Arkham Asylum is a psychiatric hospital located in Gotham.
History[]
At some point in the 20th century, Dr Destiny was put in the maximum security cell in the Arkham Asylum basement after being defeated by the Justice League. He was deemed so dangerous for others and himself that he was stripped naked.
In early 1989, a 90-year-old Ethel Dee was able to locate her son after not seeing him for 10 years. She visited the asylum and was able to get an audience with him, only to find him a shell of his former self.[1] Soon after that she died and bequeathed her protection amulet to her son. After receiving it along with the news of his mother's demise, Dee decided to escape.[2]
Around April 1st Dee killed a guard near his cell and made his way upstairs, where he met Jonathan Crane who was preparing an April Fool's prank. Jonathan pretended that he hanged himself, but the real punchline was a genuine corpse of another guard hanging nearby. Jonathan lamented the absence of Joker on such a day and wished Dee luck, but noted that Arkham inmates always return "home" in the end.[3]
John indeed was returned to Arkham after his defeat in a fight with Dream. While greeting him, Crane complained that Harvey Dent had attempted to strangle him and that the conditions in the hospital prevent everyone from sleeping properly. That night Dream granted all inmates peaceful slumber.[4]
Inhabitants[]
Behind the Scenes[]
- Arkham Asylum is an established location in the DC universe, used in the earlier chapters of Sandman to tie it with the other comic books from that setting.