(SPOILERS) I don't understand the Joker Virus plot.

[Mr J]

I know that something similar to this was used as one of the main plotlines for the Batman Beyond movie. However, I haven't seen it in years, but I know that the plot is similar: The Joker manages to find a way to project his consciousness and/or mannerisms onto other people. How can the Joker have his consciousness in his own blood? Why do infected people think that they're him? Are they really him? I don't get it. Even at the very end, when Scarecrow injects Bruce with the fear toxin, Bruce is so far gone that he literally BECOMES to Joker, because when he's injected again, it's THE JOKER'S worst fears that come about.

[MASTAN]

How Bane(or guards injected with his serum in Arkham Asylum) get muscle mass out of nowhere? How Batman glides with that small surface area of his cape? How Catwoman can jump down from a building's roof without any damage(as seen in Arkham City)?
Don't overthink, it's another universe.

[doomedSniper]

In this case of Arkham Knight I think joker didn't project his conciousness through his blood. But the blood contained the disease joker had. On a second thought how would you differ two absolutely unique maniacs having a same set of symptoms and doing a same set of things(weird but not necessary)?

Joker blood was able to fight Scarecrow's toxin. Whenever Batman gets infected, the joker blood gets activated to fight it off. Batman literally becomes the joker at worst. Don't forget it was one of Bruce's greatest fears, that he will become the joker. Scarecrows toxin enhances fears. In this case it does until its effects gets destroyed by joker blood gradually. The process is self consistent.

The story of Arkham Knight is actually good enough for me, more complex than city, imao. Think like a detective and compare it with the realistic counterparts, you'll get the answer. Comics has no meaning but certain parts of it are taken from real world examples. It teaches us things if you look into it.

Don't remember Batman Beyond movie much, but the idea was different in that movie than Arkham Knights. If I'm not mistaken joker implanted himself(his conciousness) into Drake's mind through a physical microchip and some weird genetic alteration of his dna. Blood was not an issue back then. I could be wrong.

The last part is really tricky and is not very clear to me either. I think in that rubble of joker blood and fear toxin was Batfreaks own conciousness. This part fought off joker with the help of fear toxin this time. He became immune fear toxin at the end. Well, thats why he is a freak.

https://youtu.be/bsCNrHG0g70
Listen carefully at 1:30:05, you'll find a reference to a disease(Creutzfeldt-Jakob). The rest is your introspection, which might be different from what I ended up with. Most of the time when most people talk about a garbage story I find out either they are complete garbage like they are saying or, they are very cryptic about what they failed to understand. Arkham Knight is one such game, I believe.

[Devsman]

It's very possible that it didn't. It's very possible that little to nothing that happens after Bats gets hit with the gas actually happens--or at least, happens the way it looks like it did.

And by the way, the "turning into the Joker" subplot is first introduced immediately after Batman's exposure. It's not even hinted at before then.

Or it's very possible that it did and it's just comic book logic. Or actually, the "Joker disease" theory above is a seriously interesting take on it that I really like also.

[Lar Dass]

watch clownpunchers video on bad blood in arkham city

[VisciousFishes]

Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease is a variation or human form of Mad-Cow's disease (BSE) which was affecting cattle in the 1980's - 1990's. Its belived that feeding cattle meat from dead animals was the cause.

The UK (where I live) was pretty affected by BSE - aka Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy - with piles of cattle being burned. However if you do, as a human catch CJD then prognosis is bad with death about a year after infection. Which is interesting if you look at the timeline between City and Knight it would be accurate as there is about 9 months to a year between the games. Props to Doomed Sniper for that spot!

As for Jokers Toxin - the end of Arkham City explains how Joker's Blood becomes the problem. If you play this game in isolation it can be confusing. However if you have played Asylum and City then the story makes more sense. You can ignore Origins story wise. It's not needed for this story. The end game of city- like the last couple of hours - really set this game up thematically.

[MJF]

its batmans hallucinations because he still has joker in him because in arkham city he only drank half the cure. also its the fear toxin

[Chapter Eleven]

I thought Batman's worst fear was to become like the Joker. A merciless lunatic murderer.

[jeremyj621]

The only thing I don't understand about the Joker virus is that in Arkham City, Batman was injected with Joker's blood, but took a cure at the end of the game. Was the cure only temporary? Is there any reference as to why in Arkham Knight that I missed?

[MASTAN]

Originally posted by jeremyj621:

The only thing I don't understand about the Joker virus is that in Arkham City, Batman was injected with Joker's blood, but took a cure at the end of the game. Was the cure only temporary? Is there any reference as to why in Arkham Knight that I missed?

It's mentioned somewhere in B:AK that he and the other "Jokers" were infected too long for the cure to take full effect. And Batman himself was exposed probably for the longest time, given that he drank Lazarus water during demon trials in Arkham City to restore health, without that water he would probably die.