Batman Character Profiles

Chapter 1: Riddler

Real Name: Edward Nygma (previously Edward Nashton)

Alter Ego: The Riddler

Known Alias(es): Eddie, Mister E., Enigma

Civilian Identity: Edward Greene

Race/culture/whatever: Of Celtic descent

Gender: Male ♂️ (He/Him), cis

Height: Shorter than 6ft, taller than 5ft?

Family: Father (status unknown), mother (status unknown), adopted daughter (living)

Birthday: 19??, April 1st

Edward grew up in an abusive household. His father was physically abusive, while his mother was neglectful. He was a genius, but received scorn and violence from his teachers and classmates. No matter where he was or what he did, he was considered a lying, cheating, know-it-all social pariah.

When Edward was in his later teens, he ran away from home, using his intelligence to craft a new identity. In order to get by, he ran small scans and cons, enjoying the feeling of being the smartest guy in the room, getting one over on those around him. But he was lying and cheating in these scams, the voice of his father and other abusers still in his head, mocking his stupidity.

Maybe there's a specific sparking incident, like getting exploited/threatened by a protection racket, but Edward quits the side cons and moves to Gotham. This is possibly when he gets a leg injury, thus explaining his cane (though that could be later).

Not wanting to ever feel powerless again, Edward decides to prove that he can get by on his intelligence alone, no cheating. He vows to never, ever lie, not realizing that he's developing a series of compulsions.

He gets a job as a video game programmer, learning high-level programming within a few weeks (starting out knowing nothing about the field). He spends a few years there, developing the single most advanced game at the time, 'The Maze Of The Minotaur'.

Instead of finally getting the praise and recognition he deserves, Edward's boss steals all the credit. Edward is technically not supposed to be employed, due to youth (somewhere between 19 and 21?) and not having the write number of years of experience with programming, so the boss uses a legal loophole to steal all the monetary gain from the game sales. When Edward complains, he's fired. When he tries to go to the cops, he's once again called a liar.

Writing off the whole experience as yet another piece of terrible luck, Edward goes looking for a new job. He manages to land a job in the R&D department of Wayne Enterprises, where he gets to tinker and learn with pretty much no oversight and pretty good pay. He won't become rich, but he can afford a decent apartment and healthcare.

His life's pretty good, and he's surprised to find that Mr Bruce Wayne's policies are very beneficial to employees, rather than exploitive like he'd expect from a airheaded billionaire. His direct boss is a dunderheaded jerk, but Edward's free to create whatever his heart desires when not working on assigned projects.

Edward decides (after watching many hours of video footage) that Mr Wayne is a phenomenal actor, pretending to be much dumber than he really was. Edward decides that he's going to build something that will truly impress the billionaire, getting him to directly fund some more outlandish projects and make Edward famous. Because that's what Edward wants; recognition, fame, respect, praise. The idea that Mr Wayne might possibly understand, the idea that he might finally gain an equal to talk to?

Well, that hardly crosses his mind, really.

In a matter of months, Edward builds a machine capable of reading someone's mind, helping with things like directed advertising or determining guilt in court. Sure, it could be used for more nefarious purposes, but can't most things? Isn't that always the risk of genius?

Mr Wayne doesn't think so. It's much too dangerous. But the work itself is brilliant, and he wants Mr Nygma to work on more products, safer ones. He doesn't understand.

Maybe Edward could've handled it. Maybe he could have just continued doing his job, make something else to impress the hot billionaire he won't admit he has a slight crush on. But his direct boss decides to mock him, saying he'll never amount to anything. He's young, clueless, and was stupid to think Mr Wayne would ever be impressed with some toy designed by some kid.

Edward snaps, rewiring his device to scramble the other man's brain, sending him into a temporary coma. Edward changes to security feed to make it look like an accident, then begins to plot his revenge, on both Bruce Wayne and his old boss. He's done being powerless, he's done being exploited, he's done being mocked and swept under the rug and ignored.

Oh, he's definitely done being ignored. The Riddler makes his debut (maybe teaming up with Twoface like in the movie? Maybe that happens later), using everything from oversized puzzle games to high-tech mazes to dozens of aliases to riddles within riddles with riddles. He is, of course, stopped by Batman.

Bruce Wayne is quickly forgotten in light of Riddler's new obsession; who is this dark-suited man that can solve his riddles? This guy who is as much brains as he is brawn? It goes against everything Edward has known his whole life, yet there's the living proof. He has to find out who the man behind the Bat really is.

And thus are the origins of the Riddler. He finds out Batman's identity eventually, long after his crush has petered out into platonic respect, but doesn't tell anybody due to his compulsions. Speaking of compulsions, he only realizes he's developed them once they're cemented into his psyche; he can't lie, he gives his opponents a 'fair' shot, and he can't pull a crime without leaving some sort of clue.

He unwillingly becomes buddies with The Joker, accidentally growing fond of the damn clown that won't leave him alone. He develops a surprisingly close friendship with Scarecrow, despite The Master Of Fear's own denial, then later on bonds with The Mad Hatter.

He somehow becomes Catwoman's sassy gay (possibly bi) friend, and develops a respect for The Penguin due to the deformed man's own brand of scheming genius. Edward actually finds a lot of friends amongst the Rogues, even the lesser ones like Bookwyrm, finally getting the social connection he's always craved.

Edward's newfound family gets a new addition after a little accident. After a territory war, Riddler became reluctant colleagues with The Cluemaster. Cluemaster is a jerk, in a much crueler way than Riddler's own arrogance, even going so far as to kill hostages that can't solve his puzzles.

When Riddler finds out about the murders, he calls off their partnership, intending to send riddles to the police to help them catch his demented counterpart. But someone beats him to it.

Cluemaster is a neglectful single father to a young girl (the mother died years ago), Stephanie Brown. Edward had babysat her a couple times, and was always shocked at how truly beyond intelligent she was, taking into consideration her age (like 6 or something? 11? Not a teenager).

Stephanie is a brilliant girl who sent her own clues in attempts to spoil her father's crimes without getting herself in trouble. She wanted her father to be stopped. What she did not want was for him to be killed by a stray bullet, but that's what happened.

Not wanting the girl to spend the rest of her life in foster care, Edward made the false identity of Edward Greene and officially adopted. He got a 'legal' job at the Iceberg Lounge, doing cyber security and such. For this little girl, Edward made a day identity, cutting down (though not stopping) his activities as Riddler.

This is pretty much where the specifics of my headcanon peter out. He starts dating Twoface, who likes him because he treats both sides like their own people. He has a professional friendship with Mr Freeze. He likes chess. He becomes a detective at some point. Some mental breakdowns, some therapy, some family fluff.

He doesn't kill anyone, and doesn't hurt people unless he sees them as an enemy. Getting taken hostage by him is at worse an inconvenience, though some try to get kidnapped on purpose (either to get out of something or because they like his mazes). People outside of Gotham think he's a psycho killer and don't understand why Gothamites aren't terrified of him, but that's true for most of the Rogues Gallery.

He was at first called Humpty Dumpty by Jervis Tetch due to a similar personality (seriously, read Through The Looking Glass, Edward and Humpty are practically the same person), but the nickname changes to Dormouse once they grow closer. They get along very well, but both were friends with Jonathan first and agree they'd betray the other for him easily.

He learns fast, but doesn't necessarily know everything. He is an expert in dozens of languages (including dead ones), fencing, programming/hacking, engineering, history, and just about every riddle or game/puzzle or pun ever created.

Oh, at some point he gets a Sphinx cat with green eyes. Possibly a gift from Catwoman. He gives a nerd-reference name (he's definitely a Trekkie), a pun name, or an obscure riddle name. Or something that's all three.

I don't know when Query and Echo factor in, but the couple quickly becomes family to him. Before any of the others do, actually. As well, Riddler's so gay, his henchgirls are lesbians.

His mind works a little like Sherlock Holmes, in the sense that he has a  'Mind Palace', can visualize really complicated stuff, doesn't really forget things, etc.

He's very tactile, being somewhat touch-starved. Loves cuddles and hugs and such, but will go so far as to provoke people into beating him up if he's been on his own too long. As such, solitary is even more of a hell for him than for most people.

He's often hired by the other Rogues, either as background support (getting resources, fixing flaws in plans, hacking), or to distract the Bats and Birds by being himself.

He has been on the wrong side of Laughing Gas, Fear Toxin, Ivy's Kiss, the Hatter's mind-control cards, and many thugs' fists. And yet, he keeps going. Question everything, everybody. Never follow anyone blindly, no matter how much you respect them. Never believe anyone infallible, especially not yourself (Edward's biggest mistake is believing that he's never wrong, that any defeat is because someone else cheated).

Chapter 2: Scarecrow

Real Name: Jonathan Crane (previously Jonathan Keeny)

Alter Ego: The Scarecrow

Known Alias(es): Jon, The Master/King/God Of Fear

Civilian Identity: N/A

Race/culture/whatever: Southern/Georgian

Gender: Male ♂️ (He/Him), cis

Height: Over 6ft

Family: Father (status unknown), mother (status unknown), Grandmother (deceased)

Birthday: 19??, October ??