# If you were Batman would you kill the joker?



## TyDavis (Mar 8, 2013)

Yes or no, and why?


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## amuklewicz (Sep 23, 2013)

The bat man plays with joker for the same reason the joker plays with the bat man. Come on, that's like, Newton's Third Law! Get on my level!
But really, Batman's own sense of right/wrong and heroic insprations, background, and motivations, just scream never. If I killed the joker, that would be a betrayal of the batman persona. Even if I thought it would be right to to kill a man in any case (I really don't), I would not kill the joker. It would be better to reform him, if anything.
Just like Discord in MLP.


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## Dashing (Sep 19, 2011)

Yeah, finish him off quickly and relax in my cool bat suit.


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## associative (Jul 1, 2013)

Batman is a moral absolutist who is strongly against (extrajudicial) killing. So no.

But if he was accidentally killed while I was trying to apprehend him, in spite of my best efforts, I wouldn't feel the least bit bad about it.


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## Caged Within (Aug 9, 2013)

The only reason Batman doesn't kill Joker is because Batman is aware of his mental illness, which is the key factor that distinguishes him from the rest of his usual villains. Batman is conscious enough of himself to know that if he kills Joker, he will go about to kill every other supervillain on the planet. It's interesting that he fights the urge so hard, for when an alternate universe version of him finally killed all of them, it ushered in an era of global peace and prosperity. I'd personally kill Joker for the same reasons Batman fantasizes about killing him. The man is just a monster. In the Pre-52, the man killed the second Robin, crippled Batgirl, killed Gordon's wife, and is responsible for the deaths of thousands. Even other Arkham Asylum patients hate him. There's also no hope to cure the guy for he's so twisted, doctors diagnosed him with everything. He's a walking, talking DSM that also happens to enjoy murdering people and kicking puppies. Nothing less than an Act of God could cure this guy for more than five seconds...No, really. The Spectre, who is God's Wrath, was the only being to ever truly cure him.


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## Damagedfinger (Oct 27, 2013)

No, because the joker completes me and I complete the joker.

We are very different but very alike.


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## SisOfNight (Oct 31, 2013)

No.
Because I am (or were) Batman.


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## ApostateAbe (Aug 8, 2013)

What you really mean is: would I kill the Joker if my brain were put in Bruce Wayne's body? Hell, yeah, I would kill the son of a bitch. The ends justify the means, and I can save a lot more lives from murder if I murder only once.


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## Jason104 (Sep 18, 2010)

Of course I would. By killing him you will save many lives.


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## Ligerman30 (Oct 23, 2013)

The whole point of batman, and similarly most super-heroes, is that even though they possess this immense power they are under the strict control of their own moral principles. Why do you think Batman left the league of shadows in the first place? He can't bear to take the life of another human being in the same way that his parent's lives were taken from him. If I were batman, I would not be able to bring myself to kill the joker, even if it was the correct logical decision.


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## Glenda Gnome Starr (May 12, 2011)

Definitely not. Why would I, Batman, want to turn that rotten villain with the stupid grin into a martyr? Who needs to hear all of the Joker's cronies go on and on with endless eulogies at the Joker's memorial service? Besides, who would pay attention to me if my entertaining battles with the Joker suddenly ceased because the Joker was deceased?


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## TyDavis (Mar 8, 2013)

Just for future reference the point is not what or who batman is in terms of image, morals, etc. The question is if YOU were suddenly in Batman's position and had the opportunity to kill him would you? From what I perceive some of you are interpreting as "suddenly I'm batman, therefore I am everything batman including his morals."


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## TyDavis (Mar 8, 2013)

Caged Within said:


> The only reason Batman doesn't kill Joker is because Batman is aware of his mental illness, which is the key factor that distinguishes him from the rest of his usual villains. Batman is conscious enough of himself to know that if he kills Joker, he will go about to kill every other supervillain on the planet. It's interesting that he fights the urge so hard, for when an alternate universe version of him finally killed all of them, it ushered in an era of global peace and prosperity. I'd personally kill Joker for the same reasons Batman fantasizes about killing him. The man is just a monster. In the Pre-52, the man killed the second Robin, crippled Batgirl, killed Gordon's wife, and is responsible for the deaths of thousands. Even other Arkham Asylum patients hate him. There's also no hope to cure the guy for he's so twisted, doctors diagnosed him with everything. He's a walking, talking DSM that also happens to enjoy murdering people and kicking puppies. Nothing less than an Act of God could cure this guy for more than five seconds...No, really. The Spectre, who is God's Wrath, was the only being to ever truly cure him.


http://m.youtube.com/watch?p=PL35FE5C4B157509C9&feature=plpp&v=Mq8hGbeDvL8


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## SisOfNight (Oct 31, 2013)

TyDavis said:


> Just for future reference the point is not what or who batman is in terms of image, morals, etc. The question is if YOU were suddenly in Batman's position and had the opportunity to kill him would you? From what I perceive some of you are interpreting as "suddenly I'm batman, therefore I am everything batman including his morals."


Well, _I_ really meant what I said.

Obviously, I am not Batman per se, but in some ways I think _like_ him, including not wanting to kill, particularly not wanting to kill the Joker.

Surely, it made things easier if he was dead and maybe it would be even "just", however I would not want to decide what is "right" or "wrong" when I was in Batman's position.
Moreover, I don't believe in the saying "an eye for an eye" - killing someone because they killed many others. 

Sometimes you have to transcend mere "fairness", as Harvey Dent's (in the Nolan film) superficial reason for killing was - the real one was simply revenge. In regards to "bringing justice" I believe one should _not_ include passionate emotions of revenge. 

People who believe in the death penalty seem so "cold" and "determined" but in truth they feel highly hurt and are frightened when they know of people like the Joker "who do not get what they deserve". 
As the people who were killed by the Joker do not "deserved" to be killed, so does _not_ the Joker. 

No living being deserves to be killed - nor do they "deserve" to be alive.


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## TGW (May 4, 2012)

No. Because if I WAS Batman that would mean that I would be... Batman. Which means I would have his rule about not killing people. Just like if I was Hitler, I would have a small prejudice against Jews.

btw I accidentally put yes when I meant to put no. Oops.


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## Nekomata (May 26, 2012)

Not at all. Everyone needs an arch nemesis, and Batman is no different~


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## Octopus Dog (Feb 18, 2013)

*No. Isn't he that way because of his mental illness? I wouldn't feel comfortable about killing anyone, let alone someone with a severe mental health issue. He's probably just as much a victim (to his brain) as his victims.
I would try to get him rehabilitated or something.*


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## Daeva (Apr 18, 2011)

Quick and quiet -or slow and with a bang-, I don't really care how but I would put a stop to this psychopath's actions once and for all. If not for the thousands of deaths he caused (and will cause), then at least as a personal vengeance for how he made the people I care about suffer so much. I will never tolerate that; not in hypothetical situations, not in real situations.


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## elixare (Aug 26, 2010)

TyDavis said:


> Yes or no


Sure why not.



> and why?


'Cause he's an annoying son of a bitch


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## HamsterSamurai (Jun 28, 2012)

Rehabilitation has already been tried. Hello, Arkham? Harley Quinn, how's it going....
No one "needs" an arch nemesis, unless they are dramatic. End it quietly, in the shadows, so he doesn't become an inspiration.


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## NiamhD (Dec 3, 2013)

Yes. I don't need a reason.


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## Wellsy (Oct 24, 2011)

No, the batman doesn't kill criminals. 
It isn't Justice.


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## EternalNocturne (Nov 4, 2011)

NO! I would give that man a cookie..



Okay. Just kidding.


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## EternalNocturne (Nov 4, 2011)

Wellsy said:


> No, the batman doesn't kill criminals.
> It isn't Justice.


Not trying to start an argument, but out of curiosity...
Imagine the Joker, after countless attempts to medically and psychologically rehabilitate the Joker, he's still the same.
He has escaped the Asylum..Again.. And he is causing trouble..Again.
Let's say you have the choice to either kill the Joker and save innocent lives/prevent their deaths, or B.Let the Joker murder them, and possibly escape.
Tell me, which is justice? If one values human life, the Joker must die in this scenario. 
If one doesn't value human life, why are you fighting crime in the first place?
It's not a happy and pleasant possibility, but as we all know, the world isn't always happy and pleasant.


Just a few thoughts..


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## Wellsy (Oct 24, 2011)

Undoubtedly said:


> Not trying to start an argument, but out of curiosity...
> Imagine the Joker, after countless attempts to medically and psychologically rehabilitate the Joker, he's still the same.
> He has escaped the Asylum..Again.. And he is causing trouble..Again.
> Let's say you have the choice to either kill the Joker and save innocent lives/prevent their deaths, or B.Let the Joker murder them, and possibly escape.
> ...


I see the cost benefit in that he certainly should die because his existence is a constant source of death and destruction but I ain't hot on killing anyone. If he must die, then they should reform the law and have him executed after he's captured.
As a society, decide that he needs to die, though I think the Joker only survives based on "insanity" case.
Way I see it, Batman is maintaining a kind of integrity in his Justice, he stops crime and catches criminals but he doesn't put himself so high up as to decide who lives and who dies. Also Batman is a vigilante, he kills the Joker, he'd be a murderer in the eyes of Officer James Gordon and his own. This is what maintains Batman as a hero rather than an anti-hero.

Batman is symbolic as a role model to all of Gotham and The Joker wants nothing more than to break the Batman and tear his image down, he wants Batman to kill him. It's a internal struggle for Batman that the Joker gets his kicks from, in that he wants to bring the greatest down.

The Joker is all that is the worst in man, his chaotic brutality, the monster inside every man released, he thinks. Batman not killing him shows that not all men are like him (The Joker). Batman being an inspiration to what is the best in us and that the worst can be resisted.


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## EternalNocturne (Nov 4, 2011)

Wellsy said:


> I see the cost benefit in that he certainly should die because his existence is a constant source of death and destruction but I ain't hot on killing anyone. If he must die, then they should reform the law and have him executed after he's captured.
> As a society, decide that he needs to die, though I think the Joker only survives based on "insanity" case.
> Way I see it, Batman is maintaining a kind of integrity in his Justice, he stops crime and catches criminals but he doesn't put himself so high up as to decide who lives and who dies. Also Batman is a vigilante, he kills the Joker, he'd be a murderer in the eyes of Officer James Gordon and his own. This is what maintains Batman as a hero rather than an anti-hero.
> 
> ...



Fair enough.


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## sinshred (Dec 1, 2013)

i love rivalries , i should answer no.


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## Richard Evers (Aug 20, 2013)

If I were Batman I probably would, but if I would encounter him, I probably would invite him for a beer, most hilarious figure in filmhistory. roud:


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## FearAndTrembling (Jun 5, 2013)

Wellsy said:


> I see the cost benefit in that he certainly should die because his existence is a constant source of death and destruction but I ain't hot on killing anyone. If he must die, then they should reform the law and have him executed after he's captured.
> As a society, decide that he needs to die, though I think the Joker only survives based on "insanity" case.
> Way I see it, Batman is maintaining a kind of integrity in his Justice, he stops crime and catches criminals but he doesn't put himself so high up as to decide who lives and who dies. Also Batman is a vigilante, he kills the Joker, he'd be a murderer in the eyes of Officer James Gordon and his own. This is what maintains Batman as a hero rather than an anti-hero.
> 
> ...


Then you should hang up your cape and stop the vigilantism, if you are so worried about maintaining the public justice system. Batman is already operating outside the law. 

It is irresponsible to not put out a fire that you know is just gonna flare up again and hurt people. Plenty of heroes kill their enemies. So many have been killed in history simply trying to maintain an "idea", while the real world crumbles around them.


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## Wellsy (Oct 24, 2011)

FearAndTrembling said:


> Then you should hang up your cape and stop the vigilantism, if you are so worried about maintaining the public justice system. Batman is already operating outside the law.
> 
> It is irresponsible to not put out a fire that you know is just gonna flare up again and hurt people. Plenty of heroes kill their enemies. So many have been killed in history simply trying to maintain an "idea", while the real world crumbles around them.


Well Batman would do just that if he killed The Joker beause everything he built himself around in his stable stance on Justice would fall apart. I imagine it would destroy him in that he would lose hope in himself, he'd would've tainted his own ideals. Though mentally resilient I imagine even The Batman would struggle with that. 
Also I think if the Batman is ever willing to kill the Joker he should be willing to destroy Gotham as he was intended to in his training with the League of Shadows who believe the end justifies the means and were willing to kill innocence because they believe Gotham was corrupted to it's core and that no good could come out of it so best to whipe the slate clean. 


This is the only basis as to why the Batman doesn't do it and it's more of a mind game, if you want a hero who kills you'd want an anti-hero like the Punisher. Though I suppose it's more of a poetic rivalry and a cash cow than anything.


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## FearAndTrembling (Jun 5, 2013)

Wellsy said:


> Well Batman would do just that if he killed The Joker beause everything he built himself around in his stable stance on Justice would fall apart. I imagine it would destroy him in that he would lose hope in himself, he'd would've tainted his own ideals. Though mentally resilient I imagine even The Batman would struggle with that.
> Also I think if the Batman is ever willing to kill the Joker he should be willing to destroy Gotham as he was intended to in his training with the League of Shadows who believe the end justifies the means and were willing to kill innocence because they believe Gotham was corrupted to it's core and that no good could come out of it so best to whipe the slate clean.
> 
> 
> This is the only basis as to why the Batman doesn't do it and it's more of a mind game, if you want a hero who kills you'd want an anti-hero like the Punisher. Though I suppose it's more of a poetic rivalry and a cash cow than anything.


Yes, but sometimes a hero has to kill. And can be justified. You can be a good guy and still kill people. It's not part of your routine, but it happens in all kinds of law enforcement. 

Like people had a problem that Superman broke Zod's neck in Man of Steel. He already killed him in Superman 2. And it was awesome. And Superman is the ultimate good guy, and much less gritty than Batman or the Punisher. It doesn't make me think any less of Superman at all. And Superman is an idea himself. I don't feel he was tainted when he threw Zod to his death, I was cheering him on. Sometimes evil needs to be extinguished, not just delayed.


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## Wellsy (Oct 24, 2011)

FearAndTrembling said:


> Yes, but sometimes a hero has to kill. And can be justified. You can be a good guy and still kill people. It's not part of your routine, but it happens in all kinds of law enforcement.
> 
> Like people had a problem that Superman broke Zod's neck in Man of Steel. He already killed him in Superman 2. And it was awesome. And Superman is the ultimate good guy, and much less gritty than Batman or the Punisher. It doesn't make me think any less of Superman at all. And Superman is an idea himself. I don't feel he was tainted when he threw Zod to his death, I was cheering him on. Sometimes evil needs to be extinguished, not just delayed.


It'd be up to the writers whether Batman can endure it as he is pretty hard arse on doing what he believes.
But I think it would destroy him on the inside or at least bring in a series of doubtfulness in different situations for him, would seem his values don't go along with the end justifies the means and he sees murderers as being bad people. Ultimately though it'd be ideal if he ended the lives of all the professional super villians as all they do is mass crime. 

As for Superman killing Zod, I think that was kind of a lesson for Superman in that he needs to hold himself to higher standard. But he too was met with an impossible situation of Zod not being able to be imprisoned and saying he wouldn't stop to either of them were dead. Suppose the only difference in that situation between the heroes is that The Joker can be imprisoned, at least for a short while and the heroes being different people make different choices.
I do like the touch on this situation at the end of Arkham City, that had a good ending with the Batman still being unscathed by Jokers goal.


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## Ecoas (Jul 28, 2013)

Yes, for the same reason I think WWII was justified on the allies side. The more you violate others rights, the more your rights are downgraded. Prevents more death to kill him.


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## sunsetkey (Dec 8, 2013)

No, only because it would go against my morals! Those morals will certainly eat me up alive.


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## Inveniet (Aug 21, 2009)

No I'd join him. 
Together we could do anything.


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