Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘The Penguin’ Episode 4.Episode 4 of The Penguin introduces the cruel head doctor of Arkham State Hospital, Dr. Ventris, played by T. Ryder Smith. The sadistic doctor puts Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) through 10 years of electric shock treatments and other horrors, creating the cold-blooded Sofia who (SPOILER) kills her family, an oddly poetic vengeance. Dr. Ventris is not the only sadistic doctor in the Batman universe to grace the small screen — Gotham brought in long-time antagonist Dr. Hugo Strange (BD Wong), for one — nor is he the only questionable recipient of a medical degree to challenge Batman in the comics. Actually, Ventris doesn’t have a doctorate at all in the comic books. If he’s not a doctor, then, who is he in DC Comics? Let’s take some time to reflect on the history of Floyd Ventris, aka Mirror Man.
Floyd Ventris, aka Mirror Man, Meets Batman in 1954
Floyd Ventris is introduced in the pages of Detective Comics #213, November 1954, as a low-life criminal sentenced to seven years in Gotham State Penitentiary. However, he hadn’t even spent 24 hours in prison before breaking a mirror and using one of the pieces to distract the guards, facilitating his escape. The shard that gave Ventris his freedom inspired him to learn everything he could about mirrors and reflections, using them in his criminal activities by confusing police with illusions and false reflections, under his new moniker: Mirror Man. Only the ambitious Ventris wanted to be among the best of Gotham’s worst, so he invented an X-ray machine made of mirrors. The machine allowed him to see under everything, including Batman’s cowl, revealing to Ventris the fact that Bruce Wayne was, indeed, the Caped Crusader, one of a handful of villains to know the truth.
Ventris tried to leverage his knowledge for his own gains, only Batman cleverly weakened Ventris’ claims by writing a letter to the paper numbering how many similar claims had always been disproved. Undaunted, Mirror Man tried again, only he wasn’t able to capture any incriminating images of Wayne under the cowl. Why? Well, Batman being Batman, he devised a means of counteracting Ventris’ X-ray device by wearing a cowl made of, ironically, mirrors. Denied a smoking gun, Ventris’ claims fell apart, and Mirror Man was recaptured and sent back to prison to reflect on what to do next.
Batman Fools the Mirror Man With a Little Help From His Friends
Floyd Ventris wouldn’t appear again as Mirror Man until August 1963, in the pages of Batman #157. Over the last number of years, Mirror Man has been obsessed with proving to the world that he was right about Bruce Wayne being Batman. When he escaped again, Ventris pulled together a crew, convinced them about Batman’s true identity, and with their help announced the truth in public. Mirror Man and his gang ambushed Batman at the Gotham Museum, and barely managed to escape after being defeated by Batman and Batwoman. A second attack led to Ventris and his crew being captured under the watchful eye of Batman… andBruce Wayne. Only one of Ventris’ accomplices, still roaming free, followed Wayne and discovered he wasn’t Bruce Wayne at all, but rather an actor hired by Vicki Vale to impersonate Wayne.
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So, armed with this new information, Mirror Man again makes claims about Batman’s identity in GCPD headquarters as Batman escorts him in. And again, Mirror Man is thwarted when the real Bruce Wayne appears at the station and has to admit that they are, in fact, two separate people. If only Ventris had his X-ray machine, it would have revealed that while Bruce Wayne was Bruce Wayne, Batman was none other than Alfred Pennyworth.
A decidedly humbled Mirror Man was brought back to Gotham Penitentiary, and wouldn’t be seen again until 1986’s Batman #400. In that storyline, Ra’s al Ghul stages a massive breakout of Batman’s greatest foes from the prison in order to stage an all-out attack on Batman. Among those freed? Mirror Man. Only Ra’s al Ghul confused Floyd Ventris with Sam Scudder, aka the Flash’s nemesis Mirror Master. He’s extended the invitation to join in on the attack, but, done with the criminal life, Ventris declines, instead taking the opportunity to steal away and go into hiding. Floyd Ventris has not been seen again in DC Comics, and it’s unlikely a villain on the lowest rung of Batman’s rogues gallery is going to resurface any time soon. Unless he gets his doctorate, then look out.
It follows the transformation of Oswald Cobblepot from a disfigured nobody to a noted Gotham gangster.
- Release Date
- September 19, 2024
- Cast
- Colin Farrell , Cristin Milioti , Rhenzy Feliz , Michael Kelly , Shohreh Aghdashloo , Deirdre O’Connell , Clancy Brown , James Madio , Scott Cohen , Michael Zegen , Carmen Ejogo , Theo Rossi
- Seasons
- 1
- Showrunner
- Lauren LeFranc
The Penguin is available to stream on Max in the U.S. New episodes air weekly on Sundays.
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