10 Times The Joker Was Genuinely Hilarious
4. How He Defeated Batman In A Death In The Family - Batman #429
Anyone who has the smallest knowledge of the Batman comics knows the Joker killed the second Robin, Jason Todd, in the story, A Death In the Family. Even if you haven't read the comic, this fact is ingrained in the minds of DC fans. But if you haven't read it, a lot of people don't know how the plot concluded. After the Joker battered Jason with a crowbar and blew him up with a bomb, why didn't Batman kill him?
The answer... is ridiculous, even by Joker standards. The Joker avoided being battered to death by the Dark Knight by becoming... the Iranian representative of the United Nations. (Okay, everyone knew the Joker would do something crazy, but NOBODY was expecting that.) Since the Joker represents a nation, he is granted diplomatic immunity, meaning Batman can't lay a finger on him without starting a potential war with the Middle East.
Although that plan sounds absolutely insane, it kind of worked! Superman himself stopped Batman from slaughtering his arch-nemesis, knowing it could cause an international incident. As tragic and emotional as this story is, the ending is so preposterous, it's hilarious.