E42: Clowns in Love

Clowns in Love is the second episode of Batman: Shadow War's season four. It introduces Harley Quinn.

Plot
The episode opens up with the Mayor Marion Grange announcing in his office about Wayne Industries donating to charity until a smoke grenade falls into the room with the news crew. The camera man picks it up but it then releases Joker Venom to kill the entire news crew which cause them to literally die laughing. Joker and his men rush into the office with one of the thugs picking up the grinning corpses' camera to videotape the situation live with Joker strapping a bomb to Grange and jokingly mocks it calling it breaking news and that the Mayor "looks like his about to explode with his new fashion sense". Grange attempts to take off the bomb until Joker's henchman stops him and sits him in his chair, grinning sadistically while doing so.

Batman intervenes with the attempted assassination on the Mayor, taking down the cameraman with the camera breaking for the audience to witness Batman stop Joker. Joker activates the bomb and flees, so Batman disarms it while Robin arrives to stop Joker from escaping. Robin is horrified by how dangerous the clown is however he overcomes this and takes down Joker with Batman's assistance. Joker is sent back to Arkham Asylum where Batman and Robin leave to go to Wayne Manor to spend time together.

However at Arkham Asylum, Harleen Quinzel is a new psychiatrist interested in the Clown Prince of Crime and manages to gain authorization to have a session with him. While Harleen tries to stay strong against Joker, the evil clown manages to manipulate her and even gain her sympathy while telling her false stories of how his father abused him and even how Batman "changed his life forever by bathing him with the chemicals of madness", blaming his insanity and unforgivable crimes on the Dark Knight; saying his crimes and mass murders are mean't as jokes. This manipulated Harleen enough to cause her to fall in love with Joker after Joker shared some comedy as well as telling her his "secrets". One night, Harleen helped him escape and so he wreaked havoc off-screen which grew his body count but Batman stopped and beat him with blood even shown coming from his mouth, he brought the clown to the asylum with Harleen desperately hugging him until she was held back by guards and other guards then took him into his cell while Harleen was crying.

With Harleen remembering that night where Joker called her Harley Quinn, she dressed up in her new costume and now armed with a new set of gadgets and weapons, she broke out Joker after killing his guard. With security chasing, Joker and Harley escaped in a getaway car laughing manically together while Joker was still bleeding however he grinned at Harley and held her hand, wanting to give her a "hell of a night". The two villains then begin a crime spree until Batman and Robin intervene.

The Dymanic Duo take down Joker but Harley attacks Robin and then attempts to stop Batman only to be unmasked, revealing it to be Harleen however Quinn reveals she has fully turned into Joker's accomplice. Joker then finds some citzens and tosses an explosive doll at them as a distraction for the Dymanic Duo, allowing the psychotic couple to escape. With evidence left behind during the crime spree, Harley's true identity as Harleen and this angers Harley when they claim they'll tell the audience of how it happened. Joker then planned to kill everyone in the crowd with Harley as an act of revenge for her and just for the clown's amusement and after gassing security with Joker Venom, the two set up explosives all over the place. Batman though found them and fought both maniacs while Robin disarmed their bombs however while Harley distracted the Dark Knight, Joker found Robin while he tried to disarm the final bomb; knocking him out with his boxing glove and then restrained him to the bomb. Batman managed to cuff Harley and then disarmed the explosive while Joker grinned at a cuffed, saddened Harley; arming a secret explosive and left them all to die while he fled.

Batman quickly rescued both and then escaped while leaving the explosive to set off, causing no deaths to the crowd. Batman though handed Harley over to the police and she was saddened by the Joker, until the cop escorting her sat on a whoopie cushion which read "Keep Smiling, Harl. Love Mr. J.", she then broke into laughter while Joker was also laughing elsewhere.

Characters

 * Bruce Wayne/Batman as 
 * Dick Grayson/Robin as 
 * Marion Grange as 
 * Joker as 
 * Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn as 

Objects Used

 * Batarang
 * Grapnel Gun
 * Bat-Cuffs
 * Flash-Bang Grenade
 * Acetylene Torch
 * Joker Venom
 * Boxing Glove Arm
 * Explosive Doll
 * Pop Gun 
 * Mallet
 * Trick Streamers
 * Acid Flower

Deaths

 * 1) News Crew: Killed with Joker Venom.
 * 2) Security Guard: Shot by Harley Quinn.
 * 3) Various Joker Victims: Killed by Joker off-screen.
 * 4) Various Victims: Killed by Joker and Harley Quinn.
 * 5) Security Guard: Killed by Joker's Joker Venom.