Count Vertigo Explained
Count Vertigo (Werner Zytle) is a supervillain created by Gerry Conway, Trevor Von Eeden and Vince Colletta as an enemy of Black Canary, Batman and later Green Arrow in the DC Comics Universe. Count Vertigo is the last descendant of the royal family that ruled the small eastern European country of Vlatava that was taken over by the Soviets and later became devastated by the Spectre.[1]
Two incarnations of Count Vertigo, Cecil Adams and Werner Zytle, appear in Arrow, portrayed by Seth Gabel and Peter Stormare respectively.
Publication history
Count Vertigo first appears in World's Finest Comics #251 (July 1978) and was created by Gerry Conway, Trevor Von Eeden, and Vince Colletta.[2]
Fictional character biography
Werner Vertigo is a descendant of the royal family of Vlatava who can distort the balance of others using a small electronic device that he uses to treat a hereditary inner ear defect.[3] As Count Vertigo, he becomes an enemy of Green Arrow and Black Canary.[1]
He would later come to join the Suicide Squad in exchange for a shortened prison sentence, and it was revealed that he was plagued by bipolar disorder. After the Suicide Squad disbands, Count Vertigo is captured by Vlatavan rebels, who intend to use his powers to overthrow the government and manipulate him using drugs.[1] However, Amanda Waller frees Vertigo, after which he undergoes therapy to remove the drugs' effects.[4] [5] Furthermore, he forgives Poison Ivy, who previously worked to capture him.[6]
After the Spectre destroys Vlatava, Vertigo joins the Injustice Society and the Secret Society of Super Villains while continuing to work with the Suicide Squad.[7] [8] [9] [10]
The New 52 / Werner Zytle
In The New 52 continuity reboot, Count Vertigo is renamed Werner Zytle. He is the ruler of Vlatava who lost his fortune and seeks to regain it via crime.[11] [12] [13]
Powers and abilities
Being raised in a noble family, Vertigo was trained in classical martial combat and the sports of boxing, fencing, and equestrianism. He has also been trained in judo and general karate.
Upon joining Task Force X and Checkmate, he learned other hand-to-hand combat skills.
His "Vertigo Effect" has long since been internalized through circumstances that have not yet been revealed. He uses his power to disrupt his enemies' balance. In hand-to-hand and melee combat, Vertigo uses his power to disorient his opponents. He also uses the Vertigo Effect to disrupt the aim of gunmen, snipers and the like. The exact range of the power is yet to be determined, seeing as how on one mission, guards watching him in action on camera were also affected by his power. This ability is also capable of disrupting guidance systems on missiles, vehicles, and detection systems. Count Vertigo also wears magnetic boots with which he can walk walls or ceilings. He also has in recent years gained the ability of flight.
Other versions
An alternate universe variant of Count Vertigo appears in the Flashpoint tie-in Deadman and the Flying Graysons. This version lost his family during the Amazon-Atlantean war. He attempts to retrieve Doctor Fate's helmet before being killed in battle and giving the helmet to Dick Grayson.[14] [15]
In other media
Television
- Count Vertigo, referred to simply as Vertigo, appears in the episode "Off Balance", voiced by Michael York.[16] This version is a German leading member of the Society of Shadows whose "Vertigo Effect" is derived from an eyepatch, which Batman theorizes to be radioactive. After being defeated by Batman and Talia al Ghul, Vertigo is presumed dead.
- Count Vertigo appears in The Batman episode "Vertigo", voiced by Greg Ellis. This version is a scientist and ex-employee of Oliver Queen who wields a mechanical eyepiece, which he used to strand Queen on a deserted island for years.
- Count Vertigo appears in Young Justice, voiced by Steve Blum. This version is a member of the Light and leader of the Injustice League.
- Two incarnations of Count Vertigo appear in Arrow, with both being involved in the distribution of the street drug "Vertigo" and displaying great skill in using it as an offensive weapon via syringes.
- The first, Cecil Adams,[17] appears in the second season episode "State v. Queen", portrayed by Seth Gabel. While he goes unnamed in the episode, his name is revealed in the fifth season episode "Kapiushon". This version is a secretive drug dealer who initially goes by the street name "The Count", based on the needle marks of his drugs resembling vampire bites, before taking the name "Count Vertigo" and poisoning Starling City's citizens, such as Thea Queen, with his namesake drug. Upon learning of this, Thea's brother Oliver Queen develops a bitter rivalry with Adams, eventually killing him to protect Felicity Smoak.
- The second is Adams' successor Werner Zytle, portrayed by Peter Stormare. In the third season episodes "The Calm" and "Canaries", he becomes the new "Vertigo" and takes advantage of Queen capturing his mob rivals to rapidly build a criminal empire. Additionally, Zytle modified his namesake drug so that it causes the user to experience their deepest fears. Throughout his appearances, he battles Queen and Laurel Lance until they capture him.
Film
- Count Vertigo was reportedly featured in David S. Goyer's script for Escape from Super Max as an inmate of the titular metahuman prison.[18]
- Count Vertigo appears in , voiced by Steve Blum.
- Count Vertigo appears in a flashback depicted in , voiced by Jim Pirri. This version was the leader of a previous iteration of the Suicide Squad who allied with Jewelee in an attempt to betray Amanda Waller, only to be killed by the latter for it.
Video games
- Count Vertigo appears as a character summon in .[19]
- Count Vertigo appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains,[20] voiced again by Steve Blum.
Miscellaneous
The Arrow incarnation of Werner Zytle appears in the non-canonical tie-in comic .
Notes and References
- Book: Wallace, Dan. Count Vertigo. Dougall. Alastair. The DC Comics Encyclopedia. 88. Dorling Kindersley. New York. 2008. 978-0-7566-4119-1. 213309017.
- Book: Cowsill . Alan . Irvine . Alex . Korte . Steve . Manning . Matt . Wiacek . Win . Wilson . Sven . The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe . 2016 . DK Publishing . 978-1-4654-5357-0 . 72.
- Book: Rovin, Jeff . The Encyclopedia of Supervillains . Facts on File . 1987 . New York . 0-8160-1356-X . 68.
- Suicide Squad #45 (September 1, 1990)
- Suicide Squad #66 (June 1992)
- Suicide Squad #58 (October 1, 1991)
- JLA: Salvation Run #2
- Infinite Crisis #3
- 52 Week 34
- Final Crisis #4 (2008)
- News: Green Arrow #22 . DCComics.com . 2012-04-08 . 2012-04-23.
- Green Arrow (vol. 5) #31. DC Comics.
- Green Arrow (vol. 6) #19
- Flashpoint: Deadman and the Flying Graysons #2 (July 2011)
- Flashpoint: Deadman and the Flying Graysons #3 (August 2011)
- Web site: Count Vertigo Voices (Green Arrow) . April 26, 2024 . Behind The Voice Actors. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
- Kapiushon . Kapiushon . Arrow . Arrow (TV series) . . March 22, 2017 . 5 . 17.
- Web site: Supermax: Green Arrow Story Details + Villains/Inmates Gallery. Mayimbe. El. LatinoReview.com. May 19, 2008. April 2, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20081013133359/http://latinoreview.com/news/supermax-green-arrow-story-details-villains-inmates-gallery-4673. October 13, 2008. dead. mdy-all.
- Web site: Eisen . Andrew . October 4, 2013 . DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide . April 26, 2024 . IGN.
- Web site: Michael . Jon . Veness . John . February 15, 2019 . Characters - LEGO DC Super-Villains Guide . April 26, 2024 . IGN.
