8 Mysteries Even Batman Couldn't Solve

2. How The Joker Returned - Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker

Batman Beyond Return Of The Joker Terry Bruce
Warner Bros.

It wasn't just one Batman who couldn't solve this mystery, but not even two Batmen could crack the code behind the core plot of the stunning Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker animated movie.

Released in 2000, this picture takes place in the 2040s landscape of the Batman Beyond show. With Terry McGinnis the present-day Batman, operating under the stewardship of Bruce Wayne, this future-set offering is thrown for a loop when the long-deceased Joker reappears to cause chaos.

The mystery element here, is just how exactly is the Joker alive and well 40 years after he took his last breath? Neither Terry nor Bruce can decipher this situation, and even more problematic is this resurrected Clown Prince of Crime knows all of his old rival's secrets, including that his Batman is Bruce Wayne.

It would be revealed that the Joker had implemented a genetic chip in Tim Drake during Drake's younger days as Robin, with this chip turning the older Tim into a replicate of Mr. J. This scheme is shut down by Terry's Batman before Joker can fully take over Tim's body, but the only reason we find out the truth to this mystery is because the Jester of Genocide himself decided to let everyone in on his masterplan.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.