Supervillain Origins: The Ventriloquist and Scarface
Supervillain Origins: The Ventriloquist and Scarface
Supervillain Origins: Toyman
Many criminals can be described as dummies, but this guy brings new meaning the word. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we will explore the comic book origin of the Ventriloquist and Scarface. As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen primarily to follow the storyline which unfolded in 1994’s Showcase ’94 #8-9 and which was expanded upon in 1997’s Shadow of the Bat #59 and 2008’s Detective Comics #844. The Ventriloquist first appeared in 1988’s Detective Comics #583. His real name was Arnold Wesker and he was a Gotham City crime boss. The Ventriloquist communicated through a particularly nasty and ruthless dummy named Scarface. Although readers learned that the Ventriloquist-Scarface combination was deadly and dangerous, they didn’t really learn much about how they got started. As is often the case with stories involving a ventriloquist and his dummy, questions were quickly raised about their relationship. Did the Ventriloquist control Scarface or vice versa? Did the dummy actually have a life and mind of its own? In 1994, those questions were addressed in a 2-part origin story in the pages of Showcase ’94. As the story unfolded, readers learned that Gotham’s Blackgate Prison had once housed a gallows where 313 men were hung for their crimes. Eventually lightning destroyed the gallows and the use of the death penalty was halted. Some years later, the wood from the gallows was used by a prisoner named Donnegan to create a dummy that he called Woody. As Donnegan worked with Woody, he seemed to develop a personality of his own. One day, Donnegan was assigned a cellmate. Arnold Wesker had murdered a man in a bar fight, but he seemed rather meek. As Donnegan slept, Wesker and Woody hatched a plot to escape. When Donnegan awakened, Wesker killed him, then escaped with Woody. At the puppet’s urging, Wesker then killed two guards to make good on their escape. Once in Gotham, they started on their career of crime, with Woody adopting the more appropriate name of Scarface. Whether or not he was alive was still in question, but evidence was mounting… In 1997, the Ventriloquist’s origin was expanded upon slightly. When he was a child, an albatross had landed in Gotham and his parents took him to view it. Young Arnie was upset by the experience and insisted they leave. As they did so, his parents were run over and killed - by a truck carrying department store dummies. It seemed dummies were going to be an important influence throughout Wesker’s life. The question of whether Scarface had his own consciousness continued to be toyed with, especially after Scarface fell into the hands of a new Ventriloquist. Peyton Riley, a mobster’s daughter, took Scarface after Wesker was killed. The two of them embarked on a new criminal career, one in which it was again unclear who was controlling whom. Eventually, Batman teamed up with the magician Zatanna to bring them to justice. At the story’s conclusion, Zatanna affirmed that Scarface was a conduit for other people’s power and emotions but was not himself alive. The Ventriloquist and Scarface have made their presence felt on several DC animated universe shows. He brings a unique voice – or voices – to any project. Are you a fan of the Ventriloquist? For more comic book origins, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
