STATEMENT
What is the line between good and evil? Where are the barriers between a good person and evil person created? The Dark Knight, a film released in 2008 and produced by Christopher Nolan, tries to locate those barriers between the antagonist and protagonist. The film ties in with our course questions seamlessly, and it clearly displays the fears and anxieties that our society has. Batman, Jim Gordon, and Harvey Dent have built a city that is safe, where people feel like they are protected if they want to go take a walk in the city, but everything they’ve built is put in jeopardy by The Joker. The Joker strives to create havoc, to cause paranoia in the city of Gotham. Our course questions ask how our society creates monsters/misfits and the fears of our society. In The Dark Knight, the people of Gotham act like they need Batman when things go wrong, but when things get better, they cast the Batman out, treat him like an outcast because he’s different than everyone else. They act like he’s a necessity but once the danger is gone, they think Batman is the enemy. In the 2000’s, society had a deep fear of terrorism and surprise attacks. The attacks on 9/11 caused great fear in our society. The Joker creates that same fear in society, he coordinates many large scale attacks on the city of Gotham, which include bombings, shootings, and taking hostages. These actions by The Joker cause the same anxiety that terrorism does in our real world. In my adaptation, I plan to emphasize something much different, which I will explain later in this statement.
I really like this film, there’s many aspects to the film that strike me as great. I love how they portray The Joker in this film, I like how they give him a mysterious background because it adds to the complexity of his character and why he does the actions he does in the film. There’s no part of the film I dislike, but there is some things about the film that I wish to change. In the film, we don’t get the full explanation as to why The Joker is the way that he is, what caused him to become “The Joker” and what has occurred in his past that shaped who he became in the film. I want to explore that more thoroughly in my adaptation. I believe by doing this we as an audience can show sympathy for The Joker, and possibly connect with his character more than we do in the original film.
While changing the setting could change the way the story is told, I will plan to keep it the same. I like the setting of Gotham because the tone it gives out to the readers, a very monotonous, cloudy, and dreary setting that sets the mood of any film or novel that the Batman is in. The characters are also going to be kept the same in my adaptation, because the characters in the original are great. They have perfect characteristics, and their personalities are perfect for what I am going to try and show in my adaptation. The time period will be earlier in the life of both Bruce Wayne (Batman) and The Joker. I am planning to create a prequel, dating back to the early childhood of Bruce Wayne and The Joker. This prequel will add to the message of why The Joker and Bruce Wayne became who they are later in their life and in the film. The prequel will give the background information on the characters, and give a reason as to why The Joker wreaks havoc on the city of Gotham.
In my adaptation, I plan to show why The Joker hates Batman more than anything. I plan to show the reasons as to why he is extremely evil. I plan to have The Joker be a long lost brother of Bruce Wayne, a neglected child of both Thomas and Martha Wayne (Bruce’s parents). The Joker was neglected from his true family because of the way he looked, and is vying for revenge on his true family. To get his revenge, he is the person who murdered both of Bruce’s parents. The message I am trying to show is how one choice, one decision, can change someone’s life forever. In my adaptation, this action by The Joker starts him on a path of terror. For Bruce Wayne, this action starts him on a path of vengeance and revenge, and eventually leads him to become Batman. This relates to our modern culture because people have decisions that can make or break your life, send you on a path that may not be a good one. Take criminals for example, they have a very important decision of whether or not to do something illegal, and that decision could lead to a path of crime. One decision can change someone’s life, and I plan to show that in my adaptation. This will also question politics, many families neglect their loved ones for political gain. People running for office, for example, often neglect family members because they represent something that they don’t want the world to see. In my story, I plan to show how The Joker represented something that the Wayne family wanted to hide, and that treatment of The Joker as a misfit lead him on a path to become a monster. I hope my audience thinks about if they have a decision to make, a very important decision that can change his/her life. I want them to look at my story and think about what will happen if they make the wrong decision, and what path that decision could send them to. I want my audience to make decisions that will propel them in life, and not one that will spiral them downhill to a life of regret.
I really like this film, there’s many aspects to the film that strike me as great. I love how they portray The Joker in this film, I like how they give him a mysterious background because it adds to the complexity of his character and why he does the actions he does in the film. There’s no part of the film I dislike, but there is some things about the film that I wish to change. In the film, we don’t get the full explanation as to why The Joker is the way that he is, what caused him to become “The Joker” and what has occurred in his past that shaped who he became in the film. I want to explore that more thoroughly in my adaptation. I believe by doing this we as an audience can show sympathy for The Joker, and possibly connect with his character more than we do in the original film.
While changing the setting could change the way the story is told, I will plan to keep it the same. I like the setting of Gotham because the tone it gives out to the readers, a very monotonous, cloudy, and dreary setting that sets the mood of any film or novel that the Batman is in. The characters are also going to be kept the same in my adaptation, because the characters in the original are great. They have perfect characteristics, and their personalities are perfect for what I am going to try and show in my adaptation. The time period will be earlier in the life of both Bruce Wayne (Batman) and The Joker. I am planning to create a prequel, dating back to the early childhood of Bruce Wayne and The Joker. This prequel will add to the message of why The Joker and Bruce Wayne became who they are later in their life and in the film. The prequel will give the background information on the characters, and give a reason as to why The Joker wreaks havoc on the city of Gotham.
In my adaptation, I plan to show why The Joker hates Batman more than anything. I plan to show the reasons as to why he is extremely evil. I plan to have The Joker be a long lost brother of Bruce Wayne, a neglected child of both Thomas and Martha Wayne (Bruce’s parents). The Joker was neglected from his true family because of the way he looked, and is vying for revenge on his true family. To get his revenge, he is the person who murdered both of Bruce’s parents. The message I am trying to show is how one choice, one decision, can change someone’s life forever. In my adaptation, this action by The Joker starts him on a path of terror. For Bruce Wayne, this action starts him on a path of vengeance and revenge, and eventually leads him to become Batman. This relates to our modern culture because people have decisions that can make or break your life, send you on a path that may not be a good one. Take criminals for example, they have a very important decision of whether or not to do something illegal, and that decision could lead to a path of crime. One decision can change someone’s life, and I plan to show that in my adaptation. This will also question politics, many families neglect their loved ones for political gain. People running for office, for example, often neglect family members because they represent something that they don’t want the world to see. In my story, I plan to show how The Joker represented something that the Wayne family wanted to hide, and that treatment of The Joker as a misfit lead him on a path to become a monster. I hope my audience thinks about if they have a decision to make, a very important decision that can change his/her life. I want them to look at my story and think about what will happen if they make the wrong decision, and what path that decision could send them to. I want my audience to make decisions that will propel them in life, and not one that will spiral them downhill to a life of regret.
RESEARCH SUMMARY
A decision can impact someone’s life, for the better or for the worse. Using The Dark Knight and the story of Batman and The Joker, I plan to demonstrate how a decision can change a life. During the film, I was very curious as to why The Joker performs the monstrous acts that he does, I wanted to know what he is trying to prove in the film. I also wanted to know how Bruce Wayne became the Batman. In the film, we never truly understand the motives that The Joker has. He performs many monstrous acts against the city, and against Batman. By exploring their past, I wish to explain their future. In my adaptation, I plan on having The Joker being the long-lost son of Thomas and Martha Wayne. The Joker will be a neglected child, who was given up due to the way the Wayne’s were viewed with this child. The Joker vows for revenge, and ends up killing Thomas and Martha. This sends The Joker on a path of destruction, and Bruce Wayne on a path to becoming Batman. The research that I collected was about both the themes of the film itself (order and chaos), and the themes in which I am trying to show in my adaptation (one decision changing someone’s life). By exploring this, I want to show that making the right decision can send you on a good path, while the incorrect decision can send you on a life of regret and destruction.
Annotated Bibliography
“Stupid decisions that can ruin your life in a second”
This article is about the impact one or more decisions can have on your life. It talks about any decision, good, bad, large, and small, and the impact they can have on someone’s life. This article gives many examples of good and bad decisions, and where those decisions could lead to. “You endanger your future by making bad decisions – big and small ones. Big bad decisions are not‑that‑frequent, but very important events that you encounter in your life and have a big influence on your future, where you don’t decide well. You make a bad choice and it has huge negative consequences.” This source informs my own source because it states that one decision can change a life forever. This shows that any decision can send you on a life of prosperity or failure. This source will help prove the point that my adaptation is proving, in which I have The Joker make a terrible decision in his childhood that leads him on a path of living a villainous life.
“Obama Confronts the Joker of the Middle East” *
This article relates the villainous acts of The Joker to the terrorist group ISIS (or ISIL). Former President Barack Obama uses this analogy to show the real-life threat of ISIS, and it instills fear in the readers. He compares the terrible acts from The Joker in The Dark Knight (bombings, mass shootings) to the acts that ISIS takes part of. “They were thugs, but there was a kind of order. Everyone had his turf. And then the Joker comes in and lights the whole city on fire. ISIL is the Joker. It has the capacity to set the whole region on fire. That’s why we have to fight it.” This source informs my own source because it shows how dangerous The Joker really is. It also reiterates the question I had from watching the film, which is how The Joker became who he is, how did ISIS start, what caused them to to act the way they do?
“Childhood trauma and basal cortisol in people with personality disorders” *
This article discusses the impact that childhood trauma can have on someone later in his/her life. This article uses various studies of people who have endured childhood trauma, and the impact of those experiences. The studies show that childhood trauma can lead to a variety of different personality disorders as they reach adulthood. “Personality disorders are often comorbid with lifetime major depressive disorder (MDD) and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (e.g., Southwick, Yehuda, & Giller, 1993), disorders that are also linked to early trauma exposure (Heim, Plotsky & Nemeroff, 2004; Ozer, Best, Lipsey & Weiss, 2003, Widom, DuMont, Czaja, 2007).” This article strongly correlates with what I’m trying to show, this article tells the reader that trauma can lead to behavioral disorders later in life. In my adaptation, I plan on having The Joker make a very bad decision, and that trauma he receives from making this decision shapes the way he turns out later in his life. This also reflects Bruce Wayne, the childhood trauma he experiences early in his life (his parents being killed) leads him on a path to becoming Batman. This source informs my own source because it backs up what I’m trying to prove in my adaptation.
The Best Dark Knight Joker Origin Theory (And How It Improves The Movie)
This article questions the film, and asks where The Joker originated. This article looks at possible origins of the character, using both the comic books and clues from the film. This article also describes the importance of The Joker and what he embodies both in the film and in our society today. “And that creates something more unsettling: the danger at home comes from home, within the city gates. We don't just fear what he can do, we fear over how little he may be removed from us. What drove him that way? What destroyed the American Dream?” This source informs my own source because it poses the question as to what removed him from society and lead him to becoming The Joker. This asks what happened to ruin his future in America, and that is the question that I am trying to answer in my adaptation. I am using this source because it shows the importance of explaining The Joker’s past to explain his future.
“Why doesn’t Batman just Kill The Joker”
This source discusses the impact that The Joker has on both Bruce Wayne (Batman) and the city of Gotham. The article talks about the fear that the society has for The Joker and why we have that fear. It also answers the question as to why Batman doesn’t kill The Joker, and that’s because if Batman does kill him then the Joker wins. The Joker is not trying to kill Batman, he wants to break him. “The Joker is terrifying because we fear that we are like him deep down - that he is us. Batman is what we (any average person) could be at our absolute best, and the Joker is what we could be at our absolute worst. The Joker’s claim is that we are all terrible deep down, and it is only the law and our misplaced sense of justice that keeps us in line.” This source informs my own source because this quote shows that The Joker could be any one of us, one moment in someone’s life can lead to a path of destruction like The Joker. I am using this source because it shows that an ordinary person could live a life of a monster, and that connects to my adaptation because The Joker was an ordinary person until one moment changed his life forever. I also am using this source because it was a question I had while watching the film, why didn’t Batman just kill The Joker when he had the chance? By using this source and my adaptation, I want to show that there’s a specific reason why Batman can’t kill The Joker.
“The Movie Review: The Dark Knight”
This source gives an in-depth review of the film and what this film explores. This article gives a look at the plot of the film, and the ways that Christopher Nolan (the producer) shows the themes of order and chaos in the film. “The Dark Knight is less a film about good versus evil than about order versus chaos, a morality play into which a wild card, the Joker, has been inserted to devastating effect.” This source informs my own source because I want to show how the themes of order and chaos began. I want to explore how Batman came to represent order, and how The Joker came to represent chaos. I believe that this source will show the ways in which I want to adapt the original film and the ways that my adaptation will connect to the original film.
Works Cited
Flory, Janine D, et al. “Childhood Trauma and Basal Cortisol in People with Personality Disorders.” Comprehensive Psychiatry, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2009, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2614618/.
Friedman, Uri. “Why Obama Thinks ISIS Is Like the Joker in Batman.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 10 Mar. 2016, www.theatlantic.com/notes/2016/03/obama-isis-joker-batman/473193/.
Kos , Blaz. “Stupid Decisions That Can Ruin Your Whole Life in a Second.” AgileLeanLife, 12 Aug. 2016, agileleanlife.com/stupid-decisions/.
Leadbeater, Alex. “The Best Dark Knight Joker Origin Theory (And How It Improves The Movie).” ScreenRant, Screen Rant, 18 July 2018, screenrant.com/dark-knight-heath-ledger-joker-origin-theory/.
Orr, Christopher. “The Movie Review: 'The Dark Knight'.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 14 Jan. 2011, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2008/07/the-movie-review-the-dark-knight/68959/.
Richards, Jesse. “Why Doesn't Batman Just Kill The Joker?” HuffPost, HuffPost, 7 Dec. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/why-doesnt-batman-just-ki_b_3686003.
Annotated Bibliography
“Stupid decisions that can ruin your life in a second”
This article is about the impact one or more decisions can have on your life. It talks about any decision, good, bad, large, and small, and the impact they can have on someone’s life. This article gives many examples of good and bad decisions, and where those decisions could lead to. “You endanger your future by making bad decisions – big and small ones. Big bad decisions are not‑that‑frequent, but very important events that you encounter in your life and have a big influence on your future, where you don’t decide well. You make a bad choice and it has huge negative consequences.” This source informs my own source because it states that one decision can change a life forever. This shows that any decision can send you on a life of prosperity or failure. This source will help prove the point that my adaptation is proving, in which I have The Joker make a terrible decision in his childhood that leads him on a path of living a villainous life.
“Obama Confronts the Joker of the Middle East” *
This article relates the villainous acts of The Joker to the terrorist group ISIS (or ISIL). Former President Barack Obama uses this analogy to show the real-life threat of ISIS, and it instills fear in the readers. He compares the terrible acts from The Joker in The Dark Knight (bombings, mass shootings) to the acts that ISIS takes part of. “They were thugs, but there was a kind of order. Everyone had his turf. And then the Joker comes in and lights the whole city on fire. ISIL is the Joker. It has the capacity to set the whole region on fire. That’s why we have to fight it.” This source informs my own source because it shows how dangerous The Joker really is. It also reiterates the question I had from watching the film, which is how The Joker became who he is, how did ISIS start, what caused them to to act the way they do?
“Childhood trauma and basal cortisol in people with personality disorders” *
This article discusses the impact that childhood trauma can have on someone later in his/her life. This article uses various studies of people who have endured childhood trauma, and the impact of those experiences. The studies show that childhood trauma can lead to a variety of different personality disorders as they reach adulthood. “Personality disorders are often comorbid with lifetime major depressive disorder (MDD) and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (e.g., Southwick, Yehuda, & Giller, 1993), disorders that are also linked to early trauma exposure (Heim, Plotsky & Nemeroff, 2004; Ozer, Best, Lipsey & Weiss, 2003, Widom, DuMont, Czaja, 2007).” This article strongly correlates with what I’m trying to show, this article tells the reader that trauma can lead to behavioral disorders later in life. In my adaptation, I plan on having The Joker make a very bad decision, and that trauma he receives from making this decision shapes the way he turns out later in his life. This also reflects Bruce Wayne, the childhood trauma he experiences early in his life (his parents being killed) leads him on a path to becoming Batman. This source informs my own source because it backs up what I’m trying to prove in my adaptation.
The Best Dark Knight Joker Origin Theory (And How It Improves The Movie)
This article questions the film, and asks where The Joker originated. This article looks at possible origins of the character, using both the comic books and clues from the film. This article also describes the importance of The Joker and what he embodies both in the film and in our society today. “And that creates something more unsettling: the danger at home comes from home, within the city gates. We don't just fear what he can do, we fear over how little he may be removed from us. What drove him that way? What destroyed the American Dream?” This source informs my own source because it poses the question as to what removed him from society and lead him to becoming The Joker. This asks what happened to ruin his future in America, and that is the question that I am trying to answer in my adaptation. I am using this source because it shows the importance of explaining The Joker’s past to explain his future.
“Why doesn’t Batman just Kill The Joker”
This source discusses the impact that The Joker has on both Bruce Wayne (Batman) and the city of Gotham. The article talks about the fear that the society has for The Joker and why we have that fear. It also answers the question as to why Batman doesn’t kill The Joker, and that’s because if Batman does kill him then the Joker wins. The Joker is not trying to kill Batman, he wants to break him. “The Joker is terrifying because we fear that we are like him deep down - that he is us. Batman is what we (any average person) could be at our absolute best, and the Joker is what we could be at our absolute worst. The Joker’s claim is that we are all terrible deep down, and it is only the law and our misplaced sense of justice that keeps us in line.” This source informs my own source because this quote shows that The Joker could be any one of us, one moment in someone’s life can lead to a path of destruction like The Joker. I am using this source because it shows that an ordinary person could live a life of a monster, and that connects to my adaptation because The Joker was an ordinary person until one moment changed his life forever. I also am using this source because it was a question I had while watching the film, why didn’t Batman just kill The Joker when he had the chance? By using this source and my adaptation, I want to show that there’s a specific reason why Batman can’t kill The Joker.
“The Movie Review: The Dark Knight”
This source gives an in-depth review of the film and what this film explores. This article gives a look at the plot of the film, and the ways that Christopher Nolan (the producer) shows the themes of order and chaos in the film. “The Dark Knight is less a film about good versus evil than about order versus chaos, a morality play into which a wild card, the Joker, has been inserted to devastating effect.” This source informs my own source because I want to show how the themes of order and chaos began. I want to explore how Batman came to represent order, and how The Joker came to represent chaos. I believe that this source will show the ways in which I want to adapt the original film and the ways that my adaptation will connect to the original film.
Works Cited
Flory, Janine D, et al. “Childhood Trauma and Basal Cortisol in People with Personality Disorders.” Comprehensive Psychiatry, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2009, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2614618/.
Friedman, Uri. “Why Obama Thinks ISIS Is Like the Joker in Batman.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 10 Mar. 2016, www.theatlantic.com/notes/2016/03/obama-isis-joker-batman/473193/.
Kos , Blaz. “Stupid Decisions That Can Ruin Your Whole Life in a Second.” AgileLeanLife, 12 Aug. 2016, agileleanlife.com/stupid-decisions/.
Leadbeater, Alex. “The Best Dark Knight Joker Origin Theory (And How It Improves The Movie).” ScreenRant, Screen Rant, 18 July 2018, screenrant.com/dark-knight-heath-ledger-joker-origin-theory/.
Orr, Christopher. “The Movie Review: 'The Dark Knight'.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 14 Jan. 2011, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2008/07/the-movie-review-the-dark-knight/68959/.
Richards, Jesse. “Why Doesn't Batman Just Kill The Joker?” HuffPost, HuffPost, 7 Dec. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/why-doesnt-batman-just-ki_b_3686003.
MY ADAPTATION
He could hear the screams coming from upstairs, he could hear the agony that Martha Wayne was going through. He tried to silence it out of his mind, but the scream persisted. He hated this, he hated hearing someone he loved in pain. The screaming became louder, and louder, to the point where he had to cover his ears to block out the noise. Alfred had been the Butler for Thomas and Martha Wayne for years now, and he has been treated like family. This was the first child of the Wayne’s, and he hoped that it was the last. Suddenly, the screaming stopped, and he could hear nothing. A loud weeping followed, not by Martha, but by a baby. The sound, although a sigh of relief, was extremely sinister. Alfred had never heard a cry like this, it was something that will haunt him for the rest of his life. A few moments later, Thomas Wayne walked down the stairs, with a smile on his face.
“It’s a boy, and his name will be Jason, Jason Wayne.”
The childhood of Jason was troublesome, even though he came from a prestigious family. Thomas and Martha had to deal with an angry child filled with hate, something that they did not want to experience in their first child. Jason got in trouble at school, he bullied the other kids, he assaulted his schoolmates, and often pulled pranks in class. The Wayne’s knew that a change had to be made, but they didn’t know what to do. They loved Jason, but with every prank, every assault, their predicament became even larger. The Wayne’s were a prestigious family in the city of Gotham. Thomas was a politician, and was running for Senator. The actions that Jason took part in was ruining the reputation of the Wayne’s. People frequently asked the question of how Thomas could be a good Senator if he couldn’t even take care of his own son, which Thomas usually ignored. Jason heard the noise created by his actions, but he didn’t care. He liked being bad, he liked causing fear in others. People were afraid of his unpredictability, and he knew that people were scared of what he will do next. Jason, even at 9 years old, was extremely intelligent, he excelled in almost every class.
Thomas and Martha were standing in their living room when Alfred came in, having an angry face. Thomas knew something wasn’t right:
“Alfred, is everything alright?”
“Master Wayne, have you looked at the news recently?”
Thomas grabbed the remote, and quickly turned on the television and went to the News Channel. He looked in anger as he saw Jason walking out of school, with Thomas having his arms around him. The News headline reads “Thomas Wayne: Can We Trust Him To Run A City?” Martha looked at Thomas, not knowing what to say to him.
“We have to go to the News Station, and tell them to take this off!” Martha cried.
“We can’t, everyone in Gotham has already seen this, taking it off now will just prove that it’s true.” Replied Thomas.
“So what do we do?”
The Wayne’s, accompanied by Alfred, came up with a decision, but not an easy one.
“Military School? You’re joking right?” Jason asked.
“No, we’re not. You’re leaving tonight. I’m sorry Jason. There’s no other option, just know that we will always love you, and you will always be a son to us. This is the best for both of us. You get to learn how to be a man, and learn to treat people right. We get to keep our reputation as we try and run for Senator.”
Jason had nothing else to say, and that night he left. Martha was extremely upset, and she felt like she failed at being a mother.
10 YEARS LATER
“Sweetie, come downstairs. Breakfast is ready for you.”
“Thank you, mother.” Bruce replies.
Bruce, now 9 years old, is a wonderful child. He is extremely polite, treats everyone with kindness, and is very intelligent. Thomas, now Senator, was not home, like usual. Bruce had a hard time with his father being gone, and now that he wants to run for President, Bruce knows that his father will become even more distant. Alfred tries to console Bruce, and even acts as a father figure to Bruce, protecting him and supporting him. Bruce wishes he had a sibling to spend his time with, but he knows that’s not likely. He’s asked his mother why they don’t want to have another child, but every time he asks she has the same response, “When you’re old enough, you will know why.”
Jason, now 19 years old and 4 years removed from Military School, is having a life filled with anger and regret. Jason has turned into a criminal, who is now wanted by the police. Jason is stealing from people, he is living on the street, and doesn’t have the life that Bruce has. Jason does not consider himself a Wayne, and he never has. Jason hates his family, and wants nothing but pain for them. Jason dropped out of military school 3 years ago, and even though the Wayne’s knew about his departure from military school, they never tried to find him. Jason knows this, and despises his family for neglecting them. Jason, now sitting on the street, sees a newspaper on the ground, noticing something familiar, he takes a closer look. He sees his parents, Thomas and Martha, and a little boy standing next to them.
“So it looks like I have a little brother.” Jason says to himself, sinisterly. “He’ll know what I’ve been through, I’m going to give him a pain that he’s never felt before. He’ll know, oh and I mean, he’ll know what it’s like to not have a family. He’s going to suffer, I’m going to make him suffer.”
Jason walks down the street, and sees a television inside a store. What he sees on the television fuels his rage even more, Jason looks at the television, with a huge smile across his face. He sees the Wayne family on the television, Jason knows what he must do. Jason turns around, and begins walking down the street. He sees something on the ground, a single card from a standard deck of cards. The card is face down, and he walks towards it. Jason picks up the card and notices it’s not a number card, it’s the Joker card. Jason smiles, and laughs. The laugh, however, wasn’t like any other laugh, it was loud, creepy, and an evil belly laugh. He puts the card in his pocket, and continues down the street.
“Bruce?” Thomas asks.
“Yes? I’m in my room father.”
“Great, are you ready to leave for the Political Party? We have to leave in 20 minutes, hopefully we don’t have to stay long, but we should at least make an appearance at the party.” Says Thomas.
“I know, I am ready to go.” Bruce says, with a sad look on his face.
“Listen, I know you don’t like to go to these things, but it means a lot to me and it makes me look like a good person. Bringing you shows the people of Gotham that I’m a person like everyone else. I have a family that I go home to, and by having you there it shows that I’m a good parent, especially when I have a son that’s as good as you.” Thomas says.
“Yeah, I know Dad. It’s okay, it’s just I’d like to see you more.” Bruce replies.
“Your mother and I wanted to wait to tell you this until you were older, but I think it’s time for you to know the truth. You’re not an only child. We have another son, named Jason. Jason is 10 years older than you, and we don’t talk to him anymore. Jason was not a good child, he caused problems. Due to this, my name wasn’t viewed the same in the news. Reporters would create stories that I was an awful father, and that I couldn’t raise a son. So, we sent him to military school. As far as we know, Jason was at military school for a few years, but he ran away from school a couple of years ago. We were told about it as soon as it happened, but you’re mother and I didn’t do anything about it. So, maybe the News Reporters were right, maybe I am a bad father. I wish I could tell Jason that I’m sorry, and that the decision I made was not an easy one. I know that a decision like that will have its repercussions. That’s why I want to bring you to the parties, to show that I’m not as bad as a parent as history has shown. I love you Bruce, and I’m extremely proud of what you’ve become. A word of advice for you, don’t make the wrong decision when it comes to you, the wrong decision can change your life forever.”
“Wow, I can’t believe I have a brother. Dad, you’re a great parent. No news station is going to tell me otherwise. Don’t be upset, it was Jason’s decision to act like that.” Bruce says.
Bruce walks down the hall and sees his parents waiting at the door. Bruce was confused about the conversation that he had with his father, but he was glad to know the truth. As Bruce sees his parents, they both look at him and smile, almost as if they are relieved to know that Bruce knows the truth. Suddenly, there was a loud banging sound. It was the door, and someone was outside. There were three knocks, but after each knock, there was a long pause. Thomas looks down at the floor, and sees a Joker card slide under the door.
“Hellllloooooooo!” Someone says from the outside.
“Who’s there?” Thomas asks angrily.
“Why don’t you open the door and find out who it is!” Says the visitor.
Thomas, not knowing who is outside, slowly walks toward the door. Thomas unlocks the door, and grabs the handle. Thomas slowly opens the door, and the person outside has his back facing the door.
“Who are you?” Thomas asks.
The visitor slowly turns, and Thomas is shocked at who it is. Thomas takes a few steps back, and is speechless.
“Oh, you don’t remember me do you? Well then, hello Dad, and hello Mommy. Remember me?”
“Jason, it’s you.” Martha says.
“Oh yeah it’s me, miss me? Oh it’s only been what, 10 years? You might’ve forgotten me, but I haven’t forgotten you. Who is this? You must be Bruce!”
Bruce looks at Jason, and realizes his brother his standing right in front of him. Thomas and Martha were shell shocked, they didn’t know what was going on and what to do. This is the first time they have seen Jason in almost 10 years. They wish Jason was here to possibly make amends, but they knew that his appearance wasn’t to make amends. They could tell that it was for another reason.
“Jason, what are you doing here?” Says Thomas.
Jason reaches for his back pocket, and pulls out a gun. Martha screams in terror, and Thomas steps in front of Bruce, trying to protect him. Bruce, who’s shaking in fear, grabs his father’s jacket. Jason looks at Martha, then Thomas, and then looks over at Bruce. While Bruce and Jason were looking at each other, Jason began to smile, Bruce looks on in fear as his father backs up with Bruce.
“Let me tell you all a story, the story of my life. 10 years ago, when you sent me to military school, I felt betrayed. You two sent me off, neglected me, and lived your own life without me. I was at the school for a couple years, but I ran off and decided to live my own life. So, I’ve been living in the streets of Gotham. I’ve been robbing people, assaulting people, I’ve been the exact opposite of what you’ve wanted me to be. You know what? It’s your fault. The thing is, I like being bad. You created me, and your decision 10 years ago changed my life for the better. But you, you are going to pay the price for neglecting me.”
Instantly, Thomas leaps at Jason and tries to grab the gun. Jason and Thomas begin to wrestle for the gun, as Martha runs toward Bruce to get him out of the way and to protect him. Jason throws Thomas across the room, and Jason looks over to Martha, with a gun in his hands. Thomas then throws Jason to the wall, and Jason’s body hits the glass mirror that’s hanging. The glass breaks, and Jason falls to the ground. Thomas jumps on top of Jason, and they struggle to get control of the gun. Thomas, with one hand on the gun, grabs the broken glass on the floor and puts it to Jason’s face.
“Go ahead and cut me! I don’t feel pain anymore, I’ve experienced every kind of pain!” Jason screams.
Thomas begins to cut Jason’s face, Thomas starts from the lip and begins to cut outward. Thomas goes to the other side of the face and does the same thing over again. Jason screams, but then he begins to laugh, a sinister laugh that catches Thomas by surprise. A loud bang sound occurs, and Thomas looks down, as he sees the gun pointed at his stomach, and blood now coming from that area. Thomas rolls off of Jason, and Jason stands up. Martha screams, and Bruce yells out for his father.
“Sorry, Dad. I told you that you were going to wish you never made that decision.” Jason says.
Jason lifts the gun, and points it at Martha. Bruce closes his eyes, and screams. Bruce is terrified, he doesn’t know what is going to happen. He opens them for an instant, and sees his father, still laying on the ground, not moving.
“Jason, please don’t do this! Please! I’m sorry for what we did to you!” Martha says.
“Sorry? You’re sorry? Sorry doesn’t cut it.” Jason replies
Instantly, another loud bang sound occurs. Bruce, who’s eyes are closed, feels his Mother fall to the ground.
“Mom!” Bruce yells.
“There you go, Bruce. Now you have to live in a world that I’ve been in for the past 10 years.” Jason states.
“You’re not going to get away with this! I swear on my parents, you will not get away with this.” Bruce says.
Jason turns around and begins to walk out of the house. He suddenly stops, and bends down to pick up the Joker card that he put on the floor. He reaches the door, and continues out of the house. Bruce then hears a laugh, a laugh that he could feel down his spine. It’s a laugh that he’ll always remember. A few minutes later, Bruce is sitting next to his parents, who are both not breathing. He hears a police siren, and realizes what he must do.
15 YEARS LATER
“Jason, now known as the Joker. You’ve created chaos in the city of Gotham for the past 15 years. Well, I told you that you wouldn’t get away with the murder my parents. Now, I’m fulfilling the promise I made to myself on that night.” Bruce says.
“Bruce! You’re not one to talk, you’ve changed quite a bit, now you’re not only the owner of Wayne Enterprises, you’re now the Batman!” Jason states.
Bruce leaps at Jason, and gets a hold of his purple jacket. He throws him against a wall, causing Jason to gasp for air on the ground. Bruce walks over to his brother, and doesn’t allow for Jason to regain his breath or stand.
“You caused this, your decision to kill our parents caused this. You became The Joker, you aim to cause havoc in the city of Gotham. You wish to hurt others, and it all started when you decided to kill my parents. I became the Batman because of you, I wish to stop anyone like you from hurting people, I don’t want anyone to experience what I did that night.”
“Oh, Bruce, you’ve got it all wrong. I became the Joker when they neglected me. Maybe, just maybe, if our parents didn’t give up on me and gave me the life that you got, maybe I wouldn’t be the Joker and you wouldn’t be the Batman. We could have lived normal lives, but their decision, and my decision, changed the way that our lives turned out.” Jason replies.
Bruce lets Jason stand up, and doesn’t attack him. Jason, realizing that Bruce is letting him go, just for tonight, begins to walk away. Jason begins to laugh, and Bruce realizes that the decisions that have been made have changed his life forever. As Jason walks away, he turns and says, “I knew you couldn’t kill me.”
As Jason continues to walk out, Bruce mutters under his breath, “Like my Father always says, don’t make the wrong decision, because it will change my life forever. Killing you will make me just like you.”
“It’s a boy, and his name will be Jason, Jason Wayne.”
The childhood of Jason was troublesome, even though he came from a prestigious family. Thomas and Martha had to deal with an angry child filled with hate, something that they did not want to experience in their first child. Jason got in trouble at school, he bullied the other kids, he assaulted his schoolmates, and often pulled pranks in class. The Wayne’s knew that a change had to be made, but they didn’t know what to do. They loved Jason, but with every prank, every assault, their predicament became even larger. The Wayne’s were a prestigious family in the city of Gotham. Thomas was a politician, and was running for Senator. The actions that Jason took part in was ruining the reputation of the Wayne’s. People frequently asked the question of how Thomas could be a good Senator if he couldn’t even take care of his own son, which Thomas usually ignored. Jason heard the noise created by his actions, but he didn’t care. He liked being bad, he liked causing fear in others. People were afraid of his unpredictability, and he knew that people were scared of what he will do next. Jason, even at 9 years old, was extremely intelligent, he excelled in almost every class.
Thomas and Martha were standing in their living room when Alfred came in, having an angry face. Thomas knew something wasn’t right:
“Alfred, is everything alright?”
“Master Wayne, have you looked at the news recently?”
Thomas grabbed the remote, and quickly turned on the television and went to the News Channel. He looked in anger as he saw Jason walking out of school, with Thomas having his arms around him. The News headline reads “Thomas Wayne: Can We Trust Him To Run A City?” Martha looked at Thomas, not knowing what to say to him.
“We have to go to the News Station, and tell them to take this off!” Martha cried.
“We can’t, everyone in Gotham has already seen this, taking it off now will just prove that it’s true.” Replied Thomas.
“So what do we do?”
The Wayne’s, accompanied by Alfred, came up with a decision, but not an easy one.
“Military School? You’re joking right?” Jason asked.
“No, we’re not. You’re leaving tonight. I’m sorry Jason. There’s no other option, just know that we will always love you, and you will always be a son to us. This is the best for both of us. You get to learn how to be a man, and learn to treat people right. We get to keep our reputation as we try and run for Senator.”
Jason had nothing else to say, and that night he left. Martha was extremely upset, and she felt like she failed at being a mother.
10 YEARS LATER
“Sweetie, come downstairs. Breakfast is ready for you.”
“Thank you, mother.” Bruce replies.
Bruce, now 9 years old, is a wonderful child. He is extremely polite, treats everyone with kindness, and is very intelligent. Thomas, now Senator, was not home, like usual. Bruce had a hard time with his father being gone, and now that he wants to run for President, Bruce knows that his father will become even more distant. Alfred tries to console Bruce, and even acts as a father figure to Bruce, protecting him and supporting him. Bruce wishes he had a sibling to spend his time with, but he knows that’s not likely. He’s asked his mother why they don’t want to have another child, but every time he asks she has the same response, “When you’re old enough, you will know why.”
Jason, now 19 years old and 4 years removed from Military School, is having a life filled with anger and regret. Jason has turned into a criminal, who is now wanted by the police. Jason is stealing from people, he is living on the street, and doesn’t have the life that Bruce has. Jason does not consider himself a Wayne, and he never has. Jason hates his family, and wants nothing but pain for them. Jason dropped out of military school 3 years ago, and even though the Wayne’s knew about his departure from military school, they never tried to find him. Jason knows this, and despises his family for neglecting them. Jason, now sitting on the street, sees a newspaper on the ground, noticing something familiar, he takes a closer look. He sees his parents, Thomas and Martha, and a little boy standing next to them.
“So it looks like I have a little brother.” Jason says to himself, sinisterly. “He’ll know what I’ve been through, I’m going to give him a pain that he’s never felt before. He’ll know, oh and I mean, he’ll know what it’s like to not have a family. He’s going to suffer, I’m going to make him suffer.”
Jason walks down the street, and sees a television inside a store. What he sees on the television fuels his rage even more, Jason looks at the television, with a huge smile across his face. He sees the Wayne family on the television, Jason knows what he must do. Jason turns around, and begins walking down the street. He sees something on the ground, a single card from a standard deck of cards. The card is face down, and he walks towards it. Jason picks up the card and notices it’s not a number card, it’s the Joker card. Jason smiles, and laughs. The laugh, however, wasn’t like any other laugh, it was loud, creepy, and an evil belly laugh. He puts the card in his pocket, and continues down the street.
“Bruce?” Thomas asks.
“Yes? I’m in my room father.”
“Great, are you ready to leave for the Political Party? We have to leave in 20 minutes, hopefully we don’t have to stay long, but we should at least make an appearance at the party.” Says Thomas.
“I know, I am ready to go.” Bruce says, with a sad look on his face.
“Listen, I know you don’t like to go to these things, but it means a lot to me and it makes me look like a good person. Bringing you shows the people of Gotham that I’m a person like everyone else. I have a family that I go home to, and by having you there it shows that I’m a good parent, especially when I have a son that’s as good as you.” Thomas says.
“Yeah, I know Dad. It’s okay, it’s just I’d like to see you more.” Bruce replies.
“Your mother and I wanted to wait to tell you this until you were older, but I think it’s time for you to know the truth. You’re not an only child. We have another son, named Jason. Jason is 10 years older than you, and we don’t talk to him anymore. Jason was not a good child, he caused problems. Due to this, my name wasn’t viewed the same in the news. Reporters would create stories that I was an awful father, and that I couldn’t raise a son. So, we sent him to military school. As far as we know, Jason was at military school for a few years, but he ran away from school a couple of years ago. We were told about it as soon as it happened, but you’re mother and I didn’t do anything about it. So, maybe the News Reporters were right, maybe I am a bad father. I wish I could tell Jason that I’m sorry, and that the decision I made was not an easy one. I know that a decision like that will have its repercussions. That’s why I want to bring you to the parties, to show that I’m not as bad as a parent as history has shown. I love you Bruce, and I’m extremely proud of what you’ve become. A word of advice for you, don’t make the wrong decision when it comes to you, the wrong decision can change your life forever.”
“Wow, I can’t believe I have a brother. Dad, you’re a great parent. No news station is going to tell me otherwise. Don’t be upset, it was Jason’s decision to act like that.” Bruce says.
Bruce walks down the hall and sees his parents waiting at the door. Bruce was confused about the conversation that he had with his father, but he was glad to know the truth. As Bruce sees his parents, they both look at him and smile, almost as if they are relieved to know that Bruce knows the truth. Suddenly, there was a loud banging sound. It was the door, and someone was outside. There were three knocks, but after each knock, there was a long pause. Thomas looks down at the floor, and sees a Joker card slide under the door.
“Hellllloooooooo!” Someone says from the outside.
“Who’s there?” Thomas asks angrily.
“Why don’t you open the door and find out who it is!” Says the visitor.
Thomas, not knowing who is outside, slowly walks toward the door. Thomas unlocks the door, and grabs the handle. Thomas slowly opens the door, and the person outside has his back facing the door.
“Who are you?” Thomas asks.
The visitor slowly turns, and Thomas is shocked at who it is. Thomas takes a few steps back, and is speechless.
“Oh, you don’t remember me do you? Well then, hello Dad, and hello Mommy. Remember me?”
“Jason, it’s you.” Martha says.
“Oh yeah it’s me, miss me? Oh it’s only been what, 10 years? You might’ve forgotten me, but I haven’t forgotten you. Who is this? You must be Bruce!”
Bruce looks at Jason, and realizes his brother his standing right in front of him. Thomas and Martha were shell shocked, they didn’t know what was going on and what to do. This is the first time they have seen Jason in almost 10 years. They wish Jason was here to possibly make amends, but they knew that his appearance wasn’t to make amends. They could tell that it was for another reason.
“Jason, what are you doing here?” Says Thomas.
Jason reaches for his back pocket, and pulls out a gun. Martha screams in terror, and Thomas steps in front of Bruce, trying to protect him. Bruce, who’s shaking in fear, grabs his father’s jacket. Jason looks at Martha, then Thomas, and then looks over at Bruce. While Bruce and Jason were looking at each other, Jason began to smile, Bruce looks on in fear as his father backs up with Bruce.
“Let me tell you all a story, the story of my life. 10 years ago, when you sent me to military school, I felt betrayed. You two sent me off, neglected me, and lived your own life without me. I was at the school for a couple years, but I ran off and decided to live my own life. So, I’ve been living in the streets of Gotham. I’ve been robbing people, assaulting people, I’ve been the exact opposite of what you’ve wanted me to be. You know what? It’s your fault. The thing is, I like being bad. You created me, and your decision 10 years ago changed my life for the better. But you, you are going to pay the price for neglecting me.”
Instantly, Thomas leaps at Jason and tries to grab the gun. Jason and Thomas begin to wrestle for the gun, as Martha runs toward Bruce to get him out of the way and to protect him. Jason throws Thomas across the room, and Jason looks over to Martha, with a gun in his hands. Thomas then throws Jason to the wall, and Jason’s body hits the glass mirror that’s hanging. The glass breaks, and Jason falls to the ground. Thomas jumps on top of Jason, and they struggle to get control of the gun. Thomas, with one hand on the gun, grabs the broken glass on the floor and puts it to Jason’s face.
“Go ahead and cut me! I don’t feel pain anymore, I’ve experienced every kind of pain!” Jason screams.
Thomas begins to cut Jason’s face, Thomas starts from the lip and begins to cut outward. Thomas goes to the other side of the face and does the same thing over again. Jason screams, but then he begins to laugh, a sinister laugh that catches Thomas by surprise. A loud bang sound occurs, and Thomas looks down, as he sees the gun pointed at his stomach, and blood now coming from that area. Thomas rolls off of Jason, and Jason stands up. Martha screams, and Bruce yells out for his father.
“Sorry, Dad. I told you that you were going to wish you never made that decision.” Jason says.
Jason lifts the gun, and points it at Martha. Bruce closes his eyes, and screams. Bruce is terrified, he doesn’t know what is going to happen. He opens them for an instant, and sees his father, still laying on the ground, not moving.
“Jason, please don’t do this! Please! I’m sorry for what we did to you!” Martha says.
“Sorry? You’re sorry? Sorry doesn’t cut it.” Jason replies
Instantly, another loud bang sound occurs. Bruce, who’s eyes are closed, feels his Mother fall to the ground.
“Mom!” Bruce yells.
“There you go, Bruce. Now you have to live in a world that I’ve been in for the past 10 years.” Jason states.
“You’re not going to get away with this! I swear on my parents, you will not get away with this.” Bruce says.
Jason turns around and begins to walk out of the house. He suddenly stops, and bends down to pick up the Joker card that he put on the floor. He reaches the door, and continues out of the house. Bruce then hears a laugh, a laugh that he could feel down his spine. It’s a laugh that he’ll always remember. A few minutes later, Bruce is sitting next to his parents, who are both not breathing. He hears a police siren, and realizes what he must do.
15 YEARS LATER
“Jason, now known as the Joker. You’ve created chaos in the city of Gotham for the past 15 years. Well, I told you that you wouldn’t get away with the murder my parents. Now, I’m fulfilling the promise I made to myself on that night.” Bruce says.
“Bruce! You’re not one to talk, you’ve changed quite a bit, now you’re not only the owner of Wayne Enterprises, you’re now the Batman!” Jason states.
Bruce leaps at Jason, and gets a hold of his purple jacket. He throws him against a wall, causing Jason to gasp for air on the ground. Bruce walks over to his brother, and doesn’t allow for Jason to regain his breath or stand.
“You caused this, your decision to kill our parents caused this. You became The Joker, you aim to cause havoc in the city of Gotham. You wish to hurt others, and it all started when you decided to kill my parents. I became the Batman because of you, I wish to stop anyone like you from hurting people, I don’t want anyone to experience what I did that night.”
“Oh, Bruce, you’ve got it all wrong. I became the Joker when they neglected me. Maybe, just maybe, if our parents didn’t give up on me and gave me the life that you got, maybe I wouldn’t be the Joker and you wouldn’t be the Batman. We could have lived normal lives, but their decision, and my decision, changed the way that our lives turned out.” Jason replies.
Bruce lets Jason stand up, and doesn’t attack him. Jason, realizing that Bruce is letting him go, just for tonight, begins to walk away. Jason begins to laugh, and Bruce realizes that the decisions that have been made have changed his life forever. As Jason walks away, he turns and says, “I knew you couldn’t kill me.”
As Jason continues to walk out, Bruce mutters under his breath, “Like my Father always says, don’t make the wrong decision, because it will change my life forever. Killing you will make me just like you.”