Joker Xenomorph: The Rare Alien Who Fought Batman
The Joker Xenomorph was a distinctive Alien hybrid featured in the crossover comic series "Batman/Aliens II." This character represented a blend of the Joker, the notorious main adversary of Batman, and a Xenomorph Warrior, mixed together with DNA splicing. It made its first and only appearance in the sequel to the 1997 comic "Batman/Aliens." This fusion brought together the Joker's chaotic behavior with the horror elements of the Xenomorphs, creating a unique but short-lived antagonist in the Batman narrative.
Origins Of The Joker Xenomorph
The origin of the Joker Xenomorph was revealed in "Batman/Aliens II," when construction workers in Gotham City uncovered a sealed vault. The vault, which had been dormant since 1927, contained a white Xenomorph. This creature was the result of a dark experiment that involved combining Alien DNA with human genes, including those from Arkham Asylum's inmates, notably the Joker. The genetic experiment headed by Dr. Catherine Fortune led to the creation of an unique version of the Xenomorph, infused with the Joker's characteristics. However, the Joker Alien was not born from the Joker, as one would assume. Other notable Xenomorphs based on Arkham Inmates were the Killer Croc Xenomorph, the Two-Face Xenomorph, and even a Scarecrow Xenomorph.
Joker Xenomorph Characteristics
The Joker Xenomorph was notably different in its appearance, characterized by its stark white coloration, contrasting with the typically dark Xenomorphs. This visual differentiation emphasized the combination of the Joker's chaotic nature with the alien's predatory features. The Joker Xenomorph wore military-style and was somewhat similar to the hybrid Bugmen from the Aliens: Colonial Marine comics. The creature captured the anarchic and unsettling essence of the Joker, including a hauntingly wide smile with red lips reminiscent of the Joker's own. Uncharacteristic for a Xenomorph, The Joker Alien was missing an inner mouth but still bled acid blood.
Joker Xenomorph Abilities
The Joker Xenomorph possessed an ability that is somewhat rare in other Xenomorphs: it could spit acid from its mouth. This mirrored the Joker's own inclination to use acid as a weapon in his crimes. This acid-spewing capability made the Joker Xenomorph particularly dangerous, capable of inflicting widespread havoc and perfectly representing the Joker's destructive tendencies. The Joker Xenomorph could talk and understand the verbal commands of Dr. Catherine Fortune, another trait that some hybrid Xenomorphs possess. Similar to other hybrids created by Dr. Fortune, the Jokermorph could use human weapons but was never given the chance to do it.
Joker Xenomorph vs. Batman
The encounter between Batman and the Joker Xenomorph was only a brief element of the "Batman/Aliens II" series, although the Jokermorph was prominently featured on the cover. To fight the hybrid menace, Batman wore a mech suit and tracked the creatures down to a secret base. Soon after, the Dark Knight was ambushed by the Joker Xenomorph from behind but managed to get the upper hand by headbutting the creature, and throwing him off. The Jokermorph then retaliated with his acid blood attack, which missed Batman.
Final Fate
Watching the fight from a computer monitor, Dr. Fortune ordered the other creatures to finish Batman off. Another hybrid took a shot at Batman, but the Dark Knight jumped out of the way, and the shots hit the Joker Alien instead in an unfortunate friendly fire incident. The Xenomorph exploded in a pool of acid blood, hitting the weapon of the hybrid that shot him. This was the end of the Joker Alien, and the other Arkham hybrids were defeated soon after, together with Dr. Fortune. The most formidable opponent proved to be the Killer Croc Xenomorph instead.
Joker Xenomorph Figure
Although the Joker Alien was only featured in one comic, NECA Toys made a memorable figure out of him, bundling him together with a Batman figure. However, the Alien was somewhat different from his comic representation. He was missing all his clothes and featured the body of an Alien: Resurrection Xenomorph, although with white colorization. The head was more familiar but included an inner mouth, which the Joker Alien did not have in the comic book. Finally, the figure had a green cowl, which was on the cover of the comic, but in the pages of the comic, the Alien had a white cowl instead. This bundle has become a somewhat rare collector's item since its release.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Joker Xenomorph was a rare Xenomorph type featured on the pages of "Batman/Aliens II.", alongside other Xenomorph hybrids bred from the DNA of Arkham Asylum patients. He was one of the Xenomorphs that could talk, wear clothes, and use human weapons, but that did not help him in any way. The Xenomorph proved ineffective in battle against Batman and was killed in a friendly fire incident. During his career, Batman had a few other run-ins with Xenomorphs, but mostly focused on defeating Predators who were interested in hunting him in Gotham City.
