Lady Arkham is the main antagonist of Batman: The Telltale Series. A terrorist dedicating herself to exposing Gotham's corrupt and taking control of the city, she was the leader of the Children of Arkham and the first challenge faced by Batman. Her true identity was Vicki Vale, a reporter for the Gotham Gazette who became a false ally for Bruce Wayne.
Biography
Born Victoria Arkham, Vicki was adopted by the Vales after her parents were murdered by men working for Thomas Wayne and Mayor Hamilton Hill, for objecting to their use of the family's mental hospital to get rid of threats to their operations or to gain profit illegally. While Vicki was under the care of the Vales, they abused her constantly for seemingly no other reason outside of sadistic pleasure, which ranged from beatings to being kept in a torture chamber for days on end, a fate that befell countless, other foster children. Vicki claimed that the only reason that she had managed to survive the abuse was due to her lust for vengeance upon her foster parents, the Wayne family and all of Gotham City.
Despite her traumatic upbringing, Vicki grew into a highly intelligent and accomplished woman, and eventually secured a position at the Gotham Gazette as its star reporter, which was complimented with a reputation of her continuously seeking out the truth. However, Vicki's rage continued to worsen over the years, which culminated in her elaborate plans for revenge on the corrupt citizens of Gotham and her ascension into power as the leader of a group, known as The Children of Arkham. While The Children of Arkham was previously a peaceful political movement that was formed to seek out justice for those who were wrongly committed to Arkham Asylum, its message ultimately fell on deaf ears until Vicki used her resources and intellect and reformed the group into a powerful terrorist organization, adopted its symbol as her own and christened herself "Lady Arkham", an identity that she formed when she was locked within the Vales' makeshift torture chamber.
In complete control over that reformed organization, Vicki greatly expanded their numbers though the use of her resources, which she used to locate other individuals whose relatives had been wrongfully committed to Arkham Asylum, researched them extensively, and determined if their loved ones were truly sick or were simply innocent victims to Thomas Wayne's power-hungry designs. Those people included Oswald Cobblepot, who had plans of his own for revenge on the Wayne Family that Vicki had promised to help facilitate, and Roland Desmond, who eventually became Penguin's right-hand man. Cobblepot's ties to the criminal underworld gave Vicki direct access into that same landscape within Gotham's dark underside, and allowed for additional resources and criminals to perform her dirty work.
Vicki became an inspiring figure for the Children of Arkham and her new identity as Lady Arkham gave rise to a new movement that would rock Gotham off its foundations, starting with the Wayne Family, and continue until the entire city was engulfed in complete and utter chaos. Lady Arkham's plans aspired not only to target and murder corrupt individuals who were involved within the Arkham Asylum Conspiracy, but enable the Children of Arkham to become the ruling elite within Gotham, including its criminal underworld, political domains, and business conglomerates, and allow them not only revenge upon those who had wronged them, but also the potential to secure their own futures and wipe Gotham clean of all those that they deemed unworthy and then broaden their scope to the world beyond.
Batman: The Telltale Series
Realm of Shadows
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Vicki at Harvey Dent's fundraiser
Vicki first met Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent at a fundraiser at Wayne Manor. During their conversation, Vicki noticed blood on Bruce's collar, which the player could brush off as either a cut from shaving, spilled wine or lipstick. Upon seeing Carmine Falcone enter Wayne Manor, she became suspicious that Dent's campaign may have been soliciting votes from him and his organization. She was also among the guests that noticed if Bruce either shook Falcone's hand or refused to.
Vicki was also among the reporters in the press conference where Bruce and Harvey announced the "Thomas and Martha Wayne Mental Hospital". She was the only reporter who asked a question about what plans there were for the old Arkham Asylum. She later met Bruce after the press conference, which ended with the allegations of the Wayne's corruption. She offered to help Bruce in the public eye, by giving a quote about these rumors.
Bruce agrees to give a quote, choosing between saying that his family is innocent, justice will be served or claiming the story is just pure fiction. Whichever the player chooses, Vicki will remember it and the quote will be used in the episode conclusion.
Bruce refuses to give a quote and shows Vicki out. If the player chooses this, rumors about Bruce's links to organized crime may appear stronger to the public's eye.
While being shown out, Vicki reassured Bruce that he'd beat those, and claimed that the Waynes always did.
After Bruce finished his decryption of Mayor Hill's drive, which contained enough data to incriminate Falcone, and he decided to release it, the player could choose to release it to Lieutenant James Gordon or Vicki, whom Alfred suggested.
If Bruce chose Vicki, she would thank him for it, and considered it would take down Falcone and improve her career. However, she did show some concern for her own safety, which Bruce could either offer her some tips or protection. Vicki also asked whether exposing Falcone would help the city, with Bruce either suggesting Batman (a symbol), Gordon (fixing the police force) or Dent (stamping crime out of City Hall). Vicki then departed, and released the evidence to all media outlets.
Children of Arkham
Vicki later appeared at the GCPD, shortly after she heard the news about Falcone's murder. It was possible that she was the one who drugged Sgt. Renee Montoya and coerced her into murdering Falcone. When Vicki noticed Bruce leaving the scene, she tried to converse with him and collect information about the mob boss's murder. Bruce either gave her information about the murder or left without telling her anything.
Lady Arkham makes her debut
At some point before the debate, Vicki filmed a video as Lady Arkham, and demanded that the citizens of Gotham fight the corrupted and take control of Gotham. She, along with Penguin, Blockbuster, and other members of the Children of Arkham attacked the debate between Hill and Dent. She hid among the reporters at the debate and faked being taken hostage in order to avoid suspicion.
Vicki is "taken hostage" by Penguin
After it was attacked by the Children of Arkham, Vicki was "forced" onto the stage by Blockbuster and held at gunpoint by the Penguin, who made her "host" the event. When Batman finally intervened, Vicki took the opportunity to escape and elbowed Penguin in the face before she tried to flee. However, Penguin shot at Vicki in retaliation, only for Batman to shield her from the gunfire and threw a Batarang at him, which made him cease fire. Batman told Vicki to run, which she obeyed without question. It could be assumed that she made it to safety before the GCPD were able to interfere.
New World Order
Following their attack at the debate, Vicki ordered a group of the Children of Arkham to collect a batch of chemicals, which she planned to use to create more of their chemical weapon for a mass attack in Gotham's busiest area: Mercy Street Station. She also sent the Children of Arkham members to attack the newly appointed Mayor Dent and Penguin to infiltrate Wayne Enterprises, which allowed them access to the company's resources and financially support them, during their operations.
Vicki also created a false article in the Gotham Gazette, where she interviewed "The leader of the Children of Arkham", possibly to draw the attention of Batman. Should that have been the case, it succeeded, as she was later contacted at work by Batman. Vicki asked to meet him at Cobblepot Park and waited there after work. As they had agreed, Batman showed up, but tried to gather information about the group and where she had conducted the interview. Though reluctant to do so at first, Vicki decided to give him one of their bases of operations.
Lady Arkham hold Catwoman hostage
As Lady Arkham, she rendezvoused with the thief Catwoman, who had been hired by Penguin to steal information from Hill, and a group of her men to obtain a component for an upgraded Arkham drug. Upon arriving at the Sky Rail Depot, where she base of operations she had given to Batman, she held Catwoman as a hostage, threatening to inject her with a lethal dose if the vigilante didn't show himself. However, Catwoman broke free and the duo took down her men. As Batman tried to disable the monorail used to disperse the drug, Lady Arkham tried to stop him. Despite being able to defeat him in combat, intervention from Catwoman led to her being defeated by Batman. As the monorail was destroyed, Lady Arkham, in a fit of rage, blasted a lose cable to electrocute Batman, using this as a distraction for her escape.
Vicki drugs and manipulates Bruce Wayne
As Vicki, she appeared at the Wayne Enterprises press conference announcing Bruce Wayne's resignation. As Bruce left the stage, she joined and congratulated him for his speech. However, during the conversation, Vicki took the opportunity to drug Bruce in retribution for her family's fate. Revealing her identity to him, she coerced him into attacking Cobblepot, who had been given his position as CEO. Unable to fight off the effects of the drug, Bruce attacked him, landing him a sentence to Arkham Asylum.
Guardian of Gotham
After the event, Vicki went into hiding, though was reported missing by the Gazette. However, in secret, Vicki, needing a new place to store the Arkham drug, decided to use her foster father's heating company warehouse. Arriving at her foster parent's home, she attacked and brutally murdered them, leaving her her foster brother alive and in hiding. After ensuring that they had access to the warehouses, Vicki and Penguin learnt that Batman's computer network was linked to Wayne Enterprises' tech. She ordered him to take over the network and cripple Batman's operations, as she planned for her final goal: the Liberation of Arkham Asylum.
When Batman arrived at her foster parent's home, following a tip from a patient at Arkham, he discovered the crime scene and alerted Gordon. Using clues at the house, he deduced what Vicki had been doing at the house and where she was storing the chemical. When the GCPD arrived, Batman, secretly Wayne, revealed Vicki's identity as Lady Arkham to the GCPD and her use of her foster father's warehouse to store the group's chemical supply. This was destroyed by Dent, who had now been driven insane by the dosage he had received.
City of Light
After learning that Bruce Wayne had been released from Arkham, Vicki decided to take retribution on his butler Alfred Pennyworth. Arriving at Wayne Manor, she and her men, after a brief struggle, captured him and left an IP address for a server. Taking Alfred to her parent's foster home, she filmed a message for Bruce and forced the butler to suffer the way she had at her foster parent's hands.
Lady Arkham confronts Batman
With her men, she took control of Arkham Asylum, holding the staff hostage and, using Wayne tech codes acquired by the now arrested Penguin, set up to release the prisoners in the Asylum. She also moved Pennyworth the old ruins of the Asylum, where she prepared for Batman's arrival. When the vigilante arrived, she brushed off all attempts to step down quietly and released the inmates. With help from the GCPD, Batman managed to take down most the inmates. As Lady Arkham fled to the catacombs, Batman tried to capture her in the food hall, breaking her mask in the process, but was stopped by Victor Zsasz.
Confronting her in one of the cells, Batman tried to negotiate Alfred's return, but Vicki used her staff to blast the floor underneath him, dropping him into the catacombs. She tried to justify her actions to Batman, insisting they were the same and that she had helped Gotham, but the vigilante still refused to let her go. After locating Alfred in one of the old chambers, Batman tried to free him, unaware that Vicki was listening. Interfering, she realized that Batman had a close connection to the butler, as he referred to him in a first name basis, and threatened to kill him unless he unmasked himself. Batman will be given the choice to either attack her or unmask himself.
Batman chooses to free Alfred, throwing a Batarang at his restraints. The butler attacks Vicki, but loses his eye when she fires her staff at him.
Batman decides to unmask himself, revealing that he is Bruce Wayne to Vicki. Having seen Batman as a selfless character and Bruce as an arrogant playboy, Vicki goes into brief denial before coming to the conclusion that he has been using the Batman persona to attack the weak and defenseless in Gotham. Despite Bruce's objections, she attacks him with her staff, blasting off a chunk of his ear.
BATMAN The Telltale Series - Lady Arkham Fight
Using her weapons and fighting skills, Vicki attacked Batman/Bruce, hoping to kill him and take her revenge. During this, they damaged the chamber's supports, causing it to start to collapse. Vicki also broke her staff in the process. As rubble fell from above them, Vicki, using her hover boots, tried one last time to kill Batman, but was blasted aside when the vigilante used her own staff against her. As Batman and Alfred fled, Vicki tried to escape through the catacombs, leaving some departing words to the former. However, the exit that she planned to use was blocked by falling debris, with more falling above where she stood. Unable to react quickly, Vicki was apparently crushed by the rubble and believed to have been killed.
Following Vicki's apparent death, the remaining members of the Children of Arkham and escaped patients were all rounded up by the GCPD. News reports would also report of Vicki's involvement as Lady Arkham, along with her defeat at Batman's hands, but no body was found, leading Batman to doubt whether she was truly dead.
If Bruce chooses to attend the GCPD press conference as himself, he can announce that he will halt construction on a mental health hospital in memory of his parents to help renovate Arkham Asylum, in memory of her family and to help it recover from his father's actions.
Batman: The Enemy Within
Batman would keep a display of Lady Arkham in the Batcave, which consisted of her broken mask and concussion staff. The Children of Arkham had also been disbanded, with many of its members now serving sentences in Blackgate Prison.
Personality
In her civilian identity, Vicki Vale was often very passive aggressive, often to collect information for her articles. However, due to the abuse she was put though as a child, she seemed to know only anger and hatred, which she would show as her identity of Lady Arkham. Though she hid it as her civilian identity, Vicki would often try to justify her actions, believing that she was always correct. Even after she discovered Wayne was Batman, she couldn't accept the playboy as a hero but as vicious billionaire willing to hurt the defenseless of Gotham.
Vicki also was willing enough to put innocent bystanders in the way of her attacks, even planning to release the Arkham drug on Mercy Street to affect many civilians. Lady Arkham also showed much brutality, including the gruesome murder of her foster parents. However, the fact she left her foster brother live shows that she may have unwilling to harm children, meaning she probably had some boundaries she was unwilling to cross.
Equipment
Costume
As Lady Arkham, Vicki wore a costume inspired by a doll she created in her makeshift cell in the Vales' basement. This included black leather jacket, with brown parts strips of leather, golden fastenings and a shoulder brace, black combat trousers, black gloves and hover boots. To protect her identity and provoke fear in her enemies, she wore a customized mask, fitted with a voice modulator and consisting of armored plating. It's unclear how much protection Vicki had in her costume, but the mask was very brittle, braking after one hit from Batman.
Concussion Staff
Lady Arkham used a concussion staff, procured through unknown means. When activated, it would fire a strong sonic blast, which was capable of blasting objects backwards or, in some cases, incapacitating or killing a person. The staff's blast was powerful enough to puncture Batman's armor and damage hard materials like stone.
Hover Boots
Lady Arkham also used hover boots, as part of her costume. It is unknown about the precise technology within them, but they were capable of letting her hover in the air, fly to areas she could not reach, increase her speed whilst running and the strength of her kicks, whilst in combat.
Relationships
Bruce Wayne/Batman
Vicki's relationship with Bruce Wayne seemed to be friendly at first, before the revelation about her identity. Depending on his actions, Bruce can trust Vicki in helping him clear his family's name and try to recover his family's legacy. He can even help her career at the Gazette, giving her evidence of Carmine Falcone's business to publish though the media or letting lose the name of the cop who shot him. However, Vicki's views on Bruce was the same she had on his father, a brash and selfish billionaire, willing to harm or kill others for his own benefit. Vicki only revealed her true identity to him after drugging and coercing him into attacking Oswald Cobblepot.
Vicki's views on Batman were different, as she had been inspired by the vigilante to fight Gotham's corrupted, a fact she admitted to him during their final conflict. She also believed that they were fighting for the same cause, though she was willing to take further steps than he could. However, Vicki was willing to kill him whenever he stood in her way, such as her attempt to spread her chemical agent on Mercy Street and the liberation of Arkham patients. Upon learning that Bruce was Batman, she was unable to view the vigilante as a selfless person and comes to the conclusion that he uses the guise to attack the oppressed. Her parting words to Batman change, depending on her knowledge of the vigilante's identity.
The Children of Arkham
Many members of the Children of Arkham seem to hold Lady Arkham in high regard, often following her orders without question. However, she seemed treat them only as pawns, giving them mostly orders, with privileges and ranks reserved if they helped the group's operations further. It's possible that Lady Arkham kept her identity a secret, as Oswald Cobblepot willingly shot at Vicki Vale during the group's attack on the mayoral debate and seemed surprised when Bruce Wayne told him about his knowledge of her civilian identity.
Quotes
- "We are the Children of Arkham, and we have opened your eyes."
- "You might as well come out Batman. I know you're here."
- "You have to face the truth sometime, Batman. You can't protect Gotham from itself."
- "They lit the fire. We're here to stoke the flames."
- "Do you feel that? That is the drug kicking in."
- "I think it's time you learned my real name. I am Lady Arkham."
- "A lesson needs to be taught. They won't look the other way -- not again."
- "Arkham! Listen to me. Freedom is yours! The only one standing in your way... is Batman."
- "The butler has to die, Batman. Payment for Thomas Wayne's sins. He took away my family, so I'll take away his son's."
- "I'm curious Batman. I know why I wear the mask. It's who I am, who I was always meant to be. What about you?"
- "This has to be some kind of... trick. Bruce Wayne -- he'd never be the man Batman is. He only looks out for himself."
- "You belong in this darkness, Batman. You'll be buried in it. You, and the butler."
- "You belong in this place, Bruce. Lost, forgotten, buried. And Gotham will not morn you. The sins of the Wayne bloodline end here."
- "I see your true face. I'll never trust you."
Gallery
- Lady Arkham/Gallery
Trivia
- Unlike most iterations and portrayals of her in other media, this iteration of Vale is antagonistic and only acts as an ally to Bruce in order to advance her plans.
- There are comparisons that can be drawn between Lady Arkham and another villain from Batman video games; Jason Todd/Arkham Knight from Batman: Arkham Knight:
- Both are existing characters within the main Batman continuity but given a new antagonistic identity within their respective games.
- Both seem to target Bruce Wayne, due to their belief that he was indirectly responsible/involved in a traumatic event in their lives.
- Both have their criminal identity linked with Arkham Asylum and lead a group of mercenaries in a crusade for revenge.
- Both were held captive and tortured, twisting their views on the world and giving them a desire for revenge.
- The following foreshadows/hints towards Vicki's identity as Lady Arkham:
- At the press event announcing the commissioning of a mental health facility, she asks Bruce what will happen to her family's old asylum; the only question on topic, in light of Thomas Wayne's exposure as a criminal.
- Vicki was the only known reporter/member of the press at the GCPD and already knew about Falcone's murder, implying that she was the one who drugged Montoya.
- Blockbuster seemed to choose Vale upon seeing her, meaning he may have been aware of her identity or told to choose her out of all the hostages present.
- On the Gazette piece that displayed her article, her name can be seen next to a picture of her criminal identity.
- Lady Arkham was aware that Batman was at the Skyrail Depot, as she had been the one to reveal this information and was the only one who knew of his presence at the time.