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“
They could put me in a helicopter and fly me up into the air and line the bodies head to toe on the ground in delightful geometric patterns like an endless June Taylor dancers routine and it would never be enough. No, I don't keep count. But you do. And I love you for it.
„
~ Joker to Batman about the number of his victims.
“
It's finally here, isn't it? The moment we've both dreamed about! Oh, don't tell me you're gonna fall asleep before we finish. You have gotten old, haven't you?
„
~ Joker to Batman during their final fight.
The Joker is one of the two main antagonists (alongside the Mutant Leader) of Frank Miller's 1986 comic book miniseries The Dark Knight Returns and its two-part animated film adaptation, as well as the main antagonist of its 2008 prequel series All-Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder.
Like in most incarnations, the Joker is a psychopathic mass murderer who is Batman's archenemy. Following Batman's retirement, he gets confined to Arkham Asylum and falls into a catatonic state, but when Batman returns ten years later, he comes back as well for a final showdown with the Dark Knight.
While the Joker doesn't appear in the story, he gets mentioned at the end of it. After Batman succeeds in forcing Gillian B. Loeb to resign as Commissioner and James Gordon is promoted to Captain, Gordon reunites with him on a rooftop and informs him about somebody known as the Joker, who is plotting to poison Gotham's reservoir.
The Dark Knight Returns[]
“
B-B...B-B-Batman...Darling.
„
~ The Joker reawakening.
Well into his 60s, the Joker spends 10 years at Arkham Asylum in a near catatonic stupor due to the absence of Batman, his arch-nemesis, in his life. When news hit the wire that the caped crusader has come out of retirement, the Joker's conscious mind resurfaces, and he decides that it's time for him to come out of retirement as well. As such, when he receives a visit from his former henchman Abner, who has been asked by the "reformed" Harvey Dent to fabricate some bombs for him, the Joker instructs him into rigging the bombs to sabotage Dent's plant, but Batman foils the attempt. The Joker also asks Bruno, his Neo-Nazi henchwoman and "girlfriend", to rob random stores in Gotham City, possibly to raise funds for his operations.
After the Joker manipulates Doctor Bartholomew Wolper, his naïve and glory-hound psychiatrist, into declaring him 'cured', the doctor proclaims the Joker as merely a victim of Batman's own psychosis, which is quite stupid as he killed tons of people in the past without Batman's influence. The Joker is invited to the Late Night with David Endochrine talk show, where his psychiatrist had intended to publicly reveal his 'recovery'. However, the Joker instead uses Bobby to murder all the audience, including Wolper and Endochrine. Afterwards, Joker then breaks into Selina Kyle's escort service and, after he brainwashes her with a kiss via his mind-control lipstick, proceeds to order her to bring one of her escorts, Elsie, and then brainwashes her offscreen (presumably via the same method as with Selina) to manipulate senator Hector Alejandro Noches into declaring nuclear war between the US and the USSR (presumably also having her wear the same mind-control lipstick to ensure that she got the senator to agree).
Later on, the Joker dresses Selina up as Wonder Woman, bounds, beats and gags her as well as presumably rapes her before he takes hostages at a local carnival along with Abner but not before poisoning boy scouts with venomous cotton candy. After he tracks down the Joker there, while Robin goes after Abner, Batman engages his foe in the hall of mirrors, where an extremely violent and brutal showdown-turned-fist fight erupts between the two. The Joker drops a mirror on Batman and makes his escape into the tunnel of love ride. Batman reappears and engages the Joker a second time in a far more violent fight, in which the Joker hysterically stabs him in the abdominal region several times. Mid-stab, Batman instinctively breaks the Joker's neck just enough to paralyze him.
Joker laughing his last laugh while he snaps his own neck.
As a group of innocents, who believe that Batman murdered the Joker, scream and flee, Batman confronts his opponent. Although the Joker eagerly provokes Batman into finishing him off, Batman is unable to, much to his disappointment. Nevertheless, the Joker sneers at him, and arrogantly claims that he won the fight - he made Batman lose control and 'kill' him, and the people of Gotham would condemn and hunt him because of it. The Joker then finally says "See you in Hell!., before, in a last act of revenge against his enemy, twists his neck just far enough to kill himself, committing suicide and framing his enemy for his own murder. After so many years of waging a seemingly eternal one-on-one war, Batman had finally won the fight against the Joker, but the Joker died happy, framing him for his death.
As SWAT officers led by Commissioner Ellen Yindel make their way into the tunnel of love to arrest Batman, Batman gives one final glare to his deceased archenemy and spits on him. The Joker's corpse later catches fire when one of Yindel's officers touches it and remains burning as Batman makes his way off the ride to escape with Robin. Batman has one final glance at the burning corpse, which appears to be smiling back, prompting Batman to tell him to "stop laughing".
Personality[]
After hearing wind of Batman's return, Joker was shocked out of his catatonic state and quickly reverted back to his sociopathic, manipulative, villainous, and sadistic personality. His genius personality resurfaced as well, being able to pretend he felt remorse for his actions and that he was a victim of Batman's own psychotic obsession, to this Joker replies "I thought I was Batman's psychotic obsession." Another thing that returned was a love for theatrics, murdering his psychiatrist and the entire audience in front of Gotham city during a televised talk show. Though interestingly he only killed the doctor after he dared to speak of ill of Batman, showcasing a sign of respect that only he deserves to talk that way to the latter.
Joker went to incredible lengths to cause Batman pain and ruin his reputation this was including the lives of others and his own. To cause him pain he kidnapped, beat and presumably raped Selina Kyle. Near his final moments he displayed his usual lack of remorse, showing no mercy to any of his victims claiming, "I never kept count" (of the people he killed) instead was arrogant and mocking, claiming he had won, as two civilians thought they saw Batman snap his neck when he just paralyzed him.
He later committed suicide as to destroy Batman's reputation, because he was slightly disappointed that Batman didn't murder him outright when telling him to finish him.
Quotes[]
“
That's alright. I want people to get me. (sips coffee) That's why I'm gonna kill everyone in this room.
„
~ Joker shortly before massacring the entire attendance of Late Night with David Endochrine.
“
Joker: ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! Batman: I’m through playing, Joker. Joker: Be still my heart.
„
~ Joker’s glee upon realizing that Batman isn’t pulling his punches after having his eye gouged out by a batarang
“
Child: You're the Joker, right? Batman's gonna kick your ass!
Joker: He's gonna have to go through you first.
„
~ Exchange between the Joker and a brave child he held hostage
“
'Scuse me, pardon me, 'scuse me, my bad! Excuse me!
„
~ Joker taunting numerous people as he fatally shot them.
“
Batman:NO MORE! All the people I've murdered... by letting you live! Joker: I never kept count. Batman:I did. Joker: I know... and I love you for it.
„
~ Joker fighting Batman in the tunnel of love.
“
You’re in trouble now…
„
~ Joker taunts Batman after the latter nearly kills him
“
Joker: Go ahead, say this has never happened to you before. Batman: Shut up. Joker: Make me, come on, finish me!
„
~ Joker taunts Batman into finishing him off
“
(sighs) It doesn’t matter, I win. I made you lose control, (chuckles weakly) and they’ll kill you for it. (continues laughing) See you in Hell!
„
~ Joker’s last words before committing suicide to make the public turn on Batman
Gallery[]
The Dark Knight Returns[]
The Joker's final laugh as he kills himself.
Images[]
The Joker's insanity resurfacing upon noticing Batman's return.
"So long as you won't miss it." - The Joker kills his psychiatrist.
The Joker at the amusement park with his henchmen.
The Joker holding a woman hostage at gunpoint at the amusement park.
The Joker seconds before committing suicide via snapping his neck.
Videos[]
Dark Knight Returns Part 2 - Joker kills an entire studio audience
Batman Kills Joker - The Dark Knight Returns
The Dark Knight Returns- Gritty, Mythic Superheroes
Trivia[]
Contrary to what many people believe, this version of the Joker was actually the first one revealed to have killed Jason Todd before the mainstream version in the acclaimed Batman: A Death in the Family story arc, which was published two years after The Dark Knight Returns. The most notable differences between the two versions are that Todd's death in the first one is just considered canonical to Frank Miller's Dark Knight Universe and that Jason never resurrects as Red Hood in such continuity.
Despite the two different realities, however, the 2016 one-shot Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade reveals that Jason's death in Miller's continuity was nearly the same as in the mainstream continuity: beaten to death by the Joker's henchmen under his orders, yet the Joker didn't use any bomb nor he seemingly participated in the beating.
Ironically, the infamous series finale for the TV series Lost (which was one of Michael Emerson's prior roles), was earlier referenced by the Joker in Batman: Arkham City where Joker asked why it all ended in a church. Interestingly, in the prequel Batman: Arkham Origins, when dressed as Black Mask upon getting unmasked by Batman, the Joker's white tuxedo seems to be a reference to his Frank Miller portrayal.
In a behind the scenes feature for the film, Michael Emerson stated that he modeled the Joker's voice on comedian Paul Lynde.
In the original comic, the Joker has Dr. Bartholomew Wolper killed by having his neck snapped by Bobby, but in the film, he breaks David Endochrine's coffee cup to slit Wolper's throat after getting fed up with him trying to rationalize his behavior and for repeatedly insulting Batman.
In the original comic, the Joker wakes up from his catatonic state only a few days after Batman's return. He is then contacted by his henchman Fat Abner, who has been hired by Two-Face (also having returned to crime after a long absence) to make him bombs in order to hold Gotham's Twin Towers for ransom, and orders Abner to rig them to detonate early in an attempt to sabotage Two-Face. This is changed in the two-part animated film adaptation, where Joker doesn't wake up until after Batman has defeated both Two-Face and the Mutants, and instead Two-Face himself rigs the bombs early in a suicidal attack on the Towers.
Frank Miller stated he wanted this version of the Joker to be less "cartoony" and more terrifying and realistic. By doing so, the character was sculpted to be more similar to that of a mass serial killer instead of a crime lord.
✓
