The Clown vs the Man of Steel vs the Bat: What happens when they're together ?

[Cmbmool]

We've seen the Clown Prince of Crime bothered the Man of Steel over the years, but in two of the most toughest alternate realities we've seen that their fighting have negative effects on the Man of Steel leaving the Dark Knight on either the outside looking in and/or a partial component to the Man of Steel's Loss.

Which brings me to my question DC fans: What do you think of the Joker's and his attacks on Superman and his effect he has on the Man of Steel ?

Plus when the Joker goes too far, like in InJustice and/or Kingdom Come, it makes me beg the question of Batman and his own part to play in all of this given how much of a control freak he can be and just how much he knows of the Joker and his attacks. What happens when enough is enough ?

[Adekis]

My favorite version of these three interacting is from the end of Emperor Joker, where Joker has stolen godlike powers from Mxyzptlk, taken over the world, killed and eaten the population of China for a pun, and gives Batman the Promethean torture from Greek mythology. Superman defeats Joker by invoking the idea of Batman, which Joker can never overcome or excise from his own head. When he realizes it, he has a breakdown and Mxyzptlk takes his powers back. Meanwhile though, Bruce has been pretty heavily broken by his experiences, and Superman takes the memories of the torture on himself, with the Spectre's help. Batman's good as new, and Superman is apparently not much worse for wear. Guess he can just handle that kind of thing a little better, which works well enough for me. He is Superman, after all.

Beyond that, I really like that one where Jimmy defeats Joker by punching him in the face while Superman's off defusing a bomb or something.

[j9ac9k]

Interestingly enough, some of the interactions between them in alternate realities is about how Superman actually can't handle the utter insanity and lack of humanity of the Joker - that when confronted with someone like him, Clark will crack and cross the line where Bruce has always kept the line regardless of the Joker's atrocities.

[Cmbmool]

Interestingly enough, some of the interactions between them in alternate realities is about how Superman actually can't handle the utter insanity and lack of humanity of the Joker - that when confronted with someone like him, Clark will crack and cross the line where Bruce has always kept the line regardless of the Joker's atrocities.

Yet one has to wonder: When it comes to the Majority of the Joker's actions in alternate Earths: How does Batman deal with it, even if Superman was held back ?

[Vordan]

Interestingly enough, some of the interactions between them in alternate realities is about how Superman actually can't handle the utter insanity and lack of humanity of the Joker - that when confronted with someone like him, Clark will crack and cross the line where Bruce has always kept the line regardless of the Joker's atrocities.

Far as I know it’s only Injustice that pushes that take, which is profoundly stupid given Supes has met people even worse than Joker. Darkseid and Mongul have a far higher body count than Joker could ever hope to reach. But yeah that’s probably the average casuals opinion of their relationship now.

[Heavunion]

Interestingly enough, some of the interactions between them in alternate realities is about how Superman actually can't handle the utter insanity and lack of humanity of the Joker - that when confronted with someone like him, Clark will crack and cross the line where Bruce has always kept the line regardless of the Joker's atrocities.

In the same sense of idea, but on the opposite end of the spectrum, is Kingdom Come where Superman exils himself after the people agree that killing the Joker is a good thing to do. Here it not so much the lack of humanity of The Joker, but the one that he can inspire to others through the cruauty of his actions, that defeats him for a time

[Adekis]

In the same sense of idea, but on the opposite end of the spectrum, is Kingdom Come where Superman exils himself after the people agree that killing the Joker is a good thing to do. Here it not so much the lack of humanity of The Joker, but the one that he can inspire to others through the cruauty of his actions, that defeats him for a time

I always thought that was fundamentally a failure of compassion and understanding on Superman's part, rather than a failure of humanity. To acquit the man who killed the worst serial murderer of all time is totally understandable. That Superman responded by basically abandoning everyone for not playing by his restrictively strict sense of morality, and letting the world go straight to hell in a handbasket is frankly, irresponsible and childish, and Superman is and should be better than that.

Still a country mile better than Injustice's utter crap to be honest. Either way though, I disagree with these portrayals of Superman on a moral level.