Interesting facts about DC's Joker
DC's evil clown is possibly the most iconic villain of all-time, most certainly in the DC universe. Below is a list of interesting facts about Gotham's public enemy No.1.
10. Homicidal maniac and archenemy of Batman, Jack (Napier / Oswald White) became The Joker after being forced to swim through a vat of chemicals, during a botched robbery with the Red Hood Gang, which turned his skin white, his hair green and left his face permanently scarred and locked in a grin. However, his origin story constantly changes, so his real origin and even his name is still unknown, which lends to the mystery and intrigue of his character.
9. Batman and Joker work so well as rivals because they are complete opposites - Batman is dark, silent, orderly, sane; Joker is colourful, talkative, chaotic, maniacal.
8. Created by Bill Finger, Jerry Robinson and Bob Kane, his character first appeared as early as 1940 in Detective Comics #27 in 1939, and was immediately murdering innocent people with a smile and leaving behind a Joker calling card. He was meant to be killed off in that first issue, Finger believing that a recurring villain committing crimes would make Batman look inept, but it was Editor Whitney Ellsworth who kept the character with potential alive and well in a prison cell. Joker then became quickly established as 'The Bat's' archenemy, appearing in nine of the first 12 Batman comics.
7. Joker has worked with many other criminals in Gotham, but his first ever sidekick was a tightrope walker named Gagsworth A. Gagsworthy, aka Gaggy the Clown. His circus act was replaced by the The Flying Graysons, Robin's parents.
6. He is actually very patriotic and once saved America from Marvel's Red Skull in a crossover comic after discovering he was a Nazi. He switched sides from bad to good after uttering the words, "I may be a criminal lunatic, but I'm an American criminal lunatic!"
5. He has a deep hatred for Robin, calling him 'The Boy Blunder' instead of 'The Boy Wonder'. This is because he is jealous and longs for the days when it was just he and 'The Bat' locked in battle. He has a deep obsession and fascination with Batman, and his life is consumed with antagonising him endlessly. He thoroughly enjoys battling 'The Bat', it gives his life purpose. Bruce Wayne has offered his hand to his enemy and offered to help and rehabilitate him.
4. The murderous Clown Prince of Gotham has killed Batman's second Robin, Jason Todd; shot and paralysed Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon's beloved daughter; murdered Whizkid; Travers Milton aka The Star; Catwoman's friend, Mouth Madigan; he has even murdered Batman before. He once wiped out half The Justice League, including The Flash, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern.
He has also been killed himself multiple times, once by Red Hood, who was actually the vengeful Jason Todd returned from the dead; once he was sentenced to death and died in the electric chair, only to be chemically revived again; another time at the hands of Superman in the Injustice storyline. Batman watched the killing in horror, as he has a strict 'no-kill policy'. The Joker is constantly trying to push Batman into breaking this golden rule.
3. He is such a popular character through history that he once had his very own series of DC comic books in 1975. there were nine issues which saw the clown face off against superheroes as well as supervillains.
2. Harley Quinn is hopelessly devoted to Joker, after falling for him in Arkham Asylum where she was treating him as a psychiatrist. He once murdered his henchman, called Josh, for flirting with Harley
1. He once made Batman laugh with this 'Killing Joke': "There were these two guys in the lunatic asylum and one night they decide they don't like living in the asylum any more. They decide they're going to escape! So they get up on the roof, and there, just across this narrow gap, they see the rooftops of the town, stretching away in the moonlight... stretching away to freedom. Now, the first guy, he jumps right across with no problem. But his friend, his friend didn't dare make the leap. Y'see he's afraid of falling. So then, the first guy has an idea. He says, 'Hey! I have my flashlight with me! I'll shine it across the gap between the buildings. You can walk along the beam and join me!' But the second guy just shakes his head. He says, 'What do you think I am? Crazy? You'd turn it off when I was halfway across!'"
Bonus Fact: He is immune to toxins and poisons.
Strengths: Genius Intelligence / Chemist / Inventor / Expert Combatant / Pain Resistance / Themed Weaponry.
Actors to have played Joker: Cesar Romero / Jack Nicholson / Heath Ledger / Joaquin Phoenix / Jared Leto / Mark Hamill.
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