"Joker's Favor" is the seventh episode of Batman: The Animated Series. It originally aired on September 11, 1992. When an ordinary man inadvertently crosses paths with the Joker, he is plunged into a nightmare. This episode marks the first appearance of Harley Quinn in any medium.

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Plot

Charlie Collins, an unremarkable Gotham citizen, inadvertently curses out the Joker when the latter's getaway car cuts him off on the highway after a particularly bad day. The Joker runs him off the road and corners him. Desperate to save his life, Charlie mentions he has a wife and son and promises to do anything the Joker asks of him. The Joker accepts and takes Charlie's license; to Charlie's surprise, Joker says he has no idea what the favor will be, and leaves with a promise to keep in touch.

Two years later, the Joker learns that Commissioner Gordon is to be given an award, and decides to call in the favor. To Charlie's horror, the Joker has effortlessly kept tabs on him, even though Charlie has changed his name and moved to a different city. When the maniacal clown calls him and drops a thinly-veiled threat to his family. Charlie finds he has no choice but to travel to Gotham.

Upon arriving, a bemused Charlie learns he is to hold a door open for the Joker's right-hand woman Harley Quinn while she wheels a cake into Gordon's testimonial dinner at the elite Peregrinators Club. Regardless, the Joker promises to send Charlie home immediately after.

Not knowing the Joker's aim, but desperate to avoid it, Charlie fashions a crude Bat-signal, which is seen by dinner attendee (and early absentee) Bruce Wayne. Just then, Charlie is called to perform his favor. Charlie dutifully opens the door for Harley, only to find his hand glued to the handle. Harley slips Charlie a gas mask and dons one herself before gimmicked candelabras in the room spray a gas that paralyzes everybody else. As the guests watch, immobile and helpless, the Joker enters in grand fashion and "congratulates" Gordon by pinning a bomb to his lapel. The Joker and Harley then leave, explaining to a horrified Charlie that they never promised to send him home alive.

Seconds before the bomb goes off, Batman arrives on the scene. Acting on Charlie's warning, Batman grabs the bomb and launches it outside with his grapple gun. Hearing an explosion from outside rather than inside, the Joker realizes something is amiss; moments later, he sees the bomb has blown up their getaway van.

Inside the Peregrinators Club, Batman frees Charlie from the glue, while Charlie explains that the Joker called Charlie his "hobby", keeping watch on him for years and threatening his family.

Batman pursues the Joker through the club, dealing in turn with Harley and two thugs. The Joker himself manages to escape the club, only to find Charlie waiting for him in an alley. The Joker laughs this off, but is surprised when Charlie punches him into some garbage. In a rage, the Joker repeats his threat on Charlie's family. But, driven to mad desperation, Charlie holds up another one of the Joker's bombs, vowing to protect his family with a murder-suicide that will rob Joker of the only dream he has—defeating Batman in a huge spectacle or dying in the effort—and ensure he'll only be remembered as the victim of "a miserable little nobody". Panicking, the Joker tries to talk Charlie down while simultaneously screaming for Batman's help. Batman arrives and tries to reason with Charlie, but Charlie insists only his way can keep his family safe. Finally breaking, the Joker surrenders all the information he has gathered on the Collins family, only for Charlie to toss the bomb at him anyway. The Joker screams and hides behind Batman, but the bomb is revealed to be a harmless confetti firework.

As an amused Batman takes a disgruntled Joker into custody, Charlie heads for home, freed at last and looking forward to his "ordinary" life more than he ever has before.

Background information

Home video releases

Production inconsistencies

When Joker reads Charlie Collins' driver's license, he includes the middle name Michael; however, the name on the license is simply "Charles Collins".

Springdale, Ohio is an actual city (though it does not have a Marigold Lane), but the area code is 513, not 614 as listed on Joker's note.

Trivia

Cast

Uncredited appearances

Quotes

Charlie: Boss turns me down for a raise, my kid needs braces, and Bonnie's cooking meat loaf for dinner... at what point did I become life's punching bag?

Joker: Now, look, my rude friend, we can't have people cursing at each on the freeway. It's simply not polite! (jumps and grabs Charlie) I'm just going to have to teach you some manners.

Gordon: If anyone should be getting a testimonial, it's you.

Batman: I'm just the night shift. You deal with this mess twenty-four hours a day.

Joker: Jumping Jiminy Christmas! Charlie Collins. It's been forever. How are you man? You look great! Lost a little weight. Lost a little hair, too.

Bruce Wayne: Congratulations, Jim. I'm sorry I'm unable to stay for dinner.

Gordon: Ah, the life of a busy socialite. (leans in and whispers) Any way I could sneak out with you?

Harley: Here's to Gotham's Commissioner G., you lock up the weirdos, the crooks, and the geeks. You're a hero to all the boys in blue, but this time, baby, the joke's on you.

Charlie: Wait! You promised to send me home!

Joker: I never said "alive"!

Charlie: You dirty, evil...

Joker: Sayonara, sucker! (laughs; Charlie looks in horror at Gordon wearing a bomb)



Joker: Guess I'll have to find a new hobby now that old Charlie Collins is... Pfft!

Harley: Macrame's nice.

(explosion)

Joker: That came from outside! Rocco, Henshaw! I smell a bat! Quick! To the van!



Joker: You miserable little nobody! If I get caught, your wife and son are history!

Charlie: You're not getting caught, not this time! (shows him the bomb) I found this blown out of the van. This is how it ends, Joker! No big schemes! No grand fight to the finish with the Dark Knight! Tomorrow, all the papers will say is that the great Joker was found blown to bits in an alley alongside a miserable little nobody! Kind of funny. Ironic, really. See, I can destroy a man's dreams too, and that's really the only dream you've got, isn't it?

Joker: Look... Charlie! You've had a busy day. All this running around, all this excitement with... (cups a hand to his mouth and yells) BATMAN!

Joker: Stop! You're crazy!

Charlie: I had a good teacher. (laughs madly) Say goodnight, Gracie.

Batman: Put it down, Charlie.

Charlie: You know he'll just escape again! This is the only way to keep my family safe!