The Batman and The Scarlet Witch

Christmas With the Joker

From the rooftop, the three heroes spot an elderly upper-class woman carrying a wrapped Christmas present walking on the empty street. A mysterious younger man runs up to her from behind.

"There!" Batman points out the possible crime. He swings from the rooftop, prepared to stop the crime, but things are not as they appear to be.

"Hey lady, hold up!" The man called, announcing himself. Batman ducks into the alley and observes. The elderly woman turns around to the man and sees he's carrying a wrapped present, "You dropped this package a couple of blocks back!"

"Oh; It's for my grandson! Thanks so much!" The woman smiles, taking the package before she kisses the man on the cheek, "Merry Christmas!"

The man and the elderly woman then go their separate ways. Scarlet Witch smiles at the interaction as she and Robin join Batman in the alley.

"Now, can we go home?" Robin asked. Batman leaves silently by swinging away, again. Robin mutters, "He could give lessons to Scrooge!"

"My brother has always had a mindset that crime never takes a break, even on Christmas," Scarlet Witch told him, "But, perhaps this year will be different."

At Wayne Manor, Bruce, Grace, and Dick sit at the dining table to have a Christmas Eve dinner.

"The Christmas goose will be ready shortly," Alfred announced.

"Y'know, we really should have done one more sweep of the city," Bruce pressed.

"Bruce, It's Christmas Eve," Grace reminded her brother, "If there is a problem, the Batcomputer or Alder will alert us. For now, let's enjoy the holidays."

"Yeah, Bruce," Dick agrees, "Just relax. You're gonna love 'It's A Wonderful Life; it's a great movie."

"It's not relentlessly cheerful, is it?" Bruce asked.

"No, it's about how much of a difference one man can make to a city. Sound familiar?" Dick smirks at Bruce.

The three left the dining room and went to the theater room. They sat down on some cushioned chairs before Dick turns on the tv. But instead of "It's a Wonderful Life", it was an in-color camera scene of a neatly decorated Christmas tree with toys and wrapped gifts at the base. The camera then shifts views to a fireplace with a shadowed figure standing beside it.

"Aahh...wrong channel...some kind of Christmas Special..." Dick attempts to change the channel, but no matter what the channels were only playing the same thing.

The camera pans up at the figure by the fireplace.

"It's a Wonderful Life" will not be seen this year. In its place is the following..." The narrator turns to face the camera, revealing himself to be the Joker, wearing a dark green turtle neck and a red button-up sweater over it, "Joker here! Greetings Gotham and Merry Christmas! I hope you're watching, Batman and Scarlet Witch, this one's for you...Ha Ha Ha Ha --- HA HA HA HA HA!"

The scene on the tv changes to live footage of a Santa half popping out of a chimney on top of a tank. The tank is in downtown Gotham and the citizens run out of the tank's way to avoid being crushed by it. Some even abandon their cars that were in the tank's way.

"Live from Gotham City! The show that nobody wants to see, but everyone will watch!"

The tank stops in the middle of the street before the Santa topper blasts off into the sky. The Santa topper explodes into a burst of fireworks shaped in the Joker's likeness.

"Yes, it's 'Christmas With The Joker'!!!" The scene switches to a humble home as a sled pulled by a reindeer statue on wheels carrying the Joker comes into view, "And now, let's welcome our host, the clown prince of crime, The Joker!! -- Greetings from Gotham City! And welcome to the first annual "Christmas with the Joker"!"