As his self-proclaimed greatest foe, the Joker has long sought to be the death of Batman. But no matter how hard he tries, the villain has always failed. With that said, though, there's always been the question of what would even remain for the Joker to do without a Batman to fight against.
Well, one of the stories from the Joker 80th Anniversary Special reveals just what would happen to the Joker if he ever successfully killed Batman - and how it leads to his end as well.
How Batman's Death Impacts the Joker
"Kill the Batman" imagines a world where, in some undisclosed manner, the Joker was finally able to get the better of Batman and kill the hero. The story picks up three days later, with Lois Lane doing an interview with Alfred in the Bat-Cave over the death of the hero. Alfred has revealed his true identity to the world, so that the public may honor and remember Bruce as the hero he really was. More interviews are revealed, featuring the likes of James Gordon and Superman, talking about Bruce and the impact he had on the world. A massive funeral is held for Batman, with almost all of Gotham attending the massive tribute. Many people speak at the funeral, memorializing Batman.
Wonder Woman, Harvey Dent and Mister Freeze all speak to their respect for Bruce Wayne. But among the gathered crowd, the Joker stands aloof. Wearing a long coat and hat, he's secretly brought a suicide vest to the event as one last joke to pull on his old enemy. But to his shock, he doesn't find a heartbroken and disheartened crowd. Instead, he finds people smiling and laughing at his memory, inspired by his actions. Everyone decides to do what Batman did, and turn tragedy into a chance to be better.
Having lost his nemesis, Joker no longer has a true purpose in life. The only audience he ever cared about impressing is gone forever, and Joker becomes the only one in the crowd who isn't smiling. Joker ends up leaving the crowd without using the vest, walking away and deciding that he has to find a new path in life -- namely, working for the Gotham Department of Motor Vehicles.
Why The Joker Actually Needs Batman
This isn't the first time that Joker has seemed to give up on his life of crime after seemingly seeing the end of Batman. "Going Sane," by J.M. DeMatteis, Joe Staton and Steve Mitchell, featured the Joker believing he'd finally gotten the better of the hero and trying to make a more mundane life for himself. The "Emperor Joker" storyline by Jeph Loeb, Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness suggests that even with omnipotent powers, the Joker couldn't destroy Batman without losing a fundamental part of himself. An episode of Batman: The Animated Series titled "The Man Who Killed Batman" suggests that without Batman to fight against, Joker just doesn't see the point in committing crimes anymore.
"Kill the Batman" reinforces this on a smaller level, showing the Joker truly and finally defeated -- ultimately by his own hand. He considers fighting other heroes to fill his time, but he admits that no one can challenge him or inspire him in quite the same way as Batman once had. All it leaves is a genuinely regretful Joker, who even in his greatest victory finds himself finally and fully defeated by the ultimate idea of Batman -- rising above tragedy to become something better - even if he was successful in his war against the man himself. If Joker actually killed Batman, all he be doing is ending himself in the process, and likely inspiring generations of new Batman who he would never see as his true foe.