Penguin

From the DCAU Wiki, working on 1,916 articles

The Penguin

Information
Real name:	Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot
Species:	Human
Hair:	Black (balding)
Eyes:	Black
Base:	Gotham City
Affiliations:	The Rackets
Rogue of:	Batman, Batwoman
Abilities:	Genius intellect, criminal resources and connections, expert in Judo
Weaponry:	Trick umbrellas, Guns
Voiced by:	Paul Williams, David Ogden Stiers

"Sorry about the intrusion, sir, but at least you were ransacked by a man of impeccable taste."

Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot aka The Penguin, was a well educated and ingenious man who wanted to be refined and respected in the elite. He was also one of Batman's top foes in his prime. Unlike most of Batman's rogues gallery, Penguin is not insane, as he would be sent to Stonegate Penitentiary if found guilty of a certain crime, instead of Arkham Asylum where his "fellow rogues" went for rehabilitation.

[edit] History

[edit] The "Rambunctious Days"

The Penguin and his henchmen have some uninvited guests.

One of the Penguin's early plots was to get the Vonalster Fabergé Egg. He sent his two henchmen at the time (Jay and Raven) to retrieve the egg, but Batman intervened. The two managed to escape and met the Penguin at a condemned bird seed factory. Penguin scolded the two on how his pet, Scrap, was the only thing that kept them from getting caught. To their surprise, Batman tracked them down and Scrap found two kids (Reberta and Sherman) spying on the meeting. After Batman buried the trio under birdseed, the Penguin dug his way out and pelted Batman with a gas bomb that would "keep him nice and void for a good week". As the kids helped Batman's motionless body into the Batmobile, the Penguin and his men vainly attempted to open the Batmobile's driver compartment, but the kids started the Batmobile's engines and it caused the Penguin's two men to fly off into a window and dumpster. The car stopped for a dramatic pause as the Penguin sat dazed and confused and the car quickly restarted and as it was going to run into a ladder, the Penguin retreated via umbrella.

Scrap tracked the kids down eventually at Sherman's house with the Penguin and his crew right behind. The Penguin and his men bolted through the house, destroying everything near. The Kid's petty booby traps were mere annoyances and they tracked the kids to the basement where Batman lay. As the Penguin reunited with the egg, he attempted to shred Batman with the propellers from his umbrella, but Batman took the capsules Sherman gave him shortly before the Penguin's arrival and scuffled with the Penguin's bodyguards. The Penguin and Batman had a final duel, but Batman sent the Penguin flying into a nearby basement shelf and knocked him unconscious. His pet, Scrap, was donated to the Gotham Zoo while the Penguin himself was sent to Stonegate.

The Penguin notices that there is no point in fighting amongst themselves.

The Penguin was soon called after by Dr. Hugo Strange to attend a mysterious auction. The Penguin (along with Two-Face and the Joker) arrived by plane to find a limo awaiting them to take them to Gotham Springs. When the auction finally took place, it was revealed that the item was proof of Batman's secret identity. The Penguin's initial bid was a million dollars, but after seeing Two-Face and the Joker bickering, he had the idea to not fight but share the bidding. So the three crime bosses pitched money in to see Batman's identity.

As Batman switched tapes, the Penguin and the other two watched in anger as they watched a recording of Strange trying to cheat them out of money by making a fake tape (truth was Batman used Strange's machine to imagine Strange admitting to the scam and recorded it on tape and intercepted the signal to broadcast that instead of the Bruce Wayne tape). The Penguin's own umbrella pistol destroyed the tape and the trio went after Strange in a high speed chase, but caught up with him at Gotham International Airport and took Strange off in his own plane to dispose of him. Batman tampered with the engine and the plane crashed. The police blimp was at the ready overhead and the Penguin, the Joker, Two-Face, and Strange were taken into custody.

The Penguin gazes in disbelief as his Cassowary is beaten by Batman.

The Penguin later attempted to steal a pair of breeding condors from the Gotham Zoo. As he was about to break in, Batman showed up and knocked him to the ground. The Penguin sprayed pollen on Batman (he claimed was a "wrong umbrella" but turned out it attracted his hummingbirds in which he doused their beaks with poison). After Batman foiled the hummingbirds, the Penguin sent his cassowary to rend him apart. Unfortunately, Batman took one of the Penguin's poison-tipped hummingbirds and poisoned the cassowary. The Penguin was traumatized and flew away on his umbrella to escape the Dark Knight.

He soon retreated to a night club and played cards with the Joker, Two-Face, Poison Ivy and Killer Croc (who was Batman in disguise). After the group told stories of how they almost killed Batman (the Penguin told about his most resent encounter), they were infuriated to know Croc was a disguised Batman all along but before they could do anything they were ambushed by police.

The Penguin and Veronica at the opera as Pierce spies on them with binoculars.

The Penguin was later out of prison and attempted to steal a priceless audubon painting in a Gotham museum, but was crushed with a chandelier after trying to shoot down one of Batman's batarangs in an escape attempt. He spent some time in jail and as he was released he was expecting a limo but instead was escorted in a trashy bus. Upon his arrival home he was expecting his friends (namely the Joker, Two-Face, and Killer Croc) but instead was encountered by Batman. After telling Batman he was reformed (Batman was skeptical and warned him of his presence), the Penguin got a call from Veronica Vreeland seconds following Batman's exit. On their first date, they were mugged, but as the Penguin fended them off, Batman came and trashed the muggers while thinking the Penguin was behind it. Veronica defended the Penguin and they left as Batman stood in optimism.

The Penguin and Veronica went to the opera and afterwards a party. He overheard her and Pierce talking about how they used him as a publicity attractor for their party. Penguin was furious and gassed them both. He kidnapped Veronica and flew away right as Bruce Wayne entered the balcony, vainly trying to rescue her. Later, the Penguin demanded Pierce deliver the ransom. Pierce went to the delivery point in a condemned part of the city. The Penguin called him by phone booth and instructed him to take one step out and start walking left. Pierce did as commanded and fell into the sewers via trap door. He was caught by the Penguin's duck mobile and the Penguin led Pierce to his headquarters above his sewer lair (it led to the opera hall that they were at earlier), only to be taken hostage himself. Batman came in as the Penguin was about to dispose of them, and the Penguin retreated to a higher stage platform. He came back out in a Viking helmet and rode a giant metallic dragon. The Penguin and Batman had a prevailing fight as the chandelier that held Veronica (and stopped Pierce) was loosening. Batman saved them in the nick of time and used a Batarang to clip the wires that held the dragon up and the Penguin fell into the stage curtains. The Penguin was taken by police soon after. Veronica talked to the Penguin seconds before his escort to jail stating she was really growing found of him. He left stating high society was to blame.

The Penguin as he is dully listening to Earl's story of how he met Batman.

Awhile later, the Penguin had his new henchmen Eagleton, Falcone and Sheldrake get the reversed audubon artworks. Unbeknownst to him, they were chased by Batman. After they managed to get back to the sewer lair, the Penguin was furious to discover that the paintings they stole weren't the reversed versions. After the failure he was about to have his new pet, Personal, poke out Eagleton's eyes if he couldn't come up with a good reason not to have that done. In this instance, Falcone got his friend he reunited with after the crash named Arnold Rundle. He gave them the plans for the Batmobile (for the Batmobile's engine was destroyed in the chase his men had with Batman and Robin). In payment for his services, the Penguin had Arnold flushed down a sewer drain. After taking the plans, they infiltrated Earl Cooper's shop and tampered with the Batmobile he was working on repairing. After Batman retrieved it from a very suspicious Cooper (who was trying to play along with the Penguin's plan in order to save his daughter), the Penguin took control of the Batmobile as soon as the Batmobile got onto an interstate highway. He controlled it from his newly fixed limo. Right after he flew the Batmobile off the top of a parking garage he was horrified to find the Dynamic Duo right behind his limo on gliders.

Eagleton drove into the airport flying dock, only to crash under a moving loading truck. As his limo lay in ruins and Eagleton and Sheldrake unconscious, the Penguin came out with his hostage, Earl's daughter, at gun point. She stepped on his feet and with that he was about to shoot her when Robin came down and kicked him to the ground. Helpless, he was taken to Stonegate once more. Later as he was polishing the license plates at the prison he grabbed one that said "1BAT4U". He broke it in half out of anger.

Later, he took control of a Wayne Tech test helicopter, the Raven X1-11, blinding Bruce Wayne (Batman) in the process. He kept it for ransom. He destroyed a city bridge to demonstrate his seriousness. Mayor Hill broadcast a message saying he would give into his money demand. It was a trap, and Batman threw a net around the Penguin and Falcone as they retrieved their payment. They got out via the Penguin's umbrella (he had a knife articulated at the point) and got back into the Raven and went after the Batwing. The Batwing ran The Raven down with spiked round casings.

The Penguin and his henchmen attack a Gotham bridge.

The Raven brought the Batwing down as well using its sonic lasers even while handicapped with flight. Batman ran helplessly into a nearby building (for when he escaped the exploding Batwing, his charge wire for his radar mask that helped him see ripped) as Penguin and Falcone (for Eagleton and Sheldrake were knocked unconscious) watched in amusement. After Batman beat Falcone, the charge that kept the mask he was using to see died leaving him helplessly blind. It didn't take long for the Penguin to realize Batman was blind and he started to toy with him. Batman then ran blindly off an edge that was right above a pool of liquid magma but luckily got a hold of the top pipes. As Penguin laughed, Batman found a way to turn the pipes on with the water and magma mixture fogging up the room. The Penguin started to cough uncontrollably. Batman followed the sound and ultimately swooped down on the Penguin, and he was left for the police.

Sometime later, he ordered a stuffed extinct penguin that the Ventriloquist (Arnold Wesker) had available. They tried to get him interested in other stuffed creatures they stole from the Vreeland exhibit (in which the Penguin had a feud with Veronica Vreeland a while earlier). He never got his penguin for Batman and Catwoman interfered with the Ventriloquist's plans.

The Penguin and Two-Face had an apparent fight as Two-Face had double-crossed and stole a rare Avis from him. With this reasoning, he was interrogated at Stonegate by Batman for Two-Face's kidnapping. The Penguin insisted he was not to blame before setting his birds on Batman in a vain attempt to kill him, but the Caped Crusader escaped.

The Penguin also stole plutonium from Wayne Tech's lab and threatened to blow up Gotham City.

According to Batman, the Penguin once tried to kidnap a famous singer (Zatanna recalls his first name "Ricky" but not his last) and Batman said he was on stake out, apparently watching to see when Penguin made his move.

[edit] The "Legitimate Businessman"

"I'm a legitimate businessman now, I can't be drawing attention to myself!"

The Penguin gives Roxy Rocket her "nest egg".

The Penguin later opened Gotham's hottest Night Club, The Iceberg Lounge. He presented himself as reformed and a businessman, but after hours he did smuggling and other ruthless professions.

He soon became overwhelmed about the Joker's new found fortune. So the Penguin threw him a party at his club, only for it to be overpowered by gunfire by King Barlowe 's right-hand bodyguard (who thought he deserved "The King"'s will money, not the Joker). As Nightwing and Batgirl came in and stopped the gun noise, the Penguin lay in panic.

The Penguin soon found use for Roxy Rocket and had her steal some valuables. After she was putting his operations at risk, he attempted to do away with her. She prevailed and escaped as the Penguin lay in horror. He then ordered his henchladies to "clip her wings" before she told someone about his empire. As the Penguin was set for bed at his skyscraper suite, Batman came in and asked about the location of Roxy. The Penguin didn't come quietly and shot at Batman with a machine gun. Batman overwhelmed the Penguin and hung him off over his balcony before he gave in.

When he saw three ladies fighting (Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Livewire) at a table in his lounge, he tried to cease the commotion. When Livewire called him "Lard Butt" he ordered them out. They rebelled and left his lounge smothered in Vines and thrones). Soon after, Supergirl and Batgirl interrogated him on were the trio of ladies were and the Penguin was at first reluctant, but then gave in and told them he had a hunch they were at the old Gotham Zoo.

The Penguin negotiates with Two-Face and Killer Croc.

The Penguin was later interrogated by Superman (Disguised as Batman) on the whereabouts of The Mad Hatter (for Bruce Wayne went missing after mind control probes were found on his office phone). Only after "Batman" kicked a desk at the Penguin did he comply.

After he had a small dealing with Killer Croc and Two-Face, the Penguin was encountered by The Judge. The Penguin was horrified and was chased through his design studio. As his henchladies were tied up, he was alone. He was crushed by a giant penguin prop that the Judge set loose. He survived, but was enlisted in critical condition at the Hospital.

[edit] Batwoman in the Belfry

The Penguin, Carlton Duquesne, and Rupert Thorne discuss their shipment to Kaznia and their bat threat.

"Batman, Batgirl, Batwoman. What is it about this city, the water?!"

The Penguin soon allied himself with Rupert Thorne to smuggle illegal weapons to Kaznia. As Batwoman interfered with one road shipment and his factory went up in a blaze, the Penguin knew that their muscle, Carlton Duquesne, was out of his league. As the Penguin and Thorne were discussing whom their new muscle would be, Batwoman sneaked into the Penguin's file cabnet. The two caught her. But a fight was unleashed and Thorne agreed with Penguin they needed to bring someone better in as Batwoman escaped.

While at his lounge, the Penguin called up Bane, Bane agreed to meet him in the Penguin's frequently used back entrance. As soon as the Penguin got off the phone, Batwoman appeared and wrapped a metallic alloy around him. She squeezed and squeezed him until the Penguin gave in and said "Bane" very mildly. It didn't take long for the Penguin's henchladies and Batwoman to fight. Their fight got taken out into the lounge. Penguin shot motion-seeking missiles. As the Penguin aimed the missile launching umbrella at Batwoman, Batman came in and the Penguin was pushed to the ground. As Batwoman escaped, Batman was pushed into the lounges' center arctic pool. As the Penguin shot homing missiles into the water, Batman set and detonated a bomb from inside the pool. It caused the lounge to flood. The Penguin sat whipped in the face by one of his seals.

The Penguin, Thorne, and Duquesne met with Bane at an isolated warehouse, for Bane couldn't come to the lounge due to the previous incident. The Penguin allowed him full control of the operation and showed him the ship and plans he was to be using. Later that night, as the Penguin and Thorne played cards, they got a call to come to the ship. To their surprise, Bane found out who Batwoman was, Kathy Duquesne, Carlton Duquesne's daughter. Batman soon came in and another fight was unleashed. After Batman and Kathy escaped, Penguin and Thorne ran to the Penguin's boat to retreat for the bomb Kathy had was missing. They ran into the other two Batwomen. As the ship exploded, Sonia was injured and Rocky went after the fleeing felons. She latched onto the boat and the sudden stop made the Penguin and Thorne fly into the water. They were caught and the Penguin, after years of being "reformed," was finally punished for his crimes and sent back to Stonegate with Thorne.

[edit] Weaponry

"Perhaps you've heard of my umbrella weapons. Would you like to see which one can do your daughter?"

The Penguin had a large array of Umbrella weapons and flight tools and stand as his most recognizable trademark. His Umbrellas were controlled by an unseen button on the handle and could be deadly and / or deceiving. He was also known to carry a hidden machine gun hidden under an umbrella case for emergencies.

At his warehouse he has his scientists create his custom umbrellas and test them on dummies of Batman.

[edit] Umbrella Models and Accessories

Umbrella	Appearances	Description
	"I've Got Batman in My Basement"	Shot a gas bomb that kept its victim void for over a week
	"I've Got Batman in My Basement"	Imploded locks for easy break-ins
	"I've Got Batman in My Basement"	A knife built into the heel of his umbrella
	"I've Got Batman in My Basement" "The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne"	He had a sword hidden in special umbrellas for close combat
	"I've Got Batman in My Basement" "Almost Got 'Im" "Birds of a Feather"	Helped Penguin fly or escape trouble. Also doubled as a weapon.
	"Birds of a Feather" "The Mechanic"	It had a built in machine gun
	"Birds of a Feather"	Used to gas his victims for an easy kidnapping or robbery.
	"Almost Got 'Im"	Penguin used it to burn through a lock at the Gotham Zoo.
	"Almost Got 'Im"	Penguin claimed it was the "Wrong umbrella," but it really attracted his hummingbirds with poison-tipped beaks.
	"The Mechanic"	Had a razor sharp point at the tip of it that was activated by a gestural move in a key center point of the umbrella. He used it to threaten Earl Cooper's daughter.
	"Blind as a Bat"	A knife built into the tip of his umbrella
	"Blind as a Bat"	Shot white lasers
	"Blind as a Bat" "Batgirl Returns"	An electric charge that would electrocute the victim
	"The Ultimate Thrill"	Shot like a regular umbrella gun but could be sped up like a machine gun
	"The Ultimate Thrill"	A umbrella holder that contained a machine gun
	Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman	A test umbrella that shot bat-seeking missiles. It came into play when Batwoman interfaced his lounge.
	Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman	Shot pellets lit in a greenish color
	Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman	Had an acidic smoke compound that blew acid once unleashed

[edit] Rogues Gallery Encounters

Penguin with Joker and Two-Face.

Penguin has either collaborated or met with much of Batman's rogues' gallery (along with a Superman rogues gallery member), including:

The Joker ("The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne"; "Almost Got 'Im"; "Batgirl Returns"; "Joker's Millions")
Two-Face ("The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne"; "Almost Got 'Im"; "Batgirl Returns"; "Judgment Day")
Poison Ivy ("Almost Got 'Im" ; "Girl's Night Out")
Killer Croc ("Almost Got 'Im"; "Judgment Day")
The Mad Hatter ("Knight Time")
The Riddler ("Knight Time")
The Ventriloquist & Scarface ("Catwalk")
Roxy Rocket ("The Ultimate Thrill")
Harley Quinn ("Girls Night Out")
Rupert Thorne (Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman)
Bane ("Knight Time", Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman)
Livewire ("Girls Night Out")

[edit] Background Information

Penguin was required to be based on the Batman Returns version of the character; when the revamped episodes entered production the creative team was able to use the character's classic appearance, which they had wanted to use from the beginning.
Penguin was the only character allowed to smoke, outside of the gangsters in "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm". However in The New Batman Adventures, along with gaining a new design, he no longer smokes.