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A new DC Comic featuring the Joker getting a pregnancy curse from a magician is causing an uproar among conservatives who think the supervillain is now a transgender man.
If the riled conservatives bothered to read the short comic, which was created by Matthew Rosenberg and Carmine Di Giandomenico and is found in the latest issue of Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing, they would learn that Batman's archnemesis is not at all trans.
Fox News, which reported on the backlash from rightwingers, noted:
"Readers may be tempted to think this is part of DC’s attempt to do some woke, LGBTQ-inclusive storytelling with The Joker being a transgender man undergoing a typical pregnancy, though it’s not quite that simple."
In the controversial volume that DC described as its "most bizarre caper yet," the Joker endeavored to have a male heir succeed him in wreaking violent havoc on the masses.
But after the Joker tried to woo Zatanna into starting a family with him, the powerful magician and former member of the Justice League cursed him by speaking in reverse and exclaimed that "no one else will ever have [the Joker's] baby!"
He subsequently became pregnant with his own child.
The poetic justice of his newfound situation was even more apropos given his history of misogynistic abuse of former romantic partners in the comics.
The curse, however, backfired, and the growing fetus inside of him turned out to be supervillain Clayface–a shape-shifter that was expelled from the Joker's mouth and transformed into a mini-me of himself.
Conservatives were up in arms over the plotline they saw as having political implications.
Fox News featured a tweet from former Republican Congressional candidate Robby Starbuck of Tennessee, who incorrectly bemoaned:
"In the new Joker comic he gets pregnant and gives birth. Yep, the Joker is trans now."
"At least the character is the joker because a pregnant woman thinking they’re a pregnant man is the definition of a joker."
"Who else is sick of this lunacy?"
\u201cIn the new Joker comic he gets pregnant and gives birth. Yep, the Joker is trans now. At least the character is the joker because a pregnant woman thinking they\u2019re a pregnant man is the definition of a joker. Who else is sick of this lunacy?\u201d— Robby Starbuck (@Robby Starbuck) 1673033661
The rightwing news site also cited an angry tweet from conservative influencer Nick Adams–an author who was backed by former Republican President Donald Trump.
Adams, a self-described "Alpha Male," called for a total boycott of the graphic novel company, tweeting:
"The latest issue of 'The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing' comic book features a scene where The Joker—a MAN—becomes pregnant."
"That’s NOT how it works! I am calling for a Complete & Total BOYCOTT of The Joker until further notice."
"What’s next, a fully-electric Batmobile?!"
"Political Dissident" YouTube talk show host Steven Steele also joined in voicing his outrage and fumed:
"JUST IN: DC Comics has made The Joker pregnant in it’s latest issue because of course they did."
\u201cJUST IN: DC Comics has made The Joker pregnant in it\u2019s latest issue because of course they did.\u201d— Steven Steele (@Steven Steele) 1673015124
Another exasperated YouTuber and comic book commentator, Ethan Van Sciver, wrote:
"DC Comics is getting weirder and weirder, allowing more perverts and fetishists to make grotesque filth out of their classic characters."
"Fellows, BATMAN is your last sellable comics franchise. Normal readers might not enjoy Atomic Skull giving Joker a prenatal pelvic exam."
\u201cDC Comics is getting weirder and weirder, allowing more perverts and fetishists to make grotesque filth out of their classic characters.\n\nFellows, BATMAN is your last sellable comics franchise. \n\nNormal readers might not enjoy Atomic Skull giving Joker a prenatal pelvic exam.\u201d— ETHAN VAN SCIVER (@ETHAN VAN SCIVER) 1672835709
Other conservatives shared their displeasure over the "woke" direction they thought DC was taking.
\u201c@NickAdamsinUSA DC Comics went WOKE\u201d— Nick Adams (Alpha Male) (@Nick Adams (Alpha Male)) 1672944881
\u201c@NickAdamsinUSA This is why I stopped reading modern comic books. They\u2019ve become so woke their unreadable to the point that I gave up on Marvel and DC comics.\u201d— Nick Adams (Alpha Male) (@Nick Adams (Alpha Male)) 1672944881
\u201c@robbystarbuck DC has always lived in the shadow of Marvel.. and now they went Woke, they will no doubt go Broke. Later days, your movies suck anyway.\u201d— Robby Starbuck (@Robby Starbuck) 1673033661
\u201c@NickAdamsinUSA The Wokes are taking over!\u201d— Nick Adams (Alpha Male) (@Nick Adams (Alpha Male)) 1672944881
Twitter users weighed in over the hullaballoo.
\u201c@robbystarbuck Were you also upset three decades ago? \ud83d\ude44\u201d— Robby Starbuck (@Robby Starbuck) 1673033661
\u201c@robbystarbuck You do know that women who identify as men can become pregnant? It can't be ok when you're looking for progressive brownie points and not ok when it's a comic character. Make your mind up.\u201d— Robby Starbuck (@Robby Starbuck) 1673033661
\u201c@robbystarbuck Lol this is what happens when you look at an image and have zero context.\n\nHe was magically cursed by Zantana and threw up the baby.\u201d— Robby Starbuck (@Robby Starbuck) 1673033661
\u201c@EthanVanSciver Weirder than that time Superman turned into a lion?\u201d— ETHAN VAN SCIVER (@ETHAN VAN SCIVER) 1672835709
\u201c@NickAdamsinUSA But it\u2019s totally believable he\u2019s not in jail for his many murders and can hold a whole city hostage. Or survived falling into an acid bath. Ok got it\u201d— Nick Adams (Alpha Male) (@Nick Adams (Alpha Male)) 1672944881
\u201c@MrStevenSteele Does\u2026does no one get the joke? The Joker, pregnant by magic, is getting a pelvic exam (why? how??) by Atomic Skull. Atomic Skull is a guy who, while not even remotely a doctor, is called that because his head is a fiery radioactive skull. Not everything is political, my dude\u2026\u201d— Steven Steele (@Steven Steele) 1673015124
\u201c@EthanVanSciver Outrage culture strikes again. This time over a plot they don't understand\u201d— ETHAN VAN SCIVER (@ETHAN VAN SCIVER) 1672835709
\u201c@EthanVanSciver Artists, please don't be daring and try new stuff. It might make some people uncomfortable!\u201d— ETHAN VAN SCIVER (@ETHAN VAN SCIVER) 1672835709
You can find the latest issue of Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing in comic book stores now, as well as on Amazon and Apple.