Absolute DC Part 9: The Man Who Laughs- 2/2

In the last issue of Absolute DC, a series of gruesome deaths involving a mysterious neurotoxin that afflicted several people rocked the city of Pittsburgh, PA. The Batman, the dark defender of the city, investigated and realized that criminals and innocent people who happen to be related to them were the ones being targeted. Uniting many of his enemies against this new threat, Batman and they were soon under attack by the perpetrator: The Joker, seemingly back from the dead! After saving Harley Quinn from him, Batman was heavily injured in the fight against the Joker as the others he gathered ran for their lives. During the fight, Batman revealed that he knows that the Joker is really just a copycat of the Joker he knew, and that he was really James Gordon Jr., the criminally-deranged son of Police Commissioner Gordon. Just as Joker prepared to force off Batman’s helmet with a butcher’s cleaver and kill him, a batarang flew through the air and knocked the blade out of the villain’s hand. A new seemingly-new vigilante dove through the air and kicked Joker off Batman before giving them her name: Batgirl.

Batgirl attacks Joker and the evil clown fights back, and they are an equal match for each other. This lasts until Batman himself gets back onto his feet, and he aides her against the Joker. Both heroes get some great hits in, but the Joker is unrelenting. Only by hitting him to the point that his body was broken, though the mind was still willing and fierce, were the Bats able to defeat the Joker. However, when the smoke cleared, an armored car unexpectedly bursts through the wall of the warehouse and through all the holding racks and boxes, nearly running down our heroes! They dive out of the way, only for an unknown woman in the driver’s seat to call the Joker to her and he manages to get in. They drive off, leaving behind several bombs that detonate in an attempt to either kill the Bats or keep them distracted enough for the car to vanish.

Outside, on the rooftops overlooking the destroyed, burning warehouse, the Bats overlook the scene as Commissioner Gordon and the police arrive to assess and rummage through the damage. Batman thanks Batgirl for the assistance, calling her by her real name: “Cassandra”. Cassandra Kane, the younger cousin of Batman’s civilian identity Bruce Wayne, AND his former partner known then as Robin, is back as a superhero. She is now taking on the heroic identity of Batgirl, which used to belong to Bruce’s wife Barbara Gordon-Wayne. Bruce then calls up Barbara on his communicator, regretfully informing her that her brother James is the new Joker...

Meanwhile, back with Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, the latter managed to get themselves and their partner Catwoman back to their apartment safely. They also dropped off the injured Bane somewhere safe after he managed to heal a bit from his injuries. At the apartment, Harley was anxiously panicking and crying on her bed, curled up. Pamela (which is Poison Ivy’s real name) manages to calm Harley down as much as she could. As they looked in each other eyes… they then kiss.

Notes:

* Sorry for a shorter entry, but this is more of an “act three” for this story than a “part 2 of 2”.

* No, I will NOT be changing the name of my Absolute DC series just because there is an official Absolute DC universe now.

* Who the woman who rescued Joker is will be a mystery for now…