Iconic Tim Burton Characters Ranked

Oswald Cobblepot's (Danny Devito) origin in the Tim Burton film "Batman Returns" takes a rather dark turn early on. In Burton's version of the villain's tale, Cobblepot is born deformed with flipper-esque hands not unlike a penguin. The child is also portrayed as ravenous, completely destroying the family cat. So his parents take rather drastic measures, attempting infanticide by tossing the child over a bridge and into a creek (this is just the first five minutes of the film). 

Instead of suffering an early demise, little Oswald is raised by the very creatures living in the sewers under Gotham City — specifically, an apparent penguin population that has sprung up thanks to an old abandoned zoo. Later as an adult, Cobblepot, known as "the Penguin," is running a criminal organization. Eventually, he makes his way to the surface to run for mayor and frame Batman (Michael Keaton) with the help of corrupt business tycoon Max Schreck (Christopher Walken). As conceived by Burton, Penguin proves to be a hideous, sinister yet strangely sad villain, especially against the backdrop of being rejected by his parents.