Warning: this article contains spoilers for Flashpoint Beyond #5!

The Joker remains Gotham City's greatest enigma. Who was he before becoming an insane criminal mastermind? Did he actually have a family? What is his real name? While there's a lot we may never know where Joker's origin story is concerned, one of those questions is finally answered in the pages of Flashpoint Beyond.

A sequel to 2011's Flashpoint, Flashpoint Beyond follows the Thomas Wayne of this alternate timeline as he comes to terms with the sudden return of his old reality and hunts for the elusive Clockwork Killer. That serial killer has since been revealed to be Martha Wayne, who became the Joker of the Flashpoint timeline after her son Bruce was murdered in Crime Alley.

In issue #5, Thomas confronts his estranged wife in her cell at Arkham Asylum. Martha reveals that she forced Psycho-Pirate (a villain notable for having extensive knowledge of the multiverse) to reveal everything he knew about the main DC Universe timeline, including the identity of that world's Joker. His real name is Jack Oswald White.

Martha reveals that she even paid a visit to the Flashpoint version of Jack Oswald White, discovering him to be a struggling family man supporting his wife and child through a janitorial job at Wayne Casino. But despite living in poverty, this version of Jack is happy, never undergoing the same traumatic ordeal as seen in Batman: The Killing Joke.

This isn't the first time a Batman story has revealed Joker's real name. 1989's Batman depicts him as a gangster named Jack Napier, a name that later carried over to the comics via the alternate universe of Batman: White Knight. 2019's Joker, meanwhile, casts Joaquin Phoenix as struggling comedian Arthur Fleck. But this is the first time Joker has been given a name in the core DC Comics continuity.

Of course, as Joker famously said, the past is multiple choice. There's always room for doubt and interpretation with this villain. It's also worth remembering that co-writer Geoff Johns previously introduced the plot twist that there are actually three Jokers in the DCU. While Batman: Three Jokers may or may not be part of the official DC canon, one could argue that this reveal still leaves the true identity of the other two Jokers up in the air.

Do you like the name Jack Oswald White? Is this a name DC should have kept shrouded in mystery? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

In other Batman news, the classic Hush storyline is getting a new companion story in the upcoming Batman: Hush 20th Anniversary Edition, and Gotham Knights: Gilded City is fleshing out the world of the upcoming video game.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

As part of its Far Out event, Apple has officially announced the latest generation of its smartphone — the iPhone 14.

As previous reports suggested, the iPhone 14 does not include a "mini" model. However, Apple's latest smartphone does include four models: iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The iPhone 14 is one of many products announced as part of Apple's Far Out event. Check our roundup to see everything announced during today's event

iPhone 14 Model Pricing and Availability

Prices will begin at $799 for the iPhone 14 and $899 for iphone 14 plus. Preorders begin on September 9 for both phones. The iPhone 14 will start shipping on September 16 and the 14 Plus will start shipping on October 7.

Prices for the Pro models will begin at $999 for the iPhone 14 Pro and $1,099 for the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Both phones will be available for preorder on September 9 and start shipping on September 16.

Features and Specs

The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus will run on the A15 Bionic chips and the Pro and Pro Max will run on the new A16 Bionic chips. Like the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, this year's Pro variant iPhone 14 models include a refresh rate of 120Hz.

Display and Battery

All iPhone models boast all day battery, with the iPhone 14 plus offering the best battery life in any iPhone and a larger display. The biggest improvements to displays come from the iPhone Pro models which offer a Dynamic Island and an always on display. When you receive an alert, the dynamic island will expand. Each alert has unique animations for different alerts and apps.

The new display on the Pro models are also able to get brighter than ever with brightness levels that are twice as high as the iPhone 13 models.

Camera Features

The new iPhones offer a 12 megapixel main camera with a larger sensor and a faster aperature.The faster aperature offers better motion freezing. Front camera has auto focus. The new front camera can focus faster even in low light.

Deep fusion is able to combine multiple frames into a single image. The newest process of the Photonic Engine allows for enhanced imaging that is meant to improve the details and colors of low light images.

The iPhone Pro models even offer an incredible 48 megapixel camera. The new A16 chip allows for even more pixels and detail with every photo, allowing for extremely high resolution.

Emergency Features

iPhone 14 includes crash detection using a gyroscope technology. This is the same feature that we saw in the new Apple Watch Series 8. Other safety features include emergency SOS via satelite that allows you to send emergency messages.

Connectivitiy

eSim allows for you to quickly transfer plans between phones. This is meant to improve the activation process of your iPhone. The result of this new technology allows for the removal of all sim card trays on U.S. iPhone models.

The second-generation AirPods Pro has finally been announced, and it features a new H2 Chip, 2x more Active Noise Cancellation, Personalized Spatial Audio, and much more.

The AirPods Pro will be released on September 23 for $249, and pre-orders will begin on September 9.

Alongside the previously mentioned features, the new Airpods Pro will also have a new capacitive touch layer on the bottom stems that will let you change volume and more with just a swipe.

There will be a new low-distortion audio driver and a custom amplifier that will "offer richer bass and crystal-clear sound across a wider range of frequencies," but many were hoping for the inclusion of lossless audio. Unfortunately, lossless audio was not discussed at the event.

Personalized Spatial Audio will use iPhone's TrueDepth Camera to take an image of your ears and head to create a personalized profile for you that will immerse you in the music you are listening to.

Battery life will be better as well, as Apple promises 1.5 hours of additional listening time with the AirPods Pro 2, and the case will allow for 30 hours of total listening time with Active Noise cancellation - six hours more than last gen.

The noise cancellation capabilities have been improved as well, and it promises to cancel up to 2x as much... well... noise. Transparency Mode, which lets you hear the world around you with the AirPods in, is also getting an upgrage with Adaptive Transparency. This feature will let you hear what's going on around you while also blocking out harsh noise by construction and other unwanted loud noises.

While the AirPods Pro 2 look mostly the same, the charging case now has a speaker that will help you find it if it is lost, a lanyard loop to keep it attached to you, and the ability to charge the case with the Apple Watch charger of any MagSafe charger.

AirPods Pro 2 is one of many products announced as part of Apple's Far Out event. Check our roundup to see everything announced during today's event, including the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and the Apple Watch SE 2,

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

The rumors about the September hardware event were true; Apple has unveiled a new, higher-end wearable, the Apple Watch Ultra, which is more durable and rugged than the new Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE 2.

Aimed at athletes, hikers, and individuals that partake in "extreme sports," the latest Apple smartwatch is designed for individuals that partake in intense physical activity but don't want to damage their display. Thanks to the metal material, this Apple Watch is a significant leap in impact resistance and protection.

Apple Watch UltraPrice and Availability

All Apple Watch Ultra models will be priced at $799 and will release on September 23.

Features and Specs

One of the biggest features from the Apple Watch Ultra is the incredible 36 hours of battery life. But this rugged watch comes with a variety of different things for athletes and adventurers.

The new Wayfinder face that includes a compass and a dial. This even includes night mode for better visability in a dark environment. Redesigned compass app includes waypoints that can use GPS data to help navigate back country trips. There is even an 80 decibel siren that can go off during

For those who partake in water sports, there are some additional features worth noting. With twice the water resistance of WR100 and EN13319 which is the standard for scuba diving, the Ultra is ideal for this type of athlete. There is also a new app that is able to work as an dive computer, making the Apple Watch Pro ideal for divers.

The Apple Watch Ultra is one of many products announced as part of Apple's Far Out event. Check our roundup to see everything announced during today's event.

As part of today's Far Out event, Apple has announced a model refresh of its more affordable wearable, the Apple Watch SE.

Alongside Silver, Midnight, and Starlight color options, the second-generation Apple Watch SE features a redesigned back case with nylon composite materials that will match the color you choose, and Apple has even improved manufacturing to reduce its carbon footprint by 80%

The Apple Watch SE 2 has 30% larger screen than the Apple Watch Series 3, and it includes a new S8 SiP advanced dual-core processor that is 20% faster than previous models, and yes, that is the same one found in the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra. It also features Crash Detection, international roaming, heart rate notifications, Fall Detection, Sleep Stages, Multisport Workouts, Apple Pay, Activity Tracking, and more. Oh, and it's water resistant.

The Apple Watch SE 2 serves as the new lower-cost option after Apple discontinued the Apple Watch Series 3, which was previously hinted after the company announced that its next major watchOS update would not come to the Series 3.

Starting at $249 for the GPS model and $299 for GPS + Cellular, the Apple Watch SE 2 will be released on September 16, 2022.

The Apple Watch SE 2 is one of many products announced as part of Apple's Far Out event that also saw the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, and AirPods Pro 2. Check our roundup to see everything announced during today's event.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Apple has officially announced the Apple Watch Series 8 at today’s September hardware event. The newest iteration of one of the best smartwatches on the market offers a similar design but with some new and interesting features. This comes alongside announcements of the Apple Watch SE 2 and new Apple Watch Ultra.

Apple Watch Series 8 Price and Release Date

The Apple Watch series will be sold in 4 different colors: Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Product Red for Aluminum versions. The stainless steel colors will be separate from the aluminum version as well.

The Apple Watch Series 8 will retail for $399 for the standard version and $499 for the cellular version. It will release on September 16.

Specs and Features

The Series 8 has all of the things you like about the Series 7, but with some additional new features. One of the most notable new features is the brilliant always on display. The Series 8 also takes a deeper dive into the health features that the Apple Watch has become known for. With the addition of temperature sensing, the Series 8 can sample your wrist temperature and track changes over time even going so far as tracking ovulation cycles.

In addition to the new health features, the Series 8 also includes new safety features that could potentially save your life in a car crash. Various sensors, including a force sensor, is able to detect crashes and can send alerts if you are to find yourself in a crash.

Low Power Mode and Battery Life

The Apple Watch Series 8 offers the standard 18 hour battery life with the addition of a new low power mode that will increase that by reducing certain features. It also

Apple just finished holding its annual iPhone event and that of course meant new iPhones. There were plenty of surprised with a larger iPhone 14 Plus replacing last year's mini model and a pair of extremely well equipped iPhone Pro models. Though, the biggest surprise was perhaps the Apple Watch Ultra, which is basically Apple's wearable on steroids with a bigger screen and an extremely rugged build. In case you missed it we've rounded up every major product announcement you need to know about

Apple Watch Series 8

Apple kicked off the show with its latest wearable, the Apple Watch Series 8. This new model brings even more features for health, safety, and connectivity. The new Apple Watch features a new temperature sensor for women’s health and a cycle tracking feature. This fills a big hole left by the security concerns around period-tracking apps.

For cycle tracking the Series 8 samples will check your wrist temp every half second and observe nightly shifts in baseline temp. Cyclical patterns can reveal the biphasic shift, which can indicate ovulation. Apple promises all cycle data is encrypted end-to-end on the device and the iCloud and it’s only accessible with a passcode or biometric ID, so even Apple can't read it.

Beyond that Series 8 also features a new gyroscope and an accelerometer, the latter of which samples motion 4 times faster than the previous sensor. With these new sensors, the Apple Watch can now detect car crashes and will call emergency services.

The Apple Watch Series 8 also features 18-hour battery life for all day use. Also activating the low-power mode extends battery life to 36-hours.

The Apple Watch Series 8 retails for $399 with GPS while cellular models run for $499. Both models come with three months of Fitness+ and they’re available to order today and it arrives September 16.

Apple Watch SE

Apple introduced its second-generation Apple Watch SE. Similar to the iPhone SE to the mainline iPhones, the Apple Watch SE features many of the same internal components of the Apple Watch Series 8. The SE model shares the same S8 processor as well as the new motion sensors.

The Apple Watch SE starts at $249 with GPS and then $299 for the cellular model. You can order today with general availability on September 16th.

Apple Watch Ultra

The Apple Watch is finally getting the Pr – err…Ultra treatment today. It’s essentially a high-end Apple Watch that’s larger and more durable, plus it offers longer battery life. The Apple Watch Ultra features a 49mm case, cellular connectivity by default, and a new programmable action button. All the buttons and crown on the Apple Watch Ultra have also been enlarged to use while wearing gloves.

The Apple Watch Ultra is built rugged to go after extreme activity watches from brands like Garmin. As such it’s built to an 810 military standard. This will be a watch you can take into the arctic and into the depths of the ocean without needing a case at all.

The Apple Watch Ultra will start at $799, it’s available to order today and it ships on September 23rd.

AirPods Pro

The second generation AirPods Pro is here at last. They look practically the same and the only new physical feature is a lanyard slot on the case, but there’s a lot new on the inside. The new AirPods Pro features a H2 chip with high-bandwidth connectivity for "exceptional sound quality." Additionally, the H2 chip powers advanced computation active noise cancellation for double the noise cancellation.

The new AirPods Pro’s also features a new touch capacitive layer for swipe controls on the stems. Battery life has also been extended to six hours in the buds and another 30 hours in the case. MagSafe has also come to the AirPods Pro case, so you have a third way of charging them on top of Lightening and Qi charging.

The second-gen AirPod Pro will retail for $249 when it becomes available to order September 9th and available September 23rd.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

The new iPhone 14 is here and the notch remains the same. Also, the iPhone Mini has truly gone the way of the dodo and it’s been replaced by a larger iPhone 14 Plus with a 6.1-inch screen. The new 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screens have also been upgraded with new brighter 1200-nit OLED displays that support Dolby Vision.

Of course, the handsets feature the A15 Bionic chip with a six-core CPU, built with two high-performance cores and four efficiency cores.

Moving onto cameras, the iPhone 14 sports a new 12MP main camera with larger 1.9micron pixels and a wider f1.5 aperture lens, plus optical image stabilization. The iPhone 14 is also headlined by a new amazing camera system called the photonic engine to give low-light photography a 49% improvement.

In an odd change, the iPhone 14 is completely moving away from physical SIM cards to eSIM with its US models. So if you buy this new phone you won’t be able to simply move your sim card to this device.

Similar to the new Apple Watch models, the iPhone 14 features crash detection, and thanks to new satellite connectivity, you’ll be able to send out an Emergency SOS via satellite. The emergency satellite service launches in November and it comes free for two years with iPhone 14, but Apple didn’t mention how much it will cost after that.

The iPhone 14 starts at $799 and the iPhone 14 Plus costs $899. You can order either model starting on September 9th, but the iPhone 14 arrives on September 16 and the iPhone 14 Plus is available on October 7th.

iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max

The smaller notch that’s been rumored forever has come to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. But instead of calling it a hole punch or notch, Apple is calling it a dynamic island now. iOS 16 basically has a bunch of new animations that incorporate the black space of the notch such as extending into a long line for Siri searches or a black box to show what’s playing now.

Aside from the new dynamic island, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max’s 6.1- and 6.7-inch screens now feature thinner bezels, a peak 2000-nit brightness, and a minimum 1Hz refresh rate. It’s also the first iPhone to feature an always-on display.

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max also get a new A16 Bionic chip built from a 4nm processor to feature nearly 16 billion transistors. The chip features six CPU cores, including two high-performance cores that use 20% less power while the four efficiency cores use 1/3rd the power of competitor chips.

The iPhone series has used 12MP cameras for a long time but the new iPhone Pro is finally stepping things up with a 48MP camera with a 24mm focal length and f1.78 aperture. Aside from being higher-resolution, it’s a quad-pixel sensor that’s 65% larger than the previous Pro model. Additionally, with pixel binning, Apple can crop the sensor into a true 2x zoom camera with a 48mm focal length. And you can also shoot ProRAW at the full 48MP resolution.

The iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999 while the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1,099. Preorders begin September 9th and the phones will be available September 16th.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Kevin Lee is IGN's SEO Updates Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are introducing a brand new way to battle with other pocket monsters that doesn't require any input from the trainer whatsoever.

Auto Battles take place through a new feature called Let's Go that lets players send off their partner Pokémon to explore the nearby area, during which they can take on wild Pokémon in their own fights.

Announced on the Pokémon website following a new trailer (below) being released, Auto Battles (as the name suggests) take place independently of the player's involvement. This means that, while you can stick around and watch your Pokémon battle another, you can also walk away and explore the area.

"You can have one Pokémon out and walking with you in the Paldea region’s great outdoors," the website reads. "When you have a Pokémon exploring with you in the field, you can use the 'Let’s Go' feature to send that Pokémon off in the direction you indicate. The Pokémon you send out then independently picks up items in the area and even has Auto Battles with nearby Pokémon."

Auto Battles also let the Pokémon earn experience points, though it's unclear if there's a limit to the time or number of battles it can engage in before requiring another command from the player.

This isn't the only news that came out of the new trailer, however, as Nintendo also announced a new limited edition Pokémon Scarlet and Violet OLED Nintendo Switch console. It also showed off the three major stories that players can pursue in the new games, taking advantage of the series-first open world.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Fans may have waited two decades for a Final Fantasy 7 remake – but a new PC mod has reverted 2020's uprezzed heroes back to the original PlayStation game's low-poly graphics.

As reported by PC Gamer, Nexus Mods user FantasyRaider has created a mod that turns Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret and Yuffie back to their original, pointy Final Fantasy 7 appearances.

The characters will appear in their low-poly forms - which are technically taken from the Windows 1998 version of the game (evidenced by their mouths that don't appear in the original) throughout both gameplay and in-engine cutscenes. They won't appear in Remake's full cinematic cutscenes, however, but can still be enjoyed for most of the game.

Everything else remains in full HD, of course, with just the character models of playable characters being sent back in time. This includes Sonon Kusakabe, who wasn't in the original game and was instead introduced in Remake's Intermission chapter –but the mod also gives him a low-poly model too.

Similar wacky mods will likely be released for Final Fantasy 7 Remake's sequel, Rebirth, which has finally been confirmed by Square Enix as a late 2023 game. It will continue the story of Remake - though perhaps not exactly as Final Fantasy 7 told it - as the second game in the remastered trilogy.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn has revealed he once pitched a Hitman movie.

Appearing on Twitter, the 56-year-old filmmaker revealed that he pitched a movie about Agent 47 just weeks before he boarded Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

“Weeks before I got Guardians I pitched a HITMAN movie,” he said. “The studio really wanted to hire me, but a producer on the project did not. I was bummed then, but thank God, because I would have never been able to do [Guardians of the Galaxy] if they had said yes!”

Weeks before I got Guardians I pitched a HITMAN movie. The studio really wanted to hire me, but a producer on the project did not. I was bummed then, but thank God, because I would have never been able to do GotG if they had said yes! https://t.co/0JYQGBsuGY

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) September 6, 2022

Gunn has discussed his Hitman pitch before, with the director previously confirming that it would have been “R-rated” – but we didn't realise quite how close it was to his milestone work on the MCU.

Whether or not the Hitman series will get another adaptation remains to be seen. But for now, it looks as though James Gunn won’t be the filmmaker to bring it to the big screen.

Timothy Olyphant starred as Agent 47 in Hitman, the mildly entertaining action thriller. But compared to the beloved video game series, it left a lot to be desired. IGN’s Hitman review gave it 6/10 and said: “Ultimately, Hitman is less a ‘videogame movie’ than it is a rather generic but nevertheless engaging action flick. Hitman could have been even better had we'd gotten to know more about The Organization and Agent 47.”

Hitman: Agent 47 was Hollywood’s second run at a Hitman adaptation in 2015, starring Rupert Friend as the iconic assassin. Again, it wasn’t quite up to scratch, with IGN giving the film 6/10 and saying: “Hitman: Agent 47 is almost certainly going to be too much of a generic action film for those heavily invested in the game franchise, and too video game-like for those who aren't..”

Want to read more about Hitman? Check out our full Hitman III walkthrough if you’re having trouble with a target, or get some essential hints and tips to take your assignments to the next level.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.