The Joker's Gets A Power Upgrade From Darkseid In DC Comics

DC Comics gives the Joker his biggest power upgrade so far, eliminating him from Darkseid's tournament. The Joker has become the most iconic and influential villain in DC lore despite his lack of clear superpowers. The Clown Prince of Crime is so heartless and devoted to violence that far stronger villains are intimidated by him.

One would think that characters like the Joker would be the first to be eliminated from a fighting contest. Yet, the Joker outlives dozens of ultra-powerful heroes and villains in the King Omega tournament and manages to reach the fourth round. Against all odds, though, the Joker neither wins the tournament nor gets eliminated.

The Joker Has Become A Parademon

DC K.O. #4; Written by Scott Snyder & Joshua Williamson; Art by Javi Fernández, Xermánico, and Alejandro Sánchez

In the King Omega tournament's Round 4, Darkseid pits the surviving contestants against the Absolute Trinity. Superman, Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, and the Joker find themselves outmatched by the Omega-imbued Absolute Batman, Absolute Superman, and Absolute Wonder Woman, who serve as Darkseid's horsemen. Clearly intimidated, the Joker asks to switch sides, and Darkseid welcomes him as "a new kind of Parademon," his fourth horseman.

Parademons are incredibly tough and deadly, but not as powerful as the Absolute Trinity. Still, the Joker has overshadowed most of the DC Universe in DC K.O. using his innate skills and mostly regular weapons. With a Parademon upgrade, the Joker could take his deadly nature to the next level and perhaps eliminate more than one of the remaining contestants.

DC K.O. Debunks A Major Joker Theory

The Joker Came Scarily Close To Taking Over The DC Universe

The Joker killed Batman in the tournament's first round, then obliterated multiple heroes and villains in round two, and survived a multiversal crossover battle in round three. At one point, the Joker was confirmed to be the contestant who gathered the most Omega energy, leading the tournament all by himself. So far, it had been evident that the Joker was the most likely DC character to win Darkseid's contest and become the all-powerful King Omega.

Yet, despite his impressive performance, it's the Joker himself that decides to step out of the tournament, all in the name of chaos. It's up to Superman, Wonder Woman, and Lex Luthor to defeat the Absolute Trinity and Parademon Joker, the latter of which only wants to have fun killing. Perhaps the Joker will end up helping the remaining contestants, as killing Absolute Batman might be too big a temptation after his latest upgrade.

DC K.O. #4 is available from DC Comics on February 11, 2026.