One forgotten supervillain has the potential for a career resurgence on par withHarley Quinn: Peyton Riley, DC’s second Ventriloquist. At her inception,Harley was an evil sidekickwho wasn’t even supposed to be in official DC Comics canon. Yet, her popularity grew enough to justify her going solo and a “rebranding” of sort. Harley is now one of the leading figureheads of the DC brand.
The Harley Quinn method of re-building a character could do wonders for someone likePeyton Riley, DC’s forgotten Ventriloquist. Riley actually has a history with Harley Quinn, having made frequent appearances alongside Quinn, including inDetective Comics#831 by Paul Dini, Don Kramer, Wayne Faucher, John Kalisz, and Jared K. Fletcher.
DC never seems consistent on whetherthe original Ventriloquist, Arnold Wesker, should stay dead. As a result, Peyton Riley doesn’t make as many appearances in recent continuity, as Wesker tends to take priority. However,Riley’s potential signals she could be so much more.
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Meet Peyton Riley, DC’s Forgotten Ventriloquist
First Appearance:Detective Comics#827 by Paul Dini, Don Kramer, Wayne Faucher, John Kalisz, and Jared K. Fletcher
2007’sDetective Comics#827 —written, in fact, by Harley Quinn’s co-creator, Dini— marked Peyton Riley’s first appearance. The story takes place one year after the murder of Arnold Wesker. Despite his death, Scarface mysteriously resurfaces, which, as someone who believedScarface to be a physical manifestation of Wesker’s split personality, stumped Batman. Bruce Wayne opts to go undercover as a grimy hood named Lefty Knox at the Penguin’s Iceberg Lounge, where he’s promoting the comeback of Scarface.
This grand entrance establishes Peyton Riley as Scarface’s new, second Ventriloquist.
Wesker appears on stage, but he is indeed dead — to everyone’s confusion. Then, an unassuming blonde woman in a red dress makes her way to the stage, pushes Wesker’s corpse into the crowd, and takes his place. This grand entrance establishes Peyton Riley as Scarface’s new, second Ventriloquist. Batman immediately pegs her as"a better Ventriloquist than Wesker ever was.“Whether Peyton is somehow being mind-controlled by an omnipotent Scarface or she’s disturbed and, like Wesker, projecting a split persona, is left up to interpretation.
Like Harley Quinn, Ventriloquist II Needs to Make a Comeback
She Has Major Potential
In due time,Peyton’s origins are expanded upon in future issues. She was born into the mafia lifestyle and even briefly dated Thomas Elliot,better known as Hush, but Thomas left her in favor of spending his late mother’s fortune around the world. That — and being trapped in an abusive marriage to Johnny Sabitino — drove Peyton crazy. She only found comfort in her husband’s employer, Scarface. Once Wesker died, Riley found an opening for herself to explore crime in a new way for herself.
As expansive and intricate as her origin story is, Peyton has few appearances, but seeing how interesting she is as a minor character and sidekick now,the potential is there for a breakout that rivals Harley Quinn’s, another former minor sidekick on a villainous path. Much like how Quinn proved to be abetter villain than the Joker, Peyton immediately established herself as better than Wesker, at least in Batman’s eyes. She may not have hero potential likeHarley Quinn,but she has star potential (and star power greater than Wesker) that’s being wasted in current DC canon.
