Joker! said:
At the Gotham network studios the 'Late night Gotham live' show was getting ready to air.The audience were seated and the cameramen were assembling in front of the stage.
Suddenly thru the ventilation system came a purple gas which began to fill the studio.The people in the studio began to cough and were suddenly paralysed.Their limbs were frozen.
Then onto the stage skipped Harley Quinn who stood in front of the audience with her hands on her hips and smiled.
"I always knew when I made my big break in TV that I'd have my audience spellbound" she said gleefully as she skipped to one of the cameras and kicked the camera man aside.
"S'cuse me hon I just gotta get this thing rollin.We don't want the people of Gotham to miss this show.No sir".Harley flicked the switch and they began to broadcast.
The show's music came on.The 'On Air' lights flashed.
Harley went back up on stage and smiled a big adoring smile into the cameras.
"Hello late show lovers and lovers of the late show.It's late night Gotham live.We bring you good people a very,very special show this evening.Oh yes this is going to be very educational" Harley chirped.
"Oh but don't take my word for it.No it's the job of our host to entertain us.Yes folks here he is,the man who puts a smile on your face whether you want it or not.Presenting that caliph of clowns,the mogul of mounte banks,the one and only JOKER!!!!".
The curtains opened, the spotlight fell, and there, on the centre of the stage, was The Joker. The studio audience could not move, but if they could, their eyes would have widened with horror. They all knew who he was.
As usual, he was flamboyantly dressed in a purple suit. But what the audience REALLY recognised was his face. At first glance, he looked like a clown, with white skin and green hair. But this was no clown. Yes, he smiled, and laughed, but his eyes were cold. Dead, apart from a dark, malevolent glee.
"Citizens of Gotham!" announced The Joker, finally breaking the silence, "At long last, I have returned. Did you miss me? Or did you all lie awake at night, praying you'd seen the last of me? Well, I'm back now. And oh, what a comeback it is! HA HA!"
The Joker paused. He knew that "Late Night Gotham" was a hugely popular show, and that everyone would be watching. All around Gotham, people would be hanging onto his every word. Right now, he was more important than The Mayor. more important than Lex Luthor. More important than Batsy, good ol' Bruce Wayne himself.
"But tonight isn't all fun and games, my simple-minded friends," he continued, "I'm here tonight for educational purposes. Allow me to give you a little lesson on antimatter."
The Joker put on a pair of thick, black-rimmed glasses, and pulled on a labcoat.
"We are all made of matter, ladies and gentlemen. Air, water, our very molecules. Everything that matters... is matter! HA HA! So what is antimatter? Well, it is the opposite of matter. Now, I know that there aren't many intellectuals out there in TV land, so I'll explain an important scientific fact. Opposites cancel each other out. So when matter and antimatter meet, we have what's called annihilation. Basically, a BIG BOOM!"
The Joker threw away the glasses and labcoat.
"I love the science bit," he chuckled, "But I should explain that antimatter only ever existed in other parts of the universe. None existed on Earth. Until now..."
The Joker grinned mischieviously. He knew that all around Gotham City, the terror would slowly be rising.
"You see, some scientists in Europe succeeded in creating a specimen of antimatter. And it has fallen into the wrong hands. Namely... mine! HAHAHA! I am currently in possession of one gram of antimatter. Not a lot, you may say, but if it is released, the reaction will create an explosion that matches the power of the nuke dropped on Hiroshima!"
The Joker paused for dramatic effect.
"I'm sure you're all hoping that I don't bring this antimatter into Gotham City. but the funny thing is, it's already here!" cackled The Joker, "It's hidden somewhere in Gotham City, right under your nose. The antimatter is currently in a containment chamber. The battery-powered magnetic vacuum is currently set to a timer. In 48 hours, the timer will run out, switching off the battery. The antimatter will make contact with matter, and we have annihilation. Mass annihilation. You are all sitting on oblivion! HA HA!"
The smile suddenly vanished from The Joker's face. The camera zoomed in close to his face.
"There will be no escape. If I detect a mass evacuation, I can undertake measures to instantly deactivate the battery. You are all going to die. And it's all because one man. As long as he lives, you all die. His death is the only way you will be saved. Or, you could pay my ransom. All I want is to be paid a gazillion jillion trillion billion dollars."
Then The Joker finally cracked another smile, bursting into outrageous laughter. The camera zoomed back out, and followed The Joker as he walked round to face his audience.
"I'm disappointed in you, my adoring audience. I expected you to put your fat, clammy little hands together in applause, and cheer my name. but I guess you can't, because you're a CAPTIVE AUDIENCE! HA HA! I thank you for listening, but I'm afraid that you won't live to see Gotham's destruction. But it's like I like to say. If you gotta go - go with a smile!"
The Joker turned back to the camera.
"Farewell Gotham. It's been nice knowing you. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The Joker bowed, and then left the studio with Harley and his henchmen. As he walked out, gas again began to fill the studio. But this time it was green. his lethal Joker Venom. The already paralysed audience were soon killed, their mouths pulling back into twisted grins.
The Joker was back. And the bodycount would soon be rising...