DC Comics Rebirth related Spoilers for New 52’s Justice League #50 and Darkseid War follow.
In the pages of Justice League #50, the culmination of the Darkseid War, and DC Universe Rebirth #1 it was revealed what the Mobius Chair…
….told Batman in answer to his question about who the Joker was / is.
Justice League #50 (spoilers here).
DC Universe Rebirth #1 (spoilers here).
There are 3 Jokers?!
In addition, at a recent Reddit AMA session, Batman writer Tom King spoke about the 3 Jokers and 1 more Joker that was lurking around; that 4th Joker is not tied to the 3 Joker mystery storyline.
This past week’s Harley Quinn #13 revealed the identity of that lurking Joker leaving the Mobius Chair’s 3 Jokers mystery yet to be resolved.
UPDATE:
Harley Quinn co-writer Jimmy Palmiotti confirmed on twitter that the Joker in Harley Quinn #13 is not one of the 3 Jokers mystery.
@dinahlaance No. Although I have no clue what the " three jokers" thing is about.
— Jimmy Palmiotti (@jpalmiotti) February 2, 2017
DC Comics Rebirth Spoilers for Harley Quinn #13 follow.
Harley Quinn has discovered that the Joker that has been visiting her over the last few issues was a fake!
After a car mishap, Harley helped get this Joker bandaged up and noticed that his nether region didn’t have the same scars as the original Joker…
…that Harley knows intimately.
After some torture and threats of torture he admits he’s a fraud; a fraud named Edwin who…
…first appeared in the New 52’s Harley Quinn #9 in 2013.
He was jailed and due to good behavior and attending his meetings with his psychiatrist earned prison privileges. He had a job in the joint, mail room it appears, and ran across mail that would somehow allow him to contact directly who he believed was the Joker.
So, he wrote to the Joker who seemingly wrote back and gave him advice on how to escape, where to stay low, and what his own measurements and details to facilitate cosmetic surgery for Edwin to become the Joker.
He was also taught the mannerisms and vocal pitch of the Joker and…
…was even guided to the same chemical vat that gave the real Joker his pale skin and green body hair.
As part of his ruse, Edwin-Joker killed a building full of people too. He doesn’t know why his Joker pen pal put him up to all this and even bank rolled it, but Harley Quinn believes it was to mess with her.
Seemingly in response to the death of the building’s residents, and perhaps this whole charade, Harley Quinn ends this Joker…
…permanently leaving her crew to dispose of the body.
So…
This Joker in Harley Quinn was the fraud that Batman writer noted was lurking in DC Rebirth. This is not one of three Jokers that the Mobius Chair revealed to Batman.
The Mobius Chair is New Gods Fourth World technology that can tell the difference between pretend dress-up and the more esoteric hence the Chair telling Batman that in response to was the Joker the chair responded there were 3 Jokers… as in 3 real Jokers.
Here is DC Comics’ 101 on the New Gods if you need some more clarity on them and Metron the one who usually sets on and commands the Mobius Chair.
You should probably know that Mobius is the Anti-Monitor’s real name and he sat on and commanded the Mobius Chair prior to New God Metron.
After Batman no longer sat on it, and Metron is MIA, the Mobius Chair continues to search for a new master since Justice League #50 ended the Darkseid War arc and the New 552 all the while teasing DC Rebirth.
It is possible this is tied to the whole Watchmen / Doctor Manhattan steeling time and tinkering with DC Rebirth as the world reformed after Flashpoint. It is not likely that the 3 Jokers refers to a multiversal gaggle of Jokers.
So there are 3 real Jokers on Prime Earth for some reason and that story will unfold in DC Rebirth.
Don’t be duped to buy exorbitantly priced New 52 Harley Quinn #9 on ebay or other sources. It’s not tied to the 3 Jokers Rebirth mystery.
However, if you’re a fan of this run and its creators, regardless that the story isn’t tied to the Watchmen Rebirth, check out a reasonably priced digital version.
All that said, don’t be duped; be vigilant. Read what you want to read, not based on why some tells you it “may” be important, but because you simply are intrigued. Be a fan not a speculator.
End of PSA. :)
