The Joker's origins have always been shrouded in mystery, with many different possible origins suggested, but it seems the Absolute Universe is doubling down on his most controversial origin change. While the Joker has always been twisted and creepy, it's taken to a whole new level in the Absolute Universe.

The Absolute Universe has been changing a lot of characters' origins, with Batman no longer being a billionaire and only one of his parents being dead. Likewise, the Joker has undergone a major change, and it's a pretty dark one.

Readers got to see a glimpse at the Joker's newest origin in Absolute Batman #6 by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta. While fans really only get a quick peek, it appears that the Joker is hooked up to some kind of chair of dead babies, which he seems to be draining the blood out of.

The Joker's Wild New Form in the Absolute Universe Could Mean He's... Immortal?!

Absolute Batman by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, and Clayton Cowles

Details on the Absolute Universe version of the Joker are scarce. But what readers do know is that the Joker has practically unlimited resources. The Joker runs one of the largest corporations on Earth, which owns several other corporations that are each massive in their own sector. He has control over entertainment, military weapons, food - just about everything. This has, naturally, made him unbelievably rich, which is the direct opposite of Absolute Batman, who grew up barely in the middle class. With all those resources, the Joker has pretty much anything he wants - maybe even immortality.

While it's not yet confirmed that the Joker is immortal, it wouldn't be too surprising. In the Prime Universe, Ra's al Ghul has been immortal for hundreds of years thanks to the Lazarus Pit. With all the changes throughout the Absolute Universe, readers currently have no idea what a Lazarus Pit would look like or how someone would go about obtaining immortality. It seems that the Joker has certainly found some way to prolong his life or youth, as he can be seen sitting on a throne of babies as he absorbs their blood. There's really only one reason he would be doing that.

Scott Snyder Already Rewrote the Joker as an Ancient Being

The New 52 Reinvented the Joker in Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman

DC Comics' New 52 period was controversial for a lot of reasons. The stories from the continuity reboot were a lot darker, almost hopeless in tone, and many characters were either changed or outright deleted from existence. The Joker didn't escape these changes either, as Snyder, who wrote the Batman title with artist Greg Capullo, floated a very bold idea for the Joker's origin, one that didn't sit right with every fan. During the events of Batman: Endgame by Snyder and Capullo, the Bat-Family thought they had finally found the Joker's origin, and they were unprepared for just how horrifying it was.

But just because the Joker was lying about his immortality in one universe doesn't mean he's lying about it in another.

The Bat-Family discovered that the Joker wasn't just some ordinary man. He hadn't simply appeared in Gotham City; more accurately, he had always been in the city. The Joker claimed to be the Pale Man, a being that had existed long before Gotham City was created and would continue to exist long after. It was a horrifying discovery, and even more terrifying was the fact that the Joker seemingly had proof to back it up. As James Gordon looked over his family photos, he noticed the Joker was always in the background of them.

It's very likely that this was a lie by the Joker, especially since Batman had found the Dionesium that the Joker was using to heal his body, proving that the Joker wasn't some supernatural being. But just because the Joker was lying about his immortality in one universe doesn't mean he's lying about it in another. Becoming immortal with Dionesium was pretty easy; all someone had to do was continually inject it into their spine, and their body would be completely healed. It was a relatively painless and easy thing to do. But the Absolute Universe seems to be taking things in a much darker and grosser direction.

Will Absolute Joker Take Immortality to an Even Grosser Level?

This Joker Has All the Resources to Gain Immortality

The Joker has never shied away from doing disgusting things. The man once cut his own face off just to prove a point to Batman. Not only that, but the Joker has also hidden inside toilets just to get the drop on his victims. The Joker clearly has no issues with using disgusting means to get what he wants. But it's still a bit surprising that Snyder is taking things even further and having the Joker literally absorbing the youth of babies as he drains them of their blood. It's certainly a darker take on just how far the Joker is willing to go to get what he wants.

One of the brilliant things about the Absolute Universe is that it's changing characters in exciting ways, but still keeping them true to who they are. One of the signs of bloodlessness is paleness. It's possible that the Joker isn't using the babies to keep himself young, but to keep himself looking human. A famous part of the Joker's iconic look is his green hair and white skin, which he got from falling into a vat of chemicals. This ultra-rich version of the Joker certainly wouldn't be near any chemicals, much less fall into them. But it's possible that he has a disease that requires him to replace his blood.

The Absolute Joker Is a Monster Unlike Any Other Version

His Weird Baby Chair Has So Many Implications...

There are so many different ways someone could interpret the bizarre baby throne that the Joker is seen sitting on in Absolute Batman #6. Is he an immortal using the blood of infants to continually refresh himself? Maybe he's got an illness that corrupts his own blood, turning him pale and sickly, and thus he needs to replace his blood now and then? Or maybe Snyder and Dragotta are portraying the ultra-rich Joker as a literal parasite that sucks the life out of the young for his own benefit. There are many ways this new origin could be taken, and they're all fascinating.

Only one thing is for certain, though: this Joker is an evolution of the Joker that Snyder had previously worked on during the New 52. At the time, the Joker was the darkest that the character had ever been, and it seems that Snyder is definitely upping the ante here and going even darker and grosser. So far, Absolute Batman has managed to defeat Black Mask. He will soon be going up against Mr. Freeze and Bane as well. But it's hard to imagine anything that will be able to prepare Batman, or the fans, for this new take on the Joker.

Absolute Batman #6 is available now from DC Comics!