It is not unusual for people to come back from the dead in superhero comics. Still, it is something of a surprise when a minor character, long vanished into limbo, suddenly reappears. Such is the case with the latest love interest of DC’s Batwoman.
The new love interest was introduced in “Riddler on the Roof” by Natalie Abrams and Marcus “Mas” Smith. Part of DC’s Twas The Mite Before Christmas holiday special, the story pit Batwoman against the Riddler as he committed a series of Hanukkah-related heists. Kate Kane was left to handle this thankless task, due to the rest of the Bat Family being busy with their own holiday plans. To further complicate matters, Kate had no head for puzzles and even less tolerance for Riddler’s nonsense than Batman.
Batwoman ultimately decided to outsource the job of solving Riddler’s riddles, and enjoy herself at the same time. This led her to set up a date with Quinn Nash, a doctoral candidate and cryptography expert. Kate and Quinn hit it off, bonding over their mutual daddy issues, and Quinn solved all of Riddler’s riddles.
The comic closed with the revelation that Quinn was the Riddler’s daughter. Batwoman captured Riddler, as he tried to win back his “sweet Enigma.” This pet name, coupled with Quinn’s distinctive hair style, suggests that she is the villain Enigma, resurrected for the Dawn of DC age.
The history of Enigma, explained
Created by Geoff Johns and Tony Daniel, Enigma first appeared in 2006’s Teen Titans #38. A friend of Duela Dent (aka the Joker’s Daughter), she went by the codename Riddler’s Daughter. She briefly joined the Teen Titans following Infinite Crisis, but later joined the villainous Titans East organized by Deathstroke. During this period, she was never given a real name, and it was unclear if she truly was the Riddler’s daughter.
Riddler’s Daughter returned during Tony Daniel’s run on the monthly Batman comic. In 2011’s Batman #705, Riddler confirmed the young woman was truly his daughter and introduced her as Enigma. Unfortunately, his paternal pride was short-lived, and Riddler killed Enigma in the final pages of Batman #712.
It seems that the new Enigma is trying to free herself from her father’s legacy, much like Duela Dent worked against Two-Face. It remains to be seen if she will be successful, or if she and Batwoman will remain an item. In any case, it seems the Riddler has one more enemy in Gotham City.
DC’s ‘Twas The Mite Before Christmas is now available in comic shops everywhere.
