Chapter Summaries

Joker accelerated the Ferris wheel and forced Batman into a deadly choice between rescuing hostages and risking explosions across Gotham. He revealed that only three of his buttons were linked to real explosives, but even he did not know which ones.

• Joker cheated by resetting his countdown and then sped up the Ferris wheel, putting the hostages in danger.
• Batman rushed from hiding to confront Joker, but stopped when Joker threatened to detonate bombs with his remote trigger.
• Batman reasoned that Joker could not have planted explosives across Gotham on a large scale after escaping Arkham.
• Joker admitted that only three locations had real explosives, each tied to someone on the Ferris wheel, and said rescuing a hostage would trigger the corresponding button.
• Joker revealed that he did not know which three buttons were real, preventing Batman from identifying the safe choices.

Batman realized that the Joker’s hostage crisis and citywide attacks were part of a larger trap meant to overwhelm him. After hearing reports of chaos across Gotham, he recognized that the Joker and their surroundings were not real.

• The Joker forced Batman to choose which hostages to sacrifice, while Red Robin reported that only six of the Ferris wheel’s thirty-two cabins had been ruled out as decoys.
• Nightwing reported that a riot had cut off the GCPD, while Red Hood and Robin reported mass breakouts at Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Penitentiary.
• Red Robin reported that timed explosives had been planted across Gotham and that the Batcave’s surveillance had been hacked.
• Batman understood that the hostages were only the opening act of a citywide attack designed to keep him trapped at the Amusement Park.
• Batman told the Joker that he was not the Joker and that the Amusement Park and Gotham were not real.

Bruce recognized that the escalating Joker emergencies were an Illusion and woke in the Batcave, where his family checked on him. He reassured Miaomiao that she had done well, while the others grew curious about what he had experienced inside the Illusion.

• Bruce realized the Joker's apparent attacks were hollow and that he was still trapped in Miaomiao's Illusion.
• Bruce trusted his children to handle real crises, and the Illusion shattered around him.
• Bruce woke in the Batcave as Dick, Damian, Tim, Jason, and Miaomiao watched over him.
• Bruce told Miaomiao he was fine and praised her Illusion, easing everyone's worry.
• Dick asked Bruce what the Illusion had been like, and the others listened eagerly.

Bruce praised Miaomiao’s illusion as nearly indistinguishable from reality, then explained how he realized it was an illusion after Alfred offered him warm milk. The Bat-family laughed and toasted their milk, but Bruce ended the conversation by revealing that Joker had escaped prison.

• Alfred brought the family steaming glasses of milk while Bruce reflected on Miaomiao’s illusion.
• Bruce praised Miaomiao’s control and said the illusion had perfectly simulated the world around him.
• Bruce explained that he had awakened among the family in the illusion and was told by Miaomiao that it had failed.
• Bruce revealed that Alfred’s familiar complaint about his sleep schedule and warm milk had appeared in the illusion, making the family laugh and raise a toast.
• Bruce said he had not drunk the milk in the illusion because Joker had broken out of prison.

Bruce explained how he recognized Miaomiao’s illusion and reassured her that she had created an impressively realistic version of Gotham. Miaomiao then asked whether the illusion could still help Harley.

• Jason reacted to Bruce mentioning the Joker in the illusion, and the others shared his discomfort.
• Bruce explained that the illusion copied his memories too exactly, and the constant crises had seemed suspiciously timed.
• Bruce praised Miaomiao’s illusion but said its biggest flaw was that she would never stay out of a real crisis involving her family.
• Miaomiao blushed as Bruce described how she would have followed him and fought the Joker if the events had been real.
• Miaomiao asked whether her illusion could still help Harley.

Harley Quinn’s worsening episodes over Joker left Pamela and Selina struggling to keep her safe, while Bruce said Harley’s illusion would require the real Joker. After a clown balloon triggered Harley’s memories of their promised Christmas outing, Pamela took her back to the apartment as she mourned Joker and blamed herself.

• Bruce told Miaomiao that creating Harley’s illusion would be difficult and would require the real Joker.
• Harley continued having episodes in Robinson Park, remembering Joker and sometimes becoming desperate to find him.
• Harley spotted a Christmas clown balloon and believed Joker had come to call her back to him.
• Pamela burst the balloon with a thorny vine, and Harley broke down in tears over missing Christmas with Joker.
• Pamela carried Harley back to the apartment as Harley repeated that Joker had promised to ride the Ferris wheel with her and watch the fireworks.

Harley broke down over her longing for Joker, and Pamela and Selina brought her home and comforted her. After Harley fell asleep, Pamela told Selina that Harleen Quinzel had once saved her when she was newly Poison Ivy.

• Harley blamed herself for losing Joker and insisted that he was her everything as Pamela held her and tried to remind her that she and Selina cared about her.
• Harley cried herself to sleep, and Pamela wiped the makeup and tears from her face while she slept.
• Selina told Pamela that she had always sensed Pamela’s bond with Harley was different from hers.
• Pamela revealed that she had known Harley longer than Harley remembered and that Harleen Quinzel had saved her after she became Poison Ivy.

Pamela Isley remembered how Harleen Quinzel had helped her recover from her hatred of humanity and become the only person she could trust. She was left mourning how Harleen had become Harley Quinn, devoted to the Joker despite the harm he caused her.

• Doctor Wood betrayed Pamela, stole her research, and injected her with toxins that transformed her into Poison Ivy.
• After Pamela took revenge on Wood, Batman defeated her and sent her to Arkham Asylum.
• Harleen Quinzel earned Pamela’s trust, helped her abandon her plan to turn Gotham into an Emerald Kingdom, and became the person she cherished most.
• Harleen chose to study the Joker despite Pamela’s warning and promised to visit her.
• Harleen stopped visiting Pamela and later reappeared as Harley Quinn, devoted to the Joker.
• Pamela hated the Joker for hurting Harley and trapping her in an obsession she could not bring herself to leave.

Harley pretended to sleep while Pamela and Selina watched over her, then escaped after sedating Pamela so she could go save the Joker. As Pamela tried to make her reconsider, Harley began confronting her former self and her own diagnosis of a patient trapped in an abusive relationship.

• Pamela and Selina discussed freeing Harley from the Joker's mind control, while Harley secretly listened and learned that she and Pamela had a history together.
• After Selina left and Pamela lowered her guard, Harley restrained Pamela with a concealed cord and injected her with a sedative designed to suppress her plant powers.
• Harley took her Baseball Bat and left to save the Joker despite Pamela's warnings that he did not love her and was using her.
• Harley saw an apparition of her former self, Harleen Quinzel, and agreed to hear about a patient obsessed with a homicidal lunatic.
• Harley identified the patient's behavior as dependency addiction and began explaining that she needed to end the relationship, then stopped short.

Harley rejected Pamela’s warning that Joker had escaped and never come for her, then set out to find him as “Harleen” challenged her belief that he loved her. Harley recalled her first meeting with Joker, which revealed how danger and his attention awakened the rebellious side she had suppressed.

• Pamela told Harley that Joker had escaped long ago and had never tried to contact her, but Harley rode off to find him at their abandoned amusement park hideout.
• Harley struggled to accept that Joker might have discarded her and remembered the gifts and attention she had taken as proof of his love.
• “Harleen” appeared in Harley’s reflection and argued that Joker had valued her only as a useful, obedient tool.
• Harley recalled meeting Joker in Arkham, where his praise made her feel uniquely understood and stirred her suppressed desire for excitement.
• Joker seized Harleen’s hand and threatened her with her pen, but she fought back and escaped with the guard’s help.
• Harleen realized that her racing heart came from excitement rather than fear, and found that Joker had drawn a smiley face on her neck with her pen.

Harley struggled against Harleen's claims that she was wavering in her devotion to Joker, until Harleen drew her into another world to show her Joker's past treatment of her. The chapter ended as Harleen pulled Harley close and told her to look.

• Harley insisted that she was still devoted to Puddin’ and rejected Harleen's suggestion that she was beginning to doubt their relationship.
• Harleen challenged Harley's belief that Joker loved her and reminded her that she tolerated his abuse and ridicule.
• Harleen became solid enough to take Harley's hand, then opened a vortex and pulled her into another world.
• After the trip left Harley retching, Harleen caught her hand, drew her close, and told her to look.

Harley watched a memory of her final therapy session with Joker from an outsider’s perspective, confronting how she had helped him escape despite the consequences. The chapter left Harley insisting the memory was false after seeing that Joker’s affection had been feigned and he had intended to use her.

• Harleen took control of Harley and showed her a memory of a therapy session with Joker at Arkham Asylum.
• Harley watched her past self give Joker a stuffed kitten and agree to get him a machine gun.
• Harleen urged Harley to examine their expressions, and Harley saw that her past self was in love while Joker showed no genuine love for her.
• Harley realized Joker had feigned affection to use her and accused Harleen of falsifying the memory.
• Harleen told Harley that the memory was real and that Harley had hidden it beneath a romantic interpretation.

Harley confronted the truth about her devotion to Joker and relived the moment he tortured her after she helped him escape Arkham. She realized she had chosen to endure the shock treatment to prove her love for him.

• Harleen questioned Harley about what Joker had actually done for her, and Harley struggled to name anything beyond his words and imagined tenderness.
• Harleen suggested that Harley, not Joker, was the one who had never been loved enough and did not understand love.
• The scene shifted to the memory of Joker standing beside Harleen Two on an operating table after she had smuggled weapons into Arkham and helped him escape.
• Joker shocked Harleen Two with a device while Harley pleaded for him to stop, and Harleen reminded her that Joker had not restrained her.
• Harley remembered that she had willingly stayed on the table despite being able to escape because she wanted to prove her love for Joker.

Harley relived the moment she believed Joker had saved her from the chemical vat and sealed their love with a kiss. Harleen questioned whether Harley's romantic memory reflected what had really happened.

• Harley rejected Harleen's account and insisted Joker's cruelty had been a test of her love.
• Harley took control of the illusion and recreated the Ace Chemical Plant, where Harleen had confronted Joker.
• In the memory, Harleen jumped into the chemical vat, and Joker followed to rescue her before kissing her.
• Harley wept over the scene and called it romantic, while Harleen worried that Joker's Mind Control had trapped her in a false fantasy.
• Harleen made Harley look at her and asked whether she truly believed that was what had happened.

"Harleen" challenged Harley’s belief that Joker had proved his love, forcing her to confront a distorted memory of the Ace Chemical Plant. Harley saw that Joker had watched her suffer after she jumped into the vat, leaving her to face the truth behind her transformation into Harley Quinn.

• Harley insisted that she had passed Joker’s tests and proved her love, while "Harleen" asked whether Joker had proved his love for her.
• "Harleen" rewound the memory to the Ace Chemical Plant and told Harley to watch what had really happened.
• Harley watched "Harleen Two" jump into the chemical vat, but Joker remained on the scaffolding instead of leaping after her.
• Harley repeatedly rewound the memory and accused "Harleen" of changing it, but "Harleen" said Harley had altered her own memories.
• Harley remembered struggling in the corrosive vat while Joker watched coldly, and recognized how she had become Harley Quinn.

Harley relived the memory of Joker abandoning her in a chemical pool, while Batman and his allies monitored the illusion to confront her with the truth and try to free her from Joker’s mind control. As Harley’s pain resurfaced, Pamela recalled how Joker had repeatedly manipulated Harley into returning to him.

• Harley remembered struggling out of a chemical pool while Joker dismissed her survival, realizing that her sacrifice meant nothing to him.
• Batman, Miaomiao, and Oracle used a modified dream manifestation device to project Harley’s illusion as Pamela, Selina, and Batman watched over her.
• Pamela asked whether the method could free Harley from Joker’s mind control, and Batman promised Harley would be safe while Selina admitted they could not be certain it would work.
• Pamela recalled helping Harley decide to break up with Joker, only for Joker to claim he was leaving her to protect her.
• Joker suggested that only a love strong enough to defy death could keep them together, and Harley abandoned her resolve and returned to him.

Miaomiao explained that Harley’s apparent journey was an illusion unfolding in her mind while her real body slept under hypnosis in Selina Kyle’s Safehouse. As Miaomiao took a break to soak, “Harleen” continued guiding Harley toward the truth about her past with the Joker.

• Miaomiao reassured Pamela that the illusion was stable and that she only needed water to recover.
• The chapter revealed that Harley had been asleep since returning to Pamela’s apartment, while the group monitored her at Selina Kyle’s Safehouse.
• Batman sent Miaomiao to a prepared pool, where her legs transformed into a fish tail.
• Pamela and Selina learned that Miaomiao was a merfolk and saw her tail for the first time.
• Inside the illusion, Harley repeatedly revisited her memories and realized that she had deceived herself rather than been misled by “Harleen.”

“Harleen” challenged Harley’s belief that Joker loved her, showing how he had repeatedly abused and exploited her despite the affectionate memories she clung to. Harley watched the memories restored to their painful reality and began to doubt her conviction, though she still tried to defend Joker.

• “Harleen” told Harley that Joker’s demand for proof of love and his treatment of her showed control and disregard, not devotion.
• Harley defended her relationship by recalling moments when Joker accepted her as his partner and called them Gotham’s king and queen.
• “Harleen” replayed the memories without Harley’s romantic distortions, revealing Joker abandoning her to the police, abusing her, using her as a decoy, and pushing her from a helicopter.
• “Harleen” showed Harley how Joker treated her as a disposable tool, including leaving her unconscious in a sinking car while he escaped.
• Harley watched in shock, screamed, and tried to explain away Joker’s actions while insisting that he loved her.

Harley confronted Harleen in an Illusion, defending her life with Joker as a colorful freedom from the rigid expectations she had once followed. Harleen challenged her to separate that freedom from her obsession with Joker, leaving Harley to consider whether she could remain Harley Quinn without him.

• Harleen told Harley that Joker had exploited her and never loved her.
• Harley rejected Harleen’s claim and argued that Harleen’s obedient, conventional life had been a lifeless cage.
• Harley described how Joker had let her embrace her desires and live without society’s rules.
• Harleen acknowledged Harley’s longing for freedom, then made every Joker in the Illusion disappear.
• Harleen told Harley that she was obsessed with freedom, not Joker, and could live as Harley Quinn without being his girl.

Harley confronted the trauma of the Joker’s betrayal with Pamela beside her, and began questioning her lingering love for him. Pamela revealed that the childhood story that first drew Harley to the Joker had actually happened to Pamela, and that the Joker had stolen it to manipulate Harley.

• Harley relived the Joker trapping her in a rocket and abandoning her, then Pamela comforted her and reminded her that he had kept her captive.
• Harley apologized to Pamela for pushing her away, and Pamela forgave her and promised she had never blamed or abandoned her.
• Harley realized Pamela had entered her illusion with her own mind, while Harleen explained that she was Harley’s subconscious and left after finishing her work.
• Pamela asked Harley whether she still loved the Joker, and Harley recalled falling for him after hearing his story about an unloved childhood and a ferret named Ferris.
• Pamela revealed that the story had happened to her, and that the Joker had learned it during counseling and pretended it was his own to win Harley’s sympathy.