7 Worst Things The Penguin Has Ever Done

4. He Crashed A Plane With A Flock Of Birds

Batman The Penguin Affair
DC Comics

In what's often considered one of the storylines that reinstated Cobblepot's place at the forefront of Batman's rogues' gallery, The Penguin Affair (written by Marv Wolfman and Alan Grant), saw the character not only terrorise the entirety of Gotham with his own flock of birds, but kidnap an actress he'd been stalking too.

In terms of showing just how gross, over the top and thoroughly extra the Penguin is, stories don't get much better. Chief among his offences in the comic is the time he uses his birds - now controlled utilising technology created by Harold, a hunchback inventor first introduced during Dennis O'Neil's Question - to crash a plane, killing all those aboard and sending Gotham into chaos.

It's Hitchcock's worst meets Gotham's worst, and the results are about as over the top and as terrifying as you can imagine. Little wonder that the Penguin hasn't attempted something on this scale since.

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Content Producer/Presenter
Content Producer/Presenter

Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.