WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox #2 by Matthew Rosenberg, Jesus Merino, Joshua Hixson, Ulises Arreola, Ferran Delgado, on sale now.
In The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox, the search for answers about the Riddler’s murder began with the question of why someone would kill him. The Joker recalled that the Riddler was hunting clues across the world for the location for something called the Master Engine. But Joker’s telling of the Riddler’s search made the Gotham rogue appear quite similar to Indiana Jones. It isn’t a comparison that is completely off. The two share some similarities, but the Riddler’s lesser qualities come into play and ruin any chance he has of being held up to the same standard as Dr. Jones.
As the Joker told it, the Riddler was on the hunt for something called the Master Engine. While the exact function of the device is still unclear, it has been explained that the New Gods had a hand in hiding it. The Riddler kidnapped an archaeologist to help him locate the temple where the key to locating the pieces of the Master Engine was located. It’s a similar tactic that Indiana Jones employs, relying on someone more learned in the subject to help fill in the blanks. Of course, Indiana usually hired or befriended these people, as opposed to outright kidnapping them.
But perhaps what most makes the Riddler like Indiana Jones is that they both have a keen intellect that enables them to solve riddles to reach their goals. Much like Indiana Jones and his famous leap of faith, the Riddler also had a puzzle to decode before he could find the key. Translating the words of the ancient antechamber, the Riddler was able to deduce the safest route through the tunnel, while one of his minions rushed it and sprung a deadly trap.
Both men relied on their intellect and instincts to solve a puzzle that would help them move forward with their treasure hunt. But that is just about the only positive attribute the Riddler shares with Indiana. In yet another twist on the methods Indiana employs, Riddler was infuriated to learn that the chamber he had spent so much time and effort to access was merely one step in a very long and involved process to reassemble the Master Engine. He accused the archaeologist he kidnapped of not informing him of this, but the archaeologist reported that he tried to while the Riddler’s henchmen were shoving him in the trunk of the Riddler’s car.
Frustrated, the Riddler had his captive executed as he pondered what to do next. And therein is another divergence between the two. The Gotham City villain has the same drive and intellect as Indiana, but he lacks the patience that keeps Indiana from rushing down dangerous paths. He held himself back in the boobytrapped antechamber, but it was mostly because there was a riddle to occupy him. He barely even paid attention as his henchman was killed.
Indiana, in contrast, would never let anyone helping him in his quests get injured. But the Riddler’s only regard was for his own ambitions. He could have potentially benefited from keeping his captive around, but because of one mistake that was entirely the Riddler’s fault, he did away with his guide, making things much harder for himself down the road. So while his brilliance makes him perfectly suited for the life of a treasure hunter, his disregard for everyone who isn’t him ultimately makes him unworthy of a comparison to Indiana Jones.
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