the Riddler. The pair are actually captured by Batman and hung up together on a light pole.

Titans[]

Penguin gets mentioned by Dick Grayson in the Titans episode "Donna Troy". In the episode "Barbara Gordon", his umbrella is shown in the Batcave.

Batwoman[]

Penguin is mentioned in the episode "I'll Be The Judge, I'll Be The Jury" as a former mayor of Gotham City. In "Kane, Kate", a brainwashed Kate stolen all of Batmman's trophies belongs to his enemies from the Batcave which includes Penguin's umbrella. In the season 2 finale episode "Power", his umbrella was thrown into the Gotham River along with Poison Ivy's vine and the Mad Hatter's hat and seen reach onto the shore.

Untitled Penguin series[]

It was announced that a Penguin spin off TV series based on The Batman is in development.^[7]

Animation[]

• The Penguin is a major character in Filmation's The Adventures of Batman, in which the character's voice was provided by Ted Knight.
• Along with the Joker, the Penguin was one of the villains appearing in episodes of The New Scooby-Doo Movies – "The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair" and "The Caped Crusader Caper" – that were later combined on the DVD Scooby-Doo Meets Batman. He was once again voiced by Ted Knight.
• The Penguin was originally supposed to appear in the Challenge of the Super Friends season of Super Friends as a member of the Legion of Doom. However, due to Filmation's The New Adventures of Batman development, the Penguin was restricted to appear in the show.^[8]
• In Filmation's series The New Adventures of Batman, Penguin is voiced by Lennie Weinrib. He frequently rolls his 'r's and laughs in a manner similar to Burgess Meredith's portrayal, although he has a high-pitched posh accent. He appears in "Reading, Writing and Wronging", "Birds of a Feather Fool Around Together", and "Have an Evil Day, Parts 1 and 2".
• When the Penguin appeared in The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians episode "The Case of the Stolen Powers", he was voiced by Robert Morse. He is shown in prison as a cellmate of Felix Faust. He gains Superman's superpowers by accident when Felix Faust tries to get them for himself. Batman is not featured in the episode. Using Superman's powers, he commits a crime wave where he manages to defeat Hawkman, Samurai, and Aquaman. Using a jet pack and a laser that emits energy of the Red Sun, Superman joins Wonder Woman and Firestorm into fighting the Penguin until Felix Faust's demons capture him. After Firestorm and Wonder Woman do a Kryptonite trick to get Felix Faust to return Superman's powers, the Penguin and Felix Faust are returned to prison—where they are cellmates again, much to the dismay of both villains.
  

  Penguin, as he appears in Batman: The Animated Series (left) and The New Batman Adventures (right).
• The Penguin is featured in the DC Animated Universe, voiced by Academy Award-winner Paul Williams in all his appearances, except in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, where he is voiced by David Ogden Stiers.
  • Penguin appears in Batman: The Animated Series. This version of the character featured the Batman Returns version's physical deformities, such as flippers, a beak-like nose and an obvious hunch, but he retained the traditional refined mannerisms and personality of his comics counterpart, although he still refers to himself as a "bird". He even has the Rubber Duck as seen in the episode "The Mechanic". His most prominent appearances include the episodes "20 - I've Got Batman in My Basement", "29 - The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne", "35 - Almost Got 'Im", "48 - The Mechanic", "52 - Birds of a Feather", "54 - Blind as a Bat", and "72 - Second Chance". He is the only villain in the series, other than the Joker, not to be given an origin story.
  • Penguin returns in the 1997 follow-up to the original animated series, The New Batman Adventures. In this series, the character appeared more like his traditional comic-book portrayal. His role was also similar to that in the comic books: a "legitimate" businessman and mob boss who runs a night club called "The Iceberg Lounge". In "Joker's Millions" Penguin throws a newly wealthy Joker (who had inherited a fortune from a rival mobster) a party at the Iceberg Lounge. However, the mobster's right-hand man attacked the party, enraged that Joker inherited the money instead of him. Penguin, Joker, and the other guests are rescued by Nightwing and Batgirl. Later, Penguin attempts to stop Batman from interrogating one of the Joker's henchmen at the Iceberg Lounge, but considers it and decides against it. In "The Ultimate Thrill" Penguin hires Roxy Rocket to steal valuables for him. When Roxy's heists begin to threaten to expose Penguin, he attempts to kill her. When she escapes, he orders his henchwomen to assassinate her. Batman later arrives at Penguin's apartment and, after a short fight, interrogates him for Roxy's whereabouts. In "Girl’s Night Out" Penguin tries to make Livewire, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy leave the Iceberg Lounge for causing a commotion. In retaliation, Poison Ivy floods the Lounge with vines; Penguin is later seen to have hired arborists to cut them. In "Judgement Day" Penguin is shown buying stolen jewels from Killer Croc and Two-Face, who he cheats out of their rightful pay. After they leave, Penguin is attacked by a vigilante known as the Judge, who attacks Penguin and crushes him with a large Penguin prop. A news report mentions that Penguin survived, but was left in critical condition.
  • The Penguin appears in Superman: The Animated Series, in the episode "Knight Time", in which Superman (disguised as Batman) and Robin interrogate him in order to find the Mad Hatter.
  • Although the Penguin does not appear in Batman Beyond, one of the Penguin's outfits is seen on display in the Batcave in the episode "Black Out". Also, a stage actor playing him in the musical theatre play The Legend of Batman is seen in the episode "Out of the Past". When asked about the Penguin's fate, show creator Paul Dini stated that the Penguin ended up retiring from the nightclub industry (presumably closing the Iceberg Lounge) and opening a day care center, where the kids call him 'Uncle Pengy'.^[9]
  • While the Penguin does not appear in Justice League Unlimited, his club, the Iceberg Lounge, makes a cameo appearance at the beginning of the episode "This Little Piggy". Batman also refers to an occasion where he had to impersonate a singer Penguin had kidnapped.
• The character appeared in The Batman, voiced by Tom Kenny. In this continuity, the Penguin is primarily concerned with re-establishing the Cobblepot family name in society by stealing from the citizens of Gotham to rebuild his wealth. While he shares the comic incarnation's love for birds and aristocratic look, this Penguin retained a deformed appearance more similar to the Batman Returns incarnation, but with orange hair (similar to the crests on a rockhopper penguin) instead of black and balding, and sharp, pointy teeth, and fused fingers. When captured, he is placed in Arkham Asylum, despite the fact Penguin is sane in most other depictions. Additionally rather than being a gentleman as in most incarnations, he is portrayed as being rude, selfish, and arrogant. He is sometimes aided by two henchwomen, a masked pair called the Kabuki Twins, and is often partners with the Joker. In addition, he knows martial arts after training in Asia and is athletic enough to engage in hand-to-hand combat with Batman, dodging and parrying with his various trick umbrellas, even being a physical match for the Joker in the episode "The Laughing Bat." He holds a grudge against Alfred Pennyworth because the Pennyworths left the service of the Cobblepots generations before due to their obnoxiously unlikable and abusive ways. Unused concept art from the show indicates that a more classic version of Penguin had been considered for the show.^[10]
• In the animated series Krypto the Superdog, the Penguin's trained birds, the Bad News Birds, are recurring foes of Krypto and Ace the Bat-Hound. The Bad News Birds consist of Artie the Puffin, Griff the Vulture (voiced by Matt Hill), and Waddles the Penguin (voiced by Terry Klassen). Although the Penguin is referenced in this series, he never makes an appearance.
• The Penguin is featured in Batman: The Brave and the Bold voiced by Stephen Root. In "Legends of the Dark Mite!", he appears in Bat-Mite's fantasy. In "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure!", Batman ends up dealing with the Penguin's crime spree. When Batman is captured and placed in a deadly drinking bird trap, Aquaman comes to his rescue and gets shocked by the Penguin, who reveals that his umbrella drones will spread a paralytic gas over Gotham City. Aquaman manages to make contact with some crabs to free the family as the Penguin sics his minions on Batman and the Aquaman family. Batman redirects the umbrella drones into the ocean and then pursues the Penguin. Upon catching up to him at his submarine, Batman manages to jam the Penguin's umbrella with his cape and defeat him. He then cameos in "Chill of the Night!" as one of the villains at a weapons auction held by Joe Chill. The Penguin has a quick cameo in the teaser for "The Last Patrol!" and also appears in "Night of the Batmen!" fighting Aquaman in a Batman costume, only to be defeated later on.
• The Penguin is referred to multiple times in Beware the Batman. In "Animal", Harvey Dent and his Special Crime Unit are looking at a sketch of the Penguin, with Dent wondering if he just looks like a penguin or actually is one. In "Epitaph", a newspaper read by a cop has a headline about "Penguin Man" sightings. In the same episode, a news report ticker displays the headline "Oswald Cobblepot identified as the 'Penguin Man'".
• The Penguin appears in the Justice League Action episode "Double Cross," voiced by Dana Snyder. He is the one who hires Deadshot to take out Two-Face.
• The Penguin appears in Harley Quinn, voiced by Wayne Knight. Debuting in "A High Bar", he throws a lavish Bar Mitzvah for his nephew Joshua (voiced by Sean Giambrone) and invites several supervillains to attend. Penguin mentions that he first decided to become a criminal during his own Bar Mitzvah and would be honored if Joshua would join him; arranging for a fake bank heist for him to practice on. When Harley Quinn mistakes the fake bank for a real one and attacks the actors Penguin hired to play the guards, Penguin has her captured and attempts to have Joshua execute her. Harley taunts Joshua until he chickens out and decide not to become a criminal. Penguin tries to kill Harley himself, but she manages to escape with the help of Poison Ivy. Following this, Penguin makes minor sporadic appearances throughout of the rest of season one, one of which establishes him as a member of the Legion of Doom. In the season two premiere, "New Gotham", Penguin has formed the Injustice League alongside fellow villains and former Legion members the Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Two-Face and Bane to take advantage of the chaos the Joker caused when he destroyed Gotham City. The villains have divided the city's ruins between them, but refuse to give Harley Quinn an equal share, leading her to attempt to dismantle the League. As revenge for her interference, they have her frozen and placed on display in Penguin's Iceberg Lounge. When she escapes with her crew's help two months later, Harley confronts and kills Penguin.
• The Penguin appears in the DC Super Hero Girls episode "#EmperorPenguin", voiced by Alexander Polinsky. This version of the character is a student at Metropolis High School who runs a number of dishonest schemes and blackmails other students into helping with them.

Film[]

Live-action[]

• Burgess Meredith played the Penguin in the 1966 film Batman alongside several other villains.
• In the script written by Tom Mankiewicz for the unmade The Batman film, which was later made as the 1989 film Batman, the Penguin was set to appear as an arms dealer with low body temperature, described as a "thin and tall man". Peter O'Toole was considered for the role.^[11]
• In an early draft of Batman 2, which was later made as Batman Returns, the main plotline involved Penguin and Catwoman going after hidden treasure.^[12]
  

  Danny DeVito as The Penguin in Batman Returns.
• Danny DeVito portrayed the Penguin in Batman Returns. While this Penguin retained many trademarks, such as a variety of trick umbrellas and the use of a monocle, he was given a dramatic visual makeover. Where the comic version varies between a balding head of short cropped hair and varying degrees of thinning, this Penguin is still bald at the top but with his remaining length of hair long and stringy. His hands are flippers with a thumb and index finger, and the remaining three fingers fused together. An unidentified thick, dark green bile-like liquid sometimes trickles from his nose and mouth. Instead of a tuxedo, he wears a more gothic, Victorian-style outfit with a jabot as opposed to a bow tie. In certain scenes, he also wears black boots, a dickey, and a union suit. However, Burton's design maintained the top hat seen in the comics along with a monocle and a cigarette in some scenes. He also has penguin-like appetites, as shown in a scene where he devours a raw fish. Director Tim Burton, inspired by the film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, re-imagined the character not as an eloquent gentleman of crime, but a deformed, psychopathic and infanticidal killer who holds a homicidal grudge against the aristocrats of Gotham City. The film provides him a backstory in which his wealthy parents Tucker and Esther Cobblepot (Paul Reubens and Diane Salinger), threw him into the sewer as a baby after watching him attack their cat and having scared their nurse with his appearance upon his birth. He survived and was raised by penguins who lived in the sewer lines at an abandoned zoo, and traveled in the Red Triangle Circus Gang's freak show as a child. 33 years later, he resurfaces as an adult to run for mayor of Gotham with the help of corrupt businessman Max Shreck (Christopher Walken). Meanwhile, he plans to kill every first-born son of Gotham's elite, and teams up with Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) to frame Batman (Michael Keaton) for murder. Batman foils his scheme and the Penguin dies following a climactic duel with the Dark Knight where he succumbs to the wounds sustained from the fall from his ceiling and from the toxic sewage. His penguin family carries out a makeshift funeral, pushing his body back into the water.
• In the behind the scenes prop for Killer Croc’s file from Suicide Squad, it is mentioned that Penguin and the Riddler served as henchmen for him.
• The Penguin is directly referenced in Justice League (2017). In a scene with dialogue between Bruce Wayne/Batman and Alfred Pennyworth, the latter makes a quip about how people used to only have to worry about "exploding wind-up penguins", a reference to Batman Returns.^[13]
• Colin Farrell has been cast as Oswald Cobblepot for Matt Reeves' forthcoming The Batman.^[14] Cobblepot in The Batman will be depicted as a rising crime lord in Gotham, whom, due to having a penguin-like physical appearance, receives the nickname "Penguin," which he dislikes.^[15]

Animation[]

• He appears in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, this time voiced by David Ogden Stiers. The plot involves the Penguin, Rupert Thorne and Carlton Duquesne in an illegal arms deal with the President of Kasnia. Of the three Batwomen, the Penguin shares a personal history with Dr. Roxanne Ballantine; he framed her fiancé Kevin years before, which led him into prison in order to find evidence that would get his sentence commuted. When Batwoman proves to be more than he expected, the Penguin hires Bane to kill her. In the aftermath, he is arrested with Thorne and Duquesne.
• Tom Kenny reprised his role of Penguin in the animated movie The Batman vs. Dracula. In the movie, after escaping from Arkham Asylum, the Penguin, after accidentally nicking his hand on his umbrella knife and bleeding on a corpse, accidentally resurrects Count Dracula in the Gotham cemetery (while in search of buried treasure). Dracula then hypnotizes the Penguin to work for him and the Joker is turned into a vampire by Dracula despite Penguin's warnings. Batman later gives the Joker and the other vampires the antidote after several tests. Penguin is later released from the spell upon Dracula's death but is arrested for attempting to steal the treasure (which belonged to a criminal mob), and for trying to kill Vicki Vale for Dracula, and is thus returned to Arkham Asylum, since the police don't believe his rants about "vampires with big honkin' fangs".
• The Penguin appears in the animated film Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite (an adaptation of the video game of the same name), voiced by Steven Blum.
• The Penguin's umbrella can be seen in the Batcave in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, at the end of the film.
• The Penguin appears in Batman: Assault on Arkham, voiced again by Nolan North. He is hired by Amanda Waller to give the Suicide Squad arms, equipment, and shelter in his Iceberg Lounge for the night prior to their mission to infiltrate Arkham Asylum and take out the Riddler. He appears to have worked with Deadshot before and respects him as the city's best assassin, as he chooses to only work with the best, and he holds a grudge against the Joker and Harley Quinn for their having sunk a truck of his cigarettes "just for a laugh".
• The Penguin appears in Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League, where he is voiced by Tom Kenny. Gorilla Grodd brainwashes him, Captain Cold, Deathstroke, and Giganta into stealing crates of bananas for him. When the mind-control's broken he takes off on his duck vehicle, but Green Arrow fires a net arrow at him and he is captured.
• The Penguin appears in Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts, voiced by Dana Snyder. This version is more muscular and somewhat unevenly-shaped as his legs are smaller than the top half of his body. He appeared to have aged a bit due to his wrinkles and graying hair, although he is still very strong. His monocle is robotic, allowing him to secretly analyze his surroundings and listen in on conversations. Tired of the scorn he receives for his looks, he decides to destroy Gotham with meteorites. To this end, he forms his Animalitia, consisting of Cheetah, Killer Croc, Silverback, and Man-Bat. He cures Man-Bat of his affliction occasionally for the genius of Kirk Langstorm, who builds animal robots to serve as the Animalitia's army. His plan ends up foiled and he escapes into a pod, which unfortunately lands in Antarctica. Snyder reprises his role as Penguin in the sequel Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants.
• The Penguin appears in the direct-to-video animated film Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom, voiced again by Tom Kenny. He is among the villains that audition for a spot in the Legion of Doom. Penguin alongside Joker and Man-Bat are rejected because the Legion of Doom doesn't have enough parking spaces at their headquarters.
• The Penguin makes a cameo appearance at the end of Batman: Bad Blood, where he is seen in the middle of a car chase with the police and the Bat-Family members goes to stop him.
• The Penguin appears in Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Gotham City Breakout with Tom Kenny reprising his role. He is among the villains unintentionally freed from Arkham by Superman. Near the end of the movie, he is defeated by Cyborg and sent back to Arkham.
• The Penguin appears in Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders and its sequel Batman vs. Two-Face, voiced by William Salyers.
• The Penguin appears in The Lego Batman Movie, voiced by who was uncredited for the role.^[16] He appears as one of the numerous villains trying to destroy Gotham City. Unlike most of his performances in film, Penguin appears as a minor character and has only a couple of lines. His sickly appearance, outfit (mainly the spotted tie and fluffy coat) and pointed teeth are based on Danny DeVito's portrayal in Batman Returns. His clothes have been designed to look stretched over his stomach with the buttons about to pop, mimicking his obesity. He also has a small indent in his upper lip, showing where his pointed nose would be (most LEGO characters don't have noses).
• The Penguin appears in DC Super Heroes vs. Eagle Talon, voiced by Mitsuo Iwata.^[17]
• A Feudal Japan version of Penguin appears in the anime film Batman Ninja,^[18] voiced by Chō and Tom Kenny in Japanese and English respectively.^[19][20]
• The Brave and the Bold version of the Penguin appears in Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by Tom Kenny.
• The Penguin appears in the film Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash with Tom Kenny reprising his role. He prepares to fire a giant missile when Batman comes to stop him, but Batman accidentally fires his missile. Reverse-Flash comes to stop it by taking it apart and building a playground out its parts and those of his car. He becomes the fourth of the many villains Reverse-Flash captures to win the hearts of the citizens.
• The Penguin appears in the crossover film Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, voiced again by Tom Kenny. Scheming to steal valuable technology from Wayne Enterprises, the Penguin ended up fighting the Turtles, who defeated him despite his weaponized umbrella. Penguin managed to get away. He was later hired by Ra's al Ghul to steal the same technology from a Wayne Enterprises ship, but Shredder betrayed him by killing his men and refusing to pay him. Having no choice, the Penguin left without payment.
• The Penguin appears in the two-part animated film Batman: The Long Halloween, voiced by David Dastmalchian.

Video games[]

Lego Batman[]

• The Penguin appears in Lego Batman: The Videogame,^[21] with his vocal effects provided by Tom Kenny. He is one of the leaders of the Arkham breakout. His plan is to use mind-controlled penguins to wreak havoc in Gotham. To this end, he employs the Catwoman, Bane, Killer Croc, and the Man-Bat. He has the ability to call out robotic penguins from under his top hat. He can use his umbrella both as a gliding apparatus and a rifle. His submarine serves as the second boss of Chapter 2 "Power-Crazed Penguin.". He calls it with a remote control to attack Batman & Robin, but they defeat it by towing mines into the cross-haired areas and then firing torpedoes at it. He then sets off with Killer Croc to rescue Catwoman. When he starts up his machine, the penguins run amok, but Batman & Robin show up, and he fights alongside Catwoman to stop them. The player needs to throw a Batarang or Robin's staff at the rotating motors to damage him. If they're not running, the player needs to reflect his penguins at the purple structures while fending off Catwoman to make him start the machine up again. When all the purple structures are destroyed, he'll glide around the arena, and the player needs to throw a Batarang at him to make him fall to the ground, and the player can damage him. Despite his comic book appearance, he has some ideas and characteristics of Danny DeVito's Penguin (e.g. taking over Gotham with a penguin army, having a liking for raw fish, and working with Catwoman). Being a Lego character, he cannot be portrayed as fat (although his clothes have been designed to look stretched with the buttons about to pop in some versions), nor does he have his signature pointed nose.
• The Penguin appears in Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, voiced by Steve Blum. In the level "Arkham Asylum Antics," he rides with Bane on his mole machine along with Poison Ivy. He also appears at Gotham Zoo as an optional boss. His only dialogue (aside from one line in the intro) is squawking.
• The Penguin appears as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, voiced by JB Blanc. His appearance is based on the Batman: Arkham version. Penguin has his own side-quest where the player has to destroy his penguins after they go out of control. He has another side-quest where the player has to dress like a penguin in order to listen to how he was bullied during his childhood.
• The Penguin appears in Lego DC Super-Villains, with JB Blanc reprising his role from the last game.^[22]

Batman: Arkham[]

• In all of his appearances in the Batman: Arkham series, The Penguin is voiced by Nolan North in the main series and Ian Redford in Batman: Arkham VR.^[23][24] He has been redesigned without penguin-like mannerisms such as the waddle or the squawk-laugh, but retains his beaked nose and monocle, here depicted as the bottom of a glass liquor bottle, said to have been shoved into his face by the friend of a young man that Penguin was torturing after cheating at cards. Penguin says that the bottle is lodged too far into his brain and the surgery to have the bottle removed would kill him. He also speaks English with an East London dialect, which is implied in Arkham Knight to be faked or at the very least exaggerated in an attempt to appear more intimidating. He is also still obese, sickly, a heavy smoker (albeit with a cigar instead of a cigarette holder), and bald.
  • While the Penguin doesn't appear in Batman: Arkham Asylum, as a key character in Batman's universe he is repeatedly referenced. An asylum security guard notes that he had witnessed the attempted smuggling of sharpened umbrellas into Arkham on at least one occasion before, a reference to the character. Additionally, an Iceberg Lounge advertisement can be seen in the Intensive Treatment wards, while a collection of trick umbrellas and top hats (apparently confiscated from Penguin upon his admittance to the facility) may be observed on display in the old Arkham Mansion. He is also one of the villains whose name is listed on the party list.
  • The character later physically appears in Batman: Arkham City,^[25] In this game, like in the comics, Penguin is indirectly responsible for Victor Zsasz's descent into villainy, having cheated a young Zsasz out of his inheritance at a game of poker. He also wears what appears to be an electrolarynx strapped to or implanted in his neck. According to the Arkham City Stories included in the game, Cobblepot became trapped in the open-air prison perimeter of Arkham City after refusing to vacate his residence at the Iceberg Lounge (which was condemned as part of the new project). Cobblepot went on to establish himself as a kingpin in the new criminal underworld, using the nearby museum to enshrine defeated enemies, vying with the Joker and Two-Face for control of Arkham City. At the start of the game, he and his minions attack the just-incarcerated Bruce Wayne, only to have his hand broken by Wayne (which results in its being bandaged in such a fashion that it resembles one of Penguin's flipper-hands from Batman Returns). Later in the game, Batman tracks him down in order to retrieve Mr. Freeze, who Penguin is holding captive, as Freeze is the only one who knows how to cure Joker, Batman, and half of Gotham of the TITAN poison. Making matters worse is the fact that Penguin is holding several undercover cops captive. Despite his use of Mr. Freeze's freeze gun, the captive Solomon Grundy, and a rocket launcher, Penguin is ultimately defeated by Batman. Mr. Freeze adds insult to injury by locking Cobblepot in the exhibit planned for Bruce Wayne, where he remains for the rest of the game.
  • In Batman: Arkham Origins, a younger version of the Penguin is credited as Gotham's number one weapons dealer, using a legal loophole by staying aboard his refitted cruise liner, The Final Offer, to evade the law, while his goons make deals with the other gangs in Gotham. In order to eliminate competition with the then-reigning crime family, the Falcone mafia, he also abducts the heir, Alberto Falcone, and spent his time torturing him in order to force him, and by extension, the Falcones, to back off on the weapons racket. He is first mentioned after Batman scans a smashed recon drone found during the Blackgate riot, revealing that Penguin had been using it to spy on who he thought was Black Mask, but was really a disguised Joker. After interrogating one of his dealers, Batman makes his way to Penguin's ship. After fighting his way through Penguin's thugs, his assistant Tracey, and Electrocutioner, Batman finds and interrogates Penguin for information about Black Mask. Penguin mentions a murder in Lacey Towers but is unable to reveal more before Batman is attacked by Deathstroke. In the game, Penguin does not yet have the bottle in his eye from Arkham City meaning the accident will happen after Origins. In the DLC "Cold, Cold Heart", the Penguin's thugs are working with Mr. Freeze in his revenge mission against GothCorp CEO Ferris Boyle. Mr. Freeze had offered the Penguin weapons in exchange for his aid breaking into GothCorp, only for Penguin to betray Freeze and try to force him to give them superior weapons, culminating in Freeze trapping Penguin in a vast block of ice while Batman leaves Penguin to shiver until the police arrive. During the credits of the "Cold, Cold Heart" DLC, it was mentioned in a news voiceover that Penguin, Mr. Freeze, and Ferris Boyle have been arrested by the police.
  • The younger Penguin later returns in the spin-off game Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate as one of the criminals released in the Breakout, having been imprisoned after the events of Cold, Cold Heart. Along with the Joker and Black Mask, Penguin takes control of one of three buildings at Blackgate; Penguin takes control of the Cell Blocks, being able to control movement around the island. He recruits any inmates not loyal to the clown or Sionis; when Bronze Tiger saves a guard from being hanged by his men, Penguin forces him to fight guards to the death in his makeshift arena in the Exercise Yard. Batman later arrives and defeats Bronze Tiger, who injures Penguin with a gun. Followed all the way to the entrance to the Arkham Wing, Penguin is soundly defeated by Batman. Penguin later escapes thanks to a guard he bribed and kills said guard as revenge for the latter's less than polite manner of rescuing him. He also implies beforehand that he could have easily left the prison at any time before the riot, but chose to stay until then because he believed it would have allowed him to expand his criminal enterprise and give him relative safety from Batman's interference due to already being locked up.^[26]
  • The Penguin appears in Batman: Arkham Knight. He is portrayed as "grungier" and more like a mob boss, now with a shaved head and a gold chain. Due to the warmer weather, the Penguin is seen without his long coat. He has allied himself with Two-Face while in preparation for Scarecrow's united assault on Batman and his allies. During the game, Batman receives information that Penguin knows the location of Barbara Gordon, who was kidnapped earlier by the Arkham Knight. With the help of Nightwing, he infiltrates Penguin's hideout and learns of Simon Stagg's involvement in her capture. Later, Batman and Nightwing team up to take down all of Penguin's weapon caches. He also appears as a hallucination during Joker's takeover of Batman's mind, and is gunned down alongside Two-Face, Killer Croc and the Riddler. Finally, a radio report of a museum dedicated to the Penguin as "Batman's archenemy" is heard during the Joker's nightmare about being forgotten. After all of his weapons caches are destroyed, Penguin is captured and taken to the GCPD by Batman. If he is taken down after Scarecrow is defeated, he ends up mocking Batman because his identity as Bruce Wayne has been revealed and especially because of how much trouble the Dark Knight is about to face now that everyone in Gotham knows who he is. If it was before Scarecrow's defeat, he will rub in how he nearly killed Nightwing during the last weapons cache's destruction, only to be vaguely threatened to be killed by the Dark Knight in response. Although Penguin initially tries to call his bluff, he ultimately ended up intimidated when he learned that Batman hadn't been himself that night.^[27] In the "Harley Quinn Story Pack" DLC, set before the events of the main game, Penguin communicates with Quinn over the radio guiding her through the Blüdhaven Police Department as she sets to break Poison Ivy out. In the Arkham Episode "GCPD Lockdown" taking place some time after the main game, Penguin attempts to escape imprisonment from the GCPD, but is stopped by Nightwing.

Batman: The Telltale Series[]

Penguin appears in Telltale Games' Batman series, voiced by Jason Spisak. This iteration of the character was the childhood friend of Bruce Wayne, is far more physically fit and less deformed than most versions of the character (the normal, obese character design is reserved for his father). Additionally, the Cobblepot family was not involved in crime or corrupt, but lost power due to the influence of Thomas Wayne and his allies. Unlike most versions of the character, Penguin gets his name from a beak-shaped gasmask he wears during his crimes, and uses gadgets and technology as opposed to birds and trick umbrellas.

• In the first season, Batman: The Telltale Series, Penguin is a member of the Children of Arkham, helping the group get revenge on the Wayne family. Though he initially warns Bruce about their revolution, he leads the group in various attacks and helps take control of Wayne Enterprises as its CEO, using his position to help fund the group and monitor Gotham. Penguin can also be partially responsible for Harvey Dent's fall from grace by disfiguring him during an attack on a mayoral debate by the Children of Arkham, should the player choose to rescue Catwoman. In the fourth episode, Penguin is able to hack into the Batcomputer, forcing the vigilante to either stop him in order protect his tech and gadgets and leave his home vulnerable to Dent and his enforcers or abandon his tech and gadgets to protect his mansion. If Oswald is defeated by Batman at Wayne Enterprises, Bruce will receive the brand new Batsuit Mark 2 to combat Lady Arkham. If Bruce confronts Oswald at Cobblepot Park (should the player give up Batman's tech to stop Dent), he can distract him to allow Lt. Gordon to destroy the box controlling Oswald's drones, allowing him to be captured.
• In the second season titled Batman: The Enemy Within, Penguin's mask and one of his devices (either his "monocle" or boxing gloves) are kept in a display in the Batcave. Also, the news reveals that Oswald pleaded guilty in court and was sentenced to forty years at Blackgate Penitentiary where he is considered by the guards as a "Model Prisoner" for his charming and smart attitude. After completing the game and returning to the Batcave, it is revealed that Penguin applied for parole only to be rejected.

Other games[]

• The Penguin has appeared as a boss in several Batman video games, including Batman: The Caped Crusader, the various video game adaptations of the movie Batman Returns, Batman: The Animated Series and Adventures of Batman & Robin for the Super NES.
• At one point he was planned to appear as a boss in The Adventures of Batman & Robin for the Sega CD, in which he would try to kidnap Summer Gleeson. The Penguin was cut from the game because it was tight on villains, but the storyboards for his animated cut-scene are displayed in Paul Dini's book, Batman Animated.
• The Penguin is the chief villain of an online flash game, Batman: The Cobblebot Caper, which is modeled after The Batman animated series. His ultimate plan is to construct a giant mechanical phoenix which he intends to use as a war machine against Gotham City.
• The Penguin appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by . Following Bane's defeat, a cut-scene features the Penguin stating his anger at the competition from the Falcone Crime Family, Bane, Two-Face, the Mad Hatter, Hush, Killer Croc, the Catwoman and the Joker due to all the chaos, but being a cunning crook, he plans on tricking them into wiping each other out and taking Gotham for himself. The players discover that a hacked kiosk contained a message from Two-Face describing the Penguin's smuggling operation in Gotham's old subway tunnels. The Penguin is served by Cryo Pengbots, Louie Sluggers, Machine Gun Tommies, Nickie Blades, Pengbots, Pyro Pengbots, Tammy Two Guns and a Pengbot Maximus.
• The Penguin is among many other DC characters included in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.
• The Penguin makes a cameo appearance in Injustice: Gods Among Us sporting his Arkham City look. In the Arkham Asylum level, if one of the characters is thrown through the cell door on the right side of the second tier, they will be attacked by Two-Face, Killer Croc, Riddler, and Penguin before being punched by Croc into the next tier of the Arkham arena.
• The Penguin was originally set to appear as a playable character in Injustice 2, but was cut from the game for unknown reasons.^[28]
• The Penguin will appear in Gotham Knights.

Toys[]

• An 8″ version of the Penguin was created by the Mego Corporation as part of their "World's Greatest Super-Heroes" line in 1974. Mego also released a 3+3/4″ Penguin as a part of their Comic Action Heroes line in 1976.
• The Lego Batman line includes one particular set, The Batcave: The Penguin and Mr. Freeze's Invasion, which features Penguin. He appears as a minifigure in the set, with short, unbending legs, the classic top hat and monocle and a purple pin-stripe suit, but lacks the familiar pointy nose. Penguin rides in a submarine reminiscent of the one in the 1960s TV series and is assisted by miniature penguin robots. The set also includes a depiction of the Batcave.
• He also appears in the Lego Batman promotional video. He is the final villain to be caught (after Two-Face, Mr. Freeze and Joker).
• The Penguin was featured in the 1980s Super Powers Collection toy-line, featuring various DC Comics villains and heroes. The Penguin's appearance was much like that of the time, with a blue coat and top-hat. Penguin had "umbrella action" where his legs could be squeezed together, triggering his arm (holding an umbrella) to move up and down; this figure sculpt was later used for the Batman Returns figure line, with a new black paint application.
• There have been various toys of the Penguin for cartoon series, from the sophisticated aristocrat to the deformed outcast styles. For example, a limited edition "The Batman" Penguin action figure was made with a red coat, which he wore in one episode. An action figure based on his "Batman: The Animated Series" counterpart came with several accessories, including a teacup and two umbrellas.
• Recently the Penguin was made into a toy by Funko who made small 3+3/4″ figures with large heads and also soft toy version of the Penguin. The Penguin figure looked much like he had in Burgess Meredith's style from the 1960s, along with the comic book look. The figure featured an umbrella accessory, but the plush did not. The Robin Lord Taylor figures were available with and without sunglasses.
• Madame Alexander has made female dolls based on the Penguin, the Joker, and Harley Quinn (who is surprisingly not male) as part of its DC Fashion Squad line. While the Penguin doll resembles Danny DeVito's portrayal, the logo on the box looks more like the Burgess Meredith version. The Joker doll resembles a cross between Mark Hamill and Heath Ledger's portrayals, whereas the Harley Quinn doll has curly red and black pigtails, as well as a vintage-style dress.

Parodies[]

• Nicholas Joseph Strauss-Matathia portrays the Penguin in a musical production entitled Holy Musical B@man! by StarKid Productions.
• The Penguin is portrayed by Patton Oswalt in an episode of the CollegeHumor skits, "Badman", slightly redesigned to look more in line with the Nolan Batman films. In the short, he and Commissioner Gordon try to explain the concept of death to an oblivious Batman, who thinks that the henchman felled by the edged weapons merely go to "sleep".^[29]
• In the Season 7 episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, "Frank Reynolds' Little Beauties", Frank Reynolds -- played by Danny DeVito -- while hosting a children's beauty pageant, gets grotesque makeup applied to cover up a broken nose, and wears an ill-fitting tuxedo, making him resemble very much The Penguin from Batman Returns. Later, he unwittingly says some very embarrassing things into a hot mike, causing the pageant to descend into chaos, echoing a similar plotline in the film.

References[]