Phase One

**Phase One**, also known as **Origin of The Bat**, is the first part of the DC Extended Universe and the beginning of the **New Gods Saga**.

## **Overview**

The first set of movies introduces the main universe in which the films are set, focusing on Gotham City. Bruce Wayne and his world of Batman and it's various sidekicks, rogues and villains are the primary story of this Phase.

* Films
* Television

## **Films**

### *Joker (2003)*

Forever alone in a crowd, failed comedian Arthur Fleck seeks connection as he walks the streets of Gotham City. Arthur wears two masks -- the one he paints for his day job as a clown, and the guise he projects in a futile attempt to feel like he's part of the world around him. Isolated, bullied and disregarded by society, Fleck begins a slow descent into madness as he transforms into the criminal mastermind known as the Joker.

### *The Batman (2005)*

*The Batman* tells the story of Bruce Wayne, who became a vigilante after the murder of his parents. Currently in his second year of fighting crime. It's currently election year and someone is killing off Mayoral candidates one by one, leaving riddles behind each murder that Batman must solve while a new power rises in Gotham's underworld; Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot. Batman must uncover the corruption that plagues Gotham City and how it may tie to his own family while another masked vigilante makes her debut.

### *Robin (2006)*

Already entrenched in the Batcave and his official training complete, young Dick Grayson has a world of experience to gain, and a ton of new enemies to make, beginning with the truly insane Mad Hatter as he works to unsolve the mystery surrounding Gotham's missing kids.

### *The Batman II: City of Fear (2008)*

After ten years being Batman, things take a turn when he is considered an official criminal after recent sightings of a bat-like creature roaming the streets of Gotham, leaving citizens broken and afraid - and eventually, the brutality of these attacks go from broken bones to mutilation. Batman must work without the help of the law once again to avenge his name. Meanwhile, Scarecrow tries to dismantle the foundation of Gotham. Batman will have to find the imposter and stop Scarecrow while protecting his Identity from Lt. Jim Gordan, who made a vow to catch the Batman.

### *Batgirl (2010)*

Barbara Gordon, following her chance meeting with Robin, aspires to become a vigilante herself. But between the skepticism of Batman and the watchful eye of her father James Gordon, she's finding the hero biz to be an uphill battle. And in her first time out of the gate, she must take on Killer Moth!

### *The Batman III: Last Laugh (2011)*

Bruce Wayne is going into nearly his twentieth year as Batman. Gotham’s newest criminal, Harley Quinn, helps Batman's greatest arch-nemesis, the Joker, escape from Arkham Asylum. With years to plan his grandest scheme, Joker and Harley Quinn set their plan in motion and together break out all the villains and lunatics from Arkham Asylum. With his army, the Joker takes control over all organized crime and manages to gain control over the GCPD. With no police, the city follows and is quickly taken over by the villains, becoming a warzone. Batman must work with his sidekicks, Robin and Batgirl, to reclaim their city from the Clown Prince of Crime.

### *Mad Love (2012)*

*Mad Love* tells the horrid story of how Harley Quinn and the Joker came to be told through a series of narrations and flashbacks. Harley Quinn was once Dr. Harleen Quinzel, a psychiatrist at Arkham asylum. She was assigned to the clown himself and fell in love. She would go on to break him out and the two would stage the biggest prison breakout of all time, only for it to be all foiled by the Batman. Ever since then, Joker has fallen out of love with Harley and in love with Batman. Despondent and angry, Harley reflects on her life thus far, and concludes that Batman is the source of all her misery -- and the only way she can make the Joker love her back is to kill him.

## **Series**

### *Arkham Asylum (2009)*

An anthology series focusing on several inmates at Arkham, their eventual face-off with the Bat and their imprisonment.

### *Catwoman (2012)*

Following the events of *The Batman III*, Catwoman works to take down the mob bosses in Gotham during Batman's retirement.