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With The Penguin currently streaming now on BINGE, we are treated to a nuanced, gritty portrayal of the Gentleman of Crime by none other than Academy Award nominee Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin, The Lobster).
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We first saw Farrell’s Oz Cobb (the Penguin’s real name) in Matt Reeves’s 2022 reboot of The Batman with a young Bruce Wayne (played by Robert Pattinson) who’s just in for a year as the Caped Crusader. His fighting style is sloppy, stealth isn’t a priority, and he is reckless.
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Despite the focus on the film’s equally impressive main villain, The Riddler (played by Paul Dano), The Penguin’s appearance is a standout both literally and figuratively. The Irish actor is indistinguishable with layers of impressive make-up, and his unmatched performance enables him to disappear in the role.
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In the 2022 film, he’s just a small-time crook who works as a lieutenant for crime boss Carmine Falcone, but we witness his thirst for power in his standalone miniseries, and he’s set to prove his naysayers wrong as he takes over Gotham as the new crime kingpin to watch.
Before you watch The Penguin, let’s have a look back and explore The Dark Knight and the Penguin’s history throughout the decades, which means it’s Oswald Cobblepot’s time to shine, so move aside Joker, Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy and the rest of rogues gallery.
The entire Penguin timeline
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The early days
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The Penguin, initially known only as his alias, first appeared in Gotham City as a skilled thief, stealing priceless paintings hidden in his umbrella. He used these paintings to join a local mob and, with his planning, successfully executed several heists. However, a falling out with the mob boss led to Penguin killing him and taking over the leadership.
Penguin then framed Batman for a theft he had committed, attempting to neutralize Batman. Despite numerous attempts to evade capture, Penguin was consistently apprehended by Batman and Robin, often using his umbrella as a weapon or tool in his criminal schemes.
Climbing up the ranks with his own origin story
Appearing again later revealing his real name, Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, the Penguin, was a bullied child with a love of birds. His father's death led him to a life of crime after his mother's bird shop was repossessed. Penguin's early criminal activities often involved birds, and his encounters with Batman were frequent.
He faced defeat from Batman and Robin multiple times, even after teaming up with other villains like Joker and Riddler. Despite his setbacks, Penguin persisted in his villainous pursuits, becoming a formidable adversary to Batman and a prominent figure in the DC Comics universe.
A reboot is just another opportunity to flesh out the Penguin’s character
Following the rebooted DC Universe history, the Penguin resurfaced as a more dangerous villain. He maintained his aristocratic origins, wearing formal attire while committing crimes. His intelligence rivalled Batman's, and he sometimes used his connections to help the vigilante.
The Penguin formed a brief partnership with Mortimer Kadaver, who helped him fake his death. However, Kadaver's post-hypnotic suggestion left Penguin comatose, controlled only by Kadaver. The Penguin killed Kadaver to break free from his control and embarked on a grand scheme to control flocks of birds. Batman foiled his plan.
During Jean-Paul Valley's tenure as Batman, the Penguin identified him as an imposter. He kidnapped Sarah Essen Gordon to prove his theory, but Valley rescued her. The Penguin continued his criminal activities, operating the Iceberg Lounge. Despite his reforms, he was frequently arrested but always managed to secure his release.
During the "No Man's Land" storyline, the Penguin became a major player in the lawless Gotham City. He used his connections to trade goods for money and was involved in Lex Luthor's schemes.
The Penguin participated in the Infinite Crisis event and was affected by the Great White Shark's actions. He continued to claim his reformed status and reopened the Iceberg Lounge. He encouraged the Riddler to avoid crime and pursue a legal lifestyle.
The Penguin played a prominent role in the Gotham Underground tie-in to Countdown. He fought gang wars, served as Batman's informant, and was involved in various other criminal activities. He faced betrayal, brainwashing, and attacks from other villains, but continued to be a formidable force in Gotham City.
The Penguin, a villain in the rebooted DC Universe, was involved in various schemes and alliances. He hired Black Canary, faced betrayal from his right-hand man, and became Mayor of Gotham City during the "Forever Evil" storyline. He also attended a meeting about the Superman Theory in the "Watchmen" sequel Doomsday Clock.
(Several) fresh coats of paint of Mr. Oz
As with the rest of DC’s superheroes and villains, the Penguin character also experienced numerous spin-offs and alternate versions. In Batman: Crimson Mist, he was killed by a vampiric Batman. In Vulture: A Tale of the Penguin, he became the vigilante Vulture. In Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham, he was a wealthy explorer who went insane after identifying with penguins in Antarctica.
In Batman: Earth One, he was the corrupt mayor of Gotham City. In Flashpoint, he was a security professional associated with Wayne Enterprises. In Superman/Batman, he appeared as Penguello, an amalgamation with Metallo.
He also appeared in Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Batman: White Knight. In The Batman Who Laughs, he made a cameo appearance as a villain killed by the Joker. Finally, in Batman: Caped Crusader, a gender-flipped Penguin, Oswalda Cobblepot, appeared as a criminal mastermind running the Iceberg Lounge.
The Penguin in television and film
Besides comic book appearances, The Penguin also graced the television and movie theaters many times since 1966.
Live action:
- Batman (TV Series 1966-1968): Burgess Meredith portrayed the Penguin, known for his "quacking" laugh and cigarette usage.
- The Batman (1966): The Penguin appeared in the film adaptation of the TV series, played by Burgess Meredith.
- Batman Returns (1992): Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin was portrayed by Danny DeVito. This gothic recreation is a physically deformed character with a beak-like nose, flippers for hands, and a dark, bile-like liquid dripping from his nose and mouth. He wears a gothic, Victorian-style outfit and has a penguin-like appetite. DeVito's performance was praised for his energy and humour, but some critics found him inferior to Jack Nicholson's Joker. The Penguin's character was inspired by the Moses parallel and had a dramatic visual makeover. He used a giant rubber duck as his vehicle and had a penguin-crowded sewer home.
- Gotham (TV Series 2014-2022): Robin Lord Taylor played a young Oswald Cobblepot, starting as a small-time criminal working for Fish Mooney. The series explored his journey to power and his complex relationship with Edward Nygma.
- The Penguin (2024): After the events of The Batman (2022), the show focuses on how Oz Cobb, also known as the Penguin, became a powerful criminal figure in Gotham City's underworld.
Animation (and people who voiced the Penguin):
- The Adventures of Batman (Ted Knight)
- The New Scooby-Doo Movies (Ted Knight)
- The New Adventures of Batman (Lennie Weinrib)
- The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (Robert Morse)
- Batman: The Animated Series (Paul Williams)
- The New Batman Adventures (Paul Williams)
- Superman: The Animated Series (Paul Williams)
- The Batman (2004) (Tom Kenny)
- Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Stephen Root)
- Robot Chicken DC Comics Specials (Seth Green)
- Beware the Batman (cameo)
- DC Super Friends (Dana Snyder)
- Justice League Action (Dana Snyder)
- Harley Quinn (Wayne Knight)
- Kite Man: Hell Yeah! (James Adomian)
- DC Super Hero Girls (#EmperorPenguin) (Alexander Polinsky)
- Batwheels (Jess Harnell)
- Batman: Caped Crusader (Minnie Driver) (Oswalda Cobblepot)
Now that’s where the story continues as of now, but with over 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes and fans and critics raving equally for the first three episodes, we can’t wait for Penguin to take us further into the deep and dark world of Gotham.
The Penguin is streaming on BINGE. New to BINGE? Get your free trial now.
Topics: TV
Daniel Jude Anilao