Iceberg Lounge
| Iceberg Lounge | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Detective Comics (vol. 1) #683 (March, 1995) |
| Created by | Chuck Dixon |
| In-story information | |
| Type of business | Nightclub |
| Base(s) | Gotham City |
| Owner(s) | Penguin |
| Employee(s) | Jay, Raven, and Lark |
Iceberg Lounge is a fictional business organization appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is a Gotham City nightclub owned and run by the Penguin, an adversary of the superhero Batman, as a legitimate business front for his criminal operations. Batman sometimes uses the nightclub as a source of criminal underworld information.
Seemingly tiring of the criminal lifestyle, Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot) went "legit" and opened an upscale nightclub, "The Iceberg Lounge". He has three new women running his club for him in his absence: Jay, Raven, and Lark. The Iceberg Lounge is the hottest new place in town according to Gotham's jaded in-crowd. The preening Penguin enjoys the good life, but he hasn't entirely abandoned his criminal ways. Using the club as a front, the Penguin secretly continues to control Gotham City's underworld by bartering in illegal information and stolen goods, often with the help of his loyal waitresses (The Iceberg Ladies) who are armed with martial arts and military training. The two-story, 12,800-square-foot restaurant and lounge included a large pool for pet seals and penguins in the center dining area, an iceberg-like sculpture in the pool, a ship themed dance floor,and polar décor. A tuxedoed jazz band on the sculpture is often seen playing tunes. The Penguin has his own private dining area, upstairs near the bar where he can oversee everything. Some of the nightclub's more secret areas include the Penguin's office and armory, and some of the Iceberg Lounge's hidden back rooms, which serve various criminal purposes. Batman often infiltrates the Iceberg Lounge to keep an eye on The Penguin's after-hours activities, usually under the guise of Matches Malone. The Iceberg Lounge has been frequented by many minor and major rogues alike, from The Joker to Amygdala.
The building sustained serious damage when an earthquake struck Gotham City, but the Penguin continued to operate, moving the lounge to the Davenport Towers. Then, when the federal government withdrew support, the city became a No Man's Land, and still the Penguin operated, profiting more than ever. He bartered goods and services to all comers, siphoning off enough to sustain himself. He also knew of an access tunnel that enabled materiel and supplies to flow into the city. After the city was reintegrated into the United States, the Penguin had the lounge rebuilt, only to discover that the building was now owned by Bruce Wayne, who kept a close eye on the business. Soon after, the Penguin was chased out of Gotham City by Black Mask, but he returned and continued to operate the lounge.
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