Source: tumblr.com
2. The Penny Plunderer
Sometimes odd elements become iconography for a particular comic book character. They transcend medium and era, and eventually become stripped of all original context.
This is the case with the giant penny in the Batcave. It’s always there. It’s a huge part of what makes the Batcave the Batcave. It’s that, the dinosaur, and the playing card that every Batcave needs. So where did it come from? Why, the Penny Plunderer, of course!!
Born Joseph Coyne, The Plunderer started off as a newspaperman, but was caught stealing pennies whenever he could, so he was fired. He later tried to rob a store, but found that the cash register was filled entirely with pennies. Man, this story’s logic was seriously harmed by post-1947 inflation, wasn’t it? So Joseph decided to just go along with it, and started committing specifically penny-themed crimes.
I’ll be honest, if a guy told me he was out to steal pennies, and only pennies, I’d probably just let him have them. Like, that’s less time than going to a friggin’ Coinstar machine. I have a box of pennies sitting in a desk drawer right now that I have done nothing with. Penny Plunderer! Take my pennies!!
