Mr pingouin Oswald Cobblepot

The origin I see  as canon:
Oswald Cobblepot was once an honest petstore proprieter. He was made fun of, due to his name (Gobble gobble gobble say the kids), his looks, his walk and that he always carried an umbrella (his ailing mother insisted that he do so, as it just might rain).
Much of his earnings went to help his mother.

Finally she began to fail, and died despite the doctors. The doctor bills, the funeral and then the store was foreclosed on. He snapped from all this and became a criminal. His trained birds, his umbrella now rigged with gadgets (a gun , helicopter blades...)