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 that was taken over by the Soviets and later became devastated by the Spectre. Two incarnations of Count Vertigo, Cecil Adams and Werner Zytle, appear in Arrow, portrayed by Seth Gabel and Peter Stormare respectively.

Publication history

Count Vertigo first appears in World's Finest Comics #251 (July 1978) and was created by Gerry Conway, Trevor Von Eeden, and Vince Colletta.

Fictional character biography

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. As Count Vertigo, he becomes an enemy of Green Arrow and Black Canary. He would later come to join the Suicide Squad in exchange for a shortened prison sentence, and it was revealed that he was plagued by bipolar disorder. After the Suicide Squad disbands, Count Vertigo is captured by Vlatavan rebels, who intend to use his powers to overthrow the government and manipulate him using drugs. However, Amanda Waller frees Vertigo, after which he undergoes therapy to remove the drugs' effects. Furthermore, he forgives Poison Ivy, who previously worked to capture him. 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.

The New 52 / Werner Zytle

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.

Powers and abilities

Being raised in a noble family, Vertigo was trained in classical martial combat and the sports of boxing, fencing, and equestrianism. He has also been trained in judo and general karate. Upon joining Task Force X and Checkmate, he learned other hand-to-hand combat skills. 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. He also has in recent years gained the ability of flight.

Other versions

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.

In other media

Television

Film

Video games

Miscellaneous

The Arrow incarnation of Werner Zytle appears in the non-canonical tie-in comic Arrow: Season 2.5.