The Riddler

62 (NW)

**The Riddler**is a major antagonist in *Batman: Shadow War, Batman: Red War*and *Batman: New War.*He is determined to be the most outlandish of Gotham City's criminals, and concoted an elaborate series of clues and riddles around his crimes.

## Biography

### Early Life

After Edward Nygma got high scores on some important tests in school, his father, unable to grasp the fact that his son was brilliant and believed that he had cheated, beat him out of envy. Constantly belittled and called a moron by his abusive father, he later entered a school contest with everyone's approval; solve a puzzle and win a prize. Nygma broke in late at night and put the puzzle together as many times as possible until he had the winning solution. His father accused him of cheating and beat him again.

As Nygma grew older, he opened a crooked carnival booth involving a diabolical puzzle. The customers would compete to solve the puzzle for prize money, but if they failed to do so, they had to pay Nygma a small fee for competing. In every case, Nygma rigged the puzzle in advance to ensure that the customer would always fail. Unsatisfied with the small pickings of the puzzle booth, Nygma closed the carnival attraction and dedicated himself to learning, eventually becoming a skilled engineering and computer hacking genius. He found employment as a member of the GCPD's Cyber Crime Division and used his position and skills for crime and baffle the upholders of the law.

### The First Puzzle for Gotham

Nygma, under the alias of "Enigma", started to commit his crimes while using his workplace as a front and alibi, however was always an enemy of Detective Harvey Bullock as Bullock has always suspected Nygma and believes something is off about him, frequently insulting Nygma while Nygma kept the persona of a friendly, hardworking colleague. Nygma's crime wave proved initially successful, leaving baffling clues for the police and Batman.

Nygma murdered corrupt police detective Arnold Flass and framed Bullock for it in order to eliminate him, though James Gordon defended Bullock and sought to prove he is innocent and find the real culprit alongside Batman. Nygma however left a series of clues for the police to solve which would lead to Bullock's innocence if solved due to being confident in his intellect; however, much to his unexpectation, the Dark Knight outwitted Nygma, proving Bullock to be an innocent man and that Nygma was the one who murdered Flass after Gordon tricked Nygma into confessing his crime which was recorded. Because of this, Nygma fled and attempted to eliminate all traces of his former self, breaking into banks and government buildings to destroy records bearing his name. Nygma then kidnapped Gordon and planned on killing him and Batman as revenge for outwitting him, offering Batman a chance to save his life and presented a series of riddles and puzzles, ending with a run through a maze at an amusement park. This is where Nygma announces that he is "Enigma" but changes his new name to "The Riddler" and Batman survives the mazes and manages to rescue Gordon, however the Riddler escapes and leaves Gotham altogether. Batman however predicts that the Riddler would return and when he does, he will be waiting for him. Before he leaves however, the Riddler made an attempt to eliminate all traces of his former self due to his identity being exposed including hacking into banks and government buildings to destroy records bearing his name.

### Return to Gotham

Having strategically calculated his plans for his return to Gotham, the Riddler first planted a bomb at the Gotham Museum of Art and waited until the place became populated to detonate it but it was disarmed by Gordon and then he cut the power throughout the entire city, telling the people that they need to get smart or die. Working with a vengeful scientist named Karl Helfern, Riddler sat back as Helfern collected all the materials needed to bring Gotham to its knees. While Helfern's motives were to hurt Wayne Enterprises, Riddler's motives were to make Gotham smarter - to eradicate those who have dumbed down the human race as well as prove he is better and smarter than Batman.
As Batman was distracted with Helfner, Riddler used this time to further the survival challenge he initiated in Gotham by blowing up the retaining walls around the city. The approaching hurricane that Gotham had been preparing for was now unchallenged, and the streets immediately flooded with several feet of water. Gotham is now under the Riddler's thumb.
Working with Gordon and Lucius Fox, Batman discovered the Riddler's location after multiple difficult tasks to find his broadcasting spot, tracking him down at the Gotham Museum.
Before their arrival, Detective Crispus Allen made an attempt to stop the Riddler but his presence was discovered before he even entered the building and the Riddler killed him. Riddler is holding Gotham hostage with weather balloons and he challenged Batman by demanding the answer to twenty one riddles which would lead the Riddler to uncovering Batman's true identity, thus defeating him and proving to Gotham he has outsmarted and beaten their hero. Batman played along, but Fox managed to turn the power back by being forced to hook himself up to an electrocode and jumpstart Gotham with his own pulse on while Batman distracted Riddler. When the plan worked, Batman ultimately punched the mastermind in the face. Deemed too dangerous and insane for Blackgate Penitentiary, Riddler was put in a straightjacket and detained at Arkham Asylum.

### Career Criminal

Over the years, the Riddler would earn his living through various heists and robberies, working his way up the criminal food chain, eventually even securing himself a couple of henchwoman named Echo and Query to do his bidding. He became one of Batman's most frequent and dangerous enemies, however his attempts to put an end to the Dark Knight and prove he is superior had always been thwarted and resulted in the Riddler being locked up in Arkham Asylum numerous times.

### Apparent Reform

The Riddler decided to put on a show in Arkham Asylum for the doctors and was released, having appeared to be treated and reformed. Despite apparently being reformed, Batman does not trust the Riddler and gives a close eye on his movements in Gotham however, despite this, the Riddler managed to get in contact with his henchmen while in Arkham to set up a new game for the Dark Knight. The Riddler manages to orchestrate a series of occult ritual-based riddles and puzzles which leads Batman throughout Gotham, with the Riddler managing to get the police agree to let him help investigate the case despite Batman still not trusting the Riddler. In truth, the Riddler's plan was to show how superior he is by solving the case before Batman.
The Riddler's journey for Batman consists of kidnapping children and tricks Batman into kissing a hanged man through CPR, and covers him blood in a transfusion center. The next step of the crimes forced Batman to fight with a group of robots dressed like zombies, then being forced to slay a dog with a silver dagger. He forces Batman to slit the throat of an unbaptized child by leaving him with a child who needs an emergency tracheotomy. Finally he orders a criminal to attack Batman with a flamethrower. All of this was done to make the Riddler look like this is the work of someone trying to follow the instructions on how to tame a bat daemon called Barbatos, framing a man named Thomas Jefferson and the Riddler planned to close the case just before Batman found out the Riddler was behind these crimes and his true intentions. In an attempt to silence Batman and defeat him once and for all, he manages to use a trap to knock out Batman and then ties him to an altar. The Riddler prepares to stab Batman in the heart and frame Jefferson for the dark deed, but "the demon Barbatos" apparently intervenes to stop him. The Riddler flees in terror and torches the building, but Batman is able to escape. It is revealed Batman had Jefferson help him and made it look like the instructions really worked and had summoned Barbatos. The Riddler is then recaptured at his hideout by the police after evidence of his crimes being presented to them by Jefferson, and is taken back to Arkham Asylum.

### The Long Halloween

The Riddler later being was being treated at Arkham Asylum when a serial killer named Calendar Man began killing Gotham's high-profile targets on holidays including politicians, law enforcement officers and mobsters. Riddler agreed to help Batman, because he is interested in the case. Riddler deduced that the killer was Julian Gregory Day but hid the information from Batman. Batman is eventually able to track Calendar Man down, but not before Riddler stages an escape from Arkham and it was revealed that the Riddler managed to manipulate Julian Day into becoming a serial killer and giving into his dark passions to use him in his plot to break out.

### War with the Joker

After having been imprisoned in Arkham for a long time, the Riddler managed to break out of his cell and threatened every guard on his way out by simply reciting the names of their loved ones. Hearing about a string of murders committed by the Joker, the Riddler visited the Clown Prince of Crime and offered to work together to kill Batman. However, the Joker was unconvinced by the Riddler's offer and shot him in the stomach, beginning the war between the Riddler and the Joker.

Recruiting as many criminals in Gotham he could, Riddler amassed a small army to fight the Joker's gang, leaving Batman and the rest of the city caught in the middle. For weeks the two sides fought, with Batman unable to contain the casualties caused by both psychopaths; Batman was forced to ally himself with the Riddler to defeat the Joker. In the final confrontation, Batman inevitably betrayed him, Riddler though stated that this was an elaborate plot to entrap Batman and kill him alongside the Joker. However when the Riddler attempted to stab Batman, the Joker saved Batman's life unexpectedly, saying that the joke was the Riddler before attempting to murder him again and telling him to leave "his" Batman alone. This allowed Batman to defeat both of them and take them to Arkham.

### Knightfall

The Riddler was attacked by Bane and dosed with Venom. Batman tried to stop the Riddler, but he was too strong and Batman was too tired. Bird and more of Bane's men shot Riddler under Bane's command, leaving Riddler badly injured but was returned to Arkham.

### Arkham Asylum Incident

The Riddler participated in the Joker and the other inmates' takeover of Arkham Asylum, being a member of the "jury" during the mock "trial" of Batman. Riddler is returned to his cell when the police regain control of the asylum.

### War Between the Joker and Penguin

During the Joker's return to Gotham and his goal to retake "his" city from the Penguin, the Riddler meets up with the Joker to sell him a briefcase containing everything he needs to know about his new lieutenant, Johnny Frost, including evidence that he is employed by the Penguin and that he has been tasked in a plot to assassinate the Joker, thus allowing the Penguin to seize control of the underworld. The Joker buys it from the Riddler, and the Riddler departs with the money.

### Encounter with the Second Robin

At some point after Jason Todd became the second Robin, the Riddler managed to hack into and hijack a fleet of U.S. military drones which he planned to use to attack and take control of Gotham City. Batman and Jason found an ecrypted riddle left behind by the Riddler and solved it which eventually led them to a warehouse where Batman and Jason discover a pre-recorded message from the Riddler on a computer whom mocks Batman. Suddenly, a group of mercenaries attack the duo though are defeated and revealed to be former servicemen who helped the Riddler hijack the drones.

While all the chaos is occuring, the Riddler is in his cell at Arkham and is then confronted by Gordon and a handful of armed cops who interrogate the Riddler. Batman struggles to figure out a way to stop the drones and becomes increasingly desperate, though Jason goes to Arkham and takes the confused Riddler outside of the asylum. Much to Batman's shock and horror, Jason holds the Riddler like a human shield for an armed drone which causes the fearing Riddler to calls out to stop it. Knowing how to disable the drones, Batman has Fox do so and a humiliated and defeated Riddler is returned to his cell despite being so close to controlling Gotham and defeating Batman, having unexpected the intervention of a new Robin.

### Questions Multiply the Mystery

Before his recapture by Batman and Robin, the Riddler was accompanied by Query and Echo to raid the Reservoir Street depository that completely misled the police and left him with two million dollars. However, Batman narrowly failed to capture him, giving the Riddler a more impressive reputation than ever. Now overconfident, the Riddler planned an even bigger caper; stealing a newly developed technology from Wayne Enterprises and then blow up the tower. Unfortunately for the criminal, Batman quickly put an end to the caper and the Riddler was arrested once again and incarcerated in Arkham Asylum.

The Riddler, occupying an observation room in the asylum, expresses his annoyance with the inept psychiatrists' repeated attempts to pierce his psyche, and decides to give them what they want: the story of his life, how he became a criminal, and why he repeatedly opposes Batman. As he recounts his humiliation at Batman's hands, the Riddler begins to have a meltdown. In a fit of psychosis, he breaks the one-way glass between him and Dr. Stephen Kellerman, only to realize that his doctor had left on lunch break; he had been telling his life's story to thin air all along. Orderlies rush in and subdue him, leaving the Riddler near-catatonic and muttering that there is no one there on an endless loop.

### Poker Game with Fellow Freaks

The Riddler managed to break out of Arkham Asylum and he decided to keep a low profile in the Stacked Deck bar for criminals, where he played a game of poker with his fellow criminals Joker, Two-Face, Poison Ivy and Penguin. The group of villains betted on who came the closest to eliminating Batman and they each told their own story.

In the Riddler's tale, the Riddler led Batman into a trap with a series of clues after kidnapping four babies. Batman is thrown into a pit filling with water and the walls are electrically wired, forcing Batman to find a way out of the trap without getting electrocuted or drowning. After believing his adversary was finally dead, the Riddler decided to go straight permanently and was prepared to abandon his criminal lifestyle and alter-ego however, to the Riddler's dismay, Batman escapes by sabotaging the trap, making the Riddler more thirsty for vengeance though became obsessed with finding out how Batman escaped and demanded to know why from Batman, but Batman refused to answer. The Riddler managed to get away as Batman focused on saving the babies that Riddler abducted first. After the Joker reveals Catwoman's location during his story, the bartender is revealed to be Batman who set up a police sting operation and the Riddler is arrested as a result along with his fellow criminals.

### Controlling Man-Bat

The Riddler managed to steal fellow inmate Mad Hatter's mind-control technology and then left Hatter cactonic in his cell by using his own mind-control on him, then broke out of Arkham with the intention to target reformed former Arkham inmate Kirk Langstrom to transform him into Man-Bat again and take control of the creature. The Riddler is depressed by his long string of failures as a criminal and swears to retire from crime but desires to commit one last crime by using Man-Bat and one final attempt to defeat Batman. The Riddler uses a mind-controlled Man-Bat to occupy Batman and Robin while he commits a heist to steal the jeweled eagle and this prevents Batman from solving his latest riddle in time. Despite Batman catching him moments after the fact, the Riddler is escastic over his "victory" and remains so even after returning to Arkham. The Riddler's actions had traumatized a reformed Langstrom.

### Hush

The Riddler is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, so he cures himself by stealing one of Ra's al Ghul's Lazarus Pits. This grants him a temporary clarity, and he finally figures out that Bruce Wayne is Batman. He tries to sell this cure to a rich doctor named Dr. Elliot Thomas. Elliot hates Bruce, and they decide to work together to destroy Batman. Elliot becomes the villain Hush, and the Riddler designs an intricate plan. This involves enlisting or manipulating Catwoman, Clayface, Harley Quinn, the Joker, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy and Scarecrow. Batman and Nightwing actually fight the Riddler during this time when he robs an armored car. Hush loses to Batman, and Batman figures out that the Riddler is the mastermind. Batman explains that a riddle everyone knows the answer to is worthless, so he knows the Riddler will keep his secret. Ra's al Ghul will also have the League of Assassins kill the Riddler if they ever discover what happened. Batman punches the Riddler, tells a security guard that he fell, and leaves Arkham Asylum.

### The Game Show

After the Hush incident, Riddler escaped from Arkham Asylum and realized he became a target of the League of Assassins. In order to attract the attention of Batman whom he would seek protection from, he started an live underground game show where he focused on kidnapping and placing celebrities in death traps where they are forced to answer the Riddler's riddles or die. The Riddler then announced on his next show the next guest on his show will be Bruce Wayne, putting Bruce under police protection but the Riddler had his goons fill the mansion with knockout gas through the ventilation system that knocked out the officers and Bruce allowed himself to be captured, while Robin and Gordon investigated and eventually the Riddler's clues led them to where he is hosting his show. Bruce is strapped to a death trap which would cut him all of his fingers for every wrong answer, eventually building up to decapitating him. Bruce manages to avoid a grim fate and correctly answers the riddles, so the Riddler kept to his word and released him before ending the broadcast.

Skeptical of what the Riddler wants, Bruce questions him and the Riddler blackmails his adversary into protecting him from the League or he will expose his secret and effectively destroy Batman. Bronze Tiger and a group of assassins then attack the two with the goal to kill the Riddler but are fended off by Robin and Gordon until Bruce returns as Batman arrives, and the fight results in Bronze Tiger nearly killing the Riddler and even gives him brain damage from blunt force trauma. A confused and damaged Riddler manages to get away and leaves Batman to deal with the League of Assassins.

### Suicide Squad Incident

At a loss from struggling to remember and believing he is now dumber and no longer the highly intelligent mastermind he once was, the Riddler went into a downward spiral of insanity and became homeless. He was eventually found by Amanda Waller who helped him recover his mind though imprisons him in Belle Reve Penitentiary. It is during this time the Riddler has an induced flashback about his childhood, he comes to the realization of what happened when he was abused and why. He also deduces the reason why he has the compulsion he has for riddles.

During his imprisonment, Waller considers the Riddler as a candidate for her new project "Suicide Squad", a corrupt government-funded team of incarcerated super-criminals who act as deniable assets to the government. During a mental breakdown, the Riddler brutally injures and almost kills two guards. Riddler was forced by Waller to go on a mission with the Suicide Squad and, to ensure his cooperation, a nano-bomb was implanted in his neck, with Waller in control of it. However, the Riddler managed to defuse the bomb by putting electricity through his body to fry it and escaped.

A week later, back in Gotham, the Riddler contacted Waller in order to boast his genius over her and to tax her with riddles. The inquisitive quizzler of queries did what he does best, annoy people and brag. Waller only needed to let him talk long enough for the ARGUS agents to pinpoint his location. The agents broke through the skylight, pinning Riddler to his computer, and Waller ordered him to be executed painfully. However, with a smirk, knowing of Batman's presence and tells one last riddle. At that moment, the lights went out, and Batman appeared to take him into custody; Riddler had lured Batman there as insurance against Waller. While the Dark Knight fought off the agents, Riddler attempted to escape through a vent, losing his hat; however as his hands had been tied up, he didn't get far. Batman pulled him out, demanding information from the Riddler and then took him to Arkham Asylum.

Waller sent out a new Suicide Squad composed of Rick Flag, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc, Black Spider and Magpie, to Arkham Asylum. Waller told them that the Riddler had stolen top secret information about her operation, and only briefed Magpie about her real motive: kill the Riddler.

When the Suicide Squad had a confrontation with Batman, Magpie escaped in the aftermath and tracked down the Riddler who was calmly reading a book in his cell. Riddler stated that he was expecting for someone to come for him, as he arrogantly believed himself too clever for Waller to keep alive. Magpie moved to assassinate him, but the Riddler stopped her short of killing him by revealing he knows how to defuse the nano-bombs. Magpie quickly opted to let him live, even though she instantly despised his irritating personality. The pair then managed to regroup with the Squad, and the Riddler prompted to deactivate all their bombs if they got him to the Medical Center. Upon arriving, the Riddler revealed that he had planned to use the electroshock therapy machine to fry their bombs. Hooking the Squad up, the Riddler sent 1,000 volts through them to deactivate their bombs before an enraged Waller could detonate their bombs. Riddler started laughing, to which Boomerang questioned, but the Riddler chose to keep it to himself as he realized that Black Spider was actually Batman and did not to inform the Squad. Riddler then departed from the Squad, escaping from Arkham and keeping a low profile while Waller is still actively seeking to kill him.

### Riddler's Revenge

The Riddler seeks revenge on Waller for the attempt on his life by sending a computer to her office with a virtual reality simulation that ended up trapping her. Batman entered the virtual reality world to rescue Waller, and in his concentration on defeating Batman, the Riddler accidentally caused his dream world to disintegrate. After his defeat, Batman was on a race with Waller to get to the Riddler first, while the Riddler striked a deal with the Penguin to protect him in exchange for all the money he currently had possession of. The Penguin agreed, believing it was only Batman who was pursuing him. When the Penguin rats out the Riddler to Batman after discovering Waller was involved, Batman confronts the Riddler at Gotham Docks where the Riddler is taking refuge in a cargo however an explosion caused by Waller's agents results in the cargo falling into the river and dooming Batman and the Riddler as they are trapped and Waller decides to leave both of her enemies to die coldly.

While in the cargo, Batman and the Riddler talk upon realizing they will soon run out of air. The Riddler discusses his backstory and why he became the Riddler as well as why he is so obsessed with riddles and puzzles to the Dark Knight, however eventually Robin arrives to rescue Batman. Batman goes to cuff the Riddler and arrest him, however suddenly the Riddler's henchmen arrive and shoot at Batman and Robin and allow Riddler to flee on a jet-ski. The Riddler decided to give Waller a false sense of security before delivering the killing blow, however his plan to kill her once again failed because the Riddler waited until Batman arrived and let his ego get the better of him to show he outsmarted and ended Waller. This allows Batman to defeat the Riddler, taking him down by stabbing a Batarang through his hand in a control panel and then incapacitating him with an electric shock. Batman and the Riddler exchanged a few words before the criminal was arrested, with Batman and Waller coming to an forced agreement that Waller would back off and that Gotham is Batman's turf.

### Encounter with the Judge

When Two-Face develops a third personality christened as "The Judge" which operated as a ruthless vigilante that aimed to brutally attack and execute Gotham's criminals for their crimes, the Riddler became one of his targets when he attempted to rob a wedding. The Judge critically injured the Riddler by dropping a piano on him, though his life was saved because of Batman and Robin's intervention. The Riddler was hospitalized and taken back to his cell in Arkham afterwards.

### No Man's Land

After Gotham became an abandoned a no man's land, all the villains claim their territory and take over certain sectors. The Riddler established his own secret headquarters in the Narrows, personally customizing it with numerous green question marks and built a custom surveillance system; with it, he had eyes and ears all over Gotham City. One of the hobos who lived in the Narrows fell victim to one of the Riddler's traps when he offered his services as muscle to the Riddler upon finding out he owned the building, so the Riddler manipulated the hobo into falling through a trapdoor and sarcastically tells him that he'd get back to him about the job.

Some time later, the Riddler joined a select group of criminals under the Red Hood's leadership in planning how to kill Batman. He was invited to a meeting where Red Hood and his accomplice, Deathstroke, laid out their plans to take over the city and kill Batman. Riddler did not seem interested because he had his own plans in mind. After the meeting, Red Hood, in an obvious attempt to appeal to his ego, drew Riddler away from the crowd and indirectly suggested that he make his scheme coincide with Red Hood's plans, saying that a concerted attack by so many villains would prevent Batman foiling the Riddler through underhanded means.

Needing bait for Batman, and thinking that Nightwing or Robin would have been predictable, he settled for Catwoman. Riddler then called Catwoman and managed to convince her to conduct a burglary job for him at Wayne Tower. However, the Riddler used Catwoman to bypass security for him and managed to subdue her by electrocuting her with his cane. The Riddler then seized the secret lab that Batman and Fox used to develop his gadgets and keep surveillance throughout the city, determined to hack into the supercomputer with a black box to take control of Batman's technology and to reveal every detail about Batman and Bruce Wayne, thus finally defeating him. The Riddler also placed an explosive collar on Catwoman to use her against the Dark Knight.

When Batman and Fox followed up on a lead left behind intentionally by the Riddler, they discovered the Riddler's plan and assumed he was taking control of Batman's technology on the behalf of the Red Hood as part of their plan to destroy Batman. Batman and Fox entered Wayne Tower and Batman was forced to fight Catwoman, who was under the threat of being killed by the collar if she did not follow the Riddler's orders. Batman though managed to remove the collar because the Riddler intentionally left a method to, but removing it set if off anyway a few seconds later which forced Batman and Catwoman to take cover from the explosion. Catwoman was separated from Batman and could not get back to him, but he told her to go and he went after the Riddler, who was in Batman's secret lab. Batman confronted the Riddler, who was accompanied by a group of Red Hood's soldiers, in the lab and the Riddler was eager due to being close to hacking into Batman's tech. Batman was unable to use his tech to defeat the Riddler, forcing him to use old-fashioned methods to defeat the Riddler. Batman subdued the soldiers and managed to disable the Riddler's security drones, before battling the villain himself who picked up two powerful gauntlets that he used to fight Batman with. However, Batman managed to disarm the Riddler of the gauntlets and defeated him with a hard punch to the face. While Batman managed to remove the black box and prevented the Riddler from hacking into his tech, the Riddler used this opportunity to escape and rigged the elevator with a trap to prevent Batman from following him.

The Riddler desperately returned to his lair only to find it robbed and destroyed, leaving him completely bankrupt and humiliated and Catwoman was waiting for him. Catwoman initially got the upper hand and beat him, but the Riddler had a trick up his sleeve and used a mech in an attempt to kill Catwoman though Catwoman destroyed it and kicked the Riddler hard in the stomach, nearly making him fall out of the window to his death but Catwoman saved his life just in time with her whip and taunted the Riddler as he dangled. Catwoman then delivered a bound and gagged Riddler to the GCPD Station as a present for Batman, owing the Dark Knight for saving her life. The Riddler was in complete disbelief of his defeat, but Batman realized he had completely lost it and told him that he needed help before being locked in a cell. The Riddler screamed at the Batman that he knows who he really is and that he will defeat him.

After the Red Hood's disappearance and Deathstroke led the remaining forces to assault the GCPD Station with the intention of killing Batman, the Riddler attempts to escape the GCPD Station however was subdued and tasered by Aaron Cash and taken back to his cell. After these events, the Riddler is re-imprisoned in Arkham Asylum.

### The Joker's Last Laugh

With the Joker's return to Gotham, sporting his own cut-off face as a mask, the clown prince took over Arkham and begun to spruce it up in anticipation of Batman's arrival. Riddler, still in his cell, asked Joker to let him out using the keycard of a dead guard. Considering Riddler to be a useful ally, Joker decided to challenge the Riddler in order to make sure he was at the top of his game when Batman arrives. Tossing a toxic gas capsule into his cell, Joker told Riddler, in order to survive, the mastermind had to figure out a way to get himself out of the cell. Without a problem, Riddler succeeded in his escape and joined Joker in his plan, being given the "strategist" title in Joker's royal interpretation of Batman's rogues gallery. Sometime after the Joker's defeat, Riddler was taken back to his cell in Arkham.

### Red Hood Incident

A year later after the supposed deaths of Batman and the Joker, the Riddler was still active in Gotham and he became an ally of the Penguin as he acted as the right-hand man of his criminal empire when the Penguin has now risen to the top crime lord of Gotham City. The Riddler acted as the Penguin's adviser and used his high intellect to aid him but his obsession with riddles often got on the Penguin's nerves, with the Riddler helping the Penguin gain public popularity and even more power when he came up with a plan to take more control over Gotham: the Penguin and his empire played a major role in restoring order to the city in Batman's absence, though their methods were controversial to say the least. The next step in the Riddler and the Penguin's plan was to create a system of unionized crime by issuing "licenses of misconduct" that allowed only chosen criminals to commit crimes in exchange for a portion of their profits. Anyone who committed a crime without a license would be dealt with using deadly force. The Penguin even went as far as to legitimize this new arrangement by making a deal with the city government.

However, the Riddler and the Penguin met a new threat in the form of the Red Hood, the terrorist they formerly worked for turned vigilante who uses lethal force against criminals. A war was waged between the two sides with the Riddler managing to deduce his identity and tried to kill him in his apartment with a booby-trapped explosive, though Red Hood managed to survive and confronted the Riddler. However, the Riddler sold out the Penguin in exchange for being spared by the Red Hood. This led to the Red Hood managing to shut down the Penguin's operations and had nearly killed the crime lord, then the Penguin discovered the Riddler's treachery and was thirsty for vengeance. Having recently salvaged Mr. Freeze's abandoned technology including his freeze gun, the Penguin stopped the Riddler before he could leave Gotham in a submarine and froze him solid with the gun in revenge for his betrayal.
The Penguin then placed the Riddler's frozen body in the Iceburg Lounge like a statue.
However, the Riddler was thawed out and rescued under the Penguin's nose by a teenage girl who claims to be his daughter and has given herself the criminal alias "Enigma". The Riddler is surprised and grateful, embracing the fact that he has a daughter that he could mold into becoming a "perfect and intelligent criminal like him". The Riddler and Enigma committed crimes together and had a few encounters with many of Gotham's inhabitants including the Red Hood, Duela Dent and the Penguin. The Riddler slowly built up his revenge against the Penguin with Enigma, including stealing his money, vandalising his properties and overall toying with the Penguin with riddles and puzzles. The Riddler then recruited several criminals into his plan to kill the Penguin publicly in a humiliating fashion that would prove the Riddler is now the greatest of Gotham's villains, but the plan ended in the Riddler's humiliating failure and defeat due to the intervention of the Red Hood, Nightwing and Robin. Back at their hideout, Enigma mocked the Riddler over his failure and even took back what she thought of her father as a brilliant, intelligent criminal who matched wits with the legendary Batman. In a fit of rage, the Riddler murdered his own daughter and then carved a riddle in her corpse for the Red Hood to find which would help him bring down the Penguin again. Afterwards, the Riddler laid low in the Narrows where he "restarted" his game show where volunteers are put in death traps in front of an audience to answer the Riddler's riddles. If someone wins, they get cash but losers will receive lethal punishments and Enigma's murder combined with his humiliating defeat in public had descended him deeper into madness.

The Riddler's cancer resurfaced while he was laying low and unable to gain access to the Lazarus Pit to cure himself. He discovered and seeked to cure himself with ARGUS's experimental virus with regenerative capabilities, the Project Lotus. The Riddler searched for the virus's location with a newly formed gang comprising of inhabitants of the Narrows, notably capturing, interrogating and killing members of the research project. One of his victims was Dr. Van Criss who the Riddler subjected to torture with a trap but got no information from the scientist so the trap killed him. The Riddler's recent actions attracted the attention of Waller who sent her agents into Gotham to find and assassinate the Riddler, but they failed as the Riddler proved to outsmart and kill them instead. As a result, Waller called in the Suicide Squad to do the job. The Red Hood became involved after the Riddler's attack on Wayne Enterprises with a powerful bomb, who fought the Squad as well and inadvertently allowed the Riddler to escape.
Waller managed to convince Red Hood to stand down and help them eliminate the Riddler, giving him the virus's location after the Riddler recently discovered it. A showdown went on between the Red Hood, Riddler and his gang and Waller and her team (who betrayed the Red Hood) in which the Riddler proved a more vicious and aggressive side to him when he tried to blow up the bridge but failed, and he then brutally injures and nearly kills Red Hood and Captain Boomerang. During the battle, the Riddler managed to acquire the hidden virus after solving it but Red Hood, who wanted to see the Riddler dead no matter what, shot the Riddler and made him drop and smash the vial which shocked everyone. A gas then emitted from the exposed chemicals which infected the Riddler with the virus, curing him of the cancer however damaged his brain chemistry which decreased his intelligent and made him even more insane. Rick Flag then tried to kill the Riddler however the Riddler turned the tables on the veteran and managed to blow up the bridge and kill Flag in the process. The Riddler disappeared into the explosion and was presumed dead.

### Return to Gotham in the Future

Despite being expected to die after his cancer resurfaced and failed to cure himself with ARGUS's experimental virus with regenerative capabilities, Project LOTUS, the Riddler managed to survive though his brain chemistry was even more damaged which descended him deeper into insanity and even forgot about Batman's secret identity in the process. Riddler was believed to be dead to the world as he remained hidden for decades however he did get his revenge on Waller and ARGUS by publicly leaking sensitive information and evidence of their unethical operations which shut the organization down. Riddler infiltrated an ARGUS facility containing several metahuman test subjects (who would later become the Royal Flush Gang) by killing their captors and easily recruited them due to them being grateful towards the Riddler for freeing them. Waller went rogue and reformed a new Suicide Squad with the goal to vengefully kill the Riddler, almost succeeding in Sudan if it was not for the metahumans.

Hearing of a new Batman in Gotham City, the Riddler returned to his hometown with his metahumans in tow with the goal of killing the "imposter" and make his return known to the authorities and civilians in a spectular fashion as well as lure Waller and her team into Gotham to end their lives as well, formulating a complex plan designed to outsmart and wipe out all of his most dangerous threats in one swoop. For his plan, the Riddler created a long-range signal and made a deal with arms dealer Rumi Mori to receive radio-guided homing missiles. With the necessary components collected, Riddler planned on stealing the Lotus cure, which was in a hidden facility in Gotham, by starting a citywide panic and focus from Batman, Waller and the police with his missiles while he tracked down and raided the facility.

The Riddler targeted Mori in retribution after he tried to back out of their deal so he and the Royal Flush Gang confronted Mori on his cruiser. When a guard tries to stop the Riddler, he murders him and locks down the cruiser with his gang. After taking hostages, the Riddler places Mori in a death trap and promised to let him go if successfully solved a riddle. The new Batman, Terry McGinnis, appeared and battled the Royal Flush Gang but struggled in the process due to their metahuman abilities. Terry ordered Commissioner Barbara Gordon to help on the yacht, outnumbering the Riddler and his gang which forced them to retreat and Terry managed to rescue Mori. On the Riddler's tail, Terry found a puzzle box left behind by the criminal and the Riddler detonated a bomb on the cruiser however Terry managed to evacuate the citizens and police officers.

Terry would be able to solve Riddler's box, but only found a signal emitter inside. Due to the Batcave having a scrambler installed, the missile was unable to fire and locate the Batcave. During the next week, the Riddler purchased an abandoned water tower in the East End of Gotham and created another death trap within it. He also set up a supercomputer capable of breaching SANCTUS's security and another trap to guard it. After kidnapping Suicide Squad member Polka-Dot Man, he took him to the trap he had set up and forced him to solve it, promising to hint what he was planning. Polka-Dot Man was unsuccessful and was killed by the ultra-sonic emitter. Terry and Bruce would later discover the trap, thanks to a tip the vigilante had received from Waller. Using evidence they were able to find, pointing out the previous victim's mistakes, Terry and Bruce were able to solve the puzzle, finding one of the homing missiles bought by the Riddler. The criminal then appeared on-screen, revealing his history with SANCTUS and blamed Waller. During this, Riddler also mocked Terry and Bruce that the new Batman will be unable to beat him as he claimed he is too slow and that the old Batman would have been able to solve it days ago. Riddler then reveals he has several puzzle boxes throughout Gotham which would cause the missiles to fire into Gotham and cause chaos unless Terry managed to stop them. During the distraction of Terry and the police disabling the signal emitters and stopping the missiles while being occupied by the Royal Flush Gang, the Riddler managed to ambush and kidnap Waller and her team by leading them into a trap.

The Riddler placed Waller and the Squad into death traps. As he prepared to murder them, Terry arrived, having retrieved their location from Mori. As he defeated the Royal Flush Gang, he made an attempt to defeat the Riddler however the criminal anticipated his attack and prepared for it, wearing protective materials under his suit. As Terry released Waller from her trap, Riddler activated a trap to hold Terry. He then revealed himself to be conscious and showed the vigilante where the missile launcher had been hidden. With the vigilante in his grasp, Riddler revealed a hidden signal emitter in the location that would allow all the missiles to target where they currently are, killing all of the Riddler's enemies in one powerful blast. The Riddler though would not issue the order if Terry could solve three simple riddles, but doing so would have him being blasted by sonic devices he had set up in his cage, which would kill him but save the hostages. Terry complies with the Riddler's game and the criminal subjects him to the blasts, however during the final riddle, Terry instead uses a drone to emit the signal and direct a missile towards the cage. Furious at the turn of the events, Riddler fires the rest of the missiles to kill the Squad, but these are directed by the drone into Gotham's river, where they can detonate without harming anyone. The Riddler makes a break for it, but Waller catches up to him and attempts to kill him though the Riddler blasts her with the sonic device which renders her deaf. The Riddler manages to escape with the Royal Flush Gang's help but Terry stops the Riddler's plans to destroy Gotham and saves the Squad, albeit at the cost of Waller now being rendered deaf.

The Riddler had the Royal Flush Gang stop a vehicle convoy to steal a Phalanx Key and EMP Generator which were being transported. The Riddler then initiated his heist at the SANCTUS facility after weeks of pinpointing its location, he and his gang slaughter the lab's agents and defenses. Whilst the Riddler extracts the virus from the incubators, Terry arrives and battles the Royal Flush Gang now with help from Waller's Squad. The Royal Flush Gang is defeated and when the police breach the facility, the virus is destroyed accidentally in the battle which greatly angers the Riddler. Riddler is determined to destroy Terry for eliminating his chance of curing himself of his warped brain chemistry and extreme mental health issues, though Barbara uses a stun gun to shock the Riddler into unconsciousness before he can make good on his threat.

### Imprisonment

After his defeat, the Riddler is tried and deemed insane so he is imprisoned at the rennovated Arkham Asylum where he remains instead of attempting to break out, devastated at his loss against Terry and being unable to cure himself. During the Joker's return, Riddler remained in his cell while the rest of the city was infected with Joker's toxin. When the city was saved, the inmates were shipped off. However, the Riddler alongside Scarecrow and Clayface tried to ambush Terry one night but were easily defeated and were re-imprisoned.

## Personality

The Riddler was defined by his insanity, inferiority complex, violent behavior and intense narcissism, likened with hubris. However, he was extremely emotionally immature and his nature was that of an overgrown man-child. His image of self-awareness is extremely misguided as he deludes himself into believing that he is a flawless and infallible human "colossus". Another of his delusions is his incapability to understand his own insanity and he displays anti-social behavior and his characteristics, even into adult years are similar to that of an adolescent teenager. Amongst these traits of his childlishness are competiteveness, recklessness, stubborness, pride, rash outbursts, fiery temper, aggressive tantrums and sullenness.

Despite being megalomaniacal, psychopathic and egocentric, at his core Riddler is deeply insecure and emotionally scarred. Having no received the recognition he believed he deserved it stands to reason that he pathologically has to prove how smart he is, especially to himself and displays what appears to be an inferiority complex in contrast to his overconfident demeanor. He has made it his one and only goal to degrade others, as being stupider than with him with either arrogant insults designed to lower his victims' self-esteem or using the unfounded results from his tests and death traps. He claims his tests were for the good of society by weeding out those who are intelligent and those who fail, who are by Riddler's definition stupid always die. Riddler's magnificiently over-fed ego is never damaged, ignoring that he has been defeated, humiliated and imprisoned multiple times, he constantly believes he will come out on top, never thinking history would repeat itself. He is not above cowardice or dropping his arrogant facade by pathetically pleading.

He often displays hyprotical arrogance and his greatest weakness was that he considered himself undefeatable and his arrogance makes him grotesquely reckless and overconfident. Riddler is also careless enough to relay important information to common thugs who break instantly and reveal everything over intimidation. As the series continue, Riddler becomes more deluded and his mental health state detoriates even further. He obsesses totally over assuring intellectual dominance over others. In moments of extreme frustration, despite his intelligence, he will use illogical and quite frankly, lame excuses when he is about to be defeated. Aside from his signature tendency for riddles, Riddler was also highly knowledgeable of people's metaphorical "skeletons" in their closets, dark pasts and secrets due to having amassed an extremely complex web of spies and informants in Gotham City. He is also knowledgeable in psychology and anticipating people's next actions.

## Abilities

* **Genius Level Intellect:**The Riddler is a supreme problem-solver and criminal mastermind. He is a brilliant genius with deductive power and his mind excels with puzzles, mind games and manipulations.
	+ **Master Tactician:**The Riddler's advanced mental faculties allows him to flawlessly execute the crimes he commits through careful and methodical planning.
	+ **Expert Detective:**The Riddler possesses great deductive skills and analytic ability.
	+ **Expert Escapologist:**The Riddler is adept in escapology and used this skill to build elaborate death traps and easily escape handcuffs.
	+ **Eidetic Memory:**The Riddler has claimed that he is incapable of forgetting anything.
	+ **Expert Inventor:**The Riddler is skilled at creating elaborate death traps, bombs and other high-tech equipment.
	+ **Master Deceiver:**The Riddler is skilled at manipulating others.
	+ **Expert Medic:**The Riddler has some medical knowledge.
* **Skilled Marksman:**Riddler is proficient in the use of firearms, particularly handguns.

### Equipment

* **Riddle Cane:**A golden-topped black cane stylized with a question mark and contains a remote-control device that can trigger and control his gadgets and inventions remotely as well as the question mark being sharp enough cut human flesh and contains a grappling hook.
* **Bombs:**Numerous green-colored explosives with black question marks on them.
* **Riddle Boxes:**The Riddler would often leave these boxes at his crimes, believing that his pursuers would not be able to solve them and these would often consist of elaborate puzzles, including riddles and methods to reshape them, and clues to his plans. Riddler would also place advanced circuitry within them for the purpose of challenging his opponent.
* **Death Traps:**The Riddler would use death traps to either punish his victims or challenge them. These would consist of many machines and devices, including controllable saw blades, sonic blasters and a multitude of different devices, which he made himself.
* **M1911A1:**The Riddler occasionally arms himself with this pistol.

### Weaknesses

* **Obsession:**His riddles are in fact a bizarre obsessive compulsion; his attempts to stop himself from sending them has met with failure time and time again. This extends to the fact that he cannot simply kill his opponents when he has the upper hand, but prefers to put them in a deathtrap to see if he can devise a life and death intellectual challenge that the victim cannot escape. However, compared to other Batman's enemies, Riddler's compulsion is quite flexible, allowing him to commit any crime as long as he can describe it in a riddle or puzzle.

## Killed Victims

* Countless

1. **Arnold Flass:**Bludgeoned with a pipe.
2. **Unnamed Security Guard:**Shot in the head.
3. **Multiple Citizens:**Killed in flood.
4. **Crispus Allen:**Stabbed in the chest with riddle cane.
5. **Unnamed Man:**Hanged.
6. **Multiple Joker's Henchmen:**Killed in various ways.
7. **Unnamed Security Guard:**Throat slashed.
8. **Unnamed Security Guard:**Shot.
9. **Myrtle Jenkins:**Electrocuted in a trap.
10. **Pinky Littlefield:**Dissolved in acid in a trap.
11. **Unnamed Homeless Man:**Stabbed to death with knife.
12. **Unnamed Arkham Guard:**Shot in the back.
13. **Unnamed ARGUS Operative:**Electrocuted.
14. **Unnamed ARGUS Operative:**Electrocuted.
15. **Unnamed Hobo:**Fell to his death through trapdoor.
16. **Unnamed Wayne Enterprises Employee:**Decapitated.
17. **Unnamed Wayne Enterprises Employee:**Decapitated.
18. **Unnamed Wayne Enterprises Employee:**Decapitated.
19. **Multiple Penguin's Henchmen:**Killed in various ways.
20. **Arthur Penn:**Decapitated in a trap.
21. **Unnamed Security Guard:**Shot in the face.
22. **Enigma:**Strangled.
23. **Unnamed Narrows Man:**Stomach eaten by rats.
24. **Unnamed ARGUS Scientist:**Blood loss from wrists repeatedly cut in a trap.
25. **Unnamed ARGUS Scientist:**Roasted alive in a trap.
26. **Unnamed ARGUS Scientist:**Jaw ripped out in a trap.
27. **Unnamed ARGUS Scientist:**Ribcage ripped out in a trap.
28. **Unnamed ARGUS Scientist:**Poisoned in a trap.
29. **Van Criss:**Head blown up.
30. **Five Unnamed ARGUS Agents:**Killed in various ways.
31. **Rick Flag:**Blown up.
32. **Nine Unnamed ARGUS Scientists:**Poisoned.
33. **Unnamed Yacht Guard:**Throat slashed with riddle cane.
34. **Polka-Dot Man:**Killed by ultra-sonic device in a trap.
35. **Multiple ARGUS Staff:**Killed in various ways.

## Appearance

When younger, Edward Nygma had brown hair with glasses and wore a purple vest with his GCPD tag on the back, a white shirt and tie, fingerless gloves and on his left hand he wore two watches on his wrist. He also wore dark green pants with keys on his belt loops, and brown shoes. Eventually, he gained messy hair and wore a green business suit with yellow question marks and purple fingerless gloves with question marks. He also wore a green bowler hat. In the future, the Riddler had a more broken down look, and sported a green sleeved dress shirt with black and white question marks throughout. He also wore small circle rimmed glasses with orange lenses and combed brown hair.

## Quotes

* "Are you ready for some more? Explore! Find my challenges. And when you fail to solve them and lie blubbering like an ignorant child on the floor, you will know that the Riddler is better than you."
* "Can you hear me, Batman? I know you can. Yes it is I, Edward Nigma, the Riddler and more importantly your intellectual superior."
* "So you did it. Well done. I would have expected a child to work that one out, let alone the world's greatest detective!"
* "Don't get too full of yourself, Dark Knight. It only gets harder from here."
* "You are performing just below my predicted expectations. At this rate, you'll never beat me."
* "I'm losing patience. You are cheating. You must be."
* "You are beginning to impress me, Batman. You may still reach a level just below my genius one day."
* "Hi diddle diddle."
* "It's the E-Nygma show."
* "Diddle diddle diddle, time for a riddle."
* "Fiddle diddle diddle, answer my riddle."
* "I am Edward Nygma. The world's greatest detective."
* "Puzzling, isn't it?"
* "Does your head hurt, Batman? Understandable. You're no match for me."
* "Do you like riddles, Batman?"
* "Can you defeat a mind such as mine?"
* "Riddle me this."
* "No challenge is too great for me."
* "What do you call the Detective who is only half-way to the end? Loser?"
* "What starts with a tick and ends with a shock?"
* "Come now, Dark Knight. How can a mere door thwart your attempts to rescue that pathetic individual. Do I need to provide you with a key? How about a cheat code?"
* "Well done, Dark Knight. You figured out how to open a door."
* "I hope you don't think that all my puzzles will be that simple?"
* "Roll up, roll up. It's time for my latest game."
* "I've done it! This is one puzzle you cannot solve. I've studied your techniques, reviewed your childish gadgets and there is nothing in your arsenal that can help you defeat this challenge."
* "The hostage will die and I will be victorious."
* "What? How did you? Where did you? This is cheating. You hear me? Cheating!"
* "What kept you? Did you get lost? Were you scared? Did I finally get to you? Have you accepted that I am the winner here? Have I ground you down, have I made my point? No? Well this next game will. That, I guarantee."
* "I cannot begin to fathom the level at which your primitive brain functions. Allow me to give you some help: give up and die. Now."
* "What's good for me and potentially fatal for you, Dark Knight? Don't bother taxing your tiny mind, for the answer is obviously my final puzzle. Will you save the ignorant victim? I'll be shocked if you do."
* "A brute force approach to a simple conundrum, Dark Knight. How predictable."
* "Let's see...how to beat the Bat? I just need to think of a better, tougher plan. The others weren't good enough. He solved them too quickly. I need something that will take up his time? Let's see, let's see...how about I place these poor deluded fools underwater, see how long they can last their breaths while Batman tries to solve a mathematical conundrum? I could fill the tank with red herring? Would he understand? Of course he wouldn't. No. That's not good enough. Think harder, Edward. You can do this."
* "Cogs? No, he'll work that out. I could get a shark. There's no way he could get past a shark, could he? No, it's got to be better than that. Too many variables. What if he has some kind of shark repellent? He'll get past it. Lasers? Or dogs? Dogs with lasers? No. That's not good enough. Think harder, Edward. You can do this."
* "How do I make it impossible for him to beat? There's no way he can outsmart me. He's an idiot. A deluded fool in a fancy dress outfit. He only beat the other puzzles by luck or he cheated. Or both."
* "Think you outsmarted me, did you? Well you didn't. I'll build another puzzle, Batman, and you will die in it. Oh, this is not over."
* "All I need is one perfect puzzle. Just one, and he will be doomed."
* "These insects didn't deserve to be saved! And they won't be. I'll find a way to have my revenge!"
* "Gotham will kneel before the Riddler and beg me for mercy!"
* "Gotham will pay! I swear. I will make you all kneel before me! And it will be your fault, Batman!"
* "Don't think for one moment you have won!"
* "What number rhymes with fun? But ends with you lying on the ground, ribs broken, desperately clawing at pockets of air?"
* "You cretinous fool. Do you really think you can win, all on your own?"
* "You ignorant buffons should consider yourselves nearly as intelligent as a retarded monkey."
* "You are all insects compared to I, the Riddler. Don't let that upset you, though. You were the best I could find."
* "This is hardly a surprise. I always knew I was better than you."
* "Well, well. So the shaved monkey has failed. How utterly, utterly expected."
* "What's wrong? Has your primitive brain given up and accepted that I, the Riddler, am better than you?"
* "Riddle me this. What lies on the ground, is full of holes and gives off a slight burning smell?"
* "You picked wrong, Dark Knight!"
* "Question: what do you call someone who prevented a hostage from turning into minced-meat? Answer: not you, Batman!"
* "Well look who just showed up! Have you really decided to try and take me on? Get to it, then! I'm looking forward to watching you fail."
* "Not so easy when you have to use your brain instead of your fists."
* "Typical, I mean why apply cognitive resources to a problem when you can just throw crap at it!"
* "You know, if you asked nicely, I'd of opened it for you."
* "You're quickly approaching the point of no return. I'd turn back if I were you!"
* "Ugh, and here I thought I'd finally met my intellectual equal...so much for that."
* "Brains always triumph over brawn, my friend. Always."
* "No, no, no, Dark Knight, you haven't earned the right to face me."
* "You forget, you bothersome Bat. Everytime you overcome my puzzles I learn that little bit more about you. Soon enough there will be a riddle that leaves you dead!"
* "Locked in here, surrounded by inferior minds, I can almost feel them sucking the intelligence out of me!"
* "You must be pleased with yourself. I expect that cowl clad cranium is fit to burst."
* "Don't worry, Batman I will come back from this. You see, I'm blessed with the capacity for self-improvement, sadly something you lack. It would be nice if your intellect could move beyond its bestial beginnings, but alas, taking the Bat out of the cave is far easier than taking the cave out of the Bat."
* "I did it! I actually did it! I mean, of course I did. Good. As expected."
* "I don't think you'll be solving this one."
* "Riddle me this: what's dead? You!"
* "Your death was inevitable, I'm afraid. A statistical certainity."
* "Do you know what happens to gate crashers? They have to match wits with the Riddler."
* "Life's full of questions, isn't it, Batman? Though, naturally, I prefer to think of them as riddles."
* "Riddle me this, riddle me that. Who's afraid of the big black bat?"
* "Now, the real game begins!"
* "Why? Why can't I kill you? Too many questions. Too many questions."
* "I prefer brainiac. For as you've been learning, knowledge is power."
* "Are you expecting a hint? Give. Me. An answer!"
* "Batman! You're ahead of schedule. I'm a little busy right now, but I'll see if I can fit you in."
* "The Batman clearly isn't using his head. Break it open."
* "Gotham's criminals have become zealots and thugs in cheap suits."
* "Says the man with a hook to his throat."
* "Clever...but not smart enough!"
* "You should concentrate on saving yourself."
* "Brawling like a common street hood...it just doesn't do it for me."
* "I've heard you were a man who followed a code. Why would you save that dirtbag's life?"
* "You know to scrap, I'll give you that. But it's not enough. Let's see how you do with something a little more...cerebral. Better hurry, Detective. Solve my puzzle soon...or people are gonna get hurt. And we know you can't let that happen."
* "They will bow to the Riddler, and they won't get up until I permit them to."
* "It's an omage!"
* "Don't you dare call me Ed. I'm the Riddler. And I became him when I killed you."