Part Two
In late 1986, feigning remorse for his past, Joker convinces Wolper, who considers the Joker to be his favorite patient, to take him on a talk show to tell his story, and makes plans for his escape with his henchman Abner, who supplies him with mind-controlling lipstick. Meanwhile, Clark Kent, a.k.a. Superman, who works as a government operative in exchange for being allowed to covertly help people, is asked by President Ronald Reagan to end Batman's vigilantism. Framing these events is a growing hostility between the US and the Soviet Union over possession of the island of Corto Maltese. As Batman's continued presence humiliates the national authorities, Commissioner Yindel orders Batman's arrest, and Clark warns Bruce that the government will not tolerate him much longer.
Yindel plans a dual sting to take down both Joker and Batman. Joker makes his talk show appearance on David Endochrine's show as Batman fights with the GCPD on the studio roof; while they fight, on television broadcasting, Joker kills Wolper, after the latter insulted Batman's psychology, gasses everyone in the studio to death, including Endochrine, and escapes. He finds Selina Kyle and uses one of her escorts and his lipstick to take control of a congressional representative, who calls for a nuclear strike on the Corto Maltese before falling to his death. Batman's investigation leads him to Selina, whom he finds bound and dressed like Wonder Woman. Kelley notices cotton candy on the floor, and they realize that Joker is at the fairgrounds for mass murders. There, Kelley fights Abner and he accidentally dies while Batman pursues the Joker. As Batman corners a wounded and partially blinded Joker, he admits to feeling responsible for every murder Joker has committed and intends to kill him. In the ensuing fight, Joker stabs Batman repeatedly, and Batman partially breaks Joker's neck in front of witnesses, rendering him quadriplegic. Joker tells Batman he will be branded a criminal for killing him, then commits suicide by completely breaking his own neck. The GCPD arrives, and Batman, bleeding profusely, fights his way to Kelley and escapes.
Superman deflects a Soviet nuclear missile, but is hit with the blast and badly injured. The detonation creates an electromagnetic pulse that wipes out all electrical equipment in the United States and causes a nuclear winter. As Gotham descends into chaos, Batman, Kelley, and Gordon rally the Sons of Batman, the escaped remnants of the Mutants, and the citizens of Gotham to restore order. Yindel accepts that Batman has become too powerful to take down. While the rest of America is powerless and overrun with crime, Gotham becomes the safest city in the country, embarrassing the President's administration. Frustrated they couldn't bring stability, Superman and troops are sent to finally stop Batman. Batman and Superman agree to meet in Crime Alley.
Superman, remorseful for disregarding Batman throughout the years, asks him not to go through with the fight. Wearing a powerful exoframe and backed by Kelley and a now-amputated former superhero, Oliver Queen, Batman fights Superman, using various tactics to make the fight even and banking on Superman feeling the after-effects of the nuclear missile explosion and lack of sunlight. When Superman gains the advantage, Queen hits him with an arrow made with synthetic Kryptonite, severely weakening him. Batman brutally beats Superman, claiming that he intentionally made the Kryptonite weak, and tells Superman never to forget that Batman could have killed him whenever he wanted. Batman then apparently dies of a heart attack, while Wayne Manor self-destructs, and Alfred dies of a stroke. Superman holds Batman's body and angrily orders the soldiers to stand down.
In the aftermath, the world learns that Bruce was Batman; all his secrets are destroyed with the manor, and his finances disappear. As Superman leaves Wayne's funeral, he gives Kelley a knowing wink after hearing a faint heartbeat from Bruce's coffin. In a cave, Bruce is revealed to have faked his death to make preparations to continue his mission more discreetly, allied with Kelley, Queen, and his followers.
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