(Image DC / Jason Fabok )
The DC K.O. event has seen some surprising twist and turns. One of the few unsurprising elements has been that The Joker would lead the field in a battle royale based on death. However, the latest round did see the Clown Prince of Crime finding a surprising way to kill two Justice League members. This involved an unlikely partnership that saw the return of his most dangerous form.
Written by Scott Snyder, with art by Javier Fernández, DC K.O. #3 centered around the third round of the cosmic contest for Darkseid‘s power. This round required the eight surviving challengers to choose an ally for a two-on-two battle. This resulted in Zatanna, knowing she would face Joker, choosing her old flame, John Constantine.
(Image Source: DC / Javier Fernández)
Beyond trusting Constantine to watch her back, Zatanna had a good reason for picking the Laughing Magician. As a trickster and con artist by trade, John was likely to see through any dirty tricks that Joker might pull. Certainly they seemed more than a match for Joker and his chosen partner; an insane Batman variant called The Batman Who Laughs. However, the two most famous mages of the Justice League failed to see the joke before it was too late.
What is Joker’s Ultimate Form?
It turned out that Joker’s ally had only taken the form of The Batman Who Laughs as a feint. In truth, the Clown Prince of Crime had chosen Mister Mxyzptlk, the 5th Dimensional imp who routinely pranks Superman. This enabled him to once again become Emperor Joker and easily turn the tide of the battle.
(Image Source: DC / Javier Fernández)
Emperor Joker was a nine-part event spread across the Superman comics in 2000. In it, Joker was able to steal 99.9% of Mister Mxyzptlk’s reality-altering powers. This nearly resulted in the destruction of all reality, as Joker’s madness warped the universe.
(Image Source: DC / Javier Fernández)
Luckily for the DC Universe, the return of Emperor Joker is short-lived. Mxyzptlk only agreed to empower the Clown Prince of Crime long enough for him to win the round. Surprisingly, Joker honored his bargain and let the imp go. This did little good for Zatanna and Constantine, however, as Joker’s killing them secured his place in Round 4 of the tournament.
DC K.O. #3 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
