Character Bio
ORIGIN: Tales of the Penguin's origins strongly differ. The traditional comic book origin holds that he had an unhappy child as he grew up being teased by bullies over his short, fat appearance. His only friends being the birds in his mother's pet shop, young Oswald's bitterness and anger led to thievery. His crimes often related to birds, and his weaponry consisted of suped-up umbrellas. Eventually, he would confront Batman who would become his arch-nemesis.The movie Batman Returns provides a very different origin from the comics. When he was born, the parents of Oswald Cobblepot could not stand his gross deformities, deciding to put him in a basket and send him down Gotham's sewer system. It was here that a band of circus freaks found him and raised him as one of their own. Upon adulthood, he and the villainous Max Shreck developed a complex plan for taking over Gotham. It was up to Batman to stop them.
EDUCATION: Comic book continuity suggests that Oswald went to college, where he majored in ornithology. In the movie Batman Returns, however, his sewer life did not allow for any formal schooling.
OCCUPATION: Professional criminal
FAMILY: An aunt named Miranda
PERSONAL FAVORITE TRANSPORT: The Penguin of Batman Returns and the animated series gets around on a giant motorized duck.
AMBITIONS: Accomplishing his criminal goals one at a time.
HOW PENGUIN GOT HIS NAME: In comic continuity, one particularly mean bully started to call young Oswald "Penguin" because of his short, fat stature. In Batman Returns, he is called a "Penguin-Man" by the press.
GAME APPEARANCES: Batman: The Caped Crusader
Batman Returns
Batman: The Animated Series
The Adventures of Batman & Robin (SNES version)
Batman: Partners in Peril
OTHER MEDIA: The Penguin plays a prominent role in most Batman-related merchandising, including roles in the 1960s television series (played by
RELATED CHARACTERS APPEARING IN VIDEO GAMES ENEMIES: Batman and Robin
FELLOW SUPERVILLAINS: Joker
Two-Face (Harvey Dent)
Riddler (Edward Nigma)
Catwoman (Selina Kyle)
Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane)
Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley)
Clayface (Matt Hagen)
Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch)
~ Christopher Michael Baker, All Game Guide
