#Reformed Riddler

[gl1tchr]

Never thought I'd see the day when I design a spandex Riddler. But the people have softened pharaoh's heart, and I understand her appeal now

[adhdnursegoat]

Reformed! Arkhamverse

cw: fluffy angsty goodness 😊, comfort

note: took a page from @caesariawritesstuff's Cat & Mouse because this Eddie is reformed and is more like Origins Eddie :) also, this was supposed to be for Friday 10/12 but this apparently wants to be posted. So enjoy a day early!!

word count: 2.1k

“I’m going to kill him.”

And you know he’s serious.

Edward stands before you, an embodiment of barely restrained fury, his clear blue eyes blazing with a fire so fierce you almost have to look away. His hands are clenched into tight fists at his sides, the muscles in his forearms bulging against the fabric of his rolled shirt sleeves, straining as though they’re moments away from snapping. You can see the twitch in his jaw, the flare of his nostrils, you can hear the shudder in his breath—he’s holding himself back by the thinnest thread.

It’s a testament to his self-control that he hasn’t already lunged at the man who dared lay a hand on you. His body trembles slightly, vibrating with tension, each breath a calculated attempt to rein in the storm brewing inside him. The air between you is thick with his rage, a palpable force that both grounds you and sends a ripple of unease through your stomach.

And yet, instinctively, you step closer.

You don’t know whether it’s to shield him or keep him from unleashing the tempest stampeding through his veins, but you place yourself between him and the man now wisely retreating, his face pale with terror. You could see it in the man’s eyes—the dawning realization of who he’s offended. He had no idea whose partner he was touching, whose wrath he had summoned. Now he knows. Now he sees. He’s an idiot.

“Edward, stop,” you say, your voice firm yet soft as you press a hand against his chest. Beneath your fingers, you can feel the wild, erratic beat of his heart—each pulse heavy with the weight of his restraint. It’s a force of nature contained only by sheer willpower.

But his eyes remain locked on the man, unblinking, his focus so laser-sharp it sends a shiver down your spine. The man is retreating, inch by inch, but Edward’s gaze is fixed, dangerous, a predator sizing up its prey. You’re not sure if he’s listening to you at all. The world has narrowed to one point, and all he sees is the insult, the violation, the audacity.

You take a breath and push harder against his chest, leaning into the pressure, hoping to anchor him, to bring him back from the brink. “Edward, look at me,” you plead, voice lower, softer, the kind of tone you know reaches him when nothing else can. “Please.”

“I’m not letting him get away with that,” Edward grits out, his voice low and seething. It’s a guttural sound, a primal instinct clawing its way to the surface. You can hear the squeak and grind of his molars, his jaw clenched so tight you worry he might crack a tooth. There’s a dangerous edge to his demeanor, a violent energy that radiates out. He tries to push past you, but you hold your ground, splaying both hands against his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath your palm.

“Yes, you are,” you reply, your tone unwavering as you meet his furious gaze with calm determination. You try to find his eyes, to anchor him to the moment, to you. “Look at me, Ed… Please, just look at me.”

After a beat, his lips remain pulled into a dangerous sneer. Then Edward ’s frozen flame eyes flicker down to you, their usual bright intensity now stormy, darkened by rage. For a fleeting moment, you think you’ve lost him to his old impulses, to the Riddler who took what he wanted and punished those who crossed him. There is a glint of something wild and predatory in his gaze that sends a shiver down your spine. You grimace, not enjoying having this energy now focused on you.

But then he blinks, seeing you through the red mist encroaching his mind, and you notice a glimmer of hesitation in his eyes. Finally. It’s the crack you need to reach him, a momentary opening in the armor of fury that surrounds him. You hold his gaze, feeling the intensity of his anger crackling, popping, and slowly fizzling to a smolder between your eyes, much like a fuse burning out seconds from an explosive ignition.

“That’s it, my love,” you coo, your voice soothing as you stroke his chest gently. Your fingertips brush against the fabric of his vest, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his breathing beneath it. Each breath is a tumultuous wave, the tension in his muscles beginning to ease just a fraction under your touch. “Just breathe, okay?”

He lets out a ragged breath, the sound escaping his lips like the release of a pressure valve. The tension in his shoulders sags slightly, and for a moment, you both stand in a fragile silence, the world around you fading into the background. “He touched you…,” he grits out, his voice husky with anger, each word tinged with a raw, protective instinct. It churns within him, a wildfire ignited every time he thinks of someone disrespecting you, of someone daring to encroach upon what he sees as rightfully his. But when he sees the steady look in your eyes, something shifts; a tremor of doubt flits across his features.

Edward closes his eyes, drawing in a deep breath, as if trying to anchor himself in the storm. When he opens them again, the tempest begins to subside. His blue irises are bright once more, though his brows remain furrowed in concern, a cloud of worry hanging over him like a shadow. “I can’t just stand by and do nothing when someone thinks they can treat you like that. Thinking they can touch what’s mine.”

The intensity of his possessiveness washes over you, wrapping around your heart like a tight embrace, both exhilarating and unsettling. You can feel the heat of his anger morphing into something deeper—an unwavering desire to protect, to claim, to own. And while you understand the danger embedded in his rage, the way it ignites his passion is undeniably intoxicating. The knowledge of how far he’s willing to go for you sends both a thrill of apprehension and arousal dancing down your spine.

Yet, your heart twists at the sight of him struggling, wrestling with his old instincts. Edward is trying so hard to change, to leave the darkness behind, but moments like this threaten to pull him back into the shadows. You lift a hand to cup his cheek, brushing your thumb gently across his skin, grounding him in the present.

“I know,” you say softly, your voice barely above a whisper. “I know you want to protect what’s yours. But you promised yourself you’d do better, remember? And you’re doing so well, Edward. You’ve come so far.” Your other hand finds his face as well, ensuring his attention is fixed on you when you say, “I’m so, so proud of you…”

You smile up at him, your eyes shining with sincerity, trying to mirror the warmth of your words. You continue to pet his cheek, showering him with the tender love and care he needs—no, deserves. “Don’t throw that all away because of one jerk. He’s not worth it.”

He swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he fights to steady his breathing, the rhythm still uneven. “I can’t do this. I need to break his fingers. I need to-”

“Shh,” you interrupt gently, pulling his face towards yours with a delicate touch. You lean in, resting your forehead against his, feeling the warmth radiating from his skin. You can sense his rapid breaths, his body still coiled like a spring, ready to snap at any moment. “You need to use that big, sexy brain of yours and reason with yourself. You can. I believe in you. You are the smartest, most resilient man I know. World’s Greatest Everything—right? You can do this.”

You feel him exhale shakily, his eyes fluttering closed as he leans into your touch. “You’re right…” His hands, which had been hanging limply at his sides, now come up to hold your hips. His grip is tight, almost desperate, as if he’s afraid you might slip away. “I hate this.”

“I know you do,” you say softly, nuzzling his nose with your own. Then you let you hands push back into his hair, fingers threading into the dark strands. “What matters is how you handle it, and you’re handling it right now. You stopped. You listened to me. That’s progress.”

He opens his eyes, looking at you with frustration but vulnerability. The dark shadows beneath his blue irises betray the tumult swirling in his mind. “You make it sound so easy,” he murmurs bitterly, his voice laced with a heaviness that echoes the struggle within him. “But it’s not. I want to hurt him.”

You sigh, your fingers instinctively playing with the dark hair at the nape of his neck, seeking to ground both him and yourself. “I know. And it’s okay to want that. It’s okay to feel angry, to want to protect me. But both of us—even he knows—you could yeet his ass from this mortal coil.”

Edward chuckles at your silly encouragement, the sound breaking through the storm of his fury. It’s a crack of amusement in his dissipating rage, and it makes your soul sing, a warm note of relief coursing through you.

“But you don’t have to act on every impulse,” you continue, your voice softer now, wrapping around him like a comforting blanket. “You’re more than your anger.”

For a long moment, he just stares at you, his eyes searching yours, as if trying to find the truth reflected back. His brow furrows as he sifts through everything you’ve said. You can almost see the gears turning in his mind, letting the gentle tide of your voice roll a wave of calm through his body. He sighs, pressing his forehead more firmly against yours, the warmth of his skin grounding you both in this fragile moment.

Then, finally, he exhales a slow, shuddering breath, a release of tension that seems to echo in the air around you. He wraps his arms around you completely, pulling you into a tight embrace— a recognition of your unwavering support. You can feel the tension in his body slowly easing, replaced by a weary sort of resignation, as if the weight of his burdens is shared in this closeness.

“Okay,” he murmurs into your hair, the sound softening the edges of his earlier anger.

You nod in appreciation, your arms encircling his neck, anchoring him further. “You’re doing your best, Ed... That’s enough for me.” You offer a small smile, one filled with warmth and understanding. “Now, how about we get out of here? Go home? We can sit down, relax, and forget about that asshat. I can massage your neck and shoulders. That always makes you feel better, yeah?” Making your point, one of your hands strokes and squeezes the tight muscles at the back of his neck, feeling the tension begin to dissipate beneath your touch.

A faint smile tugs at the corners of his mouth as he groans, leaning into your caress, and he nods. “Yeah. A massage sounds wonderful,” he purrs, his voice still hoarse but no longer filled with fury. In a sudden surge of affection, he reaches forward, cupping your cheeks in both hands and drawing your face closer to his. “You’re never leaving me,” he declares, his tone possessive yet tender, as he presses in an affirming kiss on your lips. It’s firm, grounding, a period instead of a question mark.

You break the kiss, whispering “promise” against his lips, before kissing him once more, and then his nose, a playful gesture that earns you another soft chuckle from him. You pat his cheek, then take his hands from your face, your fingers interlacing with his. Feeling a warm glow well up in your chest, you give him a soft smile, a gesture filled with tenderness, and then you tug him gently. “Let’s go home.”

As you pull him through the bar, the atmosphere around you shifts, the noise of the crowd fading into a comforting background hum. You glance back at him, giving a warm, knowing smile. “You know, the new season of Love Is Blind is out now. We can watch that when we get home too.”

Edward’s blue eyes widen behind his glasses, and a spark of excitement ignites in his gaze. He starts walking faster, now tugging you along with newfound energy. “Darling, why didn’t you say that sooner? You know I love watching those idiots torture themselves in that sorry excuse for an experiment.”

[finzphoenix]

An illustration of @caesariawrites' favorite scene from her fantastic story Cat & Mouse, commissioned by @kleineralbtraum!🖤🤍 Eddie's feeling particularly cocky in this one! :'D

Character (c) @caesariawrites

Edward Nigma (c) DC comics

Art (c) FinzPhoenix

[thegooddoctorkiebeth]

( Imagining some kidnapping bullshit like a third party attempted to capture and hold Ari hostage to try and get Edward to relapse out of his reformed life, and Edward getting the ultimatum and just smirking to himself while tutting the poor bastards sent to go get her. Like Oh Sweeties You Know Not What Hell You've Decided To Provoke Have Fun Getting Your Brains Vitrified By A Psychic Trained To Administer Torture And Extract Information From The Comatose 🤣

Still probably shows up just to ensure she's okay, and if accused of trying to come to the rescue is downright Offended cause He'd Never Take Interest In Someone Who Was Helpless In A Crisis or somesuch of her Capability making her Worthy and Ari's got this lil smile cause she knows its his guarded way of admiring her without just saying Step On Me lmafo )

[diddle-riddle]

New Year’s Resolutions from the Batfamily - 7

VII / Tim Drake - Red Robin

1 - Stop playing nice with Bruce. 2 - Stop playing nice with the rest of the Batfamily when they refuse to see my true potential. 3 - Tell Bart his new haircut is hideous. 4 - Tell Hal Jordan is old haircut should be classified a natural disaster. 5 - Drink less than seven cups of coffee on Sunday morning. 6 - Book at least one vacation away from Gotham during the year to take time for myself without the fam. 7 - Get my ears pierced. 8 - Remind Nygma he is NOT a Batfamily member, he has no right to behave as if he is one of us. 9 - Think of a name for my future alias, I think ‘Red Robin’ is getting old-fashioned.

[jessie-chan16]

Made a riddler aesthetic collage!!!!

[moltenhair]

"I just love a man with... brains."

[jihef03]

Reformed private detective Riddler is like my favored Riddler's arc tbh

[mariathechosen1]

Batman Unburied Riddler is so Reformed!Riddler coded, I love it

Detective Comics #822 - ‘E. Nigma, Consulting Detective.’ / Batman Unburied, Episode 6 / Batman Unburied, Episode 4

[Image ID: 4 rows of pictures comparing Detective Comics to Batman Unburied. The first row has two comic frames: Both are of The Riddler and Bruce Wayne. In the first frame Riddler is holding up a photograph, seemingly of Bruce at a gala. Riddler says: “Observe - Though the man in the photograph is easily six feet, I’d wager our Bruce is taller, six two at least, and I’d say 210 pounds?”. Bruce replies: “Haven’t been on the scale today.” In the second frame The Riddler continues and trails of: “And the facial features and physique, while similar are more sharply defined in person than in…” Bruce interrupts: “What?” The Riddler continues: “Hmm? Oh, a passing resemblance to something else, I’m sorry”.

The second row is of a Batman Unburied transcript: “BRUCE: H-how, Riddler? How did you --. RIDDLER: Uncover your kink for playing dress-up? Simple observation. The way dates lined up. Playboy Bruce Wayne's public appearances. Crime patterns. The improbable jawline beneath that cowl, showing up in the fucking society pages. The puzzle isn't challenging. Most people are just too stupid to figure it out. BRUCE: (Pained wince)”

The third row is of two comic frames. In one Batman is standing alone in an alley. Out of frame, someone says: “What’s this? Is the great Batman out of clues?”. In the second frame, The Riddler is leaning on the batmobile, saying: “That was a rhetorical question, not a riddle.” Batman replies: “Get off my car.”

The fourth row is of the Batman Unburied transcript: “RIDDLER: And the big ol’ penny? Is that your namesake, I take it? ALFRED: What did I say about coinage and riddles? RIDDLER: That wasn’t a riddle, it was a joke.”

/end ID]

[dukeofthomas]

I think BTAS is ruining me. Spoiling me. I don't think I can ever tolerate any other interpretation of the Rogues again, they're perfect

[brokentoys]

even tho it's not in my canon (my eddie was the head of the cybercrime unit in the GCPD - inspired by ark origins) but i do like the story of eddie getting fucked over by a company and doesn't receive his royalties for creating such a big, successful game. because this happens too often. like the strawberry shortcake creator, and the hello kitty creator didn't receive royalties either - even though you would think they'd be millionaires because of their creation. but nope. some of them are even quite poor. this also, technically, happened to eddie's creator - bill finger. who was actually the ghost writer / true creator of batman and many of the rogues (including eddie!!!!) but bob kane took all the credit. and bill finger, unfortunately, died a poor man with little recognition. so i did like how the animated series took a unique approach to eddie's story and instead of making him a Scientist of any sort because he's Smart, they went with video game developer who got fucked over by corporation. the job fits eddie quite well, and it can also be a PSA. (also really nice to see eddie standing up for himself in this situation. fuck mockridge.)

it's one of the reasons why eddie's debut eps is one of my favorites from TAS. it's also just satisfying to watch eddie get away with it. and although bruce mentioned eddie still on the run - dick actually seemed more upset that MOCKRIDGE got away with making profit off eddie's work. which bruce then proceeded to joke about mockridge being literally traumatized because of eddie. it's suuuuch a satisfying end.

which is also why i don't get why bruce is so harsh to eddie in riddler's reform. like i always criticize how much nicer bruce is to harley in harley's holiday versus eddie's ep. like in harley's ep, bruce does have hope for harley (despite being madly in love with the joker.) yet in riddler's reform, bruce acts like eddie will never be good because of his "obsession." (which how is eddie's obsession worse than harley's?) like yeah, i know unlike harley, eddie was just pretending. but it's still weird for bruce to have zero hope for eddie when in his first debut episode, bruce seemed to have understood completely - he just didn't approve of eddie's methods of dealing with his situation. (clearly bruce thought mockridge was a Terrible Person, bruce just can't let anyone be Killed tho)

[gl1tchr]

Someone on twt just hit me with this pic of Telltale unmasked I'd never seen before 😭 who's ENGLISH PROFESSOR IS THISSS

[unrestrained-balderdash-art-blog]

The cutie

[Text: Commit crime?! Me? Batman, you know I wouldn't do that. I'm a good boy! I've never done anything wrong in my life! How dare you! I've just been working with Wacko Toys!]

[warrenwaskilledbyadeer]

I love to rewatch my favorite B:TAS episodes and cry

[diddle-riddle]

New Year’s Resolutions from the Rogues Gallery - 9

IX / Edward Nygma - Private Investigator

1 - Prove everyone I may not be a hero, I am no longer a bad man. 2 - Prove Bruce I love him, and try my best not to mess up what I know might become my greatest relationship. 3 - Go back to space missions with Stephanie and Jason, last time was priceless. 4 - Drag Dick into as many luxury shops as I can think of to find the engagement ring he’ll offer to Barbara - I know he will propose this year and Babs deserves the best. 5 - Send a bouquet of roses to Vicki Vale to thank her for the last article she published about me, that showed me off as a... real good guy. 6 - Try not to cry next time Jonathan will be arrested after fighting against the bat nest. It’s no longer my business. He is no longer my business. 7 - Go on vacations with Bruce at some point. Not long, just... a couple days, to strengthen our bond. 8 - Take a family picture with the bats-and-birds. 9 - Cook lobster for Bruce and I’s Valentine’s Day dinner.

[twistedtummies2]

Year of the Bat - Number 25

Welcome to Year of the Bat! In honor of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, and Richard Moll, I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” throughout this January. TODAY’S EPISODE QUOTE: “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like you to meet the great Batman! He’s here because he hasn’t got a clue!” Number 25 is…Riddler’s Reform.

This was the Riddler’s third and final major appearance in the show. Mind you, the character would show up in a couple of cameos in later episodes (as well as a small supporting role in a Superman crossover episode, “Knight Time”), and there were several good comic stories featuring Edward Nygma spun-off from the DCAU. However, this was the last starring role the character had: apparently, the creators behind the series found it really hard to write for the Riddler, which is why his appearances were fairly few and far between. While I do wish we could have seen more of the character, to be honest, it’s a pretty great note to go out on. Ostensibly, “Riddler’s Reform” is one of several “Villain Reform Episodes” the TV series tried. I say “ostensibly” because…it really isn’t. Which I think is why this episode seems to have a somewhat polarized reaction from fans: some people consider it one of the greatest Riddler stories ever told, while others consider it a missed opportunity. I personally don’t go into either category, fully, but I do think this is a great Riddler story, in general, and by far my favorite from the Animated Series. The plot is as follows: after being declared sane, Edward Nygma is released from Arkham Asylum, and forms a business partnership with a toymaking company. The head of the company decides he wants to rework the Riddler’s puzzling iconography into a corporate mascot, and gives Nygma a chance to create a variety of puzzles and games for his factory to produce and sell. However, it becomes very obvious very quickly that Nygma hasn’t ACTUALLY reformed: he’s still pulling off crimes out of the back window, so to speak, in a way that makes it hard for Batman to pin anything on him. The World’s Greatest Detective must somehow figure out a way to outwit the Riddler and prove his enemy hasn’t gone straight after all. In a way, this feels like an episode of the 60s Adam West series, and I mean that in a good way. There were a number of episodes in that show with villains pretending to go straight just so they could pull off crimes with impunity (the Penguin was the most common example of this, but other villains tried this tactic, too). However, this one goes a bit more in-depth into the Riddler’s psychosis than other versions, as it really plays a LOT with the obsession Nygma has. He’s become fixated on the idea of besting Batman: he can’t give up his life of crime, he claims, specifically because he feels he can never retire until he finally defeats the Dark Knight. Indeed, as the episode goes on, it becomes clear that Nygma is enjoying life on the straight and narrow, being wined and dined and rubbing shoulders with Gotham’s economical elite, being praised and rewarded for his work in a way he never was before. However, both he and Batman realize…none of that matters. None of it WILL matter, because until the Riddler wins the game for good, there’s no way he can simply give up his life of crime. This obsession leads to another great ending to the story, just like in the first Riddler episode. I won’t give away what happens, but ironically, the episode seems to showcase Riddler going DEEPER into depravity rather than coming out of it, which I think is an interesting move. It’s sad that we never got that much more of Edward after this (at least in the show proper), but as far as final proper bows go, this was a good show for the Count of Conundrums to go out on.

Tomorrow we move on to Number 24! Hint: “As Napoleon told me, ‘A strong will can fuel a frail physique.’”