10 Most Disturbing Comic Book Panels Of All Time
8. The Implied Rape Of Barbara Gordon
Comic: Batman: The Killing Joke
Batman: The Killing Joke was a controversial book, to say the least, but it was also critically-acclaimed and is often cited as one of the best Joker/Batman stories ever told. The story follows the supposed origin of the Joker, who wants to prove to the world that a single bad day can lead anyone to follow the same evil path he chose.
To make it work, he kidnaps Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon's daughter, and the superhero vigilante known as Batgirl. After he goes to her front door, and she opens it, he shoots her in the belly, which doesn't kill her.
It does ultimately lead to her being paralyzed from the waist down, but that comes later. While he's in the apartment, the Joker takes out a camera and shoots numerous pictures of Barbara as she clings to life, and apparently is raped by the Joker, though this isn't explicitly shown.
Later, when the Joker captures Commissioner Gordon, he tortures him with images of his daughter's rape and torture. Again, the rape isn't explicitly shown, but the page showcasing the photos as Jim Gordon screams the name of his daughter is harrowing, to say the least.