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"Arkham City is an equal opportunity penal system; so-called super-criminals will not be afforded any special treatment."
—Hugo Strange's introduction video

Arkham City (also identified as Old Gotham) is a mega-prison that was constructed to house all the inmates from both Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison.

The concept of Arkham City was established long before the Joker's takeover of Arkham Asylum, conceived by Professor Hugo Strange and his secret master, Ra's al Ghul, and expanded on by Warden and later Mayor Quincy Sharp. The Joker's riot served as the lynchpin that the trio needed to enact the scheme. Arkham City was mostly shut down after Strange's and Ra's deaths. After Batman and Robin defeated Harley Quinn, Arkham City was officially shut down.

History

"I remember this place before they built a wall around it. Sucked then too."
—One of the various mooks commenting on Arkham City

Arkham Asylum was heavily damaged during the Joker's takeover, and many of its deranged inmates remained on the loose after his defeat, including Bane, Calendar Man, Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Mr. Freeze, and Two-Face. The asylum also suffered in losses among Arkham staff. At least 113 personnel died during the Joker's takeover, 103 of which were security guards.

Identified casualties included guard Thomas Armbruster and chief member of security Frank Boles. Aaron Cash, Louie Green, Eddie Burlow, William North, and Zach Franklin made up much of the surviving members of security. At least 10 medical staff also fell during the chaos, including Dr. Penelope Young and orderly Robert Stirling.

Despite presiding over the disaster of the Asylum, Warden Quincy Sharp launched a successful bid for the role of Mayor of Gotham City following the first game. He proposed to the city government to rebuild Arkham, not on the island, but in the city itself. The proposal was approved and Dr. Hugo Strange, a top psychiatrist, was selected to administrate the new Arkham. Due to the damage to the island, it was decided that the city would sell the rights to Arkham Island to the highest bidder. TYGER, a private security company quickly purchased the island and, soon after, was named as the primary contractor for security in Arkham City.

Numerous people were involved in the new Asylum's creation, but by the time it was finished, most if not all of those involved were captured by Strange and imprisoned within the city walls as "loose ends."

As the new Asylum opened, Sharp, paranoid to end crime in Gotham, labeled everyone and anyone who even had the slightest criminal record to be inmates of Arkham City and had them imprisoned without trial or the right to objections. Strange furthered that by imprisoning anyone trying to investigate or speak out against the Asylum.

Commissioner James Gordon, suspicious of Strange's intentions and unaware of the abduction of political prisoners, sent in a ten-man squad of undercover cops from the 13th precinct to investigate what was really going on in Arkham City. Unfortunately, in an interview, Strange tipped the Penguin off to the undercover cops. They weren't able to report back before their true status as cops were exposed, and resulted in their capture by the Penguin's gang.

After he believed that the new asylum was a ticking time bomb, Bruce Wayne began making public moves against the asylum's existence, which resulted in his own incarceration into Arkham City. From within the asylum, as Batman, Bruce discovered the political climate within the city as well as the political prisoners and Strange's secret alliance with Ra's al Ghul.

During Wayne's movements inside the city, Strange decided that Quincy Sharp had outlived his usefulness, had him stripped of his position as mayor, had him incarcerated into Arkham City, and personally used the intentionally corralled chaos within the asylum to convince the Gotham City Council Members to enact Protocol 10: the destruction of the asylum and deaths of all the prisoners within.

As Protocol 10 was enacted, Batman confronted Strange personally and Ra's killed Strange for being defeated by Bruce. The chaos within the asylum was finally quelled when the Joker and Batman confronted each other within the asylum one final time, which resulted in the Joker's death and the asylum's condemnation.

With the decree that the entire asylum site be shut down as soon as possible, as a result, Sharp's martial law was overturned and Gordon and the Gotham City Police Department were given back full jurisdiction in Gotham City. They were sent to arrest all TYGER forces, transferred all of the inmates away from the prison, rescued all the falsely imprisoned, and shut down the site once and for all.

However, Harley and Joker's remaining gang attacked the officers and forced them to retreat, but the GCPD managed to knock out Quinn and took her to the ward. For the next two weeks, SWAT forces evacuated the mega-prison, however, Harley soon escaped and took over the Industrial District. As that was one of the last areas that were needed to be evacuated, the GCPD was forced to keep the site under lockdown and eventually summoned Batman. Quinn took various police officers hostage, Batman was lured into a trap by Harley, and subsequently went missing for two days. Worried, Oracle sent Robin in to investigate and locate Batman before Quinn could put her plans to kill Batman, Robin, and herself as vengeance for Joker's death into effect.

Following her defeat, Harley Quinn and her gang were rounded up by the GCPD, and Arkham City was officially shut down.

After Closing

After the death of the Joker, the GCPD stormed the prison and arrested most of the villains: Victor Zsasz, Two-Face, Mad Hatter, Deadshot, Bane, Mr. Freeze, Black Mask, Penguin, Riddler, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy. There were some villains that they didn't find: Hush and the Calendar Man. They also could not find Ra's or Talia al Ghul's bodies. Later on, Bruce Wayne decided to make Gotham Reborn to reintegrate Arkham City back into Gotham City.

Unfortunately, as Hugo Strange had wrongfully imprisoned so many innocents and even those who had paid their debt to society, every last inmate was released. Commissioner Gordon was less than pleased, having to put up with parole hearings that were for formality's sake; Riddler was amused by this. Batman later dropped off tons of evidence from Arkham City at GCPD, belonging to Joker, Killer Croc, Mr. Freeze, Mad Hatter, Bane, Ra's al Ghul, and Deadshot. He even donated his R.E.C. to the evidence room as he had no use for it.


Role And Function

Arkham City was a cordoned off section of Gotham City largely compromised of the area known as "Old Gotham", created after the events of Joker's takeover of Arkham Asylum. Administrated by Hugo Strange under the command of Quincy Sharp and staffed by TYGER as it's regular security forces, it was intended, in theory, to both serve as a more effective containment for criminals and to facilitate their gradual curing and rehabilitation.

In reality, it was effectively a lawless zone where aside from Strange's rule no one should attempt escape, no serious efforts were made to rehabilitate its population, token efforts by Strange (who was more interested in various inmates for his own reasons than any desire to help them) aside. In fact, Strange deliberately encouraged the lawlessness, hoping it would reach a boiling point that would enable him to kill the population with legal sanction, thus ridding Gotham of much of its criminal element and would, as far as he was concerned, make him far more effective than the law or Batman at stopping crime.

Accordingly, while limited medical services were provided and food dropped by helicopters via supply crates were provided as token attempts to provide social services, it was little more than window dressing to disguise the fact Strange cared little to nothing for the long-term welfare of the imprisoned. In reality, this led to prisoners fighting each other for the limited resources and simply helped Strange achieve the boiling point of chaos he needed to legally enact Protocol Ten.

All prisoners who were transferred or wrongfully imprisoned in Arkham City were quickly processed and placed in the facility where they would have to fend for themselves in order to survive. New inmates would have to seek out shelter in one of several abandoned buildings or in the makeshift shanty town near the wall of the prison. A few high profile villains including Joker, Penguin, Two-Face, Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze were able to use their powers or criminal assets in order to claim several key areas of Old Gotham that they used as their primary hideouts.

Among the villains who retained the most power while trapped in Arkham City were Joker, Penguin, Two Face, and arguably Riddler. The first three had transferred in along with their respective crews and quickly gained control of several areas of the old city. Unknown to them however, many of their own henchmen secretly worked for Riddler and were given the knowledge of several challenges he had set up for Batman. Following Penguin’s defeat and capture most of his crew defected to either Joker or Two Face’s crew. These gangs typically seized most of the food drops that strange provided for the prison population and had access to firearms.

The Joker and his crew took over and occupied the old Sionis Steel Mill while Penguin and his gang resided within the Gotham Museum and the adjacent Iceberg Lounge. Two-Face situated his crew in the Solomon Wayne Courthouse after taking it from Calendar Man who he’d imprisoned in a cell below. Following his defeat at the hands of Batman and Catwoman, Two-Face went into hiding and seeming abandoned the courthouse, although several of his men continued to patrol the area around the building.

As Arkham City was cordoned off from nearly all outside surveillance, Strange had nearly complete control over what the outside world knew of its workings, though enough information leaked out during the time of it's construction and via disenchanted former employees for the outside world to gain some idea of its true purpose. Bruce Wayne, in particular, attempted to lead a peaceful protest and organize a movement against Arkham City to press for its closure, though Strange, knowing Wayne's alter-ego, realized this was an attempt to topple Arkham City's legitimacy and so he had TYGER operatives extralegally arrest Wayne on dubious charges.

As Batman, Wayne would become quite aware alongside others like Vicki Vale and Jack Ryder of the numerous innocent people who had been falsely imprisoned, the horrific lawlessness, and due to their survival of Protocol Ten, were able to effectively provide evidence that ensured Arkham City's status as a legally established detention center was permanently stripped and the entire facility permanently closed.

Known Inmates

Political Prisoners

Aside from the inmates, there were other people inside Arkham City. Some were there voluntarily, while others (like Vicki Vale) came there by accident. People who entered Arkham City voluntarily included: Thomas Elliot (A.K.A. Hush), Aaron Cash, Eddie Burlow, William North and other members of the medical team. Talia and Ra's al Ghul were also present in Arkham City voluntarily.

Known Staff

Arkham City Inmate Quotes

Local Surveillance

  • "Arkham City? Go to hell."
  • "I forget, do they ever explain what the island was?"
  • "Harley's gonna run things after Joker dies? That won't last long."
  • "I heard the Riddler is back. Looks like they're right."
  • "I hate being watched. There're cameras everywhere."
  • "Joker locked himself away. No one seen him."
  • "Bruce Wayne? Forgot about him. No way he'd make it in here."
  • "This city has lost its mind. Sharp's handed control over to Hugo Strange, a mad man!"
  • "Hope Strange is keeping nice and warm up in that tower of his."
  • "What's Batman doing in here anyway? Ain't this place a prison?"
  • "He may be mayor, but Sharpie is still the same old a-hole."
  • "What's the deal with all the new weapons those TYGER creeps are using. They're insane."
  • "Joker can't die. No way I'll work for Cobblepot."
  • "What's Batman's stake in this?"
  • "We have enough guards here! What do we need Batman for?"
  • "This is insane! Sharp and Strange have turned the whole city into one big prison!"
  • "With any luck, the Bat's dead by now."
  • "Wayne's my golden ticket out of here."
  • "Who the hell is this Strange guy, anyway?"
  • "Yo, Strange! How about a couple blankets, scarfs, earmuffs, anything! We're freaking freezing here!"
  • "I heard Bruce Wayne got put in Arkham City. I'd like to get five minutes with that rich son of a bitch."
  • "Who's next in line after Joker? Not Harley. She won't last one day."
  • "Swear to God, if I ever see Hugo Strange, he's a dead man."
  • "I thought Sharp wants to be in charge of Gotham? How come he give it all to Professor Strange?"
  • "I hate the sounds of those payphones. It's always gives me the creeps."
  • "So what's up with Batman going in the museum?"
  • "Must be going crazy. Could have sworn I saw some kind of Ninja over there."
  • "Hey, Strange! How 'bout you send us down some kind of coat, huh! We're freezing are asses off down here!"
  • "Whoa. This is Gotham. Not Tokyo. We don't have ninjas here -- do we?"
  • "Ain't seen Batman for hours. I heard he went down underground."
  • "Joker can't die. Can he?"
  • "It's like the freaking North Pole."
  • "Somewhere there's one big-ass vault full of money and everything else Strange has taken from us. Man, I wish I knew where it was."
  • "Something big must be going on if Batman's here."
  • "This place is falling apart. There's no food, everyone hates each other, and Strange keeps talking."
  • "Batman wouldn't break in here just to get Joker. He's after something else."
  • "Strange ain't human. He almost pity Sharp for getting involve with him."
  • "Catwoman and the plant lady. Man, those two are hot."
  • "Why's it snowing in here? Is it because of Mr. Freeze?"
  • "Batman and Freeze. Two cold-hearted bastards working together."
  • "I ain't seen Killer Croc since I got here. I guess he's down in the sewers, somewhere."
  • "People are saying Joker poisoned Batman."
  • "Soon as I grab Bruce Wayne, I'm cashing him in for a first class ticket to anyplace else."
  • "When I get out of here, if I get out of here, I'm headin' straight out of Gotham-Stinkin'-City. Hell, I'll even get Bludhaven a shot. Anywhere but here."
  • "I heard there's a vault around here somewhere, stuffed full of cash."
  • "Catwoman and Poison Ivy working together. Now they've got some crazier ideas."
  • "It's like ice."
  • "Joker's got it bad. He's a goner, for sure."
  • "Wonder if the Scarecrow made it here? Every other freak did."
  • "Why would Batman and Freeze work together?"
  • "How the hell is it alright of TYGER to be using guns like those. This is a prison, not a war zone."
  • "One day the walls are coming down and the rest of Gotham is gonna bleed."
  • "Strange send old Sharpie in here. How the hell did get all kinds of power?"
  • "What's the Bat snoopin' around for?"
  • "Batman and Freeze working together? Now that's something I didn't expect."
  • "Catwoman looks hot. How come she gets to walk round in this place and not get grabbed by some psycho?"
  • "How did Bane get to be in Arkham City? Didn't Batman smash that car of his into him back at the asylum?"
  • "So Riddler's back, huh. Figures. I've seen these weird question marks all over Arkham City."
  • "This place is rotting away, piece by God damn piece."
  • "Hey, how come the phone still works, anyway?"
  • "If I find out all this is for a crazy TV show. I'm gonna find the person that stuck me in this freezer and kill him."
  • "I grew up in this neighborhood - doesn't look any different!"
  • "How did Strange manage to send the Mayor in here."
  • "Catwoman and Poison Ivy. Those bitches I wouldn't go anywhere near."
  • "Wonder what Hugo Strange had on Sharp to make him turn over control of Gotham?"
  • "Joker blew that Vicki Vale reporter lady out of the sky. He's still got it."
  • "Batman should've left the Mayor rot."
  • "Who leaves green question marks around the place?"
  • "Vicki Vale was shot down by Joker? Now that's got classic Joker written all over it."
  • "Heard Batman and Freeze were having some kind of an epic fight back there. Man, I woulda paid to see that fight."
  • "Wonder what's on TV right now."
  • "There's cameras everywhere. They can see everything we do, but it's like they don't care."
  • "I heard that reporter Vale was in the copter Joker shot down."
  • "Wayne's dead. He has to be. No way that wimp could survive here."
  • "So Batman saved the mayor. What an idiot."
  • "I'm not scared of Penguin. An ugly dwarf with a bird fetish? Please."
  • "Freeze and Batman were fighting back at the GCPD. Sounded like something out of a movie."
  • "Poison Ivy. Ain't seen that crazy chick since back at the asylum."
  • "This place is actually makes me homesick for Blackgate."
  • "Batman went back to the GCPD. Did him and Freeze fight or what?"
  • "Can't believe TYGER has Sentry guns - it's like an arm race in this place."
  • "I've seen 'em all in this place. Joker, Two-Face, Black Mask, hell, I think I even saw Killer Croc."
  • "Joker sent Vicki Vale a news flash strapped to a missile."
  • "Bane. Maybe he's got something to do with those crate things."
  • "Can't believe Batman and Freeze were kicking the crap outta each other and I didn't get to see."
  • "So cold."
  • "Is Zsasz really the payphone killer?"
  • "Arkham City? Same old crap."
  • "Can't believe this is it for Joker. Gotham won't be the same without him."
  • "No one seen Wyatt since he went looking for something down in the sewers. Croc got him for sure."
  • "I've seen these things back at the asylum. Riddler left them for Batman."
  • "So, Joker's dead. Who's next?"
  • "C'mon. Stop snowing."
  • "There's got to be better places than Gotham. Frisco, Vegas, hell, give me Bludhaven any day. If I live through this, I'm out of Gotham for good."
  • "I can't believe Strange thought he could just kill us all."
  • "More snow? Damnit, end already!"
  • "Why the hell did Batman save that useless mayor. It's that idiot's fault we're all in this mess."
  • "Man, I can't believe Catwoman broke into Strange's vault. How did she even know where it was?"
  • "Joker's just playin' Batman. He's not dead. He can't be. Not Joker."
  • "This place gets more dangerous every day."
  • "Joker's not dead. No way."
  • "Not seen Batman for hours. Hope he's dead."
  • "Is it just gonna keep snowing?"
  • "I remember this place back before they built a wall around it. Sucked then too."
  • "Quinn's an idiot. She won't last one day without Joker."
  • "Is Blackgate still even open? Isn't it a shopping mall now?"
  • "I don't get it? Why are the phones always ringing."
  • "Gordon's gonna shut down Arkham City soon. Then where are we gonna go? I kind of like it now since Strange and the Joker's gone."
  • "Why's Riddler leaving these things all over Arkham City?"
  • "I hate all these cameras. Hate being watched all the time."
  • "More snow. Great."
  • "Ain't things bad enough here without the Bat?"
  • "What's up with this weather?"
  • "Strange's tower just exploded. Did Batman blow it up?"
  • "Catwoman should watch out. Walking around looking like that could get her in trouble."
  • "Someone said they saw Bane round here somewhere."
  • "Two Joker's? I don't believe it."
  • "Strange tried to kill us all. I'm glad he's dead."
  • "So Joker's dead. End of an era, man. End of a freakin' era."
  • "Who's running Arkham City now? Gordon? Batman?"
  • "It's been weeks since I updated my status. How people are gonna know about -- oh yeah, I've been locked up in some freaky ass prison."
  • "No one's seen Wayne since he got in here. He's probably dead already."
  • "So they dig deep, build a wall, and lock us inside it! Good plan!"
  • "Two Joker's? Who'd've thought it?"
  • "I can't believe that bastard Strange tried to kill us all."
  • "So Joker had Clayface impersonating him? How the hell didn't I notice?"
  • "How did Bane get to be in Arkham City?"
  • "I heard Ivy's in here. That chick's hot but there's no way I'm going anywhere near her."
  • "Who do I kill to see the sun again?"
  • "Joker's not dead. It's just a trick."
  • "The same old story. Big shots live it up while us grunts freeze."
  • "Are we going back to Blackgate? What about the old asylum? Is it still there?"
  • "This is hell. No food, no safety, and every lousy thug fighting for control."
  • "Once I'm done here, I'll go looking for rich-boy Bruce Wayne. Maybe, I can ransom back pieces of him to his loved ones."
  • "Wonder what Sharp had on the city council that him so damn powerful?"
  • "Arkham City, God-forsaken cesspool."
  • "Man, I can't believe Catwoman got all the loot from Strange's vault. How come I didn't know about it?"
  • "Who the hell authorized Strange to give TYGER those kind of weapons? It's not fair."
  • "Another beautiful warm day in paradise. Not!"
  • "The only freak I ain't seen the Scarecrow? Maybe, maybe this was all one of his freakin' nightmares."
  • "Last laugh for the Joker."
  • "Ring, ring. Ring, ring. Answer the damn phone already."
  • "Why's Batman in here?"
  • "I'm so hungry. Where'd all the food go, anyway?"
  • "That bitch Catwoman got all loot. How come no one told me about it?"
  • "Zsasz cut up my buddy Ash. He was lucky to get away. Still got scars and places to all I can think about."
  • "I'm sure I saw Batman and some other guy falling from the tower when it exploded. Who the hell was that other guy?"
  • "I hear Strange was in the tower when it blew. Now he's all over Arkham City."
  • "Everyone's dying 'round here. Strange, then Joker. Who's going to be next?"
  • "Strange is spread all over Arkham City now."
  • "Sky looks so much better when it's not full of helicopters that are all tryin' to kill us."
  • "Hope there are little pieces of Strange spread all over Arkham City?"
  • "When I find Bruce Wayne, I'm collecting the reward and buying my way outta here."
  • "I thought Bane was dead but guess what? He's in his toilet of a city, somewhere."
  • "Batman was fighting someone when the tower blew. Who was it?"
  • "Who's running Arkham City now?"
  • "Jeez, it's cold."
  • "If Batman's here, there must be something else going on, right?"
  • "Zsasz. That guy gives me the creeps."
  • "C'mon, how many times is Joker died already. I lost count."
  • "The Catwoman is one hot piece. She could do whatever she wants to me. Won't see me complaining."
  • "Gotham can rot for all I care. Hell, it's rotten enough already. I gotta get out of here, go some place where people don't dress like bats and clowns."
  • "C'mon, how many times is Joker died already. It's just the a trick. Batman fell for it."
  • "How the hell did Catwoman get away with all that crap from Strange's vault?"
  • "Catwoman needs to be careful. Some of these maniacs ain't seen a woman in years."
  • "So, Joker's dead, Strange is dead, what now?"
  • "At least no one's trying to kill us today."
  • "Two Joker's? How do we know they ain't a third?"
  • "Who's in charge of this place now? Maybe I can try gettin' outta here."
  • "How does Catwoman stay alive at a place like this?"
  • "I guess Bane did survive his little encounter back at the asylum. Not many people who can go head to head with a freakin' Batmobile and survive."
  • "Is Poison Ivy really in here?"
  • "It snows here 24/7. We can thank Mr. Freeze for that!"
  • "Man, I'm sure feel better now there ain't no bunch of helicopters trying to kill us."
  • "Lock all the nuts in one place and throw away the key! Yeah, that'll work!"
  • "The clown's dead. Never thought I'd see this day."
  • "I've seen everyone in this place 'cept Scarecrow. I guess Croc really did tear him apart."
  • "Batman must of have it in for someone."
  • "No way I'm going near any crazy plants in this place. Ivy's may be hot, but she's dangerous too."
  • "Hey! Throw us a friggin' bone already."
  • "Word is Bruce Wayne got his rich ass locked up in Arkham City. Guess there really is a God."
  • "I'm not asking for more money, just a couple of burgers."
  • "Catwoman sure is hot. I'd love me a piece of her."
  • "So Strange is dead. Good. Serves the son of a bitch right."
  • "When I get out of this place, I am leaving this hell hole of a city and never coming back."
  • "Guess the joke is finally on the Joker."
  • "Wonder Tower? Who cares about that old crap. It's an eye sore."
  • "Hello, we're starving here."
  • "Those payphones drive me nuts. Always with the ringing."
  • "Joker's not dead. I don't believe it."
  • "The food in here stinks. I heard Black Mask owns the factory that makes that crap."
  • "I hate that Ivy witch. Gives me the creeps and some kind of a weird rash, every time I go near her plants."
  • "If I get out of this place in one piece, I'm headin' for Bludhaven. I hear there's all kinds of crap going on down there."
  • "Turn the city into one big freakin' zoo and let the animals tear each other to bits! Yeah, that's the way to deal with criminals!"
  • "I just need a drink. I drink my own pee if I thought I get warm."
  • "Screw you and Arkham City."
  • "Just got to remember. If you see weird-ass plants round here and you know you've found Poison Ivy, which is a bad thing."
  • "Catwoman shouldn't get involved with other people's business. She could get hurt."
  • "It's a new era. The Joker's gone."
  • "Why doesn't someone just pick up those phones?"
  • "Is Zsasz really the payphone killer? Sounds like the sick kind of thing he'd do."
  • "Why's Batman here?"
  • "I'll never forget when Quinn beat ol' Sharpie to a pulp with his own cane. That was awesome."
  • "It's colder than the snowman's heart out here."
  • "How come they're still keeping us in here? Arkham City will be close down, right?"
  • "This place never changes."
  • "Why did Batman come here? Ain't we already locked up?"
  • "I learn my lesson back at the asylum. Stay the hell away from weird-ass plants."
  • "One minute the choppers are killing us all, the next they're just gone. Hey, I'm not complaining, but it's weird right?"
  • "No escape? That's bull crap. There has to be a door out."
  • "This is getting crazy. They've got to feed us, right?"
  • "Someone turn on the heat."
  • "What's wrong with the Riddler freak. Hasn't he got better things to do than just leave green question marks all over Arkham City."
  • "I hope Strange died in a real painful way."
  • "Would it kill someone to give us coats?"
  • "Arkham City, another name for hell."
  • "Are we going back to Blackgate? I thought they turn that rat infested hell hole into a shopping mall."
  • "Joker died before, he'll die again. No way is he dead for good. He... he can't be."
  • "I heard Bane's in Arkham City somewhere."
  • "I ain't been round this neighborhood since ten years ago. Still stinks."
  • "You can feel this place getting worse, minute by minute."
  • "Joker's not dead. He can't be."
  • "I think I saw Croc poking his ugly head out of the sewers once. Taught me not to go down there."
  • "Each day this place gets worse."
  • "Is this Arkham City or telephone exchange? How come these things work, anyway?"
  • "My life ain't spit here."
  • "When the damn tower exploded, I thought we were all going to die."
  • "What's goin' on in this place?"
  • "Arkham City's worst than the old one. Someone needs to go get a refund."
  • "This whole place stinks. Arkham City? Arkham Asylum? It's all the same when you locked in."
  • "They're letting us starve. I know it."
  • "What next? Blackgate? Some new prison? Who'd be stupid enough to build another crazy prison after what went down here."
  • "If I get my hands on rich boy Bruce Wayne, I'll buy me an instant parole."
  • "Welcome to Arkham City, a city-wide freak show."
  • "Arkham City? Bull crap. Give me five minutes all over the wall, I'll show this stinkin' town a whole new kind of crazy!"
  • "I gotta get out of this nuthouse!"
  • "I guess Arkham City needs a new warden."
  • "Oh, great. More freakin' snow."
  • "Damn freaky snowman. It's Freeze's fault we're dying!"
  • "Wonder Tower? Never had any use for the place."
  • "Batman, in here? That freak doesn't know when to quit!"

Harley's Thugs (Harley Quinn's Revenge)

  • "Harley's gone all kinds of crazy since J died."
  • "C'mon, Harley. Off the pigs and lets get hell outta here."
  • "Batman don't dare show his face around here."
  • "Wonder what happened to Freeze?"
  • "Never like cops. Hope Harley sticks it to 'em good."
  • "Man, I got a bad feeling about all of this."
  • "How come I never get to be the one to kill a cop?"
  • "I hate it here, sooner I get out the better."
  • "Still here. Still freezing my ass off."
  • "Figure Gordon wouldn't be dumb enough to let more of his cops get caught."
  • "Harley's probably killed those cops by now."
  • "I don't care what they say. I know Batman killed the Joker. I just know it."
  • "This place is full of bad memories. Just reminds me of Batman carrying Joker's body out."
  • "Hey, I think I just found a little piece of Strange. Is that his ear? Nah, It's just some piece a rotting meat."
  • "How cold does it have to be before someone thinks to give us coats?"
  • "Can't we just get this done and get the hell outta Arkham City? I'm freezing here."
  • "If a cop is stupid enough to come to Arkham City, he deserves all the torture he gets."
  • "So freakin' cold."
  • "If I see Batman, Robin or one of them other do-gooders, I'm stickin' a bullet between their eyes."
  • "Joker's one tricky son of a bitch. He's not dead. It was Clayface or some kinda manniquin. It must of been."
  • "Arkham City. Same old craphole."
  • "Who'd thought that Bruce Wayne got out of this place alive?"
  • "Wonder if Harley's gonna start dating again?"
  • "Is it summer yet? Oh no. It's just more damn snow."
  • "Still can't believe J's dead. It just don't seem right."
  • "Figure those cops are just a trap to get Batman."
  • "So cold."
  • "What am I doin' back here?"
  • "Harley's really got it in for the Bat now."
  • "How come we can't just off the cops and get the hell outta here?"
  • "Can't believe that Vicki Vale still wants to report from this place."
  • "Wonder there are other bad guys around? Do they all get moved?"
  • "One way or another, those cops are dead."
  • "Surprised Harley's kept the cops alive this long."
  • "I'm sick of freezing my ass off from this woman."
  • "Those dumb-ass cops should never have got themselves caught. What happens now is their fault."
  • "No way is Joker dead. I just don't believe it."
  • "Would it kill Harley to give us something warm to wear?"
  • "Harley's gone freakin' crazy. Those cops don't stand a chance."
  • "Can't wait to get out of this place once and for all."
  • "Still cold is hell out here."
  • "How come it's always so damn cold here?"

Predator

  • "Arkham City is ours."
  • "Who the hell is stupid enough to take us on?"
  • "Who's stupid enough to mess with me?"
  • "Huh?"
  • "It came from over here I'm sure of it."
  • "What?"
  • "I'm sure it came from over there."
  • "Is... Is that suppose to scare me?"
  • "Is that it, that the best you can do?"
  • "I'm not scared! You hear me? I'm not scared of you!"
  • "I'll find you. Can you hear me? I'll find you."
  • "What the hell is going on?"
  • "Oh, god. Everyone! Get your asses over here. NOW!"
  • "Over here! NOW! I found someone!"
  • "What the hell are you, Batman?!"

Locations

ArkhamCityMap


Gang Bases

Arkham City was actually a large part of the already built Gotham City that was turned into a lawless war zone for the criminals of Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison to run free and do whatever they pleased as long as they did not try to escape. The city was surrounded by high, impenetrable walls which could only be accessed via the various high security doors around the facility and presumably via the helicopters that patrolled the city around the clock. TYGER patrolled the walls, doors, and skies via the helicopters, and kept all of the possessions of the inmates in a large vault in the western part of the city which Catwoman tried to break into at one point.

The atmosphere in the city was hell, with most inmates being violent and involved in the mass gang war between Batman's greatest enemies. The Political Prisoners hid and scurried around the backstreets of the city, and a small community had been established in the middle of the city under a bridge. Despite the lack of general rules, the inmates were under the thumb of Strange who had propaganda posters everywhere, and often issued commands and new authoritarian rules via the citywide intercom that originated from Wonder Tower, the tallest building in the city which the inmates could not access.

Numerous buildings in Gotham were part of Arkham City regardless of their previous importance in the city. Among them were the First National Bank of Gotham City, an old GCPD Building, the Ace Chemicals office building, the Solomon Wayne Courthouse, the Church and Medical Center, a large section of Gotham's docks, and the Industrial District. Most of those buildings played a role in the game's main story and Gotham's Most Wanted Side Missions.

Most of Batman's notable villains made their mark in the city, formed territories in their gang war against one another, and had numerous henchmen who wore masks or clothes that were related to their leader(s).

Joker and Harley Quinn took over the abandoned Steel Mill in the south-east corner of Arkham, the Industrial District, and converted it into The Joker's Funhouse. The Joker developed a violent roller coaster ride for new recruits to try out on, and also built a Ferris Wheel on the site too.

Two-Face, who was growing in power, took the Solomon Wayne Courthouse as his base, after he stole it from Calendar Man and imprisoned him in his cell below the courtroom. In the style of Two-Face, half of the courthouse, inside and out, was damaged and scarred like his face.

Penguin, who was the third member of the major gang war, commanded his henchmen from The Cyrus Pinkney Institute for Natural History, as well as the Iceberg Lounge. He had his own makeshift museum which displayed numerous objects related to his enemies including the captured Mr. Freeze. He also had a giant shark named Tiny living in the flooded atrium of the museum, and Solomon Grundy beneath the Iceberg Lounge.

Riddler did not participate in the gang war, and had no real control over the city, but he built five death traps to challenge Batman after he kidnapped Cash and the medical team. The Riddler also had numerous Thugs that were hidden around the city, and were identified by Batman as having a green tint to their clothes. Riddler also has his lair in the Bowery.

Among the other inmates were Mr. Freeze who operated in the old GCPD Building, Poison Ivy who operated from Gotham's park and occupied a lair in the north-east part of the city with her hypnotized thugs, Victor Zsasz hid out in a abandoned building near the Joker's lair and kidnapped victims to kill them, Killer Croc lurked in the city's sewers and the abandoned Subway tunnels, Bane appeared in the Krank co. Toys building, the Mad Hatter's small, mind-controlled group lived in a tea shop like lair, and Hush's Hideout was found near the courthouse. While using the confusion of the prison to her advantage, Catwoman occupied an apartment in the same building as Hush's apartment.

Chronicles of Arkham City Civil War:

  • Joker and Harley Quinn arrive and take over the Steel Mill.
  • Arkham City is set up and cut of by Hugo Strange.
  • Strange makes Wonder Tower his headquarters.
  • Numerous Blackgate Prisoners (manpower for super criminals) are brought in.
  • Gotham Cathedral is taken by Cash and his team and is made into a medical center.
  • Penguin takes over the Bowery and the old Subway station from the Museum: The Bowery is turned into a guarded walled off area.
  • Joker sets up his Funland in the Industrial District and turns the Steel Mill into a fortress - many towers formerly used to control cranes and other machines are turned into sentry posts.
  • Multiple Political Prisoners are sent into the prison.
  • Many super-criminals from Arkham Asylum - or escapees caught by Batman - are brought in (Mr. Freeze, Calendar Man, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Riddler, Killer Croc, Victor Zsasz, Mad Hatter to name a few) and make their residences in various parts of the prison.
  • Penguin and Joker start fighting for control over Arkham City - the official start of the Arkham City Gang War. Both receive weapons from Strange and start building up their armies. The Titan Disease afflicting Joker starts worsening - Harley Quinn starts doing most of the grunt work.
  • Riddler starts placing his agents in various gangs and creating death traps in various buildings that he bought under his aliases.
  • Scarecrow secretly makes his way into Arkham City and receives material from the The Falcone Crime Family.
  • Two-Face is brought into Arkham City, defeats Calendar Man, and takes over the Solomon Wayne Courthouse as his fort. He creates his own small gang and fortifies a small part of Park Row.
  • Clayface secretly infiltrates Arkham City, enters Joker's services, and poses as the Clown Prince of Crime from time to time.
  • Joker takes over most of Amusement Mile except for the old GCPD Building and Poison Ivy's Lair.
  • Victor Zsasz starts kidnapping and killing random prisoners.
  • Joker starts shipping samples of his blood to all the hospitals in Gotham City.
  • Bane makes his way into Arkham City to collect the Titan containers that were sent off of Arkham Island by Joker.
  • Strange kidnaps Nora Fries in order to force Victor Fries to make a cure for Joker. Nora is moved to Warehouse 5B. in Joker's Funland.
  • Catwoman is caught by Strange, but is released.
  • Penguin orders his men to kidnap Mr. Freeze. He also reveals the undercover police officers in his gang and tortures them.
  • Dr. Thomas Elliot cuts of his own face.
  • Catwoman is captured by Two-Face and put to a trial for trying to steal from him.
  • Bruce Wayne, Jack Ryder, and Black Mask are sent into Arkham City. Also, Deadshot secretly enters as a prisoner, but receives his equipment from Strange and starts killing his victims.
  • Batman appears, saves Catwoman, and defeats Two-Face in the process. Two-Face's gang are disorganized and leaderless, as Two-Face disappears after the incident.
  • Harley Quinn and her men storm the Gotham Cathedral, take the medical team hostage, and try to kill Batman. They are defeated by Batman, but Harley Quinn manages to escape.
  • Bane tricks Batman into helping him. Catwoman is yet again captured - this time by Poison Ivy.
  • Harley Quinn sends Joker's Henchmen to look for Mr. Freeze all over Arkham City.
  • Batman breaks into the Steel Mill, but is poisoned by the Joker with his own blood and forced to cooperate with him in order to find a cure.
  • Joker's Henchmen defeat Penguin's Henchmen holding the old GCPD building and torture many to find out where Freeze is. Joker's Henchmen also storm Park Row controlled by Two-Face's Gang, kill many of them, and force the rest to seek shelter on higher ground.
  • Batman starts investigating Deadshot's victims, finds out what happened at the old GCPD building, and goes after Penguin. Penguin blows up the central part of the Old Gotham Freeway and cuts the city in two. Many of Penguin's and Joker' Henchmen are killed, and even more are cut off on the wrong side.
  • Riddler kidnaps the medical team and forces Batman to start solving his riddles.
  • Penguin sets up jammers to keep Batman out of the Museum and takes Mr. Freeze's Freeze Gun to protect himself. Batman comes across the first faceless victim and learns that the killer looked like Bruce Wayne.
  • Batman destroys the jammers and defeats Penguin in the Museum, but learns from Freeze there is no cure without a restorative enzyme, so he sets out after a League of Assassins Assassin to find one.
  • Penguin's Gang falls apart due to a combination of leadership extermination, disinformation, and a combined attack from both above ground by Two-Face and underground by Joker. Many seek shelter in the sewers, but either are drowned or are devoured by Killer Croc. The rest are either killed or join the remaining gangs. Two-Face takes over the Bowery. The undercover officers, freed by Batman, hole themselves up in the partially destroyed Iceberg lounge.
  • Robin enters the prison. Batman comes across a second faceless victim and finds Bruce Wayne's fingerprints on the killing knife. He also comes across a second Deadshot victim and finds further evidence of the assassin's whereabouts.
  • Strange sends Mayor Sharp into Arkham City as a prisoner. Batman interrogates him into telling the truth about his alliance with Strange. Catwoman is freed by Ivy in exchange for getting her a plant from Strange's vault. Batman finds out that the Identity Thief is actually his old friend, Dr. Thomas Elliot, who had taken six faces to create one that looked just like Bruce Wayne's.
  • Freeze and Batman have a fight over the cure. Meanwhile, Harley Quinn steals it. Strange calls an emergency City Council meeting, and saying that he has failed to stimulate the use of illegal weapons and demanding Protocol Ten - the extermination of the entire city population - to be activated. He is granted permission.
  • Joker shoots Vicki Vale down in order to get time for Harley Quinn to bring him the cure. Mad Hatter tries to make a stand in the war by making Batman one of his mindless soldiers, but fails and his puppets are beaten down by the Caped Crusader. Deadshot is tracked down by Batman and imprisoned in one of the old train wagons in the Bowery. Catwoman breaks into the TYGER Confiscated Goods Vault, defeats all of the TYGER Guards, but abandons it to save Batman.
  • Strange activates Protocol Ten, which is actually the bombing of all of the major buildings in Arkham City (The Steel Mill, the Museum, the Courthouse, etc.) with helicopters and missiles, and sends foot squads to steal the remaining Titan and execute the prisoners holed up in smaller buildings and sewers. Joker escapes with the cure and Batman's love interest, Talia al Ghul. Batman defeats Strange and Wonder Tower explodes.
  • Joker takes control over Arkham City and lures Batman to the Monarch Theatre, where he reveals Clayface posing as him cured, since the real Joker didn't get the cure yet. In the ensuing fight, Talia, Clayface, and the Joker all die.
  • Catwoman defeats Two-Face, who had set himself up in the Museum, and most of his men with him. Batman defeats Zsasz, frees his hostages, and goes after Riddler, whom he defeats and frees his hostages. Arkham City is now divided: The Bowery, the Museum, Park Row, and few other buildings except for the Cathedral and the Iceberg Lounge (where two security teams are fortified) are ruled by Two-Face, who goes missing leading to parts of his area being overrun by thugs with no loyalty. The second part - the Joker's Funland - is now controlled by Harley Quinn. Amusement Mile is no man's land, deserted and destroyed.
  • Black Mask takes some buildings in Arkham City and is joined by some of Penguin's and Joker's Henchmen, but is quickly defeated by Robin.
  • Harley Quinn captures several police officers clearing up the prison on Commissioner Gordon's command and even managed to kidnap the Caped Crusader, but is also ultimately defeated by Robin and the Steel Mill is blown up, which ends the Arkham City Civil War for good.

Gallery


Trivia

  • During Batman: Arkham Asylum, the player could find a hidden room in Sharp's office, which revealed a large blueprint map of the project. The secret room may have not been present on unpatched versions of the game, however.
    • The Easter Egg was so well hidden, that the developers had to leak it out themselves a year after release.
    • To uncover the hidden room, place three charges of Explosive Gel on the wall opposite of the Scarface puppet in the display case, but at the bottom of the stairs.
  • The Gotham Sirens appear to be the only female inmates.
  • It was revealed that Strange had intended to open new prison camps in Keystone City and Metropolis, and that they were going to be modeled after Arkham City.
  • The Inmates were sometimes heard complaining about it being cold even when they were inside; given this mostly happened in the Joker's territory, it's because the thugs wear tank tops.
  • Some of the posters in the prison said: "An institute for the criminally insane", despite the fact that all criminals, insane or not, were sent there. It was probably because Arkham Asylum actually was an institute for the criminally insane.
  • There was a minor reference to Arkham City in the video game, Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes, where Vicki Vale mentioned the Mayor's plans to build a walled off part of the city where the super-criminals could run free, and that it was put on hold.
  • Arkham City was seen from Gotham City during Arkham Knight, and appeared to be nearly identical to its appearance during Arkham City and no clean up appeared to have started yet. However, there were also major differences, as the island was turned around 90 degrees, which meant that the Steel Mill was on the opposite side of the island to the bridge, and that there was a wall between the Courthouse and the Museum, which wasn't the case in Arkham City.
  • The prison was opened at least three months before the event's of the game, as some of the Political Prisoners mentioned how they hadn't had a warm meal in three months.
  • Hugo Strange made it no secret to the inmates that he cared very little for them and was willing to let them kill each other to save himself the trouble of Protocol 10.
  • All the death and destruction that was caused by the inmates bore a similarity to The Purge film series, where all crime was legal for one night a year.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Characters
Heroes
Alfred Pennyworth - Batman/Bruce Wayne - James Gordon - Oracle
Villains
Arkham Lunatics - Bane - Blackgate Prisoners - Clayface - Frank Boles - Harley Quinn - Joker - Killer Croc - Poison Ivy - Riddler - Scarecrow - Scarface - Victor Zsasz
Other Characters
Aaron Cash - Adrian Chen - Amadeus Arkham - Arkham Guards - Bill (Guard) - Carl Todd - Eddie Burlow - Gretchen Whistler - Henry Smith - Ian Kennedy - Jack Ryder - Jackson - Jerry - Jordan Fraser - Kevin Liew - Louie Green - Luke Curtis - Luke Oliver - Maria Andrade - Martin "Mad Dog" Hawkins - Mike (Guard) - Mike (Orderly) - Nate - Penelope Young - Quincy Sharp - Robert Stirling - Sarah Cassidy - Spirit of Arkham - Stephen Kellerman - Steve - Thomas Armbruster - Thomas and Martha Wayne - Wendi Maga - William North - Zach Franklin
Locations
Arkham Asylum

Batcave - Arkham Mansion - Botanical Gardens - Intensive Treatment Center - Medical Facility - Old Sewer - Penitentiary

Terms
ArkhamCare - Arkham City - Bat-Signal - Batarang - Batclaw - Batmobile - Batsuit - Batwing - Blackgate Penitentiary - Character Bio - Chronicles of Arkham - Cryptographic Sequencer - Detective Mode - Explosive Gel - Fear Toxin - Freeflow Combat - Grapnel Gun - Interview Tape - Joker's Party List - Joker Teeth - Line Launcher - Perspective Riddle - Predator Mode - Riddler Map - Riddler Trophy - Riddle - Smylex - Titan - Venom - Wayne Enterprises - WayneTech
Music
Archives
Riddler Challenges - Achievements & Trophies
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