The Penguin, from Batman #287, May 1977. Art by Mike Grell.

The Penguin is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, he first appeared in Detective Comics #58 (1941).

A short, fat man who usually wears a tuxedo and a top hat, The Penguin fancies himself a "gentleman of crime". Unlike most Batman villains, The Penguin does not theme his crimes around a psychotic obsession, but does possess a few eccentricities. He is known for his love of birds and his umbrellas, which allow him to glide through the air, double as firearms or have some other specialized function.

The Penguin has long been one of Batman's most prominent adversaries and was popularized by Burgess Meredith's wacky portrayal of the character in the Batman television series of the 1960s. Danny DeVito delivered a much darker interpretation of the character in the 1992 film Batman Returns.

Full History

Born Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, The Penguin was teased very much in childhood due to his short stature, obesity, and bird-like nose. In fact, these traits even made him an outcast in his rich, debutante family. Their rejection drove him to become a violent criminal. In keeping with his family's tradition of wealth, the Penguin lives a life of crime and evil, yet executes it with his own self proclaimed high society class and style. He commits crimes with the theme of the various birds he loves.

Unlike most of the Batman villains, The Penguin is a gentleman villain... in control of his own actions and perfectly sane. This lends itself to a unique relationship with his arch enemy, Batman. This has extended into the current situation with The Penguin ceasing his direct involvement in crime, instead running a nightclub that is popular with the underworld. As such, he is an excellent source of information on crime and Batman grudgingly tolerates his operations because of that. However, the entrepenurial Penguin doesn't exactly keep his beak clean; he is often fencing stolen property or arranging early furloughs for incarcerated former criminal associates - for a hefty fee, of course - on the side. During the period when Gotham City was leveled by an earthquake (the "No Man's Land" storyline), he was one of the major players in the mostly-abandoned and lawless city, using his connections (one was eventually discovered to be tied to Lex Luthor and his company) to sell necessities at outrageous prices.

The Penguin's trademark are the various deadly umbrellas he uses to execute his evil plans. In keeping with his pretensions of being a refined gentleman, he also prefers to wear formal wear such as a top hat and tuxedo during his jobs.

In Other Media

The Penguin was played by Burgess Meredith in the Batman television series of the 1960s and the spin-off movie. In Batman: The Animated Series and its spin-offs, the Penguin was voiced by Paul Williams. He was played by Danny DeVito in the 1992 movie Batman Returns, one of the first portrayals to imagine him as physically deformed, as opposed to a regular man who was merely short and fat. This reimagining carried over to The Animated Series, although toned down from what the movie presented.