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A relatively new villain is being positioned to take a more active role in Gotham City — and is still operational even in Future State.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for “Punchline: Chapter 5” from The Joker #5 by Sam Johns, James Tynion IV, Sweeney Boo & Ariana Maher, and Future State: Gotham #3 by Joshua Williamson, Dennis Culver, Giannis Milonogiannis, & ALW’s Troy Peteri, on sale now
Introduced in the build-up to “The Joker War,” Punchline has shown how much influence she can have on Gotham even beyond her role as a sidekick to the Clown Prince of Crime. But she just gained a massive promotion that will allow her to more easily control an entire section of Gotham’s criminal world.
Punchline gained a huge promotion for herself in The Joker #5 by seemingly becoming the new Queen of Spades for the Royal Flush Gang — and her presence in Future State: Gotham hints she has a long tenure as a major ahead of her as a major figure in Gotham.
The Queen of Spades is one of the chief members of the Royal Flush Gang, which has seemingly grown recently from a small group of villains to a powerful cabal of criminals both in and out of prison. Earning the ire of the Queen of Spades by surprising her with a physical attack, Punchline ends up the target of a brutal beating by the Queen of Spades and her henchwoman, Orca. But when the Queen comes to gloat over the seemingly defeated Punchline in the prison infirmary, she’s caught by surprise when it turns out it was Punchline’s plan along: Orca betrays the Queen and brings her down before her minions seemingly murder her off-panel.
This leaves Punchline in the perfect position to take control of the inmate community, quickly cementing herself as a new figurehead within the Royal Flush Gang in Joker #5. Returning to the prison floor, Punchline is cheered by the other prisoners. More and more young women in the prison take to getting tattoos, proclaiming their loyalty to Punchline. Even the guards seem to be okay with this, as the power and authority the Queen of Spades once held in the prison seems to have transferred to Punchline. But with her power, Punchline clearly has the desire for revenge, setting her sights on a terrified and sobbing young woman named Kelly Ness.
Bluebird has been investigating Punchline, and in the process discovered pictures of her and her friend Aiden — along with an unknown young woman who likely is Kelly Ness, who is also being held at Blackgate. It appears that Punchline is taking the opportunity to strike at the young woman she once knew, and with her current position of power in the prison there’s little anyone can do to stop it. Punchline seems to have found her own role within the criminal community of Gotham City, even outside her connection to the Joker. And, given what occurs in Gotham: Future State, it may prove to be a lucrative position for her.
In the potential timeline of Future State, Gotham has become an increasingly dangerous police state under the control of the Magistrate. But Punchline has managed to maintain some level of power and authority even while in prison. She escapes after murdering a few guards, with the remaining ones unwilling to engage her. Even on her own and without mention of her Royal Flush Gang, it’s clear that Punchline is here to stay. As a powerful new figure, Punchline has the potential to grow into a dangerous presence in Gotham City, becoming more than just a protege of the Joker and moving into her own place within a separate criminal legacy.
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