Batman has uncovered plenty of nightmares inside the walls of Arkham Asylum, but one case revealed a truth so disgusting, it's enough to keep even Bruce Wayne himself awake at night.
There is no superhero better than Batman when it comes to tracking down and detaining the Gotham's Arkham Asylum after being declared not just guilty, but criminally insane. Because Batman knows the lethal prisoners of Arkham are constantly trying to escape, he likes to keep a close eye on them and watch from a distance. But while he watches Dr. Anne Carver having a chat with a new inmate known as Warren White, he discovers Arkham Asylum's creepiest secret.
In the beginning of writer Dan Slott and penciler Ryan Sook's graphic novel Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, Arkham receives a new inmate named Warren White, who is sent to Arkham for swindling Gotham's citizens out of their money (which is irregular, considering he's not clinically insane). After being bitten by his bunk-mate 'Death Rattle,' cut up by Two-Face, and slashed by Killer Croc's nails, White begs Carver, Arkham's psychiatrist, to have him transferred to another prison with a more... 'sane' population. Carver's request of $20 million seems like a standard case of corruption, but when the transfer is completed, and Carver attempts to seal their deal with a kiss -- and a concealed knife in her hand -- Batman smashes in to stop it. Revealing the dark truth of the entire plot... as Carver's face hangs from the face of 'Jane Doe,' a supervillain who disguises herself as other people using their flesh.
The chills don't stop there, because after Batman reveals Arkham's creepiest secret, Warren finds a bag that's stashed behind Carver's desk containing the remains of the real Carver. Jane Doe's mimicry and disguise are so impeccable, she has proven able to trick the guards as well as the head of Arkham for two months straight, walking in and out of the building at all times of the day. Raising the main question: why doesn't she just run away when she leaves the building?
There are two answers to that question, beginning with the fact she wants White's money. The second answer -- and what makes her character so chilling -- is that she is not only looking to escape Arkham, but trying to find the right person to become for the rest of her life. Meaning, she will keep mimicking and disguising herself using other people's flesh until she finds the perfect identity. It's a haunting thought to consider, and especially knowing how close she came. But even if the security of Arkham can be fooled, even a plot this devious can't succeed with Batman on the case.
