PENGUIN TRIUMPHANT: The Bat-Lightning Rod Theory

[starwolf_oakley]

The end of BATMAN: ZERO YEAR had Batman comparing himself to a lightning rod for Gotham City. I had read that before, in PENGUIN TRIUMPHANT. It was a 1992 graphic novel about the Penguin out the same time BATMAN RETURNS was released.





So, other people have the whole "Batman has these lunatics go after him so they won't go after innocent people." Yes, there are exceptions. Ra's al Ghul is the big one.

The mention of Milliken and Boesky makes me wonder if Batman would ever punch Bernie Madoff. And the funny "Batman vs the 99%" cartoon on Youtube.



As this was 1992, Tim has very spiky hair.



"He never said anything about going straight."

Batman knows not to underestimate his foes, especially the recurring ones. And that perception can be more important than reality. Of course, as the 90s went on, Batman became just as brutal as he appeared to be. But that's another subject.

Comments

[q99]

I know Penguin did spend a lot of time 'legit'. Was this the start of that?

[lbd_nytetrayn]

I'd like to know, too.

[icon_uk]

I think so, as noted it came out at the same time as Batman Returns, where the Penguin setting himself up as "legit" was a plot point, and it seems writers thought it was a good idea (IMHO It certainly was, the Penguin being a physical threat to Batman had never really worked (though he WAS enormous fun back in the day), but as a schemer and plotter, he had a chance to become something unique in the Batverse, a criminal who Batman couldn't really arrest because he'd finagled his ill gotten gains into legitimate concerns and influence)

He'd tried going legit in the past, often as a fake out, but at least once he was sincere, because of true love, in the excellent Max Allan Collins "Love Bird" story in 1987

The Iceberg Lounge, his first ongoing "proper" venture first appeared in the comics in1995, and then in the New Batman Adventures, in 1998.

[lego_joker]

You want a list, mate?

Penguin (pretending that he's) going legit has practically been the character's shtick since he was created - pick any Penguin story from the Golden Age, Silver Age, or Adam West show, and chances are it'll have him be out on parole at least as a starting point.

The actual intro of the Iceberg Lounge came right after Zero Hour, in Detective Comics #683-684. Created by Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan, no less.

There was a nice (and maybe coincidental lead-in) to the whole thing in Showcase '94 #7, where Penguin confronts Az-Bats for the first time and realizes that he's not cut out for the supervillain game anymore. It's a very nice story, but since it was written by That Guy Whose Name Rhymes With Schmeter Schmavid, I can't post it here.

[q99]

Thanks!

[zapbiffpow]

You know, if Batman's Rogues went clean and started some kind of business, they'd probably take over Gotham faster than they had as criminals.

Joker's the CEO, Riddler handles IT and logistics, Two-Face is in the legal department with Selina as a PI, Penguin handles finance, Hatter, Poison Ivy and Freeze go to R&D, Scarecrow goes to HR...

Scarecrow goes to HR. I wish I could say that was the dumbest idea I've voiced out all week.

[md84]

"Fortunately", they're all too messed up to stick with legitimate enterprises for long. Maybe they could accomplish a lot if they went straight, but their inner demons would eventually drive them to villainy again.

[shanonigans]

Lex Luthor has kiiiiind of managed it, but even he goes out of his way to do evil things when it would have been simpler and just as profitable to do things legally.

[crinos]

In a super hero game I run, I once had an adventure where the Fear Master (an expy of the Scarecrow who used sonic manipulation instead of chemicals to induce fear) was planning on selling devices to Corporations designed to send out subsonic fear frequencies which would give the workers mild neurosis and paranoia. The idea was that if they were constantly afraid, they would work harder and be afraid to speak out and rock the boat.

Luckily the players took him out before he could sell it.

[espanolbot]

Ah yeah, I remember this comic. Turns out that Oswald's dubious treatment of women was something that he always had, and wasn't just something he picked up when he became rich and powerful.

[arilou_skiff]

OMG. Robin's hair!

[falkner]

mte

[mrstatham]

"Ra's al Ghul is the big one."

In terms of rogues not actively getting involved in crime because of Batman, sure. Otherwise, the guy seems to go out of his way to attract Batman's attention.

[dustbunny105]

Did Tim piss off his barber? Or, perhaps, a weed-whacker-themed villain?

[lieut_kettch]

Behold-- the one hairstyle from 90's DC more fearsome than the SuperMullet!