Even a mind as twisted and devious as the Joker has deep desire for something, and the villain's ultra-powerful form may have shined a light on his. Trinity #42 reveals what it is that the Clown Prince of Crime ultimately wants.
While the other villains populating Gotham have made it very clear what they're after, the Joker's end game is a bit harder to make out. While the Two-Faces and Penguins of the world want power or money, the Harlequin of Hate doesn't seem like he wants much of anything. Sure, he's no stranger to robbing banks, but the Joker has rarely demonstrated a strong need for cash. And as far as power goes, he also has no problem amassing an army of devoted followers whenever he needs. As a symbol of chaos, it seems that the only thing on the Joker's mind is causing as much chaos as he possibly can.
But it turns out that there is something that the Joker does want, and it shouldn't come to the surprise of any Batman fan. In Trinity #42 by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, a godlike version of the Justice League have returned and are taking care of their rogues’ gallery, many of whom have taken on powerful, god-level forms themselves. After dealing with a seriously upgraded version of Wonder Woman’s nemesis, Cheetah, the team moves on to fight Batman’s greatest enemy who has taken control of Gotham in a whole new way. As part of the Joker's upgraded form, the clowning criminal has actually become the city itself, with an illuminated row of buildings highlighting his gruesome and iconic smile. However, despite his powerful new form, he eagerly hands back control to the League to make Gotham "like it was before".
The Joker Wants His Game With Batman To Never End
Though he had the powers of a god, Joker gave it up simply so he could get his endless back and forth with his beloved Batman back. This shouldn't come as a surprise to any Batman fan worth their salt, as the Clown's obsession with Batman has been his raison d'etre for years and is his primary motivation in almost every continuity. But the fact that he was willing to throw away literal godlike power shows just how deep that obsession runs for the villain.
The Joker is a hard character to pin down as his constant reinventions have made him everything from a simple prankster to a bloodthirsty killer. But Joker’s love of Batman is, perhaps, the only consistent thing about the character. No matter what changes he goes through, good or bad, powerful or not, Joker needs a relationship with Batman as his entire existence is dependent on being the hero’s complete opposite. Godlike power doesn’t mean anything to the Joker if he can't continue the one thing that has always given his life meaning and purpose.
