Gotham: Did Penguin Just Get His Origin Story?

Gotham is known for creating its own take on various characters within Batman’s mythology: A young Selina Kyle meeting a young Bruce Wayne; Jim Gordon in a relationship with Leslie Thompkins; Barbara Kean going insane. While those are just some examples right off the top of my head, the character who has been redefined the most has been Oswald Cobblepot — Penguin. Some may say that he’s actually the star of the show since most story arcs revolve around him.

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Screen time, though, doesn’t always equal a unique character. Penguin, like most of Gotham‘s rogues gallery, has been relegated to be just another killer maniac. But “Prisoners” seems to have reintroduced Penguin and given him a new origin story. We can think of Penguin’s programming by the nefarious Dr. Strange as a form of character rebirth. When Penguin met his father, Elijah Van Dahl, he was given another chance to live a normal life. His murderous side is still rumbling deep inside him, but he fights it with everything he’s got. Now that Elijah has died, Penguin can start with a clean slate and transform into a more complex villain — maybe something more akin to the comics.

The character of Elijah seems to bear some similarities to the Penguin in the comics. He’s wealthy, has a refined taste, and lost his father at a young age. Since Gotham was already too late in giving Penguin this origin, they might’ve tried to insert this history into Penguin’s background anyway they could. With Elijah already planning to will his estate to his long-lost son, Penguin may become the wealthy villain we’ve come to know in print.

Notice also that Elijah frequently carried a monocle — an item that decorated Penguin’s wardrobe in the comics. Because Penguin grew close to his father in such a short time, he may end up keeping the eyewear as a keepsake of his short relationship with Elijah.

Aside from his physical characteristics, Penguin’s personality still needs to develop into something comic fans are familiar with — something that’ll make him stand out from the rest of the pack. In “Prisoners” we learned that Elijah’s “family” schemed to have him killed to get at his inheritance. It’s only a matter of time before Penguin discovers this. And when he does, it’ll be interesting to see how his murderous side will bubble up to the top. What we can say is that it will most definitely not be the same type of villainy that drove his past crimes.

Next: Catch up on Gotham with a recap of 'Prisoners'

“Prisoners” has given Penguin a new foundation for a reintroduction of his character. By inserting elements of his comic book incarnation indirectly into his background (via Elijah’s character), Gotham is bringing Penguin closer and closer to something fans are familiar with. Let’s hope that this will help him develop into something much more unique … something that’s worthy of the “super-villain” title.

Fox’s Gotham airs on Mondays at 8:00PM EST.

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