Gotham City (Earth-1140)

## Gotham City

*"Sic Parvis Magna"*
―Gotham's motto
**Gotham City** was a major metropolitan city in Jersey, plagued by crime, corruption, and inequality. The city was home to the masked vigilante known as the Batman.

## History

Gotham City was founded in the mid-1600's by Scandinavian settlers, who braved harsh winters to build the city. Many believed that Gotham's own land was cursed as a result of the settlers' cruel treatment of the native Miagani people and the fighting over their burial grounds. Folklore and oral tradition have been used to preserve much of Gotham's early history, including stories of the original settlers encountering mythical beings.

In the 1800's, Gotham began to grow with the influence of several influential Gothamites, including Judge Solomon Wayne, the visionary architect Cyrus Pinkney, the print mogul Henry Cobblepot, and the mysterious wealthy cabal known as the Court of Owls. Solomon Wayne sought to redevelop the city with the help of Cyrus, both believing the architect's macabre and Gothic designs would drive off malevolent forces.

Cobblepot also hired Pinkney to profit off his work, leading to a fierce rivalry between him and Wayne. Cyrus Pinkney was later poisoned by Cobblepot, though he survived with a remedy concocted by Amadeus Arkham. Pinkney faked his own death, and arranged for Henry to be killed in a car accident out of revenge.

In the late 19th century, the crime-infested city was visited by Ra's al Ghul, the leader of the League of Shadows, planning to end the city's corruption and wipe out the criminal element. In Slaughter Swamp, he discovered a rich vein of the chemical known as Lazarus, the same arcane substance that kept Ra's alive for centuries. He planned the use the Lazarus to not only to extend his own life, but to create a source of renewable energy for the city.

Ra's purchased the deed of the entire city by bribing City Hall with mountains of gold. He set out to commission project that would eradicate crime in Gotham, known as "Wonder City". Building the underground utopian city with slaves imported from his own country, he developed technological wonders that wowed the people of Gotham, including the Mechanical Guards that patrolled the streets. In secret, Ra's used the guards to capture and murder hundreds of criminals and even potentially innocent civilians.

However, the Lazarus chemical had an unforeseen side-effect. It drove the citizens of Wonder City to madness, causing the city to be overrun with violence, crime, and riots. The city was shut down, its citizens sent to Arkham for treatment, though Ra's had vanished before he could be arrested.

## Description

Gotham was known for its diverse architecture, ranging from Gothic to Art Deco and Modern. Giant statues were common throughout the wealthier parts of the city.

The city was notorious for being extremely polluted, from the multitude of factories like Ace Chemcials constantly pumping toxic chemicals into the atmosphere. Gotham often had a red, green, or even purple sky as a result of these chemicals.

## Locations

* Arkham Island: A small island secluded from Gotham's mainland, originally owned by the Arkham family, home to the infamous Arkham Asylum.
* The Narrows: An island situated between Midtown and Downtown Gotham City, home to polluted slums, derelict lower class neighborhoods, and claustrophobic, rigid streets.

## Notes

* This version of Gotham is inspired by the Burtonverse, Nolanverse, Arkhamverse, Shumacherverse, and Lego Batman.