The Dark Knight has faced some of the most powerful and insane supervillains, but none is more strange than the Ventriloquist. Yes, we have seen the hero of Gotham City face off against the likes of the Joker, Bane, and a slew of other twisted and dark foes, but there is something unsettling about this guy.
To begin with, he is not in the best of spirits and is constantly coping with his multiple personality disorder. Second, the image of a timid, quiet individual does not come to mind when we think of a formidable Batman villain! The Ventriloquist, a.k.a. Arnold Wesker, is the epitome of how appearances can be deceiving, and this psychopath has caused more difficulty for Batman than you may think.
Many people opt to ignore this figure because he does not appear to be nearly as dangerous as some of the other Batman villains. However, we respectfully disagree, owing to the Ventriloquist’s unnatural characteristics and unpredictable nature. Furthermore, he has an intriguing backstory that elicits a smidgeon of sympathy! We investigate this insane, psychotic character in this video, who clearly deserves a lot more attention than he gets!
Did a traumatic childhood cost his sanity?
The origin stories are somewhat contradictory, but they all point to a scarred childhood. One narrative suggests that he grew up in a powerful Mafia family, and Arnold Wesker developed the first signs of his Dissociative Identity Disorder after he watched his parents get killed by an assassin. When Wesker was a child, his parents took him to the shipyards of Gotham City to see an albatross.
This was a popular local attraction, but for some reason, it terrified the child who started yelling at his father to be taken home. At that very moment, a truck mowed down his parents, killing them on the spot in front of his eyes. He was now convinced that the albatross was a bad omen for his family, and the shock of the event forced him to repress his emotions and anger for several years.
In order to deal with his traumatic memories, he resorted to ventriloquism, but he was a rather timid guy. Later, he got involved in a barroom brawl and killed someone in a fit of rage. He was sentenced to imprisonment in Blackgate Penitentiary because of his crimes, and this is where he was introduced to a puppet named Woody.
This puppet was crafted by his cellmate Donnegan, and Wesker finally escaped from the prison confines. During his stay, he found himself drawn more and more into the puppet. Donnegan was very protective of the puppet, and he even fought Wesker after finding himself alone with the puppet.
He was all set to hang himself in prison when the puppet spoke to him and convinced him to escape. He killed Donnegan in a fight, and in the process, the dummy got scarred as well. This got him the name Scarface, and there was no looking back for Arnold Wesker who embraced a life of crime without any guilt!
The Crime Spree Begins
After uniting with Scarface, Wesker now had an outlet for his pent-up emotions and anger. It was pretty clear that Scarface was a dominant partner, and Wesker simply allowed his own personality to be overshadowed by him. Slowly, Wesker went on to become a powerful drug lord, and it was Scarface who was making all the decisions in business.
They operated from a place called the Ventriloquist Club, and even many of his underlings paid more attention to Scarface than the actual Arnold Wesker!. As the drug business boomed, it got the attention of Batman, and the caped crusader sprung into action. He fought the Ventriloquist’s men and got the drug lord behind bars. However, he was freed soon after, and reunited with his puppet once again.
The Ventriloquist was quite an interesting villain because he had no superhuman powers as such, and was in fact handicapped by his mental disorder. But his scheming puppet, or rather the subconscious evil of his mind ensured that the plans were water-tight, and the crime spree continued, till Batman intervened every now and then.
Is the Ventriloquist one person?
This is a question that often confuses the fans because various story arcs have different narratives for this. So who is the Ventriloquist? A man named Arnold Wesker is usually shown as the antagonist and he executes all his crimes through his puppet named Scarface. The dressing and personality of the puppet is that of a 1920s gangster, and he even has a similar pinstripe suit, cigar, and Tommy Gun! Scarface has been modeled after Al Capone, and he even borrows the nickname of the gangster.
Wesker later learned more about the former life of Scarface, and how he used to be the lord of Gotham’s criminal underworld before the Falcones came into power. He was then convicted for his crimes and sentenced to death. He was hung on the gallows at Blackgate Penitentiary, the same place where Arnold Wesker would find himself many years later.
Now, there have been a few instances, where we saw someone other than Wesker acting as the Ventriloquist. After his death, a woman named Peyton Riley becomes the Ventriloquist and in another continuity, Shauna Belzer is the successor. Scarface even operated through Rhino in one instance! However, it is largely Arnold Wesker who we know as the man behind the Ventriloquist.
Does the Ventriloquist even acknowledge his crimes?
Remember the Hitchcock classic Psycho? The killer was completely oblivious to his crimes because in his mind his mother was still alive and forced him to act that way! There are several instances, where the most notorious criminals in the world suffer from split personality or multiple personality disorder.
They take the refuge of one of their multiple personalities for some unthinkable crimes because it would be too much burden for their conscience. As it turns out, the case with the Ventriloquist might be somewhat similar! Arnold Wesker lets the Scarface personality do all the dirty work, such as the robberies and murders. His individuality is completely overshadowed by the personality of Scarface, and it is almost like he just carries out orders.
In fact, the Ventriloquist allows himself to be subdued by the Scarface personality so much that it even degrades him with verbal and physical abuse. He is so dependent on a puppet that in one of the story arcs when he is unable to find Scarface he desperately procures other hand puppets to replace it.
It is even portrayed that Wesker actually wanted to get rid of the life of crime, but Scarface wouldn’t let him leave. During a fight, when Scarface’s body was riddled with bullets, Wesker briefly felt that he was free. He even built a small coffin for his dummy, but it turned out that even from the so-called grave Scarface could control Wesker.
Is it a Psychological Disorder or is the puppet supernatural?
This is a rather debatable topic because there are a few instances in the stories that hint at the possibility of the puppet Scarface having some supernatural powers. For instance, one of Arnold Wesker’s cellmates created the first Scarface doll from a piece of gallows wood – the structure, where Scarface died back in the day!
Besides, there were also a few instances that suggest that the puppet was indirectly responsible for two accidents even while he was separated from Wesker. In the prison cell, we see Scarface operating even when Donnegan, the man who handled the puppet initially, is asleep. Another undeniable doubt is raised when Scarface managed to retain his speech impediment when a young boy was operating it.
However, it is also abundantly clear that Arnold Wesker is not psychologically stable. He perceived the puppet as a real person, and if he did not use it then he would have to embrace the consequences of his terrible actions. Thus, it could be a combination of both possibilities, or it could be simply Wesker’s personality disorder, and we leave it to your interpretation!
Different Interpretations of the Ventriloquist in popular media
The Ventriloquist in Batman: The Animated Series
This popular Batman animated show also starred the Ventriloquist as a part of an exciting storyline. Here, Arnold Wesker was shown to be a former ventriloquist in Gotham City, and he suffered from schizophrenia and psychological trauma back in his youth. He turned to a life of crime, and he carved himself a creepy puppet that he called Scarface.
This was the manifestation of his schizophrenia, and he took orders from the dominant personality of Scarface. He went on a crime spree across the city, where he robbed gold vaults regularly until Batman confronted him. During the fight, the puppet was riddled with bullets and destroyed, and Arnold was sent to Arkham Asylum, where he carved himself another puppet.
In the facility, he was subjected to some torturous methods adopted by the barbaric head of security Lyle Bolton. Eventually, it was believed that he had put his other personality behind, and he was freed. However, he quickly went back to his old ways and started planning a new crime, where he would steal stuffed extinct and endangered animals from an exhibition and sell it on the black market.
He even manipulated Cat woman to get into this, but Batman managed to clear her name and defeat the Ventriloquist. He was sent back to Arkham Asylum, and that is the last we heard of him in the series.
Gotham TV Series
The Gotham TV series has a very interesting take on the character of the Ventriloquist. Here, the Ventriloquist is portrayed to be a man named Arthur Penn, who used to work as an accountant for Carmine Falcone while he was the major crime lord in Gotham City. Meanwhile, Jim Gordon arrested one of the criminals carrying Penguin’s licenses, and it was clear that Gordon was not compliant.
Arthur conveyed his concerns to Harvey Bullock, who assured him that the police department would honor the licenses. Alfred and Bruce Wayne figured out that Arthur was the one responsible for the list of all the licenses, and they kept a watch on him. Bruce Wayne even infiltrated his office in his vigilante suit, and Arthur was easily intimidated by the caped crusader.
He took the list from the meek accountant, and there was nothing that Arthur could do to stop him. After a few weeks, Sofia Falcone was in town and Don Falcone gave Arthur the responsibility of keeping an eye on his daughter. Sofia soon found out about it, and she threatened Arthur with dire consequences if he did not provide her with the inside information about the criminal empire.
Later, Sofia and Penguin came to an agreement, where she promised assistance of the Falcone family, which would help Penguin get absolute compliance. Arthur Penn, however, had other things in mind, and he revealed crucial evidence to Penguin, which suggested that Sofia was planning something behind his back.
Even though Arthur was generally a submissive character, he did show remarkable resilience when he was tortured by Tabitha Galavan to reveal information. He kept his silence, and this was the first hint of a stronger personality in his subconscious. Arthur’s brilliance is also proved by the fact that he managed to secretly work for three of the most powerful crime lords, Oswald Cobblepot, Sofia Falcone, and Carmine Falcone.
Gordon and Bullock head to a resort, where Arthur was known to be a frequent visitor. Even Sofia finds out about his hiding place and leads her men to look for him. Gordon and Bullock are the first to find him, and Arthur reveals how he was forced to work for Sofia Falcone after his stint with Carmine Falcone.
It turns out that Arthur was the one who revealed Sofia’s work behind Don’s back, and this incurred the wrath of a certain section of the underworld. All of a sudden, Sofia and her henchmen arrived and they engaged Gordon and Bullock in a gunfight. But Arthur managed to escape along with Bullock.
After the events of Cataclysm, where the city of Gotham was left in a state of absolute lawlessness, Arthur was one of the few citizens who stayed back. He even made peace with the Penguin, who previously tried to kill him for his secret ties with Sofia Falcone. He worked as an accountant for Oswald Cobblepot, and he even did some of the crucial negotiations.
The infighting among the various factions did not seem to affect Arthur at all and he continued working amicably for some time. When Gordon shot Penguin and wounded him, a furious Penguin placed a massive bounty on his head as revenge. Arthur carried out the instructions and he remained calm even in the worst crises.
But like all good things, Arthur’s peaceful moments came to an end as well. He was shot in the chest by a gang member, and he was believed to be dead. Later, he woke up alive in a morgue, dazed and confused. Arthur never really recovered from the shock of this near-death experience. He hid in a magic store, and this is where he was introduced to the mysterious ventriloquist dummy called Scarface.
His multiple personality disorder took effect, and he strongly believed that the puppet was alive and commanded him. He revealed everything about his past employer to the puppet, and Scarface wanted to know more about a hidden treasure that no one had found before. In reality, all of this was Arthur’s deepest desire, which he never had the courage to explore.
In the guise of Scarface doing everything, he could act upon his ambitions, and now, Scarface wanted to become the new crime lord in Gotham. He went to meet Penguin and Oswald, but they were taken aback to learn about the puppet, and how Arthur believed that he was living. Oswald even suggested Arthur take a break and seek therapy for his issues.
All of a sudden, the Scarface personality took over, and Arthur shot dead Oswald’s bodyguard in retaliation for the insult. He then threatened Penguin and Oswald at gunpoint, and their bewildered state soon turned into shock, when they realized that Arthur was dead serious! The story could have been dragged to something more interesting, but a random shootout ended things for the Ventriloquist. Oswald shot at Scarface and blew his head off, and Arthur has shot dead soon afterward.
The series explored the quick-thinking accountant and some of his smart moves. Clearly, he wasn’t one with much physical strength or special powers, but he made up for his shortcomings with his impeccable planning. Besides, he had an extensive network across the criminal underbelly of the city. He showed great skills on how to stay alive in a brutal mob business, where the hostile environment took several victims. This master tactician also embraced his dark side, when Scarface’s personality started to dominate him!
Comic Book Story Arc
We have already spoken about the origin of the Ventriloquist in the first comic book. This is where he was imprisoned and found the puppet made by his fellow cellmate. He took over the puppet, and the puppet renamed itself Scarface. In the comic book version, the Ventriloquist is Arnold Wesker, and together with Scarface, he started a powerful drug business selling a designer drug called Fever.
Rhino was a bouncer in the club, where they based their business, and he was loyal to Scarface. Although nothing is clearly mentioned about the supernatural powers of the puppet, Scarface did have a hierarchy even among their minions. The Batman soon apprehended their drug business, and Arnold was sent to prison for some time. Later, when he was reunited, he wanted to quit the drug business, but his Scarface personality would not let him leave.
Finally, he was sent to Arkham Asylum, and when Bane blew up the facility setting several psychopaths free, Arnold was one of them. In the absence of Scarface, he was so desperately in need for a puppet that he even used an old sock, as his hand puppet. Luckily for Arnold, he was soon reunited with Scarface and together they eliminated a rival gangster as well.
They had a serious tiff with this gangster called Marty Vetch, and Batman, Dick Grayson, and Robin raided Vetch’s penthouse to fight with the thugs of the Ventriloquist. This time, Arnold was captured once again, and he was sent to Blackgate Prison.
Meanwhile, Scarface ended up in the hands of Rhino, and although he did not respond initially, he finally started to communicate through Rhino. This is yet another proof of the supernatural abilities of Scarface.
However, it could also be the case that Rhino was also mentally unstable and that wouldn’t be surprising either in such chaotic times. Scarface forced Rhino to strike a deal with the Penguin to free Arnold, and before long the dynamic duo was back in action! After the events of the Cataclysm, an earthquake traumatized Arnold so much that it caused another personality to take control in the form of the Quakemaster.
This character claimed that he was responsible for the earthquake, and just like Scarface, it started to dominate Arnold. Finally, Robin uncovered the mystery of the Quakemaster, and it was a shocking revelation. After being reunited with Scarface, the duo did not last long this time. They had set their sight on Penguin, but a new member in the city’s underworld sent an assassin who shot the Ventriloquist dead!
In the Blackest Night, Arnold’s remains were reanimated together with some other reanimated corpses of notorious members. He was transformed into a Black Lantern, and the dark energy of Scarface combined with this medium killed several people in Gotham City. In another DC universe timeline, the Ventriloquist was still alive, and he fought alongside the Joker against Batman.
Our Final Words
The more you learn about the Ventriloquist the more you are bound to develop a soft corner for this character. One of the most heartbreaking things about him is how relatable and real his condition seems! He might have been a disillusioned ventriloquist, but he is also a skilled criminal strategist, who pulled the strings to allow some major changes in the underworld of the city.
There are many Batman fans who want more involvement of this character, and many even petitioned for his inclusion in the Nolan verse. While that did not happen, such a colorful, multi-dimensional character is ripe for a cinematic adaptation! If not the main villain, he could certainly be one of the side characters, and make life difficult for the Dark Knight. The Ventriloquist is easily one of the creepiest and weirdest fellows and exploring him in a movie can be a masterstroke that adds to the long legacy of bizarre Batman villains!