Puzzler
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The Puzzler is a fictional supervillain from the DC comics universe.
[edit] Character history
The Puzzler is something of a puzzle himself. Who he really is and how he became obsessed with games, tricks, and puzzles is not known. He began by threatening a table tennis champion's life when he refused to pay protection money. Afterwards The Puzzler kidnapped Lois Lane and set her up before a wheel of fortune that would trigger a strangling device if the indicator stopped on red. He had rigged it so it would always stop on red. When Superman saved Ms. Lane. The Puzzler challenged him to a checkers game with Lois lane's life as stakes. When Superman spotted The Puzzler cheating, he did the same at super-speed and so won. Next The Puzzler went in for kidnapping for ransom. Again, The Puzzler challenged Superman to a game-this time cards, with his henchmen sitting in. By using his X-ray vision to call out the cards from the back, Superman convinced the henchmen that the cards were marked and that the Puzzler was cheating them. The Puzzler managed to escape, making it appear that he drowned. But returned, to enter a card playing tournament as a masked player. He did well, but lost at poker, blackjack, rummy, hearts, casino and bridge. He vowed revenge for his humiliation. He killed the Poker champ by beating him to death with a poker. Next he tried to kill the bridge champ by forcing him of a bridge. But Superman saved the champ. Then Superman stopped The Puzzler from killing the Blackjack champion with a blackjack. Superman arrived just in time when The Puzzler induced a heart attack in the hearts champion, then stopped the rummy champion from drinking poisoned rum. Superman saved the casino champion life in a casino. Superman tracked The Puzzler to his hideout. Superman bested the lairs death traps and captured the villain.
The Golden age Puzzler's existence was erased by the Crisis On Infinite Earths.However,he may exist on the world from where Extant drew an alternate world where Sylvester Pembleton never became Skyman staying the Star-Spangled Kid,leading the JSA with Power Girl and the Huntress (Helena Wayne).
A new female version of the Puzzler has recently appeared, most recently in Superman #652. This new version seems to have a body composed of puzzle pieces, like the Harvey Comics charachter Jigsaw.
[edit] Other media
The Puzzler appeared in one episode of the Batman TV series: (Season 2, Episode 31) on December 21, 1966, played by Maurice Evans.
The Puzzler has made background appearances as a member of Grodd's Legion of Doom in Justice League Unlimited.
