DC Comics: Batman '66 (Batman s2 ep 31 & 32 Puzzler)

Batman '66 in the Media

THE PUZZLES ARE COMING:
The Puzzler, a villain with a fondness for both Shakespeare and aviation, indicates he is after the fortunes of Artemus Knab. He convinces the billionaire to invest in his puzzle balloon business, but when the Dynamic Duo find that Knab seems too intelligent to fall for a phony scheme, they look deeper for the criminal's true intentions. Their search leads them to Knab's airplane monopoly, but unknown to them, the Puzzler has plans to halt their investigation - permanently.

THE DUO IS COMING:
The Puzzler continues with his plan to hijack Artemus Knab's new airplane, the Retsoor, all the while leaving puzzles behind for Batman and Robin to ponder. He familiarizes himself with the jet's designs, then prepares to fly his prize to a foreign country where he will hold it for ransom. But the Dynamic Duo have an easier time with his clues than he expected, resulting in a climactic confrontation at the airplane hanger.

MONITOR'S NOTES:
The script originally was intended to be a story featuring the Riddler. However, Frank Gorshin was in the middle of a contract dispute and as a result the script was rewritten for a new villain, the Puzzler, as played by Maurice Evans. This is the second time a Superman villain makes his appearance on Batman '66.

The first draft of this story, featuring The Riddler instead of The Puzzler, was titled 'A Penny for your Riddles'.

The first draft of this story, featuring The Riddler instead of The Puzzler, was titled 'They're Worth a Lot More'.

MONITOR'S NOTES: Batclimb guest appearance
Andy Devine cameos in the Batclimb as a Santa impersonator. Batman is willing to reveal the batcave location to Santa by batphone, something he was unwilling to do with any other character in the series. Batman and Santa Claus both break "the fourth wall" by addressing the audience.