What If..... The Joker was never created.

When people think of Batman’s numerous enemies, there is always one name that stands out above the rest. The Joker is easily the Batman’s greatest foe, and nobody else comes close. He is insane, and kills with no rhyme or reason. He has been portrayed twice in movies, and will have a 3^rd portrayal in the near future. But what do you think Batman’s life would be like, if the accident that turned the master criminal known as The Red Hood into the psychopathic killer known as The Joker, never happened.

            A robbery gone wrong, is the only way to describe it; he thought to himself. The group of thiefs led by the mysterious Red Hood had just tried to rob the ACE chemical plant with the intention of retiring with any profit they would get. They didn’t expect the Batman to show up and ruin their fun. While Batman stopped most of the group pretty easily, the Red Hood was on a run, so Batman naturally gave chase. He was running along a catwalk, high above vats containing chemical waste, when suddenly he turns and throws a punch at Batman, connecting with his jaw. “Ha! Didn’t expect that, did ya?” The Red Hood exclaimed. Without flinching or answering, Batman kicks the Red Hood square in the chest, knocking him off balance, and off of the Catwalk. The Red Hood doesn’t have a chance to hold onto anything, as he falls. “Aaaahhhh!” He screams as he falls, missing a vat of unknown chemicals by a few feet, as he lands on the floor. Jumping down, and landing with ease, Batman walks up to the red hood, ties him up, and leaves him for the police. He quietly slips away as the sirens get even closer.

            Later at the police station, the Red Hood refused to answer any questions, or reveal anything about himself. He had destroyed all records of his existence, burned off his fingerprints, and made himself completely anonymous. He refused all help that was offered to him, and at his trial, he made no effort to conceal his guilt. When being questioned at his trial, he ignored all questions, and went into a monologue. “I did it. There is no question as to my innocence because it does not exist. Do I regret what I did? Not in the slightest. My only regret is that I could not grab onto Batman as I fell, and bring him along with me. If you lock me up, then I will eventually get out. Most likely not by the legal system, but I will get out. And when I do, I will be back on the streets, plotting my next move. My end goal will always be the same. The destruction of the bat freak who put me away. That is all I have to say on the matter, and I will remain silent for the rest of the trial”. And silent he was.

            Throughout the following years, The Red Hood would occasionally show up to challenge Batman more. Whether it would be through a robbery, or a hostage taking, the Batman would always win, with the Hood usually not putting up much of a fight. While other villains like the Penguin, or the Riddler had a gimmick or something memorable, the Red Hood just had his Hood. And while he was a criminal mastermind, he was never able to really stop Batman or his new Robin, the youth named Jason Todd. After many attempts and failures at defeating Batman, the Hood was sent back to Arkham asylum over and over again. During his most recent stay, he was to be examined by Dr. Harleen Quinzel, a psychiatrist who would attempt to find the origin of his madness. After a thorough examination, Dr. Quinzel, had this to say “ The Red Hood, like most inmates of Arkham Asylum, were brought here by the Batman after some failed excursion. Unlike most inmates here however, he is obsessed with anything and everything related to the Batman. Whether it is being victorious over him, or being defeated by him, he is obsessed with confronting him. We here at Arkham will continue to watch him, evaluate him, and hopefully cure him of his obsession”.
            Batman never thought anything special of The Red Hood. While he had many fierce enemies, and the Red Hood was a formidable foe, he just didn't match up to the wits of the Riddler, or the tenacity of Bane. He was just another so called criminal mastermind among the many, and whenever The Red Hood would strike, the Batman would be there, ready to stop him as usual.

            It started to happen after his first arrest. That night, when he first encountered the Bat, once alone in his prison cell. He doesn’t know why it happens, but he can’t stop it when he starts. The first time, he thought it was a random occurrence because of something he thought about. But after a while, he just accepted the random fits of uncontrollable laughter as normal, and just went with it.

(All characters and locations are property of DC comics, and therefore property of Warner Bros. I own nothing)