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Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero.
With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.
Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.
Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1
As if The Joker's new and official origins weren't scary enough, DC just added yet another horrifying twist to his history. While the mainline Joker has a far more ambiguous background, the Absolute Universe's Joker has a very specific past (and we promise that's worse).
Most of Absolute Joker's origins were officially revealed in the recent Absolute Batman #15, confirming that Jack Grimm V is a multi-billionaire, the head of the Ark M project, and has lived for hundreds of years using a presumed mix of disturbing dark science combined with more supernatural methods.
Absolute Joker can also transform into a horned and multi-fanged eldritch beast that makes Pennywise's most monstrous form look pretty tame. However, the brand-new Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1 reveals even more dark reveals from Absolute Joker's past (and one huge twist).
Amadeus Arkham Believed One Of His Patients Became A Notorious Serial Killer
From the journals of Amadeus Arkham, the founder reveals how he built his asylum with the vision to help the mentally disturbed like no one else ever had before. It's also revealed in this new special issue that Amadeus once encountered an orphan boy who came to his doorstep in 1885 (covered in blood).
Teaching and treating him as his own son, Arkham believed this boy could one day carry on his legacy. However, a mass breakout seemingly led by the asylum's most deranged patient also resulted in the boy's disappearance, with Arkham believing his adopted son had been killed. Likewise, Amadeus Arkham came to believe that this escaped patient, "Jack Doe", eventually became the notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper.
Unfortunately, the truth is far more disturbing...
In A Major Twist, Absolute Joker Is Revealed To Have Been Jack The Ripper
Selling the asylum to Jack Grimm, Amadeus is led to the far darker truth by Absolute Joker himself. As revealed at the issue's end, Grimm was confirmed to be the boy. Having played Amadeus for a fool, it was young Jack who orchestrated the breakout and even killed "Jack Doe", burying him behind the walls of the asylum's boiler room.
As a result, the implication is quite clear: It was The Joker who became Jack the Ripper in the Absolute Universe, now returned to purchase Arkham Asylum from his "father" to begin his modern-day work on his dark Ark M experiments (seen in the pages of Absolute Batman).
It's a pretty crazy twist in the new DC special, one that very much proves Absolute Joker is going to be the most powerful and formidable foe The Dark Knight has ever faced, hands down.
Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1 is on sale now from DC Comics.
Created By Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson
First Appearance Batman (1940)
Alias Red Hood, Clown Prince of Crime, Ace of Knaves
RELATIONSHIPS Batman (archenemy), Harley Quinn (former psychiatrist, on-and-off girlfriend), Penguin (frequent collaborator), Two-Face (frequent collaborator)
Alliance Injustice League, Legion of Doom, Injustice Gang
English (US) ·