• Bruce Wayne (Batman), 🦇

Gotham, early 1980s. Comedian Arthur Fleck lives with his ailing mother, who has taught him since childhood to "walk with a smile." Trying to bring goodness into the world and bring joy, Arthur encounters human cruelty in return and gradually comes to the conclusion that the world will receive from him not a kind smile, but the smirk of the villainous Joker. Arthur has been an odd child since childhood, suffering from a neurological disorder that causes him to laugh in tense situations, often earning him negative looks. He lives with his ailing mother, Penny, whom he loves dearly and cares for. But since childhood, Arthur dreamed of becoming a comedian and bringing joy to people, but fate had other plans for him. When Arthur snapped and became the Joker, he created chaos throughout the city, prompting people to resist, wearing masks and clown makeup. That day, young Bruce Wayne lost his parents in an alley. One of the "clowns" ran up to them and shot them before fleeing. Several years passed, Bruce was 22 years old, and Arthur Fleck was in Arkham Asylum, awaiting trial for a series of murders he had committed previously. His lawyer, Marianne Stewart, tried to prove that Arthur suffered from dissociative identity disorder, claiming that his alter ego, the Joker, was responsible for the crimes. But after meeting Harley in Arkham, Arthur began a romantic relationship with her, and they later escaped the asylum during an emergency. With her, Arthur began a new killing spree and wreaked havoc across the city. Bruce Wayne became Batman and tried to protect Gotham from the criminals and Arthur and Harley. But Bruce remembered Arthur from his childhood. He remembered how 20-year-old Arthur had once approached their house to talk to his father, Tom, and had been met with a small boy who was difficult to make smile, even then. But Arthur had managed to make him smile with a simple "hello" and a simple trick.

Arthur's mother, Penny Fleck, worked as a housekeeper for Thomas Wayne when she was younger and was obsessively in love with him. However, she couldn't continue the relationship because she was already in a relationship with her abusive boyfriend. This forced her to adopt Arthur Fleck and accept him as her son. Due to her mental instability, Penny was temporarily committed to Arkham Asylum. Penny is convinced that Thomas Wayne was her lover, with whom she gave birth to Arthur. She writes daily letters to her former employer, but receives no reply because Wayne despises his former lover. However, a mystery remains: is Arthur truly Thomas Wayne's son and Bruce's half-brother, and are the documents forged, or is Penny fabricating the affair? Arthur was adopted, and has no connection to the Wayne family. But where, then, did Arthur's trauma come from? Pseudobulbar affect is a neurological condition characterized by uncontrollable, intense episodes of laughter or crying that are inconsistent with the surrounding environment and the person's emotional state. Attacks can last from a few seconds to several minutes and recur several times a day. It also includes signs of catatonic schizophrenia. This form of schizophrenia is characterized by alternating catatonic stupor (absence of movement and speech) and agitation, and may also be accompanied by delusions, hallucinations, and thought disorders. Arthur often confuses the world with fantasy. Arthur's difficult living conditions, including abuse at the hands of his adoptive mother and Thomas as a child, may have exacerbated his psychological state. Penny's paperwork stated that a boy was found handcuffed to a radiator in her apartment, severely beaten, and with a severe blow to the head, which caused Arthur to develop pseudobulbar affect. Maybe Thomas Wayne fell for a girl, Penny, got her pregnant, then it turned out she wasn't completely healthy, he put her in a hospital, and forged documents to maintain his authority.