Arkham City

"Imprisoned behind these walls, gang leaders are fighting a bloody war in the middle of our once great city. Every inmate from Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison has been relocated to this facility. How can this be safe for the people of Gotham?"

- Bruce Wayne

The video game Batman: Arkham City takes place entirely in the new incarnation of Arkham Asylum, Arkham City (known as Gotham North before the events of the game). The city is located in Uptown Gotham with an Amusement Mile, Industrial District, Park Row and The Bowery district. After The Joker's takeover of the asylum which was thwarted by Batman, Warden Quincy Sharp took full credit for the Joker's defeat and was quickly elected as Mayor of Gotham City. Manipulated by Professor Hugo Strange into creating Arkham City, Sharp walls off and isolates a large Gotham City district and converts it into the new form of Arkham Asylum. Sharp leaves Professor Strange in charge as chief administrator with security handled by the militarised TYGER troops. Bruce Wayne openly protests against the city's creation and is swiftly apprehended by TYGER and becomes an inmate. However, Bruce escapes the vengeful inmates and (with a capsule full of his equipment dropped on a near by rooftop) becomes Batman to investigate Strange's mysterious Protocol 10.

History
The concept of Arkham City was established long before the Joker's takeover of the asylum, conceived by Strange and his secret master Ra's al Ghul, and expanded on by Warden Sharp. During the Joker's takeover, Batman may find a hidden room in Sharp's office, revealing a large blueprint map of the city.

Quincy Sharp
After Sharp takes credit for the liberation of the asylum, he was quickly elected as Mayor of Gotham and executed the construction of Arkham City. Numerous people were involved in the new Arkham's creation, but by the time it was finished, most if not all of those involved were double-crossed by Strange and imprisoned within the city walls to cover up his tracks, these innocent people becoming known as "political prisoners". Sharp, paranoid to end crime in Gotham, labelled everyone and anyone who even had the slightest criminal record to be inmates of Arkham City and had them imprisoned without trial or the rite to objections. Strange furthered this by imprisoning anyone trying to investigate or speak out against Arkham. Commissioner James Gordon, suspicious of the intentions of Arkham City's development, as well as Sharp's sidestepping his questions by ignoring him directly or using red tape, sent in a ten-man squad of undercover cops from the 13th precinct to investigate what is really going on in Arkham City. Unfortunately, in an interview Strange tipped Penguin off to the undercover cops, they weren't able to report back before their true status as cops was exposed and resulted in their capture by the Penguin's gang.

Bruce Wayne


Bruce Wayne is among those who are unlawfully imprisoned in Arkham, but he obtains his Batsuit to explore the city and discover the secret of Protocol 10. He is eventually poisoned with the Joker's Titan-infected blood, as well as leaking the already poisoned blood to Gotham City to various hospitals, when his attempt to locate the Joker and interrogate him about Protocol 10's nature backfired and resulted in his capture. In order to find a cure, Batman has to locate and free Mr. Freeze, who was being held prisoner by the Penguin's gang along with the formerly-undercover Precinct 13 cops, so he could help develop the cure. After learning that it requires a specific DNA to be bonded with a certain enzyme, Batman has to locate and eventually reunite with Ra's al Ghul and Talia al Ghul to create an antidote with help from Mr. Freeze. Afterwards, Hugo Strange, deciding that Quincy Sharp outlived his usefulness to his plans, has Sharp stripped of his position of mayor and incarcerated in Arkham City, leaving him at the mercy of several inmates who wanted revenge against the ex-mayor for placing them in the city in the first place. Batman saves him and then interrogated about his knowledge of Strange. After the cure is completed, however, Freeze attacks Batman under the belief that Batman was going to renege on his promise of locating Nora, whom the Joker had held hostage earlier to force Freeze in developing the cure for him. Batman confronts the Joker after saving Nora at his headquarters, but before the fight could reach its ultimate conclusion, was knocked down by rubble from a concussive blast before being saved by Catwoman. Batman eventually confronts Strange in his base operations, the Wonder Tower, after Strange initiated Protocol 10, revealed to be a mass bombing of the city by TYGER to wipe out the criminals, the true goal of Ra's al Ghul. Ra's mortally wounds Strange after he has fulfilled his purpose, as well as failing to defeat Batman, but Strange activates Protocol 11 which destroys the Wonder Tower in the event of his defeat. Batman and Ra's fall from the tower, but Ra's attempt to kill Batman fails and results in his own apparent death. Batman confronts the Joker who teamed up with Talia al Ghul to obtain the antidote from Batman, but the Joker kills Talia and reveals he has been working with Clayface to shadow his moves. Batman defeats Clayface and his struggle with the Joker results in the antidote's destruction, the Joker dying shortly after. Batman exits Arkham Cty with the Joker's body as Commissioner Gordon and Gotham PD arrive outside. While the fate of Arkham remains unknown, it is implied to still be in operation after the Joker's death, although the prisoners are now being retransferred back to Blackgate Prison (and presumably Arkham Asylum).

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Arkham was heavily damaged during the Joker's takeover, and many of its deranged inmates remained on the loose after the Joker's defeat, including Bane, Calendar Man, the 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 make up much of the surviving members of security. At least 10 medical staff also fell during the chaos, including doctor Penelope Young and orderly Robert Stirling.

Quincy Sharp was able to launch a successful bid for the role of Mayor of Gotham following the disaster and made a proposal to the city government to to rebuild Arkham not on the island but instead in the city itself. The proposal passed and Dr. Hugo Strange 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. Private security company TYGER quickly purchased the island and, soon after, were named as the primary contractors for security in the new Arkham City.

Batman: Arkham City
Once Arkham City had been approved Mayor Sharp ordered that Arkham Island be sold. A number of prominent companies bid for the land but it ultimately went to a previously unknown security company named TYGER. Within weeks of the sale, TYGER was also awarded the contract to police Arkham City and instantly began using the Island to launch its fleet of helicopter gunships to police the new prison facility. The old Arkham can be seen off the coast behind the old GCPD Building, when scanned it answers the riddle "Look out! Can you see where the madness began?"

Evacuation and Shut Down
After the tragic and disastrous ramifications of Protocol 10 at the hands of Hugo Strange, the City Council finally realizes the deception and chaos that was Arkham City and degrees that the entire site needs to be shut down as soon as possible. As a result, Sharp's martial law is overturned and Gordon and the Gotham City Police Department are given back full jurisdiction in Gotham City and are sent to arrest all TYGER forces, transfer all inmates away from the prison, rescue all the falsly imprisoned, and shut down the site once and for all.

Harley Quinn's Revenge
Immediately following Joker's death, Gordon commanded the GCPD to evacuate Arkham City and transport all prisoners to Blackgate Prison, and all former inmates of Arkham Asylum to a psychiatric ward while the asylum was prepared. However, Harley and Joker's remaining gang attacked the officers and forced them to retreat, but managed to knock out Quinn and take her to the ward. For the next two weeks, SWAT forces evacuated the megaprison, however Harley soon escaped and ambushed three cops, taking them hostage and taking over the Industrial District. As this was the last area that was needed to be evacuated, the GCPD were forced to keep the site under lockdown and eventually summon Batman. With Quinn taking various police officers hostage, Batman is lured into a trap by Harley and subsequently goes missing for several days. Worried, Oracle sends Robin to investagate and locate Batman before Quinn can put her true plans into effect.

After Robin rescues Batman from Quinn's trap, Batman goes off to stop Quinn from detonating bombs within the loading bay while Drake works to secure the rest of the hostages. After Batman stops all three bombs, Quinn reveals one last explosive that will kill her, Batman, and Robin. Batman apprehends Quinn, but is unable to stop the bomb and is forced to make a hasty escape just as the building blows up.

Batman is able to get Quinn and himself to safety, but soon fears that Robin was caught in the explosion. Harley relishes in Batman's anguish and moves to stab him in the heart to finish her revenge, only to be knocked out cold by one of Robin's gadgets as the young hero reveals himself to be alive and well. Harley Quinn is once again arrested by Gordon while Batman leaves, still scarred from Talia and Joker's death, but Robin assures Gordon that Batman will be fine. With Harley's plans ruined, her gang is rounded up by the Gotham Police and Arkham City is finally, officially shut down for good.

Environment
Arkham City is actually a large part of the already built Gotham City and turned into a lawless warzone for the criminals of Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison to run free and do whatever they please as long as they do not try to escape. The city is surrounded by high, impenetrable walls which can only be accessed via the various high security doors around the facility and presumably via the helicopters that patrol the city around the clock. TYGER patrol the walls, doors and skies via the helicopters, and keep all of the possessions of the inmates in large vault in the western part of the city which Catwoman tries to break into at one point.

The atmosphere in the city is hell, with most inmates being violent and involved in the mass gang war between Batman's greatest enemies. The politicial prisoners hide and scurry around the backstreets of the city, and a small community has been established in the middle of the city under a bridge. Despite the lack of general rules, the inmates are under the thumb of Professor Strange who has propaganda posters everywhere, and he often issues commands and new authoritarian rules via the citywide intercom originating from the Wonder Tower, the tallest building in the city which the inmates cannot access.

Numerous buildings in Gotham are now part of Arkham regardless of their previous importance in the city. Among them are the First National Bank of Gotham City, the Gotham Police Department Building, Ace Chemicals, the Solomon Wayne Courthouse, Gotham Cathedral, and a large section of Gotham's docks and industrial area. Most of these buildings play a role in the game's story and side missions.

Most of Batman's notable villains have made their mark in the city, forming territories in their gang war against one another and have numerous minions who wear masks or clothes related to their leader(s). The Joker and Harley Quinn took the abandoned Sionis Industries factory in the south-east corner of Arkham, converting it into the Joker's new funhouse. The Joker developed a violent rollercoaster ride for new recruits to try out on, and also built a ferris wheel on the site too.

Two-Face who is trying to grow in power takes the courthouse as his base, after stealing it from Calendar Man and imprisoning him in his cell below the courtroom. In the style of Two-Face, half of the courthouse, inside and out has been damaged and scarred like his face.

The Penguin who is the third member of the major gang war commands his minions from Gotham's museum as well as The Iceberg Lounge. He has his own makeshift museum displaying numerous objects related to his enemies included the captured Mr. Freeze. He also has a giant shark named Tiny living in the flooded atrium of the museum, and Solomon Grundy beneath the Iceberg Lounge.

The Riddler does not participate in the war, and has no real control over the city but has built several death traps to challenge Batman after he kidnaps Aaron Cash and his medical team. The Riddler also has numerous moles hidden around the city, identified by Batman as having a green tint to their clothes.

Among other inmates are Mr. Freeze who operates in the GCDP Building, Poison Ivy operates from Gotham's park and occupies a hotel in the north-east part of the city with her hypnotized thugs, Victor Zsasz hides out in a building near the Joker's lair kidnapping victims to kill them, Killer Croc lurks in the city's sewers and the abandoned subway tunnels, Bane appears in the Krank Co. Toys building, the Mad Hatter's small, mind-controlled group lives in a tea shop, and Hush's apartment can be found near the courthouse.

Park Row

 * Church/Medical Center
 * Ace Chemicals Building
 * Solomon Wayne Courthouse
 * The Black Canary
 * Finnigan's Bar
 * Liquors
 * Gotham Harware
 * Glass, Mirrors, Shades
 * The Stacked Deck
 * Hotel Aventine
 * Vote Harvey Dent Campaign Office
 * Live Nudes
 * Baudelaire
 * TYGER Confiscated Goods Vault
 * Mad Hatter's Lair
 * Monarch Theatre
 * Crime Alley

Amusement Mile

 * Gotham Casino
 * Gotham City Olympus Nightclub
 * GCR
 * GCPD Building
 * Prawn Shack
 * Gotham Sea Pier
 * Scallop Bar
 * W. White - Gotham Fish Monger's
 * Krank Co. Toys
 * Dini Towers
 * Leslie Thompkins Medical Clinic
 * Poison Ivy's Lair

Industrial District

 * Sionis Industries
 * Steel Mill/Joker's Funland
 * Bill's Hotdogs
 * North Gotham Docks
 * Tricorner Naval
 * Zsasz's Hideout
 * Storage Warehouse 5B
 * Otis Flannegan Pest Control

Subway

 * Subway Station
 * Subway Tunnels
 * Subway Terminal
 * Subway Maintenance Access

The Bowery

 * Bank of Gotham
 * Live Nudes
 * Monorail
 * Sal Maroni's Italian Restaurant
 * Cyrus Pinkney's Institute for Natural History (Museum)
 * Iceberg Lounge
 * Shreck's Department Store
 * Jezebel Center
 * Gotham Casino
 * Carnival Toys & Games
 * Gotham Perfumes
 * Glass, Mirrors, Shades
 * Italian Cuisine
 * Subway Station
 * Magic and Props

Steel Mill

 * Waste Exchange
 * Loading Bay
 * Assembly Line
 * Smelting Chamber
 * Cooling Tunnel - B
 * Cooling Tunnel - D
 * Freight Elevator
 * Boiler Room

Museum

 * Trophy Room
 * Gladiator Pit
 * Torture Chamber
 * War Room
 * Armory
 * Iceberg Lounge

Wonder City

 * Collapsed Streets
 * Wonder Tower Foundations
 * Wonder Avenue
 * Grimberg's Occult Store
 * Muftic Barbershop
 * Underhill & Davies Books
 * The Tea Hut
 * Wonder City Jewelry
 * Billingham Butchers
 * Adamson & Stjernberg Drugstore
 * Furniture Store
 * Fruit & Vegetables
 * Cloney Cobblers
 * Wonder City Textile Manufacturing
 * Crazy Clown Toys & Dolls
 * Royal Flush Tobacco
 * Wine & Spirit
 * Secret Corridor
 * Chamber of the Demon
 * Wonder Tower
 * Observation Deck

Staff

 * Professor Hugo Strange (deceased)
 * Dr. Thomas Elliot (formerly)
 * Eddie Burlow
 * Aaron Cash
 * Adam Hamasaki
 * William North
 * TYGER Guards

Inmates

 * Bruce Wayne
 * Two-Face
 * Two-Face's Henchmen
 * The Penguin
 * The Penguin's Henchmen
 * The Joker
 * The Joker's Henchmen
 * Harley Quinn
 * Catwoman
 * Mr. Freeze
 * Poison Ivy
 * The Riddler
 * Riddler Informants
 * Calendar Man
 * Killer Croc
 * Bane
 * Victor Zsasz
 * Black Mask
 * Mad Hatter
 * Deadshot - Unofficially
 * Clayface - Unofficially
 * Political Prisoners
 * Jack Ryder
 * Undercover GCPD Officers
 * Quincy Sharp

Gallery

 * Batman: Arkham City/Gallery