Batman #574

Issue Details

Synopsis

NO MAN'S LAND PART 85: ENDGAME PART 2 -...TENDER AND MILD... Joker and his gang have arrived at the refugee center where Pettit and his people are having the Christmas dinner. Joker taunts Pettit to get him out of the place. In his deranged state, Pettit arms himself and he tells the few people under his command to get ready to fight the Joker. Huntress tries to talk some sense into Pettit but the man won't listen to reason. Pettit tells his men to surround the Joker while he goes for the direct approach.  Pettit moves outside of the center and so does Foley and Huntress. All the people inside the center are scared of the situation. Pettit looks for any sign of the Joker but there isn't a single green hair in sight. Pettit is armed with a sniper rifle and he spots the clown hiding in a nearby trench. Pettit shoots the clown and kills him. They think it is over but then the Joker speaks to Pettit and challenges him to repeat the feat as another Joker appears behind the first one that was killed. Pettit kills the second Joker as well and he keeps shooting them as they appear. Huntress and Foley realize that Joker is sending people disguised as him to their deaths and soon they also realize that all of them are Pettit's own men. They try to make Pettit stop but he is completely out of control. Huntress and Foley realize that they are going to need help and Foley decides to go to the GCPD and ask for backup. Pettit notices Foley leaving and he shoots him in the head, killing him instantly for disobeying his orders of not leaving.   Huntress is enraged over Pettit's actions and she realizes that Pettit is completely insane, just like the Joker, or even worse. Huntress attacks Pettit and beats him to a pulp. She is ready to finish him when Joker shoots Pettit in the back and kills him.   Joker tells Huntress that he just wanted to steal the babies in the refugee center and that he will leave once he gets them. She refuses to move and stands her ground against Joker and his gang. Joker tells her that she was outnumbered 20 to 1 and that it is virtually impossible for her to stand against them. As Huntress doesn't listen, Joker sends his henchmen to attack her but Huntress performs an incredible job and takes all of them down one by one. She fights them bravely but when she knocks down the last one of them, Joker shoots her in her rib cage. The wound weakens an already tired Hutress and Joker shoots her again, this time in her shoulder. Huntress falls down but she struggles to stand up and Joker shoots her a third time in her right leg. After that, Huntress is unable to move her body and she leans against a wall, losing a lot of blood. Joker acknowledges her strength, but as she refuses to pass out, Joker aims his gun at her head and prepares to kill her once and for all.