Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum is a prison that features in DC Comics.
Contents |
History
Origin
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane was a mental asylum and prison that existed in Gotham City.
Modern
The son of an Arkham Asylum guard named Lewis Bayard later gained powers where he took the identity of the White Knight. Obsessed with saving people, he looked to stop others from falling into darkness and ending up in the asylum. Thus, he started to target the families of the in-mates where he first started with Francine Langstrom and her children but they were saved by Batman. The White Knight then targeted the other in-mates families and succeeded in killing a number of them whereupon he decided the culmination of his efforts would be murdering the prisoners. Breaking into Arkham Asylum, he attempted to flood the cells of the prisoners but was stopped by Batman and Robin who saved the in-mates. The White Knight was then admitted into Arkham as another in-mate to be treated for his crimes. (Batman and Robin v1 #22)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
A riot occurred one day at Arkham with a pregnant Ingrid Karlsson being trapped within the Asylum at the time. During that moment, she had to deliver the baby with the in-mates actually deciding to help in the birth as Ingrid was well loved by the people in the prison. This led to the birth of Astrid Arkham but then a stray batarang broke through Clayface's body and struck at the neck of Karlsson which killed her as a result. The riot ended afterwards but everyone in the asylum went into mourning over her death. Meanwhile, the newborn Astrid Arkham was given to her father Jeremiah where he kept her sheltered and protected whilst he worked at the asylum. (Detective Comics v1 #1004)
During the Night of the Owls, the Court of Owls dispatched several of their half-living Talon assassins to eliminate key figures in Gotham with among them being Jeremiah Arkham who was sentenced to death for harbouring and encouraging criminals in the city. Batman managed to arrive to save Jeremiah Arkham with some of the imprisoned in-mates even helping to stop the Talons sent into the Asylum. (Detective Comics v2 #9)
The Victim Syndicate struck at the Asylum where they took the 130 staffers hostage with them demanding that Batman meet them and reveal his identity to the world. (Detective Comics v1 #971)
Afterwards, a massive Joker Toxin attack was made at Arkham Asylum where a new variant was used that caused its people to die silently without the characteristic laugh. This was responsible for killing 500 people at the asylum which included staff and prisoners with among the dead being Bane. (Infinite Frontier v1 #0) The high death count led to the event being known as A-Day with an effort being made to hunt down the Joker who was believed to be responsible for the attack though he was outside Gotham at the time. (The Joker v2 #1) In the aftermath, a new mental health facility was established to replace the asylum with this being Arkham Tower. (Detective Comics v1 #1044)
Overview
Arkham was said to be highly compartmentalised with one chamber leading to another. (Detective Comics v2 #9)
The East Wing of the Asylum was designed by Mister Miracle with the express purpose of holding the Joker and keeping Harley Quinn from breaking him out. It had only a single key to enter the section making it a highly secured part of the building. (Batman v3 #17)
It was said that the Asylum had the greatest security features in the United States. (Detective Comics v2 #9)
Inhabitants
Staff
- Amadeus Arkham :
- Jeremiah Arkham :
- Alyce Sinner :
- Anne Carver :
- Charles Nigaff :
- Aaron Cash :
- Ingrid Karlsson : a blonde haired woman who was a general care physician where she and Jeremiah Arkham fell in love with them marrying. She was pregnant when a riot occurred where the in-mates helped deliver her daughter Astrid Arkham but Ingrid was killed by a stray batarang. (Detective Comics v1 #1004)
- Jocasta Joy :
Patients
- Joker :
- Two-Face :
- Riddler :
- Poison Ivy :
- Scarecrow :
- Bane :
- Victor Zsasz :
- Nocturna :
- Black Mask :
- Jane Doe :
- White Knight : Lewis Bayard was a ginger haired male who was the son of an Arkham security guard that was killed during a riot. After gaining powers, he decided to save people from falling into darkness and ending up in Arkham where he took on the identity of the White Knight with him targeting the families of the in-mates. He ultimately tried to kill the in-mates but was stopped by Batman with him being admitted into the asylum. (Batman and Robin v1 #22)
- Steeljacket : Patient 372 was a male who had been genetically manipulated to allow his bones to be hollow alongside his mind. (Detective Comics v2 #9)
- Fright : Linda Friitawa was disfigured by illegal chemicals both inside and out that fused with her blood cells due to machinations of the Penguin and Scarecrow. (Detective Comics v2 #9)
- Millie Jane Cobblepot :
Notes
- Arkham Asylum was created by Dennis O'Neil and Irv Novick where it made its first appearance in Batman v1 #258 (October, 1974).
Alternate Versions
- In Batman: Curse of the White Knight v1 (2019), an alternate version of Arkham Asylum was introduced into the setting. Originally, it was Arkham Manor that belonged to Lafayette Arkham who was a general in the British army that controlled the Gotham Valley in the 1600's. He came to be regarded as a vampire and became the source of a children's poem with him being killed by Edmond Wayne. Afterwards, the estate became Fort Arkham and eventually was converted into Arkham Asylum by the modern age.
In other media
Television
- In the Gotham, Arkham Asylum appeared in the live-action television series where it was shown to be part of the Arkham District within Gotham City. It was said to had been closed down 15 years ago with the Wayne family sponsoring the redevelopment of the site to help the unfortunate. After their death, Mayor Aubrey James planed to improve upon the district using the Arkham Plan created by Thomas Wayne. It was usurped by the crime families of Gotham with both Carmine Falcone and Sal Morani fighting to take control of it. Hostilities would erupt when key councilmen being murdered by the opposing family through a hired hitman who killed councilman Zeller that was allied with Maroni and Council Ron Jenkins allied with Falcone. Jenkins was burnt alive by the hitman within Arkham Asylum leading tot he involvement of the Gotham City Police Department to catch the murderer. Afterwards, Mayor James held a press conference regarding the Arkham Plan stating that Falcone would handle the small housing developments in the Arkham District whilst Maroni refurbished the Asylum itself to make it operational.
- In the Arrowverse, Arkham Asylum made multiple appearances in the shared continuity setting:
- In Arrow, Arkham Asylum made its first appearance in the live-action television series where it appeared during the "Elseworlds" cross over.
- In Supergirl, Arkham Asylum appeared in the live-action television series during the third part of the "Elseworlds" cross over.
Films
- In Batman: Assault on Arkham, Arkham Asylum featured in the animated film. Amanda Waller dispatched the Suicide Squad to the Asylum in order to recover a thumb drive in the Riddler's cane containing Task Force X files that needed to be recovered.
- In Suicide Squad, Arkham Asylum was shown in the DC Extended universe in the live-action film. It was shown in flash back sequences where the Joker was locked away inside and visited by psychiatrist Dr. Harleen Quinzel.
- In Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants, Arkham Asylum made an appearance in the direct to video animated film. An Arkham Division (ARK) was shown to exist in the Gotham police with officers stationed as security for Arkham Asylum. The Penguin and Mr. Freeze broke into the Asylum where they freed Bane, Killer Croc, Chemo and Clayface.
- In Justice League vs. the Fatal Five, Arkham Asylum appeared in the setting of the 2019 animated film. When Starboy was trapped in the present, his medication was destroyed and it was not invented in this era thus causing him to fall into mental instability due to his condition. This caused him to lash out with his powers leading to Batman arresting him and having him place in Arkham Asylum as he was not aware of Thom Kallor's background.
- In Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Arkham Asylum appeared in the setting of the 2019 animated film adaptation of the comic crossover. Ra's al Ghul and the Shredder murdered the staff as they broke into the Asylum in order to meet the captive Joker so that they could acquire the formula for his Joker Venom. In exchange, he was given a sample of Mutagen which he released into the prison thus turning the in-mates into animal mutations. The Turtles, Batman and his allies entered into the Asylum in pursuit of Ra's as well as Shredder but instead had to battle the mutated in-mates.
Video games
- In Batman: Arkham Asylum, the location served as the primary setting within the video game. A viral website that released with the game identified ArkhamCare that was the public face of the institution that offered a range of services for the care of patients.
- In Batman: The Telltale Series, Arkham Asylum was mentioned in the 2016 video game. Mrs. Cobblepot had supposedly been falsely committed to the institution by Thomas Wayne who had sent other innocents into the Asylum. Harvey Dent desired to shut down the institution and replace it with a state of the art mental health care facility. Oswald Cobblepot along with a group called the Children of Arkham had formed with the intention of publically exposing Thomas Wayne's imprisonment of innocents to the public.
Appearances
- Batman v1: (1974)
- Detective Comics v1:
- Batman and Robin v1:
- Detective Comics v1:
External Links
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