Arkham Asylum
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Real Identity: Not Applicable
Appearances: The Bat in the Belfry, The Man Who Would Be Bat, Topsy Turvy, Pets, Meltdown, Strange Minds, The Batman VS Dracula, A Fistful of Felt, Gotham's Ultimate Criminal Mastermind, Clayfaces, Strange New World, The Joining Part Two, White Heat, What Goes Up..., and Lost Heroes Part One
Powers: Not Applicable
Voiced By: Not Applicable
Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane is named after the late Elizabeth Arkham and houses the legally declared criminal insane of Gotham City. Three years after the appearance of Batman, Arkham also became the favored institution for super villains to carry out their sentence. Through come clever legal moves, some villains opt to plead insanity and serve a lesser sentence at the Asylum such as the Penguin. It quickly earned the animosity of some who accused it of becoming a revolving door for those who faked rehabilitation and soon returned to crime, only to be recaptured by Batman. Batman was first linked to the Asylum when the Joker debuted and single handedly took over the building. The Batman later drove off the Joker and restored order.
In recent times, the institution was run by psychiatrist Dr. Bagley. However, a senior resident named Hugo Strange managed to worm his way to the position. When Strange was implicated in manipulating several criminal plots, he was in turn incarcerated in the Asylum. Other additions to the Asylum came in the form of special holding cells and a maximum security wing. Those deemed unstable and demonstrate a need to be isolated in order to neutralize their powers are taken to these cells. The first Clayface and Phosphorus are the two known inhabitants of these cells. After it was discovered that Strange was able to arrange for chemicals to be smuugled into his cell, he was moved to the max security wing.
When the Joining launched their first invasion, even inmates of the Asylum fought back against the aliens. Mr. Freeze, The Joker, The Penguin, and Bane were seen in the battle. The only known complete rehabilitation of the modern period was of Ethan Bennett, who was able to return to the Gotham City Police Department and became its Chief in the 2020's.