Gotham City

"*Gotham has always had a reputation as a city plagued by gang violence, drug trafficking, vandalism, and arson. Many years of "the Batman" has curbed that problem, but at what cost? Are the people of Gotham willing to live in a city where fear is a substitute for order?*"
―Vicki Vale, *Gotham Gazette*
**Gotham City** is the birthplace and residence of the fearsome vigilante known as the Batman. It is a large bustling city located on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States of America, in the federated state of New Jersey, only across the bay from its sister city, Metropolis, Delaware in the District of Metropolis.

Always a literal cesspool filled with criminals, corruption, pollution and vermin infestations, Gotham is considered by some to be the most dangerous and criminally corrupt city in the world, as well as the cheapest housing rate. By day, an attractive and alluring tourist location, while by night, every decent persons' worst nightmare.

## History

### Foundation

Founded centuries ago in 1635 by a Dutch mercenary, Gotham City grew to become one of the world's leading economic hubs and a center for history, technology and the arts.

### 20th century

#### Gang Violence

In the 1970s, Gotham experienced a period of extreme civil unrest and gang wars. These conflicts forced the businesses in the city's famed Clocktower to exit.

#### Murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne

In 1985, eminent philanthropists Thomas and Martha Wayne were murdered by mugger Joe Chill after watching *Last Night of Zorro* at the Aragon Theatre. The crime left their only son Bruce the last remaining member of the Wayne Family, who witnessed the murder of both of his parents at just 6 years old.

#### Legend of the Batman

"*Crime Wave in Gotham. Other breaking news, Water... wet.*"
―Perry White to Clark Kent[src]
In the mid-1990s, a vigilante known as "the Batman" waged a one-man war on crime. Armed with a prototype high-tech armored suit, numerous gadgets and a custom combat vehicle, the vigilante went on to fight against and weaken both the Falcone and Bertinelli, and crime families, as well as other extremely formidable criminals, ranging from the flamboyant psychopaths Joker and Harley Quinn, to the mercenary Deadshot.

#### Massacre of the Bertinelli family

To further fund his criminal empire, Carmine Falcone placed a hit on the Bertinelli crime family, once one the most powerful crime family in Gotham City. He allied with the Maroni crime family and ordered Sal Maroni, Stefano Mandragora, and Vincenzo Falcone to carry out the killing. The entire crime family was massacred in a restaurant during a family reunion with only Helena Bertinelli surviving. She would later become a crossbow wielding assassin to kill the people involved in the massacre to avenge her family.

### 21st century

#### Lex Luthor's Campaign

Two years after the Black Zero Event, a grizzled and cruel Batman came to the conclusion that Superman was a threat to humanity, and must be destroyed. He fashioned three kryptonite gas grenades and arrived at the abandoned Gotham Port, where he set up traps and put the kryptonite spear in place. When all was ready, Batman activated the Bat-Signal and waited for Superman to appear.

Superman arrived and attempted to explain how they were being manipulated by Lex Luthor, however Batman refused to listen, and claimed he already understood the situation. Superman demonstrated his strength to Batman while Batman, knowing that his odds could only improve if Superman was placed into a weaker state, used a kryptonite gas grenade to weaken him. Batman bested Superman and tackled him down into a building where the two battled it out. However, just as Superman gained his strength and invulnerability back, Batman reloaded his grenade gun and fired another kryptonite grenade, giving him an even greater advantage.

## Geography

Downtown Gotham City is comprised of many smaller neighborhoods.

### Neighborhoods

* Bowery
* Bristol
* Burnley
* Chelsea
* Chinatown
* Corktree
* Coventry
* East End
* Financial District
* Gotham Heights
* Little Bohemia
* Little Odessa
* Lower Gotham
* Lower East Side
* Lower West Side
* Midtown
* Park Row
* Somerset
* South Gotham
* Upper East Side
* Upper West Side

### Locales

* ACE Chemicals Factory
* Alice's Antiques
* Archie Goodwin International Airport
* Arkham Home for the Emotionally Troubled
* Arkham Island
* Balthazar's
* Bertinelli mansion
* Big Belly Burger
* Blackgate Penitentiary
* Bryant Chemical Works
* Buford Building
* Castleland Mall
	+ Hall of Records
	+ Mayor's Office
* Clocktower
* Club Vesuvius
* Crime Alley
* Crystal Palace
* Courthouse Alley
* Davenport Tower
	+ Davenport Center
* Diamond District
* Doc's Place
* Egyptian
* Ellsworth Building
* Empire International Airport
* Excelsior Motel
* Falcone's
* Fashion District
* Father Knickenbocker Wax Museum
* Founders Pier
* Fox Gardens
* Globe Theater
* Gotham City Cemetery
* Gotham City Arms Hotel
* Gotham City Gas Warehouse
* Gotham City General Hospital
* Gotham City Hall
* Gotham City Imports Office
* Gotham City Museum of Antiquities
* Gotham City Museum of Natural History
* Gotham City Olympus
* Gotham City Opera House
* Gotham City Police Department
* Gotham City Public Library
* Gotham City Stock Exchange
* Gotham City Yacht Club
* Gotham City Zoo
* Gotham Heights
* Gotham State University
* Haly's Circus
* Harbor Light Motor Lodge
* Hotel Aventine
* Hyde Towers
* Iceberg Lounge
* International Museum of Financial History
* Janus Cosmetics building
* Kane Art Museum
* Kingston Square
* La Jeste Clown College
* Lake's Bodega
* La Scala Theater
* Maxie's Casino
* Marin Hotel
* Mecha Sushi
* Midtown Arena
* Midtown Mall
* Murray's Exotic Animals
* Neo-Eden
* North Central Hospital
* Official Gotham City Information Center
* Orchard Hotel
* Orpheum Theater
* Pamela's Café
* Paradise Club
* Paz Rudi
* Peregrinator's Club
* Pizza Lorenzano
* Powers Hotel
* Powers Stadium
* Red Lotus
* Richland Mall
* Riverside Lounge
* Robinson Park
	+ Finger Castle
	+ Forum of the Twelve Caesars
	+ Giella Gardens
	+ Johnson Landfill
	+ Nero Pavilion
* Robinson Station
* Rosemont Theater
* Seraphic Donutry
* Sionis Below
* St. Bernadette's Orphanage
* Taco Dirty to Me
* Theater Row
* Tobacconists Club
* Tricorner Park
* Tricorner Yards
* Up All Night
* Ventriloquist Club
* Victorian Parlor
* Von Gruenwald Tower
* Wayne Aerospace Hangar
* Wayne Botanical Garden
* Wayne Manor
	+ Wayne Mausoleum
* Wayne Medical Center
* Wayne Tower
* Zatara's Magic Shop

## Organizations

* ACE Chemicals
* Batman vigilante family
* Birds of Prey
* Dark Skies Media
* Gotham City Fire Department
* Gotham City Gas
* Gotham City Police Department
* Gotham Free Press
* Gotham Gazette
* Gotham Times
* Janus Corporation
* Wayne Enterprises

### Gotham organized crime

* Black Mask's criminal organization - dismantled by Joker
* Court of Owls - dismantled by the Batman Vigilante Family
* Penguin's criminal organization - dismantled by the Birds of Prey
* Penitente Cartel - dismantled by Red Hood and Ravager

### Gotham City crime families

* Bertinelli crime family - dismantled by the Falcone crime family
* Falcone crime family - dismantled by Helena Bertinelli
* Maroni crime family - dismantled by Red Hood

## Known residents

### Settled residents

* Franco Bertinelli
* Helena Bertinelli/Huntress
* Arthur Brown/Cluemaster
* Crystal Brown
* Stephanie Brown/Spoiler
* Cassandra Cain/Orphan/Black Bat
* Joe Chill
* William Cobb/Talon
* Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin
* Harvey Dent/Two-Face
* Tim Drake/Robin/Red Robin
* Carmine Falcone
* Sofia Falcone-Gigante
* Victor Fries/Mister Freeze
* Barbara Gordon/Batgirl
* Barbara E. Gordon
* James Gordon
* Ted Grant/Wildcat
* Dick Grayson/Robin/Nightwing
* James
* Joker
* Floyd Lawton/Deadshot
* Zoe Lawton
* Renee Montoya
* Alfred Pennyworth
	+ Alfred Pennyworth (Flashpoint)
* Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn
* Roman Sionis/Black Mask
* Edward Nygma/Riddler
* Jason Todd/Robin/Red Hood
* Vicki Vale
* Bruce Wayne/Batman
	+ Bruce Wayne (Earth-12)
	+ Bruce Wayne (Flashpoint)
* Damian Wayne/Robin
* Martha Wayne
	+ Joker (Flashpoint)
* Thomas Wayne
	+ Batman (Flashpoint)

### Temporary residents

* Dinah Lance/Black Canary
* Zatanna

## External links

* Gotham City on DC Database
* Gotham City on DC Extended Universe Wiki
* Gotham City on Wikipedia