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>1980s Gotham

>Thomas Wayne is up for re-election as mayor

>Arthur Fleck is an advertising clown, and part-time stand-up comedian

>lives with his severely mentally ill mother

>has a crush on his next-door neighbor

>constantly beaten and picked on while working as a clown

>stand up comedy isn’t much better, constantly heckled and booed away

>begins to develop relationship with neighbor after she sees him beaten up

>Arthur hears his comedian idol is going to be at the bar he performs at

>Arthur dresses fully as a clown, hoping it will improve his performance

>set bombs, and his comedy idol roasts him about it afterwards

>Arthur hides his tears by laughing on Gotham subway

>3 wall street boys try to beat the shit out of Arthur and pick on him

>Arthur retaliates against one of them, accidentally breaking his neck

>Arthur runs from the other two

>his psyche slowly starts to break down

>Arthur arrives home to see the Gotham PD have taken his mother away to Arkham after she was found acting hysterically in the apartment complex corridors

>Arthur tries to confide in his neighbor

>he mistakes her compassion for flirting and she rejects him

>his psyche breaks more and more

>we see a few days pass by as Arthur visits his mother in Arkham

>her happy-go-lucky demeanor has faded and she seems extremely depressed

>one night, Arthur receives a call from Arkham

>his mother is dead from a successful suicide attempt

>Arthur completely cracks, deciding to pull off the “Ulitmate Joke”

>Arthur tries to storm into a charity event held by Wayne for his mayoral campaign

>he’s quickly ejected but makes a scene in front of the press that the Waynes don’t care for the working class of Gotham

>passionate speech doesn’t get much love from the press and media but inspires the lower class peoples of Gotham

>Arthur takes his public protesting to the next level, vandalising Wayne’s campaign advertising whilst dressed as his new persona, “The Clown”