Is there any explanation for why the Titan virus affects Batman so much faster than it affects the Joker? Pretty soon after he gets infected, Batman needs Ra's al Ghul's serum to stay alive, but Joker has been kicking around for months while he's infected. Is there a story reason for this or can I just chalk it up to "video games"?

Well, Batman was infected with Titan in the first game. So maybe that's why it affected him faster.

Is there any explanation for why the Titan virus affects Batman so much faster than it affects the Joker? Pretty soon after he gets infected, Batman needs Ra's al Ghul's serum to stay alive, but Joker has been kicking around for months while he's infected. Is there a story reason for this or can I just chalk it up to "video games"?

I would imagine because he was injected with Joker's infected blood rather than just Titan. So the blood is much further along and spreads through Batman's body.

good question...i didnt think about this, my guess is that because Batman was infected DIRECTLY by Joker is that his blood had already contained the maturely mutated virus... does that make sense?

Hmm, I suppose I can accept those explanations. Although if the reason Batman got so sick was because he got infected by Joker's blood directly, wouldn't Joker still be at least AS sick as him?

Oh well, I'm putting wayy too much thought into this.

Well you gotta think Joker isn't having to kick hundreds of henchman's asses in a period of 6 hours. I'm sure exhaustion, getting thrown out a window, having to deal with freezing temperatures and several other things is the reason why he shows more signs of illness than Joker. All Joker does is sit up in the Steel mill ordering his men via intercom or Harley running the place while Joker is too sick to do it. I know that I heard several times before Harley steals the cure that the henchman thought Joker already died because Harley was making the orders instead of him so there's that also.

@Jazzycola: Huh. That's a really, really reasonable explanation. Thanks!

My assumption was the Joker uses a super version of the virus on him, while my roomate thinks that it takes along time for the virus to mature but Joker infected Batman with an advanced stage of the virus

@Commisar123 said:

My assumption was the Joker uses a super version of the virus on him, while my roomate thinks that it takes along time for the virus to mature but Joker infected Batman with an advanced stage of the virus

I think you both kind of have it. Joker has been infected with it for the longer period of time so it has destroyed his body over time. Batman was infected with Jokers blood but he didn't have it for the past 6 months of however long Joker had it. So Batman will die as soon, but his body isnt as muitlated from the months of exposure. I'm guessing the Lazarus Pit stuff Batman drinks helped him fight the virus quite a lot so it could continue his mission.

@Jazzycola said:

Well you gotta think Joker isn't having to kick hundreds of henchman's asses in a period of 6 hours. I'm sure exhaustion, getting thrown out a window, having to deal with freezing temperatures and several other things is the reason why he shows more signs of illness than Joker. All Joker does is sit up in the Steel mill ordering his men via intercom or Harley running the place while Joker is too sick to do it. I know that I heard several times before Harley steals the cure that the henchman thought Joker already died because Harley was making the orders instead of him so there's that also.

This.

The time difference doesn't matter because the virus is still at the same stage, whether it's Joker's body or Batman's. It's what Batman does during the 6 hours that makes the difference.

Yeah it bothered me too, I guess because it's a video game that is based on a comic book so it can do those sort of things.

@PatVB: Well we actually have no idea how much of The Jokers blood was transfused, from the set up though it does look like Harley had the various doctors giving him clean blood.

Video games.

I thought it was because he's constantly getting blood transfusions.

Although honestly thats the least bothersome thing about the entire plot of Arkham City which almost had me put the game done in the beginning because of its extreme absurdity.