History ComicBook / BatmanAndCaptainAmerica

series published under the Creator/{{Elseworlds}} imprint in 2000

''Batman & Captain America'' is a 1996 ''{{Elseworld}}s'' one-shot {{crossover}} written and illustrated by Creator/JohnByrne, with coloring by Patricia Mulvihill. Franchise/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/CaptainAmerica team up to stop [[Characters/MarvelComicsRedSkull Red Skull]] and [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]].

!!Tropes

* BigBadDuumvirate: [[VillainTeamUp Red Skull and The Joker]]. Until the Joker realizes Red Skull was a Nazi and betrayed him.
* TheCameo: [[Comicbook/{{Sgt Rock}} Easy Company]] appears early in the comic, fighting alongside Captain America.
* CanonWelding: The ending reveals that this story takes place in the same universe as ''ComicBook/SupermanAndBatmanGenerations''. Dick Grayson, having taken over as Batman, finds Cap in ice [[ForWantOfANail instead of the Avengers]].

* EraSpecificPersonality: Since this takes place in the TheForties, characterisation matches the comics of the time. Batman and Captain America are both optimistic and well-adjusted, and the Joker is a straightforward crime lord with a clown motif rather than a crazed {{serial killer}}. Also since this takes place in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, this Joker is also a patriotic American, unlike ''ComicBook/ADeathInTheFamily'' when his TheEighties variant tries to be an ambassador with Iran thanks to [[UsefulNotes/IranianRevolution Ayatollah Khomeini]] (and for a greater scheme his Golden Age Anti-Nazi counterpart would not be pleased about).

-->'''Skull''': You are nothing but a criminal clown while I was trained to be Germany's finest warrior!\\
'''Joker''': Yeah? Well, I always buy American myself!

* JokerImmunity: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]]. Neither Batman nor Captain America think the Joker or the Skull perished -- and this is after they ''blew up in a nuclear explosion'' -- because it's the Joker and Red Skull, and they always finds a way to get out unscathed.
* LetsYouAndHimFight: Notably {{averted|trope}} with Batman and Captain America - when they first meet, they immediately recognize each other, know they're both heroes, and go beat up the Joker's henchmen together. [[SecretIdentity Bruce Wayne and Private Steve Rogers]] [[DoubleSubverted on the other hand]]...

%%* MyDadCanBeatUpYourDad: Robin and Bucky have this kind of attitude going on. They get over it after swapping heroes for a while.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Joker (in his "Golden Age" version) may be a lunatic, but he's an ''American'' lunatic. Learning that Red Skull is an actual [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazi]] and not just acting like one as part of a gimmick causes him to flip his lid, and he immediately turns against him. Provides the trope image.

* RichIdiotWithNoDayJob: This is how Bruce Wayne bores the living heck out of Steve Rogers, dragging him all over town to parties.

''Batman & Captain America'' is a 1996 ''{{Elseworld}}s'' one-shot {{crossover}} written and illustrated by Creator/JohnByrne, with coloring by Patricia Mulvihill. Franchise/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/CaptainAmerica team up to stop ComicBook/RedSkull and ComicBook/TheJoker.

%%* BigBadDuumvirate: [[VillainTeamUp Red Skull and The Joker]].
* {{Cameo}}: [[Comicbook/{{Sgt Rock}} Easy Company]] appears early in the comic, fighting alongside Captain America.

-->'''Skull''': You are nothing but a criminal clown while I was trained to be Germany's finest warrior!
-->'''Joker''': Yeah? Well, I always buy American myself!

* EvilerThanThou: Red Skulls regards the Joker as a second-class villain, at best.

** Meanwhile, Batman and Cap swap sidekicks as well. Batman shows Bucky how he and the Batmobile are adapted to ''urban'' crimefighting, while Cap teachs Robin some military moves.

* JokerImmunity: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]]. Neither Batman nor Captain America think the Joker perished -- and this is after he ''blew up in a nuclear explosion'' -- because it's the Joker, and the Joker always finds a way to get out unscathed.
* LetsYouAndHimFight: Notably {{averted|trope}} with Batman and Captain America - when they first meet, they immediately recognize each other, know they're both heroes, and go beat up the Joker's henchmen together. [[SecretIdentity Bruce Wayne and Private Steve Rogers]] [[DoubleSubverted on the other hand]]...

* LetsYouAndHimFight: Notably {{averted|trope}} with Batman and Captain America - when they first meet, they immediately recognize each other, know they're both heroes, and go beat up Nazis together.

* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: The Red Skull admits after having The Joker knocked out with a TapOnTheHead he had no intention of honoring his alliance with him, and intended to have him arrested in Germany and paraded around as an example of American decadence and pervsity.