While Batman has had his problems with The Joker and Ra's al Ghul over the years, few have vexed him the way The Riddler has. Many have written him off as nothing more than a bank robber with access to a book of dad jokes. In truth, he may be Batman's most vicious and crafty enemy. He has done damage to the Dark Knight that few others can dream of.
Keeping all of that in mind, there have been times that Riddler has almost done the right thing. He's never really the good guy though, and when he tries to do right it's almost always for selfish reasons. Still, here are some of his better moments.
Keeps Batman's Secret
The "Hush" storyline saw Batman's world completely rocked. A childhood friend returned with a blood feud and a plan that turned some of Batman's closest allies against him. It also involved The Riddler and he was a huge part of the plan.
It hinged on the fact that a trip to a Lazarus Pit helped him work out Batman's secret identity. The Riddler has never revealed that secret to anyone else, though Batman did threaten to tell Ra's al Ghul about the Lazarus Pit incident if he talked.
Left Gotham Behind In "No Man's Land"
There are times that the best thing someone can do in a bad situation is not to make it worse. During the "No Man's Land" arc, that's exactly what The Riddler did when an earthquake left Gotham in ruins and cut it off from the rest of the US.
While some criminals stayed behind to take advantage of the situation, Riddler left town to cause problems elsewhere. It wasn't exactly heartwarming but at least he didn't make life more terrible for Gothamites during that time.
Reforms And Becomes A Crime Fighter
Life takes a lot of surprising twists and turns, particularly when the person in question is a member of Batman's rogues gallery. There came a time when The Riddler actually turned over a new leaf and started fighting crime.
The Riddler actually spent a significant amount of time as a detective, even working with Batman and other heroes. It was nice to see him put his keen mind to use on something more useful to society than robbing banks.
Took On The Penguin
Some of Batman's villains walk the line between good and evil on a daily basis. The Penguin is a prime example of this. He crosses that line as need be depending on which side of it serves him best at that moment.
At one point, The Penguin ran afoul of The Riddler and Batman at the same time. The two of them teamed up to defeat The Penguin and stop his typically nefarious plan.
Worked With Mary Marvel
Finding out that The Riddler ended up working with Batman honestly isn't too surprising. Batman uses whatever resources he has at his disposal to get the job done. There will inevitably be times when he teams up with one rogue to defeat another.
That being said, The Riddler teaming up with Mary Marvel came as more of a surprise. During his time as a crime fighter, Riddler and Mary worked together on a case. It was nice to see him broadening his circle of friends beyond Gotham.
Legally Got Priceless Artifacts
Once someone is on Batman's list of villains, it's extremely hard to be removed from it. The Caped Crusader is not known for being trusting or forgiving. Though for someone who doesn't trust easily, a lot of people seem to know his secret identity.
When The Riddler got his hands on some priceless artifacts, Batman and Robin were naturally suspicious and tried to capture him. It turned out that he got them legally. And then it turned out that it was part of some bigger scheme, and the artifacts were part of a riddle.
Helped Batman Solve A Case
At this point, saying that The Riddler helped Batman solve a case doesn't come as much of a shock. As previously mentioned, there was a rather extensive period that Riddler was both a detective and a crime fighter.
But long before that time in his life, Riddler still helped Batman solve at least one case while he was still a villain. It never mattered what the situation was. Riddler could never resist a good puzzle, especially in the old days.
Saved Nightwing's Life
The first of Batman's child sidekicks was Dick Grayson. He was adopted by Bruce Wayne and eventually started training to become Robin. But he moved on as he got older, becoming a hero named Nightwing.
At one point, Grayson was undercover and got caught up in the Gotham Gang War. Riddler stepped in and saved Dick Grayson's life. He also worked out Grayson's identity, another secret Riddler keeps to himself.
