Despite most people not considering Superman a particularly scary superhero, that doesn’t seem to be true for the Joker. Even though Joker has terrorized Gotham City for decades, he wants absolutely nothing to do with Metropolis because one fatal threat from the Man of Steel.
Most superheroes tend to have their own iconic rogues galleries: Batman has the Joker, Scarecrow, Two-Face, Bane, and many others, while Superman has Lex Luthor, Zod, Doomsday, and plenty more. But occasionally there’s a magical moment when villains crossover with a different hero, like the time Riddler decided to go after Green Arrow. While Superman villains don’t usually make their way into Gotham City, the same can’t be said for the other way around. When the Joker tries to attack Metropolis, he very quickly learns why that’s such a bad idea — and has never returned since.
Superman Threatens the Joker — with Death
The reason Joker is so terrified of the Man of Steel is revealed in a story from Adventures of Superman #14 by Max Landis, Jock, Lee Loughridge, and Wes Abbott. This Joker is still early in his criminal career and tries to figure out exactly where and what he wants to do. Apparently, in his quest to discover this, Joker thought it would be a good idea to go into Metropolis. But, just like the time the Joker went after the Flash, it doesn’t go so well for the Clown Prince of Crime. Not only does Superman quickly and easily shut down Joker’s crime, but he also brutally insults the Joker before implying that if he ever came back to Metropolis, Superman would kill him: “Batman doesn’t kill people because he has a code. I don’t have a code. I just don’t generally kill people.” This naturally spooks the Joker so much that he turns himself in to the police and now rarely goes back to Metropolis.
While this might seem like a harsh reaction from Superman, it’s entirely justified. The Joker wants to corrupt symbols, to prove that everyone deep down is just like him. That’s why he continues to fight Batman, even sparing Batman’s life on several occasions instead of ending their rivalry. The Joker doesn’t want to kill Batman; the Joker wants Batman to kill him, to break his one rule and change himself forever. But heroes who have no issue killing can’t be corrupted and truly terrify the Joker, and that apparently includes Superman. The Joker wants attention and to prove a point, but if someone is entirely willing to kill him, there’s nothing much for the Joker to prove.
Superman Is Terrifying When He Wants to Be
While Superman isn’t known for killing, he doesn’t technically have a code against killing like Batman does. Because of Batman’s childhood trauma, it’s been inherently ingrained inside the Dark Knight to never take a life. Superman hasn’t gone through the same kind of personal tragedy, so, while he does his best not to, he has no qualms using lethal force. Superman will do everything he can to give people the benefit of the doubt and help them improve, but villains like the Joker cannot be redeemed, which makes Superman killing them much more likely. That’s why, of all the cities the Joker likes to terrorize, Metropolis will never be on the list again.
Check out Adventures of Superman #14, available now from DC Comics!
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