Warning! Spoilers ahead for New History of the DC Universe #2!The most unexpected foe inDC Universehistory just got a surprising new honor as they’re officially considered the first ‘modern’ supervillain. Fans are getting a new look at the DCU thanks to a series that aims to straighten out its wild continuity and now one interesting factoid about a particular villain has become quite clear.
InNew History of the DC Universe #2by Mark Waid, Brad Walker, and Michael Allred, Barry Allen continues chronicling the history of his world. He’s wellpast the Golden Ageand is finally getting into the history of the DCU’s biggest icons. After highlighting the rise of heroeslike Superman and Wonder Woman, Barry digs into the villains’ histories.
Barry notes thaticonic villains like Joker, Brainiac, or Flash’s nemeses, the Rogues, appeared at about the same time. But in the story’s backup, “New History of the DC Universe Timeline” by Dave Wielgosz, the first brush any hero has with a ‘villain’ (in the traditional sense)is Batman’s encounter with the Riddler, as seen in the “Zero Year” storyline.
The Riddler is Officially the DC Universe’s First Supervillain
Edward Nygma Unexpectedly Steals This Honor
The “Zero Year” story arc was a part of the New 52 relaunch of the mainBatmantitle and was intended to give a fresh look at how the Dark Knight’s foray into the superhero life went. During this arc, Batman goes up against Edward Nygma, aka the Riddler, who plunged the city into chaos as his big debut act.
With how much the DC Universe has changed over the years, it’s hard to keep track of what’s canon, especially in the wake ofDark Nights: Death MetalandDark Crisis on Infinite Earths. But this authoritative new book makes it quite clear that when Bruce came back home to change the world, it was Riddler who challenged Batman first.
Batman and Riddler Have a Deeper Connection Than Fans Think
Honestly, having Riddler be the first ‘modern’ villain makes sense, especially given how much Nygma is obsessed with proving how much smarter he is than Batman. They debuted roughly at the same time, and Nygma has likely been fuming since his opening act was quashed by Batman. These two have a rivalry that stretches back to the very beginning.
Granted, it doesn’t completely change much for the DCU with Riddler being the first supervillain. But it does explain Nygma’s animosity for the Dark Knight and why he’s spent so many years seething over his inability to triumph over Bruce. Judging by this revelation, Riddler’s going to be holding onto this grudge until theDC Universeends.
New History of the DC Universe #2is available now from DC Comics.
