Riddler's Revenge

"**Riddler's Revenge**" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of *The Batman* and the forty-eigth episode overall.

## "Riddler's Revenge"

### Episode

10 (production order)9 (airing order)
49 (overall)

## Synopsis

Batman and Riddler are in a crate, dropped at the bottom of Gotham Harbor. Riddler reveals his origins.

## Plot

The episode starts in a cargo boat at Gotham Harbor, where the Riddler, along with his thugs, have kidnapped Chuck Gorman, a businessman who, according to the Riddler, was the cause of making him a criminal. Batman frees Chuck and fights Riddler and his Riddlemen. While they're fighting, Chuck Gorman escapes with a small boat and steals the Riddler's staff, making the cargo boat explode. Batman and the Riddler hide in a container to save themselves, and the container falls under the sea. Batman sends a signal using the Batwave. Meanwhile at his school, Dick picks up the signal and tries dismissing class, but the teacher does not allow him. Back to Batman, he tells Riddler that no radio contact can be made since they are too deep, the pressure is too strong to swim out, and their air supply is limited. Batman suggests a temporary truce, but Riddler refuses. Riddler tries attacking, but Batman knocks some sense into him. Then at the school, Dick finally gets an excuse to leave school.

Under the sea below Gotham Bay, the Riddler explains his origins, and explains to Batman that he was a fundamental component to create what Gotham calls the criminal mastermind Riddler. Since a kid, Edward Nigma, his real identity, loved to make puzzles, hard builds and other games, while his father was addicted to baseball and sports. When he grew up, he decides to try harder with his genius abilities, from solving a Rubik cube to stealing an expensive diamond. In his early 20s, Edward is in the lab of his university, and he's creating a device, along with his friend and lover Julie, that can make people who use it to enhance brain power, learning a new language in five minutes and so on. Gorman walks in and offers a partnership. Edward states that he still is not interested, much to Gorman's disappointment.

At the presentation of his creation, along with Julie and Chuck Gorman, the project fails and the tester of the project falls off with his brain frozen. In present day, Robin rushes with the Batboat and starts looking for Batman. Back to the past, believing Gorman sabotaged his device, Nigma tries to kill Gorman with almost impossible riddles. Batman comes and saves him. Edward then became Riddler. After narrating his origin, Batman gives the Riddler a hint that helps him realize it was not Gorman who sabotaged the device at all, and they escape together. Both of them get on top of the container, as a mysterious boat approaches. As Batman tries to determine who it is, Riddler punches Batman to the ground. The boat is revealed to be the Riddler's henchmen. They throw him his cane. Riddler, standing over the beaten Batman, prepares to kill the hero with the sharp end of his staff. Thankfully, Robin arrives and stops the Riddler from executing the Dark Knight. As Robin helps up his friend, he notices the Riddler and his goons escaping. They won't be able to catch up in all this fog.

In the same science lab Nigma worked in long ago at Gotham University, the Riddler enters to find Julie working. Julie recognizes his voice and she knows exactly why he is here. She smirks. She begins to explain why *she* sabotaged their project that fateful day.

Riddler orders his henchmen to grab Julie. One-by-one, the villain places their invention all over Julie's face. Nigma then grabs the controller, preparing to have Julie's mind explode.

Batman and Robin then arrive. A fight begins. The scuffle ends shortly, though, with Batman as the victor.

As the heroes begin to walk out, Batman orders Robin not to cut Julie out of her seat. The Dark Knight then asks his sidekick when a villain is not *the* villain, referring to Julie. They all then look to the unconscious Riddler, who begins to cry.

## Cast/Characters

* Rino Romano as Bruce Wayne/The Batman
* Evan Sabara as Dick Grayson/Robin
* Robert Englund as Edward Nigma/The Riddler
* Brooke Shields as Julie
* Bob Guntman as Chuck Gorman
* Daryl Sabara as Harris
* Lex Lang as Riddleman #1
* Riddlemen
* Mr. Burke
* Edward Nigma's father (flashback)

## Events

- Character debuts:

* Julie
* Chuck Gorman
* Harris
* Burke
* Edward Nigma's Father

- Riddler's origins are revealed.

## Trivia

* Despite being the ninth and tenth episodes of season four, *Seconds* and ***Riddler's Revenge*** were first broadcast before the eighth episode *Two of a Kind*.
* "Riddler's Revenge" is also a name of a side mission in *Batman: Arkham Knight,* as well as the name of Riddler's arc in LEGO Batman 1.
* Riddler says he does riddles, not jokes. He said the same thing in *Night and the City*.
* "Aw you remember me? I'm touched" is reused by Penguin in *Batman: Arkham City*.

## Errors

* For a few frames, the tester's pupils are missing.
* When Robin throws a Batarang, it makes Batman's Batarang sound.