| Joker |
The Joker by Doug Mahnke | | Publication information | | Publisher | DC Comics | | First appearance | Batman #1 (Spring 1940)[1] | | Created by | Jerry Robinson (concept)
Bill Finger
Bob Kane | | In story information | | Alter ego | Unknown | | Team affiliations | Injustice Gang
Injustice League | | Notable aliases | Red Hood, Jack, Joseph "Joe" Kerr, Clem Rusty, Mr. Rekoj | | Abilities |
Highly intelligent
Access to Joker venom and a variety of gadgets
Image File history File links Manwholaughs. ...
Douglas Doug Mahnke is an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on The Mask, JLA and Batman. ...
DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ...
In comic books, first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ...
Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics action hero of the same name. ...
Detective Comics #38 (May 1940), the first appearance of Robin. ...
William Bill Finger (February 8, 1914–January 18, 1974) was an American writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series development. ...
Bob Kane (born Robert Kahn, October 24, 1915 – November 3, 1998) was an American comic book artist and writer credited as the creator of the DC Comics superhero Batman. ...
The Injustice Gang (also known as the Injustice Gang of the World) is a group of fictional supervillains in the DC Comics universe. ...
The original Injustice League was the brainchild of the interplanetary conqueror, Agamemno. ...
Red Hood is a fictional character and title in the DC Universe. ...
The Joker with a victim of Joker venom, in the OverPower card game Joker venom is a fictional toxin, a favourite murder weapon utilised by The Joker in the Batman franchise of movies, comics, and cartoons. ...
Experience in hand to hand combat
| The Joker is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman #1 (Spring 1940), and was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson. A fictional character is any person, persona, identity, or entity that is created from ones imagination or from an adaption of an existing entity. ...
A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ...
DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ...
In comic books, the term first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ...
William Bill Finger (February 8, 1914–January 18, 1974) was an American writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series development. ...
Bob Kane (born Robert Kahn, October 24, 1915 – November 3, 1998) was an American comic book artist and writer credited as the creator of the DC Comics superhero Batman. ...
Detective Comics #38 (May 1940), the first appearance of Robin. ...
The Joker is a master criminal, initially portrayed as a violent sociopath who murders people and commits crimes for his own amusement. The Joker is the archenemy of Batman, and 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) and Commissioner Gordon's second wife Sarah Essen. for other uses please see Crime (disambiguation) A crime is an act that violates a political or moral law. ...
Antisocial personality disorder (APD) is a mental disorder defined by the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual: The essential feature for the diagnosis is a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ...
Paralysed redirects here. ...
Barbara Babs Gordon is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics and related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino. ...
Batgirl is a DC Comics superhero. ...
Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character published in stories by DC Comics. ...
Robin (also referred to as The Boy Wonder) is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman. ...
James Jim Worthington Gordon is a supporting character in DC Comics Batman series. ...
Sarah Essen Gordon is a fictional character in the DC Universe, created by Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli as a supporting character in the Batman mythos. ...
The Joker's real identity is unknown, and there have been different takes on his origin, though each depicts him as having fallen into a vat of chemicals, which bleached his skin white, dyed his hair green and turned his lips bright red, giving him a clown-like appearance. The character, 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 was again depicted as a vicious killer. In 2006, Wizard magazine rated the Joker as the greatest villain of all time.[2] In comic book terminology, the phrase origin story refers to a story or backstory revealing how a male character went through a sex change, or the circumstances under which they became superheroes or supervillains. ...
vat can be a type of barrel used for storage. ...
A chemical substance is any material substance used in or obtained by a process in chemistry: A chemical compound is a substance consisting of two or more chemical elements that are chemically combined in fixed proportions. ...
Clowning redirects here. ...
For other uses, see Trickster (disambiguation). ...
Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture (originally titled Wizard: The Guide to Comics and Wizard: The Comics Magazine) is a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment. ...
The Joker has appeared throughout the years in various media. He was portrayed by Cesar Romero in the 1960s Batman television series; Jack Nicholson in the 1989 film Batman (Nicholson's version of the Joker ranks #45 in the American Film Institute's list of the top 50 film villains); and voice actor Mark Hamill in 1990's Batman: The Animated Series television series. Heath Ledger portrayed the character in the 2008 Batman Begins sequel, The Dark Knight, based upon the Joker from the early 1940s era. Cesar Julio Romero, Jr. ...
Burt Ward as Robin and Adam West as Batman Batman was the title of an exceptionally popular TV series based on the comic-book character Batman that aired on ABC TV for 2 1/2 seasons from 12 January 1966 to 14 March 1968. ...
John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937), known as Jack Nicholson, is a three time Academy Award-winning American actor internationally renowned for his often dark-themed portrayals of neurotic characters. ...
For the album based on the film, see Batman (album). ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
// AFIs 100 Years. ...
VoiceOver is a feature built into Apple Computers Mac OS X v10. ...
Mark Richard Hamill (born September 25, 1951) is an American actor. ...
The animated Batman shoots his grappling gun from a rooftop in a scene from the episode, On Leather Wings. ...
Heath Andrew Ledger (April 4, 1979 – January 22, 2008) was an Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and SAG Award-nominated Australian-born film actor who lived in New York City. ...
For the video game based on the film, see Batman Begins (video game). ...
The Dark Knight is a 2008 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. ...
Publication history
Creation
 The Joker's first appearance in Batman #1 (Spring 1940) 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), 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. Image File history File links Joker2. ...
Image File history File links Joker2. ...
William Bill Finger (February 8, 1914–January 18, 1974) was an American writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series development. ...
This article is about a ghostwriter, the type of writer. ...
Bob Kane (born Robert Kahn, October 24, 1915 – November 3, 1998) was an American comic book artist and writer credited as the creator of the DC Comics superhero Batman. ...
Conrad Veidt in The Spy in Black (1939). ...
A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ...
The Man Who Laughs is a 1928 American silent Romantic drama film directed by German expressionist filmmaker Paul Leni. ...
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: Detective Comics #38 (May 1940), the first appearance of Robin. ...
| “ | 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".[3] | ” | 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 from October 24, 2004 to August 28, 2005, has countered that: Victor-Marie Hugo (pronounced ) (February 26, 1802 — May 22, 1885) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights campaigner, and perhaps the most influential exponent of the Romantic movement in France. ...
Set of 78 French style playing cards with twenty two atouts, typically used to play French Tarot Set of 52 French style playing cards with two jokers Set of 52 Anglo-American style playing cards Some typical Anglo-American playing cards from the Bicycle brand Paul Cézanne - The Card...
The Jewish Museum Berlin (Jüdisches Museum Berlin) is a museum in Berlin covering two millennia of German Jewish history. ...
New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...
This article is about the state. ...
is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...
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is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
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Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
| “ | 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.[4] | ” |
1940s In his initial dozen or so appearances, starting with Batman #1 (1940), the Joker was a straightforward mass murderer, with a bizarre appearance modeled after the symbol of the Joker known from playing cards. He was slated to be killed in his second appearance,[5] 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.[6] Mass murder (massacre) is the act of murdering a large number of people, typically at the same time, or over a relatively short period of time. ...
An example of a joker playing card. ...
Some typical modern playing cards. ...
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.
1950s and 1960s 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. The seal of the Comics Code Authority, which appears on the covers of approved comic books. ...
Julius Julie Schwartz (June 19, 1915 – February 8, 2004) was a comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. ...
1970s-1980s 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 wits with Batman.[7] 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."[8] 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,[9] 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.[10][11] Batman #251. ...
Batman #251. ...
Neal Adams (born June 6, 1941, Governors Island, Manhattan, New York City) is an American comic book and commercial artist best known for his highly naturalistic style of illustration. ...
Dennis Denny ONeil is a comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement. ...
Neal Adams (born June 6, 1941, Governors Island, Manhattan, New York City) is an American comic book and commercial artist best known for his highly naturalistic style of illustration. ...
Look up Wit in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Steve Englehart (born April 22, 1947, Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, particularly in the 1970s. ...
Marshall Rogers is a comic book artist who has worked for Marvel and DC Comics since the 1970s. ...
An animated series or cartoon series is a television series produced by means of animation. ...
“(TM)†redirects here. ...
The Joker had his own nine-issue series during the 1970s in which he faces off against a variety of both superheroes 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 "A Death in the Family" (in which readers voted for the character to kill off Jason Todd)[12] and The Killing Joke in 1988, redefining the character for DC's Modern Age after the company wide reboot following Crisis on Infinite Earths.[13][14] For other uses, see Superhero (disambiguation). ...
The Green Goblin, a supervillain and enemy of Spider-Man. ...
A protagonist is the main figure of a piece of literature or drama and has the main part or role. ...
For other uses, see Antagonist (disambiguation). ...
Batman: A Death in the Family is a Batman comic book story arc first published in the late 1980s which gave fans the ability to influence the story through voting with a 900 number. ...
Cover to Batman: The Killing Joke. ...
This article does not cite its references or sources. ...
Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-issue American comic book limited series (identified as a 12-part maxi-series) and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify their then-55-year-old continuity. ...
Harley Quinn A major addition to the character was the introduction of Harley Quinn. Originally introduced in Batman: The Animated Series, Quinn is a 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 abusive domestic relationship, with the Joker insulting, hurting, or even attempting to kill Quinn, who remains undaunted in her devotion.[15] 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. For the Agatha Christie character Harley Quin, see The Mysterious Mr. ...
The animated Batman shoots his grappling gun from a rooftop in a scene from the episode, On Leather Wings. ...
Arkham Asylum as it appeared on Batman: The Animated Series. ...
For other uses, see Sidekick (disambiguation). ...
“Arlecchino†redirects here. ...
Abuse is a general term for the misuse of a person or thing, causing harm to the person or thing, to the abuser, or to someone else. ...
Birds of Prey was a live action US television series produced in 2002. ...
Fictional character biography
Origin 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!"[13] 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.[16] In narratology, a back-story (also back story or backstory) is the history behind the situation extant at the start of the main story. ...
Grant Morrison (born January 31, 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. ...
a priest wearing a cope The cope is a liturgical vestment, which may be of any liturgical colour, and is like a very long mantle or cloak, fastened at the breast by a clasp. ...
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 and 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.[17][18] Art from Batman: The Killing Joke by Brian Bolland. ...
Art from Batman: The Killing Joke by Brian Bolland. ...
Bollands cover to Hellstorm: Prince Of Lies #16. ...
Cover to Batman: The Killing Joke. ...
Red Hood is a fictional character and title in the DC Universe. ...
The most widely cited backstory can be seen in The Killing Joke. It depicts him as originally being an engineer at a chemical plant who quits his job to become a 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.[13][14] Cover to Batman: The Killing Joke. ...
B. J. Novak in a stand-up comedy routine at Olde English sketch comedy in June 2007. ...
A pregnant woman Pregnancy is the process by which a mammalian female carries a live offspring from conception until it develops to the point where the offspring is capable of living outside the womb. ...
 The Joker emerges from chemical-ridden water and goes insane in The Killing Joke. Art by Brian Bolland. 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.[13][14] The Joker in a scene from Batman: The Killing Joke. ...
The Joker in a scene from Batman: The Killing Joke. ...
Bollands cover to Hellstorm: Prince Of Lies #16. ...
It has been suggested that Anticipatory Grief be merged into this article or section. ...
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. 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.[19] Batman: Gotham Knights was one of several alternate titles for Batman: The Animated Series. ...
The Riddler, (Edward E. Nigma, also spelled Nygma by some writers), is a DC Comics supervillain and an enemy of Batman. ...
The Paul Dini-Alex Ross story "Case Study" proposes a far different theory. This story suggests that the Joker was a sadistic gangster who worked his way up Gotham's criminal food chain until he was the leader of a powerful mob. Still seeking the thrills that dirty work allowed, he created the Red Hood identity for himself so that he could commit small-time crimes. Eventually, he had his fateful first meeting with Batman, resulting in his disfigurement. However, the story suggests that the Joker retained his sanity, and researched his crimes to look like the work of a sick mind in order to pursue his vendetta against Batman. Paul Dini is an American television producer of animated cartoons. ...
Nelson Alexander Alex Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book painter, illustrator and plotter, acclaimed for the photorealism of his work. ...
Look up sadism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
This article is about the criminal society. ...
The Joker as a mob enforcer origin is featured in the second arc of Batman Confidential (#7-12). This origin once more states his name as Jack, and eliminates the Red Hood identity. Becoming obsessed with Batman due to the sheer boredom of his work, Jack crashes a museum ball to attract Batman's attention and badly injures Lorna Shore (whom Bruce Wayne is dating). An enraged Batman disfigures his face with a batarang as he escapes. In retaliation, a furious Batman sells Jack out to mobsters who he had crossed and they severely torture Jack in a disused chemical plant. Turning the tables, Jack kills several, but falls into an empty vat. Wild gunfire punctures the chemical tanks above him, and the resultant flood of toxins drives him mad and alters his appearance to that of the Joker.[20] Batman Confidential is a monthly comic book series from DC Comics which debuted its first issue on December 6, 2006. ...
For the hard rock band, see The Chelsea Smiles. ...
In the 1990s Batman: The Animated Series, the Joker's origin is only hinted at in the spin-off movie, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.[21] In a flashback, a pre-accident Joker is seen as a driver/enforcer for Sal Valestra, one of Gotham City's crime lords.[21] 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.[22]. The name of Jack Napier also appears in the episode "Joker's Wild", as Batman was looking through confidential files, one page had the Joker's rap sheet, including the Jack Napier identity. The animated Batman shoots his grappling gun from a rooftop in a scene from the episode, On Leather Wings. ...
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is an animated film first released in 1993. ...
Arkham Asylum as it appeared on Batman: The Animated Series. ...
Criminal career 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."[23]
In Batman: The Killing Joke, the Joker shoots Barbara Gordon (then known as Batgirl and in later comics as 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.[24] Barbara Babs Gordon is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics and related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino. ...
The Joker murders Jason Todd, the second Robin, in the story "A Death in the Family". Jason Todd discovers that a woman who may be his birth mother is being blackmailed 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.[12] For other uses, see Blackmail (disambiguation). ...
In the one-shot 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 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.[25] Mad Love Mad Love was an extremely popular comic book written by Paul Dini (The writer and director of Batman The Animated Series and Batman Beyond, dubbed an icon of the 19990s) and Bruce W. Timm (executive producer on The New Batman/Superman Adventures and the co-creator of...
Harley Quinn (real name Dr. Harleen Quinzel) is a fictional character in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, as well as the DC Comics Batman series and its spin-offs, and subsequently in various Batman-related comic books. ...
Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ...
Child abuse is the physical, psychological or sexual abuse or neglect of children. ...
During the events of the 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 never walk again, and then collapses with laughter as he "gets the joke" that Gordon has just avenged his daughter's paralysis.[26] Download high resolution version (497x622, 32 KB)The Joker and Harley Quinn. ...
Download high resolution version (497x622, 32 KB)The Joker and Harley Quinn. ...
For the Agatha Christie character Harley Quin, see The Mysterious Mr. ...
Nelson Alexander Alex Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book painter, illustrator and plotter, acclaimed for the photorealism of his work. ...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this comics-related article or section may require cleanup. ...
Sarah Essen Gordon is a fictional detective in DCs Batman stories, created by Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli. ...
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.[27] The Joker with a victim of Joker venom, in the OverPower card game Joker venom is a fictional toxin, a favourite murder weapon utilised by The Joker in the Batman franchise of movies, comics, and cartoons. ...
Lex Luthor is a fictional DC Comics supervillain and the archenemy of the superhero Superman. ...
Black Canary is a fictional character, a DC Comics superheroine. ...
CAT apparatus in a hospital Computed axial tomography (CAT), computer-assisted tomography, computed tomography, CT, or body section roentgenography is the process of using digital processing to generate a three-dimensional image of the internals of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around...
For malignant tumors specifically, see cancer. ...
Killer Croc (Waylon Jones) is a fictional character in the DC universe, an enemy of Batman. ...
Nightwing is a name used by at least six fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. ...
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, 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 catatonic.[28] Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ...
Mister Mxyzptlk (roughly pronounced Miks-yez-pit-lik, or Mix-yez-pittle-ik, also nicknamed Mxy) is a fictional supervillain who appears in DC Comics Superman comic books. ...
The Spectre is a fictional cosmic entity and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. ...
This is a page about catatonic state. ...
In the Under The Hood arc (Batman #635-650), Jason Todd returns to life. Angry at Batman for failing to avenge his death, he takes over his killer's old Red Hood identity, abducts the Joker and attempts to force Batman to shoot him.[29]
At the conclusion of Infinite Crisis the Joker kills Alexander Luthor, hero of the original Crisis on Infinite Earths and villain of Infinite Crisis.[30] Alexander Luthor, Jr. ...
Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-issue American comic book limited series (identified as a 12-part maxi-series) and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify their then-55-year-old continuity. ...
Infinite Crisis was a seven-issue limited series of comic books published by DC Comics, beginning in October of 2005. ...
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.[31] In issue six of the series, Joker engages Lex Luthor in an all-out brawl. Just as he gains the upper hand, however, the planet is invaded by Parademons, he helps fight off the invasion and later escapes along with the rest of the surviving villains in the teleportation machine. Salvation Run is a seven-part 2007-2008 DC Comics mini-series which will tie in to the companys major event series Final Crisis in 2008. ...
Exile (band) may refer to: Exile - The American country music band Exile - The Japanese pop music band Category: ...
This article is about Earth as a planet. ...
Lex Luthor is a fictional DC Comics supervillain and the archenemy of the superhero Superman. ...
In the DC Universe, parademons are monstrous shock troops of Apokolips used by Darkseid to maintain the order of Apokolips. ...
Powers and abilities 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.[32] 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, as 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."[33] He is highly intelligent and very skilled in the fields of chemistry and engineering. In a miniseries featuring 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 literate. This article is about the chemical compound. ...
The Joker with a victim of Joker venom, in the OverPower card game Joker venom is a fictional toxin, a favourite murder weapon utilised by The Joker in the Batman franchise of movies, comics, and cartoons. ...
For other uses, see Chemistry (disambiguation). ...
Engineering is the discipline and profession of applying scientific knowledge and utilizing natural laws and physical resources in order to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and processes that realize a desired objective and meet specified criteria. ...
Timothy Tim Drake is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. ...
For information on the Silicon Valley retailer, see Computer Literacy Bookstore. ...
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. Episode no. ...
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.[34][35]
Over several decades there have been a variety of depictions and possibilities regarding the Joker's apparent insanity. 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 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, trapped in a surreal maze created by the Joker, used his shape-shifting abilities to reconfigure his own brain to emulate the Joker's chaotic thought patterns. Later in the same storyline, Martian Manhunter uses his telepathic powers to reorganize the Joker's mind and create momentary sanity, though with great effort and only temporarily. In those few moments, the Joker expresses regret for his many crimes and pleads for a chance at redemption. Grant Morrison (born January 31, 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. ...
Cover to Batman #497: The breaking of the Bat. ...
This article deals with the Scarecrow of DC Comics. ...
Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...
Martian Manhunter is the superhero alias of Jonn Jonzz, alternately known as the Manhunter from Mars, a fictional comic book superhero who was created by DC Comics. ...
In an alternate depiction of the Joker called Elseworlds: Distant Fires, the Joker is rendered sane by a 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 Pits 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.[36] The Titan II ICBM carried a 9 Mt W53 warhead, making it one of the most powerful nuclear weapons fielded by the United States during the Cold War. ...
Ras al Ghul, sometimes written RÄs al GhÅ«l (Arabic: رأس الغول), is a DC Comics supervillain and an enemy of Batman. ...
A Lazarus Pit is a fictional natural phenomenon in the DC Comics universe. ...
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.[15] The Joker is the only character to talk directly into the "camera",[15] and can be heard whistling his own theme music in the episode adaptation of the comic Mad Love.[37] 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 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. The fourth wall is the imaginary wall at the front of the stage in a proscenium theater, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play. ...
The animated Batman shoots his grappling gun from a rooftop in a scene from the episode, On Leather Wings. ...
// DC vs Marvel Comics or Marvel Comics vs DC was a 1997 comic book mini-series by DC Comics and Marvel. ...
Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ...
Canon, in the context of a fictional universe, comprises those novels, stories, films, etc. ...
Character 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 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, sadistic sense of humor. The other interpretation of the character, popular in the late 1940s through 1960s comic books as well as the 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.[15] A fictional universe is an imaginary world that serves as the setting or backdrop for one or (more commonly) multiple works of fiction or translatable non-fiction. ...
Look up sadism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
This article is about the 1960s television series. ...
For other uses, see Cartoon (disambiguation). ...
The animated Batman shoots his grappling gun from a rooftop in a scene from the episode, On Leather Wings. ...
The Joker's victims have included men, women, children, and even his own henchmen. A 1996 issue of 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 not guilty by reason of insanity.[38] 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. “Tommy Monaghan†redirects here. ...
For other uses, see Kindergarten (disambiguation). ...
The insanity defense can be used in the U.S. Criminal Court systems, depending on the circumstances of the case. ...
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. The Joker's obsession with Batman is unique compared to other villains.
The Joker is renowned as Batman's greatest enemy.[39] While other villains rely on tried-and-true methods to commit crimes (such as Mr. Freeze's freeze gun or 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.[35][40] 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 remarks, "When super-villains want to scare each other, they tell Joker stories". Image File history File links Joker-1. ...
Image File history File links Joker-1. ...
Richard Joseph Dick Giordano (born July 20, 1932) is an American comic book artist and editor best known for introducing Charlton Comics Action Heroes stable of superheroes, and serving as editor of then industry-leader DC Comics. ...
Mr. ...
For other uses of Poison ivy, see Poison ivy (disambiguation). ...
Villains United is a six-issue comic book limited series, written by Gail Simone with art by Dale Eaglesham and Wade von Grawbadger, published by DC Comics in 2005. ...
Underworld Unleashed was a crossover by DC Comics in 1995. ...
The Trickster is the name of two DC Comics supervillains and an enemy of the Flash. ...
Other versions
DC Universe - In pre-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 of Earth-S while battling the golden age Batman and Robin, and his later battle versus Batman's daughter the Huntress. A one shot publication providing a detailed description on each issue of the series, a list of alternate Earths, and a history of the Multiverse concept.[41]
- 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.[42] A superhero, she also appeared as a member of Tangent's Secret Six.[43] 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.[44]
- In Countdown, The Joker's Earth-3 counterpart is a hero who began his career by making jokes about Owlman. When Owlman murdered Harleen Quinzel and mutilated the comedian's face, he became the Jokester. He fought Owlman and his sidekick, 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, Superwoman, and Owlman. He escaped and hid until the right moment to strike back at the 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 Monitor.
- 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.[45]
Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-issue American comic book limited series (identified as a 12-part maxi-series) and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify their then-55-year-old continuity. ...
First appearance of Earth-Two Earth-Two was a fictional reality within the stories of DC Comics. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with King Kull. ...
The Bronze Age Huntress was Helena Wayne, the daughter of the Batman and Catwoman of Earth-Two, an alternate universe established in the early 1960s as the world where the Golden Age stories took place. ...
Duela Dent is a fictional character in the DC Universe. ...
Tangent Comics was a DC Comics imprint created in 1997-1998, developed from ideas created by Dan Jurgens. ...
For other uses, see Superhero (disambiguation). ...
The Secret Six is the name of three distinct, fictional comic book teams in the DC Comics universe, plus an alternate universes fourth team. ...
Infinite Crisis was a seven-issue limited series of comic books published by DC Comics, beginning in October of 2005. ...
Owlman is a fictional supervillain who appears in stories published by DC Comics. ...
Talon is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics universe who was first mentioned in Teen Titans #38. ...
Not to be confused with Ultra-Man or Ultraman. ...
Superwoman is the name given to several fictional characters published over the years by DC Comics, most of them being, much like the more popular Supergirl, a woman with powers alike to those of Superman. ...
The Crime Syndicate of America is a fictional team of supervillains from one of DC Comics parallel universes, and are the evil counterparts of the Justice League of America. ...
This article is about the DC Comics character. ...
Donna Troy is a fictional character, a superheroine in the DC Universe. ...
Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character published in stories by DC Comics. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Monitor (comics). ...
All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder is an ongoing comic book series from DC Comics. ...
Elseworlds - 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.[46]
- In 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.[47]
- In JLA: The Nail, the Joker is given access to Kryptonian 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.[48][49]
- 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.[50]
- Kingdom Come also includes a character called 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".[52]
- 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 lover 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 mayors. 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. It is also more egalitarian than its heterosexual counterpart within mainstream DC continuity. Arkham is implied to be a drug rehabilitation center.[53]
- 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.[55]
- In the graphic novel Batman: Detective No. 27, two alternate versions of the Joker appear: Professor Josiah Carr, an insane member of the Confederacy responsible for the assassination of
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