Why is the Joker still alive?

[Wardog]

Okay, I know the real reason is DC won't kill off such a useful character, but is there any good in-universe reason why nobody in Gotham has decided "enough is enough" and killed him to prevent any more of his attrocities?

Sure, Batman won't do it. But surely there are many others with the opportunity to do so.

How come - on the numerous times he's been arrested - he's never had an unfortuate accident and broken his neck falling down the stairs in the police station?

How come - on the numerous times he's been encarcerated in Arkham Asylum - no-one has ever mistakenly given him the wrong dose of sedative?

There must be many times when an armed police officer has had him in his sights. How come no-one has ever taken the shot? I wouldn't be at all surprise if someone higher up the chain of command had dropped hints that if that occured, they probably wouldn't have too much of an investigation into whether the shooting was technically legally justified. (And even if they hadn't, how come noone has taken that decision themselves?) Heck, I doubt there would even be a need for any sort of subterfuge - there must have been plenty of times when someone could have entierly legally and justifiably shot him.

How come noone in the government/military/secret service has decided that he is a threat to national security and had him assassinated?

How come no superhero with less aversion than Batman to killing hasn't taken him out? (Does DC have an equivilent of the Punisher?)


Are there any good, in-universe reasons why none of these things have happened?

[The Glyphstone]

Good explanation? Probably not. According to Wiki, he has a 'dream team' of lawyers who always manage to get him found not guilty by reasons of insanity and re-committed to Arkham Asylum.

[Dienekes]

Of course not. Honestly I'm kind of glad we don't get a reason for it because it'd be a stupid reason. Yes, the cops, the other villains, or even some random guy would have killed him by now. Honestly I just think it's better as the sort of unspoken agreement that yes, this is all impossible and some liberties with reason need to take place in order to keep the fun stories coming.

[CthulhuEatYou]

Well, I think the other super heroes in the DC universe respect Batman too much to take out the batman, maybe the same answer goes for the Gotham police force.

Also, the joker have died and has been badly wounded many times. But it's DC, there is always a loophole, and all popular characters will always live forever.

[Xefas]

Did you ever watch that animated series in the 90s, 'Gargoyles'?

Batman and the Joker have a similar deal going to two of the characters from that show. Macbeth and Demona were cursed by witches to bear a kind of invincible plot armor that would prevent their deaths for all time, save for a death inflicted by the other.

Obviously, Batman and the Joker, long ago, were cursed by those same witches, and have sense made an agreement never to kill one another, for their own mutual benefit. Batman can go around shooting gods, and the Joker can go around causing whatever mayhem he wishes, and neither will ever be truly threatened.

[DiscipleofBob]

Many officers have probably tried the vigilante route. That guy who ended up "accidentally" trying to push him down the stairs? Slipped on a banana peel Joker smuggled in from the mess hall. That orderly with a triple dose of sedative? Joker struggled a bit too much and the guy dosed himself instead. People have tried shooting him, and yet somehow they're the ones who are lucky if they get out alive. After a while, people stop trying to mess with the Joker because they value their own lives.

Jokers are wild and therefore always trump everyone else.

[Friv]

Because the ease with which the Joker escapes from prison is an out-of-universe conceit, any attempt to explain which will always end badly. As such, no one treats him differently from how they would any other murderous prisoner.

If people in-setting start seeing that conceit for what it is, they are going to be breaking the fourth wall, because there's no in-universe reason for him to escape so often. Realistically, he should have gotten out once at most.

*EDIT* And as far as why no cop has ever shot him, it's the same reason that no crook has ever successfully shot Batman.

[Tvtyrant]

My favorite is when Deadshot is hired to kill him, and gets shot in the head by Onomatopoeia after having just removed the cage the Joker is in. World's deadliest assassin vs. world's best plot armor.

[DigoDragon]

I recall there being a handful of attempts to kill the Joker, but ironically Batman has foiled them all. The most recent one I can recall--

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Jason Todd in Under the Red Hood

[Scowling Dragon]

Plot armor as thick as the earths crust.

He has killed over 2000 people by this point. Even the insanity clause doesn't work.

Heck why not just move him to a better facility then revolving doors arkham?

[Ravens_cry]

Unfortunately, there is no in-universe explanation that doesn't raise more questions in the process.
Heck, I think the Joker would better serve the world dead, and I think superheroes should basically never kill.

[DiscipleofBob]

Plot armor as thick as the earths crust.

He has killed over 2000 people by this point. Even the insanity clause doesn't work.

Heck why not just move him to a better facility then revolving doors arkham?

See the problem is Arkham is actually a fortress with some of the best security around if the video games are any indication. It just has two things going against it that can't be reconciled:

1. It's run by people. People can be bribed, bought off, threatened, etc.

2. The people who keep escaping are just that good.

[Coidzor]

Batman, he does die but just reincarnates in some continuities, and plot armor are all that's really there.

[erikun]

The current Batman storyline is kind of stuck in the psudo-70s/80s storyline where the police are irredeemably corrupt, crime is rampant, and mobsters are everywhere. Seriously, with as active as Batman is, the local jail must be holding 60% of Gotham's population.

As for why the Joker is alive? Whoever is running Arkham Asylum isn't interested in killing him (or anyone else committed) probably due to keeping a steady paycheck for himself. I wouldn't be surprised if one day someone reveals there has been an evil anarchic organization behind putting money into Arkham just to keep such people alive; it would certainly fit the rest of the world.

[The Glyphstone]

There's been at least one plotline where Arkham itself was revealed to be an evil genius loci, I think.

[Dusk Eclipse]

See the problem is Arkham is actually a fortress with some of the best security around if the video games are any indication. It just has two things going against it that can't be reconciled:

1. It's run by people. People can be bribed, bought off, threatened, etc.

2. The people who keep escaping are just that good.

AFAIK until Batman and thus his superpowered/insane/evil enemies appeared Arkham was a normal (if cursed) Asylum, not designed to hold extremely dangerous people. I suppose Arkham security has been increased in and by the Arkham games timeline, not sure on other continuities. And isn't Hugo Strange the warden at Arkham anyhow?

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Many officers have probably tried the vigilante route. That guy who ended up "accidentally" trying to push him down the stairs? Slipped on a banana peel Joker smuggled in from the mess hall. That orderly with a triple dose of sedative? Joker struggled a bit too much and the guy dosed himself instead. People have tried shooting him, and yet somehow they're the ones who are lucky if they get out alive. After a while, people stop trying to mess with the Joker because they value their own lives.

Jokers are wild and therefore always trump everyone else.

I rather like this, in a perverse sort of way.

[Xondoure]

I always thought it would be fun for a cop to kill the Joker, and spend the next few weeks going insane until he was the Joker. But I recognize that would make a lot of people upset. Would make a great story though...

[Yora]

Plot armor as thick as the earths crust.

He has killed over 2000 people by this point. Even the insanity clause doesn't work.

Heck why not just move him to a better facility then revolving doors arkham?

Because it's a superhero comic.

Why did the chicken cross the road? - Because the plot demands it!

[CarpeGuitarrem]

I always thought it would be fun for a cop to kill the Joker, and spend the next few weeks going insane until he was the Joker. But I recognize that would make a lot of people upset. Would make a great story though...

You know, thinking on this--

The Joker claims to have a multiple-choice history.

The Joker may not even remember what his real history is.

This would make more sense than it seems.

[Xondoure]

You know, thinking on this--

The Joker claims to have a multiple-choice history.

The Joker may not even remember what his real history is.

This would make more sense than it seems.

That's where I got the idea, and it would fit with the stories where all the Joker is trying to do is make Batman angry enough to kill him, even if he wasn't aware of the reason behind it.

[Prime32]

I always thought it would be fun for a cop to kill the Joker, and spend the next few weeks going insane until he was the Joker. But I recognize that would make a lot of people upset. Would make a great story though...

I'd read it... but only if the Joker's body was destroyed before it could be examined, the Joker-cop also died, and another Joker appeared at the end, seeming to possess the memories of the original.

[Xondoure]

I'd read it... but only if the Joker's body was destroyed before it could be examined, the Joker-cop also died, and another Joker appeared at the end, seeming to possess the memories of the original.

Naturally.

[Dienekes]

He has killed over 2000 people by this point.

More.

Heck why not just move him to a better facility then revolving doors arkham?

They've moved him several times. The results tend to be poor for everyone. Hell one time he ended up making all the super villains semi-Jokers and nearly destroying the world.

It was a fun comic. Made no sense, at all, but damn was it good for a chuckle.

[Scowling Dragon]

Ugh. The Joker is such a Villian Sue.

[Gnoman]

I prefer to view the Joker as something of a lesser chaos god, or an incarnation of the concept of Chaos, rather than as a crazy human. Thus, if you imprison him, Murphy's law will allow him to escape, and killing him will only result in you being surprised next time he shows up.

[olelia]

Of course there is....

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Where he most definitely dies in Batman: Arkum City...buttt I highly doubt that's cannon at all.

[lord_khaine]

Actualy, being protected by one of the Lords of Chaos is proberly the best explanation why he is still alive storywise.

[Dienekes]

Of course there is....

Spoiler

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Where he most definitely dies in Batman: Arkum City...buttt I highly doubt that's cannon at all.

The saddest moment in video game history. Ever.

[Giggling Ghast]

The saddest moment in video game history. Ever.

Why? It was the Joker. I would pour gasoline over his body, toss a match and then piss on the ashes. Jesus, the mayor of Gotham should declare the day he died a holiday.