(The Dark Knight Strikes Again #2, 3) - Lex Luthor took control of the United States using President Rick Rickarrd, a computer hologram of his own creation. Luthor took out all the superheroes he feared could take him down and turned the U.S. into a fascist nation until Batman, who'd faked his death three years earlier after a fight with Superman, started a revolution to topple the government. Dick Grayson underwent gene therapy supervised by Lex Luthor and his partner Brainiac. Dick gained superhuman regenerative and shapeshifting powers, and became the new Joker. The Guardian came out of retirement when an alien invasion threatened Metropolis, but he was confronted by the new Joker. Guardian knew the Joker had been killed during a fight with Batman, but the new Joker wasn’t interested in explaining himself, stabbing Guardian multiple times before fatally shooting him in the head. Joker then went on to murder the superhero Creeper, stabbing him to death, and Martian Manhunter, setting him ablaze. Joker had an instant hatred for Batman’s teenage sidekick Catgirl Carrie Kelley, wishing he could be Batman's sidekick again but also wanting to destroy everyone Batman cared about. Catgirl and .Batman’s ally Green Arrow were attacked by the Joker and Catgirl was shocked by how relentless he was. Joker injured Green Arrow and Catgirl used his trick arrows to seemingly kill Joker, taking him apart with arrows filled with acid and thermite. Catgirl interviewed a young precog named Saturn Girl, hoping to recruit her. Saturn Girl warned her that the new Joker was still alive, and hated her and Batman more than anything else in life. Batman’s youth uprising was a success, with the Luthor government left in disarray and Lex Luthor dead. Joker invaded the Batcave, attacking and seriously injuring Catgirl, reveling in the ways he wanted to torture her to death. Batman deduced that he was Dick Grayson, still bearing a grudge because Batman fired him as Robin because he considered him useless. Robin / Joker was filled with intense love and hatred for Batman, who found him difficult to kill because of his regenerative powers. Batman initiated a self-destruct sequence that unplugged a volcano that existed miles underneath the Batcave, destroying it and immolating Robin / Joker. Batman flew the injured Catgirl away in the Batplane, pondering their new future.