Jeremiah Arkham
Encyclopedia
Jeremiah Arkham is a fictional character
in DC Comics
' Batman
comic books, in which he serves as the current head of Arkham Asylum
, an institution for the criminally insane. He debuted in 1992 in Shadow of the Bat
#1 during the four-part story arc, Batman: The Last Arkham
, that kicked off the new series. Since the original Black Mask
was killed by Catwoman
, he became an insane supervillain taking the name of Black Mask.
died after going mad. Jeremiah proceeded to demolish the asylum before rebuilding it with state-of-the-art systems to keep Arkham's criminals, such as The Joker
, The Scarecrow
and Cornelius Stirk
, contained.
Jeremiah's background was touched upon briefly. Although not much is known about his prior history, the issue states that when he was a teenager he walked into a corner store being held up at gun point by an escaped inmate of the nearby Arkham Asylum, which was coincidentally run by his uncle. The gunman had already killed the storeowners, but when he went to shoot him, Jeremiah seemed to know all about the gunman's past and talked the gunman out of shooting him. The gunman then proceeded to commit suicide and Jeremiah knew he would be destined to succeed his uncle as the head of Arkham Asylum.
Soon after the new Arkham is built, Batman
stumbles across a series of murders resembling Zsasz's MO
. Zsasz (who also debuted in Shadow of the Bat #1) had been an inmate at Arkham Asylum for a long period, but the similarity was too much to ignore, so Batman fakes insanity to get into the asylum to investigate. However, Jeremiah is unknowing of this plot and takes Batman's insanity as genuine. Zsasz had actually been the murderer and had been getting out of Arkham by a series of underground tunnels put in place by the contractor on the asylum's revamp. Zsasz, upon hearing of Batman's arrival, predicts it's a set-up and begins to plant seeds of doubt and hatred towards Batman in Jeremiah Arkham's mind. In addition to this, Jeremiah blames Batman for stopping his inmate's rehabilitation. The situation erupts when Jeremiah locks Batman in a room and sets the inmates of Arkham on him, including Amygdala
, The Riddler and others.
After the main storyline is wrapped up, and Zsasz uncovered, Batman questions whether Jeremiah is himself mad. Jeremiah denies it, but in the closing scene of the comic, he asks himself whether he will end up like his insane uncle and whether he is indeed mad as Batman suggested.
. His role began when he was held at gunpoint by The Joker after Arkham Asylum is attacked by Bane
in order to free the asylum's inmates. The Joker attempts to scare Jeremiah into madness and Jeremiah is only saved when Batman frees him from the Joker's trap.
, he envisions a plan to rebuild Arkham Asylum, after it was destroyed by himself (as the new Black Mask
) following his capture and defeat by the new Batman
.
He also starred in the 3-issue follow up, Arkham Reborn, written by David Hine
and drawn by Jeremy Haun
. The story starts with Jeremiah returning to Arkham Asylum after it has been destroyed by the Black Glove. On his return he finds that some of the patients are still there, including his three 'special' subjects that no one knows about: No-Face, Mirror-Man and the Hamburger Lady. Once back in his office, Jeremiah finds his office a mess, spooky graffiti on the mirror and the journal of Amadeus Arkham (his Uncle) on his desk, though he thought he had burnt it. He finds his uncle's original plans for the asylum and decides it is an omen and thus starts to rebuild according to the plans.
The Asylum re-opens with the disgruntled blessing of the Gotham Shield Committee, consisting of Bruce Wayne (who was Thomas Elliot
in disguise), D.A. Kate Spencer and Commissioner Gordon. He is also joined by Aaron Cash (head of Arkham security) and the new assistant director, Alyce Sinner.
As the Asylum gets more complete more accidents happen. The Raggedy Man is set loose, Clayface
gets sick, Mr. Freeze's
room heats up and Killer Croc's
tank filtration breaks. As these events pass, Jeremiah becomes more stressed and unhinged, spending more time with his special patients.
Meanwhile, it is revealed that Alyce is having sexual relations with Black Mask. Once back at the asylum, she uses the computers to project the voice of Amadeus to the inmates and make them riot. Batman then intervenes and gets all the inmates back to their cells. Raggedy Man is found dead and Jeremiah is starting to fall apart. This is all part of the plan of Black Mask. Alyce reports back to him, apparently doing this for the money, and claims she also wants the asylum.
Jeremiah works out with Batman's help that Alyce is behind it all and she is committed. When he goes to talk to his special patients for some mental release he is confronted by a scary Jester figure (reminiscent of Joker). It is at this point he loses it. He is found by Batman and locked up with the other inmates in Arkham and Alyce is freed and made Director of the asylum.
In the end it turns out that his special patients were all a delusion and he also suffers with no recollection of when he is the Black Mask. He discovers this when Batman takes him to see the special three and after some intense moments Jeremiah attacks and "kills" them. Filled with remorse, Jeremiah is confronted with videotape of what had just occurred, courtesy of cameras hidden by a suspicious Cash. The video shows only himself, talking and attacking hallucinations. He then completely breaks down and breaks the Jester staff which lets out a gas. Upon awakening, Jeremiah remembers everything - during his sessions with inmates Hugo Strange
(a master of chemicals and psychology) and Joker, he had been given the Jester's staff, revealed to be coated in a chemical making the user very vulnerable to hypnotic suggestions. Strange and the Joker both manipulated Jeremiah, assaulting his weakened psyche: Strange encouraging an appetite for power and respect (resulting in the Black Mask personality), Joker encouraging his own style of insanity (manifesting as the Jester). Claiming to be back in control, Jeremiah is then put in intensive care. Zsasz, who had threatened him earlier, comes to kill him and mark the scar inside his eyelid to remember him by. But by the time help arrives, Jeremiah has tied up Zsasz and delicately carved his initials there himself, proving the Black Mask is far from gone.
Jeremiah Arkham is locked up and left in the care of Alyce. He confesses to her that he is Black Mask and Zsasz is proof. She then kisses him and they embrace, Jeremiah pictured as the Black Mask. It remains to be seen if Jeremiah's heavy exposure to the chemical in the staff merely made the Black Mask personality dominant, or if it has absorbed the others completely.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' Batman
Batman (comic book)
Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
comic books, in which he serves as the current head of Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
, an institution for the criminally insane. He debuted in 1992 in Shadow of the Bat
Batman: Shadow of the Bat
Batman: Shadow of the Bat was a comic book series featuring Batman, published by DC Comics. The series ran for 96 issues, from 1992 to 2000. The stories took place in Batman's then-current continuity along with Detective Comics and Batman, in contrast to Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, which...
#1 during the four-part story arc, Batman: The Last Arkham
Batman: The Last Arkham
"The Last Arkham" was a four-part Batman story arc that started the Shadow of the Bat comic book series in mid-1992. The storyline began in Shadow of the Bat #1 , and finished in Shadow of the Bat #4 . DC Comics later compiled the four issues into a trade paperback in 1996...
, that kicked off the new series. Since the original Black Mask
Black Mask (comics)
Black Mask is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. An enemy of Batman, he first appeared in Batman #386 . Black Mask was created by Doug Moench and Tom Mandrake.-Dark beginning:...
was killed by Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
, he became an insane supervillain taking the name of Black Mask.
Batman: The Last Arkham
In Batman: The Last Arkham, Jeremiah is portrayed as the somewhat sadistic administrator of Arkham Asylum who has delusions that the criminals he houses could one day be housed in society. The Asylum had come into Jeremiah's possession after his uncle Amadeus ArkhamAmadeus Arkham
Amadeus Arkham is a fictional character in DC Comics' Batman comic books, in which he was the founder of Arkham Asylum, an institution for the criminally insane. He debuted in 1989 in Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. The story is interspersed with flashbacks to Arkham founder...
died after going mad. Jeremiah proceeded to demolish the asylum before rebuilding it with state-of-the-art systems to keep Arkham's criminals, such as The Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
, The Scarecrow
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
and Cornelius Stirk
Cornelius Stirk
Cornelius Stirk is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He first appeared in Detective Comics #592 as an enemy of Batman.-Fictional character biography:...
, contained.
Jeremiah's background was touched upon briefly. Although not much is known about his prior history, the issue states that when he was a teenager he walked into a corner store being held up at gun point by an escaped inmate of the nearby Arkham Asylum, which was coincidentally run by his uncle. The gunman had already killed the storeowners, but when he went to shoot him, Jeremiah seemed to know all about the gunman's past and talked the gunman out of shooting him. The gunman then proceeded to commit suicide and Jeremiah knew he would be destined to succeed his uncle as the head of Arkham Asylum.
Soon after the new Arkham is built, Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
stumbles across a series of murders resembling Zsasz's MO
Modus operandi
Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
. Zsasz (who also debuted in Shadow of the Bat #1) had been an inmate at Arkham Asylum for a long period, but the similarity was too much to ignore, so Batman fakes insanity to get into the asylum to investigate. However, Jeremiah is unknowing of this plot and takes Batman's insanity as genuine. Zsasz had actually been the murderer and had been getting out of Arkham by a series of underground tunnels put in place by the contractor on the asylum's revamp. Zsasz, upon hearing of Batman's arrival, predicts it's a set-up and begins to plant seeds of doubt and hatred towards Batman in Jeremiah Arkham's mind. In addition to this, Jeremiah blames Batman for stopping his inmate's rehabilitation. The situation erupts when Jeremiah locks Batman in a room and sets the inmates of Arkham on him, including Amygdala
Amygdala (comics)
Amygdala is the alias of DC Comics character Aaron Helzinger, who is a sometime opponent of Batman. He has reduced mental capacity, is prone to outbursts of violence and has super-strength due to medical experimentation on his brain, chiefly the removal of his amygdala.As demonstrated in...
, The Riddler and others.
After the main storyline is wrapped up, and Zsasz uncovered, Batman questions whether Jeremiah is himself mad. Jeremiah denies it, but in the closing scene of the comic, he asks himself whether he will end up like his insane uncle and whether he is indeed mad as Batman suggested.
Knightfall saga
Jeremiah Arkham returned once again during KnightfallBatman: Knightfall
"Knightfall" is the title given to a major Batman story arc published by DC Comics that dominated Batman-related serial comic books in the spring and summer of 1993...
. His role began when he was held at gunpoint by The Joker after Arkham Asylum is attacked by Bane
Bane (comics)
Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
in order to free the asylum's inmates. The Joker attempts to scare Jeremiah into madness and Jeremiah is only saved when Batman frees him from the Joker's trap.
Black Mask
After this story arc, Jeremiah Arkham has appeared occasionally throughout Batman storylines. During Batman: No Man's Land, he opened the Asylum gates, believing it was better for his patients to be at large in a mostly abandoned city than trapped in the Asylum with limited supplies. Most recently in during the Batman: Battle for the CowlBatman: Battle for the Cowl
Batman: Battle for the Cowl is a 2009 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, three issue miniseries written and penciled by Tony Daniel, as well as a number of tie-in books. The central story details the chaos in Gotham City following the "Batman R.I.P." and "Final...
, he envisions a plan to rebuild Arkham Asylum, after it was destroyed by himself (as the new Black Mask
Black Mask (comics)
Black Mask is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. An enemy of Batman, he first appeared in Batman #386 . Black Mask was created by Doug Moench and Tom Mandrake.-Dark beginning:...
) following his capture and defeat by the new Batman
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
.
He also starred in the 3-issue follow up, Arkham Reborn, written by David Hine
David Hine
-Biography:Hine has been working in comics since the early 1980s. For Crisis he drew the series Sticky Fingers in 1989, and wrote and drew a number of short pieces in 1990 and 1991...
and drawn by Jeremy Haun
Jeremy Haun
Jeremy Haun is a freelance comic book artist based in Jopin, Missouri. Since 2002, Haun has worked for Image, IDW, Oni, DDP, Top Cow, Marvel and DC.-Career:...
. The story starts with Jeremiah returning to Arkham Asylum after it has been destroyed by the Black Glove. On his return he finds that some of the patients are still there, including his three 'special' subjects that no one knows about: No-Face, Mirror-Man and the Hamburger Lady. Once back in his office, Jeremiah finds his office a mess, spooky graffiti on the mirror and the journal of Amadeus Arkham (his Uncle) on his desk, though he thought he had burnt it. He finds his uncle's original plans for the asylum and decides it is an omen and thus starts to rebuild according to the plans.
The Asylum re-opens with the disgruntled blessing of the Gotham Shield Committee, consisting of Bruce Wayne (who was Thomas Elliot
Hush (comics)
Hush is a fictional comic book supervillain appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually as an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared in Batman #609 , as part of the 12-issue storyline, Batman: Hush...
in disguise), D.A. Kate Spencer and Commissioner Gordon. He is also joined by Aaron Cash (head of Arkham security) and the new assistant director, Alyce Sinner.
As the Asylum gets more complete more accidents happen. The Raggedy Man is set loose, Clayface
Clayface
Clayface is an alias used by several DC Comics fictional characters, most of them possessing claylike bodies and shape-shifting abilities. All of them have been enemies of Batman.-Publication history:...
gets sick, Mr. Freeze's
Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze, real name Dr. Victor Fries , is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. Created by Bob Kane, he first appeared in Batman #121 ....
room heats up and Killer Croc's
Killer Croc
Killer Croc is a comic book supervillain in the DC Universe, an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Gene Colan, while there was a shadowy cameo in Detective Comics #523 , his actual first appearance is credited to Batman #357 , which is also the first appearance of Jason...
tank filtration breaks. As these events pass, Jeremiah becomes more stressed and unhinged, spending more time with his special patients.
Meanwhile, it is revealed that Alyce is having sexual relations with Black Mask. Once back at the asylum, she uses the computers to project the voice of Amadeus to the inmates and make them riot. Batman then intervenes and gets all the inmates back to their cells. Raggedy Man is found dead and Jeremiah is starting to fall apart. This is all part of the plan of Black Mask. Alyce reports back to him, apparently doing this for the money, and claims she also wants the asylum.
Jeremiah works out with Batman's help that Alyce is behind it all and she is committed. When he goes to talk to his special patients for some mental release he is confronted by a scary Jester figure (reminiscent of Joker). It is at this point he loses it. He is found by Batman and locked up with the other inmates in Arkham and Alyce is freed and made Director of the asylum.
In the end it turns out that his special patients were all a delusion and he also suffers with no recollection of when he is the Black Mask. He discovers this when Batman takes him to see the special three and after some intense moments Jeremiah attacks and "kills" them. Filled with remorse, Jeremiah is confronted with videotape of what had just occurred, courtesy of cameras hidden by a suspicious Cash. The video shows only himself, talking and attacking hallucinations. He then completely breaks down and breaks the Jester staff which lets out a gas. Upon awakening, Jeremiah remembers everything - during his sessions with inmates Hugo Strange
Hugo Strange
Professor Hugo Strange is a fictional comic book supervillain appearing in books published by DC Comics, as an adversary of Batman. He first appeared in Detective Comics #36 , and is one of Batman's first recurring villains, preceding the Joker and Catwoman by several months...
(a master of chemicals and psychology) and Joker, he had been given the Jester's staff, revealed to be coated in a chemical making the user very vulnerable to hypnotic suggestions. Strange and the Joker both manipulated Jeremiah, assaulting his weakened psyche: Strange encouraging an appetite for power and respect (resulting in the Black Mask personality), Joker encouraging his own style of insanity (manifesting as the Jester). Claiming to be back in control, Jeremiah is then put in intensive care. Zsasz, who had threatened him earlier, comes to kill him and mark the scar inside his eyelid to remember him by. But by the time help arrives, Jeremiah has tied up Zsasz and delicately carved his initials there himself, proving the Black Mask is far from gone.
Jeremiah Arkham is locked up and left in the care of Alyce. He confesses to her that he is Black Mask and Zsasz is proof. She then kisses him and they embrace, Jeremiah pictured as the Black Mask. It remains to be seen if Jeremiah's heavy exposure to the chemical in the staff merely made the Black Mask personality dominant, or if it has absorbed the others completely.
Television
- Although Dr. Arkham didn't appear in Batman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
, a character called Dr. Bartholomew (voiced by Richard DysartRichard DysartRichard A. Dysart is an American actor, perhaps best known for his role as Leland McKenzie on the NBC legal drama L.A. Law....
) was created in his place and was somewhat naive instead of being calculating and antagonistic like Jeremiah Arkham.
Video games
- Dr. Jeremiah Arkham was featured in Batman: Dark TomorrowBatman: Dark TomorrowBatman: Dark Tomorrow is a console video game exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube and Xbox systems, based on DC Comics' Batman. It was developed by HotGen and published by Kemco in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics...
voiced by Ralph Byers. - Dr. Jeremiah Arkham appears in the Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
version of Lego BatmanLego Batman: The Video GameLego Batman: The Videogame is a action-adventure video game, created for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Mac OS X and Wii. The game is based on the comic book character Batman and the Lego Batman toy line...
. - Dr. Jeremiah Arkham appears in DC Universe OnlineDC Universe OnlineDC Universe Online or DCUO is an MMORPG by Sony Online Entertainment – Austin. Jim Lee serves as the game's Executive Creative Director, along with Carlos D'Anda, JJ Kirby, Oliver Nome, Eddie Nuñez, Livio Ramondelli, and Michael Lopez...
, voiced by David Jennison.