From the DC Vault: Death in the Family - Robin Lives #3 by J.M. DeMatteis and Rick Leonardi continues to chronicle Jason Todd's experience in a timeline where he survives the Joker's assault in Ethiopia and eventually murders the grinning clown. Though Jason didn't succumb to his injuries, he's still fighting for his life in a different way - by throwing himself into an unending battle against his own fear.

In his quest to prove himself, both to his mentor and to himself, he goes on his own to confront the Joker, who is prepared for the encounter. The Joker transforms Jason from Robin into the clown-inspired "Jokey the Boy Lackey."

Joker Cruelly Twists Jason Todd Into Jokey the Boy Lackey

From the DC Vault: Death in the Family - Robin Lives! #3 by J.M. DeMatteis, Rick Leonardi, Rico Renzi, and Taylor Esposito

Jason's intended confrontation with Joker begins well enough, with the young vigilante dispatching animatronic guards, but the instant he reaches his true target he's paralyzed with fear. It's the perfect chance for the Joker to definitively strip away the thing Jason is trying to prove he deserves - his role as Robin. By adorning him with a red, green, and yellow clown suit and naming him Jokey the Boy Lackey, he makes a mockery of the child he's terrorizing. Jason was already struggling to regain control of himself in the face of stacking trauma, and instead, the Joker has taken that control for himself.

While Gotham's worst clown didn't manage to kill Batman's sidekick in this timeline, he left him mentally and emotionally scarred. As Jason often does, he opts to jump headlong into confronting his fear at the source. He intended to defeat the Joker and simultaneously prove that he's worthy of retaining the Robin title and is stronger than the things that terrify him. When it comes to Gotham's resident green-haired terror, that's rarely been the case. Jason ends up more akin to a puppet on a string rather than a capable vigilante, and the Joker is a wicked puppeteer.

Joker Takes Control By Transforming Jason Todd Into His Unwilling Sidekick

Robin’s Worst Fears Are Made Into Reality

This timeline's Joker is more unhinged than calculated, and yet he still seems perfectly prepared for this moment with Batman's protégé. His claim that he left breadcrumbs around Gotham for Robin to follow highlights the idea that he's plenty in tune with what will impact the boy most. Unfortunately for Jason Todd, that's frequently the case, and the Joker manages to get under his skin like no other - sometimes without trying. He's an inescapable force in his life, even during the moments he's not physically present. Knowing that the story ultimately ends with the Joker's death is unlikely to change that, either.

By transforming Jason into this deranged "Jokey" character, the Joker is staking his claim on Jason's psyche. All of his fighting and lashing out hasn't purged the laughing monster that lurks in his mind yet, and the image of himself as in the clown suit will likely persist, in some way, for the rest of his life. He tries to escape his fears by going after the Joker, only for them to be given a name and a physical form. It is the rotten cherry on top of an unwanted cake. In creating Jokey the Boy Lackey, the Joker harnessed Robin's deepest fear.

From the DC Vault: Death in the Family - Robin Lives! #3 is available now from DC Comics.

The Joker

Created By

Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson

Cast

Cesar Romero, Barry Keoghan

First Appearance

Batman (1940)

Alias

Red Hood, Clown Prince of Crime, Ace of Knaves

RELATIONSHIPS

Batman (archenemy), Harley Quinn (former psychiatrist, on-and-off girlfriend), Penguin (frequent collaborator), Two-Face (frequent collaborator)

Alliance

Injustice League, Legion of Doom, Injustice Gang

The Joker is a psychopathic criminal mastermind with a warped sense of humor. Initially introduced as a remorseless serial killer, the character evolved over time, often oscillating between a prankster and a homicidal maniac. His relationship with Batman is one of the most complex in comic book history, defined by their mutual obsession. Over the decades, the Joker has become an enduring icon of chaos and madness, embodying the antithesis of Batman's order and justice.

Movies

Joker: Folie a Deux

TV Shows

Batwoman

Video Games

Batman: Return of the Joker, The Adventures of Batman & Robin (SNES), Gotham Knights

Franchise

D.C.

POWERS

Criminal Mastermind, Expert Chemist, Weaponized Props, Psychological Manipulation, Combat Skills, Unpredictability, High Pain Tolerance, Charisma, Escape Artist

HISTORY

The Joker's history has been depicted with various origin stories, the most common being his transformation into the Joker after falling into a vat of chemical waste that bleaches his skin white, turns his hair green, and lips bright red. This disfigurement drives him insane, leading him to become Batman's greatest nemesis.

NAME

Arthur Fleck

Age

Varies by portrayal; generally depicted as being in his 30s to 40s.

Height

Typically depicted around 6 feet (1.83 meters).

Comic Books

Joker #1, The Joker #5, Joker: Killer Smile #1, Batman: Three Jokers #1, Batman: The Joker War Zone #1, DC's Year of the Villain: Joker #1, Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1, The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #1, Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity Secret Files #1, The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1

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