Puzzler

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caption = The Puzzler
comic_color = background:#8080ff
character_name = The Puzzler
real_name = (I) Unknown
(II) Valerie Van Haften
publisher = DC Comics
debut = "Action Comics" #49 (June 1942)
creators =
alliance_color = background:#c0c0ff
alliances =
aliases =
powers = (I) No unusual powers, but is a skilled games and puzzle player. (II) Body composed of living "puzzle pieces".

The Puzzler is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics universe. The character is primarily an enemy of Superman.

Fictional character biographies

First Puzzler

Who the Puzzler 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 Lois, the Puzzler challenged him to a checkers game with Lois's life as the stakes. However, Superman spotted the Puzzler cheating, he did the same at super-speed and so won. The Puzzler was convicted of kidnapping for ransom, but eventually escaped. Again, the Puzzler challenged Superman to a game; this time, it was a game of cards, with Puzzler's 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 was then threatened with a pounding by his henchmen.

Later, the Puzzler returned to enter a card playing tournament as a masked player. He displayed some legitimate skill, but lost at poker, blackjack, rummy, hearts, casino and bridge. He vowed revenge for his humiliation, and attempted to kill the players he had lost to in ways that referenced the games he had lost; for instance, he killed the poker champ by beating him to death with a fireplace poker. However, the other players were all saved by Superman's intervention: the bridge champ, whom the Puzzler attempted to force off a bridge; the blackjack champion, whom the Puzzler attempted to kill with a blackjack; the hearts champion, in whom the Puzzler induced a heart attack; the rummy champion, who almost drank the Puzzler's poisoned rum; the casino champion; whom the Puzzler tried to kill in a casino. After saving the players, Superman tracked the Puzzler to his hideout, bested the lair's death traps and captured the villain.

Second Puzzler

A female, second version of the Puzzler has appeared in two recent issues of the Superman comic books. In the first appearance, she introduces herself as "Valerie Van Haaften, aka the Puzzler". Over the next few panels, she admits that she is a large fan of Superman's; who initially attempted to join several super groups to no avail. Thus, she decided that she would become a villain to gain his attention. Her body is composed of multiple large "puzzle pieces" that she can fully control, even when they are not directly attached to her. Superman disperses her with his super breath. [ "DC Comics", Superman V2, Issue 187, pgs 16-18, Dec 2002 ]

The Puzzler reappeared in a later issue during the "One Year Later" story arc as an assassin hired by Intergang to kill Clark Kent. When she sees Superman, she decides to attempt to kill him instead in order to become famous. During the fight, she reveals she has been "upgraded" to have pieces that are nearly indestructible. Her "puzzle pieces" are much smaller and appear to be able to hit with greater force than her previous appearance. Superman defeats her again by trapping her component pieces in separate containers - preventing her from building up sufficient speed to escape. [ DC Comics, Superman, Issue 652, July 06 ]

This character has similar powers to the old Harvey Comics character Jigsaw. And, an old foe of the Impossibles, from the 1966 Hanna-Barbera cartoon of the same name.

Other media

The Puzzler appeared in two episodes of the "Batman" TV series: (Season 2, Episode 31) on December 21, 1966, played by Maurice Evans.

Was an in-joke in "Batman Forever", for one of the names, Edward Nigma was going to use before becoming "The Riddler".

The Puzzler has made background appearances as a member of Grodd's Secret Society in "Justice League Unlimited".