Oswald Cobblepot

[Speaker for the Dead]

Name: Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot II
Alias: Burgess Meredith, Robin Lord Taylor, the Penguin
Clan: Ventrue
Sect: Independent/Camrilla
Sire: James Moriarty
Former Master(s): Franklin

Parents: Oswald and Edna Cobblepot
Sibling(s): --
Children: --

Love Interest: Starling Anelli
Past Relationship(s): Fish Mooney
Crushes: Raven Michaels, Sparrow Michaels, Pigeon Giovanni, Dove Cort, Stasya Marchenko

Childer(s): Victor Zsasz
Ghoul(s): Jay, Raven, and Lark

Year Born: November 16, 1819
Year Ghouled: 1846
Year Embraced: 1913
Heritage: British, Polish
Place of Birth: Liverpool, England
Residence: New York City, Agricola

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 195 lbs
Hair Color: Dark brown
Eye Color: Grey-Blue

Distinguishing Mark(s): Often seen wearing a top hat, tuxedo and carrying a cane/umbrella. Beak-like nose. Unmanageable hair.

Occupation: Mobster, Thief, Engineer, Ornithologist

Associations: House of M

Properties: Kool Cigarettes, Iceberg Lounge (upscale nightclub)

Using the club as a front, the Penguin secretly continues to control New York City's underworld by bartering in illegal information and stolen goods, often with the help of his loyal waitresses (Iceberg Lounge girls) who are armed with martial arts training.

The two-story, 12,800-square-foot restaurant and lounge included a large pool for pet seals and penguins in the center dining area, an iceberg-like sculpture in the pool, a ship themed dance floor, and polar décor. A tuxedoed jazz band on the sculpture is often seen playing tunes.

The Penguin has his own private dining area, upstairs near the bar where he can oversee everything.

Some of the nightclub's more secret areas include the Penguin's office and armory, and some of the Iceberg Lounge's hidden back rooms, which serve various criminal purposes.

Prey Exclusion: Criminals

Animal Form: Polar Bear and Emperor Penguin

Derrangements: Obsessive Compulsive, Narcissistic, Birdaphile

Disciplines: Presence, Dominate, Fortitude

Out of Clan: Potence, Animalism, Protean, Obfuscate, Auspex, Celerity, Chimestry, Vicissitude, Dementation

Merits:

Flaws: Limp, Short Fuse

Abilities: Genius-level intellect, Assorted bird-related paraphernalia, Deadly trick umbrellas, Vast underworld connections, Organizational leadership, Surprising physical strength, Knowledge of judo and boxing

Personality: Observant, Insightful, Loner, Resourceful, Survivor, Passionate, Greedy, Ruthless, Genius, Aristocratic

Brief History: The Penguin is a master criminal and occasional engineer who uses his genius-level intellect to gain money and power through criminal means. Penguin's wealth gives him accessibility to better resources than most other villains and his life as a millionaire gives him superior knowledge of the backgrounds of celebrities and politicians, especially those he plans to target in his future crimes. He is also capable of returning to his luxurious lifestyle very easily despite his violent criminal history and prison record. He has even attempted multiple times to enter the political world, even launching expensive election campaigns. The Penguin also has strong connections with other criminal kingpins across the universe, allowing him to hire their assassins and workers or to spy on them easily. The Penguin relies on cunning, wit, and intimidation to exploit his surroundings for profit. Penguin is assumed as being more rational and sane than other associates, at least relatively speaking.

Although he often delegates the dirty work to his henchmen, he is not above taking aggressive and lethal actions on his own, especially when provoked. In spite of his appearance, he is a dangerous hand-to-hand combatant with enough self-taught skills in judo and bare-knuckle boxing to overwhelm attackers many times his size and physical bearing. The Penguin is a capable physical combatant when he feels the situation calls for it. His crimes often revolve around stealing valuable bird-related items, and his car and other vehicles often have an avian theme.

The Penguin always carries umbrellas, which usually contain weapons such as machine guns, sword tips, missiles, lasers, flamethrowers, and acid or poison gas spraying devices fired from the ferrule (however Penguin is able to weaponize his umbrellas in an almost unlimited variety of ways). Some of his umbrellas can carry multiple weapons at once. He often carries an umbrella that can transform its canopy into a series of spinning blades: this can be used as a miniature helicopter or as an offensive weapon; he often uses this to escape a threatening situation. The canopy of the umbrella can be a bulletproof shield, and some are patterned in different ways from a spiral capable of hypnotizing opponents to flashy signs.

The Penguin is a troubled alter-ego, a supervillain who fixates on a subject that represents unwavering strength and justice. In turn becoming one of the oldest and most persistent enemies of many kindred that fit this archetype. He has a great love of birds and his specialized high-tech umbrellas. A mobster and thief, he fancies himself as being a "gentleman of crime;" his nightclub business provides a cover for criminal activity, and is bubbling cauldron as a source of criminal underworld information.

Unlike most of his associates, the Penguin is in control of his actions and perfectly sane, features that help him maintain a unique relationship with his chosen nemesis. The entrepreneurial Penguin often fences stolen property or arranges early prison furloughs – for a hefty fee, of course.

He prefers formal wear such as a top hat, monocle, and tuxedo while he steals.

Theme(s):