Oswald Cobblepot
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Oswald Cobblepot |
| Occupation: | Criminal, Crime Boss |
| Relationships: | |
| Fandom: | Batman (DC Comics), Batman: The Animated Series (DCAU), Gotham, Batman: Arkham (Video Games), Batman: The Telltale Series |
| Other: |  Batman 1940 - The Penguin by NathanParkArt (2020) |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Oswald Cobblepot aka Penguin is a DC Comics villain and enemy of the Batman.
Canon
Comics
Oswald Cobblepot made his first appearance in Detective Comics #58 (December 1941).
The Penguin is a Gotham City crimelord with a deformed physical appearance who fights Batman. Despite the penguin-like appearance that led to his nickname, he is a ruthlessly cunning criminal genius operating out of his nightclub the Iceberg Lounge. Having dealt with mockery of his stature from an early age, he has dedicated himself to inspiring respect and fear through his exploits. His standard weapon is an umbrella with different gadgets lethal and otherwise hidden inside of it. He has been a member of the Injustice League, Secret Society of Super-Villains and Suicide Squad.
Often wearing a top hat and carrying an umbrella, the Penguin is a very intelligent villain. Despite his occasional stays in Arkham, Penguin is generally considered to be "sane," setting him apart from his fellow bat-villains, who are frequently pathologized.
Batman (1966)
In the three-season TV series and 1966 spin-off feature film, Batman, the Penguin was portrayed by Burgess Meredith. Required to smoke cigarettes from a long holder for the role, the smoke irritated his throat. Meredith disguised his coughs by squawking and quacking, adding to the uniqueness of his performance.
Batman: The Animated Series
Voiced by Paul Williams.
The Batman
Voiced by Tom Kenny, the Penguin in this series is obsessed with regaining his family's lost fortune, and has an intense hatred of Bruce Wayne.
Batman Returns
Played by Danny DeVito, who adopted several elements of Burgess Meredith's Batman TV series performance into his own.
Gotham
Portrayed by Robin Lord Taylor, the Penguin is a low level criminal in the employ of Fish Mooney when the series begins. He has no loyalty for Fish, or any of his criminal associates, and is often prepared to betray those closest to him for personal gain. He has a close relationship with his mother, who constantly told him he would be a great man. By the end of the first season, he has killed Fish and climbed to the top of the criminal ladder, declaring himself "The King of Gotham."
In the following seasons, Oswald repeatedly loses and regains this title, in a cycle of success and failure marked by his mother's death, his stint in Arkham, and his time as Mayor of Gotham.
This portrayal was the first time Cobblepot was depicted as attracted to men. In the show he develops feelings for Edward Nygma, The Riddler – it is ambiguous whether or not Nygma reciprocates this attraction. However, their relationship ultimately becomes antagonistic rather than romantic.
Fanon
Gotham
In the Gotham fandom, Oswald is most commonly paired with his canonical love interest Ed Nygma (The Riddler). This ship is most popular in the Gotham fandom, but it also appears in other Batman fandoms.
Other pairings including Oswald in Gotham works include Oswald Cobblepot/Jim Gordon, Oswald Cobblepot/Victor Zsasz and Oswald Cobblepot/Victor Fries
Oswald's characterization in fanworks varies on a spectrum from ruthless and dominating to sweet and lovestruck. This variety of characterizations reflects different moments in canon, particularly, different moments in his canon relationship with his most common ship partner, Ed. Earlier fanworks based more on their season-2 relationship often emphasize the dark, criminal aspects of their entanglement, as murder is what brought them together in the very Oswald/Ed-centered episode "A Bitter Pill to Swallow." However, fanworks created after the beginning of season 3, in which Ed and Oswald come together as friends and partners in Oswald's mayoral campaign, often favor the softer elements of the characters and relationships.
Following the introduction of Martin, an orphan boy for whom Oswald becomes a mentor/father figure in season 4, many fanworks began to include him as Oswald's adopted son. Many of these works include Ed as another parent to Martin, sometimes using Martin to bring Oswald and Ed together, and sometimes adding him to their family after the cementing of their relationship, and have domestic elements.
Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Gotham
Fanvids
- ► The Rise and Fall of Oswald Cobblepot ♔ (+s3)
- Oswald Cobblepot | No! (+3x22)
- Oswald Cobblepot | LOCK ME UP!
- oswald cobblepot † gotham // who are you
Fanart
- from the ground to become a king
- instead of oswald pining after cute boys i want cute boys to pine after oswald
- Second Giveaway
- just a little comic about our lil birb
- The Penguin ☂ and The Riddler❓
- Gotham - Oswald and Martin
Archives & Fannish Links
- Oswald Cobblepot works in Gotham fandom on AO3