The Metal Face of Comedy

**"The Metal Face of Comedy"** is the eighth episode of the fifth season of *The Batman* and the sixtieth episode overall.

## Synopsis

With the help of a hacker, Joker's mind is downloaded into a computer, enabling him to control the new WayneTech Nanobots. This creates a new and improved body who attempts to destroy Batman, Robin, and the original Joker.

## Plot

Dick Grayson is playing a virtual reality game where he is the heroic “Nightwing,” playing against the evil Captain Slash. The two avatars fight in a chemical company and Nightwing is defeated once more. Dick is unaware that his real-life opponent is Marty Slack, a hacker who is helping the Joker rob banks. Marty messes things up for Joker at the Gotham National Bank and tries to reassure the homicidal Joker by offering him a new device: a virtual reality helmet that will let the Joker transfer computerized bank account funds.

Bruce is at Wayne Industries showing investors his newest project: tens of thousands of nanobots that can recombine to create items of any shape and appearance. He’s forced to make a hasty exit when he gets word that the Joker has broken into Gotham Bank. Batman and Robin arrive and take out Joker’s two thugs, Punch and Judy, but discover the Clown Prince of Crime has tapped into the bank systems and is transferring money to his account. Joker tosses a grenade at them and the Batman counters with a Batarang, and the resulting mid-air explosion short-circuits the virtual reality helmet. Batman disconnects the Joker from the computer system while Robin notices the Captain Slash insignia on the helmet. However, Batman is too late as a copy of the Joker’s personality and memories have been duplicated in the computer system. Batman tries to cut off the computer from the outside world but Marty uploads the Joker out of the computer and to Marty’s home system.

Batman and Robin take the real Joker to a hospital while the digital Joker (hence Joker 2.0) learns that Marty has discovered that Wayne Industries is working on a top-secret project. Joker 2.0 goes on the airwaves to create a distraction, and Batman tries to use a computer virus against him. It fails and Robin realizes that Joker 2.0 is hiding in a game. They load the virus into the computer but Joker 2.0 escapes at the last minute when Marty downloads him into the Wayne Industries computers. There, Joker 2.0 takes control of the nanobots and makes himself a new Joker-body. Batman and Robin arrive but Joker 2.0 can control the nanobots completely and take on any shape or form he desires, easily escaping them.

The Joker gets out of the hospital and goes to his hideout, where Joker 2.0 also arrives. After a few minutes of argument, they decide to work together… but they both cross their fingers behind their backs. They go after the Gotham Gem Depository but Joker 2.0 leaves his real-life counterpart trapped and escapes with his gang of Harley, Marty, Punch, and Judy. Worse, Joker 2.0 has learned how to replicate himself and create a second nanobot duplicate. Batman and Robin arrive and try to short-circuit Joker 2.0 with a taser, but he escapes. The distraction is enough for the real Joker to escape with his gang. Batman summons the Batmobile to pursue but once inside the Dynamic Duo discovers that it’s actually the shapeshifted Joker 2.0, and he plans to crush them to death. Batman uses a miniature EMP device to temporarily disrupt the nanobots, but Joker 2.0 quickly recovers.

The Joker gets pulled over by a policeman, but it’s a shapeshifted Joker 2.0. The Joker’s gang starts to rebel against their human leader while Batman and Robin arrive and try to use the EMP device. Joker 2.0 has taken precautions against it then absorbs even more mass, creates more nanobots, and grows to giant size. He puts Batman, Robin, and the real Joker in a catapult and fires them into the sky. Batman counters by having Alfred send the flying Batbot. He quickly dons it then rescues Robin and Joker, leaving the Joker tied up.

After leaving them on the ground, the armored Batman goes after the giant-sized Joker 2.0. Nothing he does is successful, and meanwhile the real Joker cuts himself free and knocks out Robin. He tries to escape with his gang but Joker 2.0 fires a missile at them. Batman deflects it back while Robin takes out the Joker’s gang with bolas. Robin spots Marty’s laptop and realizes who he is and what he’s done. He tries to use the laptop to download Joker 2.0 back into the gaming computer, but doesn’t have sufficient power. Batman, who is almost completely infected with the nanobots, quickly redirects a satellite dish and Robin downloads Joker 2.0 just in time. Joker and his gang are taken away, while Robin has the virtual Nightwing beat up on Joker 2.0 within the game simulation.

## Cast/Characters

* Rino Romano as Bruce Wayne/The Batman
* Evan Sabara as Dick Grayson/Robin
* Jerry O'Connell as Nightwing
* Kevin Michael Richardson as The Joker and Joker 2.0
* Hynden Walch as Harley Quinn
* Patton Oswalt as Marty Slacker
* Diedrich Bader as Captain Slash
* Penguin (mentioned)
* Alfred Pennyworth (in the Batbot computer)
* Bud and Lou
* Punch and Judy
* Davis
* Becky

## Events

- Character debuts:

* Davis
* Captain Slash
* Marty Slacker
* Joker 2.0

- Joker and Harley are confirmed to be a couple.

- Joker 2.0 is destroyed.

## Trivia

* This is the last episode in *The Batman* where Harley Quinn has a major role.
* The design for Nightwing, Robin's video game character, in this episode was inspired by Dick Grayson's original design for the identity in the comics during the early 1980s, as opposed to the Nightwing in *Artifacts*, whose costume was based on the modern Nightwing costume.
* The idea of a henchman being a hacker and unleashes a monster was reused in the *Batman: The Brave and the Bold* episode *Plague of the Prototypes!*.
* Nightwing falls in the chemicals in a similar fashion like Joker did in his backstory.
* Despite the title, this episode has nothing to do with Clayface I.
* Unlike last episode, this episode uses the new sound for the bat-transition. The episodes settle for this sound for the remainder of the series.
* The Gotham Gazette is briefly mentioned.
* The Batbot goes inside the giant Joker 2.0, shoots him from inside, then flies away. This also happened in the *Sym-Bionic Titan* episode *Elephant Logic*.

## Errors

* The credits write Marty Slacker as Marty Slack and Captain Slash as Captian Slash. Credits error.