The Joker - Earth-22 - Dark Nights: The Batman Who Laughs (2017)

Known as one of Batman's most dangerous adversaries, the Joker both loved and hated his nemesis, always wanting to push Wayne to his limits and make him a better hero. They had been enemies for years, often being committed to the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane.

At some point during their fight against each other, Joker learned the identity of his nemesis as Bruce Wayne. He has had numerous encounters with both Batman and the Bat Family, causing them much pain

Discovering that the chemicals in his system - responsible for transforming him into the villain - were quickly killing him, the Joker set about devising a plan to preserve his memory and pass on the mantle to a new successor - believing that no host would be more perfect that Batman himself, since he had the potential to force the hero to abandon his rule about not killing in the process. The cells in his body underwent a process of autophagy.

Before his confrontation with Batman in his final endgame, the Clown Prince of Crime spied on Commissioner James Gordon, enjoying his demand for him to be arrested "by the book." He slaughtered his way through the G.C.P.D, leaving Gordon to last. Using a highly corrosive acid, the Joker hurled the substance in his face, enjoying the sight of his enemy dissolving in front of him as he begged for his daughter Barbara. He decided to take Gordon's pipe, glasses, coat, bullet riddled badge and trench coat as a means to goad Batman.

He went on to murder Batman's allies and enemies alike, going so far as to butcher Penguin, Killer Croc, the Ventriloquist, Scarface and Catwoman. He deemed this as "Burning the Book" and preparing for the "joke too far."


"The Batman Who Laughs"

Detonating multiple bombs to destroy buildings around Gotham, Joker mockingly asked the bound and drugged Batman which hospital he had destroyed - "Mercy Hospital or Gotham General?". He demanded that Batman fight back and stop him, noting that the stimulant he had been doused with only paralysed his body, keeping his brain functioning. He boasted that he had been planning his operations for months, musing over the ease of "systematically killing a whole city."

Joker gleefully recounted how he murdered Gordon, slipping the Commissioner's coat over his own, noting that they did not have left. He went on to add that their battle would not last forever, so that they would need to adapt to survive, or die in the conflict.

In a sick and twisted ploy to push Batman over the edge, he proceeded to force families with young children to walk towards the pair, shooting the parents though the head in a style similar to of the Waynes. Going to the girl's side, he told her not to be afraid, welcoming her to his new city as he infected her Joker Venom. He repeated the process, shooting over a dozen sets of parents before Batman could finally overcome paralysis and fight back. As the vigilante beat him to a bloody pulp, he kept bragging that Batman would not stop him, pushing him so far over the edge that the Dark Knight broke his neck.

In his final gasp of breath Joker gained his final victory over his nemesis, infecting him with a concentrated version of a Joker Nanotoxin that would alter Batman's brain and personality to create a new and far more dangerous version of himself. The virulent strain laid dormant in his body, only becoming harmful if the carrier suffered from "necrosis."

His final plan ended with victory, resulting in the creation of a new and far more violent version of Batman.


Appearances:

1. "The Batman Who Laughs" - First and Only Appearance