While the Joker was seeking his counterpart, the lunatics in Arkham Asylum, especially Penguin Man, were not idle either. In particular, Penguin Man had a keen interest in catching up with his other self.
The motives behind Penguin Man's actions often lacked high intentions; it was either for power or money. He understood this about himself and assumed that his counterpart in another universe would have strived his entire life for either power or money.
Don't get me wrong; Penguin Man's intentions were anything but altruistic. He didn't liaise with his other self to form a strong alliance. What he always wanted was to be the sole victor, and if only one Penguin Man could exist in two universes, why couldn't it be him?
Penguin Man intended to replace his other self.
However, he was not so rash as to immediately seek someone to assassinate his counterpart. Before any of that, he needed to understand the age, accomplishments, and possessions of his other self.
So, when the lunatics from the prime universe took control of Earth No.1's Arkham Asylum, Penguin Man was the first to act.
Being a prominent mob boss, Penguin Man couldn't possibly venture into the enemy camp himself. His henchmen quickly spread throughout New City, gathering information about Oswald Kolbott.
The discovery was astonishing. The Penguin Man in this universe had astonishingly become mayor, wielding incredible influence over the entire city and emerging as the biggest winner in the chaos of New City's integration.
The New 52 Penguin Man maintained the classic image of the Penguin Man, with a unique twist in his backstory that included being bullied in his youth due to his appearance.
Although Oswald Kolbott was still a member of the Kolbott family, his unappealing appearance, which led his father to abandon him, barred him from his family's inheritance.
Oswald was consequently ostracized by his peers of the same lineage, leading to an indelible psychological scar from the emotional injuries inflicted upon him by their disdain, belittlement, and bullying.
Therefore, Penguin Man was extremely sensitive to scorn from others. He had an insatiable longing for respect, and knew that in a society dominated by money, only wealth and power could earn him the respect he desired. This was the primary drive behind Penguin Man's resorting to crime in order to accumulate wealth and power.
Unfortunately though, the Penguin Man from the New 52 universe was not very successful. His meager screen time merely revealed his inferiority complex, condescending attitude, extreme sensitivity, and paranoia.
Such a person doesn't wish others well; he cannot tolerate others doing better than him, let alone tolerate his other self outshining him.
So, when Penguin Man learned about the state of affairs in New City, jealousy raged within him like a roaring blaze.
What in the world was Batman doing in this city? How could he allow Oswald Kolbot to become mayor? Didn't he understand his own worth?
Kolbott, coming from high society, was aware that his talents, abilities, and appearance were not outstanding by high society standards. It was only by utilizing the inherent madness of Gothamites in his fight for power and profit that he managed to gain an upper hand.
In simple terms, Penguin Man, although not very powerful, carved a new path in madness that others were unwilling and looked down upon to tread. While the other lunatics strived to become model citizens in terms of mental health, getting utterly lost in their pursuit of arts, Penguin Man chose a different course and got involved in politics.
Therefore, it wasn't that Penguin Man was powerful, it's just that those with talent didn't compete with him, and those without talent couldn't compete against him.
Even so, he was in a very awkward position. The minute those chaotic and wicked lunatics set their sights on him, he would suffer massive losses. The same goes for Batman's gaze.
Several people felt that Batman did not treat him as harshly as he did other offenders, even allowing the existence of the Iceberg Restaurant. This was because Batman did not see playing with Penguin Man as a big deal since he didn't cause much damage.
They always felt that there was a faint line hanging over their heads, and if they dared to cross it, Batman would strike hard. In fact, he did just that, which led to several of Penguin Man's plans being thwarted and left him hanging uncomfortably, neither advancing nor retreating.
So, how could Batman in this universe allow Penguin Man to become mayor?
Of course, it's possible that his tenure as mayor wasn't smooth sailing, or that he was merely roped in to divert attention from others. But now that Penguin Man has genuinely grabbed substantial power amidst the chaos of New City's integration, how could Batman remain indifferent?
Without a doubt, Penguin Man had crossed the line. Regardless of the perspective, Batman would not let it slide.
Even though Penguin Man from the prime universe couldn't locate Batman at the moment, it did not prevent him from secretly collecting evidence against Earth No.1's Penguin Man. Once Batman appeared, he would immediately present the evidence.
However, further investigation uncovered more problems.
Actually, when Batman from Earth No.1 had just started his career, Penguin Man was busy assassinating his political enemies. The serial killer known as Birthday Boy, who appeared in the comics, was actually a killing machine groomed by Penguin Man, dedicated to threatening and assassinating anyone who dared to oppose him.
The first thing Penguin Man found was an assassination case involving Stephen Andma, the director of the Environment Protection Administration. Police files indicated that the director was kidnapped and then murdered. The time it took from broadcasting the missing alert to finding the corpse was only three days.
Subsequently, the police received a videotape. As the video began, a pink room appeared. Various streamers and ribbons were hung on the walls, and the phrase "Happy Birthday" was spelled out with letter balloons.
The unfortunate director was taped over his mouth and tied to a chair. A tall figure walked into the room from outside, holding a cake with a misspelled word, setting it down in front of Stephen.
What followed was more gruesome. Stephen whimpered and resisted eating the cake, so the muscular figure slammed it into his face. Worse yet was when the killer, named Birthday Boy, forcefully embedded the five candlesticks from the cake into Stephen's face.
Emperor Penguin quickly discovered what the director had done. He was too lenient toward those protesting against Penguin Man's chemical plant's improper waste discharges, failing to solve the problem as instructed by Penguin Man. A police officer who was unwilling to shoot the protesters was also on the receiving end of the Birthday Boy's brutal execution.
After looking through the case in the Prime Universe, Penguin Man was bewildered. Did Mayor Penguin Man have his unique understanding of kidnapping, assassination, and suppressing public opinions?
Honestly, Penguin Man didn't quite comprehend the series of actions.
If it were Penguin Man from the Prime Universe doing these things, it wouldn't be considered unusual. After all, he is still a mob boss and a bar owner. If anyone threatens his business, he would definitely fight back.
But isn't this Penguin Man a mayor?
The Environment Protection Administration is a subordinate department of the city government, right? This Stephen King should be Penguin Man's subordinate. If you find that he's not doing his job well, can't you just fire him?
If we imagine the worst, he might have promised Penguin Man to mitigate the public opinion but failed to do it. This form of deception angered Penguin Man. If Penguin Man decided to kill him, just kill him quickly and cleanly. Why kidnap him?
Kidnapping is actually far more complex than assassination because you have to capture the target at a time when no one is paying attention and safely transport him to the specified location, ensuring he does not escape.
This method is usually used for targets of significant value. High value means that if they go missing but are not confirmed dead, someone would be willing to pay a large sum of money, either to keep them alive or for their death. This is the kidnapper's strategy for making a profit.
But this Stephen, the EPA Director, he has become the director of the camera, what major value can he have, yelling louder at the carbon neutral assembly?
Still, Mayor Penguin Man captured him alive and handed him over to a hitman called Birthday Boy.
This part, which is most inexplicable to people in the Prime Universe, Penguin Man recorded everything from Birthday Boy killing Stephen, and sent it directly to the police station.
Prime Universe Penguin Man really wants to ask, who are you trying to intimidate?
When Penguin Man was a mob boss, he could certainly do so. The purpose was to frighten the police and make them less intrusive. Penguin Man from the Prime Universe has done this as well. Compared to Batman, his main adversary is actually Gordon.
The purpose is to relay a message to all policemen: If you meddle in things you shouldn't and provoke people you shouldn't, your end will be just like his. Your comrades, the ruling class, and upper-class society that you uphold will not be able to save you. You should consider your own safety and mind your own business instead.
Simultaneously, Penguin Man would broadcast such videos in the media. The aim was to show the citizens of Gotham and those on the streets that the government is powerless- even if I brazenly harm you, I wouldn't be punished as I should be, so it's better to follow my lead.
But Penguin Man is now the mayor; hence, he represents the city government.
He compiled tapes of a murderer wantonly killing government officials and sent them to the police and media, showing everyone that a man is brazenly tormenting government officials without anyone stepping in. The government is a pushover.
What is this? Am I killing myself?
Penguin Man from the Prime Universe read the newspapers from those few days while in Arkham Asylum. He did not find any reports about Mayor Penguin Man standing out and emphasizing that he would severely punish the murderer, apprehend the perpetrator for trial immediately afterwards.
Birthday Boy was still at large, and he committed another crime a week later. The victims' families blocked the entrance to the police station, their expressions of despair captured by reporters.
This shows that this is not Penguin Man trying to gain stature by putting on a good act and setting up the crime himself. So, what is he after?
Penguin Man from the Prime Universe is scratching his head in confusion.
It's been half a year since he took office; he couldn't still think like a mob boss, could he?