The Remote Encephalogram Stimulator Box
| “ | There is hardly a home without the NygmaTech Box. Critics have claimed the Box turns Gothamites into zombies. But Edward Nygma just shrugs: "That's what they said when TV was invented." | „ |
| ~ A news report about the Box |
The Remote Encephalogram Stimulator Box, also known as the Remote Encephalogram Stimulator, "3-D Box", and "The Box", is a mind-reading device created by Edward Nygma (also known as the Riddler) in Batman Forever. This device was afronted as 3D television equipment, able to transmit brainwaves through a TV to create 3-D images.
History
One particular day, while Fred Stickley, the head of Wayne Enterprises' Electronics Division, was showing Bruce Wayne the inventions at Wayne Enterprises, they were interrupted by Edward Nygma, a worker who idolized Wayne and who did not get along well with Stickley. Nygma showed Bruce his prized invention, the original Remote Encephalogram Stimulator which would beam T.V. signals into people's brains. Edward was hoping to have it ready for human trails and get it accepted, even though Stickley had terminated the project that morning, but Bruce rejected it, saying that it "raises too many questions", and left. Stickley angrily ordered the shocked Edward back to work.
Later that late evening, Stickley saw Edward testing out his supposedly-terminated invention. Angrily, he went to contact security, but was knocked out by Edward, who strapped him to a rolling chair and tested the invention on him as his first test subject. It worked pretty well, as Stickley actually starts to enjoy this as first as he sees bass fish swimming from the screen. However, the result also transferred most of Stickley's neural energy into Edward's mind, increasing his IQ greatly. Although Stickley was unaffected by the process, he saw it as a serious breach of ethics and threatened to report Edward to the authorities after firing him, but Edward responded by pushing Stickley out of the window to his death in the reservoir below. Edward faked Stickley's demise by writing a suicide note in Stickley's handwriting and forging the cameras to show a simulation of Stickley madly jumping out of the window himself.
It was used later by The Riddler and his partner in crime, Two-Face, to gain the knowledge of others by absorbing all of their neural energy as well as to discover the secret identity of Batman.
This device was finally put into production to make more Remote Encephalogram Stimulators and funded by the Riddler's company NygmaTech which was secretly and recently financed by both the Riddler and Two-Face as part of their plan due to their rising crime wave that hit every bank, casino, and jewelry shop in Gotham City. Also the Remote Encephalogram Stimulator's design was used in the creation of the "Master Box" situated atop the emerald-green crystal-like dome at the center of NygmaTech's main factory headquarters on the Claw Island outside of Gotham.
After the successful promotion of NygmaTech and their 3D Box products, the company then hosted a grand party celebrating their founding president Edward Nygma's achievement within the grand ballroom at the roof of the Ritz Gotham Hotel. It is where they also presented and condone Nymga's newest 3D holographic fantasy projection. Sugar, one of Two-Face's symbolic and loyal love interests alongside Spice, came alone as a date for the Riddler (who was under his real identity of Edward Nygma) at the Ritz Gotham to help him show his new improved box to Gotham. She goes with Edward to help him show the qualities of his new Box that gives fully holographic fantasies. After urging Bruce to try the machine himself, Edward dances with Bruce's date Dr. Chase Meridian. Bruce goes up to inspect the machine. Sugar shows Bruce Wayne Nygma's invention. Sugar takes the opportunity to follow him, and asks him if he is looking for something. He covers up his panic by telling her that he was just wondering how it could be turned off. She shows him by removing a green tube-like memory stick from the control panel. But while Bruce goes in, she secretly puts another one in, which was what Edward had planned all along, to read Bruce's mind, to absorb all his thoughts and dreams. Meanwhile, Two Face, Spice and his thugs later broke in and started robbing the guests in his impatient attempt to lure out the Dark Knight, only to be stopped by Batman himself.
The Riddler alters the Bat-Signal by projecting a question mark into the sky with the original bat symbol forming the dot at the base via NygmaTech's newest laser technology after the recent nightly attack on Wayne Manor and the capture of Dr. Chase Meridian. After agreeing on a partnership with Robin, Batman flew this Batwing to Claw Island to end Two-Face and The Riddler's reign of terror. On the way, Batman drove through the altered Batsignal which changed back to it's normal state and gave a "thumbs up" to the ecstatic Commissioner Gordon and the Gotham City Police Department from the cockpit of the plane as he based through it. Upon approach of the island, the Riddler fired a high-powered laser at the Batwing from his Master Box, causing it to crash into Gotham Harbor. Batman ejected it's wings, and proceeded to pilot the Batwing in its Batsub mode. When he found Robin being attacked by the Riddler's Frogmen, Batman ejected himself through the front of the Batsub to fight them.
After Batman destroyed the green crystal antenna connecting to the NygmaTech factory's Master Box on Claw Island and following both the death of Two-Face and the mental breakdown of the Riddler, all the 3-D Boxes were all suddenly shut down permanently and finally decommissioned and NygmaTech would no longer be in business.
Users and Victims
- The Riddler
- Two-Face
- Fred Stickley
- Sugar (briefly)(briefly)
- Spice (briefly)(briefly)
- Various citizens of Gotham City
- Bruce Wayne (briefly)
Trivia
- Similarly, in the comic book series Batman: Dark Victory, after brokering a tentative alliance with Batman, the Riddler changes the signal, projecting a question mark into the sky in order to let Batman know that he has an answer for him.
- It's alias "The Box" is the name of both the titular Box from the 2009 psychological horror movie The Box and the Lament Configuration (also known as the Puzzle Box) from the Hellraiser franchise.