Edward Nygma
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Edward Nygma |
| Occupation: | Criminal, Supervillain |
| Relationships: | |
| Fandom: | Batman (DC Comics), Batman: The Animated Series (DCAU), Gotham |
| Other: |  Riddler demon by Spizzina00 (2021) |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
This article or section needs expansion. |
Edward Nygma also known as The Riddler is a DC Comics villain and enemy of the Batman.
Canon
Comics
The Riddler (Edward Nigma or Nygma) made his first appearance in Detective Comics #140 (October 1948).
The Riddler is a super-villain enemy of Batman who commits crimes revolving around an obsession with riddles. His mental psychosis results from a deep inner need to prove that he's smarter and therefore better than others, which causes him to leave challenging clues behind in otherwise perfect crimes. This psychological compulsion has resulted in him being repeatedly imprisoned in Arkham Asylum. Despite this obvious flaw, he is otherwise an extremely intelligent criminal mastermind. He has been associated with the Legion of Doom and the Secret Society of Super-Villains.
Batman (1966)
In the TV series and 1966 spin-off feature film, Batman, the Riddler was portrayed by Frank Gorshin. His zany, nuanced performance in the pilot episode set the standard for all guest villains, although the Riddler had not been a prominent character in the comics for some time, until the TV show heightened his popularity. After a pay dispute, Gorshin was replaced by John Astin in the second season.[1] Another Riddler script was rejigged for the Puzzler (Maurice Evans). Gorshin returned for one more episode in the third season.
Batman: The Animated Series
Gotham
The Batman (2022)
The Riddler, here known as Edward Nashton, is the primary antagonist of the 2022 movie The Batman.
Fandom
Edward Nygma is often paired with other villains from the Batman comics. One of his most popular comics pairings is with Jonathan Crane (Scriddler). This pairing was encouraged by new shippers following the release of TDK, which included a live-action Jonathan Crane played by Cillian Murphy, but it probably existed before this.[2]
He has also been paired with the Joker, Harvey Dent, Selina Kyle and the pairing of Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma is particularly popular in the Gotham fandom. Edward Nygma/Bruce Wayne is also a common pairing for Ed, but rare in the fandom overall.
The Nolanverse reignited interest in the Batman fandom. Some fans fancast the Riddler and discussed ways he could be incorporated in the realistic universe, while others theorized that Nolan had already introduced his version of the Riddler with Coleman Reese. (Mr. Reese. Mysteries.) Edward Nygma rarely appears in Nolanverse fanfiction.
Gotham
In the Gotham fandom, Nygma is most commonly paired with his canonical love interest Oswald Cobblepot (Nygmobblepot). This ship is most popular in the Gotham fandom, but it also appears in other Batman fandoms.
Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Gotham
Fanvids
- Edward Nygma & The Riddler Heathens by Spellbound
Fanart
Archives & Fannish Links
- Edward Nygma works on AO3
References
- ^ "Batman". imdb.com. Archived from the original on 2017-05-12. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ^ History post for Jonathan and Edward by Tumblr user billdenbroing, 2017. Accessed 4 Sep 2019.