TVXOHOF, JUNE 2019 - RIDDLE ME THESE!

There are spoilers ahead....

Here we are at the halfway point in our celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.  June is our Gemini theme normally and the overall theme for this year is "Superheroes & Supervillains".  It's also my birth month, so I like to go for something that could represent me.  You know... odd.

And so I've chosen to be the monthly showcase....

THE RIDDLERS!

That's right, we're dealing with a plurality.  But we're not going multidimensional; we're staying put on Earth Prime-Time.

The main Toobworld had two Riddlers in the 1960s TV series 'Batman'.  We're not dealing with recasting here; they were two distinct characters, never meant to be the same man, because as with Catwoman, "Riddler" is merely a job description.  

The "true" Riddler was played by Frank Gorshin throughout most of the series' run and he was in fact the first villain to appear in the show.

But there was a season in which there was apparently a pay dispute and Gorshin walked away.  The producers scrambled to figure out ways to work around the situation - in one case, reworking the character to become The Puzzler (played by Maurice Evans) but thIfey knew the fans wanted the Riddler back and so they recast the role with John Astin.

If Astin had originated the role, I'm sure his interpretation would have been acclaimed.  He was not hyper-manic like Gorshin, but more sardonic and almost laid-back.  But again, I wouldn't expect them to share the same personality in much the same way I don't expect that whenever the Time Lord known as the Doctor regenerates.  (Not that regeneration was involved here, but it is an interesting premise.  And the Doctor might play a part later on....)

For the purposes of Toobworld's cohesiveness, I know who the second Riddler was and why he chose to assume the nom criminel.

But first let's take a look at the original Riddler.

We'll begin with the history of the character.

From Wikipedia:
The Riddler (Edward Nigma or Nygma) is a super-villain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang. He first appeared in Detective Comics #140 (October 1948). The character is commonly depicted as a criminal mastermind in Gotham City who takes delight in incorporating riddles and puzzles into his schemes, leaving them as clues for the authorities to solve. The Riddler is one of the most enduring enemies of superhero Batman and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery.

In 2009, The Riddler was ranked as IGN's 59th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time. The character has been substantially adapted from the comics into various forms of media, including feature films, television series, and video games. He has been portrayed in live-action by Frank Gorshin and John Astin in the 1960s Batman television series.
 
The Riddler appears in the 1960s 'Batman' television series and as one of the villains in the theatrical film spin-off. Frank Gorshin portrayed Riddler in the first and third season of the series and the film and John Astin portrayed Riddler in the second season. He made four appearances in season 1 (more than any other villain) but was reduced to only one appearance per season afterwards. The popular television series was inspired by the first Silver Age appearance of the Riddler, with the premiere episode being an adaptation of Batman #171.
Frank Gorshin also portrayed the Riddler in "Legends of the Superheroes" in 1979.

Officially then, Gorshin's televersion of the Riddler is eligible for the TVXOHOF since the 1966 movie between the first and second season has been absorbed into the dimension of Earth Prime-Time.

But we have one unofficial appearance by the Gorshin Riddler... before he became the Prince of Puzzles.

'THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR'
"THE SECOND VERDICT"

From the IMDb:
An ethical lawyer becomes very disturbed about what to do when the client he just got a murder acquittal for, brags he committed the crime. 

Frank Gorshin played that client, a man named Lew Rydell.  By the end of the episode, he's killed again and is carted off to the loony bin.  (I did warn you at the beginning that there would be spoilers.)

It's the conjecture of Toobworld Central that Lew Rydell became the Riddler while in the asylum.  He may have become addicted to puzzle books, what should have been harmless time-wasters.  And he twisted his own name from "Rydell" to "Riddler".

The origins of the Riddler from the comic books, with all of the ensuing permutations, was never brought into the TV series; we never learned what his real name was.  Even in the comics there is no agreement - in many he's Edward Nygma (or Nigma) and in others he was Edward Nashton who took the alias of E. Nygma.  

I refused to believe that the Penguin in the TV series was actually named Oswald Cobblepot.  (I do like the splainin behind that name in 'Gotham' however.)  For Toobworld, I believe his true name was the alias he used in the movie - P.N. Gwynne.  

And so with the Toobworld version of the Riddler, I'm sticking with his true identity as being Lewis Rydell.  Mayhaps you disagree?  That's fine.  You can do what you like in your own crossover sandbox.  For me, "E. Nygma" is just too coincidental to be believable as his name.  (It's like Marvel trying to pass off "Basil Elks" as the real name of the Basilisk.)

But I have no problem with Lew Rydell using "E. Nygma" as an alias which we never saw used in the TV series.

And so we have a fourth appearance by Gorshin's Riddler, but it is unofficial.

Let's move on to who that second Riddler might have been.  

If you know me or read my previous ruminations on this question, you know where I'm going with this.....

From Wikipedia:
Gomez Addams is the patriarch of The Addams Family, created by cartoonist Charles Addams for The New Yorker magazine in the 1930s, and subsequently portrayed in television, film and stage.

In the 1960s American television series, Gomez was portrayed by John Astin. 

I'm only looking at Gomez in the main Toobworld, but he also played the role in the Tooniverse.

From Wikipedia:
Astin also voiced this character in an episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies which featured the family. In the second animated series, also by Hanna-Barbera, Gomez's voice was again performed by John Astin.  

(O'Bservation - with the first animated series, in which Gomez is voiced by Lennie Weinrib, the Tooniverse Addams Family will one day be inducted into the Hall, perhaps for an October berth.)

But Astin's Gomez Addams also has this TV movie:

Halloween with the New Addams Family

From the IMDb:
A revival of the popular '60s TV comedy series "The Addams Family" has them preparing for Halloween in their own inimitable way. 

So there are two of his qualifications for membership in the TVXOHOF.  Astin has played a lot of characters in Toobworld, all of them looking like his portrayal of the Riddler.  Why do I think it has to be Gomez Addams instead of any of those others?

'The Addams Family'
"Amnesia In The Addams Family"

From the IMDb:
An accident with his new set of old Indian clubs gives Gomez amnesia and a complete shift in aesthetics. It, unfortunately, coincides with the new million dollar double indemnity insurance policy he's just drawn up to benefit Morticia, causing the amnesic Gomez - aghast at his macabre home and family - to think his life's in jeopardy. A second blow on the head might return him to normal. Unfortunately for Gomez there are plenty of clubs with just as many loving family members skulking about, keen to restore his sanity.  

That episode took place on the Toobworld timeline in 1965.  Astin appeared as the Riddler in 1967.  But one doesn't have to lead into another.  The 'Addams Family' episode just needed to establish that his personality changes when he gets knocked on the head.  So at some point two years later, Gomez must have been knocked on the head yet again (not necessarily with indian clubs) and this time clobbered in such a way as to give him not only the amnesia but a new personality... one of EVIL!!!!

O'Bservation:
For those of you who dabble in 'Addams Family' fanfiction, this premise is rife with possibilities!  Think of it - Gomez escapes the Addams domicile and somehow find his way to Gotham City and discovers where Lew Rydell kept his storehouse of Riddler paraphernalia.  And he decides to take on the persona of the Riddler while Rydell is once again incarcerated in Gotham State Prison (or the Arkham Asylum.)

How did he do that?  Maybe he saw a blue police box on the sidewalk and wandered inside and it took off before its pilot, the Doctor, noticed he was on board.  The TARDIS always delivers the Time Lord where he needs to be, not always where he wants to be.  So the TARDIS knew it was important to go to the Riddler's hideout.

Why?  If for no other reason than for the Doctor to replenish his wardrobe with the Riddler's clothes, all of which featured a question mark in some way (including the umbrella with a question mark handle which had been a gift from P.N. Gwynne.)

Eventually the Riddler 2.0 was caught by the Dynamic Duo and sent off to Arkham Asylum where he received another knock on the head and so became Gomez Addams once again.
Like the idea?  If you write it up, let me know where I can read it!

And that's my splainin for two Riddlers in Earth Prime-Time.  

Welcome to the Hall, Mr. Rydell, Mr. Addams.  You'll find here a few others you know - the Joker, Mr. Freeze of the Tooniverse, the multidimensional Penguin, the third Catwoman, and the Caped Crusader with the Boy Wonder as well.

BCnU!