Bookworm (character)

Bookworm
Bookworm
	Bookworm as depicted in Batman '66 #30 (February 2016). Art by Michael Allred.
Publication information
First appearance	Batman; "The Bookworm Turns" (April 20, 1966)
First comic appearance	Gotham Academy #2 (January 2015)
Created by	William Dozier; Larry Peerce
In-story information
Abilities	Genius-level intelligence

The Bookworm is a fictional criminal in the DC Universe, and an adversary of the superhero Batman.^[1] He was created for the Batman 1966 television series and was played by Roddy McDowall, but has since made his way into the comics. He’s usually depicted wearing a brown suit, meant to resemble a leather-bound book.

Fictional character biography

Batman 1966

Bookworm was created for the Batman (1966) series and first appeared in the two-parter episodes "The Bookworm Turns" and "While Gotham City Burns". In these episodes, he steals many high-value books and leaves clues for Batman to solve, similar to the Riddler, which eventually leads to his defeat. His crimes are always literature-themed, and his dialogue often contains literary references.

He appears in several issues of Batman '66, the tie-in comic series for the show. ^[2]

He appears as a cameo in Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders.

He appears in a larger role in Batman vs. Two-Face, voiced by Jeff Bergman.

Comics

Bookworm appears in Gotham Academy. This version is a literary teacher who commits literature-themed crimes, with his real name being given as A.S. Scarlet.^[3]

Bookworm also appears in the comic series “Huntress.” This version of Bookworm is a serial killer by the name of Alexander Wyvern, who has a darker backstory and more violent crimes than his more comedic and gimmicky counterparts. He is captured after killing 106 citizens and placed in solitary confinement, which he eventually escapes, with the motive of hunting down the Huntress. He dies after tripping one of his own traps, a hallway filled with guns.

Powers and abilities

The Bookworm doesn't have any superpowers, but does have a genius level intellect, specifically a high knowledge of books and their contents.

In other media

Television series

The Bookworm makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Day of the Dark Knight!" as an inmate of Iron Heights Penitentiary.

Films

The Bookworm makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders.
The Bookworm appears in Batman vs. Two-Face, voiced by Jeff Bergman.
The Bookworm makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold as an inmate of Arkham Asylum.

External links

Bookworm at DC Comics Wiki

References

^ Cohen, David (2017-11-14). "The Bookworm". 1966 Batman Pages. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
^ Batman '66 (vol. 1) #6, #11, #17, #18 and #30, . DC Comics.
^ Gotham Academy (vol. 1) #2-8. DC Comics.

[1] Cohen, David (2017-11-14). "The Bookworm". 1966 Batman Pages. Retrieved 2023-05-22.

[2] Batman '66 (vol. 1) #6, #11, #17, #18 and #30, . DC Comics.

[3] Gotham Academy (vol. 1) #2-8. DC Comics.

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