Riddle me this: what wears green and purple, and hates the Batman? When it comes to the Caped Crusader's villains, the colors green and purple usually bring to mind the image of a psychotic laughing clown, but the dual colored Joker isn't the villain we're talking about today. No, as the corny joke at the start would suggest, this list is about the neurotic mastermind known as The Riddler.

The Riddler certainly ranks up there with the Dark Knight's most memorable bad guys, but for some reason, he's often not taken as seriously as some of the others in Batman's rogues gallery. People are quick to claim that Joker's erratic behavior and fiendishly twisted plans could easily put Batman out of commission, or how Bane has broken the Bat in the past and could totally put him down for good if he tried, and even that Two-Face is just a coin-flip away from killing him, given the right situation. But all too often, The Riddler is left out when pondering which villain might finally be the one to defeat the Bat.

As it turns out, The Riddler is much more qualified to conquer Gotham than most people realize, possibly even more so than any of the other Bat baddies. Don't believe it? That's why we've put together 15 Reasons Why The Riddler Could Totally Defeat Batman.

15. He's Been Honing His Skills Since Childhood

While some of Gotham's most famous baddies didn't delve into a life of crime until adulthood (Two-Face, Harley Quinn), Riddler knew exactly what he wanted to do even as a young boy. Back when Edward Nigma was just in elementary school, it was clear even at such an early age that he was a genius. He attempted to prove this during a school contest involving a logic puzzle. Unfortunately, due to having an abusive father and his own desperation to gain the approval of his classmates, he resorted to cheating in order to win. Edward's plan would backfire, his victory causing his father and other classmates to abuse and bully him even more. This would be the seed of Riddler's narcissistic personality and obsession with riddles.

Some kids dream of being firefighters when they grow up, others aspire to become astronauts; The Riddler was a little different. While most children's first dream jobs eventually fade away as they mature and find other interests, Nigma's youthful fascination with puzzles and his desire to be the smartest person in the room stuck with him throughout the years, eventually turning into a psychotic compulsion.

14. He's Skilled With Weapons

The Riddler isn't really known for his fighting prowess, and he's usually depicted as being fairly scrawny compared to most of the bad guys Batman comes up against regularly. This makes sense, considering that the crazed villain is known for using his brains over his brawn. It may be surprising to note, however, that while Riddler may not look too formidable physically, he can actually put up a solid fight when he needs to.

The Riddler's cane isn't just for show, and he knows how to use it, usually going for precision strikes when his opponent least expects it. The same goes for just about any blunt object that he can get his hands on, such as the time he saved Harley Quinn by striking her scaly assailant from behind with a dumbbell, neutralizing the threat in a single blow. His skill doesn't just end with melee weapons either, one example being when he fired a perfectly aimed flaming arrow shot to the back of a coconut-armored murderer (but that's a story for another entry).

13. He's A Great Engineer

One of Batman's most well-known features is the number of gadgets and inventions that he's created to help him combat crime and escape most of his skirmishes unharmed, but Riddler is no slouch himself when it comes to inventing. From the Adam West Batman series where he invented a sticky spray (Dr. Riddler's instant forever stick invisible wax emulsion) to glue his caped rivals' feet to the ground, to the TV mind-draining device in Batman Forever, The Riddler always seems to have some gadget up his sleeve, no matter where he's featured.

His most impressive inventions, however, are his mechanical ones. Besides building some of the greatest and most elaborate traps that Batman has ever had to escape from, his greatest technological invention would have to be his Riddler Robots, as seen in the Arkham Knight game. Not only do these robots have the sentience of an average thug, but the red variety actually electrocutes Batman if he even attempts to hit them. Because of this, the Dark Knight ends up having no choice but to use Catwoman's help to survive this battle with The Riddler.

12. He Amassed His Fortune All On His Own

There's no doubting that Bruce Wayne is a successful businessman. The fact that he was able to keep his family's company up and running for so long all by himself is quite impressive, but let's be honest – if he wasn't born into such a rich family and left the entirety of their inheritance, there's no way Bruce Wayne would be where he is today. On top of that, Batman wouldn't even exist in the capacity that he does now, since he wouldn't have been able to afford all of the gadgets he uses on a daily (or nightly) basis. No Batmobile, no Batarangs, nothing.

Then, we have The Riddler – a self-made man through and through. Born into a household with less than ive parents, he had only himself to depend on. So, with nothing but his brains and some narcissistic ambition, he became one of the most successful criminal masterminds in Gotham, becoming quite wealthy in the process. Oh, and for all of you skeptics out there saying it's no big deal since he stole all of his wealth, he also got rich another time, legally. (We'll get more into that further down the list.)

11. He out-acted Batman on the small screen

One huge reason that The Riddler is still such a memorable comic book villain to this day is largely thanks to Frank Gorshin, the actor who played him in the 1966 Batman series. Debuting in the very first episode of the series, Gorshin absolutely killed it playing the egotistical criminal, appearing in 10 episodes overall. Oh, and then there's the little fact that Gorshin also ended up being nominated for an Emmy for his role as Batman's giggling adversary!

Now, you might be wondering, "Is that really that impressive? Surely Adam West, the actor who played Batman in that same series, was nominated as well, right?" Well, actually no, he wasn't. That's right, The Riddler was solely chosen to be nominated for such a great performance, out-staging Batman on his own TV show. Ouch.

10. He's a Master Escape Artist

Yet another one of Batman's lauded attributes is his ability to slip out of nearly any sticky situation he finds himself in. Traps, cages, you name it – the Caped Crusader will surely find a way to escape from it. But once again, this isn't a trait unique only to him. When Joker hijacks Arkham Asylum and starts releasing inmates, he's able to get a confession out of the imprisoned Riddler that he could have escaped at any time if he wanted to. Later on, The Joker himself locks the various rogues in traps, and the Clown Prince of Crime tranquilizes Riddler to force him into proving that he's already devised a way to escape.

Don't take Joker's word for it? Then look at the episode of Young Justice entitled "Terrors" where Riddler is an inmate at Belle Reve Penitentiary, a super-prison designed specifically for metahumans and supervillains. Basically, it makes Arkham look like a daycare center. Not taken seriously by the other villains attempting their own escape plans, Riddler eventually becomes the first (and only) inmate to break out of the facility.

9. He Has More Allies Than Batman (In Gotham)

Sure, Batman may have plenty of super-friends around the world (when he isn't giving them the cold-shoulder) but when it comes to the city of Gotham itself, he's severely outnumbered. When it comes to superheroes, the only two that really have his back regularly are one actively trying to kill him). Other than that, he has Catwoman, but her alignment is neutral at best, so it's not like he can really rely on her for every occasion.

Compare this to The Riddler, and... well, there is no comparison. The Joker, Harley Quinn, Two-Face, Killer Croc; the list of people Riddler has teamed with and is on good with goes far beyond Batman's range. Their shared hatred for the Dark Knight has amounted to a villainous kinship that Riddler could easily use to his advantage. (And he has.)

8. He's A Manipulative Mastermind

It's never a bad idea to have friends in high places, but who needs friends when you can have puppets? It's not unusual for some of the more major bad guys of Gotham, such as Two-Face and Penguin, to have a small army of goons to boss around – even the demented Joker has his own followers – but Riddler doesn't just settle with having ordinary lackeys.

In the Batman: Hush comic book arc, Riddler shows the full extent of his manipulative powers when he orchestrates possibly the most elaborate scheme that Batman has ever faced. During all of this, Riddler manages to reduce the majority of Batman's greatest enemies to mere pawns, from Poison Ivy to even The Joker. Most surprisingly of all, however, he somehow manages to get Superman involved with his fiendish plans as well. It's not every day you see someone using the Man of Steel as a chess piece.

7. He Beat Cancer

Cancer sucks. Like seriously, there's not many things in the world that can compete with it in of suckage levels. Even some of your favorite comic book characters have been afflicted with the horrible disease. Eddie Brock (the first person to bond with Venom) suffered from cancer, and his symbiote counterpart was the only thing keeping him alive. The philosophical super slueth known as the Question would also succumb to the disease. And, making another surprise guest appearance, Superman was also unable to conquer his bout with cancer in All-Star Superman.

When The Riddler was diagnosed with brain cancer, with no cure in sight, the egomaniac took things into his own hands and decided to take a bath in the regenerative pool that is the Lazarus Pit. Sure, this sounds simple enough, but somehow being able to even use the heavily-protected pit and getting away without Ra's al Ghul catching you is pretty darn impressive.

6. He Knows That Batman Is Bruce Wayne

Oh-ho, now we're getting to the good stuff. If there's one thing that Batman wouldn't want his enemies to know, it's what lies underneath his famous cowl. To be fair, for someone that's so protective of their true identity, this is far from the first time someone has discovered it (Robin, Batgirl, Talia al Ghul, etc.), but the idea that one of his most regularly-occurring enemies might know it must be a disturbing one for the Bat.

But just how did The Riddler figure out that Batman was Bruce Wayne? Interestingly enough, the answer came to him after bathing in the Lazarus Pit to cure his cancer. While most people that carelessly decide to take a dip tend to lose their minds (a notable side-effect), Riddler instead found himself realizing something in a sudden moment of clarity: of course Bruce Wayne is Batman! No unmasking or interrogating required; all it took was a maniacal super-genius to take a quick swim in a magic pool.