The Riddler is a recurring character on the T.V. series Harley Quinn. He has been a member of the Legion of Doom and the Injustice League and later teamed up with Doctor Psycho to take down Harley Quinn and rule Gotham.
Appearance[]
Riddler is a bald, white male with a question mark tattoo on his forehead. He wears a green overcoat with question marks, a black undershirt, and purple suit gloves. He usually carries a green staff shaped like a question mark.
Following the events of the episode "Catwoman" and all the way to "Dye Hard", the constant running in the Hamster Wheel caused him to build up a pronounced muscular physique. Riddler started wearing a green leotard with a question mark on his chest to emphasize his new build. However, as confirmed in "There's No Ivy in Team", he eventually lost his new physique and went back to his old look.
During Doctor Harleen Quinzel's time working at Arkham Asylum, Riddler had long black hair with bangs parted two-thirds on the left side and one on the right side of his forehead. At that time, he began balding.
Biography[]
Season 1[]
"Til Death Do Us Part"[]
- Main article: Til Death Do Us Part
- ❝ I ate an orange and shat out a seed! Thanks, Ivy. ❞
- — Riddler
The Riddler was serving time at Arkham Asylum along with Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy and ridiculed Harley for sounding like a broken record regarding Joker, agreeing with the other villains that he was not coming to get her. He helped aid Poison Ivy's escape by providing her with a seed, which she used to grow big plants and break herself, Harley, and the Riddler out. To repay his debt for breaking him out, Ivy had Riddler help her set up a trap to show Harley that the Joker did not love her. The news reported on the Riddler having created a riddle "so funny it makes people explode", provoking the Joker, who claimed to be Gotham City's funniest villain. In response, Harley went to Riddler's Lair to kill him.
- Riddler
Riddle me this, you two. What is cold but still burns? What will eat
you if you drink it? What-- Harley Quinn
Acid.
- Batman
It's acid.
- Riddler
I am not done. What is... Wait, did I say that thing about cold but still burns?
- Batman
Yes.
- Harley Quinn
Right.
- Riddler
No!
- Harley Quinn
Because it's acid.
- Riddler
No! Okay, it's acid. I'm dropping you in a pool of acid.
— The riddles fall flat
"Choose one to live and one to die, and in the acid the loser will fry"
When Harley and Batman arrived, the Riddler captured them both and suspended them in containers over acid pits. The Riddler called Joker over and told him he needed to choose which to live and which to fall into acid. Unsurprisingly, the Joker chose to save Batman, not wanting to give Riddler the credit for killing Batman. After Harley was saved from the "acid" (which turned out to be margarita mix), Riddler ensured that he and Ivy were square. When Ivy complained to Harley about the difficulty of finding 150 gallons of the margarita mix, the Riddler told her to get a Costco card.
"The Line"[]
- Main article: The Line
The Riddler showed up at Martha's Bruce Steakhouse, claiming to be hungry despite not having a reservation. He was immediately given a table.
"L.O.D.R.S.V.P."[]
- Main article: L.O.D.R.S.V.P.
The Riddler applauding Harley's victory
The Riddler was present at the Legion of Doom's prospective member night when Harley Quinn and KGBeast were nominated against each other to join the Legion of Doom. He was seen mingling with Man-Bat and later The Penguin. He applauded Harley after he defeated Aquaman, who had crashed the party, and later, she was announced as the winner and new member of the Legion of Doom.
"A Seat at the Table"[]
- Main article: A Seat at the Table
The Riddler was present when Harley was officially welcomed into the Legion of Doom.
"Harley Quinn Highway"[]
- Main article: Harley Quinn Highway
Riddler is annoyed by Clayface
After quitting Harley's Crew, Clayface started working as a good for Riddler. Riddler interrupted the broadcasting of a football match, telling the citizens of Gotham that he had hidden a bomb somewhere in the city. When the Riddler started citing his riddle for Batman to find it, Clayface interrupted him, saying the riddle along with him and telling him he was "doing great, boss". He eventually got so annoyed that he just revealed the bomb was at the corn factory and cut the feed. When Harley showed up and asked to borrow Clayface, Riddler told her to take him forever.
Season 2[]
"New Gotham"[]
- Main article: New Gotham
While terrorizing New Gotham, the Riddler suddenly found his goons rebelling against him, forcing him to make common cause with the remnants of the Legion of Doom, forming the Injustice League to help them all regain their goons and carve up Gotham for themselves. He agreed with Bane that the need for goons was pressing, saying, "if everyone's a villain, then no one is".
"Riddle me this. Who's the biggest fool of all? You! For wasting your only chance to rule Gotham."
At the first Injustice League meeting with Harley, the Riddler mocked her as the reason why they banded together. He mocked Bane's complaints about being in a folding chair, saying it was a joke at his expense. He also mocked Harley herself, saying she would receive the "bad part" of the new New Gotham once divided into territories. Harley rejected the idea, so Mister Freeze froze her into a block of ice. The Riddler and the rest of the Injustice League argue to kill Harley at this point, but Mister Freeze convinces them to keep Harley as a trophy, sparing her life, so the Riddler simply mocks Harley within her ice block instead.
"Riddler U"[]
- Main article: Riddler U
Dean Riddler
With the Injustice League ruling the city, the Riddler took over the local university, turning it into Riddler University. He aired commercials for his university on screens overlooking the city, capitalizing that the university was the only place in Gotham with intact power and running water. He made announcements over the speaker systems at the university with the riddle "What is priceless but still costs 60k a year", with the students all replying, "Riddler U. It's better than Harvard" in unison. He had cameras set up to monitor all his students, and when any of them rose against him, he had his goons take them.
As Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy went undercover as students to infiltrate the University, they teamed up with student Barbara Gordon who shared her theory that people are going missing at a particular fraternity. Harley and Ivy follow Riddler at the party into a secret VIP area. They are shocked that the Riddler forces college students to run on human hamster wheels to power the university. The Riddler arrives, intent on capturing them for his hamster wheels, and reveals that he knew well in advance that they were Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, picking it up from their outdated clothes and Harley's pig-tails. He threatens them with his "riddle stick", and although they laugh at him, he uses it to unleash an electrical discharge that easily knocks them out, resulting in their capture.
Riddler on his own hamster wheel
Riddler then forces them to run in his machine, but Barbara Gordon arrives to save them. Riddler orders one of his goons to kill her, but she dispatches him, slightly impressing the Riddler. He then called out more guards to take her on and ridiculed her when she picked up the dead goon's gun, asking if she was going to shoot them all. She instead aimed at the power-switched but missed and threw her gun at the Riddler, which knocked him into it, causing him to be electrocuted and the generator to fail. Harley and Ivy then took the Riddler back to Gotham Mall, putting him on a hamster wheel of his own to give them power.
"Catwoman"[]
- Main article: Catwoman (episode)
Whilst running on his hamster wheel, the Riddler spots Doctor Psycho wheeling a load of biscuits for Harley's hyenas, asking him to toss him one so he can "carbo-load". When he refuses, the Riddler starts teasing him, especially when he claims he should have been invited to the Injustice League and been given a piece of the city. The Riddler continues to ridicule him until he gets so provoked he attempts to mind-control him. When he cannot do that, he starts using his telekinesis to throw various lotions and body products at the Riddler, who only laughs at his antics.
- ❝ It's a wasteland out there. In here, I get three squares and plenty of cardio. I am in the best shape of my life, plus, there's free entertainment, watching you idiots fail to accomplish even the simplest of tasks. I'll escape when I'm good and ready. ❞
- — The Riddler
The tables have turned
The Riddler uses the lotions to slip out of his restraints and flee. He leaves a written riddle, again making fun of Doctor Psycho and teasing his whereabouts. Doctor Psycho organizes a search for him around the mall but the Riddler continues to taunt him from his hiding place, even getting a walkie-talkie and hijacking their conversation. After accidentally being tranquilized by Sy Borgman, Doctor Psycho is captured by the Riddler, who puts him in his place in the hamster wheel. However, when the rest of the crew eventually finds them, the Riddler surrenders, having grown to enjoy his place as a prisoner, and releases Psycho, reclaiming his place on the wheel.
"All the Best Inmates Have Daddy Issues"[]
- Main article: All the Best Inmates Have Daddy Issues
- Riddler
Riddle me this. Who's in over her head and should've majored in communication?
- Doctor Quinzel
Jokes on you. That was my minor.
- Riddler
The joke was on me.
— Harleen and Riddler banter
Harley recounts her first day working as a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, showing the Riddler trying to discourage her while brushing his then-long, black hair in his cell. However, she is unfazed by his comments and even banters back. As Harleen walks away, the Riddler realizes that he is starting to lose his hair. Later, he made a bet with Poison Ivy about whether the Joker would kill her or not, with the Riddler winning, having bet 20 dollars that she would survive.
"Dye Hard"[]
- Main article: Dye Hard
The Riddler teamed up with Doctor Psycho, who quit Harley's crew and helped him escape the mall. Riddler and Psycho then staged a hostage situation at Wayne Tower as a distraction while the Riddler snuck in and stole a telepathic amplifier helmet for Psycho. While stealing it, he ran into Harley, who had visited the bar and was hand-cuffed to the now-sane Joker. Not interested in his ramblings about how he escaped, Harley only questioned how he became so buff, which he attributed to running on the hamster wheel. He nearly recognized the Joker, so Harley frantically denied it, swiftly leaving the area as Riddler was shooting at them with his staff.
Harley's kick is stopped by Riddler's muscles
Later, on the roof of Wayne Tower, Riddler confronts Harley and her crew, giving the helmet to Psycho and thereby revealing their new partnership. Although Clayface mistakenly first assumed they were dating. Psycho used the helmet to assume command of the entire Parademon army that was running loose in Gotham. A fight ensued, and Riddler engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Harley. With Harley and her crew initially holding the upper hand, Doctor Psycho created an impenetrable telekinetic barrier around Wayne Tower, then took command of Clayface and King Shark, giving Harley no choice but to flee, getting through the barrier with the help of Sy Borgman.
"A Fight Worth Fighting For"[]
- Main article: A Fight Worth Fighting For
Riddler and Doctor Psycho had taken over the Gotham Mall as their base, where Psycho commanded the Parademons to take over all of Gotham, slaughtering their way through the remaining inhabitants. Meanwhile, Riddler wondered what the plan was, so Doctor Psycho told him to call Darkseid - but naturally, the Riddler remarked that he didn't have an "inter-dimensional data plan", so Doctor Psycho had to call himself. When Doctor Psycho cannot convince Darkseid to help him conquer the world, Riddler quickly advises him that "87% of apocalyptic business transactions are fueled by revenge". At that point, Doctor Psycho read his mind, which Riddler remarked was creepy, and then offered Darkseid Harley's head in exchange for control of planet Earth. Psycho then sent his Parademons to capture Harley, although he briefly got distracted by the Riddler's massive calves; at this point, Riddler starts flexing them.
"Lovers' Quarrel"[]
- Main article: Lovers' Quarrel
- Doctor Psycho
If you wanna go, go. But don't show up tomorrow when this is over and still expect me to let you rule Scandinavia. I know you got a type.
- Riddler
Fine, fine, I'll stay. Oh it's just so pretty there. Everything looks like a fairytale.
Riddler urged Doctor Psycho to use his powers on the captured King Shark and watched in glee as he forced him to reveal his most embarrassing memory. Suddenly, Darkseid appeared before them as a hologram to inquire about Psycho's mission. While he was expressing how well it was going, Riddler drew his attention to the TV showing the Justice League was fighting the Parademons off and heading for them. However, Doctor Psycho confidently announced a change of plan, deploying his mind-controlled former teammates to fight for them. Later, as they watched the fight on the news, Riddler doubted they would come out on top, but Psycho dismissed him.
With the heroes eventually taken care of, Doctor Psycho had Poison Ivy bring Harley to him at the Gotham Mall. He and Riddler celebrate until Darkseid suddenly appears, demanding Harley Quinn's head. As Poison Ivy finally arrives with Harley, Doctor Psycho forces them to fight to the death in front of them. They watched the fight until Harley, as a last resort to get through to Ivy, reached up and kissed her, which aroused Doctor Psycho and made him lose focus on his mind control. The Riddler, annoyed at his boyish behavior, managed to snap him out of it, but by then, Harley had already put the anti-mind control device in Ivy's ear, and together, they defeated Doctor Psycho.
"Something Borrowed, Something Green"[]
- Main article: Something Borrowed, Something Green
The Riddler was taken back to Arkham Asylum, where he spent his time flexing the muscles in his cell.
Season 3[]
"There's No Ivy in Team"[]
- Main article: There's No Ivy in Team
Now free of Arkham and back to his normal self, Riddler created a deadly escape room where they would die if the participants failed to solve the puzzles. However, if they succeed, they will get a group photo and personalized mug (limited to 11 characters). He appeared in a prerecorded video explaining the rules when Harley's Crew and the Bat Family had both come to work on their team work, having seen the catchy commercial and believing it to be a normal escape room. He appeared in the video again when Nightwing and Poison Ivy got trapped in a room together, revealing a check-playing robot and saying the only way out was through a check-mate, which they eventually discovered meant they were supposed to lose. After Batman solved the final puzzle, he appeared in one last recording, begrudgingly gratulating them.
"The 83rd Annual Villy Awards"[]
- Main article: The 83rd Annual Villy Awards
Riddler and Clock King
Riddler and his boyfriend Clock King were nominated as "Best Couple" at that year's Villy Awards. They arrived on the red carpet and were interviewed by Tawny Young, who congratulated them on the nomination and noted that they were some of Gotham's first openly gay villains. Riddler remarked that the hardest riddle he ever solved was his sexuality, but that he figured it out right in time. After some flirting, the pair went in for a kiss but struggled briefly due to Clock King's clock head.
Later, at the awards, the pair were approached by Harley Quinn, who was nominated in the same category as her girlfriend Poison Ivy. As Harley began to revel in how great it would be when she won, Clock King showed a picture of him and Riddler with the head of the Gotham Forum Press, who presented the Awards after having gifted him a dog to lobby for their win. After commenting on the importance of campaigning for the win ahead of these awards, Harley swiftly left them to try and sway the win in her favor.
The pair watched uncomfortably from their table when Catwoman was awarded the "Joe Chill Honorary Award" and used her acceptance speech to criticize the Villys for overlooking black villains' accomplishments. Later, Clock King was devastated when it was revealed that Harley and Ivy had won the "Best Couple" award and began crying, blaming his clock head for their failure to win, but Riddler began to reassure him that he was loved and accepted. The pair reaffirmed their love for each other and attempted to kiss, although Clock King's head again disrupted them, and Riddler noted that they needed to work on their kissing.
"The Horse and the Sparrow"[]
- Main article: The Horse and the Sparrow
Riddler and Clock King appeared at the premiere of the Thomas Wayne biopic, A Hard Wayne's Gonna Fall at the Monarch Theater.
"Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special"[]
- Main article: Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special
Riddler proposes
On Valentine's Day, the Riddler proposes to Clock King in the middle of Gotham by making the billboards around them spell out the message "Clock King, will you marry me?" and getting down on one knee. Later, at the Hall of Doom he runs into Bane who has heard from Clock King that the couple are attending a painting and wine-drinking event that evening. Riddler states he'll suffer through it for Clock King's sake and rebuts Bane's request to come along after listening to his lengthy complaints about not having someone to spend the day with.
Season 4[]
"Gotham's Hottest Hotties"[]
- Main article: Gotham's Hottest Hotties
Wanting to use her villain connections to solve a murder case as the newest Bat Family member, Harley called the Riddler but only reached his voicemail, which required that the caller solve a series of riddles to leave a message. Harley quickly hung up the phone.
"The Most Culturally Impactful Film Franchise of All Time"[]
- Main article: The Most Culturally Impactful Film Franchise of All Time
He is briefly seen as one of the frozen people kept as trophies by the middle-aged Robin when Harley and Ivy travel 25 years in the future when the world has turned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
"Potato-Based Cloning Incident"[]
- Main article: Potato-Based Cloning Incident
It was revealed that Riddler and Clock King had gotten married as they spent their honeymoon in Tulum. As members on the LexCorp board, they were joined on the beach by Poison Ivy, who convinced them to join her in voting off Lex as CEO of LexCorp to gain control and shut down his "Earth Saver" which was currently blocking out the sun by thickening the ozone layer. She argued that without the sun, they would not be able to get a tan, and no one would know where they'd been honeymooning. Convinced, they both later voted against Lex in the board room, where Ivy had managed to sway enough people to vote him off, finally shutting down the Earth Saver.
Powers & Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Indomitable Will: Riddler is immune to Doctor Psycho's telepathic attacks.
Abilities[]
- Genius-level Intellect
- Master Tactician
- Psychological Manipulation: The Riddler is an expert at psychologically manipulating those around him, the most infamous example being Doctor Psycho. Seeing that he was constantly being belittled and used to do menial tasks by the rest of his crew, Riddler was able to subtly chip away at Psycho's ego and insecurities to the point where he was able to manipulate him into betraying his team and enter a criminal partnership with him.
- Engineering
- Computer Operation
- Peak Human Condition
- Hand to Hand Combat (Basic)
Episode Appearances[]
Season 1
- "Til Death Do Us Part"
- "So You Need a Crew?" (cameo; pictured)
- "The Line"
- "L.O.D.R.S.V.P." (cameo)
- "A Seat at the Table" (cameo)
- "Harley Quinn Highway"
Season 2
- "New Gotham"
- "Riddler U"
- "Catwoman"
- "All the Best Inmates Have Daddy Issues" (flashback)
- "Dye Hard"
- "A Fight Worth Fighting For"
- "Lovers' Quarrel"
- "Something Borrowed, Something Green" (cameo)
Season 3
Special
Season 4
- "Gotham's Hottest Hotties" (pictured/phone call only)
- "The Most Culturally Impactful Film Franchise of All Time" (cameo)
- "Potato-Based Cloning Incident" (cameo)
Season 5
- "Pilot, Hell Yeah!"
- "Grand Reopening, Hell Yeah!" (cameo)
- Sexiest Villain Alive, Hell Yeah! (cameo)
Trivia[]
Harley Quinn Official Soundtrack - Riddle Me This - Jefferson Friedman - WaterTower
The Riddler's Theme
- The Riddler has his own theme, which can be heard whenever he appears on the screen.
- This version of the Riddler is dark-haired, unlike the modern rendition of the character as a redhead. During the Silver Age of Comics, Riddler was initially dark-haired, but his hair was changed to red during the Bronze Age of Comics.
- This is also the fourth incarnation of the Riddler to wear his hair long. The first time was in the movie Batman Forever, wherein Jim Carrey's character initially had shoulder-length hair before cutting down to a buzz-cut while adopting the Riddler persona. The second version was in the animated series The Batman, wherein the Riddler had hair reaching his mid-back. The third version was in the fifth season of Gotham, where his hair became overgrown during No Man's Land.
- As stated by Tawny Young in "The 83rd Annual Villy Awards", Riddler and his husband, Clock King, were some of Gotham's first openly gay supervillains.
Gallery[]
- See also: All images of Riddler
