| “ | What do you think made him what he is, Batman? Childhood trauma? Some kind of breakdown? He never speaks about it. | „ |
| ~ Young on the Joker. |
Dr. Penelope Young is a supporting character in Batman: Arkham Asylum. She is a hardworking and obsessive scientist who temporarily works with the Joker to develop the TITAN Formula.
She was voiced by Cree Summer, who also played Elmyra Duff in Tiny Toons, Hyena in Disney's Gargoyles, Mercy Graves in Superman: Doomsday, Penny Gadget in Inspector Gadget from Nostalgia Critic, The Little Girl from Robot Chicken, and Raishan in The Legend of Vox Machina.
History[]
Past[]
Penelope Young was born on January 19, 1975. She would later attend Gotham University where she studied psychology, graduating with honors and achieved a Ph.D. in psychology.
She later became a psychiatrist professionally and first started helping people out of her home in the Lacey Towers apartments.
Batgirl: A Matter of Family[]
Around the same time, she was employed at Arkham Asylum, Young began working for the wealthy oil baron Edward Burke to prescribe medication and help to his 5-year-old daughter Katie, who had been diagnosed with cancer. During this time, she and Burke began working long-distance with a therapist and associate her's named Jack White and a doctor named Harleen Quinzel, who were in fact the Joker and Harley Quinn. They planned to give Burke the idea to construct an amusement park based on Katie's drawings and use it as their new base of operations.
Joker suggested Katie be put under experimental medication, to which Young agreed as she saw the little girl as the perfect test subject for the drugs, as well as other ideas she had regarding cures for criminal insanity. When White suggested she up the dosage, Katie's condition worsened and the girl died of drug overdose. Jack White later ended up convincing Burke to take his own life with suicide pills, which turned out to be Joker venom. After Katie's death, Young continued to use the medication and find ways to perfect it.
Later, after Quincy Sharp reopened Arkham Asylum and rehired Young, she continued work on a new and experimental formula called TITAN, which combined elements of her previous experimental drugs and new compounds to potentially create a cure for criminal insanity. Funded by Joker, she managed to smuggle Bane into the Asylum and forcibly extract the venom from his body, leaving him in a weakened and tortured state while she studied the effects of venom on the human body and decided to include it as a part of the TITAN formula. She also used plant-based chemicals from Poison Ivy's plants to enhance the formula.
Many doctors, guards, along with other staff worked with Dr. Young on project TITAN but none of them knew Young's full plan and knew nothing about the full extent of her work or treatments. Yes kept it a secret form her fellow workers none of the staff liked that Young was keeping secrets from the rest of the staff. But they respected her and trusted her despite that they knew nothing about her deal with Joker or what the TITAN project really was and not knowing that Bane was Patient X.
For 2 years, she constantly worked on the formula with her research developments at the Botanical Gardens. After several patient interviews, she decided that the Joker would be the prime candidate for her experimental cure. She first tested the formula on a prisoner from Blackgate Prison, who mutated into a horrific monster. It was around that time that she discovered Jack White was the Joker, and he planned to use the TITAN formula to create an army and take over Gotham City. Horrified by this, she transferred the funding back to the Joker and refused to work on the project. It was then that the Joker decided to allow himself to be captured so that he could take over the Asylum and complete the formula himself.
Arkham Asylum[]
As the Joker was taken into custody and escorted into Arkham, Young watched in the Cell Block Transfer Corridor as the team went by. Joker made threats towards her, but she remained protected by guards. Young watched and listened to Joker terrified, secretly knowing the real reason why he was back in Arkham and knew of his plan. As Joker made his threats to her he told Young that they had some catching up to do. After Joker was wheeled away, Young regains her composure and confidence then forcefully tells the guards to take her back to her office. Young tries asking Batman if he knows what made the Joker become who he is. After that Young stands there silent and shows bravado when Joker is no longer around.
After Joker's takeover of the Asylum, he had his goons and Harley Quinn hunt down Young and corner her in an office, where they were told to make sure no one comes near her. She was saved by Batman, but soon left with Aaron Cash to Arkham Mansion to retrieve her notes before the Joker could get ahold of them.
Batman later discovered and battled Bane, who revealed Young's role in the TITAN project, referring to her as the "bruja", or "witch".
Despite experiencing obstacles and the Joker's men, Young managed to get her notes and flee, hiding them in a book in the library before being captured by the Joker's men and taken to him. After bringing Young to Joker, the henchmen being talking among themselves mentioning that they believe Dr. Young knew what was going on or what was going to happen actions, reaction and behavior. Joker, angry that Young did not have her notes, handed her over to Victor Zsasz, whom the Joker had ordered to torture her for her information. She was saved by Batman.
Young proceeded to tell Batman everything she knew about TITAN and the Joker's plans, and her experiments in the Botanical Gardens. She then went to Sharp's safe for the access codes that would open the gates and let the innocents escape, but found out too late that the Joker had booby-trapped it with a bomb. Batman managed to survive the explosion, but Young was killed in the blast.
Later on, during a hallucination caused by Scarecrow's Fear Toxin, Batman sees Arkham Asylum run by the inmates, where Young is among the prisoners at the twisted Asylum.
Aside from Young appearing in Scarecrow's hallucination servel surviving staff members ask if Dr. Young is ok Batman informs them that she is dead. The surviving works are shocked to hear that Young is dead some of them say if the inmates killed her then there's no way they will survive this night.
Arkham City[]
In Arkham City, Batman aids Bane in destroying the remaining TITAN containers that the Joker smuggled off of the island. She later revives some posthumous justice after Joker dies as a result of overdosing on the TITAN formula.
Aside from some of the TITAN formula making it off the island and Joker slowly dying because of the formula created by Dr. Young. Penelope Young and Quincy Sharp's plan to use the TITAN formula to reform criminals lead to Arkham Asylum being shut down. Creating the formula caught Joker's attention and instead of using it to rehabilitate the patients Joker decided to himself and other inmates into monsters.
Dr. Young's willingness to work for Joker who was helping to fund her with money to continue her work. Lead to events she that didn't expect and lead to Arkham Asylum being shutdown this allowed Hugo Strange and Quincy Sharp to carry out their secret plan to open Arkham City.
Personality[]
Dr. Penelope Young is determined, strict, serious, focused and obsessed with her work, experimenting and researching constantly and even on holidays. She is cold and careless towards her coworkers and associates, but will become agitated if there is interference with her work. This obsessive dedication leads her to committing immoral and even criminal actions to further her research. She is shown to be gullible as well, as she falls for the Joker's manipulation as Jack White and even is convinced by Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow that he is completely sane.
Aside from her work and studies, Young doesn't seem to have to many things in her life that she enjoys or cares about. She puts all her focus and time in her work and project and nothing else. She is rarely is in a good mood. Despite her efforts to help her patients she is regardless of how she treats others especially how she treats her other employees. Because of her obsession, stubbornness, arrogance and pride with her abilities, skills and work, Young doesn't have a regular life like most of the other staff who work at the asylum. Dr. Young feels like she always has to stay busy and has to always be doing something.
Young describes herself always busy on holidays like Julian Day; she also believes that he is one of the easier patients and less dangerous than the other inmates. All the other doctors would disagree with Young claiming Day is an easy patient to work with. Not only does Young say that Julian is calm and easy to work with but she mentions that she sees Julian as being free from societal norms.
Because of Riddler's intelligence, Young mentions in her notes that she was thinking about having him assist her on the Titan Project when he is cured of some of his obsessions and disorders. Young believes after TITAN changes Edward's high IQ, he can be helpful with her work if she can get him involved with her project. Aside from working with Joker and considering bringing Riddler onboard with the project when he is reformed, Young also considered making a deal with Crane and letting him in on the project.
While Young has shown interest in bringing in more intelligent minds to help work on her project, she mentions in her notes despite being impressed with Isley's high IQ, Young writes in her notes that she doesn't like Isley's hypersensitivity and how she believes all men are in love with her. She also is distant from Isley's hate for men and how she uses them for her own purpose and gain. Young wants to use Isley's research in her project but has no interest in bringing or using Isley's IQ in her project.
Her interactions with Clayface in her notes shows that Young doesn't like being questioned, mocked or insulted. Young denies that Clayface's impressions of her being bitter, sour and cold are true Young believes that he is wrong about her. Aside from Clayface, Young dislikes other employees who mention about her being bitter, miserable, strict and too serious. Young is very determined; when her mind is set on something, there's no changing her mind. Young gives orders but doesn't like being told what to do. Aside from pride in her work, she has pride in herself despite being gullible, foolish and naive to be tricked by a few of the inmates. Young is very confident and has an ego; most of her actions even noble acts to help cure the villains for a good cause are mostly done for own her self-interest to make an even bigger name for herself and for the money.
Despite her noble goal to cure the patients at Arkham Asylum, Dr. Young has sometimes referred to the criminals and other villains as specimens instead of patients. Even though her goal is noble, Dr. Young is okay with using manipulation, tricks, lies and keeping secession to achieve her goal.
Interviews and Notes[]
As the head physicist at Arkham Asylum during her two years Dr. Young has has had several interviews with the patients recorded on tapes. She also has files on many patients even files on patients she hasn't had interviews with. Aside from files on patients Dr. Young also has files on Warden Sharp and Batman as well.
Dr. Young's Interview Tapes and Notes on Riddler[]
In Dr. Young's interviews and notes on Edward Nigma aka the Riddler Ms. Young mentions that Edward is one of Arkham's patients who has a very high IQ along with a few others. In her notes and on her tapes Penelope shows that she is impressed with his intelligence. She mentions that he suffers from narcissism, obsessive compulsion and is very egotistical making Dr. Young irritated and exhausted whenever Edward Nigma she thinks about him or mentions him. Dr. Young mentions one of her that the warden, doctors and other staff members find his riddles he writes on the walls to be threatening. Aside Sharp and the other doctors being horrified by the things Edward Nigma says and writes in her notes Penelope Young admires the complexity of Edward's riddles.
In her notes when Ms. Young mentions that she aside from being fascinated by conundrums and riddles. She admits she likes trying to solve his puzzles when she has free time which is rare since Dr. Young likes working with very few breaks. Solving Riddler's puzzles on her free time and breaks show Penelope Young always likes to stay busy. In her notes Dr. Young writes that she has noticed trophies, clues and other clues all across the asylum grounds. Despite being impressed with his riddles and intelligence Young mentions in one of her interviews that Edward would be a good candidate for the TITAN process. It's his obsession, narcissism and ego that make Dr. Young believe he will be an excellent choice test to see if the TITAN formula will help cure him of these disorders.
Dr. Young's Interview Tapes and Notes on Joker[]
In her notes and interviews Penelope Young mentions that Joker is her most challenging patient. She mentions how he quickly changes mood swings just like how he always changes his origin stories. Young mentions that Joker is narcissistic and he can manipulate just about everyone he meets or talks to. Aside from him manipulating people with ease, his narcissism, change of mood swings and change of stories.
Dr. Young mentions in one of her interviews the doctors have an endless of disorders they believe he suffers from but nothing matches or fits with the Joker's actions. Dr. Young mentions that she realized something that other doctors haven't figured out that Joker enjoys persona far to much. Because of his skills with manipulation Ms. Young mentions that she has seen the footage of him and Harley and read the files detailing the whole thing of how he changed her. In her notes she writes how she finds it fascinating how he can easily manipulate others and how he manipulated Harley. Young writes about how she wasn't there on duty when that happened and how she finds it unfortunate that she didn't get to study and see how well Joker's manipulation works at firsthand.
Aside from his multiple stories and the fascination of wanting to know how Joker easily manipulates others. Joker tells Dr. Young if she wants to know the truth or know more if she scratches his back getting him what he wants and he won't have her killed for asking so many questions and for her curiosity. Aside from his threat and how difficult it is to figure him out Dr. Young mentions in one of her interviews that Joker is very interesting despite all of that. While Dr. Young is intrigued with figuring out what makes the Joker who he is and aside from scratching his back to get him what he wants. Ms. Young is impressed with Joker showing interest in Project TITAN and how he wants to help assist her with the project. Before her amazement that Joker wants help her with the program Young is at first suprised with him knowing about the project before she agrees to work with him.
While knowing that the Joker can manipulate anyone and telling him that she has seen the tapes of how Joker manipulated and seduced Harley. Dr. Young writes in her notes about the Joker that she unfortunately wasn't working at the asylum during that time and would have wanted to Joker's seduction over Harley Quinn first hand and would have wanted to be there personally.
Dr. Young's Notes on Harley Quinn[]
There are no interview tapes with Dr. Young and Harleen Quinzel aka Harley Quinn. Dr. Young mentions because of Harleen's fall from grace Young and many other doctors had to go through psychological screening, training and testing to make sure no more doctors become easily manipulated like Harley. Because of this Penelope Young mentions she finds it resentful and annoying that all the doctors have to go through with this now. She writes in her notes that she thinks it is preposterous of them to believe that herself or another doctor could be easily manipulated by or fall in love with one of their patients.
Dr. Young's Notes on Bane[]
Bane is one of the inmates that Dr. Young has notes on but no interview tapes with him. Ms. Young mentions in her notes how she is intrigued how the vemon enhances many of his abilities. Despite mentioning that Bane has the worst addiction to venom she has ever seen but she is still impressed with the things Bane can do while using venom and she wonders what more possibilities the venom can create.
Dr. Young's Notes on Poison Ivy[]
There are no interview tapes with Penelope Young and Pamela Isley aka Poison Ivy but the doctor has notes on Pamela. Dr. Young writes that she is impressed with Isley's intelligence but is disappointed that she is another doctor or sentient that has become an innate at Arkham. Young mentions like a few other patients it's difficult to treat or cure Isley because of condition. Penelope Young mentions she doesn't like Isley's distant for humans and how Isley considers herself more superior and how she no longer considers herself to be human anymore.
Aside from Young being upset with how Isley's hate for humans Dr. Young also doesn't like Isley's treatment and view point on males like as if all males are bad. Despite Dr. Young mentions how she doesn't like how Ivy treats humans she finds Isley's research on plants fascinating. Much like Bane's venom Young wants to study about Isley's chemicals she uses for her plants. She wishes to harness and use both Bane's venom and the substances from Ivy's plants.
Dr. Young's Notes on Calendar Man[]
Young has no interview tapes with Julion Day aka Calendar Man aside from that Dr. Young has learned more about Julion then any other doctor. This is because since Dr. Young likes to work with little free time and hardly any breaks Young does not believing in taking holidays off from work. Because Penelope Young likes to work on holidays and Julion Day is active and commits crime on holidays Dr. Young has been able to study and learn more about Julion.
Despite Ms. Young knowing Julion better then most other doctors she has learned Julion becomes more impossible, dangerous and difficult to deal with when the holidays come around. in her notes Dr. Young mentions it's hard to get Julion to socialize which is why it's hard for other doctors to learn anything about him.
Dr. Young's Notes on Scarecrow[]
Just like many other intelligence supervillains Penelope Young is impressed with Johnathan Crane's intellect but is disappointed that such a brilliant mind became a villain. Johnathan Crane manages to convince Dr. Young to think that he is sane and that the other doctors were wrong to call him insane. Because Crane was able to trick Young she believes that he is his greatest success of reforming the mentally ill criminals.
Dr. Young writes in her notes how she is impressed with Crane's fear toxin taking an interest in it. Young also writes how she strongly believes that the stories of Crane using humans as experiments well testing his fear toxin are overly and wildly exaggerated. Even though she has used people in her own experiments for the titan project she writes about how she believes Crane has never done anything like that.
Dr. Young's Notes on Penguin[]
Dr. Young's Notes on the Mad Hatter[]
Dr. Young writes in her notes on Jervis Tech how he is delusional believing he is the real Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. Like many other brilliant minds Young is impressed with Jervis Tech's intellect and how he can hypnotize people. Similar to how Dr. Young wants to know how Bane's venom works, Ivy's planet chemicals work and Catne's fear toxin works Ms. Young also wants to know how Tech's mind control and hypnosis works.
In her notes she writes about how Jervis Tech's ability to understand and control the mind makes him dangerous for doctors who are less stable then herself. She believes that Tech's technology and drugs would only work on those with a weak mind and how she herself would be immune or be able to resist Tech's mind control and hypnosis.
Dr. Young's Notes on Clayface[]
Because of his ability to change shape and personality acting like the people he takes the form of Dr. Young writes that it is difficult to figure out diagnosis. But similar with many of her other patients Dr. Young believes she is the only one who can cure all of them and understand all of them what makes them tick.
Because he is difficult to figure out Dr. Young writes in her notes that Clayface probably suffers from multiple personality disorders, borderline personality disorder and identity disturbance. Dr. Young writes how she finds his imitations of her to be unflattering and incorrect she claims that she is not a bitter, cold, strict, serious, calculating academic that he portrays her as.
Dr. Young's Notes on Firefly[]
Young writes her notes that Firefly aka Garfield Lynn's is pyromanic who embraces his disorder and his obsession with fire leans to the border of suicidal. She mentions in her notes that because burns and injures don't seem to effect him like he is either immune to the pain or has gotten use to it. Because this Penelope writes down how she believes that he would be good candidate for her untested experimental forms of treatment.
Because of his obsession with fire, plus his behavior bordering on the line of suicide and seemingly unaffected by his burns. Dr. Young thinks extreme treatment from her experimental testing will be needed to will be needed to break him of his cycle as she claims.
Dr. Young's Notes on Zsasz[]
In her notes on Victor Zsasz she mentions that if it wasn't his obsession for Batman Zsasz would be placed into the disorganized asocial category. She mentioned his motivations and actions are driven by power and control saying that shown and expressed literally by looking the scars on his body. Dr. Young claims it's hard to work with Zsasz because he has a low IQ according to her she also says it's difficult to treat him because he spends the whole just counting his tally marks.
Dr. Young's Notes on Warden Sharp[]
In her notes about Quincy Sharp Young talks about during her time working at the asylum from what she has seen she often wonders if it's only the patients who need help and treatment. She writes down how the asylum some how brings out the worst in people making them go crazy not just the patients but the staff as well. Young believes that just like many people in the asylum the warden has been driven crazy as well with him overcomensating insecurities that he has and that he is a practitoner of avoidance and denial.
Young states in her notes that Warden Sharp doesn’t seem to care about the asylum, staff or patients that he doesn't put full attention into his job. She mentions about how he often interferes with her work snooping around in her research strongly admitting her notes that she doesn't like people looking into the work she does.
Victims[]
| Victims killed by Dr. Penelope Young |
|---|
|
Relationships[]
Allies[]
- Joker
- Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn
- Batman
- Edward Burke
- Jonathon Crane/Scarecrow
- Edward Nigma/Riddler
- Thomas Elliot/Hush
- Bane (formerly)
- Blackgate Staff
- Arkham Asylum Doctors
- Arkham Asylum Guards
- GCPD
- Adrian Chen
- Gretchen Whistler
- Stephen Kellerman
- Carl Todd
- Eddie Burlow
- Henry Smith
- Ian Kennedy
- Sarah Cassidy
- Jordan Fraser
- William North
- Maria Andrade
- Aaron Cash
- Louie Green (deceased)
- Luke Curtis (deceased)
- Robert Stirling (deceased)
- Thomas Armbruster (deceased)
- Zach Franklin
- Hugo Strange
- Quincy Sharp (formerly)
- Frank Boles (formerly)
- Arkham Asylum Inmates (formerly)
- Blackgate Prisoners (formerly)
- Joker's Gang
Enemies[]
- Victor Zsasz
- Joker
- Harley Quinn
- Bud and Lou
- Bane
- Riddler
- Poison Ivy
- Killer Croc
- Scarecrow
- Quincy Sharp
- Frank Boles (deceased)
- Maroni Family
- Falcone Family
- Firefly
- Clayface
- Black Mask
- Mr. Freeze
- Calendar Man
- Penguin
- Two-Face
- Mad Hatter
- League of Assassins
- Arkham Asylum Inmates
- Blackgate Inmates
- Lunatic Inmates
- High Security Henchmen
- Ra's al Ghul
Quotes[]
| “ | I can't stay here all night I have work to do. | „ |
| ~ Dr. Young after Batman rescues her. |
| “ | How long is this incident going to go on for? I have work that needs my urgent attention. | „ |
| ~ Dr. Young when Joker takes over the Asylum. |
| “ | Take me back to my office the warden wants Joker cured. | „ |
| ~ Dr. Young demanding the guards to do as she ask so she can continue her work. |
| “ | I am quite aware that this job, as you call it has friends. | „ |
| ~ Dr. Young saying that she's knows that Joker's contacts inside and outside of the Asylum and knows about his plan. |
| “ | Oh I know I can! | „ |
| ~ Dr. Young confidently telling Joker that she believes she can cure him. |
| “ | Our goal is to cure the more unfortunate specimens the weak those not physically up to the challenge that are medical practices present. | „ |
| ~ Doctor Young |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Some Arkhamverse fans feel sympathy for Dr. Young because she was forced to work with the Joker under the threat of killing her family after she saw a picture of a dead baby and otherwise she thought TITAN would help rehabilitate her patients better. In truth, however, Dr. Young was somewhat incompetent as a scientist and even abused said patients behind closed doors, for instance: allowing the Scarecrow to experiment on humans (while also dismissing his previous experiments as "wildly exaggerated accusations" and supporting his lies about being sane) and even draining Bane's venom just to create the Joker's army of monsters. Furthermore, it's revealed through audio logs in Knight's "A Matter of Family" DLC that Dr. Young painfully experimented on a 5-year-old girl to the point of death, thus driving her father to an equally painful suicide just so the Joker could take over the man's carnival. She even has the nerve to say she had "promising early results" on the intercom in Arkham Island's hospital. At the end of the day, Penelope Young's simply another delusional egotist like Quincy Sharp and Hugo Strange, as her attempt to give Batman access to her formula to stop the Joker can be easily dismissed as her just trying to save her own skin rather than genuine altruism.
