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Victor’s relationship with Oz is stronger than it’s ever been in The Penguin, but he may have a dark fate – according to some fans, he could be Victor Zsasz, a famous Batman villain.
The Penguin isn’t taking a straightforward approach to its DC source material. For example, the show changed the titular villain’s name to Oz Cobb to maintain the grounded vibe of Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
It’s taken its own direction with Sofia Falcone (sorry, Gigante), rewriting her Hangman backstory while transforming her into one of the most fearsome mob bosses in Gotham.
Now, after a theory that suggested Dr Julian Rush is a secret Batman villain, what if one of the caped crusader’s most psychotic foes has been in the series since Episode 1?
Who is Victor Zsasz?
DCBefore I get into the theory, here’s a bit of background on Victor Zsasz. In short, he’s a lunatic; a serial killer who carves a mark onto his body for each person he kills.
While he’s appeared across DC media over the past 30 years (including Gotham, the DCEU, and the Batman Arkham games), he was introduced in 1992’s Batman: Shadow of the Bat, with 1996’s The Batman Chronicles exploring his tragic, brutal origin story.
In the comics, Zsasz isn’t a villainous alter ego – it’s just his name. He had a good life; his family was wealthy, he rose to the top of his own global company, and he’d amassed substantial wealth.
RocksteadyIt all went wrong at the age of 25, when his parents were killed in a boating accident. Depressed and needing something to take his mind off the grief, he turned to gambling. His bank accounts quickly depleted, and he hit rock bottom in the Iceberg Lounge, a casino and club operated by The Penguin.
He lost everything, to the point he didn’t think life was worth living anymore. He decided to take his own life by jumping off the Gotham Bridge, but before he could step off, a homeless man tried to stab him when he refused to give him any money.
He took the knife and killed the man, and from then on, he dedicated his life to “liberating” people from their meaningless existence. Every time he killed someone, he’d scar a tally mark into himself, leaving a special spot for Batman.
Is Victor Aguilar actually Victor Zsasz?
HBOVictor Aguilar isn’t a DC comics character. He was created for The Penguin, and there’s a theory that he’s the show’s reimagining of Victor Zsasz.
It’s a compelling idea, considering what we actually know about Victor: he lived in Crown Point, one of Gotham’s most impoverished areas, and he always wanted his parents to aspire to something greater. They were killed in the flood caused by the Riddler’s explosions, and he ended up colliding with Oz while trying to steal his rims.
He was reluctant to help Oz with his criminal dealings… at first, but the promise of wealth, freedom, and power became too tempting. In Episode 3, he saved Oz from Salvatore Maroni’s wife as she held him at gunpoint, and he’s been loyal to his boss ever since.
Here’s the thing: Oz is a notorious turncoat; he’d give anyone up to save his own skin. What if the one person Victor has allowed himself to trust betrays him later in the series? What if Sofia gets her hands on Victor, tortures him, and Oz doesn’t try to save him, leaving him vengeful and insane?
Here’s another exciting tease: after he killed one of the Maroni guards by ramming him with Oz’s Maserati, Vic was left with a scar on his head. This was his first kill in the series… what if that was his first tally?
It would be a divisive take on Zsasz’s story, but it’s well within the realm of possibility.
“Instead of him actually dying any good in him ends up dying and he becomes Victor Zsasz after a Penguin betrayal,” one user speculated. “I think he’s a version of Zsasz. I just find it so convenient he has an open cut on his forehead after killing the Maroni bodyguard,” another wrote.
“Was thinking that’s how Zsasz gets his scars, being tortured, possibly keeping quiet for Oz, definitely excited to see where the story goes,” a third theorized. “He already chose to stay with a drug-dealing, psychopathic, murderous, and manipulative father figure instead of running away with the girl he loves. Vic is fucked; becoming insane wouldn’t be out of left field,” another commented.
Make sure you’re up to date with our The Penguin release schedule, and find out how The Penguin Episode 5 set up The Batman 2. You can also check out our list of the best superhero TV shows and our ranking of the best superhero movies.
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