Ventriloquist (character) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ventriloquist |
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Arnold Wesker with his dummy, Scarface
Art by Norm Breyfogle |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Wesker: Detective Comics #583 (February 1988) Riley: Detective Comics #827 (March 2007) Belzer: Batgirl #20 (July 2013) |
| Created by | Wesker: John Wagner (writer) Alan Grant (writer) Norm Breyfogle (artist) Riley: Paul Dini (writer) Don Kramer (artist) Belzer: Gail Simone (writer) Fernando Pasarin (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Arnold Wesker Peyton Riley Shauna Belzer |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Wesker: Secret Society of Super Villains Black Lantern Corps Justice League of Arkham |
| Abilities |
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The Ventriloquist is a name used by several supervillains in DC Comics. All of these characters are enemies of Batman. They are part of Batman's group of famous villains, known as his rogues gallery.
The Ventriloquist has appeared in many different types of media. These include feature films, television series, and video games. In the TV show Gotham, a new version of the character appears. An actor named Andrew Sellon plays this role. In the fifth season of the show, he finds the dummy Scarface and becomes the Ventriloquist.
Who is the Ventriloquist?
There have been three main versions of the Ventriloquist in the comics. Each one has a different secret identity.
The first and original Ventriloquist was Arnold Wesker. He first appeared in Detective Comics #583 in February 1988. He was created by John Wagner, Alan Grant, and Norm Breyfogle. Arnold Wesker is a quiet and shy man. He uses a dummy named Scarface to commit crimes. Scarface acts like a tough gangster boss. Wesker believes Scarface is a real person who tells him what to do.
The second Ventriloquist was Peyton Riley. She was introduced in Detective Comics #827 in March 2007. She was created by Paul Dini and Don Kramer. Peyton Riley was the daughter of a crime boss. She also used a Scarface dummy.
The third Ventriloquist is Shauna Belzer. She first appeared in Batgirl #20 in July 2013. She was created by Gail Simone and Fernando Pasarin. Shauna Belzer has powers that let her control things with her mind. She uses a dummy named Ferdie.
The Ventriloquist in TV Shows
The Ventriloquist and Scarface have appeared in many animated and live-action TV shows.
- In The Batman, the Arnold Wesker version of the Ventriloquist and Scarface appear. Both characters are voiced by Dan Castellaneta.
- An original version of the Ventriloquist appears in the show Gotham. He is played by a real-life ventriloquist, Andrew Sellon.
- The Arnold Wesker Ventriloquist and Scarface also make small appearances in Titans.
DC Animated Universe Appearances
The Arnold Wesker Ventriloquist and Scarface are also in shows that are part of the DC Animated Universe (DCAU). This is a group of connected animated DC shows. In these shows, both characters are voiced by George Dzundza.
The creators of the show Batman: The Animated Series wanted Wesker to be a very skilled ventriloquist. This meant he could make Scarface speak perfectly. This was different from the comics, where Scarface had a speech problem. The show's co-creator, Bruce Timm, fought for this change.
- The Ventriloquist and Scarface first appeared in Batman: The Animated Series. The show's creators often had Scarface get damaged or broken. This was allowed because he was not a "living" character. Sometimes, Scarface was even ground into sawdust by industrial fans.
- They also appeared in The New Batman Adventures in an episode called "Double Talk".
- In the Justice League show, other versions of the Ventriloquist and Scarface appear. They are seen in the episode "A Better World". In this story, a different version of Superman made many villains peaceful.
The Ventriloquist in Movies
The Arnold Wesker version of the Ventriloquist and Scarface have made small appearances in several animated movies.
- They had a cameo in The Batman vs. Dracula.
- The Ventriloquist was planned to be in The Lego Batman Movie, but he did not appear in the final film.
- He also made a cameo in Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
- The DCAU versions of Arnold Wesker and Scarface made a cameo in Space Jam: A New Legacy.
See also
In Spanish: Scarface (DC Comics) para niños
- List of Batman family enemies
