When it comes to DC heroes, just about any of them could take out the Joker both quickly and easily. As far as the Joker of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is concerned, this is even more applicable. In that specific take on the DC universe, as it were, Bruce Wayne had no Justice League peers to call. It was all him, Lucius Fox, and Commissioner Gordon. And not only does Batman have no friends with actual superpowers to call he has that pesky no killing rule that allows the Joker to just keep breaking out of prison to wreak more havoc. But let’s imagine for a moment that, in Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy, there were other superheroes who could (in some cases) quite literally swoop in and save the day.
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They could stop him when he and his ill-fated pals are robbing the bank in the opening of the 2008 film, or when Joker interrupts the meeting held by his criminal cohorts and performs the pencil trick, or when Harvey Dent fakes being Batman to lure Joker out at which point Gordon apprehends him. And, of course, there’s Joker’s final plan of having the passengers of two bomb-strapped ferries blow each other up.
Aquaman
No member of the Justice League has as much fun poked at him as Aquaman, yet even he could beat Joker. For instance, once Joker puts the bombs on the ferry, Aquaman and his fishy friends could quickly locate them, swim them down to the bottom of Gotham Harbor, and have them explode away from civilians.
Then, he could ascend the abandoned building Joker is hiding out in (and watching the chaos) and, while he’d take a few bullets and dog bites, he’d win in fisticuffs. There are superheroes on this list who would have an easier time beating Joker, but Aquaman could still do it.
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is essentially DC’s Iron Man, so imagine Iron Man going up against any unhinged human character in the MCU. Iron Man wins every time. He survived a jealous mentor in a bigger suit, a vengeful Russian with electrified whips, an alien army, and an army of robots and he emerged victorious each time. The same would without a doubt be applicable to Blue Beetle.
Once equipped with the scarab, Jaime Reyes (or Dan Garrett or Ted Kord) has the ability to shoot energy blasts and communicate with technology. He could learn from a computer where Joker has been spotted, fly over, and hit the Clown Prince of Crime with an energy blast.
Cyborg
If Blue Beetle isn’t DC’s Iron Man, Cyborg is. Everything said about Blue Beetle is applicable to Cyborg, from his ability to interface with technology to his ability to shoot out a laser.
Cyborg also has other tools up his metallic sleeve. He could use his grappling hook to zip up to Joker on whichever floor he was watching the ferries from, fly over his attack dogs, and apprehend the man with ease.
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate going up against Joker would be like the MCU’s Doctor Strange taking on Jigsaw from Punisher: War Zone. Joker would be ultra confident right up until he saw what Doctor Fate could do.
Doctor Fate has plenty of abilities he could use in taking care of Joker. For one, he can cast spells, which at the very least would disorient Joker. Equally important is his ability to fly, his ability to craft force fields at will, and the combination of telepathy and telekinesis. Doctor Fate could just convince Joker to turn himself in without ever having to shoot an energy blast or raise a magic shield.
The Flash
Like any of the flying superheroes, Flash would be able to get to Joker’s intended location before even he got there. Like some of the more high-powered heroes on this list, Flash would be able to go through a room filled with Joker and all his goons in mere moments.
The only drawback to Flash is that he’s young and not quite as intelligent as some of the other heroes here (not that he’s particularly dumb, either). So, some of those other heroes might be able to stop Joker’s plan from being carried out before it’s carried out, sparing the lives of individuals like Rachel Dawes and saving the soul of Harvey Dent before it’s corrupted. But, on that note, Flash can travel back in time via the Speed Force, so he could find out what Joker’s morally bankrupt goals are after he commits his atrocities, then go back in time and use that knowledge to prevent said atrocities.
[RELATED: 17 Years Later, The Biggest Fan Theory About The Dark Knight Would Have Been a Great Twist]
Green Lantern
Be it Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, or Kyle Rayner, Joker wouldn’t stand a chance against Green Lantern. With his Power Ring, Green Lantern can turn his thoughts into reality.
In other words, whatever weapon he would need to fight the Joker he’d have at a moment’s notice. Heck, Green Lantern could fly his way over to joker and imagine a cage around the guy and it would be done. If Green Lantern can take on Sinestro (as he soon will in the DCU’s Lanterns), he wouldn’t even need a full afternoon to beat Joker.
Huntress
Green Arrow was basically the one major DC hero who was immediately excluded. He’s killed before, but like Batman he tries to avoid it. Huntress doesn’t have that problem.
It would take some doing and some time, but Huntress would be able to work her way up from Joker’s goons to Joker himself. One imagines she’d put an arrow into his clown butt when he’s burning his half of the cash. She’d be able to take out Joker and his main competitor. Like Batman, Huntress doesn’t have any superpowers, but even if it’s not the most ethical trait in the world, she doesn’t have some of his limitations, and that would be advantageous in going up against a fellow murderous mortal.
Martian Manhunter
J’onn J’onzz, AKA the Martian Manhunter, would make taking on The Joker an easy task. He could shape-shift into the appearance of one of Joker’s goons and apprehend him, for instance.
Not to mention, flight is an asset when combating Joker, as the guy has a way of sneaking off and moving around a lot. Like the aforementioned Blue Beetle, Cyborg, and Green Lantern, the Martian Manhunter can fly. He could fly to the bank at the opening of The Dark Knight, phase his way through the wall, turn invisible, and haul Joker off. Joker would have a hard time fighting the Martian Manhunter if he can’t even see the Martian Manhunter. He can do just about anything, making him not only arguably DC’s most underappreciated hero, but also arguably it’s most powerful, even over Superman himself.
Superman
If Joker were the antagonist in a Superman movie, it’d be a very short Superman movie. Sure, Lex Luthor is also flesh and blood, but Luthor’s brain is one of the most impressive on the planet (a fact which he flaunts frequently). Joker’s brain, however, is mostly just devious. It’s doubtful he’d come up with the plan of stealing kryptonite, much less know where to find it and how to use it.
At in point in The Dark Knight Superman could fly in, grab Joker by his collar, and fly him to a prison. Per usual, Joker would escape, but once more Superman would grab him by that collar and fly him back. He’d essentially expedite Batman’s procedure to the point most of the disaster and death scene in Nolan’s film could be avoided.
Wonder Woman
Like every other member of the Justice League (At least the members seen in the DCEU), Wonder Woman would make short work of Joker. She’s the daughter of Zeus, Joker is a failed comedian (or whatever his actual background is in The Dark Knight) with a criminal record as long as Infinite Jest.
Like a few other entries seen here, Wonder Woman has superhuman strength. She also can take a bullet or bazooka blast just about as well as Superman. That right there makes most of what Joker would have in store for her rendered moot. She also can fly and run with great speed, so either way she would be able to get to Joker in his “Slaughter is the Best Medicine” truck with ease. Wonder Woman is also one of the smartest DC heroes out there, so she could probably figure out Joker’s plans even before the bat-fearing detective. Lastly, she has the Lasso of Truth. So, if she hadn’t already worked out Joker’s plan for herself, she could just get him to tell her. Joker’s a talented liar, but not even he can defy the Lasso of Truth.
Which DC hero would you like to see go up against Joker in the future? Sound off in the comments.
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