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| Jane Doe | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Arkham Asylum: Living Hell #1 (July 2003) |
| Created by | Dan Slott (writer) Ryan Sook (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Human |
| Abilities | Hand-to-hand combat Master of disguise Voice mimicry |
Jane Doe is a character appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics. She first appeared inArkham Asylum: Living Hell #1 and was created byDan Slott andRyan Sook.
Doe has also appeared in other DC media, such as thefifth season ofGotham, portrayed by Sarah Pidgeon, andGotham Knights, portrayed byLindy Booth.
Jane Doe is introduced as a serial killer who observes her targets and then kills them before assuming their identity. She first appears disguised asArkham Asylum therapist Dr. Anne Carver. When she was about to kill her latest patientWarren White,Batman showed up and exposed Doe's identity while White found the real Dr. Carver's body. Guards arrived to contain the situation, but Batman told them to stay back while he spoke to Jane. Jane stated that she wanted to look into the madness of Arkham Asylum by posing as Dr. Carver, and that by compiling her own psychological profile, she has realized that her desire to steal other people's identities is driven by a need to fill an "emptiness" within her. Jane breaks down as the guards take her back to her cell.[1] As the notes taken by Doe as Dr. Carver in the last two months are thrown out,Aaron Cash confronts Jane about what happened to her. Aware that Cash had feelings for the doctor, Jane comments that she knew Dr. Carver was disgusted by Cash losing his hand toKiller Croc and that she could never love him.[2] Doe later assumes the identity of an Arkham security guard named Wrigley and escorts Doodlebug to his cell, leaving the door ajar on purpose.[3] Still posing as Wrigley, Doe kidnaps White during a prison riot.[4]
After theBlack Glove's failed plan to destroy Batman, Jane Doe and the rest of the inmates from Arkham Asylum were transferred toBlackgate until Arkham was completely decontaminated.[5] ThesecondBlack Mask organizes a plan of action that involves Doe, Adam Bomb,Firefly, and the other escaped Arkham patients. When CommissionerJames Gordon visits District Attorney Hampton's office and tries to get an arrest warrant onTwo-Face, Doe breaks into the office, gunning down Hampton and shooting Gordon three times as a "message from Two-Face." She was unaware that Gordon was wearing a bulletproof vest that saved his life.[6]
During the "Brightest Day" storyline, Jane Doe is seen in Arkham Asylum whenDeathstroke'sTitans enter Arkham Asylum to deal with a certain patient. AfterOsiris kills a guard, he unknowingly activates a switch that releases all the inmates, thus allowing Jane to escape once again.[7]
In 2011, DC Comics rebooted their universe with "The New 52." Jane Doe appeared at a bank posing as wealthy socialite Vivian Wenner. When her accountant stated that Vivian Wenner is legally dead and cannot access her accounts, a shootout occurs that attracted the attention of Batman. Doe gives Batman the slip and was saved by the villainWrath. Wrath then persuades Doe to take a disguise that can enable her to infiltrate theGotham City Police Department. When Batman confrontsHarvey Bullock, he deduces that he is not the real Bullock as Doe sheds her disguise. When Doe is weakened by the ensuing fight, she is taken down by psychiatrist Dr. Abigail Wilburn as she and Batman discover the real Bullock locked in the basement. When remanded to Arkham Asylum, Doe chooses Batman as her next target. Harvey later visits Arkham Asylum and learns that Dr. Wilburn is now Doe's appointed psychotherapist In truth, Doe was actually conversing with herself while being observed by Arkham doctors.[8]
Jane Doe is driven by a psychological need to "become" other people, and thus is highly skilled at assuming the identities of anyone she chooses. Her choice method is removing her victim's skin and hair, wearing them over her own body, and then perfectly mimicking her victim's voice. Jane's disguises are usually near-perfect. She was able to spend two months impersonating Dr. Anne Carver before being discovered by Batman. Underneath her disguises, Jane's real appearance is that of a woman without her own skin, only muscle and tissue. Jane is skilled at hand-to-hand combat and is an expert at psychological manipulation and strategy.
Jane Doe appears as a character summon inScribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[11]
