Hypothetical new Bat-series

[zDBZ]

I suppose this is the best place to put this...

On another forum, when we were asked what we wanted to see in Batman's future, most posted brief descriptions of the next hypothetical film, or the next trilogy. I'd prefer the future of Batman to be in high-budget, hour-long dramatic television, and I got a little carried away putting my thoughts together Here they are.

OK, so this may seem repetitive, but - I think TAS got it right with "Dark Deco." 30s dress and cars mixed with modern computers and TVs (which all have black and white screens) just worked for Batman's world, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I would push the architecture into a more overtly Gothic/Victorian style, with interiors taken from the late 50s/early 60s. I wouldn't mind a more "cartoony" character design either; I think a clean, simple, retro look to the characters mixed with very dark backgrounds and stories would make an interesting clash. As I said, the format would be hour-long, with 20 episodes a season and a TV-14 rating.

SEASON 1

On a foggy, drizzly, miserable evening, Bruce Wayne slips back into Gotham unnoticed after his many years away. Alfred picks him up, takes him to his parents' graves, and the obligatory flashback to the death of his parents is shown. This is as much of his origins as we'll ever see; Bruce's past, his travels, his training are to be left a mystery.

The Gotham Bruce has returned to has, for years, been under the total control of the Gotham Hold (an equivalent to the Five Families of New York), an alliance of the five major organized crime groups in town - the Falcone Empire, the Maroni Family, The Penguin's Flock, The Grissom Syndicate, and the Thorne Gang. The heads of these gangs are all public figures - Carmine Falcone and Carl Grissom relish their notoreity - but while Gothamites of all stripes have some awareness that the game is rigged, the true extent of the Hold's power and its true make-up is a complete mystery to the public and to most of law enforcement. Harvey Dent, fresh off his election victory, and Captain Gordon have put forward the most determined team trying to bust the Hold, but their efforts have been in vain. The judges and police commissioner they work with are openly corrupt. Of the three largest private companies headquartered in Gotham - Wayne Enterprises, Daggett Pharmaceuticals, and Shreck's Entertainment - two are in league with the Hold. Bruce and Dent have been friends since childhood, but while the friendship has survived Bruce's long absence, Dent doesn't turn to Bruce for support. Upon his return, Bruce Wayne comes off as a "goody goody," completely incorruptible, but with no social skills, no public presence, and no business sense. No one in Gotham notices or cares that he's back. But while some of that persona is unintentional and genuine, Bruce does get more serious behind closed doors. While he leaves Lucius Fox in the CEO chair that Fox has held since Thomas Wayne's death, Bruce asks him to do more for the city and to ramp up competition with their crooked rivals. He also starts pilfering various cancelled and untested technology projects, which Fox turns a blind eye to.

Batman makes his first appearance on the docks, making short work of some small-time drug dealers. They are associates of the Falcone Empire; applying his detective skills, Batman is able to trace them to the Empire's largest narcotics crew and takes down the whole lot of them as they attempt a big score. On a Halloween later dubbed "Nosferatu Night," he tracks down and assaults the bosses of all the Hold gangs and uses sonar technology to sick thousands of bats on each of them. This strike throws Gotham upside down and emboldens Dent and Gordon, who succeed in forcing out the corrupt commissioner and finding a judge to prosecute the captured Falcone crew. It is Dent who Batman first contacts in this series, though Gordon is soon brought in, and the trio concot a plan to expose the extent of the Hold's power and take down the biggest and most public of its gangs - the Falcones. Batman's methods let him uncover more than his legitimate partners ever could, and Gordon makes a turncoat of one of the captured Falcone soldiers. In a televised event analogous to the Valachi hearings, Dent uses the soldier as a mouthpiece to make public all of Batman's intel: each gang has its own primary racket, and various systems are set up to interconnect their interests. The Falcones make their living through narcotics and arms smuggling. The Maronis, once the one and only powerhouse in Gotham organized crime, have been cut down by their younger partners over the years and are now headed by a man, "Don Salvatore," who had hoped to escape his family's criminal past and reluctantly oversees his organization's gambling interests. The Penguin's Flock is a loose cabal of eight upper-crust figures who dabble in white collar crime, primarily counterfeiting, fencing of valuable antiques and artifacts, and high level political corruption. Their true leader is unknown, but Batman has observed all its members coming and going from the supposedly ruined Cobblepot estate. The Grissom Syndicate handles prostitution, with waste management as a very strong "front," and oversees the Red Hood, the Hold's murder squad so named for the unique outfit its members wear to avoid detection. Not even Batman could learn the names of the Red Hood's members. The Thornes control the unions of Gotham. Each gang has a set number of seats on the Hold's "board of directors," and they meet monthly to coordinate and plot new illicit business. The public notoreity drives the Hold underground, and Batman makes a spectacular raid on Carmine Falcone's home, making off with "The Roman's" ledger. Dent is able to use it to secure arrest warrants for the top administration of the Empire, and in the biggest trial Gotham has seen in decades, manages to put Carmine Falcone away for life.

The victory is short-lived, however. The soldier-turncoat is gunned down by the Red Hood as he is brought in to testify at a new trial. The first of the radical criminals make their appearance: Catwoman, who seems more interested in playing cat and mouse with Batman than in any of the things she steals. While Batman hunts down the Cat, Bruce meets Selina Kyle. They immediately form a bond, though Selina seems more interested in a flirtatious friendship than anything serious. When Batman finally catches Catwoman, she proves gracious in defeat, revealing where everything she stole is, though she eludes actual arrest. Selina abruptly stops seeing Bruce around the same time. Next is Ivy, who seduces Dent with a mind to kill him for prosecuting eco-terrorists. Batman stops her, but the affair strains Dent's relationship with his wife Gilda. Finally, Mr. Freeze assaults Daggett Pharmaceuticals, hoping to take revenge on the underlings who caused his condition and to force Roland Daggett to pay for research to save his wife. When Batman stops Freeze, he is able to convince him to put vengeance aside, orders Fox to set up a research lab for Freeze in prison, and for the rest of the series, Freeze is an ally to Batman.

The affair with Ivy is kept hidden from the public and the Hold, but it shakes up Dent's mental state. He begins to see a psychologist - none other than Jonathan Crane, who sees Dent on the side from his duties at Arkham Asylum. Dent is revealed to have a split personality, born from his efforts to suppress his rage after he accidentally killed his alcoholic father while trying to defend himself and his mother. Crane has lately cut deals with the Thorne Gang to get their men out of jailtime, and also engages in many twisted experiments concerning fear. He now wants to see what would happen if Gotham's greatest hero became its greatest public menace. He approaches the Thornes for aid, and without the approval of the Hold, they agree. Dent and Gilda are kidnapped; restrained, Dent sees Gilda murdered before his eyes. As The Scarecrow, Crane tortures Dent with fear toxins, what he knows about his past, and a faceful of corrosive bleach (I have Dent down as black; Burton's "black/white" concept was a good idea). Batman of course learns of the kidnapping and rushes to the rescue, but is too late to save Dent or capture Scarecrow. When Dent recovers physically, his mind is gone. He becomes "Two-Face Dent," and with a flip of the coin, vows to take down the Hold by killing off all its members. He goes on a mass shooting spree, sending Gotham into a panic. Rupert Thorne manages to escape Two-Face's wrath, but is killed by the Red Hood for helping to bring this menace upon the Hold. Crane delights in his "experiment's" success, and Gordon and Bruce are left to deal with the loss of their friend.

SEASON 2

A few months have passed. Two-Face has continued his shooting spree, driving all of organized crime further underground. He has claimed several Thorne soldiers, an entire Falcone crew, and the Falcone acting boss. The next in line for that job, Angelo Falcone, finds the Hold falling apart. He and the Penguin (who finally reveals himself to his fellow mobsters via speaker phone) both conclude that the strongest Hold gang could take advantage of their situation and absorb the others, and so the two begin a race to conquest. Their most visible battlefield is in their support for competing factions in the Thorne Gang; underboss Lew Moxon is backed by the Falcones, while lieutenant Vasily Kosov has the support of the Penguins. Angelo also adopts the guise of Holiday and starts killing off the biggest threats to his Empire in the other gangs. The Holiday guise is a risk; after the Two-Face fiasco, the Hold has voted to cut all ties to the "freaks." Not only has Angelo become a freak, he has kept in contact with Crane. And while he and the Penguin duke it out, sister Sofia and aunt Carla work to undermine his reign within the Empire.

Meanwhile, Gordon and Batman have soldiered on without Dent. The new DA, Janice Holder, is unfriendly towards Batman (and, as a social friend of Angelo Falcone, is lax if not openly corrupt when it comes to the Hold). Nevertheless, Gordon and Bats do have their successes. Gordon has put together a loyal team (Bullock, Montoya, John Blake, O' Hara). Selina abruptly reappears, and she and Bruce start casually dating. And Batman has an ace in the hole - Salvatore Maroni. After the Two-Face fiasco, the reluctant godfather has had enough. He won't testify for the police or the law, but he will talk to Batman. Among the nuggets he gives up is the identity of all the Red Hood assassins, as well as the leaders of the hit squad - Joe Chill and "Glasgow Jack," who have only been seen before this as Grissom's chauffers and, in Jack's case, a popular stand-up at Underworld nightclubs. Based on Maroni's tips and Batman's own work, the Grissom Syndicate becomes the next prime target in the Hold. Tipped off by a mole, Grissom tries to avoid Carmine Falcone's fate. He resigns as head of his Syndicate, names Jack as his successor, and goes into hiding. Jack is unpopular as a boss in the Syndicate and in the entire Hold, not because he is too greedy, but because he frightens them. Ever since Batman first appeared, Jack has grown more and more wild - and he was barely in control to begin with. Since the Red Hood will not betray their boss, the Hold recruits gunmen from each gang to take Jack and his crew out as they inspect a chemical plant they operate as a front, Axis. Tipped off, the Red Hood all don their standard disguise and ambush their attackers. Batman and the police try to break up the fight and bring Jack to justice, but in the end, some of the Red Hood are killed, most are captured, two slip out, and another is accidentally knocked into a vat of chemicals by Batman. Jack and Joe Chill are not accounted for.

While Maroni's testimony is helpful, Batman has no respect for him. He is horrified when Maroni turns up at a Wayne fundraiser as a guest of Leslie Thompkins. It is revealed  that Salvatore's father Luigi was a patient of Thompkins, was also a reluctant mobster who tried to reform before the Falcones started a mob war, and had his life saved by Thomas Wayne. Dr. Wayne and Luigi became friends in spite of themselves. Salvatore is also Thompkins' patient and has kept a correspondence with Alfred started by his father. Bruce develops a reluctant respect for the godfather, and just in time. The Hold has found out that Maroni talked to the Batman, and kidnapped his two sons to try and force him to come forward and admit what he said. Instead, Batman and Maroni blaze into where the boys are being kept and save them. Maroni officially cooperates with law enforcement, convinces several of his top men to do the same, and is deported to Sicily, where he takes up his dream job as a writer.

The testimony of the Maroni defectors opens up the entire Hold to prosecution, and Batman and Gordon are hopeful for a successful strike against them, despite distractions from new "freaks" (Man-Bat) and Catwoman's return. But a few weeks after the incident at Axis, a radio message announces that Grissom will meet his death at the hands of the Joker. The prediction comes true, down to the minute. Several more members of the Syndicate meet a similar end before the targets become random civilians. The deaths are all caused by "the Joker's Patented Smylex Venom," which Batman is able to synthesise an antidote for, but no one can predict or stop the deaths. The Joker makes his first public appearance in a deadly parade that leaves one of the busiest streets of Gotham in ruins, courtesy of Mr. J and his Red Triangle Circus Gang. It is implied (but never confirmed) that the Joker is either Jack or Joe Chill, and whichever he isn't is the Ringleader character of the Circus Gang. The Ringleader is the Number 3 man in  the group; Number 2 is Harley Quinn, who has Dini's origin but met Joker outside of an institution.

The Joker keeps up his reign of terror, always evading the law and Batman. His antics are destroying organized crime. After Grissom's death, what remains of his gang is absorbed by the Penguins; what was left of the Maronis was absorbed by the Falcones. They continue to fight each other through the Thornes. Angelo Falcone hires Crane to take out the Joker. Crane gets his chance when the Joker breaks into Arkham. As Scarecrow, Crane tries his fear gas on the Joker; it has no effect. In response, the Joker gases Scarecrow, and all of Arkham, with a laughing gas, and sets them all loose on Gotham. When Sofia Gigante gets wind of her brother's failed plan and Holiday guise, she puts a contract on his head; on the 4th of July, Angelo takes them both out in a suicide strike, leaving his top man as the boss of the Empire. In the Thorne Gang, Kosov kills Moxon and agrees to serve under the Penguin. Batman exposes the Penguin as Oswald Cobblepot at some point in the season, but he is able to remain an obscure figure. Two-Face, with a flip of the coin, plans a bombing of the Cobblepot estate, but the Penguin escapes to an underground lair. He and the new Falcone boss make peace, and the streamlined Hold plots its future in a Gotham where the criminal scene is dominated by the freaks.

Batman and Gordon rush to control this situation. Batman targets the Joker himself, getting unexpected help from Catwoman. In the end, the Joker falls from a building and his body can't be found (the Joker's appearances would follow in the vein of his earliest comics; he appears to have died, but you're never sure). While most of the inmates of Arkham (and Scarecrow) remain loose, Gordon manages to scatter them, capture most of the Circus Gang (Harley and the Ringleader get away), and Two-Face. He is promoted to commissioner.

SEASON 3

The most episodic season, featuring encounters with classic Batman foes. A proper confrontation with Scarecrow, a proper confrontation with Penguin, Riddler, Harley and Ivy, Mad Hatter (with Tweedledee and Tweedledum as henchmen, naturally), two more rounds with the Joker, King Tut (who is more Catwoman's foe than Batman's), Clayface, Two-Face's escape from Arkham, and Croc. Catwoman gets into hijinks throughout, and we (but not Batman) are privy to her darker side. I've always wanted to see a Batman story that went something like this: Gotham hits a calm spell, and while Gordon spends the extra time with his family, Bruce has no clue what to do with himself. Throughout, Bruce and Selina get more serious. Eventually, her identity is revealed, with the twist that it's Bruce instead of Batman who discovers it; he doesn't take her in right away, but he doesn't know how to take it. The season finale is an adaptation of the Mad Monk story, forcing Batman to accept the existence of the truly supernatural.

[zDBZ]

SEASON 4

It opens with a trip to Metropolis on the trail of some of Penguin's smugglers, a "World's Finest" episode. When Bruce gets back to Gotham, Selina has left town under mysterious circumstances. However, a woman Bruce meets at a ball named Talia keeps his mind off Selina. Talia appears to be the daughter of a visiting diplomat, and as she and Bruce fall in love, she puts pressure on Bruce to become a more public figure, to use his wealth and influence for philanthropic causes. Lucius Fox has encouraged similar goals. This leads to Bruce having an experience based on the "Ghosts" segment of "Haunted Knights." This experience causes him to question his image of his father and his commitment to his persona. This also causes him, when he next faces the Joker, to make an offer similar to that at the end of "Killing Joke;" the Joker refuses, but agrees to go to Arkham "for a nice long vacation." Meanwhile, a few more notables from the Rogue's Gallery make their appearances;  Solomon Grundy, Ventriloquist, and Hugo Strange.

Strange, as it turns out, is in the employ of the diplomat, who is of course Ra's al Ghul. Together, they deduce Batman's true identity. After the obligatory test of his "rescue" of Talia, Ra's wants Bruce as his successor and Talia's husband. When Bruce refuses on both counts, Ra's and Strange attempt to frame Batman for various crimes; they eventually succeed, Gordon the only one keeping the faith. Batman flees Gotham and the country on the trail of Ra's and Strange. He eventually learns of Ra's immortality through the Pits, that there are only a very few Lazurus Pits left, and that Ra's plans to detonate them to wipe out humanity, courtesy of Strange's technology. However, Ra's has misled Strange about his intentions. When Strange learns of the double-cross (courtesy of Batman), he detonates the Pits one at a time, preventing their doing mass damage and robbing Ra's of his immortality. When there is only one Pit left (the one their headquarters is built on), Ra's stabs Strange, and he and Batman have their classic duel. Ra's seems to have the upper hand, but in his last moments of life, Strange draws a gun and puts a bullet in Ra's head. As the headquarters begins to collapse (Strange had set it to blow), Talia throws herself into the fire rather than go with Batman.

As Batman, badly injured, flies back to Gotham, the military is scrambled to shoot him down. He is still not cleared of false charges. Alfred has been working on exonerating him, and sends his evidence to Gordon, but Gordon can't spread the news in time to stop Batman from being blown out of the sky. He staggers out of the wreckage, only to be shot into the water by soldiers. He barely makes it back to Wayne Manor. As Alfred pieces him back together, Bruce decides to give up the cape and cowl and honour his vow another way.

SEASON 5

We open six months into "The Year of the Dark Knight's Rest." Bruce and Alfred have closed Wayne Manor and moved into a penthouse in the city. Bruce has taken Talia's and Fox's advice, becoming a public philanthropist and more involved in the company. However, he is still Batman at heart, and his unsatisfied desire - his need - for the cape and cowl is taking a toll on his state of mind. He has also been diagnosed with the early stages of Type 2 diabetes.

In the Batman's absence, Gordon has generally managed, though morale in law enforcement has sunk and morale in crime has risen. The Penguin has turned over his criminal interests to underlings (allegedly; practically, they are front bosses still answering to him) and set himself up as a legitimate figure. Though he had been known as a crime lord, the public never knew the extent of his misdeeds, and he enjoys a wonderful reputation and a greater degree of political influence than ever before. Many of the freaks have been released (or escaped) from Arkham, and have carved up the city into spheres of influence, where their particular brand of crime dominates. The Joker broke out of Arkham and went on a rampage to try and lure out Batman, but by the time Bruce decided to do something, the Joker gave up and went back to Arkham.

A year into TYoTDK'sR, Bruce attends a charity circus, headlined by the Flying Graysons. Another member of the circus is Bane. Imported as an enforcer for the Falcones, he has gone undercover in the circus to ensure that they pay their protection money. When they stop, Bane enlists a crew to cause an accident for the Graysons, leaving 13-year old Dick an orphan. Bruce gives the boy a home and, seeing the effect the loss of his parents has had on Dick, finally reassumes the mantle. He tracks down the hoods, who finger Bane. When facing Bane, Batman is faced with just how much of his edge he's lost, and almost has his back broken when Dick (who found the cave and stowed away in the Batmobile) saves his life. Together, they bring down Bane, and Batman realises Dick's drive. He offers to train Dick, and Robin is born.

Batman and Robin spend the rest of the season bringing down mobsters and encountering notables from the Rogue's Gallery. Along the way, they encounter Barbara Gordon. Wheelchair bound from childhood in this continuity, she deduces their indentities and offers her computer services; Oracle is born.

Selina returns to Gotham, with nothing to say about her absence. She starts going out as Catwoman again, and Batman dutifully goes after her, though it soon becomes clear that she is handing out wealth she aquired during her time away, not stealing it. During one encounter, they say certain lines to each other; in their first meeting out of costume, they repeat the lines, and Selina learns Bruce's identity. They get together, and Catwoman becomes (a distant) part of the Bat-family.

SEASON 6

Two years have passed. Batman, Robin, and Oracle are a seasoned trinity of crime-fighters. Bruce and Selina have maintained their relationship, and Catwoman assists on a case-by-case basis (with the understanding she doesn't have to work with Robin). Bruce is as close to happy as it's possible for him to be. Most of the radical criminals are in Arkham, or well-contained.

But the Bat-family is faced with a new kind of foe. The Penguin, as a legitimate figure, has formed closer partnerships with Shreck and Daggett. They have successfully funded a mayor, forced Gordon out of office, funded most of the city councilmen, and gotten massive deregulations passed. They've destroyed the environment and preyed on the populace, and all of it legal, since the start of Season 5. Because this was done over a long span of time, and because the radical criminals are still so visible, no one has really stopped and noticed. Batman's new strategy is one of espionage; with Catwoman and Oracle's help, he uncovers the full extent of what has been done, and through viral messages, turn public opinion against Penguin and his allies. Meanwhile, Bruce redoubles Wayne Enterprises' efforts to compete with Daggett and Shreck.

It isn't all corporate espionage and stealth campaigning, though; there are still crooks to fight. The beginnings of the the Royal Flush Gang pop up, and Hush arrives on the scene. This version of Hush has a grudge against Bruce and Harvey Dent, who was with them on that fateful day at camp. He kidnaps Bruce and Two-Face, but the experience reawakens Harvey and his free will. He stops Hush without killing him, frees Bruce, and checks himself in to Arkham (I figure at least one version of Harvey should have a happy ending).

Things begin to turn south towards the end, however. The Joker breaks out of Arkham and kidnaps Robin on his first night going solo. Batman, Catwoman, and Oracle search for weeks, and have no leads, when a massive explosion rocks the Axis Chemical ruins. Robin is found in the ruins, hideously scarred and barely alive. When his fate is pronounced "uncertain" by ICU, Batman tears through the underworld, demanding leads on the Joker. He finally tracks him down to a ruined carnival, where he sees Harley kill the Ringleader for perceived disloyalty. When Batman finds the Joker's hide-out, he is treated to footage of Dick's torture, and the Joker reveals that the Boy Wonder was eventually coerced into revealing everything he knew about Bruce. It is implied (but not confirmed) that the Joker knows something about the deaths of the Waynes. Batman attacks, and it becomes clear that the Joker's whole plan in torturing Robin was to drive Batman to kill him. He comes very close, but in the end, just cannot do it. When he refuses, the Joker goes on the attack, hoping to force a murder in self-defence. In the end, the Joker ends up killing himself. His last words: this isn't funny.

Harley is taken to Arkham. After a few months, Dick has recovered physically. Emotionally, there is some work to be done, but he wants to take up the costume again. When Bruce refuses, the two argue, and Dick ends up stealing the Robin costume and running away. Bruce does not go after him.

Even with Dick's departure, the strategy against the Penguin works; his mayor is recalled, Gordon is reappointed, and regulations are restored. The Penguin is arrested on evidence of his past criminal deeds, and Daggett falls under investigation. But Shreck weasels his way out of trouble. When his secretary finds out about a certain scheme, he hires Black Mask to kill her. That secretary was a good friend of Selina's. She tracks down Black Mask, and the fight ends with Mask and Shreck in a precarious position. Catwoman lets them die, and becomes wanted for murder. When Batman confronts her about it, he appears to talk her into coming home with him. However, she sees him reach for handcuffs. She swipes him across the face and skips town again. The deception causes friction with Alfred and Oracle, and Bruce gives up on any love life.

SERIES FINALE MOVIE

It is 20 years in the future. Gotham is not quite as futuristic as in "Batman Beyond," but it is on its way (it has a retro-futuristic look, with Gothic touches of course). This "New Gotham" barely hides the ruins of the old; not long ago, a massive hurricane struck, crippling the city. It has just gotten back on its feet. Dick Grayson has gone through the Teen Titans and Nightwing phases of his career, married Starfire, and is running for mayor of Gotham. Barbara Gordon has replaced her father as police commissioner. They are in a similar spot to Dent and Jim at the start of the series: organized crime is again ruling the streets. Supplanting the Falcones and the Penguins as the major force in the underworld is the Jokerz. They operate in several large groups, loosely involved with each other but all paying homage to Harley Quinn as the queenpin. Harley has clung to the delusional belief that "Puddin" will come back for her, and her inner circle has taken on a cultlike atmosphere. The biggest corporation in town is DagShreck Power, an amalgam of the old Daggett and Shreck businesses bought and controlled by the unscrupulous Derek Powers.

The Jokerz and Powers pose a problem beyond what Barbara and Dick can manage alone; they need Batman. But while Dick and Bruce are on speaking terms, they are still estranged. Barbara has not spoken to Bruce for years over some mysterious falling-out. And Bruce himself is not up to the task anymore. Years as Batman and advancing diabetes have taken their toll on his body. Technology enables him to patrol the entire city still, but in hand-to-hand combat he can only manage for short periods of time. While his mind is as sharp as ever, he is limited in what his detective work can accomplish, not having a partnership with the police anymore. As Bruce, he has lost touch with his company. Fox's replacements have not done well, and there is immense pressure to sell the company to Powers, something Bruce seems prepared to do. He spends his days being pieced together and cared for by Alfred and playing dice with Harvey, who has fully recovered and lives a quiet, anonymous life in the city.

Though Alfred hides it well from Bruce, he is feeling his age, and soon is on his deathbed. He tells Bruce that the has planned his funeral, that certain people will be there, and that he wants Bruce to try and make amends with these people. When the funeral arrives,  Bruce meets several mourners, including Don Salvatore Maroni, whose sons have become honest and effective businessmen at Wayne Enterprises. But the people Bruce is expected to make up with are Dick, Barbara, and Selina Kyle. Selina and Barbara remain cold to his (admittedly feeble) efforts, but Dick, encouraged by Starfire, agrees to try to patch things up. Also at the funeral are members of Bruce's mom's family - the McGinnis family. Bruce's cousin Warren, an employee of Powers, asks Bruce to give his wayword son Terry a job. Bruce initially refuses, seeing Terry as a punk, but he later observes him defending his brother from bullying cousins. Knowing he'll have trouble living alone in  his condition, he agrees to take Terry on as an attendant and chauffer.

Terry, a 17-year old ex-punk with a healthy social life, is initially bummed about the job, but starts to have a better view of Bruce when he observes "the old man" outmanoeuvre Powers and the traitors in his own company, appointing Maroni's sons as the new heads of Wayne Enterprises and retaining ownership. As they make their way home, they are attacked by some Jokerz, and Bruce again impresses Terry by fending them off. The fight drains Bruce, and he has to be rushed home. While preparing to go home, Terry finds a bat in the grandfather clock, and uncovers the Batcave. Bruce throws him out.

Terry and his father fight over his losing the job; when Terry comes home after the fight, his father is dead. He has left a note claiming to know something about Powers and the Jokerz; it was hidden, but Warren was evidently unable to finish writing it before being killed. Terry goes to Bruce, who does not offer or refuse help. When he leaves to take his medicine, Terry steals the suit and jet, intent on getting Powers. Bruce takes control of them and brings them home. He tells Terry that what he uncovered is the first piece of a puzzle, and that he is willing to train him so that they can solve it together. Over the next few weeks, this is just what they do. Bruce gets more involved in the company to have opportunities to meet with Powers, while Terry is given the batsuit and allowed to spy on Powers and the Jokerz (nothing else). Terry is a fast study on detective work and logic, being a fan of Sherlock Holmes, but is unrefined in physical combat, and Bruce is limited in what he can teach him.

After a time, Terry wants to be allowed out on a full night. When Bruce refuses, he takes off anyway. He takes on a gang of Jokerz, gets in way over his head, and barely makes it out alive. Meanwhile, an attempt is made on Bruce's life; Powers wants him out of the way. All the stress of the night results in a heated argument in the cave, culminating in Bruce having a diabetic stroke. During his recovery, Dick, Barbara, and Selina all come to visit, and they all (more or less) reconcile. Dick and Barbara remain skeptical of Terry, though Dick is more open to the idea. Selina and Bruce find they still have feelings for each other, and Selina moves in to Wayne Manor to help take care of him. Being in much better condition than Bruce, she is the one to train Terry in martial arts, and in whipwork; this Batman has a bit more of Zorro in him than usual.

Together, the three of them uncover the plot: Powers has been smuggling in equipment for the Jokerz. While he thinks it will be used to extract ransom, it is actually meant by Harley to fulfill an old "master joke" the Joker had drawn up years ago (a variation on "Joker: Last Laugh.") When push comes to shove, Bruce is both afraid for Terry and reluctant to give up the mantle, refuses to let Terry fight and instead passes the information on to Barbara and Dick. But when a mole passes along word, the pair are attacked and hospitalized. Starfire is injured too, leaving the Bat-family as the city's best line of defence. Bruce eventually relents; he and Terry both don the cape and cowl (with Selina as Catwoman) and take on their enemies. Powers is turned into Blight and escapes, most of the Jokerz leadership is rounded up, the plan is foiled, and Harley dies (the Joker didn't want anyone doing this "gag" but him; he found a way from beyond the grave to kill anyone who tried). In the conflict, both Batmen show their stuff, but Terry ends up having to save Bruce.

As they start to recover, Dick and Barbara concede that Terry is worthy of the mantle, though everyone agrees he needs more training. Barbara agrees to tolerate his presence on the condition that Bruce permanently gives up the cowl. Bruce agrees, but can't resist one last "flight." While patrolling the city, he spies a couple and their son being held at gunpoint in Crime Alley. He swoops in to help, and he does scare off the gunman (and the couple), but he takes a fatal bullet wound to the head. With his last  strength, he makes it back to the cave and extracts a promise from Selina to finish Terry's training. Two funerals are held; one in public, one for the Bat-family, who bury Bruce in the cave. Terry prepares for his first solo flight; Batman lives on.

...And then comes the spin-off   

[BatmAngelus]

Very interesting ideas here, zDBZ. 

I like how you've established all the major mob characters up front, though I do think that there may be too many of them to keep track of.  The Maroni arc is a fresh twist, though, on a character who is typically just around to throw acid in Dent's face (though he doesn't in this version.  Nor did he do it in The Dark Knight, haha.).

Having Bane being the one undercover at Haly's Circus is also a fresh idea.  It's funny, Silver Nemesis and I were just discussing how to fit Killer Croc into a similar scenario in The Dark Knight Rises forum.

And I love the take on Batman's final stand.  I remember reading a similar depiction by MatchesMalone00 back at "the other forum" (whatever happened to him?) and finding it perfect.

[zDBZ]

I like how you've established all the major mob characters up front, though I do think that there may be too many of them to keep track of.  The Maroni arc is a fresh twist, though, on a character who is typically just around to throw acid in Dent's face (though he doesn't in this version.  Nor did he do it in The Dark Knight, haha.).

I suppose you could call this over-compensating. Begins and even 89 build up the Mob as *the* big threat to Gotham, but both films push them out of the way quickly and unceremoniously to make way for the name villains. Realistically, it would only be the five bosses and their immediate successors and aides who would be followed.

[zDBZ]

Some hypothetical character designs for this hypothetical series. Time permitting, I may  do more detailed renderings of individuals, or expand the line-up to include the mobsters.

[Paul (ral)]

Alot of work here! Good stuff!

[zDBZ]

Not more artwork, but a "history of" type article on one of the Mob families from this hypothetical series.

The Falcone Empire was the name of one of the five gangs that comprised the "Gotham Hold," the former governing body of organized crime in Gotham City. Despite its background in the traditions of La Cosa Nostra, the Empire did not hold a seat on the US Mafia's Commission. The largest of the five Hold gangs, the Empire was the outside world's oft-used example of the corruption and moral decay in Gotham City due to its high visibility and low casualty rate to law enforcement. The Empire's influence seemed to be on the rise within the Hold, but the appearance of the Batman in Gotham City, the loss of strong leadership, and the growth of radical crime in Gotham all contributed to the Empire's downfall and eventual collapse. The remnants have since been absorbed into the one surviving Hold gang, The Penguin's Flock. The Empire's primary source of income was its involvement in narcotics, though it was also known to deal in strong-arm, ransom, Black Hand style extortion, and arms smuggling. The Flock has had the Falcone remnants continue these rackets.

HISTORY OF THE FALCONE EMPIRE

ORIGINS

The Falcone Empire began in the dreams of a young man named Vincent "Caesar" Falcone. The son of poor immigrants from northern Italy, Vincent grew up in The Bowery, the most notorious of Gotham's many infamous neighborhoods. A hoodlum almost from the get-go, Vincent was always getting into trouble at school and was arrested for armed robbery at age 15. His widowed mother disowned him after that incident, and after his release from prison, Vincent started a local protection racket for small businesses. The young hood was known to be hot-tempered, prone to violence, and ruthlessly ambitious. Though a poor student, he had shown a keen interest in the Roman Empire and used what reading skill he had to comb through books about the reign of Julius Caesar. This fascination with the emperor and his later hobby of collecting Roman antiquities led to his nickname. Vincent's one other fascination outside the Roman Empire was La Cosa Nostra; the "Honored Society." His grandfather had been killed in Italy due to a Mafia vendetta, and Vincent was attracted to the easy money and amoral lifestyle of the mob.

Vincent eventually became a soldier of Gotham's Maroni crime family, in the crew of caporegime Umberto Lucania. Lucania was relatively violent and ruthless for a Maroni capo, and was one of the few willing to dabble in such rackets as prostitution and loansharking, which had been banned at the Family's beginnings by "Don Genco" Calgero Maroni. Lucania's rebellious spirit passed on to Vincent, who quickly became a favorite of his captain. Vincent worked as Lucania's personal chauffeur and bodyguard and was soon managing several gambling houses. When Lucania decided to retire, he appealed for Vincent to take over as capo of the crew, a favor that was granted.

At that time, the Don of the Maroni Family was Genco's son Luigi, who was hoping to turn the Family legitimate. He had been working toward this end successfully and peacefully, and had done nothing to expand the criminal aspects of the Family or to remove his father's restrictions on the rackets. Vincent chafed under his leadership. He had no desire to enter the legitimate world. He was a true "wise guy" and harbored none of Genco Maroni's romantic delusions of the purpose of the Mafia or Luigi's dream of joining the reform programs of the city. He viewed the rackets in terms of financial benefit, and on those grounds, was incensed at the restrictions placed on so many potentially lucrative enterprises, especially the narcotics trade. But more than his greed, Vincent was fueled by his ambition. He was out to be a crime boss in America's most criminal city.

FINDING A BASE

As Vincent seethed and plotted ways to rise in the Maroni Family, the Gazzo Family of Metropolis had fallen on hard times. Metropolis is widely viewed as Gotham's stark opposite – a bright city of the future that has overcome urban decay and crime. The Gazzo Family was the first true branch of organized crime to penetrate the city in years, and it had made the fatal mistake of refusing to show restraint in violence. Public outrage inspired harsh action by local authorities, and in a relatively short time, the family was almost completely destroyed, with boss Mickey Gazzo imprisoned for life. Over 30 soldiers and the few capos not incarcerated, including younger Gazzo brother Frankie, fled to Gotham City. With the Maroni hold on the city too strong and with their leadership virtually eliminated, the Gazzo faction could not organize themselves into their own family again, and so went to work for the Maronis.

The Gazzo Family had never had the restrictions on activities that the Maroni Family had, and the Gazzo faction soon came to resent Don Luigi and his inner circle of capos. Vincent saw this and realized that his opportunity had come. Recruiting all of the Gazzo faction into his crew, he began to work with Frankie Gazzo on a plan to break off from the Maronis, form their own family, and eliminate the restrictions on organized crime.

Vincent also approached non-Italian criminal elements in the city. Genco Maroni was a harsh racist and anti-Semite, and he refused to have any dealings with non-Sicilians. His son Luigi, in his quest for legitimacy and in his overall personality, was far more open to working with others, but he never removed his father's old restrictions on who could operate rackets in Gotham. Yet a few small-time gangsters had managed to operate under the radar, notably Rupert Thorne and "Boss Carl" Grissom. Both men were ambitious and frustrated with the Maroni monopoly over the city, and Vincent was willing to make alliances with them. Each had something to offer; Thorne was a charismatic figure who had been able to corrupt unions and a few key political officials, and while Grissom himself was little more than a bordello ringleader, he had connections to the murder-for-hire team known as the Red Hood. With these alliances secure, Vincent began to plan for his eventual rise.

THE GAZZO WAR

On Halloween night – the year before Dr. Thomas Wayne was murdered – Maroni Family capo Leoluca Badalamenti was gunned down as he left the Italian restaurant he managed. The murder was ordered by Vincent Falcone and Frankie Gazzo in an attempt to begin Gotham's first gang war since before the American Civil War. They estimated that years of peace and the quest for legitimacy had left the Maroni Family unprepared for conflict and easy to cripple, despite vastly outnumbering the Gazzo faction.

At first, Luigi Maroni refused to engage his younger rivals. Though he wouldn't break the Sicilian oath of omerta, he was willing to hire private investigators, hopeful that they could piece together the crime themselves and put Vincent and the Gazzo faction away. At the time, Gotham was enjoying one of its few periods of relative honesty and reform, but detective agencies and the police department were still saddled with internal strife and thus not able to do much for the Maroni Family. Vincent kept pressing, eventually targeting Maroni underboss Luca Mareli. When Luigi's daughter Sofia became caught in the crossfire, Luigi allowed Mareli to begin preparations for war.

Vincent's gamble that the Maronis were unprepared for such an attack was well founded. The Gazzo faction was quickly able to gain the upper hand, targeting top capos and major centers of the Family's legitimate interests. As the position of the Maroni Family weakened, Vincent and the Gazzo crew went to work on forbidden rackets, especially the narcotics trade. Frankie Gazzo sent word to the suppliers who delivered drugs to Metropolis to re-route their shipments to Gotham. In little time, the business was earning massive profits, and Vincent's wealth was soon large enough to rival Luigi's. The business could not have expanded so quickly, however, if Vincent had not aligned himself with Rupert Thorne who, for a cut of the profits, began to direct politicians, judges, and police to keep the Falcone Family protected. Vincent also made good use of the Red Hood, leased to him by "Boss Carl" Grissom. That gang's notorious reputation was re-earned in their work during the war.

By the following summer, Luigi had had enough, and called for a peace summit. Essentially, it gave Vincent everything he wanted: his own Family, along with freedom for the Grissom and Thorne gangs; an end to racket restrictions; and equal footing with the Maroni Family. Following the summit, however, Luigi Maroni was gunned down and almost killed by two members of the Gazzo faction. While Vincent never officially sanctioned the hit, few doubt that he knew about it. But he offered no resistance when Luca Mareli had the two gunmen killed.

MARKING TERRITORY

With the Gazzo War finished, Vincent moved quickly to expand his narcotics racket. Thanks to his connections to the Thorne Gang, Vincent was able to operate without concern for the law, and soon had all of the slums of Gotham infested with drugs. Hedging his bets, he worked on establishing several front companies to mask his true business. He worked with Thorne lieutenant Salvatore Valestra on a deal to launder money in banks controlled by the Thorne Gang. And, believing in "safety in numbers," he actively recruited young hoods. While he followed Mafia traditions in allowing only Italians to become capos, any criminal could become a soldier. The sheer size of the Falcone drug machine left no room for prejudice. While Vincent was not needlessly greedy, he had no reputation for generosity, and part of the reason for his own personal fortune was due to the high cuts he took from his underlings. Yet no one challenged Vincent's leadership; after all, he had brought down the Maroni Family, and he was a charming and affable man when needed. He also didn't hesitate to kill men who thought about betraying him.

In the wake of the Gazzo War, the Falcones sided with the Thornes as they entered into disputes with the Grissom Syndicate. It appeared that another conflict was on the rise, with the Falcones and Thornes likely to prevail. But before war could break out, a new gang known as The Penguin's Flock called a gangland summit, and the Gotham Hold was founded. The Falcones won five seats on the Hold's "board of directors," with their delegation first consisting of Vincent, underboss Frankie Gazzo, consigliere Joseph Manfredi, and top capos Albert Cefalu and Jerry Corozzo.

Along with drugs, the Falcones pursued arms smuggling as a viable business. After the rise of the Hold, Vincent established partnerships with several members of The Penguin's Flock, reaching an arrangement where the Falcones would smuggle the Flock's weapons in through the waterfront and ship them across Gotham and across the country. The arrangement turned out millions for the Falcones and the Flock.

The Falcone Family eventually became known the Falcone Empire due to its sheer size and Vincent's Roman fascination. Its headquarters was established in My Alibi, a low-key bar in the Bowery. It was one of the few things about the Empire that was low-key. Though Vincent himself stayed out of the limelight and did not parade about town, many in the Empire, including much of the chain of command, went out in flashy suits with expensive cars and glamorous women. In Gotham itself, so much attention did nothing to disrupt business, but the Falcone Empire became the poster child for the criminal element controlling Gotham to the rest of America. Political cartoons frequently depicted "Caesar" straddling one of Gotham's many gargoyles, showering the city with drugs, corrupt officials, and violence.

THE REIGN OF THE ROMAN

Unlike Luigi Maroni, Vincent had no scruples about pulling his children into the family business. His son Carmine quickly rose through the ranks, becoming underboss at age 20. Daughter Carla married Felice Viti, who was promoted to consigliere. Vincent eventually handed over the reigns to his son and son-in-law, retiring to a loft in Gotham Tower Apartments, where he died peacefully in his sleep. Carmine, who had taken up his father's interest in Roman artifacts and went by "The Roman," became boss, promoting Felice to underboss.

Carmine and Felice were well-suited for life in the Mob; indeed, it's doubtful that either would have been successful in any other field. Carmine was his father's son in almost every way imaginable. He was hot-tempered, ambitious, and a poor student. The only childhood trait of his father's that he didn't exhibit was a disregard for parental authority. Carmine was extremely loyal to his father until his dying day, and some in the Empire felt he relied on Vincent's council too much after becoming acting boss. Felice Viti was the son of an old Maroni soldier who had retired after the Gazzo War. A terrible student but a shrewd and cunning kid of the streets, the quiet Felice worked his way up the ladder, becoming capo soon after joining the Empire. His marriage to the boss's daughter Carla was seen as a marriage of convenience; as a member of Vincent's personal family, Felice was both more likely to be promoted and less likely as a young and capable rival to stage a bloody coup. In fact, Felice was much closer to Carmine than he was his wife, and the brothers-in-law had many girlfriends throughout Gotham.

Under Carmine and Felice, The Falcone Empire grew to be the largest of the Gotham Hold gangs, with its drug business continuing unchecked. At this time, the governing body of the Empire was filled with relatives and close associates; in addition to making his brother-in-law underboss, Carmine had made caporegimes out of nephew Johnny Viti, son-in-law Rocco Gigante, lifelong friend Joey Gazzo (son of Frankie Gazzo), and sons Mario and Angelo Falcone. The continued arms deals with The Penguin's Flock allowed the Empire tangible connections outside of Gotham, giving them yet another market. With its sheer size and expanding fortune, it appeared to many experts that the Falcone Empire was either the strongest of the Hold gangs or poised to become the strongest, making Carmine "The Roman" Falcone the most powerful man in Gotham City.

But there were signs that at least some of this power and influence was a façade. Carmine had inherited all of his father's temper, ambition, and penchant for violence, and little of his cunning and shrewdness. Wiretaps revealed high-ranking members of the other Hold gangs discussing Carmine with contempt due to these flaws. Unlike "Caesar," "The Roman" was a highly public figure, frequenting Grand Avenue and never willing to shy away from the press, if not seek them out. He became widely compared to such flashy mobsters as Al Capone or the New York bosses. Yet Carmine was in no danger of falling into the trap of his counterparts; in addition to the mere fact that he operated in Gotham City, his inner circle was completely loyal. Rather than appoint a lawyer or legitimate figure as consigliere, Carmine chose Angelo "Killer" Mirti, a notorious soldier and personal bodyguard to Vincent. And while Carmine himself was not particularly intelligent, he was competent enough to at least manage his own Family. Underboss Felice, an extremely clever man, kept the arms dealing business afloat.

The Falcone Empire's leadership of this time carried more extensive police records than any other in the Gotham Hold, though none of the charges resulted in serious action, further cementing the Empire's cultural role as the symbol of Gotham's corruption. Before the rise of "the Batman," the worst strike the Falcones suffered was capo Douglas "Dopey" Masseria's imprisonment for possession of heroin; he was released on a technicality.

ENTER THE BATMAN

Carmine Falcone was out of town on arms smuggling business when the first sighting of the Batman took place. The victim was a low-level Falcone soldier in the crew of "Dopey" Masseria, and he was found badly beaten inside a truck filled with heroin. Masseria's crew dealt exclusively in narcotics and was the largest such crew in the Empire, and in the first month of the Batman's attacks, it was the Masseria crew that was most frequently targeted. At the seventh incident, police arrived at the Gotham waterfront to find Masseria and his entire crew restrained and beaten, all the evidence needed to convict them of cocaine trafficking lying near Masseria. Even in Gotham, this kind of blatant exposure meant the end of the crew.

Aside from the loss of one of its biggest drug operations, the Empire escaped severe damage from the Batman (besides the psychological) until Carmine's fifty-second birthday party. In a private room above the My Alibi bar, all of the leadership of the Empire and various Falcone relatives had gathered for a nighttime celebration when the lights went out, a dark figure burst into the room, and everyone in the room was soundly beaten. Carmine was stripped to his underwear and thrown out the window, suspended by a rope, blindfolded, and with his lasagna shoved into his undershirt. All of them had been assaulted by hundreds of vampire bats. This was one of five strikes against the leadership of the Gotham Hold, and it was the most violent. Known as "Nosferatu Night," this assault marked the beginning of the end for the Falcone Empire and the Hold entire.

As the largest of the Hold gangs, the Empire made the biggest target for both the Batman and law enforcement, which had been emboldened by both the work of the Batman and the rise of such figures as Captain James Gordon and DA Harvey Dent. Investigations and indictments, once unthinkable in Gotham City, were thrown The Roman's way, and it became clear that the Falcones – and the rest of the Hold – were not in the least prepared for such scrutiny. They had been spoiled by success and had let precautions set up by their predecessors slide away.

Confounding the problem for the highly visible Falcones was the quality of leadership in certain crews of the Empire. Capos Johnny Viti and Mario Falcone were rash, impatient, and stupid. Their soldiers and associates were frequently picked off by the Batman or the law, and their indiscretion before the press constantly gave away Empire plans. Their incompetence proved so bad that Felice Viti began pressuring The Roman to replace his son and nephew as capos. Felice was supported by older capo Vinnie "The Cardinal" Medici and another member of the Falcone family; Angelo, Mario's younger brother. Despite the pressure, Carmine refused to change the leadership of his Empire.

This stubbornness and continued pressure proved Carmine's undoing. A few months after Nosferatu Night, Carmine, son Mario, consigliere Angelo "Killer" Mirti, Thorne lieutenant and close Falcone ally Salvatore Valestra, and over fifty Empire soldiers were arrested on a multitude of charges, based on evidence from The Roman's own ledger, which had been (reputedly) stolen by the Batman. DA Dent, fresh off his successful case against the Masseria crew, was ruthless in court. It took two thrown-out juries and testimony from soldier-turned-rat James "Frog Legs" Sorvino, but every last Empire figure brought in was convicted. Carmine "The Roman" was given life in prison, a sentence he is serving to this day.

[zDBZ]

DECLINE

With The Roman behind bars, leadership passed into the hands of Felice Viti. Cleverer and more quiet than his predecessor, Felice's reign marked a significant change in the way the Empire conducted business. Taking a cue from The Penguin's Flock, Felice pulled the Empire out of the limelight and into the shadows. His underboss was nephew Angelo Falcone and his consigliere was Vinnie "The Cardinal" Medici. This new leadership, stealthy and cunning, managed to keep the loss of profit to a minimum as the Batman and the law continued to pound away at the Falcones. But while this leadership was in many ways an improvement over The Roman's, the psychological damage had been done, and weak links still existed in the Empire. Though he had pressured Carmine to replace his son Johnny as capo, Felice let him continue in that position. To replace the promoted Medici and the arrested Mario, Felice appointed, respectively, his wife Carla and his niece Sofia Gigante. These two women were violent, impatient, and loyal to themselves above all else. They were both very resentful of their husbands' numerous affairs. Sofia's husband Rocco was capo of his own crew, and the two acted more like rival gangs than partners in the Empire. Largely thanks to Medici, Felice was able to keep the tensions in the Empire to a minimum, but the seeds of discontent had been well-laid.

Felice's reign did not last long. When Harvey Dent's mental problems were exploited by the Thorne Gang and the once noble DA was transformed into the notorious "Two-Face" Dent, he formed a gang whose exclusive purpose was to bring down the mobsters of Gotham City by murdering every last one of them. Dent's initial targets were Thornes, but eventually, he set his sights on other gangs. Capos Milos "The Bodyguard" Grappa and Rocco Gigante were his first targets, and eventually, Felice himself was gunned down as he left the Gotham Courthouse after giving testimony at a soldier's trial.

The Empire was now headed by the youngest of Carmine's children, Angelo Falcone. Quiet, good-mannered, and college-educated, Angelo was the least likely of the Falcone children to enter Gotham's underworld. In fact, though Carmine thought nothing of bringing Mario and Sofia into the Mob, he recognized that Angelo had many qualities the rest of the family lacked and had hoped to keep him away from crime. When the young son did go to work for the Empire, he dealt mostly with finance and arms smuggling, and had nothing to do with violence. Angelo was Carmine's favorite son, and once he chose to join the Empire, he was always intended to one day be boss. At the same time, while Mario and Sofia were personally trained by their father, Angelo was tutored in gangland business by older capo Vinnie "The Cardinal" Medici. Medici was also college-educated and non-violent, and he was a strong mentor to the youngest Falcone. When Angelo finally rose to power, he made his old teacher his underboss.

But Angelo and Medici had inherited all the internal strife in the Empire that had appeared under Felice. Angelo was badly estranged from his aunt Carla and sister Sofia, who had both long resented the attention the young man had received from Carmine. The fact that he had grown so close to Medici instead of them was another cause of division within the family. Medici had been Carla's capo before his promotion to consigliere, and she had always chafed under his pragmatic, patient leadership. Carla was given the title of consigliere in an attempt at appeasement, but she saw herself as still just a capo, with Medici still serving as the true consigliere as well as underboss. The Empire became divided along family lines, with capos "Benny Boy" Gazzo and Joey Gazzo siding with Angelo and Johnny Viti and Danny Didio siding with Carla. For a gang that had already lost two crews and much of its leadership, it was more unneeded strife.

In an effort to survive, Angelo and Medici decided to take a gamble on increased independence. They believed that if they distanced themselves from the Hold, they would weaken the other gangs who depended on their drug and arms deals. They also hoped that, without the sense of security the Hold provided, the warring factions of the Empire would rally around them. For two such intelligent men, it would prove a fatal miscalculation. The pressure from the Batman and the law had weakened all five Hold gangs, and the rise of radical crime in the form of such figures as "Two-Face" Dent, Pamela "Poison Ivy" Isley, and Victor "Mr. Freeze" Fries, proved a strong challenge to their power. Unity was the only thing that could save them all, but without it, the gangs began to collapse.

Perhaps Angelo and Medici realized this soon after their strategy began to backfire. They at least came to see that The Penguin's Flock had begun to move against the rest of the Hold. Angelo and Medici agreed with the Flock's notion that the strongest Hold gang could conceivably survive and take over the rest, but they wanted the Empire to be that gang. To achieve that end, Angelo was willing to take a page from the book of the "freaks," as the Batman and the radical criminals had come to be known within the Hold. Involvement with the "freaks" had been banned by mutual consent, but Angelo and Medici hired several of them to sabotage various operations of the Flock. Angelo also adopted the guise of a "freak" himself. As the serial killer Holiday, he shot down members of all the Hold gangs who he viewed as a threat to the Empire's power on major holidays, leaving behind small toys or symbols of the holidays. The previously non-violent Angelo, whose only intimidating feature was his trademark pair of purple glasses, amassed quite a collection of slain mobsters.

Angelo and Medici were the only members of the Empire – or the Hold – who were aware of this involvement with radical crime. They had not consulted any of their capos, and must have known that Carla and Sofia were vehemently opposed to any alliance of the kind. The rise of the Joker further alienated organized crime from the "freaks." Sofia was especially incensed against such figures when the Joker gunned down Carla. So when it was finally discovered by The Flock that Angelo and Medici had partnered with Jonathan Crane, alias "The Scarecrow" to fight against the Joker, the tension in the Empire exploded. Enraged at her brother's betrayal of Hold rules and still hungry for power, Sofia agreed to let The Flock absorb what was left of the Empire so long as she was put in control of those remnants. A contract was put out on Angelo and Medici's lives, but before Sofia's men could get to them, they were tipped off by old friend "Benny Boy" Gazzo and went into hiding.

THE FALCONE EMPIRE TODAY

Sofia's contrast of great ego and great vulnerability was such that her thirst for power was easily satisfied with being a glorified captain of a large crew. Some semblance of the old Empire's organization remained, but everyone, Sofia included, now had to send some of their profits up the chain to The Flock proper. They continue to operate the same rackets they always have, and have taken over a portion of the old Maroni gambling operations in the wake of that Family's complete collapse.

The faces of the Empire have not changed much. So many men have been lost to the law, Two-Face, and the Joker that, despite his tipping off Angelo and Medici, "Benny Boy" Gazzo remained a high-ranking member, even getting a promotion to "underboss." Medici has even held onto power. Though a contract remains on his head and his whereabouts remain unknown, his intelligence and experience are still highly valued and badly needed, and he is the de facto consigliere of the Empire, phoning advice to Gazzo from secure locations.

Wherever Medici is hiding, he is believed to be with Angelo, who has continued to commit Holiday killings. When police raided his office in My Alibi following his escape, they found a list of intended targets; his sister Sofia was one of them. Their sibling rivalry has, if anything, escalated. Sofia's grab for power has ruined any chance Angelo and Medici had of making the Empire the one gang to survive in Gotham, and Angelo's motive now seems to be revenge rather than a move to reclaim power. From prison, Carmine has let it be known that he supports his son's vendetta. Now considered by the Mob to be nothing but a "freak," Angelo is among the class of criminals that is the new face of crime and terror in Gotham City. They have proven to be far more dangerous and violent than the Hold ever was. This status has extended to Angelo largely due to his efforts to protect the Empire from collapse; the irony is unlikely to be lost on the former literature major, wherever his hideout.

LEADERS OF THE FALCONE EMPIRE

-   Vincent "Caesar" Falcone (boss), Frankie Gazzo (underboss, retired 19__), Joseph Manfredi (consigliere, retired 19__)
-   Vincent "Caesar" Falcone (boss, retired 19__), Carmine "The Roman" Falcone (underboss), Felice Viti (consigliere)
-   Carmine "The Roman" Falcone (boss, arrested 20__), Felice Viti (underboss), Angelo "Killer" Mirti (consigliere, arrested 20__)
-   Carmine "The Roman" Falcone (boss, imprisoned), Felice Viti (acting boss, killed 20__), Angelo Falcone (underboss), Vinnie "The Cardinal" Medici (consigliere)
-   Carmine "The Roman" Falcone (boss, imprisoned), Angelo Falcone (acting boss, fled 20__), Vinnie "The Cardinal" Medici (underboss, fled 20__), Carla Viti (consigliere, killed 20__)
-   Carmine "The Roman" Falcone (boss, imprisoned), Sofia Gigante (acting boss, current), Benjamin "Benny Boy" Gazzo (underboss, current), Vinnie "The Cardinal" Medici (consigliere, current, whereabouts unknown)

Caporegimes:

-   Angelo Falcone regime
-   Angelo Falcone
-   Benjamin "Benny Boy" Gazzo
-   David "The Barber" Furcini
-   Mario Falcone regime
-   Mario Falcone
-   Sofia Gigante
Later disbanded, reorganized into Didio regime
-   Milos Grappa regime
-   Milos Grappa
Later disbanded, reorganized into Didio regime
-   Rocco Gigante regime
-   Rocco Gigante
Later disbanded, reorganized into Didio regime
-   Joey Gazzo regime
-   Joey Gazzo
-   Johnny Viti regime
-   Johnny Viti
Later disbanded, reorganized into Gazzo regime
-   Vincent Medici regime
-   Vinnie "The Cardinal" Medici
-   Carla Viti
Later disbanded, reorganized into A. Falcone regime
-   Douglas Masseria regime
-   Douglas "Dopey" Masseria
Later disbanded, membership imprisoned
-   Daniel Didio regime (from remnants of M. Falcone, Grappa, and Gigante regimes)
-   Daniel Didio

FALCONE EMPIRE DELEGATION AT THE GOTHAM HOLD

-   Vincent "Caesar" Falcone, Frankie Gazzo, Joseph Manfredi, Albert Cefalu, Jerry Corozzo
-   Vincent "Caesar" Falcone, Carmine "The Roman" Falcone,  Felice Viti, Milos "The Bodyguard" Grappa, Angelo "Killer" Mirti
-   Carmine "The Roman" Falcone, Felice Viti, Angelo "Killer" Mirti, Angelo Falcone, Milos "The Bodyguard" Grappa
-   Felice Viti, Angelo Falcone, Vinnie "The  Cardinal" Medici, Milos "The Bodyguard" Grappa, Rocco Gigante
-   Angelo Falcone, Vinnie "The Cardinal" Medici, Carla Viti, Benjamin "Benny Boy" Gazzo, Joey Gazzo (final)

UPDATE

During the so-called "Year of the Dark Knight's rest," wherein the Batman was presumed to be dead, Angelo continued his attacks on his sister and her allies. When Bruce Wayne's charities and business deals began to threaten the Penguin's Flock, the Falcone faction was charged with the task of executing Wayne. The efforts were unsuccessful, and as Sofia suffered under the increased scrutiny of law enforcement, Angelo and Medici saw their chance to reclaim power. Medici lined up the silent backing of all the remaining "capos" with the exception of Didio. One violent Fourth of July, Angelo lured Sofia and Didio to the waterfront, having had Medici spread word on the street about a major drug deal. Didio was found dead by the docks, shot in the head and with a firework by his side. In what is believed to have been a suicide strike, Angelo and Sofia were incinerated when a warehouse stocked with fireworks went off. The remnants of the old Empire crews and a few people who once worked for Thorne lieutenant Salvatore Valestra defected over to Medici the same night, and the Falcone Empire returned as an independent criminal organization, a full-fledged rival of the Penguin's Flock. Carmine "The Roman" Falcone is still considered the nominal head of the organization, and has let it be known from prison that he recognizes Medici as his acting boss, with "Benny Boy" Gazzo as underboss and David "The Barber" Furcini as consigliere.

LEADERS OF THE FALCONE EMPIRE

-   Carmine "The Roman" Falcone (boss, imprisoned), Vinnie "The Cardinal" Medici (acting boss), Benjamin "Benny Boy" Gazzo (underboss), David "The Barber" Furcini (consigliere)

Caporegimes:

-   Angelo Falcone regime
-   Domenico DiNapoli
-   Joey Gazzo regime
-   Joey Gazzo
-   Daniel Didio regime
-   John "The Bull" Torciano