Hush started out as a daunting villain in the Batman: Arkham series, but the end of his story arc in Batman: Arkham Knight was disappointing. Similar to Paul Dini, Dustin Nguyen, and Derek Fridolfs' Streets of Gotham comics, Batman: Arkham City set up Hush as a compelling supervillain who was successful in surgically altering his face so he looked exactly like Bruce Wayne. However, during the story of Batman: Arkham Knight, Hush used his surgical alterations to commit a lackluster crime that was quickly dealt with.
The most likely explanation for the shift in Hush's storyline is Paul Dini's exit from the Batman: Arkham series before the development of Batman: Arkham Knight. Had Dini been involved in the creation of Batman: Arkham Knight, as he was in Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, players may have gotten a story similar to the Heart of Hush and Streets of Gotham comic series. Instead, Hush's plot in Arkham Knight involved him half-heartedly kidnapping Lucius Fox in a folly attempt to get revenge on Bruce Wayne for supposedly ruining his life.
If Batman: Arkham Knight had taken the storyline in a similar direction to Paul Dini's comic series, then Catwoman could have been captured by Hush instead of by Riddler in Batman: Arkham Knight. This not only would have made Hush's side missions more interesting and urgent, but it would have freed the Riddler's story up to be more creative and interesting. Instead, the Catwoman story was presented as whimsically dire, and the endings for both side missions were disappointing.
Batman: Arkham's Hush Was Inspired By Paul Dini's Comics
Adaptations of Paul Dini's Heart of Hush or Streets of Gotham comics would have been much more rewarding to play through, and the Batman: Arkham series was set up to explore either storyline. Both comic series feature Thomas Elliot surgically adapting his face so he looks identical to Bruce Wayne. In Heart of Hush, Thomas Elliot captures Catwoman and removes her heart, then he leaves Batman clues and challenges that lead him to her. Hush keeps Selina's heart, and Batman has to track him down to defeat him and save Catwoman before it's too late. After Batman takes Hush down and saves Selina, she exacts her revenge by stealing Elliot's fortune. Batman: Arkham Knight had Catwoman as a hostage, so not portraying the Heart of Hush storyline seems like a missed opportunity.
In Hush Money, which took place during Streets of Gotham, Thomas Elliot assumes the role of Bruce Wayne and attempts to destroy the Wayne fortune. Elliot donates billions of dollars to various charities to strip Wayne of his money while simultaneously taking away Batman's resources. In this storyline, Hush is caught by Dick Grayson who assigns someone to keep a close watch on him going forward. The Batman: Arkham version of this story could have had Batman confront Hush instead, but with more of a challenge than players received in Batman: Arkham Knight.
Hush In Batman: Arkham City's Identity Thief Most Wanted Mission
Batman: Arkham City players can track the Identity Thief by locating his victims around the city. The victims are all missing their face and their heads are wrapped in bandages. Upon finding the first victim, players will learn that there have been a string of murders in Gotham City with victims found under the same circumstances. Each victim has a trail for players to follow that leads to a suspect who tells Batman they saw someone who looks like Bruce Wayne leaving the scene of the crime. After investigating four victims, players will find the Identity Thief's hideout.
When players enter the hideout, they find a gruesome makeshift operating room, then an audio clip plays revealing that the Identity Thief is Thomas Elliot. The audio clip also explains that Elliot's plan was a long time in the making, which set up some interesting possibilities for this character's story to continue in Batman: Arkham Knight, but there isn't much of a payoff in the next game. Batman's visit to Elliot's hideout ends with Hush taking the bandages off of his face to reveal he's surgically recreated Bruce Wayne's face on himself. He vows to exact his revenge on Bruce Wayne and claims Batman can't stop him, before leaving leaves. Unfortunately, Hush's plan for revenge isn't nearly as interesting or creative as his initial crime spree to change his appearance.
Hush's Appearance in Batman: Arkham Knight Was Disappointing
In Batman: Arkham Knight, players are alerted by Alfred that Lucius Fox has been out of touch. Batman can investigate at any time after the initial alert, but the mission is short and unsatisfying. Upon arriving at Wayne Tower, players will seemingly take control of Bruce Wayne until it's revealed that it's actually Thomas Elliot. Batman will then arrive at Wayne Tower to confront Elliot who is holding Lucius Fox hostage. After a short cutscene explaining Elliot's revenge plan, Batman counters him and takes him out, making the end of Hush's arc in Batman: Arkham Knight somewhat disappointing.
Hush's behavior and unimaginative revenge plan don't reflect the comic version of the character. Instead of getting caught trying to steal Bruce Wayne's money, Hush could have executed a masterful plan that presented a real challenge to Batman. Instead, he underwent months of painful cosmetic procedures all just to walk into Wayne Tower and hold Lucius Fox hostage. The ending for Hush's storyline in the Batman: Arkham series diminishes the threat the character could have presented and made his introduction in Batman: Arkham City meaningless.
How Hush Should Have Been Portrayed in Batman: Arkham Knight
The Batman: Arkham series was set up perfectly to adapt elements of Paul Dini's Heart of Hush comic series. With Batman distracted by Scarecrow, and Catwoman already being an integral part of the series, Hush should have taken Selina hostage instead of the Riddler. Leaving Batman a series of clues and challenges that led to Selina and her missing heart would have been a much more haunting ending for Hush's story arc. Similar to how Catwoman got her revenge on Riddler, she could have gone after Elliot's fortune in a Batman: Arkham Knight DLC story.
Batman: Arkham Knight could have also concluded a Hush Money storyline where Elliot takes over Bruce Wayne's life while Batman is distracted by Scarecrow. Similar to the arc from Streets of Gotham, it could have been revealed that Elliot was dismantling the Wayne fortune by donating billions to charity as Bruce Wayne while simultaneously taking away Batman's resources. It could have made for an interesting twist to Hush's story, because Bruce Wayne is eventually revealed as Batman at the end of Arkham Knight.
There were several storylines that could have been used for Hush in Batman: Arkham Knight, but the direction the game went in didn't offer players any sort of payoff for tracking the Identity Thief in Batman: Arkham City. The abrupt and disappointing ending to Hush's story arc ruined the setup in Batman: Arkham City. Adapting one of Paul Dini's storylines would have made Hush a much more interesting and formidable villain in the Batman: Arkham series.