Count Vertigo | |
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![]() Count Vertigo as depicted in Who's Who in the DC Universe #3 (October 1990). Art by Trevor Von Eeden. | |
Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
First appearance | World's Finest Comics #251 (July 1978) |
Created by | Gerry Conway (writer) Trevor Von Eeden (penciller) Vince Colletta (inker) |
In-story information | |
Full name | Count Werner Vertigo (1978–2011) Count Werner Zytle (2011–present) |
Species | Metahuman |
Team affiliations | Secret Society of Super Villains Checkmate Suicide Squad Injustice Society Longbow Hunters Injustice League |
Notable aliases | White Queen's Knight |
Abilities |
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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, which was taken over by the Soviet Union and later 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. Additionally, Michael York, Greg Ellis, and Steve Blum have voiced Vertigo in animation.
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]
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]
Vertigo joins the Suicide Squad in exchange for a shortened prison sentence, and it is revealed that he has bipolar disorder. After the Suicide Squad disbands, Vertigo is captured by Vlatavan rebels, who intend to use his powers to overthrow the government before Amanda Waller rescues him. [1] [4]
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. [1] [5] [6] [7] [8]
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. [9] [10]
Count Vertigo is trained in classical martial combat and the sports of boxing, fencing, and equestrianism. He has also been trained in judo and karate.
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. In later appearances, he gains the ability of flight.
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. [11] [12]
The Arrow incarnation of Werner Zytle appears in the non-canonical tie-in comic Arrow: Season 2.5 .