"In their eyes, those gangsters... they think you're a monster, just like me... But, I'm not a monster. I'm just a cut above the rest!"
The Joker shrugged at Batman, his tone casual, but it completely infuriated Batman.
"Where's Harvey?"
Batman grabbed the Joker by the collar, his eyes burning with suppressed rage.
"See, you're still playing by the rules, still thinking they can save you..."
The Joker was lifted off the ground by Batman and pressed against the wall.
Compared to Batman, the Joker, now restrained, seemed anything but weak. His thin, frail frame didn't appear vulnerable; instead, it felt like the Joker, not Batman, held the upper hand.
And that's exactly how it was.
Batman said coldly, "I have only one rule."
"Oh, just break it, and the truth will be right before your eyes!"
"Truth?"
"The smartest way to live is to disregard all rules, and tonight, you're going to break your only rule."
"I suppose so."
"You have one minute left, and your last chance, if you want to save any of them."
"Them?"
Batman caught the word, his pupils contracting.
Rachel!
At this moment, everyone realized that it wasn't just Harvey Dent who had been captured, but also Rachel, Batman's childhood sweetheart, and even his first love.
As the movie progressed, people witnessed Batman's helplessness.
Rachel was dead!
Batman and Police Commissioner Gordon were being played by the Joker.
Even the righteous district attorney, Harvey Dent, showed signs of turning dark under the Joker's relentless pressure.
Fans familiar with Batman comics immediately recognized that this guy was the villain known as Two-Face in the comics.
No one expected that Two-Face's predecessor would be a righteous district attorney.
And, before this guy went bad, he was actually called "The White Knight" and was close to Batman, considered one of Batman's allies.
The White Knight?
The movie is called The Dark Knight?
Is there some kind of hidden meaning?
As for the Joker.
Currently, in the relevant comics released by DC Comics, the Joker is just a figure mentioned by other villains, someone feared by countless antagonists.
He has never made an appearance!
The fans don't know the Joker's true identity.
Before the film's release, DC Comics had a rather comprehensive plan to ensure the Joker's debut would be a stunning experience for audiences.
And clearly, DC Comics succeeded.
Because the plot of The Dark Knight was completely at odds with everyone's expectations.
In the real world, Batman was seen by many as a nearly omnipotent superhero.
Just as in the Superman films, people revered Superman as a god.
In the real world, especially in New York, Batman's base of operations, there were already signs of people starting to deify Batman.
Although it was just a nascent trend, it was shocking enough.
Even Captain America didn't get this kind of treatment!
Every time Batman appeared, it was accompanied by the eradication of crime.
Countless citizens were saved.
In the past year, Gotham, which had been experiencing frequent accidents, became even more brilliant due to the appearance of Batman.
However, DC Comics, the company that created Batman, surprisingly took the lead in "smearing" Batman!
In the movie, Batman, Bruce Wayne, had, to some extent, completely become a "normal person" who could be manipulated.
DC Comics gave Batman a personal charm that was different from other heroes.
It made Bruce Wayne's character more complete.
People suddenly realized that although Bruce Wayne was born into a wealthy family, he had suffered hardships since childhood and crawled out of the abyss, possessing the most unwavering will in the world.
Such a superhero, with his extraordinary abilities and external advantages alone, couldn't encompass everything about him.
This film highlights Batman's most brilliant qualities.
What's most amazing about Batman...
...is his mind!
"Unfettered imagination… Or, is this a reflection of Batman's real experiences, with everything in the movie mirroring the hardships he's endured? Could there really be a terrifying Joker in the world, a villain who only commits evil for amusement?"
Tony mused, admiring the film.
He was currently suffering from palladium poisoning, trapped in an extremely painful situation.
Substituting one for the other, give or take, he felt he could empathize with the desperate circumstances Batman faced in the movie.
As everyone knows, DC Comics and Batman have a close relationship.
Tony knew that Batman must have seen this movie in advance. Perhaps, Batman was one of the screenwriters.
The Dark Knight embodied Batman's will.
And Tony, sensing this will, grew even more appreciative of Batman.
Meanwhile.
In a corner of the back row, Coulson stared at the big screen, his expression slightly grave.
Clearly, he had also thought of the Joker's threat.
Unlike Tony, Coulson had a completely different thought.
If Batman and the Joker were two completely opposite people, like the two sides of the same coin, then, could the Joker be Batman's expression of his own corruption, the loss of his bottom line and ideals?
Coulson felt a chill.
He suddenly thought Nick Fury's idea wasn't unreasonable.
The Avengers were absolutely necessary.
The Justice League had already become an entity that all forces had to take seriously.
If Batman truly turned evil, the Justice League he formed would inevitably become the world's greatest threat, led by Batman himself.
In the movie, the Joker wanted to create a world without Batman.
This seemed to imply that a corrupted Batman would want to create a world without any rivals.
In such a world, Batman would be the sole ruler.
At this moment, Joker had taken over Gotham in the movie.
Everyone wanted to escape Gotham.
The police transferred all the criminals, putting them on ships to be transported to other cities.
Meanwhile, Harvey Dent had been completely corrupted by the Joker's brainwashing.
However, the remaining Gotham citizens, who deeply believed in justice, still trusted the White Knight.
Batman had no choice.
If news of Harvey Dent's loss of control were to spread, it would undoubtedly greatly undermine people's faith in justice.
After justice collapses and faith disappears, everything will be destroyed.
People will become walking corpses.
Facing such a future, Batman chose to bear the darkness himself.
At the end of the movie, the Joker lost his freedom.
But Harvey was dead!
——In the news, killed by Batman.
The police commissioner admitted it personally.
Thus, Batman became a criminal despised by all.
And Harvey Dent was still that righteous prosecutor who carried everyone's faith.
Gotham City had returned to its former peace.
Batman was no longer appearing.
The movie ended here.
"The Dark Knight..."
Tony and Coulson finally understood the meaning of the film.
"Bearing the darkness, yearning for the light. So, this is the Dark Knight!"
Clap clap clap clap!
The applause echoed throughout the entire venue.
Jim couldn't contain the smile on his face; he knew this film would achieve a success beyond his wildest dreams.
They had reshaped Batman's image in the public's mind.
From now on, Batman wouldn't be seen as a god, but he would forever be an idol in people's hearts, the embodiment of justice.
Anton stood up.
"Congratulations."
"The film was amazing!"
The people around him offered their praise. The premiere was a massive success.
Tony sat in place, pondering for a moment, seemingly steeling his resolve.
Anton happened to pass by him.
"Anton."
Tony called out to his old friend, "This is an excellent movie."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Anton wasn't shy about it: "It's a masterpiece."
"It's Batman's masterpiece, not yours."
Tony replied lightly, then got up and left.
He could stay here and watch Anton and the other key creators strut their stuff on stage.
Everyone knew that the film's creators weren't that important.
Batman, that name, was the key to success.
As long as the name Batman was attached, even a truly awful epic could still do well.
Not to mention, the movie itself was already of extremely high quality.
Success was a foregone conclusion.
Following behind Tony, Coulson also quietly left the inner area, preparing to report the film's contents to Nick Fury as soon as possible. At the same time, he wanted to discuss with Nick Fury whether there were any allusions to the real Batman in the movie.
After all, Batman had already given S.H.I.E.L.D. a massive headache.
Especially recently, Batman had even connected with the American military.
Furthermore, with Anton, the public face of the Justice League, and the influence of the Jameson family behind him, they could also connect with the political arena.
S.H.I.E.L.D. already couldn't suppress the Justice League militarily. Now, from a political standpoint, they had also lost the conditions to contend with the Justice League…
As a result, the Avengers, which S.H.I.E.L.D. was originally building, no, had already been preliminarily established, would be completely suppressed by the Justice League and unable to lift their heads.
This was definitely not the outcome Nick Fury wanted to see.
Soon.
Amidst the praise of countless people, the premiere ended.
Online, major movie forums and websites quickly filled with reviews of The Dark Knight.
Most film critics gave the movie an unprecedented rating.
The few attention-seeking individuals were directly ignored by the public.
"Batman and Joker: Two Sides of the Same Coin?"
"When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you."
"In reality, Batman is seen as a god, but the Batman in the movie allows you to see his humanity."
One review after another ignited a frenzy online.
On the most well-known movie websites, Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 97% fresh rating, and IMDb gave it a score of 9.1.
That score was almost a record-breaker, making everyone incredibly excited.
Anton returned to DC Comics.
He loosened his tie and sat in his boss's chair, ready to await a string of good news.
Ring, ring!
His phone suddenly rang.
The call was from the old man, Jonah Jameson.
"Old man, the movie's a hit!"
Anton answered, and as soon as he said the words with a smile, his expression immediately froze.
"Wayne Enterprises has been bombed!"
Jameson's tone carried a hint of lingering fear: "I'm fine, Wick saved me... But the company is in trouble; it's a terrorist attack."
"How could this happen!"
Anton's face darkened, and a dangerous aura flickered in his eyes.
He said slowly, "Wait for me. I'll be right there!"
Rewinding the clock a few minutes.
Anton was still in the parking garage beneath the DC Comics building, just about to head upstairs.
At this moment.
Across Manhattan, at Wayne Enterprises headquarters, several electricians in blue uniforms infiltrated the building.
They arrived under the guise of electrical maintenance, heading directly to the Wayne Enterprises floors.
Jonah Jameson was in charge here.
Wick, his bodyguard, stood guard in front of his office door at all times.
The electricians' arrival didn't raise any eyebrows.
Work proceeded as usual.
But Wick realized something was wrong.
As the former king of assassins in New York, his sharp instincts had helped him escape danger many times.
Even though the electrician disappeared behind the wall the moment he came into view, Wick immediately felt something was off about them.
He went forward to check.
When the electrician saw him, he didn't panic. Instead, he grinned at him.
It wasn't a friendly smile, but one full of mockery and madness, a silent laugh that didn't take life seriously at all, like a fanatic of death, bringing an ominous premonition.
Danger!
Wick instinctively noticed the skin of the two men turning red.
He raised his gun and fired.
Bang bang!
The gun spat fire, and bullets ripped from the barrel, instantly piercing the hearts of the two electricians.
The immense force slammed them back against the wall.
However, to Wick's surprise, the bullets didn't seem to pose a fatal threat. The two men, despite being shot, still wore mocking smiles.
"Damn it!"
Wick's pupils contracted. He cursed under his breath, realizing these two were trouble, that he'd stumbled into something serious.
He wasn't about to keep fighting. He turned and headed for Jameson's office.
These two were dangerous!
In this situation, the priority was to ensure the safety of his employer, Jonah Jameson!
Wick was a man of his word.
After agreeing to be the Jameson family's bodyguard, his performance had always been excellent.
Not just because of his duties, but also because of Anton's identity, which put a lot of pressure on him.
Everyone thought Batman was a good guy, but Wick, who had once faced Batman directly, saw an unimaginable threat emanating from him.
That kind of pressure was like facing the Grim Reaper. Wick didn't want to experience it a second time in his life.
Bang!
Wick kicked open the office door and saw Jameson staring at him in surprise.
"Wick!"
Jameson frowned, "What happened?"
BOOM!!
At the same time, a deafening roar erupted behind them, and an intense heat, accompanied by a blinding flash, rapidly engulfed the area.
The partially opened door was instantly blown off its hinges by the force of the explosion.
Wick's expression changed.
He didn't have time to say anything, pulling Jameson with him as he jumped out the window.
Fortunately, Wayne Company had rented the bottom five floors of this building. The first floor was the lobby, the second floor housed the main researchers and the company's various employees' offices, and the third to fifth floors were the laboratories and treatment rooms.
In other words, Wick dragging Jameson down from a second-floor office wouldn't cause too much damage.
Wick slammed onto the roof of a car parked on the street, shielding Jameson with his chest, taking the brunt of the impact from the fall.
Crack, crack, crack!
At the same time, the second floor they had been on, and even the third to fifth floors, were completely annihilated by the explosion.
Shattered glass rained down like a storm.
Without hesitation, Wick rolled again, shielding Jameson from most of the shards.
After a long while.
Inside the building, black smoke billowed, a picture of devastation.
Jameson stood at the roadside, gazing at the Wayne Company, ravaged by the explosion.
Wick, who wasn't seriously injured, stood beside him, looking somewhat disheveled.
Wick looked at Jameson.
This matter wasn't that simple.
Those two seem to be heading for Wayne Company!
Even Wick knew that much, and Jameson wasn't an idiot.
After a moment of thought, Jameson's expression darkened. He took out his phone and dialed Anton.
"Wayne Company was bombed!"
-----------------------
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