Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #3
In the latest issue of Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing, the Clown Prince of Crime has been replaced by the Legion of Doom, the DC Universe's most prestigious team of supervillains. Although there are currently two Jokers operating simultaneously, one of them has gone global in a bid to take his chaotic brand of crime worldwide. As such, it seems the Legion of Doom's members aren't fans of this idea.
As seen in the new Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #3 from Matthew Rosenberg and Carmine Di Giandomenico, one Joker attempts to have the bullet in his head removed in Gotham while the other Joker traveling the globe is confronted by the Legion. According to Lex Luthor, the Legion has decided they are no longer interested in Joker's methods, especially his new goal of turning himself into a crime lord. Likewise, it's then confirmed that the Clown Prince of Crime has already been replaced by another clown: his second ex-girlfriend Punchline.
Joker's Legion of Doom Replacement Has Got To Hurt
Having been ignored by Joker ever since the events of the Joker War as well as Punchline's arrest and trial in the aftermath, it has to sting that the Legion of Doom now considers her to be a more valuable member. It certainly didn't help that the Joker showed up to the meeting with his goons dressed up like clown versions of the other Legion villains. Having been edged out of Gotham recently by the Riddler, Black Mask, and Two-Face as well, it looks like no one is interested in dealing with his mayhem any longer.
Clearly, there are consequences that come from being so chaotic and unpredictable (which is Joker's default). Punchline was likely chosen to replace Joker given her dangerous mind and tactics while also having the ability to be a team player, something Joker could never reliably be in any scenario. While Lex Luthor has typically believed that inviting the Joker is a smarter play than being on his bad side, the Legion now believes the Clown Prince is no longer worth their time or tolerance.
Effectively on his own, it will be interesting to see what the Joker's next play will be (as well as what's going on with Gotham's other Joker who's struggling with his memories). While it's not fully clear which Joker is the original Clown Prince, the fact remains that he's no longer a member of the Legion of Doom, a major status quo chance seeing as how the Joker's had a Legion seat for years in the DC Universe. Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #3 is on sale now from DC Comics.