Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman #146!There are two people who could easily destroy the Earth in the DC Universe and one of them happens to be a well-known hero. Gotham is one of the worst places to live in the DCU and that’s all thanks to the vile evil-doers that live there.
However, things in Gotham have been rapidly going off the rails in the past few months. Ever since one prominent member of the Bat-Family unleashed his worst self, chaos has been unfolding in the name of order. One surprising authority airs his thoughts on the two people who could easily take down the DC Universe if they desired.
Dr. Daniel Capito Helped Train DC’s Most Powerful and Dangerous Individuals
When Bruce Wayne traveled the world in preparation for his mission to clean up Gotham, he met a teacher known as Dr. Daniel Capito. Capito was infamous for his studies into the human psyche and Bruce, wanting to unlock the full potential of his mind, studied under Capito. Capito did indeed help Bruce, helping him conquer pain and teaching Bruce how he could manipulate the fear of others. Bruce never completed his training under Capito, however, the teacher later discovered a new pupil ripe for the training in Gotham.
Years later, after the Joker emerged from his chemical bath, he wandered the streets of Gotham lost and confused. Unable to get his head on straight and fearing Batman’s very image, Joker was approached by Captio, who told Joker he could become just as powerful as Batman with the right training. Captio took Joker under his wing and gave him the same training as Bruce. Captio even taught Joker how to develop alternate personalities, much like Bruce’s secret persona, the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh.
After unleashing his full potential, Joker discovered Zur-En-Arrh and became obsessed with how violent and unpredictable the alter ego was. Joker saw Zur-En-Arrh as Batman’s true self and was determined to make Zur-En-Arrh the dominant personality in Batman’s mind. The Joker consulted with Captio, who reminded Joker that Zur-En-Arrh was created by Bruce to help him deal with incredibly stressful situations. Captio told Joker that if he wanted to bring out Zur-En-Arrh, he was going to have to create emergency situations to draw Joker’s preferred Batman out.
DC Finally Says It: Joker and Batman are Its Two Most Dangerous Characters
In Batman #146 by Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Jiménez, Michele Bandini, Tomeu Morey, Alex Sinclair, and Clayton Cowles, Bruce is confronted by Dr. Daniel Capito, who is now the warden of Blackgate Penitentiary. Capito brings Batman up to speed by telling him about Capito’s past with the Joker. Capito reveals that after he advised Joker to create emergencies, the villain began a years-long campaign to increase the stress in Batman’s life. Some of the clown’s most infamous crimes such as killing Jason Todd and shooting Barbara Gordon were all a part of Joker’s plan.
It wasn’t until Joker kidnapped Alfred in “Death of the Family” that the villain learned of Batman’s hidden protocol to stop Batman should he ever take a life. Later, during the “Endgame” storyline, Joker saw Bruce’s ultimate contingency Failsafe and realized just how far Batman’s paranoia went. Joker discussed his findings with Daniel Capito, who reminded Joker that Zur-En-Arrh is a manifestation of Batman’s paranoia. Capito also planted the idea of triggering Failsafe in a gambit to draw out Zur-En-Arrh to take over Batman’s body for good.
Joker took Captio’s advice and began manipulating the Penguin from the shadows. Joker eventually convinced Penguin to fake his death and frame Batman so that Failsafe would activate. Penguin was afraid that Joker was attempting to kill him, but as Captio says to Bruce, the Joker “likes his playthings to live”. Captio tells Bruce how similar he is to Joker, calling them both the most dangerous men on the planet. Captio even says that the only reason everyone lives is that Batman and Joker haven’t decided to kill them.
Joker and Batman’s Destructive Potential Has Been Seen in Canon
If anyone knows how dangerous Batman and Joker are, it’s Dr. Daniel Captio. The man elevated Bruce’s potential, re-shaped his mind to handle pain better, and drastically expanded Bruce’s thinking. Under Captio’s tutelage, the Joker went from being a terrified miscreant to an absolute monster with multiple layers. Captio is one of the foremost experts on superhuman psychology and he has a history of bringing out the ultimate potential in people. To Captio, there are no greater minds than Batman’s and the Joker’s.
To be fair, fans have seen just how destructive the Joker can be. When the Joker believed he was dying from a brain tumor in the “Last Laugh” storyline, he went above and beyond his usual brand of mischief and nearly pulled off a plan that almost permanently turned the entire Earth into a world full of Jokers. The Joker also managed to trick Mr. Mxyzptlk into giving him his Fifth-Dimensional power. When he really puts his mind to it, the Joker can become the biggest threat to the DC Universe.
While Batman uses his skills and knowledge to protect the world around him, the Caped Crusader could easily take the world down if he desired. The Batman Who Laughs alone shows just what could happen if Batman suddenly went rogue. Of course, the Prime Bruce has come close to using his abilities for evil, such as developing contingencies that could take down the Justice League or creating the Brother Eye satellite. Bruce has the heart of a hero, but it’s quite clear Batman could do some serious damage to the world if he wanted.
What’s Saving the World From Batman and Joker?
Captio’s analysis of Batman and Joker is a grim reminder that both men could take down the world but don’t. The Joker is never going to because, without an audience, there would be no one to witness his demented antics. Batman’s never going to act against the world thanks to his strong moral character. But if something changed or switched in either of these men, it’s almost certain that there would be nothing that anyone in the DC Universe could do to stop them.
Batman #146 is available now from DC Comics.
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