Penguin (character)

The Penguin
Penguin from "Batman: The Killing Joke Deluxe Edition" (March 2008). Art by Brian Bolland.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Detective Comics #58 (December 1941)
Created by	Bill Finger Bob Kane
In-story information
Alter ego	Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot
Team affiliations	Injustice League Iceberg Lounge Suicide Squad The Society Super Foes
Notable aliases	Matthew Richardson The Gentleman of Crime The King of Gotham
Abilities	Criminal mastermind Utilizes weaponized umbrellas and other equipment

The Penguin (Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot) is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character made his first appearance in Detective Comics #58 (December 1941) and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The Penguin is one of Batman's most enduring enemies and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery.

As a Gotham City mobster, the Penguin fancies himself a "gentleman of crime" and often wears a top hat and tuxedo. He is a short, obese man with a long nose and uses high-tech umbrellas for weapons. The Penguin runs a nightclub called Iceberg Lounge, which provides a cover for his criminal activity, and Batman sometimes uses the nightclub as a source of criminal underworld information. Unlike most of Batman's rogues gallery, the Penguin is sane and in control of his actions, giving him a unique relationship with Batman. According to Kane, the character was inspired from the then advertising mascot of Kool cigarettes – a penguin with a top hat and cane. Finger thought the image of high-society gentlemen in tuxedos was reminiscent of emperor penguins.

The character has been featured in various media adaptations, such as feature films, television series, and video games. For example, the Penguin has been voiced by Paul Williams and David Ogden Stiers in the DC animated universe, Tom Kenny in The Batman, and Nolan North in the Batman: Arkham series. His live-action portrayals include Burgess Meredith in the 1960s Batman television series and its spinoff film, Danny DeVito in Batman Returns, and Robin Lord Taylor in the television series Gotham.