Jerome Valeska

"There's nothing more contagious than laughter!"

- Jerome

"You're all prisoners. What you call sanity, it's just a prison in your minds that stops you from seeing that you're just tiny little cogs in a giant absurd machine. Wake up! Why be a cog? Be free like us. Just remember, smile. Oh! Time to go, but don't worry, we'll be back very soon. Hang onto your hats, folks, cause' you ain't seen nothing yet!!!"

- Jerome sending a message to Gotham after orchestrating an attack on GCPD Police Headquarters

Jerome Valeska is a minor antagonist in season 1 and the decoy tertiary antagonist in season 2 of the Batman based TV show Gotham, appearing in the 16th episode "The Blind Fortune Teller". Jerome worked at the carnival with the Flying Graysons before having revealed to have been a matricider due to his mother being a "nagging drunken whore".

After having been busted out of Arkham Asylum, Jerome was offered the chance to wreak havoc in Gotham in the Season 2 opening story arc "Rise of the Villains". As the leader of the Maniax, Jerome now terrorizes whole Gotham. Although he was betrayed and killed by boss Theo Galavan (who wanted to be seen as a hero to the city) Jerome left a legacy leading to some citizens to follow his example and lead to the possible future creation of the Joker.

Jerome is portrayed by Cameron Monaghan, who is best known for portaying Ian Gallagher on the Showtime comedy-drama Shameless.

Murdering his Mother
Jerome Valeska's mother was the snake dancer at the carnival, she was known for having sex with any male that worked at the carnival and she was also a hateful and mean woman to everyone around her (although the only proof of this came from Jerome itself so may not be true). Due to her life style and the way she treated him by always giving him orders Jerome hated her and wanted to see her suffer. Jerome finally snapped and hacked her to death with a hatchet. He later faked lack of knowledge of what happened to his mother and faked sadness for her death, although he was eventually caught by James Gordon, also revealing that his birth father was Cicero the blind fortune teller. When Jerome was questioned by James Gordon on why he killed her Jerome began to laugh as if it were all a big joke and told him she was a nagging whore that needed to die. He was later incarcerated at Arkham Asylum.

Escape at Arkham Asylum
Jerome, now serving time as a prisoner in Arkham befriends Barbara Kean, who was previously brainwashed to kill her parents by the now deceased Ogre. When newcomer inmate Zaardon dramatically introduces himself to the prisoners, he chokes up knockout gas and inmates Jerome, Barbara, Richard Sionis, Robert Greenwood, Aaron Helzinger & Arnold Dobkins. are broken out of Arkham orchestrated by Tabitha Galavan. The bunch are tied up and meet Theo Galavan, who inspires them to be part of a team of elite criminals. Sionis refuses and is killed by Tabitha, much to Jerome's joy.

Leading the Maniax
The Maniax make their presence known by breaking into a shipyard and stealing a fully loaded refueling truck. They bring the seven hostages on the roof of the Gotham Gazette, write letters on each and throw them off the roof so that the corpses on the ground spell MANIAX. When Dobkins asks what they do with the spare hostage, Jerome paints a "!" on the man's chest and tells Helzinger to throw him down too.

While in their new headquarter Jerome finds a sword which Greenwood immeadiately takes from him. When Jerome asks him nicely to give it back, Greenwood tells Jerome to "make him", calling him a little brat. Jerome takes a chainsaw and the two of them prepare to fight but are disturbed by Theo Galavan who orders them to stop immediately. When Dobkins chides them because they are a team, Greenwood proclaims himself the team captain but Jerome immediately denies that, planning to become the leader himself. Sensing the tension between the two, Galavan states that this problem must be resolved immediately. He draws his gun and removes all but one bullet, asking them if they know this game. Greenwood takes the gun, aims at his head and shoots but nothing happens. When Jerome does this not once but three times Jerome is made the leader of their organisation by Galavans permission.

As the next part of their plan, the Maniax kidnap a cheerleader school bus and plan to set it on fire with the fuel from the refueling truck they stole earlier. After spilling the fuel in the bus, Jerome realises that his lighter isn't working and, embarassed, asks the chearleaders if any of them has fire. He is provided with a lighter by Dobkins, however the incident cost them enought ime for the police to arrive. Jerome tells his Maniax to stand their ground because the policemen cannot risk to shoot at the bus. He tells Helzinger and Greenwood to get the truck and orders Dobkins to light the bus up. The Maniax leave with Jerome continuing spilling fuel from the hose while they drive off but Dobkins is left behind.

When they find out that the police is searching for them, the Maniax except Helzinger and Barbara enter the GCPD precinct disguised as policemen. Jerome tells an officer that he needs to speak with Commissioner Essen immediately and enters her bureau. When she recognized him he draws his gun to keep her quiet while his colleagues start shooting up the precinct. With Greenwood filming them, Jerome has a discussion with Essen after the massacre. Essen tells him that he will soon be dead and that the world will go on without him, but he replies that he and his Maniax will leave a mark on the city. When Greenwood interferes, saying a sentence Jerome was about to say, Jerome shoots the cannibal for stealing his line.

When Gordon returns to the precinct, he finds most of his colleagues dead. Searching for his boss he finds Essen dying, having been mortally wounded by Jerome. While cleaning up the precinct, Gordon is told to look at the news. When he looks at the TV he sees a video message from Jerome, in which he reveals himself as the leader of the Maniax. He tells the viewers that he will be back soon and that they have seen nothing yet.

Murdering his Father
When Jim Gordon and the reinstated Harvey Bullock get a lead on Paul Cicero, who bailed on Jerome during their first interogation, Jerome and Tabitha confront him and stab him in the eye before escaping after Jim Gordon was knocking on the old man's door. Before Jerome escaped, he hid knockout gas in Cicero's jacket, knocking Bullock unconscious. Jim attempted to fight Jerome, but was knocked out by Tabitha.

Hostage Situation
That following night at the Gotham Children's Hospital Gala, Jerome and Barbara disguise themselves as the annual Magicians. Jerome reveals himself mid-way through the act and has men attack the audience, quickly convoluting into a hostage situation. There, Jerome goes terrorizing the attendees until their boss, Theo Galavan acts like he is the hero and stands up to the two until Barbara knocks him out with a hammer.

Death
""I'm so sorry Jerome. You have real talent but now you see: The plot thickens - enter the hero!" "You said I was gonna be...""

- Theo & a dying Jerome Jerome calls out for Bruce Wayne and holds Alfred Pennysworth as the next victim until Bruce stands up to Jerome. He puts a knife on Bruce's throat and slowly starts to slit it until the GCPD arrive. Theo, having regained consciousness stabs Jerome in the neck to better his appearance as a hero. While Jerome falls to the floor, Theo apologizes to him and acknowledges his talent but reveals that he only used Jerome to boost his popularity. With his last words, Jerome tries to answer but dies with a blood-crafted smile on his face before he can finish his sentence.

Legacy
"You will be a curse upon Gotham. Children will wake from sleep screaming at the thought of you. Your legacy will be death and madness."

- Paul Cicero's foreshadowing quote predicting Jerome's effect upon Gotham City

As foretold before, Jerome's contributions to The Maniax caused a disfigurement on Gotham, intriguing other citizens, young and old to undergo his personality and wreak havoc on Gotham. People like Oswald Cobblepot considered him tedious because his motivation was chaos for the sake of chaos.

As for Valeska himself, he was seen as the spiritual "Clown Prince of Crime" dying with a blood-sculpted smile on his face as his body was left to be examined in the GCPD Forensics Room.

Season 1

 * "The Blind Fortune Teller"

Season 2

 * "Damned If You Do"
 * "Knock, Knock"
 * "The Last Laugh"

Trivia

 * Jerome Valeska is the second named Joker adaptation after Jack Napier, he is also the youngest.
 * His implied future as the Joker was also advertised in promotional materials for his debut episode. For example, the trailer mentioned that the next villain in Gotham "is no joke" before cutting to Jerome Valeska cackling, and a Twitter post for viral marketing has a looped GIF of Jerome's laughter from the trailer with the tagline "Gotham's next villain is no laughing matter."
 * However when discussing season 2, show creator Bruno Heller described the Joker as being an ideology and not a man, so it is unclear if Jerome is the genuine Joker or somebody undertaking the identity.
 * The name Jerome probaly comes from Jerry Robinson, co-creator of the Joker.
 * As the episode "The Last Laugh" shows, Jerome will not become the future Joker however leaves a legacy. Several people across Gotham begin laughing in a maniacal manner when watching Jerome on TV and two men kill a bum.
 * Jerome Valeska worked at the same carnival as Batman's first sidekick Dick Grayson, the first Robin, before he was born.
 * During the Comic Con for 2015, Cameron Monaghan gatecrashed it in-character as Jerome making threats towards "Jim Gordon" (Ben McKenzie) asking about his pain tolerance. McKenzie in return got into character as Jim Gordon and told Jerome he will hunt him down.
 * Jerome is revealed to be 18-years old.
 * If the letters in his first and last name are switched around, Jerome Valeska can spell out Joker.
 * The character appears to pay homage to previous Joker incarnations.
 * He also dresses up as a policeman similar to Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight and sends a similar video tape making threats to Gotham City.
 * Inspiration appears to be taken from Mark Hamill's Joker from the Batman: Animated Series, especially when broadcasting a live show which was seen in "Christmas with the Joker".
 * Like Ledger's story he gives a story about possibly being abused in the past, in a similar manner. It is implied however Jerome may actually be telling the truth.
 * Just like Jack Nicholson Jerome dies with a smile on his face.
 * Like Jerome, Joker was responsible for murdering Commissioner Essen (although in the comic continuity she died after Bruce Wayne became Batman).