Joker (character): Difference between revisions
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{{ infobox superhero |
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| image = [[Image:Manwholaughs.jpg|250px]] |
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| caption = The Joker by [[Doug Mahnke]] |
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| real_name = Unknown <!--Do not add Jack Napier without discussing it on the talk page. Otherwise, it will be removed.--> |
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| publisher = [[DC Comics]] |
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| debut = ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' #1 (Spring 1940)<ref>Newsstand on-sale date April 25, 1940 per: {{ cite web | title = The first ad for ''Batman'' #1 | publisher = DC Comics | url = http://www.goldenagebatman.com/batman1ad.htm | accessdate = 2006-10-23 }}</ref> |
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| creators = [[Jerry Robinson]] (concept)<br />[[Bill Finger]]<br />[[Bob Kane]] |
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| affiliations = [[Injustice Gang]]<br />[[Injustice League]] |
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| aliases = [[Red Hood]], Jack, Joseph "Joe" Kerr, Clem Rusty, Mr. Rekoj |
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| powers = |
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Highly intelligent<br /> |
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Skilled [[chemist]]<br /> |
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Access to a variety of gadgets<br /> |
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Experience in hand to hand combat<br /> |
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[[Joker venom]] |
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}} |
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The '''Joker''' is a [[fictional character]] and [[supervillain]] that appears in the [[comic book]]s published by [[DC Comics]]. Created by [[Bill Finger]] and [[Bob Kane]], with contributions by artist [[Jerry Robinson]], the Joker is the [[archenemy]] of the [[superhero]] [[Batman]] and [[first appeared]] in ''Batman'' #1 (Spring 1940). The Joker is a master [[criminal]] with a [[clown]]-like appearance, including bleached white skin, red lips, and green hair. Initially portrayed as a violent [[antisocial personality disorder|sociopath]] who [[murder]]s people and commits crimes for his own amusement, the Joker, later in the 1940s, began to be written as a goofy [[trickster]]-thief. That characterization continued through the late 1950s and 1960s before the character became again depicted as a vicious killer. He has been responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the [[paralysis]] of [[Barbara Gordon]] ([[Batgirl]]/Oracle) and the murders of [[Jason Todd]] (the second [[Robin (comics)|Robin]]) and [[James Gordon (comics)|Jim Gordon's]] second wife [[Sarah Essen]]. In 2006, ''[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]'' magazine rated Joker as the greatest villain of all time.<ref>{{cite journal |
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| last = McCallum |
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| first = Pat |
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| year = 2006 |
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| month = July |
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| title = 100 Greatest Villains Ever |
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| journal = [[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]] |
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| issue = 177}}</ref> |
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The Joker has been portrayed by various [[actor]]s in other media. He was portrayed by [[Cesar Romero]] in the 1960s [[Batman (1960s TV series)|''Batman'' television series]]; [[Jack Nicholson]] in the 1989 film ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' (Nicholson's version of the Joker ranks #45 in the [[American Film Institute]]'s [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains|list of the top 50 film villains]]); and [[voiceover|voice actor]] [[Mark Hamill]] in TV's ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]''. [[Heath Ledger]] portrayed the character for director [[Christopher Nolan]]'s ''[[Batman Begins]]'' sequel, ''[[The Dark Knight (film)|The Dark Knight]]''. |
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==Publication history== |
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{{see also|Bibliography of the Joker}} |
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[[Image:Joker2.jpg|thumb|left|180px|The Joker's first appearance: ''Batman'' #1 (Spring 1940)]] |
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[[Bill Finger]], the [[ghost writer]] co-creator of Batman, brought credited Batman creator [[Bob Kane]] a photograph of actor [[Conrad Veidt]] wearing make-up for the [[silent film]] ''[[The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)|The Man Who Laughs]]'' (1928), and from this photograph the Joker was modeled. This influence was referenced in the graphic novel ''[[Batman: The Man Who Laughs]]'', a retelling of the first Joker story from 1940. |
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The credit for creation of the Joker is disputed. Kane responded in a 1994 interview to claims that [[Jerry Robinson]] created the concept of the character: |
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{{cquote|Bill Finger and I created the Joker. Bill was the writer. Jerry Robinson came to me with a playing card of the Joker. That's the way I sum it up. [The Joker] looks like Conrad Veidt — you know, the actor in ''The Man Who Laughs'', [the 1928 movie based on the novel] by [[Victor Hugo]]. [...] Bill Finger had a book with a photograph of Conrad Veidt and showed it to me and said, 'Here's the Joker'. Jerry Robinson had absolutely nothing to do with it, but he'll always say he created it till he dies. He brought in a [[playing card]], which we used for a couple of issues for him [the Joker] to use as his playing card".<ref> [http://franklovece.com/webexclusives.html ''Entertainment Weekly'' writer Frank Lovece official site: Web Exclusives — Bob Kane interview]</ref>}} <!--There are probably other places where Kane said this; this is the most succinct I could find online.--> |
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Robinson, whose original Joker playing card was on public display in the exhibition "Masters of American Comics" at the [[Jewish Museum]] in [[New York City]], [[New York]], from [[September 16]], [[2006]] to [[January 28]], [[2007]], and the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum in [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] from [[October 24]], [[2004]] to [[August 28]], [[2005]], has countered that: |
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{{cquote|Bill Finger knew of Conrad Veidt because Bill had been to a lot of the foreign films. Veidt ... had this clown makeup with the frozen smile on his face. When Bill saw the first drawing of the Joker, he said, 'That reminds me of Conrad Veidt in ''The Man Who Laughs''.' He said he would bring in some shots of that movie to show me. That's how that came about. I think in Bill's mind, he fleshed out the concept of the character.<ref>[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=88092 ''Newsarama'' (Oct. 18. 2006): "The Joker, the Jewish Museum and Jerry: Talking to Jerry Robinson" (interview)]</ref>}} |
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In his initial dozen or so appearances, starting with ''Batman'' #1 (1940), the Joker was a straightforward [[mass murder]]er, with a bizarre appearance modeled after the symbol of the [[joker (playing card)|Joker]] known from [[playing cards]]. He was slated to be killed in his second appearance,<ref>Steranko, 1970</ref> but editor Whitney Ellsworth suggested that the character be spared. A hastily drawn panel, demonstrating that the Joker was still alive, was subsequently added to the comic.<ref>Batman From the 30s to the 70s,Bonanza books, 1970</ref> |
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For the next several appearances, the Joker often escaped capture but suffered an apparent death (falling off a cliff, being caught in a burning building, etc.), from which his body was not recovered. In these first dozen adventures, the Joker killed close to three dozen people. |
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In the 1950s and 1960s, following the imposition of the [[Comics Code Authority]] censorship board, the Joker shifted toward becoming a harmless, cackling nuisance. He disappeared from Batman stories almost entirely when [[Julius Schwartz]] took over editorship of the Batman comics in 1964. |
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[[Image:B251.JPG|thumb|right|''Batman'' #251 (Sept. 1973). Art by [[Neal Adams]].]] |
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In 1973, the character was revived and profoundly revised in Batman stories by writer [[Dennis O'Neil]] and artist [[Neal Adams]]. Beginning in ''Batman'' #251, with "The Joker's Five Way Revenge", the Joker returns to his roots as a homicidal maniac who casually murders people on a whim, while enjoying battles of [[wit]]s with Batman. O'Neil said his idea was "simply to take it back to where it started. I went to the DC library and read some of the early stories. I tried to get a sense of what Kane and Finger were after."<ref>Pearson, Roberta E.; Uricchio, William. "Notes from the Batcave: An Interview with Dennis O'Neil." ''The Many Lives of the Batman: Critical Approaches to a Superhero and His Media''. Routledge: London, 1991. ISBN 0-85170-276-7, pg. 18</ref> Writer [[Steve Englehart]] and penciler [[Marshall Rogers]], in an acclaimed run in ''Detective Comics'' #471-476 (Aug. 1977 - April 1978), which went on to influence the 1989 movie ''Batman'' and be adapted for the 1990s [[animated series]],<ref>[http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=5&id=40748 SciFi Wire (March 28, 2007): "Batman Artist Rogers is Dead"]: "Even though their Batman run was only six issues, the three laid the foundation for later Batman comics. Their stories include the classic 'Laughing Fish' (in which the Joker's face appeared on fish); they were adapted for ''Batman: The Animated Series'' in the 1990s. Earlier drafts of the 1989 Batman movie with Michael Keaton as the Dark Knight were based heavily on their work".</ref> added elements deepening the severity of the Joker's insanity. In the story "The Laughing Fish", the Joker is brazen enough to disfigure fish with a rictus grin, then expect to be granted a federal [[trademark]] on them, only to start threatening and murdering bureaucrats who try to explain that obtaining such a claim on a natural resource is a legal impossibility. |
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The Joker had his own nine-issue series during the 1970s in which he faces off against a variety of both [[superhero]]es and [[supervillains]]. Although he was the [[protagonist]] of the series, certain issues feature just as much murder as those in which he was the [[antagonist]]; of the nine issues, he commits murder in seven. The development of the Joker as a sociopath continues with the issues "[[Batman: A Death in the Family|A Death in the Family]]" (in which readers voted for the character to kill off Jason Todd) and ''[[Batman: The Killing Joke|The Killing Joke]]'' in 1988, redefining the character for DC's Modern Age after the company wide [[Reboot (continuity)|reboot]] following ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]''. |
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A major addition to the character was the introduction of [[Harley Quinn]]. Originally introduced in ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'', Quinn is a [[clinical psychiatry|clinical psychiatrist]] who falls hopelessly in love with the Joker in [[Arkham Asylum]] and now serves as his loyal, if daffy, [[sidekick]], costumed in a skintight [[harlequin]] suit. Their partnership often resembles an [[domestic abuse|abusive domestic relationship]], with the Joker insulting, hurting, or even attempting to kill Quinn, who remains undaunted in her devotion. She was popular enough to be integrated into the comics in 1999 and a modified version of the character (less goofy, but still criminally insane and utterly committed to the Joker) was also featured on the short-lived live-action TV series ''[[Birds of Prey (television series)|Birds of Prey]]''. |
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==Fictional character biography== |
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===Origin=== |
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Though many have been related, a definitive [[backstory]] has never been established for the Joker in the comics, and his real name has never been confirmed. He has been portrayed as lying so often about his former life that he himself is confused as to what actually happened. As he says in ''The Killing Joke'': "Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another... if I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!" In ''[[Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth]]'' written by [[Grant Morrison]], it is said that the Joker may not be insane, but have some sort of "super-sanity" in which he creates himself each day to [[cope]] with the chaotic flow of modern urban life. |
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The first origin account, ''Detective Comics'' #168 (February 1951), revealed that the Joker had once been a criminal known as the [[Red Hood]]. In the story, he was a scientist looking to steal from the company that employs him adopts the persona of Red Hood. After committing the theft, which Batman thwarts, Red Hood falls into a vat of chemical waste. He emerges with bleached white skin, red lips, green hair, and a permanent grin. |
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The most widely cited backstory can be seen in ''[[Batman: The Killing Joke|The Killing Joke]]''. It depicts him as originally being an engineer at a chemical plant who quits his job to become a [[stand-up comedy|stand-up comedian]], only to fail miserably. Desperate to support his [[pregnant]] wife, Jennie, the man agrees to help two criminals break into the plant where he was formerly employed. In this version of the story, the Red Hood persona is given to the inside man of every job (thus it is never the same man twice); this makes the man appear to be the ringleader, allowing the two criminals to escape. During the planning, police contact him and inform him that his wife and unborn child have died in a household accident.[[Image:Jokerorig.png|thumb|180px|left|The Joker, before the accident, with his wife. Art by [[Brian Bolland]] from ''[[Batman: The Killing Joke|The Killing Joke]]'']] |
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Stricken with [[grief]], he attempts to back out of the plan, but the criminals strong-arm him into keeping his promise. As soon as they enter the plant, however, they are immediately caught by security and a shoot-out ensues, in which the two criminals are killed. As the engineer tries to escape, he is confronted by Batman, who is investigating the disturbance. Terrified, the engineer leaps over a rail and plummets into a vat of chemicals. When he surfaces in the nearby reservoir, he removes the hood and sees his reflection: bleached chalk-white skin, ruby-red lips, and green hair. These events, coupled with his other misfortunes that day, drive the engineer completely insane, resulting in the birth of the Joker. |
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The story "Pushback" (''[[Batman: Gotham Knights]]'' # 50-55), supports part of this version of the Joker's origin story. In it, a witness (who coincidentally turns out to be Edward Nigma, a.k.a. [[Riddler|the Riddler]]) recounts that the Joker's wife was kidnapped and murdered by the criminals in order to force the engineer into performing the crime. In this version, the pre-accident Joker is called Jack. |
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The [[Paul Dini]]-[[Alex Ross]] story "Case Study" makes a far different case. This story suggests that the Joker was a sadistic criminal who worked his way up the mobster chain until he was the leader. Still seeking the thrills that dirty work allowed, he created the Red Hood identity for himself so that he could commit small-time crimes. But eventually an accident involving Batman caused him to fall into a vat of chemicals, giving him his Joker appearance. However, the story suggests that the Joker never became insane. He is simply a sadistic, calculating human seeking revenge on Batman, hiding beneath the veneer of a psychopath. The Joker as a mob enforcer origin is featured in the second arc of ''Batman: Confidential''. This origin once more states his name as Jack, and eliminates the Red Hood identity. |
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In the 1990s ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'', the Joker's origin is only hinted at in the spin-off ''[[Batman: Mask of the Phantasm]]'' movie. In a flashback, a pre-accident Joker is seen as a driver/enforcer for Sal Valestra, one of Gotham City's crime lords. However, in the episode "Dreams In Darkness", an [[Arkham Asylum]] doctor says that the Joker's name is '''Jack Napier''', the same name used in the 1989 film. |
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===Criminal career=== |
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[[Image:Jokerkillingjoke.png|right|thumb|frame|The Joker emerges from chemical-ridden water and goes insane in ''The Killing Joke''. Art by [[Brian Bolland]].]] |
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From the Joker's first appearance in ''Batman'' #1, he has committed crimes both whimsical and inhumanly brutal, all with a logic and reasoning that, in Batman's words, "make sense to him alone." |
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In ''[[Batman: The Killing Joke]]'', the Joker shoots Barbara Gordon (then known as Batgirl and in later comics as [[Barbara Gordon|Oracle]]), paralyzing her. He then kidnaps Commissioner Gordon and taunts him with enlarged photographs of his wounded daughter being undressed, in an attempt to prove that any emotionally and morally stable man can become insane after having "one really bad day." The Joker ridicules him as an example of "the average man", a naïve weakling doomed to insanity; but fails in his attempts to drive Gordon insane as Batman saves the commissioner and even though distressed, Gordon keeps a sound mind. After this Batman tries one final time to reach the Joker, offering to rehabilitate him. The Joker refuses, but shows his appreciation by sharing a joke with Batman and allowing himself to be taken back to Arkham. |
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The Joker murders Jason Todd, the second Robin, in the story "[[A Death in the Family (Batman story arc)|A Death in the Family]]". Jason Todd discovers that a woman who may be his birth mother is being [[blackmail]]ed by the Joker. She betrays her son to keep from having her medical supply thefts exposed, leading to Jason's brutal beating by the Joker with a crowbar. The Joker locks Jason and his mother in the warehouse where the assault took place and blows it up just as Batman arrives. Readers could vote on whether they wanted Jason Todd to survive the blast. They voted for him to die, hence Batman finds Jason's lifeless body. Jason's death has haunted Batman ever since and has intensified his obsession with his archenemy. |
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In the one-shot comic ''[[Mad Love (comic)|Mad Love]]'', Arkham psychiatrist [[Harleen Quinzel]] ponders whether the Joker may in fact be faking insanity so as to avoid the [[death penalty]]. As she tries to treat the Joker, he recounts a tale of an [[child abuse|abusive]] father and runaway mother to gain her sympathy. She falls hopelessly in love with him and allows him to escape Arkham several times before she is eventually exposed. Driven over the edge with obsession, she becomes Harley Quinn, Joker's accomplice and on-and-off girlfriend. Harley Quin then shoots herself. |
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[[Image:HarleyqLG.jpg|225px|thumb|left|The Joker and [[Harley Quinn]].<br>Art by [[Alex Ross]].]] |
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In a company-wide crossover, "''Last Laugh''", the Joker believes himself to be dying and plans one last historic crime spree, infecting the inmates of 'The Slab,' a prison for super criminals, with [[Joker venom]] to escape. With plans to infect the entire world, he sets the super-powered inmates loose to cause mass chaos in their 'jokerized' forms. Meanwhile, he tries to ensure his "legacy" by defacing statues in his image. The entire United States declares war on the Joker under the orders of President [[Lex Luthor]]; in response, Joker sends his minions to kill the President. [[Black Canary]] discovers that Joker's doctor modified his [[CAT scan]] to make it appear that he had a fatal [[tumor]] in an attempt to subdue him with the threat of death. Harley Quinn, angry at the Joker's attempt to get her pregnant without marrying her, helps the heroes create an antidote to the Joker poison and return the super villains to their normal state. Believing Robin had been eaten by [[Killer Croc]] in the ensuing madness, [[Nightwing]] eventually catches up with the Joker and beats him to death. To keep Nightwing from having blood on his hands, Batman resuscitates the Joker. |
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During the events of the ''[[No Man's Land (comics)|No Man's Land]]'' storyline, the Joker murders [[Sarah Essen Gordon]], Commissioner Gordon's second wife, by shooting her in the head as she tries to protect the infants that he has kidnapped. He surrenders to Batman, but continues to taunt Gordon, provoking the Commissioner to shoot him in the kneecap. The Joker laments that he may be paralyzed, and then collapses with laughter as he "gets the joke" that Gordon has just avenged his daughter's paralysis. |
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In ''[[Emperor Joker]]'', a multipart story throughout the [[Superman]] titles, the Joker steals [[Mister Mxyzptlk]]'s reality altering power, remaking the entire world into a twisted caricature, with everyone in it stuck in a loop, repeating the same patterns over and over. The conflict focuses on the [[fate]] of Batman in this world, with the Joker torturing and killing his adversary every day, only to bring him back to life and do it over and over again. Superman's powerful will allows him to fight off the Joker's influence enough to make contact with the weakened Mxyzptlk, who along with a less-powerful [[Spectre (comics)|Spectre]], encourages Superman to work out the Joker's weakness before reality is destroyed by the Joker's misuse of Mxyzptlk's power. As time runs out, Superman realizes that the Joker still cannot erase Batman from existence, as the Joker totally defines himself by his opposition to the Dark Knight; if the Joker can't even erase one man, how can he destroy the universe? The Joker's control shattered, Mxyzptlk and the Spectre manage to reconstruct reality from the moment the Joker disrupted everything, but Batman is left broken from experiencing multiple deaths. Superman has to steal Batman's memories so that he can go on, transferring them to the Joker and leaving him [[catatonia|catatonic]]. |
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In the ''Under The Hood'' arc (''Batman'' #635-650), Jason Todd returns to life. Angry at Batman for failing to avenge his death by killing the Joker, he takes over his killer's old Red Hood identity, abducts the Joker and attempts to force Batman to shoot him. |
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At the conclusion of ''Infinite Crisis'' the Joker kills [[Alexander Luthor, Jr.|Alexander Luthor]], hero of the original [[Crisis on Infinite Earths]] and villain of ''[[Infinite Crisis]]''. |
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In current continuity as of [[January 2008]], the Joker is involved in the ''[[Salvation Run]]'' miniseries, leading one of two factions of supervillains who have been exiled from [[Earth]] to a distant prison planet. |
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==Powers and abilities== |
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The Joker commits crimes with countless "comedic" weapons (such as razor-sharp playing cards, acid-spewing flowers, [[cyanide]] pies, and lethally electric joy buzzers) and [[Joker venom]], a deadly poison that infects his victims with a ghoulish rictus grin as they die while laughing uncontrollably. This venom comes in many forms, from gas to darts to liquid poison, and has been his primary calling card from his first appearance. The Joker is immune to his venom. He is highly intelligent and very skilled in the fields of [[chemistry]], [[gene]]tics, and [[engineering]]. In a miniseries featuring [[Robin (Tim Drake)|Tim Drake]], the third Robin, the Joker kidnaps a computer genius, admitting that he doesn't know much about computers. In future issues, he is shown as very [[computer literacy|computer literate]]. |
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Joker's skills in [[hand-to-hand combat]] vary considerably depending on the writer. Some writers have shown Joker to be quite the skilled fighter, capable even of holding his own against Batman in a fight. Other writers prefer portraying Joker as being physically frail to the point that he can be defeated with a single punch. He is, however, consistently described as agile. |
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The Joker has cheated death numerous times, even in seemingly inescapable and lethal situations. Though he has been seen caught in explosions, been shot repeatedly, dropped from lethal heights, electrocuted, and so on, the Joker always returns to once again wreak havoc. |
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Over several decades there have been a variety of depictions and possibilities regarding the Joker's apparent insanity, of which the following are a sampling: |
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[[Grant Morrison]]'s graphic novel ''Arkham Asylum'' suggests that the Joker's mental state is in fact a previously unprecedented form of "super-sanity," a form of ultra-sensory perception. It also suggests that he has no true personality of his own, that on any given day he can be a harmless clown or a vicious killer, depending on which would benefit him the most. Later, during the ''[[Knightfall]]'' saga, after [[Scarecrow (comics)|Scarecrow]] and the Joker team up and kidnap the mayor of Gotham City, Scarecrow turns on the Joker and uses his fear gas to see what Joker is afraid of. To Scarecrow's surprise, the gas has no effect on Joker, who in turn beats him with a chair. In Morrison's [[JLA]] title, the [[Martian Manhunter]] rewires his own brain in order to think like the Joker, and later briefly rewires the Joker's brain to create momentary sanity. In those few moments, the Joker realizes that he had to reevaluate his life and seems to regret his various murders. He is returned to his usual self soon afterward. |
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In an alternate depiction of the Joker called ''Elseworlds: Distant Fires'', the Joker is rendered sane by a [[Nuclear warfare|nuclear war]] that deprives all super beings of their powers. In ''Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #145'', the Joker became sane when Batman put him in one of [[Ra's al Ghul]]'s [[Lazarus Pit]]s after being shot, a reversal of the insanity which may come after experiencing such rejuvenation. However, the sanity, like the more commonplace insanity, was only temporary, and soon the Joker was back to his "normal" self. |
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The character is sometimes portrayed as having a heightened sense of self-awareness that other characters do not, such as being aware of being in a comic book. This [[fourth wall]] awareness also seems to carry over to ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]''. The Joker is the only character to talk directly into the "camera", and can be heard whistling his own theme music in the episode adaptation of the comic ''Mad Love''. In the [[Marvel vs DC]] crossover, he also demonstrates knowledge of the first Batman/[[Spider-Man]] crossover even though that story's events did not occur in the [[canon (fiction)|canonical]] history of either the Marvel or DC universe. On page five of "Sign of The Joker", the second half of the "Laughing Fish" storyline, the Joker turns the page for the reader, bowing and tipping his hat in mock politeness. |
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Joker's blood itself is poisonous, as is stated in ''Batman'' #663 when Morrison writes that "being an avid consumer of his products, Joker's immunity to poisons has been built up over years of dedicated abuse" and then when a [[mosquito]] sucks Joker's blood it "writhes and whines, choking on tainted blood". |
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==Character == |
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The Joker has been referred to as the Clown Prince of Crime, the Harlequin of Hate, and the Ace of Knaves. Throughout the evolution of the DC [[fictional universe|universe]], interpretations and incarnations of the Joker have taken two forms. The original and currently dominant image is of a fiendishly intelligent lunatic with a warped, [[sadism|sadistic]] sense of humor. The other interpretation of the character, popular in the late 1940s through 1960s comic books as well as the [[Batman (TV series)|1960s television series]], is that of an eccentric but harmless prankster and thief. The 1990s [[cartoon]] ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'' blended these two aspects to great acclaim, although most interpretations tend to embrace one characterization or the other. |
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The Joker's victims have included men, women, children, and even his own henchmen. A 1996 issue of ''[[Hitman (comics)|Hitman]]'' stated that the Joker once gassed an entire [[kindergarten]] class. In the graphic novel ''The Joker: Devil's Advocate'', the Joker is reported to have killed well over 2,000 people. Despite having murdered enough people to get the death penalty thousands of times over, he is always found [[insanity plea|not guilty by reason of insanity]]. In the Batman story line "War Crimes", this continued ruling of insanity is in fact made possible by The Joker's own dream team of lawyers. He is then placed in Arkham Asylum, from which he appears able to escape at will, going so far as to claim that it's just a resting ground in between his "performances". Indeed, during the "Justice" Miniseries by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, Joker says to The Riddler he can break out at any time, he only stays in Arkham for as long as he thinks it's funny. A couple issues later, he is then seen roaming free. In the last issue, however, he is back in Arkham, apparently of his own free will. |
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There have been times when Batman has been tempted to put the Joker down once and for all, but has relented at the last minute. After capturing the Joker in one story, he threatens to kill his old foe, but then says, "But that would give you the final victory, making me into a killer like yourself!" Conversely, the Joker has given up many chances to kill Batman. Their mutual obsession is unique compared to other superheroes and villains. |
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[[Image:Joker-1.jpg|thumb|right|225px|''The Joker'' #1 (May 1975). Cover art by [[Dick Giordano]].]]<!--confirmed both pencils and inks per GCD--> |
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The Joker is renowned as Batman's most unpredictable foe. While other villains rely on tried-and-true methods to commit crimes (such as [[Mr. Freeze]]'s freeze gun or [[Poison Ivy (comics)|Poison Ivy]]'s toxic plants), Joker has a variety of weapons at his disposal. For example, the flower he wears in his lapel sprays (at any given time) acid, poisonous laughing gas, or nothing at all. In ''Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker'' and much earlier in "Dreadful Birthday, Dear Joker!" (''Batman'' #321), the Joker has a gun which at first shoots a flag saying "BANG!", but then, with another pull of the trigger, the flag fires and impales its target. His most recurring gadget is a high-voltage hand-buzzer, which he uses to electrocute his victims with a handshake. Sometimes he commits crimes just for the fun of it, while on other occasions, it is part of a grand scheme; Batman has been noted to say that the Joker's plans make sense to him alone. His capricious nature, coupled with his violent streak, makes him the one villain that the DC Universe's other super-villains fear; in the ''[[Villains United]]'' and ''Infinite Crisis'' mini-series, the members of the villains' Secret Society refuse to induct the Joker for this reason. In the one-shot ''[[Underworld Unleashed]]'', the [[Trickster (comics)|Trickster]] remarks, "When super-villains want to scare each other, they tell Joker stories". |
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==Other versions== |
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===DC Universe=== |
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* In pre-[[Crisis on Infinite Earths|Crisis]] continuity, there was a considerably older version of the Joker living on [[Earth-Two]]. His silver age appearances involved his alliance with [[King Kull (DC Comics)|King Kull]] of Earth-S while battling the golden age Batman and Robin, and his later battle versus Batman's daughter the [[Huntress (Helena Wayne)|Huntress]]. |
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* A female version of the Joker, modeled on [[Duela Dent]], appeared as part of DC's [[Tangent Comics]] line in her own one-shot (''Tangent Comics: The Joker'') in 1997. A [[superhero]], she also appeared as a member of Tangent's [[Secret Six (comics)|Secret Six]]. The character was popular enough to merit a second one-shot, ''The Joker's Wild'', in the second wave of Tangent Comics one year later. Recently, in ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'', the Tangent Comics universe was revealed to have previously been Earth-97, making her the Joker of Earth-97. In the new multiverse, the Tangent Universe's new numerical designation is, as revealed in ''[[Countdown: Arena]]'' #2, Earth-9. |
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* In ''Countdown'', The Joker's Earth-3 counterpart is a hero who began his career by making jokes about [[Owlman (comics)|Owlman]]. When Owlman murdered Harleen Quinzel and mutilated the comedian's face, he became the Jokester. He fought Owlman and his sidekick, [[Talon (DC Comics)|Talon]], many a time until one night he was saved from death at Owlman's hands by The Riddler, Three-Face, and their daughter, Duela Dent. The four formed an alliance that was cut short by [[Ultraman (comics)|Ultraman]], [[Superwoman#Crime Syndicate of America|Superwoman]], and Owlman. He escaped and hid until the right moment to strike back at the [[Crime Syndicate of America#Crime Society of America|Crime Society of America]]. That chance came when the Society engaged the Challengers from Beyond ([[Kyle Rayner]], [[Donna Troy]] and [[Jason Todd]]), The Jokester followed them to Earth-15 and then to Earth-8, where he was killed by its [[Monitors (comics)|Monitor]]. |
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* In ''[[All Star Batman and Robin]]'' he is shown to have planned the murder of Dick Grayson's parents and is a mob boss. He is also shown to be planning something with Catwoman. |
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===Elseworlds=== |
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* In ''[[Batman: Nosferatu]]'', the Joker is the "Laughing Man", a white-faced, murderous creature, a prototype cyborg built by Luthor from one of Dr. Arkham's patients. |
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* In ''[[Batman and Dracula|Batman: Bloodstorm]]'', the sequel to Batman's fight with [[Dracula]] that resulted in him being transformed into a [[vampire]], the Joker takes charge of the remaining vampires, convincing them that he is a better leader to them alive and thinking long-term than transformed into a vampire and more concerned with his next meal. Under the Joker's leadership, the vampires kill all of Gotham's major crime families, but this makes them easy prey for Batman's daylight allies. The Joker's few remaining vampire allies are killed in a last stand, but the Joker manages to kill [[Catwoman]] in the process. Driven mad with grief, Batman breaks the Joker's neck and drains his blood, committing his first murder as a vampire. Horrified by what he has done, Batman flees after staking the Joker, but knows that, in his last breath, the Joker has won by turning Batman into a murderer. |
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* In ''[[JLA: The Nail]]'', the Joker is given access to [[Krypton]]ian weaponry by the altered [[Jimmy Olsen]], using it to kill Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson right in front of Batman. However, Joker loses his concentration when Catwoman intervenes, allowing Batman to escape. Batman, driven to the brink of madness with grief and rage, kills the Joker on the roof of Arkham Asylum. In the sequel, ''[[JLA: Another Nail]]'', they have a rematch in [[Hell]]. |
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*In ''[[Batman: Leatherwing]]'', the Joker is a sadistic [[18th century]] [[pirate]] known as "''The Laughing man''", although he is called Joker several times in the dialogue. |
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* In ''[[Batman: In Darkest Knight]]'', where [[Bruce Wayne]] is chosen as [[Green Lantern]] instead of [[Hal Jordan]], he easily averts the accident that initially transformed the criminal who was once the Red Hood into the Joker. Later, [[Sinestro]] uses his power ring to absorb [[Joe Chill]]'s mind, the strain apparently causing him to become somewhat deranged, effectively filling the role of the Joker in the story. |
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* In the future setting of ''[[Kingdom Come (comic book)|Kingdom Come]]'', the now middle-aged Joker, having killed several staff members at the ''[[Daily Planet]]'' ([[Perry White]], [[Lois Lane]] and [[Jimmy Olsen]] among them), is arrested by the police. Before he can be prosecuted, he is killed by [[Magog (comics)|Magog]], an act which eventually leads to the main storyline of ''Kingdom Come''. The series also includes a character called [[Duela Dent#Kingdom Come|Joker's Daughter II]]. The graphic novel version lists each of the characters that appear in each chapter, and states that she is "one of many to follow the Joker's chaotic style". |
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* Another female Joker appeared in ''Batgirl and Robin: Thrillkiller'', written and drawn by [[Howard Chaykin]] and [[Dan Brereton]] and published in 1997-98. Set in 1962-64, it has Batgirl, her lovers Robin, and Batman, taking on corrupt establishment figures rather than all-out criminals. Their main enemy is the Joker-like Bianca Steeplechase who is assisted by a team of corrupt cops led by the [[Two-Face]]-like Detective Duell. As part of her bid to rule the Gotham criminal underworld, she also beds the local [[mayor]]s. [[Harley Quinn]] appears in this [[Elseworld]] adventure as a late adolescent schoolgirl. Her relationship with Bianca is short-lived, but there is indication of a [[lesbian]] attraction between them. Their relationship is also more [[egalitarian]] than its [[heterosexual]] counterpart within mainstream DC continuity. Arkham is implied to be a [[drug rehabilitation]] center. |
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* In the ''Elseworlds'' novel ''[[Batman: Two Faces]]'', the Joker takes the role of both [[Jack the Ripper]] and [[Mr. Hyde]], becoming the exact opposite of Batman. |
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* In ''[[Gotham by Gaslight]]'', Joker makes a cameo appearance. He is a thief who attempted [[suicide]] with [[strychnine]] when he was about to be apprehended by the police. His failed attempt left him disfigured and insane. |
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* In ''[[Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again]]'', set after the death of the original Joker, a second Joker arises and kills several superheroes before fighting an elderly Batman and his new sidekick Catgirl. The second Joker is revealed to be [[Dick Grayson]], the original Robin, driven mad from extensive and radical gene therapy given by Lex Luthor's regime. |
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* In the graphic novel ''Batman: Detective No. 27'', two alternate versions of the Joker appear: Professor Josiah Carr, an insane member of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] responsible for the [[Lincoln assassination|assassination]] of [[Abraham Lincoln]], who plots the destruction of America; and Jack Napier, one of the two thugs responsible for the death of Wayne's parents, and pawn of the late Carr's scheme. Both speak the line "Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?", taking inspiration from the earlier film interpretation of the character. |
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* In ''[[JSA: The Liberty Files]]'' The Joker is "Jack the Grin", an [[Albinism|albino]] arms dealer who is on the run after intercepting a [[National Socialist German Workers Party|Nazi]] radio message regarding Hitler's secret weapon. Jack, knowing he's a marked man, tries to dye his hair brown but it turns green. He goes into hiding, only to be caught by allied forces. While being transported back to the states by plane, the aircraft is shot down over Egypt. Suffering from slight [[amnesia]], Jack shambles his way to a safe house. The US government sends Batman, [[Hourman]] and [[Doctor Mid-Nite]] to apprehend him before he falls into Nazi hands. |
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* In ''[[Planetary (comics)|Planetary]]/Batman: Night On Earth'', the Joker of the Wildstorm universe is actually a sane - if slightly giggly - Planetary operative called Jasper, who works with that universe's Dick Grayson. |
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* In ''Batman: I, Joker'', the Gotham City of the future is ruled by a cult who worships Batman and his descendant, the Bruce. Once every year, there are challengers who try to usurp the rule of Batman, but even worse, this Bruce has people taken off the street and has them turned into Batman's old enemies complete with their memories. The newest Joker, ''Joe Collins'', was able to maintain his original memories, and dons a Batman outfit alongside a new Robin to try and destroy the cult. |
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* In ''[[Superman: Speeding Bullets]]'', in which baby [[Kal-El]] of [[Krypton]] is adopted as Bruce Wayne and grows up to be a super-powered Batman, Lex Luthor suffers an industrial accident and becomes The Joker. |
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* In ''All-Star Batman and Robin'', the Joker is a melancholy [[serial killer]], responsible for the murder of [[Dick Grayson]]'s parents. This version sport a large tattoo of a dragon on his back, similar to the [[Yakuza]], has a [[neo-Nazi]] hechwoman named Bruno, and is shown to be scheming with [[Catwoman]]. He has committed [[sex crimes]] with several women. |
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*In "Batman/Captain America," the DC and Marvel universes co-exist in 1945. The Joker is working to gain control of "the Gotham Project," this world's version of the atomic bomb, battling the combined forces of Captain America, Batman, Robin and Bucky, leaving a trail of dead soldiers in his wake. The Joker gains the bomb and takes it to his employer who turns out to be the Red Skull. The Joker actually shows some morality when he realizes he's been working for a Nazi ("I may be a criminal lunatic but I'm an American criminal lunatic!") and ends up stopping the Skull from dropping the bomb from a plane. The two villians end up being dropped with the bomb over the ocean but both Batman and Captain America doubt they're truly dead. |
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===Other media=== |
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{{main|Joker's appearances in other media}} |
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The Joker has appeared in almost every medium in which Batman has appeared, including live-action and animated productions, and video games. |
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==See also== |
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* [[Bibliography of the Joker]] |
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==Footnotes== |
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{{reflist|2}} |
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==External links== |
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{{wikiquote|Batman (comics)#The Joker|The Joker}} |
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* [http://stars.ign.com/articles/841/841564p1.html Why So Serious? - The Many Faces of Joker] |
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* [http://dccomics.com/heroes_and_villains/?hv=origin_stories/joker The Origin of Joker at DCComics.com] |
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* [http://www.whysoserious.com] |
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Revision as of 20:53, 9 April 2008
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