"Joker's Wild" is the fortieth episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series. It originally aired on Fox Kids in the United States on November 19, 1992.
Synopsis[]
An argument over the TV erupts in the rec room of Arkham Asylum between Poison Ivy and the Joker. Ivy is watching a gardening show while the Joker wants to watch some comedy. The argument is eventually resolved when a nearby guard, Irving, breaks it up and changes the channel at random, hitting on a news report about the opening of billionaire Cameron Kaiser's latest luxury casino outside Gotham City. The theme of the casino has been a carefully kept secret.
Kaiser snips the ribbon, and to everyone's shock and horror, including the Joker, the new casino is dubbed "Joker's Wild", complete with a laughing effigy of Joker's head on top. Kaiser laughs off the idea that he is honoring Joker, instead saying that he is paying tribute to the symbol's classic roots, not caring if it does resemble "some criminal fruitcake". Outraged, the Joker hurls Ivy's potted plant toward the television, smashing it in the process as he rages about how someone would use his image for their own benefit.
Joker fakes an illness to be taken to the infirmary and quickly gives Irving the slip, but Irving appears to be letting him go on purpose. He quickly escapes the asylum and grabs a passing truck.
Bruce Wayne, a guest at the opening gala, quickly gives his date the push, and summons Alfred with a Batsuit. Bruce is suspicious of Kaiser's motives, as the casino's resemblance to the Joker is all too obvious. Bruce looks beneath the decor of his room and finds the Joker wallpaper hastily laid over a medieval theme.
Infiltrating Kaiser's office as Batman, he sees a model of the proposed casino, where the Joker's head has been slipped over a building labeled "Camelot". Then he examines Kaiser's private files and sees massive construction bills for the casino, and a dossier on Joker. He is interrupted by Irving (actually one of Kaiser's security guards), who attacks him. Batman easily gives him the slip.
Joker enters the casino and sees all the clown-themed and suit of cards decor, gloats that he is in a place where it is all dedicated to him and feels almost sorry to destroy the casino. Joker is mistaken for a dealer since they are all dressed as him. On a whim, he decides to spend a little time dealing at the blackjack tables. After he wins several rounds in a row, the players leave in disgust. The security camera sees Joker cheating, and a guard recommends action against him, but it is vetoed by Kaiser, who is actually pleased to see the suspicious dealer there. Bruce is on the floor and happens to come across Joker's card table. To test whether it is the actual Joker, he drops some casual comments about the kitschy decor, and to top things off, wins the round with a little sleight of hand much to the Joker's shock. Joker can barely restrain his rage, giving himself away.
Bruce slips out of the casino and is back almost instantly as Batman. But when he grabs the Joker, it is revealed to only be one of the legitimate employees, causing commotion and allowing Joker to run. He disappears into the crowd and grabs a Joker-themed roadster parked in the casino, driving it into a crash and disappearing.
Kaiser watches on the video cameras as Joker rigs the basement of the casino with explosives. He prepares to leave, but Batman appears and confronts him. He's figured out that Kaiser bankrupted himself building his "Camelot" casino, so he altered it to invite the Joker's wrath, and allow him to collect the insurance money when it's destroyed. Kaiser admits it, then disables Batman with an electric device hidden in his desk. He calls Irving and another thug and tells them to send Batman down to the basement. As soon as he arrives, Joker knocks him out.
Batman comes around strapped to a giant roulette wheel, which Joker has rigged to detonate the explosives. But Batman then explains to Joker that Kaiser is playing him for a patsy, manipulating him into destroying the casino to collect money in an insurance scam. Joker is outraged and, with a change of plans, he disconnects the explosives and resolves to catch up with Kaiser to settle the score man-to-clown before he flees the casino. Before leaving, however, he spins the wheel and tosses a grenade onto it. Batman manages to escape the trap by shooting the grenade away with his grapple gun.
Kaiser rushes to the helipad and boards his personal helicopter, which lifts off, then stops. Joker reveals himself to be piloting the chopper. He frankly congratulates Kaiser for the deviousness of his plot, describing it as "a scheme worthy of me", then announces that he plans to kill Kaiser and run the casino from behind the scenes.
They are interrupted by Batman, flying after the chopper in his Bat-glider. Joker fires his pistol, which damages the glider, but Batman manages to grab the chopper. As he wrestles with Joker, the chopper dives toward the casino and crashes through the front doors. Joker tries to run, but Batman floors him with a well-aimed kick, sending him crashing into a slot machine, which jackpots and covers him with quarters.
Joker is returned to Arkham, where he watches Summer Gleeson's news report on his own arrest and Kaiser's downfall. He disgustedly changes the channel, but it's now three against one—Ivy, Mad Hatter, and Scarecrow. He nervously changes the channel back, and angrily mutters to himself "Ah, you bunch of no good, whacked-out losers, ya make me sick".
Cast[]
- Kevin Conroy as Batman
- Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred
- Mari Devon as Summer Gleeson
- Mark Hamill as The Joker
- Harry Hamlin as Kaiser
- Ernie Hudson as Security Guard
- Brion James as Irving
- Diane Pershing as Poison Ivy
- Roger Rose as TV Host
Gallery[]
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External links[]
- "Joker's Wild" at Batman: The Animated Series Wiki
- "Joker's Wild" at DC Animated Universe Wiki
- "Joker's Wild" at IMDb