There were but two Riddler stories published during the Golden Age,* the first being...
DETECTIVE COMICS #140 - "The Riddler"
The Riddler has a fairly nondescipt origin story: basically he was a kid who cheated at puzzles. When he grew up, he got himself a costume and decided to pit himself against the law. For his first public appearance, he took over a changable electronic billboard which displayed different crossword puzzles and clues. He tied up the operator with a Houdinin rope tie and put up the following puzzle:
- 1 Across - A water utensil (five letters)
- 1 Down - A formal dinner (seven letters)
- 2 Down - A public way (six letters)
I'll pause while you figure it out.
Back? Okay. Batman figures "a five-letter word for water utensil" is "basin"; Robin contributes that "a six-letter word for "a public way" (beginning with "S") is "street"; finally, Batman concludes that "a seven-letter word for "a formal dinner" is "banquet." Put them all together and they indicate "Basin Street Banguet" which is a charity event being held at the Basin Street Hotel that night. No sooner do they arrive, though, than word arrives that a water main has burst, flooding the bank nearby. "A bank flooded?" realizes Batman. "A bank-wet! That's what the Riddler really meant! He tricked us neatly!" By the time they get there, the riddler is already on the scene, wearing a diver's helmet and robbing the flooded underground vault. He escapes through the sewer.
The Riddler's next clue is a giant puzzle, so big it must be assembled in the Gotham Football Stadium, with Batman directing the operation from above over the stadium's P.A. sustem. The puzzle reads: "Tonight I shall rob the eagle's nest." Robin figures and "eagle's nest" is an eyrie," and Batman contributes that "there's an Eyrie Nightclub atop a downtown skyscaper." But again the Riddler has cheated. Actually he is robbing the home of Harrison Eagle, the millionaire collector. Batman and robin have split their forces this time, however, Robin taking the nightclub and Batman taking the millionaire's mansion. The Riddler tosses a smoke bomb along with the bon mot "where was Batman when the lights went out?"** Batman cannot pursue him, however, because he has left Eagle in a constricting puzzle threatening his life.
Giant prop: Riddler next crime involves a huge cob of corn stolen from the Higgens Canned Corn company: "Dear Batman: Here's a corny riddle to tip off my next job. Why is corn hard to escape from?" Brainstorming together, B&R figure out that "maize" is another name for corn, and that there's a big glass fun maze at Pleasure Pier Amusement Park. By the time they get there, Riddler has already stolen the receipts by using a cane to trip up the guard "by means of an acrostic" (a-cross-stick, which is more of a pun than a riddle). B&R pursue him into the maze, but again the Riddler cheats, by sealing off the maze's one entrance/exit. What's more, he has set a bomb to explode in 30 minutes (which hardly seems sporting). B&R escape the maze by lighting the carpet on fire, which causes the metal frame to expand just enough to pop the glass pane out.
B&R run to safety, but the Riddler is caught in the blast. He is blown into the harbor where the only sign of him is the question mark from his costume rising to the surface. did is come off when he drowned? Or did he leave it behind as a puxxle? "Only time will solve that riddle!" say the Batman
*This one can be found in reprinted in the Batman From the '30s to the '70s HC and the Batman: The TV Stories tpb.
**In the dark.
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Riddler's second and last appearance in the Golden Age is...
DETECTIVE COMICS #142 - "The Riddler's Puzzle Contest" (on the cover), a.k.a. "Crime's Puzzle Contest!" (on the splash)
Riddler's second appearance was only two months after his first, but don't get too used to him. This story begins where the previous one ends, with the Riddler swimming to safety in an underwater storm drain. A few days later, a "great national puzzle club" is awarding cash prizes for the best rebus, the best riddle, the best anagram, and so on. The Riddler appears on stage and throws a "Chinese wire-maze puzzle" over the judges and absconds wiht the prize money. (I'm not sure what that is, but it looks like a wire mesh net.) Next, he takes over the "main switchboard room" of a high rise building and controls the lights in select rooms to spell out the following messages: "THE RIDDLER ANNOUNCES A PUZZLE CONTEST" - "SOLVE MY PUZZLES AND WIN BIG CASH PRIZES" and "FOR FIRST PRIZE FIND A HEAVY WAGON AND A FURNACE."
"A heavy wagon is a cart, and a furnace is a heater! Cart-heater, or car theater! The newdrive-in theater's where the prize must be!" Batman & Robin figure out the clue, but so do enough other people to jam the drive in with cars of people seeking the prize. Batman confront Riddler in the theater office stealing the box office receipts, but Riddler throws a lamp at him, saying, "Here's a new riddle for you -- When does a light feel heavy?" Batman resonds, "It doesn't feel heavy when it goes out!" That doesn't make much sense, but it gives Riddler the opportunity to escape. He drives off on a motorcycle, but the Batmobile is hemmed in by all the other cars. Riddler did leave a cash prize of $1000 hidden beneath the screen, but he got away with $5000 (which seems like an awfully big take for a drive-in).
The Riddler's plan is obviously to use his "puzzle contest" to draw big crowds at places he plans to rob so as to make pursuit difficult, but Batman decides to thwart his plans by using the Batplane (actually it was Robin's idea). Later, as the Batplane flies over Gotham, they see an advertising blimp pulling a "rebus": a horse's rein, a longbow and a club. The messgae on the blimp reads: "THE REBUS I AM TOWING TELLS WHERE THE SECOND PRIZE IS HIDDEN - THE RIDDLER." Batman leaps from the Batplane to the blimp, but Riddler slashes it's side so it will crash and parachutes away, Leaving Batman to die. But Robin manages to tow the blimp away, saving Batman's life.
Obviously the puzzle refers to the Rainbow Club. Again, enough people have solved the riddle to jam every entrance of the famed sky-high Rainbow Club. B&R swing from the Batplane in through a window to find the Riddler already there. He flees to the roof but is forced to abandon the cash. He flees to the top of the "rainbow" sign spanning two buildings. Batman follows and riddler tries to force him off. Riddler himself falls, but is wearing another parachute. Again, B&R cannot give chase due to the crowds.
Next, Riddler takes over a TV newscaset for a game of "charades." He's got a ham with him, and mews like a cat. Then he stares as if he sees something while humming a tune. That's not exactly the way charades works, but Batman deciphers "got-ham-mew-see-hum" as "Gotham Museum" and off they go. Riddler has already stolen the Egyptian jewels on display, but because of the "Riddle of the Sphinx," they find him hiding in the museum's replica. He dashes into the Hall of Mirrors, "which reproduces the puzzle room of a famous European palace." He would have gotten away, except his costume's question mark on all of the reflected images is backwards, so Batman simply tackles the only one which is not reversed. The story ends with Batman tying Riddler's wrists in a Gordian knot.
And that's the last we'll see of the Riddler for the next 17 years.
This is a good time to pause this discussion while I attempt to bring these "Batman Villain" threads in synch.
So the "cheats at puzzles" bit is just a Golden Age artifact. Or will he still cheat when he returns? We'll find out ... same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!
BATMAN #171 - "Remarkable Ruse of the Riddler!"
The Riddler appeared only twice in the Golden Age, but his appaearances numbered second only to the Joker's in the 1960s. The story begins with Edward Nigma being released from the state pen. Considering the leninet sentences often doled out to the like of the Joker and the Penguin, Riddler was behind bars for 17 years! He leaves the warden with a riddle that won't be answered until the end of the story, when he's recaptured (indicating his intention to return to a life of crime). But first he feels the need to get rid of the Molehill Mob, who have escape from Batman three times now, because Riddler wants Batman's full attention. (Incidentally, the "cheating" part of his origin remains intect.) Here are the riddles he uses throughout the course of the story. (Answers below.)
First thing Riddler does is 'team up" with B&R to bring in the Molehill Mob. Two days later, B&R attend the Police Athletic League Picnic in Gotham Park. They follow a clue to the yacht of millionaire "Smiles" Dawson, who is the owner of the famous "Black Pearl of the Pacific." they arrive in time to witness what they think is Riddler stealing it. They pursue him, but first have to extricate themselves from a puzzle-trap Riddler apparently set. They all returnto the marina only to discover that Riddler bought the Black Pearl. The Riddler has an explanation for everything B&R saw and experienced.
Another clue leads them to the Peale Art Gallery, where they witness the Riddler apparently pull a gun on Mr. Peale and steal an ivory and ruby cross, but in reality Riddler had inherited the cross from his uncle, and the "gun" was actually a cigarette lighter. Everything that the Riddler has done so far was intended to lead Batman to a false sense of complacency before committing his real crime. B&R review the colors associated with their two encounters so far: a black pearl, and a white cross with red rubies. That seems to indicate the 100th anniversary party of the Gotham Times, but Batman is not quite so sure. Instead, he considers the shapes of the objects, and that leads them to the Ox Club, a honky tonk dance hall.
Riddler has some tricks that apparently make him unbeatable, but Robin bluffs him, allowing Batman to figure it out. Here are the answers to the Riddler's riddles...
This story became the very first episode of the TV series (episodes #1 & 2 are "Hi Diddle Riddle" and "Smack in the Middle").
BATMAN #179 - "The Riddle-less Robberies of the Riddler!"
The Riddler escapes from jail and leaves the following riddle written ont he wal lin shoe polish: "How can one get into a locked cemetary at night?" The answer is, of course, "With a skeleton key" (which he made secretly in the prison workshop). The Riddler realizes he suffers from O.C.D. and sets out to steal a sultan's fortune in gems from the House of Thayer without sending a clue to Batman beforehand. He gets as far as breaking into the display case, but at that point his hands freeze up. his subconscious with not allow him his obsession (theft) without his compulsion (a riddle).
Riddler decides to become his own psychoanalyst and condition himself to commit crimes without riddles. "In the days that follw, the Prince of Puzzlers closets himself with huge tomes and volumes of psychiatric lore -- reading -- studying -- absorbing knowledge." Sometimes he studies so hard he even dozes off "over a particularly 'heavy' volume." Finally, he breaks into the Yab Soda Company and steals a tray of 100-year-old coins which the company had on hand to celebrate its centenial. the night watchman spotted the riddler, and Batman is gobsmacked that the Riddler was able to commit this crime without sending a riddle first. So they set about looking for clues they may have missed... and they find some!
Thnining it over, B&R come up with the following answers...
Hey, I never said they were good riddles. But who is sending them? B&R set up a special phone number to keep them apprised of any "out-of-the-way happenings in Gotham City. Over the course of the next few days, the following things are reported...
If you can't figure them out...
Because it is already late in the afternoon, Batman deduces that these clues indicate a robbery at the Corsican Glove Factory at 2:45AM. B&R are there waiting for him, and Riddler finally realizes: "Thoise cat naps I thought I took while studying! My subconscious mind forced me to disguise myself and act out these riddles! I didn't break my compulsion after all!" He leaves Robin with a final riddle for no particular reason.
Q: What's black and white and red all over?
Robin incorrectly guesses "a newspaper."
A: An embarrassed zebra.
I always like when villains have a moment of introspection, getting all "What am I doing with my life?"
Though if he really wanted to stop with the riddles, he should have changed his image with a new look and name like "The Mystery Thief" or "Mister Clever"!