The 28 hidden characters in Batman: Arkham Asylum

The Ventriloquist and Scarface

First comic appearance: Detective Comics #583 (February 1988)

Arkham Asylum appearance: Penitentiary (Main Cell Block); Arkham Mansion (Warden’s Office); Joker’s Throne Room

The connection: The Ventriloquist is a meek, mild-mannered man who channels his fury and felonies through the puppet Scarface. When they are separated, Ventriloquist is not violent or dangerous whatsoever. The fact that his doll is safely locked away in this glass display case, then, implies that the villain is safely locked away as well.

But for how long? If the Joker can gain access to Scarface so easily in the game’s final scenes, how long until the Ventriloquist is whole again? And how easy would it be to get his trademark Tommy gun out of the Penitentiary, too?

Bizarro Fun Fact: A new, female Ventriloquist was introduced by DC in 2007. She has multiple Scarface dolls and seems to honestly believe that the imaginary character is in love with her.

Clayface

First comic appearance: Detective Comics #40 (June 1940)

Arkham Asylum appearance: Penitentiary (Security Control Room)

The connection: This is one of the more elaborate character cameos in the game. Enter the Security Control Room and you’ll see a clay-smeared cell with a large sign warning that the prisoner inside may not be who or what he appears to be. Sure enough, the character behind the glass transforms from Aaron Cash to Warden Sharp to Commissioner Gordon within a matter of minutes. Each time, the new face, voice and mannerisms match perfectly.

Clayface, a former actor and now mutated shapeshifter, is very convincing.

Bizarro Fun Fact: The original Clayface had no special powers; he was nothing but a disgruntled B-list movie star, wearing the mask of his most famous film’s villain.

Firefly

First comic appearance: Detective Comics #184 (June 1952)

Arkham Asylum appearance: Medical Facility (Patient Observation)

The connection: These article clippings are packed with references. According to the first newspaper, Firefly has escaped and Gotham is “on high alert”. No surprise there – the pyromaniac villain is obsessed with burning down the city’s buildings and landmarks.

The second newspaper seems older, and more interesting. Garfield Lynns is Firefly’s real name, but the headline doesn’t seem aware of this fact yet. The “theater no more”? That’s probably Firefly’s first attempt at arson – he tried robbing a theater that way, but was stopped by Batman.

Finally, if you check the shelf next to the newspapers, you'll find Firefly's flame-throwing backpack and nozzle.

Bizarro Fun Fact: Firefly was once the sidekick of Killer Moth. The crime-starting duo was inspired by the crime-stopping duo of Batman and Robin.

The Injustice Gang

First comic appearance: Justice League of America #111 (June 1974)

Arkham Asylum appearance: Medical Facility (Patient Observation)

The connection: On the same newspaper as the Firefly articles is a miniscule headline referring to the Injustice Gang. They’re a team of super villains, working together as antagonists to the Justice League. The word “back” implies that it’s the second formation of the Gang, which would include Joker and Lex Luthor rather than less glamorous members like Floronic Man and Ocean Master.

Bizarro Fun Fact: “Injustice Gang” is a really stupid name.

Professor Hugo Strange

First comic appearance: Detective Comics #36 (February 1940)

Arkham Asylum appearance: Arkham Mansion (Records Room)

The connection: Professor Hugo Strange is most often portrayed as a master psychiatrist who has deduced Batman’s true identity as Bruce Wayne. Sometimes he attempts to auction this knowledge to the highest bidding villain; other times, he tries to use the knowledge to become Batman himself. Either way, we can guess at what crucial information might be hidden in his files. Is that why they’re so tightly secured in the Arkham Mansion Records Room? You need both a Cryptographic Sequencer and a Line Launcher to get past the electric lock and the electric floor.

Bizarro Fun Fact: One of Dr. Strange’s first schemes was to use asylum patients as test subjects, injecting them with a growth hormone that transformed them into hulking brutes. Hmm, sound familiar?

Mad Hatter

First comic appearance: Batman #49 (November 1948)

Arkham Asylum appearance: Botanical Gardens (Botanical Glasshouse)

The connection: Obviously, the Mad Hatter loves hats. In the comics, he’s been known to turn down food and look away from naked women if they were not wearing headwear of some kind. His alias, however, also arrives from an obsession with the novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and the chapter “A Mad Tea Party” in particular. While many of the Mad Hatter’s criminal schemes involve mind control, many of his personal pastimes revolve around recreating scenes from that fictional universe. Looks like he continued that hobby in Arkham Asylum… but who were his party guests?

Bizarro Fun Fact: A lot of the Arkham Asylum game’s themes and ideas are inspired by the Arkham Asylum graphic novel, A Serious House on Serious Earth. In that story, the Mad Hatter is revealed to be a pedophile, mirroring similar real-world accusations against Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.