10 Times The Joker Basically Defeated Himself

In Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's astounding arc, Batman: Death of the Family, the Joker returns to Gotham after a year-long hiatus. Having had his own face cut off and now wearing it as a mask, Batman's nemesis seems more psychotic than ever.

For his latest scheme, Joker tells Batman that his family has made him soft and so, must be killed in order to make the superhero a more efficient crimefighter.

After the Joker kidnaps Batman, Alfred, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin (Tim Drake), Robin (Damian Wayne), and Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), he infects them with Joker Venom. After Bats breaks free from his restraints, he chases the heckling horror through the catacombs of the Batcave. As the Joker reaches a cliffside, he realises he is cornered.

As the the caliph of clowns attempts to taunt Batman, the superhero messes with his mind by claiming he knows his true identity. The Joker goes berserk, stating that changing their dynamic would ruin the relationship between the two of them. As Batman leans in to whisper the Joker's name, the clown shoves him away, causing him to fall off the cliff.