10 Things You Need To Know About The Joker

As one of the most portrayed, most recognizable and most talked-about comic book villains of all-time, the Joker is quite simply one of the biggest, most impactful characters to come out of the medium. Readers and viewers never seem to stop finding him fascinating - which is why yet another version of the character will soon hit cinema screens in the form of Jared Leto’s tattooed, day glo-haired demon in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. Regardless of whether you're a hardcore superhero aficionado or not, there are some things that just about everyone knows about the Joker. He's disfigured, his girlfriend is Harley Quinn, Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for playing him, etc. However, despite the character’s fame, there are a lot of facts about the Joker that you might not be so familiar with. Just in time for his latest movie appearance, here are 10 things you absolutely need to know about that Clown Prince of Crime, that Harlequin of Hate, the Joker. 10) He’s Inspired By A Classic Movie… And/Or A Playing Card As with the controversy over whether writer Bob Kane or artist Bill Finger is more responsible for creating Batman, the Joker likewise has just as murky an origins story in real life as he does in the comics. Originally, Kane and Finger claimed that the character came straight from 1928 German Expressionist movie The Man Who Laughs, which stars Conrad Veidt as a disfigured man with a permanent grin. However, inker Jerry Robinson later claimed that he had provided the initial spark for the Joker, when he showed the pair a playing card he had drawn. According to Robinson, it was the card that reminded them of Veidt, and the Joker was born. I guess it’s like the character says in The Killing Joke: if he’s got to have a past, it has to be multiple choice. 9) He Was Almost A One-Off Appearing in Batman #1 all the way back in 1940, the Joker was immediately positioned as the Dark Knight’s nemesis, appearing in nine of the first twelve issues. However, the original plan was for him to only appear the once. Though the character was a hit with the creators, Bill Finger thought that keeping Joker as a recurring foe would make Batman look inept. However, editor Whitney Ellsworth realized what they had one their hands and ordered that he was kept alive. As a result, a new final panel to the Joker’s debut was hurriedly inserted, explaining that the knife wound he had suffered to the chest was not as fatal as first thought. 8) Mark Hamill’s Played Him In Live-Action (Sort Of) Though actors like Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger are more identified with the character in the public eye, Star Wars legend Mark Hamill has the honour of playing the Clown Prince of Crime the most, voicing him in various animated TV shows, movies and video games over the past twenty-something years. However, he has also played the Joker in live-action, too… sort of. In the short-lived 2002 Birds of Prey TV series (which also featured Harley Quinn), the Joker appeared in a blurry flashback where he shot Barbara Gordon in the spine. Though he was physically portrayed by actor Roger Stonebaker, the character’s dialogue was provided by Hamill - fans will instantly recognize his distinctive Joker laugh. The actor would later portray this scene again in the recently released animated film Batman: The Killing Joke. 7) He Once Had Another Sidekick The Joker’s definitive sidekick is, of course, Harley Quinn – the criminal’s jester-outfitted moll who originated in Batman: The Animated Series in the 1990s. Long before Harley was just a glint in Paul Dini and Bruce Timm’s eye, however, the Joker had another sidekick…one who has not stood the test of time so well. In the 1960s, Joker was frequently joined on his schemes by his midget manservant Gaggy Gagsworthy (no, really). Interestingly, his origins are tied in with Batman’s own sidekick, Robin AKA Dick Grayson. Gaggy was originally a tightrope walker at a circus, until he was fired in favour of the Flying Graysons. Gaggy was then forced to work at a freakshow and was left resenting the family that put him there. Can you blame him? In recent years, he briefly returned to battle Harley and prove he was the better sidekick. Needless to say, Gaggy lost. 6) He’s Faced Punisher, Judge Dredd, Scooby Doo And More Being such a popular breakout character and given the proliferation of comic book crossovers, the Joker has teamed up with and fought various unlikely characters over the years. Some of the non-DC properties he's crossed paths with include Judge Dredd, Scooby Doo (in cartoon form and comic books) and even a face-hugging Xenomorph. A memorable one was the time he went up against the Punisher. Unlike Batman, Frank Castle had no qualms about killing the Joker and would have, too - if it wasn't for that meddling Caped Crusader. Joker has also teamed up with some crossover characters. In the Amalgam comics universe that mixed DC and Marvel characters, Joker became Hyena – a blend of him and Sabretooth who fought Dark Claw AKA Batman/Wolverine. He’s also joined forces with Carnage and even worn the Mask (you know, the one from the Jim Carrey movie). 5) There Are Three Jokers The recent DC Rebirth reboot has shaken the DC universe to its core, as it's been revealed that Watchmen’s Doctor Manhattan was responsible for the creation of the New 52 timeline (just go with it). However, it also ushered in another big revelation. In Justice League #50, Batman got access to the Mobius Chair, which has unlimited knowledge. He used it to find out the shocking answer to the Joker’s real identity, to which the audience was not privy. In Rebirth #1, we finally learned the truth - there are in fact three Jokers. This move was inspired by the three distinct versions of the character throughout Batman history – the Golden Age original, the revamped 70s/80s iteration and the modern, darker incarnation. Now, fans are eagerly waiting to see just how this storyline will develop. 4) Batman’s Mother Was The Joker (In Another Universe) The Flash TV show is about to adapt the fan favourite “Flashpoint” story arc to the screen in its third season. However, you can be sure that this particular element of it won’t be featured. In the Flashpoint alternate reality, Bruce Wayne died in Crime Alley that night, changing his parents’ lives forever. His father Thomas Wayne became the Batman instead, while his mother Martha was driven mad by the loss of her son. Slicing open her mouth and turning to a life of crime, she became this universe's Joker. When Barry Allen reveals that Bruce is alive in his reality, this does not fill her with hope as it does Thomas. Instead, she can’t handle the fact that her son became Batman too and kills herself. Cue Ben Affleck screaming “Martha!” 3) He Once Had Reality-Warping Powers Have you ever wondered what someone as crazy as the Joker would do with actual superpowers – say, the cosmic power of the Green Lantern or Superman’s abilities? Well, in the "Emperor Joker" storyline he became more powerful than them even. Stealing the reality-warping powers of inter-dimensional Superman villain Mister Myxyzptlk, Joker remakes the universe in his own image - killing Batman daily only to keep bringing him back to life. He even plans to destroy the whole of existence. His undoing, however, is his reluctance to permanently eliminate Batman. During a moment of hesitation, Superman is able to defeat him and his powers are removed. Nevertheless, the harrowing experience leaves Batman near-insane, until Superman finds a way for Bruce’s memories of the event to be transferred to him and Bruce is cured. 2) He Was Retired For A Decade Because of how inseparable the two characters are in popular culture, you would think that Batman and the Joker have been fighting nonstop since their debuts nearly eighty years ago. It’s a little known fact by non comic book fans, though, that the villain actually vanished from the caped crusader’s life for nearly a decade. Though the character was initially presented as the cackling homicidal maniac we know today, the introduction of the comics code meant that he was toned down considerably into a minor criminal with a clown gimmick. As such, he was much less interesting and editor Julius Schwartz ordered his removal from Batman comics in 1964. It wasn’t until 1973 that Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams re-invented the character, once again making him a dangerous psychopath - and he's hardly been away ever since. 1) The Dark Knight Rises Novelization Explained His Absence It’s a constant source of discussion for Bat-fans whether we would have seen more of Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight Rises if the actor had not tragically passed away when he did. In the event, the decision was made to remove all mention of the character from the movie. While that was certainly the most respectful decision, it does leave the question of where the heck is the Joker during Bane’s reign of terror? Well, the film’s official novelization written by Greg Cox is on hand to explain. A brief mention is made to the Joker when it is detailed that, after the Dent Act was passed, all of Arkham Asylum’s inmates were moved to Blackgate Prison. All except the Joker, that is, who was left there all on his lonesome. As a result, he was never broken out by Bane.