Johnny Charisma

Jonathan Browne a.k.a. Johnny Charisma, is the self-proclaimed Messiah of Entertainment. Johnny made a name for himself on the cabaret circuit before he hit the big time when he was discovered by a national talent show.

Charisma was no stranger to controversy with a string of drug offenses and a DUI, but his assault on a groupie was uncharacteristically violent.

When he was infected, Charisma displayed signs of megalomania, with his behavior echoing the sadistic showmanship of the Joker.

Incident Reports[]

Before Arkham Knight Incident[]

Johnny Charisma was a professional singer in Gotham City. The self-proclaimed Messiah of entertainment.

When Joker sent samples of his mutated blood to hospitals all over the state, Johnny and four other people were infected with his blood. But because Johnny's blood and the other transfusions went unrecorded for some reason, he didn't receive the cure, which caused the blood to gestate too long and made the infected people to look and act like Joker; except for one of the victims, Henry Adams, who appeared to be immune to Joker's blood.

Following a psychotic episode, Charisma was interned at a private clinic.

Eventually Batman (who was also infected) brought all four of the infected people to a containment facility and had Robin run tests to investigate why Henry wasn't like the others. Johnny's infection showed up on October 10 when he came off-stage and beat a groupie hard and prolonged enough to render the latter into a coma, and allegedly inflated his already substantial ego into something else. When he was abducted by Batman, Johnny's absence was covered up with the claim that he had gone to rehab at an exclusive clinic. At some point before this, one of Johnny's billboards replaced one for James Gordon, the police commissioner for the GCPD, with Charisma hysterically commenting on this when Gordon was invited to the Movie Studios by Batman to reveal the Jokerized victims.

Arkham Knight Incident[]

By the time of Halloween, Batman's current estimate of how long until Johnny's infection reached maximum levels was in 48 hours. Harley Quinn raided Panessa Studios, where Johnny, Albert King, and Christina Bell were being kept. Quinn released Bell, King, and Charisma from their cells, and left them free to roam the studios. After Batman recaptured Bell, Charisma and King both spoke to Batman on the TV, and challenged him to come and face them. Batman would choose to capture Johnny after King or capture King after Johnny. Batman would learn that Johnny had entered a room with a security panel. After he rewound the security footage, Batman figured out the code, and entered the room to find that Johnny had strapped himself to bombs. Johnny started singing a song (in Batman's fear toxin-infected mind, it's the original Joker singing "Who's Laughing Now") and Batman listened to distract him while Robin defused the bomb, sneaked up behind Johnny, and removed the bomb vest. Batman then knocked Johnny unconscious with a headbutt. Batman and Robin later took Johnny back to the cells.

Depending on whether Batman chose to confront Albert King or Johnny first, the results would slightly vary.

If Batman chose to go after Johnny first, he would be discovered to be shot and killed by a Jokerized Henry Adams by the time Batman arrived.

If Batman chose to go after Albert first, Johnny would be shot and killed in front of Batman.

Personality[]

Due to the effects of the Joker Infection, Johnny took up the Clown Prince of Crime's egomania. A narcissist with a flare for showboating and the dramatic, Charisma also had a violent side, as evidenced by the patient logs as he beat a groupie into a coma.

Appearance[]

Johnny Charisma's attire was similar in style to the Joker. He donned a white sports coat with red material on both shoulders and wrists, and various designs going down the coat, a white shirt with thick red lines, black dress pants with a belt, and purple dress shoes. He also wore a ring on his left ring finger. Similar to Joker, Johnny had green hair, white dyed skin, and red lipstick. Even his hairstyle resembled that of Joker's.

Quotes[]

• "Oh, oh, don't tell me. Don't tell me! You are the police commissioner! Your face was on that billboard they replaced with mine! (Laughs) What are you waiting for, old timer? Johnny C doesn't do requests." (Commissioner Gordon)
• "Couldn't resist, could you Bats? Aww, look at me, the king has never looked so good!" (Batman)
• "Oh, I've been playing around with a little ditty, just for you, Batman. I think you're gonna like it."
• "So, what do we have here? Poor little Batman, all alone."
• "Ugh... Boring! Like he's interested in a fight? Don't you know this guy? He craves something more. Something intelligent, something creative... something fun." (Albert King)
• "Yeah, tough guy?" Well, first you'll have to find me, and second, well, let's be honest old-timer, you're a little past your sell-by-date." (Albert King)
• "Whatever. Choice is yours, Bats. Come find us and see who wins. My money's on me."
• "So the bug lump failed. Shocking! Can't say I'm surprised. Like that aging lump of muscle memory was ever gonna get the better of you." (Albert King)
• "So are you ready, Bats? You ready to come see me? I've got such wonderful games for you to play."
• "Sorry, Bats. But I was planning a duet for us. Can bird boy wait out there and listen to us make sweet music together?" (Robin)
• "Nice of you to join me, Bats."
• "I'm not asking, Bats. I'm telling you. Get up here, now!"
• "Don't be shy! There's room up here on stage for two. No really. I insist."
• "As you can see, the crowd is so excited, it may just explode!"
• "Time to check out boys!" (Sees Robin)
• "Say goodnight folks!" (Sees Robin)
• "Let's all take a bow!" (Sees Robin)
• "No encore for us!" (Sees Robin)
• "Dying time fellas!" (Sees Robin)
• "It's been a blast!" (Sees Robin)
• "Bad move Birdy!" (Sees Robin)
• "No encore?"

Gallery[]

Johnny Charisma in Arkham Knight

Johnny Charisma Biography Arkham Knight

Johnny Charisma Character Trophy Arkham Knight

Trivia[]

• Johnny has similarities to the Batman Villain Johnny Karaoke. Along with their names, both are musical criminals affiliated with using microphones as they commit crimes.
• Due to his mostly white clothing, Johnny Charisma slightly resembled the Joker in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Earth-31). In addition to this, that Joker was modeled after famous musical-artist David Bowie which Johnny's profession could be in reference to.
• Because Batman hallucinated that it was the Joker, the player never got to actually hear Charisma sing. However, it was strongly implied that he had a horrible singing voice, as Robin after he knocked Charisma out, commented that even Alfred could sing better than him, as well as commented that stopping him was "[Robin's] contribution to music".
  • However, as he was popular enough to be advertised on billboards, it's possible that the Joker infection altered his voice.
  • Though it's possible Alfred is actually much better at singing, due to his year of experience. (Thus Robin would likely be biased)
• Depending on whether the player chose to fight Charisma or Albert King first, Johnny Charisma would either be shot in the head in front of Batman, Robin, and Harley Quinn by Henry Adams, or he would be killed off-screen by Henry Adams.
  • The novelization assumes the former is correct, showing Batman attempt to distract Henry from noticing that Johnny is alive, but failing to do so.
• When speculations over Joker being alive were going on online, the sign 'Johnny Charisma Live!' that appeared when Scarecrow told Gotham about his Fear Toxin was thought by fans who refused to believe Joker was dead to be a hidden message about Joker's survival (Joker is alive). However, with Charisma actually having a part in the game, and Joker's body being shown cremated at the beginning, soon put the rumors and speculations to rest.
  • Incidentally, considering that Joker was living on through Charisma, said speculation ended up being partially correct.
• The aspect of Joker's personality that Charisma took on the most was Joker's egotism and love for showboating.
• Coincidentally, Michael Rosenbaum, the voice actor for Johnny Charisma, also voiced the character Ghoul from Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, who was a member of the Jokerz.
• The background music for The Asylum Blues could be heard in Pauli's Diner shortly after 'Only You' by the Platters goes off.
• Johnny Charisma seemed to hold a huge rivalry with Albert King, at least in instances where Batman was involved, as they were seen arguing over who got to fight him next.
• Johnny is arguably the one who looked most like the original Joker, with the similar age, shape, gender and hairstyle
• Johnny is one of the few characters to get a very graphic death: If the player as Robin gets caught by Charisma before either disarming all the bombs or otherwise removing his bomb vest, Charisma will blow himself up, with pieces of him visibly being seen as he does so.
• He is the only one of the Joker infected to get game over scenes.