The Penguin Gives Oz His New Supervillain Name & It’s Bad News For Batman

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Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for The Penguin2 years ago, The Batman was secretly all about Robert Pattinson"s Dark Knight reckoning with his place as Gotham"s "Vengeance", a nickname adopted in service of his mission. Now, The Penguin has followed the same trend of reclamation for Colin Farrell"s Oz Cobb, whose DC supervillain name was forced upon him as an insult. The epic finale of The Penguin finally gave Oz his true supervillain name, underlining exactly how dangerous he"s going to be to Bruce Wayne and his other enemies when he returns in the upcoming The Batman Part II.
Intriguingly, The Penguin featured a new nickname for Batman early on, confirming that Gotham"s news channels were referring to him not as "Vengeance", but as "The Batman vigilante". That"s an important distinction in the wake of The Batman"s ending and Bruce"s reflection on his rage and the damage his symbol could potentially do to Gotham. Similarly, Oz being given a new name that isn"t an insult based on his physical ailments marks a major shift in his story.
Oz is called Penguin because of his gait: he walks with a limp thanks a birth defect to his foot that requires a corrective brace, and which contributes to his sense of personal injustice. Over the course of The Penguin"s story, Oz blossoms out of his inferior position, realizing his dream of taking over Gotham"s underworld, and is given a new name in the finale that is far more fitting.
The Penguin Made Oz Cobb Far More Dangerous Close When he was first introduced in The Batman, Oz Cobb was a low-level mobster, not yet made, and considered something of a joke, despite his obvious value. After 8 episodes of The Penguin, he"s now a completely different prospect, with a high level politician under his influence, his enemies mostly removed, and renewed alliances that mean Batman would have to fight him on multiple fronts at once.
Previously, Oz was a cog in a structure that sought to limit his power - and the power of any other upstarts with aspirations of improving themselves - but now, Gotham"s underworld belongs to him. Yes, there may be individual rogue elements like Joker, and the bubbling undercurrent of Riddler"s revolution, but Penguin did what neither Batman nor Jim Gordon could manage: he ended the strangle hold of Gotham"s most famous crime families, and took the throne for himself.
The Penguin's New Supervillain Name Explained

Image via Max In The Penguin episode 8, Oz orchestrates a new world order for Gotham"s major crime families. Not only is the age of the Maroni/Falcone dynasties over, but all the most powerful gangs have seen hostile takeovers, prompted by Penguin"s propaganda. He has effectively cemented his power and position as the new king of Gotham (as he titles himself at one point), but more important is how the show acknowledges his power in Gotham by giving him a new name.
After his grand plan to take out the gang leaders plays out, Oz ferries Sofia to the Gotham riverside, not to kill her, but to hand her over to the GCPD. She scoffs at him, still reeling from his power play that defeats her, saying "Oswald Cobb, man of the people". In those six words, Sofia confirms Penguin"s new title, which the show built up over its exceptional 8 episode run.
Oz is something of a perverse Robin Hood figure, modeling himself on his childhood idol - Gotham gangster Rex Calabrese - who was a sort of benevolent crime boss who protected his racket by caring for his community. Oz uses that same philosophy to rebuild his drug empire under Gotham before Sofia destroys it, giving residents of Crown Point jobs and income, and empowering them in the wake of Riddler"s attack on their homes.
Not only that, but Oz also confronts Councilman Hady to blackmail him into restoring power to the poorest areas of Gotham when the City rations it for the sake of the richer community. In a broader sense, Oz practices what he preaches, inspiring the downtrodden Gothamites to take back what they"re owed by the corrupt elite, including the crime families. He truly realizes his position as Gotham"s "man of the people".
Why The Penguin's New Name Means So Much For The Batman Part II

Custom image by Felipe Rangel The Penguin as one man was barely a threat to Batman when they met in The Batman, to the extent that Robert Pattinson"s Dark Knight openly mocked the mobster"s reputation. Unfortunately for Bruce Wayne, his own absence from Gotham"s poorest communities led to a 42% rise in crime, alongside a widening of the class divide. Batman is a vengeful force, as far as Gotham"s residents are concerned, but what they need is support to improve their lives.
Oz provides that in tangible terms: electricity, money, a sense of responsibility and usefulness, and Oz himself notes to Hady when he manipulates him into taking down Sofia that public perception is a powerful weapon. Batman already knows that, after The Riddler"s manifesto radicalized hundreds of disaffected Gothamites, and now he faces the prospect of a villain with even more of Gotham"s community behind him. As the dust settles on The Penguin, Oz is now basically DC"s answer to Marvel"s Kingpin, and his strength lies in that popularity.
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