Key Facts
- ✓ Jack Grimm V is revealed to be the original patriarch of JK Industries, not a fifth-generation heir
- ✓ The character achieves immortality through an unholy fusion of science and black magic using infant blood
- ✓ JK Industries owns and operates Ark-M, a prison facility that replaced the original Arkham Asylum
- ✓ Dr. Amadeus Arkham's adopted son was actually Jack Doe, who orchestrated his own death and escaped
- ✓ Jack Grimm transforms into a demonic monstrosity when he finally laughs, which signals it's 'too late' for his victims
- ✓ Deathstroke serves as Jack Grimm's bodyguard in the Absolute Universe
The Mystery Unmasked
For decades, the Joker's origins have remained deliberately ambiguous in Batman mythology—his past is famously described as "multiple choice." But in DC's new Absolute Universe, that rule no longer applies.
The publisher has finally revealed the complete backstory of its Absolute Joker, and it transforms the Clown Prince of Crime into something far more terrifying than a mere chaotic villain. Through Agent Alfred Pennyworth's investigation, readers discover that this Joker is not just a criminal mastermind, but an immortal, baby-devouring tycoon who has manipulated global conflicts for centuries.
His past will forever be multiple choice. But the old rules don't necessarily apply in DC's new Absolute Universe.
This revelation fundamentally rewrites the power dynamic between Batman and his greatest enemy, creating a villain who matches the Dark Knight's resources while surpassing his capacity for horror.
The Grimm Truth
The official story presents Jack Grimm V as a legitimate business magnate and philanthropist. As heir to JK (Just Kidding) Industries, he controls a global conglomerate spanning television, telecommunications, and video game hardware.
The sanitized version of his history traces back to the original Jack Grimm, a childhood street performer who built a vaudeville fortune. Subsequent generations expanded the family business into a worldwide empire, making Jack Grimm V one of the wealthiest and most generous philanthropists on Earth.
However, Alfred Pennyworth's three-year global investigation uncovered a far darker reality:
- JK Industries secretly funds both sides of global conflicts
- Business rivals and associates have mysteriously vanished over decades
- The company profits from manipulating international wars
- Jack Grimm is the original patriarch, not a fifth-generation heir
The most disturbing discovery reveals that Jack achieved immortality through an unholy fusion of science and black magic, using infant blood to fuel his eternal youth. This unholy ritual allows him to maintain his position as the eternal head of JK Industries.
The Monster Within
The transformation from businessman to monster occurs during a chilling sequence on one of Jack Grimm's remote private islands. Stalking through the jungle, he confronts a survivor who has been trapped there for three decades.
The man recognizes his captor and attempts to flee, but it's at this moment that Jack—described as "the man who never laughs"—finally unleashes his true nature. He transforms into a cackling, demonic monstrosity, revealing the creature he becomes when not in public view.
By the time you hear the Joker laugh, it's already too late.
After this display of raw horror, Jack returns to his palatial Gotham mansion, where he's greeted by his faithful butler. He casually mentions he's already eaten and will spend the night in "the cave," suggesting he maintains multiple lairs just like Batman.
This inversion of Batman's own mythology is deliberate—Absolute Joker possesses:
- Billions in wealth and corporate infrastructure
- Advanced technology and training
- Global reach and influence
- Immortality and supernatural power
He is essentially Batman's dark mirror: a billionaire industrialist who uses his resources not to fight crime, but to perpetuate it on a global scale.
Arkham's Dark Legacy
The Absolute Universe reimagines Gotham's infamous psychiatric facility as Ark-M, a state-of-the-art prison owned and operated by JK Industries. This isn't just a name change—it represents a complete corporate takeover of criminal rehabilitation.
However, Absolute Batman: Ark-M Special #1 reveals that a traditional Arkham Asylum did exist in the late 1800s. Dr. Amadeus Arkham founded it as a sanctuary for society's most unfortunate members, hoping to rise above his own childhood tragedies.
His most terrifying patient was a man known only as Jack Doe, whose appearance and temperament clearly evoke the Joker. While trying to rehabilitate Jack, Dr. Arkham also adopted an orphaned boy covered in blood—a child who became his ray of hope, constantly reminding him: "Tomorrow is a new page, Father."
Tragedy struck when Jack and other prisoners escaped, murdering Amadeus' son during the jailbreak. Years later, an aging Dr. Arkham met with a prospective buyer for his failing asylum. The buyer showed unusual interest in the boy and Jack Doe, leading them to the basement where prisoners had tunneled out.
Tomorrow is a new page, Father.
The buyer noticed the walls had been re-bricked in two places, not one, and whispered those same words to Amadeus before leaving. Horrified, the doctor uncovered the second passage and found Jack Doe's decayed body. He realized too late that his own adopted son had orchestrated the breakout and faked his death, unleashing evil upon the world. In despair, Dr. Arkham burned his asylum to the ground.
Throughout this tragedy, Jack Grimm watched and smiled.
Future Confrontations
The Absolute Universe has established a Joker who operates on an entirely different level from previous iterations. He doesn't just challenge Batman through chaos—he matches him through wealth, technology, and now, supernatural longevity.
The most recent issue teases an escalation in this conflict. Jack Grimm has transformed the ruins of the original Arkham Asylum into the modern Ark-M facility, continuing his corporate control over Gotham's criminal justice system. While observing Batman in action, his bodyguard Slade Wilson offers to eliminate the vigilante.
Jack understands that Batman would be no match for the mighty Deathstroke, but he chooses not to rush that confrontation. Instead, he opts to free several Ark-M test subjects, suggesting he has more experimental horrors planned for Gotham's protector.
This positions the conflict as more than a battle between hero and villain—it's a war between two immortal forces with nearly unlimited resources, where one fights for justice while the other feeds on human suffering.
Key Takeaways
The Absolute Universe's Joker represents DC's most radical reinvention of the character in decades. By removing the mystery and replacing it with concrete, horrifying details, the publisher has created a villain who:
- Matches Batman's wealth and resources
- Controls global corporations that fund war
- Uses infant blood for immortality
- Transforms into a literal demonic entity
- Has manipulated world events for over a century
This version of Joker isn't just Batman's greatest enemy—he's his true equal in every way, making their inevitable conflict far more personal and dangerous than ever before.
