Ventriloquist

Arnold Wesker

Arnold and Scarface

A meek, quiet man, Arnold Wesker plans and executes his crimes through a dummy named Scarface, with the dress and persona of a 1920s gangster, complete with pinstripe suit, cigar, and Tommy gun.  His name comes from the nickname of Al Capone after whom Scarface is modeled.

Born into a powerful Mafia Family, Wesker developed Dissociative Identity Disorder after seeing his mother murdered by an assassin from a rival Family. Growing up, his only outlet is ventriloquism.

After a barroom brawl in which he kills someone during a violent release of his repressed anger, Wesker is sent to Blackgate Penitentiary.  He is introduced to Woody - a dummy carved from the former gallows by cellmate Donnegan - who convinces him to escape and kill Donnegan in a fight which scars the dummy, thus resulting in the birth of Scarface.

Wesker lets the Scarface personality do the dirty work, including robbery and murder.  He is totally dominated by Scarface, who barks orders at him and degrades him with verbal and even physical abuse.  Wesker is unable to enunciate the letter "B" while throwing his voice, and replaces it with the letter "G" instead.  For example, Wesker often calls Batman "Gatman."  It is often made ambiguous whether Scarface is an aspect of Wesker's personality, or actually has sentience.

It is revealed that a gangster named "Scarface" Scarelli had once been active in Gotham City, though had apparently died long before Batman's era.  A supernatural aspect to Scarface was hinted at when Wesker's cellmate creates the first Scarface doll from a piece of gallows wood.  A 2001 story arc reinforces this and shows the dummy to be indirectly responsible for two accidents while separated from Wesker (with at least one fatality).  The dummy also retained his speech impediment while operated by a young boy and seemed to even show awareness of his name during this period.

The Ventriloquist is one of many villains in the Rogues Gallery to be confined to Arkham Asylum when Batman apprehends him.  One particularly memorable series of events concerning him took place during the Knightfall saga, after Bane had destroyed Arkham and released its inmates.  Unable to find Scarface, the Ventriloquist uses a sock puppet in his place for a short time.  After robbing a toy store, he procures a number of other hand puppets to fill in for Scarface, including one of a police officer which he refers to as "Chief O'Hara".  Wesker uses the sock puppet to fill in as an alter-ego until he can find a suitable replacement for Scarface; later, Scarface and "Socko" are set at odds until a standoff occurs, and the puppets shoot each other, leaving Wesker unconscious and bleeding from two wounded hands.   

Death

Wesker is fatally shot by an unseen assailant.  The puppet Scarface is stepped on and its head crushed.  The dying Wesker uses Scarface's hand to leave a clue regarding his murder, a street name.  It is revealed that Tally Man, acting as an enforcer for the Great White Shark, is responsible for the murder.   
 

Black Lantern Arnold and Scarface

During the Blackest Night, Arnold Wesker's body was raised by a black power ring and became a Black Lantern.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Peyton Riley

Peyton Riley

A new female Ventriloquist, called Peyton Riley and Sugar by Scarface, has become the new Ventriloquist.  She is a more compatible partner than Wesker, since Scarface no longer substitutes "b" with "g" and is much more compliant with Scarface's brutal methods.  She and Scarface seem to have a relationship similar to the Joker and Harley Quinn, as she seems to believe that the dummy truly loves her.  When nearly captured by Batman and Harley she has Scarface say, "Save yourself."

Unlike Wesker, who was horrified at any damage to Scarface, Sugar rigs her dummies to explode, using this to cover her escapes.  She has numerous identical dummies at her hideout, one of which then becomes the "real" Scarface.   

 Scarface kidnaps a rival gangster, Johnny Sabatino, and takes Bruce Wayne hostage.  While alone, "Sugar" breaks from Scarface and talks to Bruce in what appears to be her 'real' personality.  She reveals that she knows Wayne, as she was engaged to a friend of his 'years ago.'  This friend was in fact Tommy Elliot.  Her name is revealed to be Peyton Riley, as Wayne recognizes her, and she expresses remorse before the Scarface reappears and interrupts their conversation.  Bruce and Peyton actually knew each other before that, It was revealed where she is shown being introduced to him on a date with his friend Matthew Atkins in a flashback.

Shortly after this, Riley reveals her father, an Irish mob boss named Sean Riley, wanted to marry her off to Sabatino, forming a permanent alliance between Gotham's Irish and Italian gangs.  Sean Riley therefore assaults Peyton's fiance, leaving him in intensive care.  He subsequently becomes an alcoholic, and Peyton is forced to marry Sabatino.  This does not lead to the hoped for gang alliance, as Sabatino is an inept gangster.  He and Peyton are eventually taken to see Scarface, as Sabatino had cheated him on a weapons deal.  Both Scarface and Wesker are impressed by Peyton's intelligence, and gave Sabatino a second chance, taking 30% of his profits.

Tommy Elliot decided to kill his mother.  She helped cover it up by getting some of her father's men to kill the family lawyer.  The two would break up after that happened though.   

When Scarface's hold on the mobs begins to crumble, Sabatino, now a successful criminal, decides to cement his own position by wiping out the Rileys.  After killing his father-in-law, he takes Peyton to a gangster hide-out and shoots her.  She is not killed, but recovers consciousness just as Tally Man is killing Wesker nearby.  Peyton finds the body of Wesker, and is shocked to hear Scarface talking to her.  Although suspecting she may be hallucinating, she forms a partnership with him.

Scarface and Peyton plan to throw Sabatino over the side of his own yacht (ironically a wedding present from Sean Riley).   Zatanna rescues Wayne and, as Batman, he rescues Sabatino while she tries to talk down Peyton, explaining that dolls and puppets have powerful magic, but Peyton no longer needs to seek vengeance.  Before she can have any effect, Moose hits her with an oar.  While Batman protects Zatanna from Moose, Peyton makes another attempt to throw Sabatino over the side, but gets too close, and he begins to strangle her with his own bonds.  Scarface quietly says "Jump, Sugar" and Peyton sends them both over the side.  Before they hit the water, Scarface says "G'bye, kiddo. I loved y..."