A Sudden Realization of the Obvious

[The Baron]

In the recent Joker/Daffy Duck comic (Side Note: The latest batch of DC/WB crossovers are neither especially good or especially bad), there's a scene in which the Joker kills the patrons of a comedy club and has his gang take their stuff (Another Side Note: Who in the Blue Hell would go to a comedy club in Gotham City? That's just asking for trouble!), and this scene inspired in me a sudden realization.

Now, I'll say up front that I'm sure I'm not the first person to have this realization (or the tenth, or the hundredth, or the thousandth...), it's just something that I never really thought about all that much before.

Anyway, the great realization was this:  

There's no (expletive gerund omitted) way that someone wouldn't have killed the Joker by now.  Victim's grieving relative, vigilante, fed-up cop, "accident in the cells", a villain who's sick of the Joker's crap - someone would have wasted him by now.   I can no longer sustain my suspension of disbelief as regards this character.

 

[Philip Portelli]

Johnny's body is adapted to handle high temperatures and is immune to heat and fire. He can't be burned, boiled, broiled or barbecued! 

The first Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe explained it as Johnny turning into living plasma but this was quickly discarded by the Deluxe Edition.

[The Baron]

Ah, interesting.

Philip Portelli said:

Johnny's body is adapted to handle high temperatures and is immune to heat and fire. He can't be burned, boiled, broiled or barbecued! 

The first Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe explained it as Johnny turning into living plasma but this was quickly discarded by the Deluxe Edition.

[Peter Wrexham]

Back to the subject of Batman and The Joker.

I'm watching Batwoman, which is currently being broadcast on one of the UK's free-to-air channels.  In last night's episode (Episode 17 of 20, "A Narrow Escape"), Kate is refusing to work as Batwoman, due to her feelings of guilt over having killed a bad guy.  She talks it over with Luke Fox, saying that Bruce would never have done such a thing.  He replies:

"Ever wonder why the Joker hasn't reared his head in five years?  He's not in Arkham, Kate.  Both you and Bruce stared into the abyss."

So, in this universe at least, it looks as though Batman has killed The Joker.

This is presumably for the same reason that Batman and Bruce Wayne have been missing for three years in Batwoman continuity.  The Joker, too, it being reserved for big-screen appearances only.

[Fraser Sherman]

That seems like a sound assumption, though they could always pull the rug out from under it. Especially when we have so few details, as yet.

Peter Wrexham said:

Back to the subject of Batman and The Joker.

I'm watching Batwoman, which is currently being broadcast on one of the UK's free-to-air channels.  In last night's episode (Episode 17 of 20, "A Narrow Escape"), Kate is refusing to work as Batwoman, due to her feelings of guilt over having killed a bad guy.  She talks it over with Luke Fox, saying that Bruce would never have done such a thing.  He replies:

"Ever wonder why the Joker hasn't reared his head in five years?  He's not in Arkham, Kate.  Both you and Bruce stared into the abyss."

So, in this universe at least, it looks as though Batman has killed The Joker.

This is presumably for the same reason that Batman and Bruce Wayne have been missing for three years in Batwoman continuity.  The Joker, too, it being reserved for big-screen appearances only.

[Philip Portelli]

In the Batman'66/Wonder Woman'77 crossover, they also had Batman (the Adam West version, for Pete's sake) kill the Joker (the Cesar Romero, mustached version) after the now-insane Clown Prince invaded Wayne Manor and caused Alfred's death. Holy Cancellation!

[Fraser Sherman]

And they'd originally planned to have Tim Drake kill the Joker in the Batman Beyond story "Return of the Joker," but the relevant vetting committee changed it to "oops, he fell into his equipment and electrocuted himself."

Philip Portelli said:

In the Batman'66/Wonder Woman'77 crossover, they also had Batman (the Adam West version, for Pete's sake) kill the Joker (the Cesar Romero, mustached version) after the now-insane Clown Prince invaded Wayne Manor and caused Alfred's death. Holy Cancellation!

[ClarkKent_DC]

Philip Portelli said:

In the Batman'66/Wonder Woman'77 crossover, they also had Batman (the Adam West version, for Pete's sake) kill the Joker (the Cesar Romero, mustached version) after the now-insane Clown Prince invaded Wayne Manor and caused Alfred's death. Holy Cancellation!

I thought that was a horrible misstep when I read it. I still do.

[The Baron]

Was it ever established how old Uncle Ben and Aunt May were supposed to be?  Ben looked like he might be around seventy, but May always looked to me like she might be pushing ninety.  I feel that Grandpa and Grandma Parker must've had Ben and Richard forty years apart.

[Richard Willis]

I think Ditko tended to draw older people as OLDD. I don't think Peter's parents were ever drawn by him. If they were, they probably would have been drawn similarly. 

The Baron said:

Was it ever established how old Uncle Ben and Aunt May were supposed to be?  Ben looked like he might be around seventy, but May always looked to me like she might be pushing ninety.  I feel that Grandpa and Grandma Parker must've had Ben and Richard forty years apart.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I don't think it's ever been officially established, other than that ben was the older brother. My best guess? All things considered, I'd say Uncle Ben was in his 60s. Ben looked older than that, but my grandfather looked a lot older in his 60s than my brother did in his. (Growing up during the Great Depression can do that to you, I guess.) In Amazing Fantasy #15, Ben could "hardly out-wrestle [Peter] now." I can see a young teen play-wrestling his 60-year-old uncle, but a 70-year-old? Just my opinion.

[Luke Blanchard]

Richard was a secret agent. Maybe he married late. It could be he retired to marry, but convinced his wife to go active with him again because he missed the adrenaline rush.

[Randy Jackson]

It could also be that since Amazing Fantasy #15 was a one shot, Ditko drew Aunt May and Ben older than anyone intended and they just went with it moving forward.