Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, offers a look into the future of Bruce Wayne as Batman and his sidekicks Robin (Tim Drake) and Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), as well as the death of the Joker.
Plot
The new Batman (Terry McGinnis) is busy fighting crime under the tutelage of Bruce Wayne when the street gang, The Jokerz attacks Bruce at an event, where they reveal their leader, The Joker.
Back at the Batcave, Bruce analyzes the voice of the Joker with an old voice record, and it checked out as the real Joker. Bruce tells Terry that it could not possibly be the real Joker, because he says that he was there when the Joker died. Terry presses Bruce for details, but he wouldn't give any. Bruce asks for Terry to turn over his Batsuit and says that he has done all he can do, and it is time to shut everything down. Terry storms out and returns to his home.
The next night Terry is attacked at a club by the Jokerz. At the same time, Batman is attacked in the Batcave by the Joker. While fighting, Terry realizes that there would be no reason to be attacked unless they knew who he was. After taking care of the Jokerz, Terry speeds off to Wayne manor and calls Bruce on his way, with no answer.
When he arrives, he finds the Batcave spray painted with Joker graffiti and Bruce laying on the ground with a "smile" frozen on his face. Terry uses some Joke-venom toxin that Bruce had been working on to help him.
The next day, Terry confronts Commissioner Barbara Gordon. After some convincing, Barbara tells Terry the story of what happened when the Joker died:
The Death of the Joker
- Almost fifty years ago, Robin (Tim Drake) was on patrol when he come to the aid of an old woman, who turned on him and knocked him out. It was Harley Quinn and she kidnapped him and took him away.
- There was no sign of Robin for three weeks, until a clue led Batman and Batgirl to the original Arkham Asylum which was deserted now. There the Joker and Harley introduce their "son" Joker Jr. - Tim Drake, but with a "Joker Smile" frozen into his face. After seeing Tim, brainwashed and drugged, Batman rushes to attack the Joker, while Batgirl goes after Harley. While trying to escape Batgirl, Harley falls off a cliff, to her apparent death.
- Meanwhile, the Joker leads Batman to room where he shows Batman a "home movie" of Tim being tortured and turned into Joker Jr. During this torture, Tim reveals to the Joker, the real identities of the Batman Family. Batman then attacks the Joker again and after a long struggle, the Joker stabs Batman in the leg with a knife. Tim, still very deranged, picks up a gun and points it at Batman. Suddenly he turns and shoots the Joker, who falls and with his dying breath says, "That's not funny." The Joker's machine explodes and the rubble of Arkham collapses on him. Batman and Barbara escape with Tim.
- Tim was in rehab for a year with Leslie Thompkins who was able to cure him of his insanity. Tim never put on the Robin suit again, and moved away to become a successful communications engineer.
Terry dons the Batsuit and pays a visit to Tim. Tim claims to know nothing of the recent return of the Joker, and swears that he has put those days behind him.
After more run-ins with the Jokerz, Terry is back at the Batcave trying to put the pieces together. Bruce walks in a tells him that things are not always obvious. Terry notices that during the Joker's attack in the Batcave, he destroyed all of the display cases of the old Batman & family's suits. But, Robin's suit is all torn up. Terry looks at all of the items that the Jokerz had stollen and realizes that they could be used to make a large satellite controlling device, like a government defense satellite. Tim could have been the one that provided all of the knowledge for it. Terry suits up and goes off to investigate.
Batman (Terry) tracks down Tim, who happens to be in Gotham. He discovers that he is only a hologram. With this discovery Batman tracks down the Jokerz hideout. After fighting off the Joker's pawns, Batman goes inside to find Tim working. Tim relives that fateful day, and then attacks Batman. After a struggle, Tim transforms into the Joker. The Joker explains that during the process of "making" Joker Jr. he implanted a DNA micro chip in Tim. So, even after his death he could still live on, in Tim's body. Tim had no idea that the Joker was using him.
Batman and the Joker start to fight. Batman separates himself and hides in the rafters. There he taunts the Joker in the same style that the Joker always did. Irritated and frustrated, the Joker launches bombs at the ceiling causing damage to his machine and directing the satellite's laser toward them. Batman falls down and the Joker pins him down with his hands ready to strangle. Only he wants to hear Batman laugh before he dies. Reaching around Terry grabs one of the Joker's "joy buzzers, and slaps it on the back of his neck, zapping the micro chip and bringing Tim back to form. Batman and Tim escape just before the laser destroys the whole building.
Later, two of the Jokerz, the Dee-Dee twins, are bailed out by their grandmother who they call "Harley".
Bruce visits Tim in the hospital to make amends. Terry vows to wear the Batsuit and continue the Batman legacy.