It's your fault. And mom's, and dad's, and the television's, and all of that. We grew up with all of you whispering in our ears that we could be anything we wanted. But you never realized the downside to all of that. Some of us don't want to be the good guys. I mean, this whole great world you left us is falling apart, and you teach us about the people who actually had the balls to throw some chaos into the mix. I don't want to live in the slow decay of your world. I want my own world, and I guess I don't really care it that means of hurting lots of people of whatever. This whole world you build is the joke. I'm the Punchline.
„
~ Punchline to Dean Bob.
Punchline is a villain from DC Comics and the Batman series. She is the Joker's new right-hand woman and girlfriend.
Most of Punchline's background remains unknown. She grew up a fan of the Joker and poisoned her college dean to prove she was worthy of joining his gang. She was later hired by the Joker as a new underboss in his upcoming war against Batman after Superman revealed his secret identity to the world as Clark Kent, which gives the Joker the idea of using Batman's secret identity in the upcoming war as a fun idea.
Punchline is first seen assigned by the Joker to stake-out on Catwoman who went to the graveyard and digging up a Joker-lookalike corpse, not knowing it was one of his gang members, Artie, after The Designer sent a message to Catwoman. However, she and Harley Quinn are confronted by Merlyn and Cheshire. After the fight, Punchline informs the Joker about Catwoman and Harley having found Artie's body taking to meet up with Batman, but he stated it was okay as he had to meet a few people first.
During the battle between Lex Luthor and The Batman Who Laughs, Punchline held Mercy Graves as a hostage while the Joker dealt with Luthor for using the help of the Dark Multiverse's Batman despite his warnings. However, Joker let both Luthor and Mercy go, stating it was just a joke all along while Luthor got what he needed.
While working with Underbroker, she encounters and fights Harley and Catwoman. During their fight, Harley tries to convince Punchline that the Joker is nothing but a bad guy, to which Punchline cuts Harley's neck and has her goons throw her into the water and goes after Catwoman. After Catwoman transfers Batman's money, she is shot by Punchline.
When Batman goes to the hospital to check on Selina, who suddenly disappears, Joker's goons surround him and appear on a phone screen with Punchline, to which is holding Lucius Fox hostage. Punchline gets a call from the Joker's goons saying that Batman is nowhere found, to which she tells him that they finished hacking the main computer at Wayne Enterprises. At the enterprises, Punchline poisons Lucius and forces him to tell her about the whereabouts of the location.
Batman returns to the Batcave and is attacked by Punchline, who infects him and the Batcave with the Joker's venom toxin, causing Batman to hallucinate.
Quotes
“
Oh, shut the hell up. No, you didn't come to be my "friend." you came because this scares the $#@% out of you, and you know it's dangerous. You want me to say this is some kind of tear-jerky cry for help. That I'm maladjusted in one of the more ordinary ways and that I'm going to go hug Sarah in the quad and cry it out. And then you don't have to be the administration that punished a student for free expression or the one that didn't! Best of both worlds! And you sure as hell wouldn't have to admit that I might actually believe something dangerous. That I might not be the only one.That it might have been growing right under your nose all this time.
„
~ Alexis to Dean Bob in The Joker 80th Anniversary.
“
If youtwo are the jokes, and trust me, I've been watching you. You are the jokes... Then I'm the Punchline. I'm where you end.
Punchline was created by James Tynion IV, who stated her to be the "Anti-Harley Quinn", being a more silent and intimidating serial killer and the fact Joker actually appears to care about her and isn’t abusive to her..
