The Kingpin vs the Penguin Whos The Better Comics Gangster

The Kingpin vs. the Penguin: Who’s The Better Comics Gangster?

When it comes to powerful, plus-sized comic book gangsters Marvel has Kingpin and DC has the Penguin; but who has the better criminal syndicate?

You Are Reading :[thien_display_title]

The Kingpin vs the Penguin Whos The Better Comics Gangster

It’s not easy running a criminal empire in a genre full of superheroes, especially when you’re not a Mutant or a Metahuman. The comic book world’s of Marvel and DC are packed full of all-powerful crusaders of justice, so it takes a special kind of ferocity to rise to the top as a crime lord. The big 2’s top mob bosses both have similarities (such as a lack of superhuman abilities as well as plus-sized physiques that led to childhood bullying), but Marvel’s Kingpin and DC’s Penguin run vastly different organizations. But which crime lord runs a tighter syndicate?

Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, AKA the Penguin, debuted in Detective Comics #58 all the way back in 1941; just two years into Batman’s career as a comic book icon. Abused relentlessly as a child for his short stature, rotund figure, and duck-footed waddle, Cobblepot eventually learned he could best his enemies by allowing them to underestimate his dangerous intellect. He even took one of his cruel nicknames as his criminal moniker–making his former bullies fear the name they once used to tease him. Decked out in fancy tuxedos, ornate top hats, and ballistic umbrellas, the Penguin is a force to be reckoned with in the Gotham underground–he’d have to be, considering his city is run by Batman and a highly-funded team of high-tech vigilantes. Known for his ability to orchestrate complex revenge plots, Cobblepot is feared even among some of Batman’s fiercest rogues, which is frightening considering how brutally powerful some of Gotham’s criminals are compared to the other urban street criminals of comic book lore.

Wilson Grant Fisk, AKA the Kingpin, has been fighting off superheroes since The Amazing Spider-Man #50 in 1967. Though his late silver-age career as a crime boss began as an adversary of Marvel’s infamous wall-crawler, he later went on to arch other notable “street-level” heroes such as Daredevil and the Punisher. Born into poverty in New York City, Fisk was routinely bullied by his peers for his obesity–that is until he grew tired of it and began training. The young man’s hard work eventually paid off, as his strength and combat training turned him into a monstrous hand-to-hand combatant. Though he doesn’t possess super-strength, Fisk nonetheless can go toe-to-toe with the likes of Spider-Man and Daredevil in a fistfight. And similar to the Penguin’s gunbrellas, Kingpin sports a high-tech cane equipped with a laser weapon.

See also  10 Best Rachel Weisz Movies According To IMDb

The Kingpin vs the Penguin Whos The Better Comics Gangster

In a straight mano-a-mano fistfight, Fisk would undoubtedly come out on top. But it takes more than just brute strength to run a criminal organization; it also takes political savvy. From television and film to comics and graphic novels, Oswald Cobblepot has repeatedly run for mayor of Gotham–and has legitimately won on several occasions. Though he lost his first high profile race in the Batman ’66 episode “Dizzoner the Penguin,” he managed to dominate in the polls all the way until the election. He lost again in Tim Burton’s blockbuster sequel Batman Returns, but again only because the Dark Knight foiled him in the 11th hour. He goes on to successfully win a mayoral election on the show Gotham, mainly by capitalizing on the fear and outrage of Gothamites. In the graphic novel Batman: Earth One (by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank) Cobblepot becomes mayor long before Bruce Wayne becomes Batman. Though his reign on Gotham is eventually brought to an end courtesy of Alfred and his trusty shotgun, Mayor Penguin ruled the city for many years prior to his death. During DC’s Forever Evil story arc, the Penguin joined forces with the Crime Syndicate and once again became the mayor of Gotham.

But the Penguin isn’t the only comic book gangster to run for mayor. When the global terrorist group Hydra cut Manhattan off from the rest of America, Fisk used the chaos to run for mayor. However, unlike Cobblepot, he only won by rigging the election. Though his rule over Manhattan was a major blow to costumed vigilantes, his ill-begotten success was short-lived. Not long after taking control over Manhattan, Fisk was attacked and wound up in a coma–his nemesis Matt Murdock (Daredevil) took over as mayor in his stead. And this wasn’t the only time Kingpin attempted to use Hydra to gain political power. At one point the terrorist group hired Fisk to serve as head of their Las Vegas cell, but as it turned out, the role was a sham. Upon learning that he was nothing more than a puppet leader for Red Skull, Kingpin turned on Hydra and decided to stick to more realistic endeavors. Though both men have owned the title of mayor, the fact that Penguin both won legitimately and was able to hold onto his power for a significant length of time gives his organization the political advantage.

See also  No Time To Die Admits Spectre’s Blofeld Twist Was Dumb

But fistfights and politics aren’t the only things that make a good comic book gangster–money and manpower are ultimately what win mob wars. Though there are no official records on the Penguin’s net worth, he’s easily one of the wealthiest of Batman’s villains. Though on paper Cobblepot’s biggest cash cow is his trendy nightclub, the Iceberg Lounge, the business itself is mainly a front for his grander schemes. In the Harley Quinn story arc “Angry Bird,” the top-hatted terror annihilates the New York mob with genetically engineered penguins. It was an impressive flex, but taking into account Kingpin’s staggering $40 billion net worth, he’d need a lot of genetically engineered birds to even come close to matching Fisk’s global resources. When it comes to money, Fisk is one of Marvel’s biggest high rollers, ranking above Reed Richards, but below Tony Stark. Though not nearly as independently wealthy as Lex Luthor (who comes in at $75 billion), Kingpin has the sort of cash flow that can pay for all sorts of top-tier weaponry. When it comes to the battle of the wallets, Kingpin comes out ahead.

So which gangster has the mightier mob outfit? That honor would have to go to Wilson Fisk. Though considered by some to be nothing more than a street-level villain, the bald-headed behemoth has ambitions so grand they go beyond just global, they occasionally go inter-dimensional. Penguin, on the other hand, prefers to be a big fish in a little pond. He rarely ventures outside of Gotham, meaning he almost always has the home-field advantage. And when Cobblepot does venture outside of Gotham County lines, it’s only when the odds are overwhelmingly stacked in his favor. The Penguin would never declare war on Kingpin unless he had an Ace in the hole. It could even be argued that Penguin is a more successful gangster, as the DC Comics villain keeps his goals within reason and tends to fail on a much smaller scale than his Marvel counterpart. But when it comes to financial resources and fighting prowess, few comic book mob bosses could ever hope to hold their own against Wilson Fisk.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/kingpin-penguin-better-comic-gangster-dc-marvel/

Movies -