DC Just Gave the Penguin a Disturbing New Redesign More Horrifying Than Anything in Live Action

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The DC Comics’ collection titled Absolute Universe offers fresh perspectives on beloved characters, including significant alterations to Batman’s iconic adversaries. In an intriguing twist, the Penguin, Two-Face, Riddler, Killer Croc, and Catwoman are portrayed as Bruce Wayne’s childhood companions instead of their usual grotesque or malevolent personas. However, by issue #12 of Absolute Batman, each friend experienced dramatic changes that made them more akin to their traditional counterparts. The most chilling transformation, though, is that of Oswald “Ozzie” Cobblepot, who becomes the Penguin.

As a devoted DC fan, I’ve always found Oswald Cobblepot to be one of Batman’s most memorable and chilling adversaries in the main continuity of the universe. Known infamously as the Penguin, this formidable crime lord carries a physical appearance that sets him apart, an outcome from his birth deformities which take on different degrees across various portrayals.

In some adaptations, like ‘The Batman’ and certain iterations of Gotham’s cunning and cruel mastermind, he is depicted with a club foot and facial scars. On the other hand, productions such as ‘Batman Returns’ take a more extreme route, portraying him with a stout and pudgy physique, pale skin, flipper-like hands, sunken eyes, and a hooked nose. In contrast, the Absolute Universe initially presents him as a tall, slim, handsome man, but far from being a wealthy criminal genius, Ozzie is merely a small-time crook with a generally kind disposition.

However, everything changed for the Absolute Universe’s Penguin when he encountered the supervillain Bane. Since then, this version of the character has become the most monstrous and heartbreaking incarnation ever conceived.

How Bane Created the Penguin

In my recent review, I delved into the intense “Abomination” storyline where the antagonist Bane relentlessly sought to shatter Bruce Wayne on every level – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The aim? To mold Bruce into a sinister duplicate of himself. After Bruce’s dramatic escape from Arkham M following weeks of tormenting tests, Bane set his sights on those closest to the Dark Knight – Ozzie, Harvey, and Eddie.

The latest issue, Absolute Batman #11, left us hanging with a nail-biting cliffhanger: Bane cornering Bruce’s dearest friends. The story resumes with Bruce awakening from a 20-day coma brought on by Arkham M’s brutal body experiments. Upon regaining consciousness, Bruce learns that Bane had viciously attacked his friends. A harrowing hospital visit and a series of vivid flashbacks paint a gruesome picture of the encounter between Bane and Bruce’s friends. Each suffered devastating injuries, transforming their bodies to resemble their villainous counterparts in the main continuity, with Ozzie enduring some of the most disturbingly gruesome injuries ever depicted in comic books.

Bane deduced from Ozzie’s raised shoes and bulky physique that the small-time crook aspired to be powerful. Consequently, the villain mercilessly attacked Ozzie with brutal force, leaving him battered and broken. Bane systematically shattered almost every bone in Ozzie’s body, beating him into the ground with relentless ferocity. By the end of the assault, Bane had reduced and flattened Ozzie’s entire body. However, Bane took care to avoid harming any essential organs so that Ozzie could survive to witness his own transformation into a monstrous figure.

When Bruce visits Ozzie in the hospital, he finds him severely swollen and deformed, a sight never before seen in portrayals of the Penguin. The nurse informs Bruce that if Ozzie miraculously recovers, he will be over a foot shorter than before. Moreover, his limbs have sustained permanent damage. The nurse predicts that Ozzie’s future will consist of unrelenting pain. The grisly design, disturbing description, and Ozzie’s injuries all serve to underscore the sheer cruelty of Bane.

The Tragedy and Future of the Penguin

As a devoted movie enthusiast, I must say that the latest addition to the Absolute Universe, Absolute Batman #12, has left me utterly spellbound! Ever since Bruce’s circle of friends was introduced, fans have been buzzing with theories about their eventual transformation into his infamous nemeses. Well, it seems those theories have proven to be spot-on in this gripping issue!

What we witness here is a heart-wrenching and terrifying reinvention of Batman’s notorious rogues’ gallery like never before. Ozzie isn’t the sole victim of Bruce’s friend undergoing a traumatic metamorphosis at Bane’s hands – poor Harvey ended up with third-degree burns covering half his body, leaving him scarred and transforming him into Two-Face.

Bane doesn’t stop there; he takes it to another level by creating the most chilling incarnation of The Riddler we’ve ever seen. This vile villain leaves Eddie with more than just riddles – he rips out his eyes and part of his skull, exposing his brain!

This issue is a must-read for any Batman fan, as it delves into the darkest corners of our hero’s world and raises the stakes higher than ever before. So buckle up and prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster ride that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about Gotham City’s most notorious villains!

The psychological and grotesque physical alterations experienced by Harvey and Eddie imply a probable future dynamic between Ozzie and Bruce. Although Ozzie remains unconscious due to his coma, both characters exhibit traits reminiscent of their original comic book counterparts. Harvey occasionally blames Bruce for his predicament while carrying a token resembling the iconic coin of his DC Universe counterpart. Eddie, displaying signs of brain damage, is fixated on finding answers, believing this obsession to be beneficial, despite it being a consequence of Bane’s influence.

Given Ozzie’s lifelong suffering and disfigured appearance, his mental state seems likely to deteriorate dramatically. This degradation may lead him down a dark path similar to that of his main universe counterpart, potentially becoming a criminal mastermind in Gotham’s underworld. The trauma affecting Harvey, Eddie, and Ozzie suggests they will become significant challenges for Bruce in the future, transforming from allies into formidable adversaries. While these relationships were once sources of support for Bruce, they now represent his most substantial disappointments.

In the Absolute Universe, the Penguin’s tragic origin is marked by a unique connection with Bruce Wayne, contrasting his independent descent into villainy in the main DC Universe. The Penguin in the main continuity was bullied for his deformities and turned to violence against his tormentors, becoming the ruthless kingpin we know today. However, in the Absolute Universe, Ozzie (the Penguin) was initially a non-deformed, friendly associate of Bruce, helping him uncover criminal operations. Unfortunately, when Bruce and his associates got too close to the truth, they were targeted, leading to Ozzie’s transformation into a vengeful and potentially more dangerous adversary due to his intimate knowledge of Bruce’s life and connections.

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2025-09-12 05:10