Arkhamverse’s Biggest Villain Reinvention Turned a Flash Rogue into Joker’s Mentor

As one of the most beloved adaptations of the Batman mythos, the world of the Akrhamverse has recreated more than a few beloved DC characters. From icons like the Joker or the Dark Knight himself to more obscure characters like Gizmo and Toyman, this franchise has adapted them all. But the Arkhamverse’s biggest reinvention alters one Flash villain in a way that fans would never see coming.

Batman: Arkham City – End Game #1 by Derek Fridolfs, Jason Shawn Alexander, Lee Loughridge, and Travis Lanham introduces Batman to Mark Mardon, known to fans as Weather Wizard. As Bruce battles the Joker’s final post-mortem scheme, he remembers the time he interrogated Mardon at Blackgate. Serving twenty years for terrorism using satellites and Doppler technology, Mardon had only one visitor over the years: the Joker.

Mardon tells Batman, “He’s a fantastic disciple. I’ve taught him everything I know, enough to carry on my work.” With one line, the Arkhamverse recontextualizes both the Joker and one of the Flashes’ greatest foes.

The Weather Wizard Is a Surprising Mentor for the Joker

The Flash Rogue Is Usually a Petty Thief

In traditional continuity, the Weather Wizard is one of the Flashes’ more powerful opponents thanks to his infamous Weather Wand. Alongside his fellow Rogues, Mardon has tested the Scarlet Speedsters’ mettle countless times and could probably be a major villainous player if he could think beyond schemes revolving around petty larceny. While minimizing his own personal power, the Arkhamverse seems to have capitalized on his potential, making Mardon a greater threat as a dangerous terrorist — to the point that he even inspired the Joker himself.

Due to his bloodlust and unpredictability, the Flash’s Rogues wouldn’t usually associate themselves with someone like the Joker, but the Arkhamverse is clearly a different story. And with Mardon’s twenty-year sentence, there’s no telling what sort of lethal lessons he passed on to the Clown Prince of Crime. In any universe, the Joker is going to be a showman above all else, and if he was able to learn at the feet of someone ingenious enough to weaponize the weather itself, it’s no surprise that he was able to torment Batman and Gotham City for so long before his death.

Weather Wizard and the Joker Are a Match Made in Hell

The Crooks’ Combined Carnage Could Give Batman Major Trouble

While the Weather Wizard and the Joker are unlikely to team up anytime soon in DC’s central continuity, the destructive potential of their partnership cannot be overstated. With power over the elements, Mardon wields abilities that could perfectly embody the chaos that the Joker seeks to foment. Should the Weather Wizard and the Joker ever decide to permanently join forces, Batman will need all the help he can get from the Flash — in or out of the Arkhamverse.

Batman: Arkham City – End Game #1 is available now from DC Comics.