Edward Nygma

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In the DC Animated Universe, Nygma appears as a smooth intellectual rather than a cackling trickster. Voiced by John Glover, this version originally worked as a video game developer before being unjustly fired by his greedy boss, Daniel Mockridge, who stole his ideas. Introduced in "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?", he wears a green suit, purple mask, and a staff lacking the usual question mark design. Producers avoided the Frank Gorshin style because they found it difficult to devise riddles that weren't too complex or bizarre for story plots. In The Batman (2004), voiced by Robert Englund, Nygma sports a Gothic appearance and is served by henchmen called Riddlemen. His backstory involves working with his partner Julie on a device capable of enhancing the human brain. When businessman Chuck Gorman wanted to purchase the rights, Nygma refused. After the device malfunctioned at a demonstration, Nygma accused Gorman of sabotage and attempted to kill him, only to be foiled by Batman. Later, he learns Gorman was innocent; Julie sabotaged the device out of greed. In Gotham, Cory Michael Smith portrays a forensic scientist who eventually evolves into the Riddler. This version traces his complicated, love-hate relationship with fellow criminal Oswald Cobblepot as he turns to crime and terrorizes Gotham.

In Their Own Story

In Batman Forever, Jim Carrey's Edward Nygma designs "The Box," a device projecting images into minds while transferring neural energy to enhance intellects. After Bruce Wayne rejects the invention due to safety concerns, Nygma becomes the Riddler, obsessively sending puzzles to prove his superiority. He allies with Two-Face to fund NygmaTech, planning to mass-produce the technology and market it as a way for viewers to absorb Gotham City's intelligence. This scheme allows him to deduce that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Ultimately, Batman shatters the master box, overloading the information flow into Riddler's brain, damaging his mind before he is incarcerated at Arkham Asylum thinking he is Batman. In The Batman (2022), Paul Dano's Edward Nashton grows up in Thomas Wayne's underfunded orphanage after corruption siphoned off its endowment. Holding a grudge against Bruce Wayne for his privileged childhood, Nashton sees Batman as a kindred spirit. After killing three corrupt city officials and crime boss Carmine Falcone, he allows himself to be captured and sent to Arkham Hospital so Batman can discover his plan: bombing Gotham's breakwaters to flood the city while online followers massacre an opposing mayoral candidate's election night rally. Batman and Catwoman narrowly thwart this. Later in Arkham, Nashton befriends his mysterious cellmate.

Reader's Guide

Edward Nygma serves as one of Batman's most enduring intellectual rivals. Defined by his genius-level intellect and obsession with puzzles, he forces heroes to engage in mental combat rather than physical confrontation. In the DC Animated Universe, creators admitted they did not use him often because his character made plots too long or complex. His skills include advanced cryptography, technology manipulation, and psychological warfare. In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by John Michael Higgins, he targets Batwoman in "The Criss Cross Conspiracy!" for having publicly unmasked and humiliated her ten years prior. In Justice League Action, voiced by Brent Spiner, he appears as a detective, reformed criminal, and rival of the Joker with a shaved head. In Harley Quinn, voiced by Jim Rash, he is a member of the Legion of Doom in season one and the Injustice League in season two. Captured by Harley's crew, he gains a muscular physique to power their mall lair before returning to his slim form in season three. As of that season, he enters a relationship with the Clock King, proposing to him in "Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special" where they get engaged. In Batman: Caped Crusader, voiced by Ronan Raftery, Nygma is an impulsive, borderline psychotic gangster working for Rupert Thorne. He gained the nickname "Riddler" for riddling his targets with bullets. After Thorne disappears, he takes over operations until killed by Thorn, whose father he had previously killed.

Did You Know?

• In the 1960s series Batman, Frank Gorshin portrayed the character in the first and third seasons, while John Astin played him during the second season.
• Jim Carrey's version in Batman Forever ends up incarcerated at Arkham Asylum believing he is actually Batman after his mind is damaged by an information overload.
• In The Batman (2022), Paul Dano's Edward Nashton befriends a mysterious cellmate while in Arkham Hospital following his thwarted plan to flood Gotham.
• John Glover voiced the Riddler in the DC Animated Universe specifically as a smooth intellectual, avoiding the cackling trickster style of Frank Gorshin because producers found it hard to write riddles that weren't too complex.
• In Harley Quinn season three, the Riddler returns to his slim physique and gets engaged to the Clock King.