Welcome to FOJ.com, the Forum of Justice.
An online information project overseen by Cyborg, Victor Stone, of the Justice League.
Project goals:
Discuss current events, warn users about potential threats, and provide a community for people who want to learn more about the “unique” side of our world.
You are logged in as:
ChaosLord1408
Newbie
Status: Active, Online
Private Messages: [No new messages]
Warnings: None
Thread:
The Joker’s Games.
League Hypocrisy and the Newcomer’s Triumph on the Meta-Community Stage!
Section:
Forums ► Discussions ► Gotham ► Metahumans
► Ralph
Veteran | Analyst | Top 100
Posted: September 7, 2014, 9:07 PM
I’ve officially lost faith in Batman.
I never thought those would be the words I’d open today’s analysis with, but…
let’s face reality.
You all watched the livestream.
You all sat in front of your monitors, fists clenched, while those poor bastards carved themselves apart in that arena.
And how did it end?
The Joker was rescued so the hostages could be saved.
They even brought in Superman, the heavy cavalry, just to pull the clown out from under the knife.
What the hell was all of that for?!
So that exactly one month from now, that painted psychopath can break out of Arkham again, poison the water supply, or blow up a kindergarten?
I’m tired of beating this dead horse in practically every post concerning Gotham, but someone needs to call things what they are.
People need to finally understand one simple fact:
When it comes to the Joker, there is only one possible course of action.
DEATH.
Period.
No rehabilitation.
No psychological counseling.
No maximum-security isolation.
Nothing.
Number Forty-Two found himself at the center of this sick “performance,” and he understood that perfectly.
Unfortunately, the chemicals got to him.
The laughing gas hanging over the arena clearly messed with his head.
Instead of putting a bullet through that bastard’s skull the moment he got within reach, Number Forty-Two decided to put on his own show.
He decided to play with the Joker on camera.
And that was his biggest, almost fatal mistake.
YOU DON’T DRAG THINGS OUT WITH THE JOKER!
That’s an axiom.
The more you interact with him, the longer you listen to his bullshit, the greater the chance that everything goes completely off the rails.
Through some fucked-up, twisted irony of fate, that clown always manages to come out on top.
There’s always a damn deus ex machina waiting in the bushes.
A gun jams.
A hero suddenly discovers his moral compass.
Or, like today, Superman comes crashing through the roof.
Still…
Let’s be objective.
At least this time the clown left an eye and a hand behind on the concrete.
A tiny spoonful of honey in a gigantic barrel of shit.
Watching him writhe in genuine pain?
Priceless.
And then there’s the Dark Knight himself.
Someone gave him a pretty painful smack on the nose today.
And I’ll admit it.
That was satisfying too.
Sure, Batman’s identity wasn’t actually exposed.
Our newcomer was obviously just guessing when he threw out Bruce Wayne’s name.
But that “untouchable god” from Metropolis?
He got some very real problems dumped on his doorstep.
It may sound cruel coming from me, but you already know my position.
I think they both deserved it.
When you guys in tights come flying down from the heavens to save serial killers and terrorists from their deserved punishment, be prepared for the consequences to eventually come knocking on your door.
Sure, the Joker probably isn’t going to leave Gotham anytime soon.
But Superman already has more than enough enemies.
Now that his vulnerable spot has been exposed, who knows how the game will change?
Maybe, once he’s actually under serious pressure, our superpowered Boy Scout will finally realize that sometimes you need more radical solutions to your problems.
We’ll see.
Anyway.
There’s absolutely nothing new about the hypocrisy of our “heroes.”
If anything, the official establishment of the Justice League has only produced more of this sanctimonious bullshit.
What kind of universal Justice are they preaching from their shiny tower while tens of thousands of people are rotting in slavery in Africa right now?
While mothers in Cambodia are selling their own children for a bag of rice just to avoid starving to death?
The League is a pretty bandage slapped over an arterial hemorrhage.
I’ve already written more than a hundred posts on this subject.
Anyone interested can find the links on my profile.
But that’s not what this post is about.
It’s about the biggest discovery of the night.
Number Forty-Two.
A big thanks to my sources inside the police department for the quick data leak.
Meet Charles Kirkman, age thirty-two.
Junior logistics manager at LSC, Luthor Shipping Company.
Criminal record: zero.
Arrests: zero.
No psychological abnormalities were detected during his last medical examination.
An ordinary middle-class guy.
A typical white-collar worker pushing paperwork from eight to five, just like most of us.
And that raises an obvious question.
Where did an ordinary office clerk get that kind of absurd strength?
Where did he get the speed to casually ignore the laws of physics?
Where did he get the ability to avoid being melted alive by the acid inside his own body and survive a bomb exploding in the back of his skull?
The answer is simple.
The metagene.
Yes, that infamous metagene whose very existence the government continues trying to deny, and which we argue about by the thousands on this forum every single day.
Some people still consider it a conspiracy theory.
Others keep shoving the facts in their faces.
As you know, I’ve always been on the side of the second group.
After conducting dozens of independent investigations, the archives of which are publicly available through my posts, I’ve long since developed and published my theory:
The metagene is a dormant trigger.
It only “activates” during moments of extreme, inhuman stress.
When you’re on the edge of life and death, and your body realizes one thing:
Evolve right now, or die.
Awakened metahumans can develop practically anything.
From basic forms of kinesis, controlling elements, physiology, vectors of movement, and so on, to abilities so absurd they completely break reality.
In Charles’s case, it looks like he hit the genetic jackpot.
Right now, neither I nor, I’m sure, the League’s analysts have a complete understanding of exactly what range of abilities he possesses.
But.
The facts speak for themselves.
He’s physically stronger than peak human athletes.
He possesses tremendous durability and resistance to toxins.
And most importantly, he can materialize objects from thin air.
You all saw that terrifying dark glaive he used to tear through the Joker’s men.
If Kirkman survives the next week and continues appearing in the news cycle, we’ll probably see even more tricks hiding up his sleeve.
So what is his official status?
I just checked the database.
He’s already been officially listed on the Justice League website as:
“VILLAIN.”
Funny?
Absolutely.
Considering he slaughtered a heavily armed squad of Joker’s men while rescuing hostages, the label was predictable.
The League’s moral compass doesn’t allow for shades of gray.
Kill a terrorist?
Welcome to the blacklist.
Will Charles start acting according to the label they’ve forced onto him?
Hard to say.
Despite my obvious sympathy toward him, Kirkman is currently a complete wildcard with a psyche that’s clearly been damaged by extreme stress.
I sincerely hope Gotham didn’t just give birth to another super-psychopath.
I’d rather see someone like Red Hood.
A metahuman with a strict code, someone with the balls to do the dirty work that the Bat and the blue-boy-scout types refuse to touch.
It’s long past time someone shook up this miserable swamp.
Arkham breakouts have become a pathetic weekly routine.
Hostage situations.
Terrorist attacks.
Civilians getting robbed in broad daylight.
Gotham has accumulated so much shit that I honestly don’t feel sorry for the city because another superpowered guy showed up.
Things literally couldn’t get much worse.
But in this particular case, there’s a chance.
A tiny one.
Maybe one in a million.
That this “psycho” won’t turn his newly acquired powers against ordinary working people.
So, that’s it.
Hope dies last.
For now, grab some popcorn and watch.
I’ll try to keep everyone updated with the latest leaks from the GCPD.
As always, thanks to everyone who made it to the end.
Comments are open for discussion.
Follow the site rules, don’t make things personal, and try to treat each other with some basic respect.
Even when you really, really want to call someone an idiot.
► I_Hate_S
Veteran | Top 10,000
Posted: 9:22 PM
Bro, Ralph nailed it as always.
I agree with every damn word.
The hypocrisy from these guys in tights is getting unbearable.
It’s disgusting watching them use government money, our money, by the way, to save people who are just going to turn around and slaughter us later.
Honestly, I’m pissed the new psycho didn’t finish off the old one while he had the chance.
Now Gotham has two super-powered lunatics instead of one.
As if the mob and corrupt cops weren’t enough already.
► Watermelon2121
Newbie
Posted: 9:24 PM
I’m reading this and I’m honestly shocked…
Are you people serious?!
Why do you think heroes should kill?
Isn’t that the whole point?
If they start executing people left and right without trials or due process, how are they any different from the Joker or Penguin?
The fact that they restrain themselves despite possessing that kind of power is exactly what makes them heroes.
It’s called a moral compass.
Ever heard of one?
► I_Hate_S
Veteran | Top 10,000
Replying to Watermelon2121
A moral compass?
Girl, your compass is obviously stuck on “rainbows and unicorns.”
The fact that they refuse to solve the problem permanently and just keep “containing” it is exactly why the number of victims keeps increasing exponentially.
Every life the Joker takes after today’s “miraculous rescue” by Supes is on Batman’s conscience.
That’s not heroism.
That’s complicity.
► Watermelon2121
Newbie
Replying to I_Hate_S
Murder is the easy way out.
A hero who starts killing has already stepped onto a slippery slope.
It destroys you psychologically.
Now use your brain for a second and imagine some monster like Superman deciding that he’s judge, jury, and executioner because “it’s better for everyone.”
Spoiler:
We’re all fucked at that point.
Because tomorrow he might decide he doesn’t like the way you parked your car.
Or something you posted on this very forum.
► HoI_4
Gamer
Replying to Watermelon2121
This argument is fundamentally pointless.
It’s exactly the same situation as the death penalty in the real world.
Criminology has shown over and over that having capital punishment doesn’t reduce the number of serious crimes.
Same thing with supervillains.
I’m almost certain that if the Clown knew Batman would definitely kill him after his next stunt, he wouldn’t be scared.
He’d just blow up all of Gotham along with himself and put on one gigantic “final show.”
For him, death is just another punchline.
► Not_JOKER
Veteran | Imitator
Replying to HoI_4
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
You know what?
That’s an IDEA!
Brilliant!
Turn the entire city into rubble for one joke!
Like this guy’s thinking!
🤡💥
► AntiHero56
Veteran | Geek
Replying to Not_JOKER
Go fuck yourself, asshole.
Seriously.
Every single thread that mentions the Joker brings out this wannabe.
Admins, Vic, why the hell haven’t you banned this degenerate for promoting terrorism?
You think it’s funny until your guts are wrapped around a piece of rebar.
► Not_JOKER
Veteran | Imitator
Replying to AntiHero56
Aww, did I hurt someone’s delicate feelings with my charisma?
You should take a laxative…
Oops, sorry.
I meant a sedative.
Your bile is practically leaking through the monitor.
► AntiHero56
Veteran | Geek
Replying to Not_JOKER
Drink acid, asshole.
Maybe then your smile will finally be as “beautiful” as your idol’s.
System Notification:
User AntiHero56 has received a warning.
Reason: Insults and wishing physical harm upon another user.
► AntiHero56
Veteran | Geek
Fucking site rules.
So this clown can mock the victims, but I can’t call things what they are?
The mere existence of Joker fanatics is an insult to every sane person on this planet!
► Not_JOKER
Veteran | Imitator
Replying to AntiHero56
Cry about it, sweetheart.
Your rage is the best content I’ve had all night.
Page 31 of 56
► BrianBrianBrian
Veteran
Hey, did anyone else laugh when Number Forty-Two confidently dropped that “inside information” about Bruce Wayne?
I nearly fell out of my chair.
Seriously?
The richest playboy in the city, the guy who somehow manages to get himself involved in scandals even during factory inspections, is Batman?
Come on.
But Superman’s reaction to the Clark Kent reveal…
That got my attention.
Supes looked like someone had spat into his cereal.
Where the hell did Kirkman even get that information?
► TheKing17
Veteran | Theorist
Replying to BrianBrianBrian
I’ll bet a hundred bucks it’s part of his metahuman abilities.
Something like information extraction or whatever.
Either that, or his entire “ordinary manager” biography is fake from top to bottom.
The guy could be connected to an intelligence agency.
Some kind of metahuman control division or something.
Wouldn’t surprise me if he was deliberately planted inside the Games to eliminate the Joker.
► HandFace
Newbie
Replying to TheKing17
In that case…
If he guessed Kent that easily, and he obviously did judging by how badly Supes freaked out, maybe Bruce Wayne really was Batman?
Just theoretically?
Yeah, Bruce died two years ago during that Wayne Manufacturing inspection.
Chemical vat accident.
But Batman already existed at that point. This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
► AntiHero56
Veteran | Geek
Ugh.
That’s a creepy way to die.
Falling into a vat of acid…
Wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
Well, except the Joker.
I’d happily wish it on him.
But Wayne?
Nah.
He was way too soft to wear the mask.
► TheKing17
Veteran | Theorist
Replying to HandFace
Yeah, Bruce is definitely dead.
No question.
Kirkman probably just pulled some old information from the archives of whatever organization he’s actually affiliated with, assuming he’s not really just a white-collar manager.
The names Batman and Wayne could easily have appeared in the same document.
Maybe Wayne invested in his equipment or something.
Superman is harder to explain, but again, it gives my intelligence-agency theory another point in its favor.
► Speedwagon
Internet Warrior
Actually, Bruce Wayne really was Batman, but he died.
Now his dad, Thomas Wayne, is wearing the suit.
LOL.
Now that would be a plot twist.
► ClownCannibal
Veteran | Joker
Replying to Speedwagon
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I’m dying!
Imagine that.
Some overweight fifty-year-old guy whose back shoots pain through his spine every time he bends over, trying to squeeze his beer belly into a Kevlar suit.
Then he loses his balance on a rooftop, falls face-first into a dumpster…
But gets back up and says:
“I’M BATMAN!”
LOL.
Once again, I’m regretting that Vic banned image attachments.
I’d commission art of that old man right now.
► HandFace
Newbie
I’ve got a better theory!
Batman is…
Wayne Enterprises CEO Lucius Fox!
Think about it.
He has access to all the technology.
All the money.
And he always stays in the shadows.
► Nutaro
Veteran | Anime Fan
Replying to HandFace
Bro…
Have you…
Have you actually seen him?
He’s, you know…
Black.
► ClownCannibal
Veteran | Joker
Replying to Nutaro
He’s just doing reverse blackface!
He puts on ivory-colored foundation before going out to confuse the conspiracy theorists!
Four-dimensional chess!
► Nutaro
Veteran | Anime Fan
Dude, give me some of whatever you’re smoking.
That’s fucking brilliant.
Page 45 of 56
► LeagueTOP
Veteran | Fan
Guys, doesn’t anyone else think Superman went way too easy on Kirkman?
I mean…
The guy destroyed his life.
Exposed his identity.
Put his friends and family in danger.
And Supes just wagged his finger at him, gave him a lecture, and flew away?
What the hell are you people complaining about when you call the heroes hypocrites?
A normal person in Superman’s position would’ve turned Kirkman into a pile of ash right there.
Superman is practically a saint for not doing it.
► TheKing17
Veteran | Theorist
Replying to LeagueTOP
Dude, the broadcast was being watched worldwide.
Do you seriously think the symbol of hope can just publicly execute an unarmed, or almost unarmed, metahuman who is also a victim of the Joker?
That would be the end of the Justice League as an organization.
► LeagueTOP
Veteran | Fan
Replying to TheKing17
Obviously, he isn’t going to kill him later either.
He’s way too decent for that.
► I_Hate_S
Veteran | Top 10,000
Obviously, he will kill him.
Or he’ll let Batman do it.
► LeagueTOP
Veteran | Fan
Replying to I_Hate_S
I don’t know what kind of hater you have to be to genuinely believe Superman is capable of that.
He’s spent years proving how good he is!
► I_Hate_S
Veteran | Top 10,000
Replying to LeagueTOP
Mmm.
Probably the kind of person who doesn’t wear rose-colored glasses.
Do you even understand what Kirkman did?
He didn’t just reveal a name.
He put a target on Lois.
On Clark’s parents.
On every friend he has.
Witness protection?
Government assistance?
Don’t make me laugh.
Those systems are weak.
Superman’s army of enemies now knows exactly where to send the bombs.
You don’t need to be a genius to understand this.
Kirkman is fucked.
If Superman’s heat vision doesn’t get him, some convenient “accident” in a prison cell will.
► ChaosLord1408
Newbie
Replying to I_Hate_S
Fact.
We’re in for an epic showdown!
Evil Superman versus an even more unhinged Kirkman.
I’d watch that with a bowl of popcorn.
🍿
► I_Hate_S
Veteran | Top 10,000
Replying to ChaosLord1408
I doubt it’ll be anything “epic.”
If Supes actually snaps, it’ll take him less than a second to solve the problem permanently.
Kirkman won’t even have time to blink before his heart is sitting outside his chest.
The newbie jumped way above his weight class.
Gravity is going to put him back where he belongs.
And it’s going to put him there hard.
► ChaosLord1408
Newbie
Replying to I_Hate_S
Oh, come on.
I’m sure the newbie still has a few surprises left for all of us.