The Batman Who Laughs ( Bruce Wayne ) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . Created by writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo , he is an evil counterpart and alternate version of Batman within the Dark Multiverse .
114-519: He is depicted as a hybrid of both Batman (Bruce Wayne) and Batman's arch enemy Joker , and is a member of the Dark Knights and the overarching antagonist of the Dark Multiverse Saga , alongside cosmic deities Perpetua and Barbatos, from 2017 to 2021, following DC Rebirth . His first appearance was in the crossover storyline Dark Nights: Metal , before receiving his own series and serving as
228-520: A Paul Dini - Alex Ross story, describes the Joker as a sadistic gangster who creates the Red Hood identity because he misses the thrill of committing robberies. He has his fateful first meeting with Batman, which results in his disfigurement. It is suggested that the Joker is sane, and researches his crimes to look like the work of a sick mind in order to avoid the death penalty. In Batman Confidential #7–12,
342-424: A rictus and unidentifiable by any means; the resulting disfigurement drives him insane. The Joker possesses no superhuman abilities, instead using his expertise in chemical engineering to develop poisonous or lethal concoctions and thematic weaponry, including razor-tipped playing cards , deadly joy buzzers , and acid-spraying lapel flowers. The Joker sometimes works with other Gotham City supervillains, such as
456-464: A serial killer and jewel thief, modeled after a joker playing card with a mirthless grin, who killed his victims with "Joker venom," a toxin that left their faces smiling grotesquely. The character was intended to be killed in his second appearance in Batman #1, after being stabbed in the heart. Finger wanted the Joker to die because of his concern that recurring villains would make Batman appear inept, but
570-430: A cause of tragedy after exposure to a substance the Joker terms "dionesium"—and is able to regenerate from mortal injuries. "Endgame" restores the Joker's face, and also reveals that he knows Batman's secret identity . The story ends with the apparent deaths of Batman and the Joker at each other's hands, though it is revealed that they were both resurrected in a life-restoring Lazarus Pit, without their memories. During
684-461: A copyright, and killing bureaucrats who stand in his way. Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) built on the Joker's 1951 origin story, portraying him as a failed comedian who participates in a robbery as the Red Hood to support his pregnant wife. Batman arrives to stop the robbery, provoking the terrified comedian into jumping into a vat of chemicals, which dyes his skin chalk-white, his hair green, and his lips bright red. His disfigurement, combined with
798-519: A core character; this had a lasting effect on future stories. Written at the height of tensions between the United States and Iran, the story's conclusion had Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini appoint the Joker his country's ambassador to the United Nations (allowing him to temporarily escape justice). Alan Moore and Brian Bolland 's 1988 graphic novel The Killing Joke expands on
912-411: A fedora and trench coat. Englehart outlined how he understood the character by saying that the Joker "was this very crazy, scary character. I really wanted to get back to the idea of Batman fighting insane murderers at 3 a.m. under the full moon, as the clouds scuttled by." Years after the end of the 1966 television series, sales of Batman continued to fall and the title was nearly cancelled. Although
1026-521: A form of precognition, and wields various weapons, including machine guns, knives, and a bladed chain. The Batman Who Laughs also uses batarangs made of "Dark Metal" that can bring out the worst version of the victim. In Dark Knights: Death Metal , The Batman Who Laughs gains the powers of Doctor Manhattan by having Dr. Arkham surgically integrate his mind into that of a Bruce Wayne with Manhattan’s powers, granting him nigh-omnipotence, flight, and teleportation among other powers. Like other inhabitants of
1140-500: A liquid or gaseous toxin that sends its targets into fits of uncontrollable laughter; higher doses can lead to paralysis, coma or death, leaving its victim with a ghoulish, pained rictus grin. The Joker has used venom since his debut; only he knows the formula, and is shown to be gifted enough to manufacture the toxin from ordinary household chemicals. Another version of the venom (used in Joker: Last Laugh ) makes its victims resemble
1254-588: A mini-Joker. After arriving on Prime-Earth , the Batman Who Laughs attempts to destroy reality using the Anti-Monitor 's brain, but is defeated and imprisoned in the Hall of Justice. In Dark Nights: Death Metal , The Batman Who Laughs becomes Perpetua's lieutenant, aided by an army of evil alternate Batmen called the Dark Knights. Wonder Woman kills him, but the Dark Knights preserve his brain and transfer it to
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#17328514687271368-612: A murderer), and the villain succeeds in making a member of the Bat-family break their rule against killing. In " Under the Hood " (2005), a resurrected Todd tries to force Batman to avenge his death by killing the Joker. Batman refuses, arguing that if he allowed himself to kill the Joker, he would not be able to stop himself from killing other criminals. The Joker kills Alexander Luthor, Jr. in Infinite Crisis (2005) for excluding him from
1482-580: A normal man insane. After Batman rescues Gordon and subdues the Joker, he offers to rehabilitate his old foe and end their rivalry. Although the Joker refuses, he shows his appreciation by sharing a joke with Batman. Following the character's maiming of Barbara, she became a more important character in the DC Universe: the Oracle, a data gatherer and superhero informant, who has her revenge in Birds of Prey by shattering
1596-546: A number of backstories have been given, a definitive one has never been established for the Joker. An unreliable narrator , the character is uncertain of who he was before and how he became the Joker: "Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another ...if I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!" A story about the Joker's origin appeared in Detective Comics #168 (February 1951), more than decade after
1710-464: A playing card, which we used for a couple of issues for him [the Joker] to use as his playing card. Robinson credited himself, Finger, and Kane for the Joker's creation. He said he created the character as Batman's larger-than-life nemesis when extra stories were quickly needed for Batman #1, and he received credit for the story in a college course: In that first meeting when I showed them that sketch of
1824-572: A promise that the revelation would eventually be revealed incorrect. However, the Anarky series was cancelled before the rebuttal could be published. The Joker's first major storyline in The New 52 , DC Comics' 2011 reboot of story continuity, was 2012's " Death of the Family " by writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo . The story arc explores the symbiotic relationship between the Joker and Batman, and sees
1938-474: A psychopath, he lacks empathy, a conscience, and concern over right and wrong. In Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth , the Joker is described as capable of processing outside sensory information only by adapting to it. This enables him to create a new personality every day (depending on what would benefit him) and explains why, at different times, he is a mischievous clown or a psychopathic killer. In "The Clown at Midnight" ( Batman #663 (April 2007)),
2052-417: A sketch of a joker playing card . Robinson stated that it was his 1940 card sketch that served as the character's concept, and Finger associated that image with Veidt in the film. Kane hired the 17-year-old Robinson as an assistant in 1939, after he saw Robinson in a white jacket decorated with his own illustrations. Beginning as a letterer and background inker, Robinson quickly became primary artist for
2166-679: A specialty-market counterpart to the larger company's mass-market offerings. Diamond Select handled design, sales and marketing, while Toy Biz handled development and production. At the time, the figures were mostly based on peripheral Ultimate Marvel and Marvel Knights characters. DST eventually took over development and production from Toy Biz and the line expanded to include core Marvel characters. Early Marvel Select figures focused on sculpting over articulation and typically included detailed, diorama -style bases that required large packaging. These bases were sometimes reduced in size or omitted completely to accommodate figures of larger characters like
2280-526: A trend in which the Joker was used, sparingly, as a central character. 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." O'Neil's 1973 run introduced the idea of the Joker being legally insane, to explain why the character is sent to Arkham Asylum (introduced by O'Neil in 1974 as Arkham Hospital) instead of to prison. Adams modified
2394-405: A twisted parody of himself. Englehart's "The Laughing Fish" demonstrates the character's illogical nature: trying to copyright fish that bear his face, and not understanding why threatening the copyright clerk cannot produce the desired result. The Joker is alternatively depicted as sexual and asexual . In The Dark Knight Returns and Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth , the Joker
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#17328514687272508-598: A variety of pop culture properties, including Marvel Comics , Star Wars , Star Trek , Transformers , Ghostbusters , Halo , G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero , Buffy the Vampire Slayer , Indiana Jones , Battlestar Galactica , 24 , The Muppets and Back to the Future . While they have made collectibles in numerous product categories, including action figures, plush, banks, busts, statues and prop replicas, many of their licensed properties are released in
2622-466: A version of The Batman Who Laughs for their new DC Multiverse line of 7-inch figures. McFarlane Toys also made a 5-inch Super Powers figure of The Batman Who Laughs in 2022.. Joker (character) The Joker is a supervillain who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics . He was created by Bill Finger , Bob Kane , and Jerry Robinson , and first appeared in the debut issue of
2736-459: A wacky but harmless prankster; in one story, the Joker kidnaps Robin and Batman pays the ransom by check, meaning that the Joker cannot cash it without being arrested. Comic book writer Mark Waid suggests that the 1942 story "The Joker Walks the Last Mile" was the beginning point for the character's transformation into a more goofy incarnation, a period that Grant Morrison considered to have lasted
2850-560: Is dead. The Joker has no inherent superhuman abilities. He commits crimes with a variety of weaponized thematic props such as a deck of razor-tipped playing cards, rolling marbles, jack-in-the-boxes with unpleasant surprises and exploding cigars capable of leveling a building. The flower in his lapel sprays acid, and his hand often holds a lethal joy buzzer conducting a million volts of electricity, although both items were introduced in 1952 as harmless joke items. However, his chemical genius provides his most-notable weapon: " Joker venom ",
2964-507: Is not spectacular it is boring. Although the Joker claims indifference to everything, he secretly craves Batman's attention and validation. The character was described as having killed over 2,000 people in The Joker: Devil's Advocate (1996). Despite this body count, he is always found not guilty by reason of insanity and sent to Arkham Asylum , avoiding the death penalty . Many of the Joker's acts attempt to force Batman to kill; to
3078-400: Is obsessed with Batman, the pair representing a yin-yang of opposing dark and light force, although it is the Joker who represents humor and color and Batman who dwells in the dark. No crime – including murder, theft, and terrorism – is beyond the Joker, and his exploits are theatrical performances that are funny to him alone. Spectacle is more important than success for the Joker, and if it
3192-530: Is paralyzed by the Joker) and films such as 1989's Batman and 2008's The Dark Knight . Grant Morrison's 1989 Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth explores the psychoses of Batman, the Joker and other rogues in the eponymous facility . The 1992 animated series introduced the Joker's female sidekick: Harley Quinn , a psychiatrist who falls for—and ends up in an abusive relationship with—the Joker, becoming his supervillain accomplice. The character
3306-403: Is seductive toward Batman; it is uncertain if their relationship has homoerotic undertones or if the Joker is simply trying to manipulate his nemesis. Frank Miller interpreted the character as fixated on death and uninterested in sexual relationships, while Robinson believed that the Joker is capable of a romantic relationship. His relationship with Harley Quinn is abusively paradoxical; although
3420-445: Is shown), "Death of the Family", and Batman: Three Jokers (which asserts that it is the canon origin story). Other stories have expanded on this origin; " Pushback " suggests that the Joker's wife was murdered by a corrupt policeman working for the mobsters, and "Payback" gives the Joker's first name as "Jack". The ending of Batman: Three Jokers establishes that the Joker's wife did not actually die—rather, she fled to Alaska with
3534-549: The DC Universe , the Joker is portrayed as a criminal mastermind and the antithesis of Batman in personality and appearance. He was introduced as a psychopath with a warped, sadistic sense of humor but became a comical prankster in the late 1950s in response to regulation by the Comics Code Authority , before returning to his darker roots during the early 1970s. The Joker has been part of defining Batman stories, including
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3648-448: The Hulk , which could fill the packaging on their own. Over time, the amount of articulation per figure increased, but the large bases became uncommon. Instead, more accessories and interchangeable parts began to be included. DST has also used the "Select" label for other lines, to indicate that they are in the same 7-inch scale. Universal Monsters was the second Select line, The Munsters
3762-556: The Martian Manhunter and being resurrected in a Lazarus Pit (an experience typically inducing temporary insanity in the subject). At these moments, the Joker is depicted as expressing remorse for his crimes; however, during a medically induced period of partial sanity in Batman: Cacophony , he tells Batman, "I don't hate you 'cause I'm crazy. I'm crazy 'cause I hate you," and confirms that he will only stop killing when Batman
3876-530: The Penguin and Two-Face , and groups like the Injustice Gang and Injustice League , but these relationships often collapse due to the Joker's desire for unbridled chaos. A romantic interest for the Joker, his former psychiatrist and sidekick Harley Quinn , was introduced in the 1990s. Although his primary obsession is Batman, the Joker has also fought other heroes, including Superman and Wonder Woman . One of
3990-484: The Secret Society of Super Villains , which considers him too unpredictable for membership. In Morrison's " Batman and Son " (2006), a deranged police officer who impersonates Batman shoots the Joker in the face, scarring and disabling him. The supervillain returns in "The Clown at Midnight" (2007) as an enigmatic force who awakens and tries to kill Harley Quinn to prove to Batman that he has become more than human. In
4104-495: The Spectre so he can heal mentally. In Joker: Last Laugh (2001), the doctors at Arkham Asylum convince the character that he is dying in an attempt to rehabilitate him. Instead, the Joker (flanked by an army of "Jokerized" supervillains) launches a final crime spree. Believing that Robin ( Tim Drake ) has been killed in the chaos, Dick Grayson beats the Joker to death (although Batman revives his foe to keep Grayson from becoming
4218-436: The syndicated Batman newspaper strip left him little time for the comic book; artist Dick Sprang assumed his duties, and editor Jack Schiff collaborated with Finger on stories. Around the same time, DC Comics found it easier to market its stories to children without the more mature pulp elements that had originated many superhero comics. During this period, the first changes in the Joker began to appear, portraying him as
4332-536: The " Darkseid War " (2015–2016) storyline, Batman uses Metron 's Mobius Chair to find out the Joker's real name; the chair's answer leaves Batman in disbelief. In the DC Universe: Rebirth (2016) one-shot, Batman informs Hal Jordan that the chair told him there were three individual Jokers, not just one. This revelation was the basis for the miniseries Batman: Three Jokers (2020), written by Geoff Johns with art by Jason Fabok . Three Jokers reveals that
4446-448: The 1970s restored the Joker as Batman's insane, lethal archenemy, it was during the 1980s that the Batman series started to turn around and the Joker came into his own as part of the "Dark Age" of comics, with mature tales of death and destruction. The shift was criticized for moving away from tamer superheroes (and villains), but comic audiences were no longer primarily children. Several months after Crisis on Infinite Earths launched
4560-473: The 2-inch line was launched in 2003. The 2-inch Minimate has since become the lone remaining body type, and the Marvel line is still active to this day, with 41 waves released in the main series, making it the longest-running superhero toy line in history. In 2007, after years of partnership, Diamond Select Toys acquired select assets of Art Asylum, and DST has since developed Minimates based on its own concepts, under
4674-565: The 2008 story arc " Batman R.I.P. " the Joker is recruited by the Black Glove to destroy Batman, but betrays the group, killing its members one by one. After Batman's apparent death in Final Crisis (2008), Grayson investigates a series of murders (which leads him to a disguised Joker). The Joker is arrested, and then-Robin Damian Wayne beats him with a crowbar, paralleling Todd's murder. When
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4788-797: The Black Rose . DST then expanded the line's scope by creating their own interpretations of female characters from popular fiction and history, including Little Red Riding Hood , Alice , Anne Bonny , Medusa and Snow White ( Bo Peep was unreleased). Other licensed characters include Darkchylde , Lady Death , Kabuki and Alice (from Alice: Madness Returns ), and future releases include Atom Eve from Invincible and Seven of Nine from Star Trek: Voyager . (Some Femme Fatales characters have been released as Minimates, too.) Diamond started releasing Femme Fatales statues based on female characters from Batman: The Animated Series in 2015. However, Diamond started branding both female and male PVC statues under
4902-549: The Bold #31, the superhero Atom enters the Joker's mind and sees the criminal's former self - a violent sociopath who tortures animals , murders his own parents, and kills for fun while committing robberies. Snyder's " Zero Year " (2013) suggests that the pre-disfigured Joker was a criminal mastermind leading a gang of Red Hoods. A number of alternate universes in DC Comics publications have allowed writers to introduce variations on
5016-468: The Dark Multiverse, The Batman Who Laughs is vulnerable to Nth Metal . The Batman Who Laughs has been commonly described as "horrifying" by website authors. Comic Book Resources describes The Batman Who Laughs as comprising all the "best" parts of Batman and the "worst" parts of the Joker. The character has been compared to Judge Death in design. The character's creator, Scott Snyder , noted that
5130-456: The Family ", the Joker murders Batman's sidekick (the second Robin, Jason Todd ). Todd was unpopular with fans; rather than modify his character, DC opted to let them vote for his fate and a 72-vote plurality had the Joker brutally beat Todd with a crowbar and trap him in a room with a bomb, killing him. This story altered the Batman universe: instead of killing anonymous bystanders, the Joker murdered
5244-510: The Family" so he and Batman can be the best hero and villain they can be. At the end of the storyline, the Joker falls off a cliff into a dark abyss. The Joker returns in the 2014 storyline "Endgame" in which he brainwashes the Justice League into attacking Batman, believing he has betrayed their relationship. The story implies that the Joker is immortal—having existed for centuries in Gotham as
5358-524: The Gallery label. Similarly, Diamond's PVC statues of Marvel characters (both comics- and MCU-based) are branded under the Gallery label. Diamond makes resin busts for some of their licenses. Recent ones include Spider-Man based on his appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming and characters from Batman: The Animated Series . Diamond also makes mid-range resin statues. These are typically larger than
5472-409: The Joker apologetically declines, believing it too late for him to be saved. Other interpretations show that the Joker is fully aware of how his actions affect others and that his insanity as merely an act. Comics scholar Peter Coogan describes the Joker as trying to reshape reality to fit himself by imposing his face on his victims (and fish) in an attempt to make the world comprehensible by creating
5586-402: The Joker disfigures fish with a rictus grin resembling his own (expecting copyright protection), and is unable to understand that copyrighting a natural resource is legally impossible. Englehart's and Rogers' work on the series influenced the 1989 film Batman , and was adapted for 1992's Batman: The Animated Series . Rogers expanded on Adams' character design, drawing the Joker with
5700-596: The Joker enters a meditative state where he evaluates his previous selves to consciously create a new personality, effectively modifying himself for his needs. The Killing Joke (in which the Joker is the unreliable narrator ) explains the roots of his insanity as "one bad day": losing his wife and unborn child and being disfigured by chemicals, paralleling Batman's origin in the loss of his parents. He tries (and fails) to prove that anyone can become like him after one bad day by torturing Commissioner Gordon, physically and psychologically. Batman offers to rehabilitate his foe;
5814-424: The Joker escapes, he attacks the Black Glove, burying its leader Simon Hurt alive after the supervillain considers him a failure as an opponent; the Joker is then defeated by the recently returned Batman. In DC's The New 52 , a 2011 relaunch of its titles following Flashpoint , the Joker has his own face cut off. He disappears for a year, returning to launch an attack on Batman's extended family in "Death of
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#17328514687275928-576: The Joker have taken two main forms. The original, dominant image is that of a psychopath with genius-level intelligence and a warped, sadistic sense of humor. The other version, popular in comic books from the late 1940s to the 1960s and in the 1960s television series, is an eccentric, harmless prankster and thief. Like other long-lived characters, the Joker's character and cultural interpretations have changed with time; however, unlike other characters who may need to reconcile or ignore previous versions to make sense, more than any other comic book character,
6042-416: The Joker into a goofy, thieving trickster without his original homicidal tendencies. The character appeared less frequently after 1964, when Julius Schwartz (who disliked the Joker) became editor of the Batman comics. The character risked becoming an obscure figure of the preceding era until this goofy prankster version of the character was adapted into the 1966 television series Batman , in which he
6156-501: The Joker is obsessed with maintaining his illusion of wealth and celebrity as a criminal folk hero , afraid to let Gotham's citizens know that he is penniless and was tricked out of his fortune. The 1970s redefined the character as a homicidal sociopath . "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge" has the Joker taking violent revenge on the former gang members who betrayed him, while "The Laughing Fish" portrays him chemically disfiguring fish so they will share his trademark grin, hoping to profit from
6270-464: The Joker keeps her at his side, he heedlessly harms her (for example, throwing her out a window without seeing if she survives). Harley loves him, but the Joker does not reciprocate her feelings, chiding her for distracting him from other plans. Snyder's "Death of the Family" describes the Joker as in love with Batman, although not in a traditionally romantic way. The Joker believes that Batman has not killed him because he makes Batman better and he loves
6384-418: The Joker quits his job as a lab assistant in order to fulfill his dream of being a stand-up comedian, only to fail miserably. Desperate to support his pregnant wife, he agrees to help two criminals commit a robbery as the Red Hood. The heist goes awry; the comedian leaps into a chemical vat to escape Batman, surfacing disfigured. This, combined with the earlier accidental death of his wife and unborn child, drives
6498-468: The Joker thrives on his mutable and irreconcilable identities. The Joker is typically seen in a purple suit with a long-tailed, padded-shoulder jacket, a string tie, gloves, striped pants and spats on pointed-toe shoes (sometimes with a wide-brimmed hat). This appearance is such a fundamental aspect of the character that when the 2004 animated series The Batman placed the Joker in a straitjacket, it quickly redesigned him in his familiar suit. The Joker
6612-455: The Joker's appearance, changing his more average figure by extending his jaw and making him taller and leaner. DC Comics was a hotbed of experimentation during the 1970s, and in 1975 the character became the first villain to feature as the title character in a comic book series, The Joker . The series followed the character's interactions with other supervillains, and the first issue was written by O'Neil. Stories balanced between emphasizing
6726-488: The Joker's criminality and making him a likable protagonist whom readers could support. Although he murdered thugs and civilians, he never fought Batman; this made The Joker a series in which the character's villainy prevailed over rival villains, instead of a struggle between good and evil. Because the Comics Code Authority mandated punishment for villains, each issue ended with the Joker being apprehended, limiting
6840-428: The Joker's defining character traits: lethal joy buzzers , acid-squirting flowers, trick guns, and goofy, elaborate crimes. In 1973, after a four-year disappearance, the Joker was revived (and revised) by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams . Beginning with Batman #251's "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge", the character returns to his roots as a homicidal maniac who matches wits with Batman. This story began
6954-431: The Joker's first origin story as the former Red Hood : a masked criminal who, during his final heist, vanished after leaping into a vat of chemicals to escape Batman. His resulting disfigurement drove him insane and led him to adopt the name "Joker", from the playing card figure he came to resemble. The Joker's Silver Age transformation into a figure of fun was established in 1952's " The Joker's Millions ". In this story,
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#17328514687277068-425: The Joker's origins, describing the character as a failed comedian who adopts the identity of the Red Hood to support his pregnant wife. Unlike The Dark Knight Returns , The Killing Joke takes place in mainstream continuity. The novel is described by critics as one of the greatest Joker stories ever written, influencing later comic stories (including the forced retirement of then- Batgirl , Barbara Gordon, after she
7182-449: The Joker's teeth and destroying his smile. In the 1988 story "A Death in the Family", the Joker beats Jason Todd , the second Robin , with a crowbar and leaves him to die in an explosion. Todd's death haunts Batman, and for the first time he seriously considers killing the Joker. The Joker temporarily escapes justice when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini appoints him the Iranian ambassador to
7296-405: The Joker's true identity. "They've given many origins of the Joker, how he came to be. That doesn't seem to matter—just how he is now. I never intended to give a reason for his appearance. We discussed that and Bill [Finger] and I never wanted to change it at that time. I thought—and he agreed—that it takes away some of the essential mystery." – Jerry Robinson, the Joker's creator Although
7410-467: The Joker, Bill said it reminded him of Conrad Veidt in The Man Who Laughs . That was the first mention of it ... He can be credited and Bob himself, we all played a role in it. The concept was mine. Bill finished that first script from my outline of the persona and what should happen in the first story. He wrote the script of that, so he really was co-creator, and Bob and I did the visuals, so Bob
7524-411: The Joker, but their accounts of the character's conception differ, each providing his own version of events. Finger's, Kane's, and Robinson's versions acknowledge that Finger showed them an image of actor Conrad Veidt in character as Gwynplaine (a man whose mouth is disfigured into a perpetual grin) in the 1928 film The Man Who Laughs as an inspiration for the Joker's appearance, and Robinson produced
7638-407: The Joker, in which the character's origins, behavior, and morality differ from the mainstream setting. The Dark Knight Returns depicts the final battle between an aged Batman and Joker; others portray the aftermath of the Joker's death at the hands of a number of characters, including Superman. Still others describe distant futures in which the Joker is a computer virus or a hero trying to defeat
7752-526: The Joker, susceptible to his orders. The villain is immune to venom and most poisons; in Batman #663 (April 2007), Morrison writes that being "an avid consumer of his own chemical experiments, the Joker's immunity to poison concoctions that might kill another man in an instant has been developed over years of dedicated abuse." Diamond Select Toys Diamond Select Toys was founded in 1999 by sister company Diamond Comics Distributors to create collectibles for adult collectors, and has since licensed
7866-467: The Joker, the greatest victory would be to make Batman become like him. The Joker displays no instinct for self-preservation, and is willing to die to prove his point that anyone could become like him after "one bad day". The Joker is the "personification of the irrational," and represents "everything Batman [opposes]." The Joker's main characteristic is his apparent insanity, although he is not described as having any particular psychological disorder. Like
7980-606: The Joker, which turns him into the supervillain, The Batman Who Laughs , a combination of Batman's and the Joker's personalities. Renowned as Batman's greatest enemy, the Joker is known by a number of nicknames, including the Clown Prince of Crime, the Harlequin of Hate, the Ace of Knaves, and the Jester of Genocide. During the evolution of the DC Universe , interpretations and versions of
8094-412: 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
8208-583: The Joker—as Batman's adversary—to be more resourceful. The Joker was one of the few popular villains continuing to appear regularly in Batman comics from the Golden Age into the Silver Age, as the series continued during the rise in popularity of mystery and romance comics. In 1951, Finger wrote an origin story for the Joker in Detective Comics #168, which introduced the characteristic of him formerly being
8322-437: The United Nations , giving him diplomatic immunity ; however, when he tries to poison the U.N. membership, he is defeated by Batman and Superman . In the 1999 " No Man's Land " storyline, the Joker murders Commissioner Gordon's second wife, Sarah , as she shields a group of infants. He taunts Gordon, who shoots him in the kneecap. The Joker, lamenting that he may never walk again, collapses with laughter when he realizes that
8436-445: The body of "Batmanhattan", a variant of Batman who possesses Doctor Manhattan 's reality-warping abilities. Now known as the "Darkest Knight", he attempts to remake the universe before Wonder Woman destroys him by pushing him into the sun. The Batman Who Laughs is depicted as having the same abilities as Batman, combined with the twisted nihilism of the Joker. Furthermore, he has a futuristic visor made out of "Dark Metal" that gives him
8550-401: The brands Calico Jack's Pirate Raiders and Minimates M.A.X. Both lines incorporate vehicles, and as such a line of Minimate Vehicles has been made available featuring Pirate Raiders and M.A.X alongside licenses like Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Back to the Future . The 7-inch scale Marvel Select line was originally developed by DST in 2002 with Marvel Comics' toy division, Toy Biz , as
8664-650: The character Jack is a career criminal who is bored with his work. He encounters (and becomes obsessed with) Batman during a heist, embarking on a crime spree to attract the Caped Crusader's attention. After Jack injures Batman's girlfriend, Batman scars Jack's face with a permanent grin and betrays him to a group of mobsters, who torture him in a chemical plant. Jack escapes but falls into an empty vat as gunfire punctures chemical tanks above him. The flood of chemicals (used in anti-psychotic medication) alters his appearance and completes his transformation. In The Brave and
8778-482: The character and images of what would become his iconic Joker playing-card design. Finger thought the concept was incomplete, providing the image of Veidt with a ghastly, permanent rictus grin . Kane countered that Robinson's sketch was produced only after Finger had already shown the Gwynplaine image to Kane, and that it was only used as a card design belonging to the Joker in his early appearances. Finger said that he
8892-484: The character is that of a man who, while disguised as the criminal Red Hood, is pursued by Batman and falls into a vat of chemicals that bleaches his skin, colors his hair green and his lips red, and drives him insane. The reasons why the Joker was disguised as the Red Hood and his identity before his transformation have changed over time. The character was introduced in Batman #1 (1940), in which he announces that he will kill three of Gotham's prominent citizens. Although
9006-427: The character's debut. Here, the character is a laboratory worker who becomes the Red Hood (a masked criminal) to steal $ 1 million and retire. He falls into a vat of chemical waste when his heist is thwarted by Batman, emerging with bleached white skin, red lips, green hair and a permanent grin. This story was the basis for the most often-cited origin tale, Moore's one-shot The Killing Joke . The man who will become
9120-504: The comedian insane, turning him into the Joker. This version has been cited in many stories, including Batman: The Man Who Laughs (in which Batman deduces that the Red Hood survived his fall and became the Joker), Batman #450 (in which the Joker dons the Red Hood to aid his recovery after the events in "A Death in the Family", but finds the experience too traumatic), Batman: Shadow of the Bat #38 (in which Joker's failed stand-up performance
9234-402: The comic book Batman on April 25, 1940. Credit for the Joker's creation is disputed; Kane and Robinson claimed responsibility for his design while acknowledging Finger's writing contribution. Although the Joker was planned to be killed off during his initial appearance, he was spared by editorial intervention, allowing the character to endure as the archenemy of the superhero Batman . In
9348-513: The commissioner has avenged Barbara's paralysis. The 2000s began with the crossover story "Emperor Joker", in which the Joker steals Mister Mxyzptlk 's reality-altering power and remakes the universe in his image (torturing and killing Batman daily, before resurrecting him). When the supervillain then tries to destroy the universe, his reluctance to eliminate Batman makes him lose control, and Superman defeats him. Broken by his experience, Batman's experiences of death are transferred to Superman by
9462-414: The company's struggling titles; during her tenure, the Joker would become one of DC's most popular characters. While O'Neil and Adams' work was critically acclaimed, writer Steve Englehart and penciller Marshall Rogers 's eight-issue run in Detective Comics #471–476 (August 1977–April 1978) defined the Joker for decades to come with stories emphasizing the character's insanity. In "The Laughing Fish",
9576-645: The criminal Red Hood , and his disfigurement the result of a fall into a chemical vat. By 1954, the Comics Code Authority had been established in response to increasing public disapproval of comic book content. The backlash was inspired by Frederic Wertham , who hypothesized that mass media (especially comic books) was responsible for the rise in juvenile delinquency , violence and homosexuality , particularly in young males. Parents forbade their children from reading comic books, and there were several mass burnings. The Comics Code banned gore, innuendo and excessive violence, stripping Batman of his menace and transforming
9690-471: The era by killing off Silver Age icons such as the Flash and Supergirl and undoing decades of continuity, Frank Miller 's The Dark Knight Returns (1986) re-imagined Batman as an older, retired hero and the Joker as a lipstick-wearing celebrity who cannot function without his foe. The late 1980s saw the Joker exert a significant impact on Batman and his supporting cast. In the 1988–89 story arc " A Death in
9804-462: The era's tyrannical Batman. In some stories, the Joker is someone else entirely: In Superman: Speeding Bullets (1993), Lex Luthor becomes the Joker in a world where Superman is Batman; Flashpoint (2011) portrays Batman's mother, Martha Wayne , becoming the Joker after being driven mad by her son's murder; and in Dark Nights: Metal (2017), Batman is infected by a toxin after killing
9918-416: The following 30 years. The 1942 cover of Detective Comics #69, known as "Double Guns" (with the Joker emerging from a genie 's lamp, aiming two guns at Batman and Robin), is considered one of the greatest superhero comic covers of the Golden Age and is the only image from that era of the character using traditional guns. Robinson said that other contemporary villains used guns, and the creative team wanted
10032-402: The form of Minimates mini-figures. Minimates were created by New York-based design house Art Asylum , who produced them at a 3-inch scale on their own beginning in 2002, then in 2-inch and 2.5-inch scales in partnership with other companies. Already a manufacturer of Marvel action figures and statues, Diamond Select Toys brought their Marvel license to the table to create Marvel Minimates, and
10146-427: The help of Gotham police and Batman because she feared her husband would be an abusive father; the police then told the Joker a story about her dying to protect her. The miniseries also reveals that Batman knows the Joker's identity, and has kept it secret in order to protect the criminal's wife and son. However, the Joker's unreliable memory has allowed writers to develop other origins for the character. "Case Study",
10260-553: The main antagonist in Batman/Superman in 2019 and DC Comics' Year of the Villain alongside Lex Luthor . His name is an allusion to the original Batman’s seriousness and to the 1928 film The Man Who Laughs featuring Conrad Veidt , whose performance inspired the creation of the Joker. The Batman Who Laughs was created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo first appearing in the comic book Dark Days: The Casting . The character
10374-503: The most iconic characters in popular culture, the Joker has been listed among the greatest comic book villains and fictional characters ever created. His likeness has appeared on merchandise such as clothing and collectible items, and he has inspired real-world structures (such as theme park attractions) and been referenced in various media. The Joker has been adapted in live-action, animated, and video game incarnations. Bill Finger , Bob Kane , and Jerry Robinson are credited with creating
10488-579: The murder of Jason Todd —the second Robin and Batman's ward—in " A Death in the Family " (1988) and the paralysis of Barbara Gordon —the first Batgirl —in The Killing Joke (1988). Unlike many supervillains, the Joker does not have a definitive origin story , but various possible ones have been developed. The most common story involves him falling into a tank of chemical waste that bleaches his skin chalk-white, turns his hair and eyes cobalt-green and lips ruby-red, and spasms his face that left him with
10602-461: The newly created Batman comic book series. In a 1975 interview in The Amazing World of DC Comics , Robinson said he wanted a supreme arch-villain who could test Batman, not a typical crime lord or gangster designed to be easily disposed of. He wanted an exotic, enduring character as an ongoing source of conflict for Batman, designing a diabolically sinister, but clownish, villain. Robinson
10716-635: The opportunity to kill Batman, the villain demurs; he believes that without their game, winning is pointless. The character has no desire for typical criminal goals like money or power; his criminality is designed only to continue his game with Batman. The Joker is portrayed as having no fear; when fellow supervillain Scarecrow doses him with fear toxin in Knightfall (1993), the Joker merely laughs and says "Boo!" The villain has been temporarily rendered sane by several means, including telepathic manipulation by
10830-404: The police protect his first announced victim, millionaire Henry Claridge, the Joker had poisoned him before making his announcement and Claridge dies with a ghastly grin on his face. Batman eventually defeats him, sending him to prison. The Joker commits crimes ranging from whimsical to brutal, for reasons that, in Batman's words, "make sense to him alone". Detective Comics #168 (1951) introduced
10944-468: The rest of his life, many comic historians credit Robinson with the Joker's creation and Finger with the character's development. By 2011, Finger, Kane, and Robinson had died, leaving the story unresolved. The Joker debuted in Batman #1 (April 1940) as the eponymous character's first villain, about a year after Batman's debut in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). The Joker initially appeared as
11058-480: The scope of each story. The series never found an audience, and The Joker was canceled after nine issues (despite a "next issue" advertisement for an appearance by the Justice League ). The complete series became difficult to obtain over time, often commanding high prices from collectors. In 2013, DC Comics reissued the series as a trade paperback . When Jenette Kahn became DC editor in 1976, she redeveloped
11172-586: The three Jokers, who work in tandem, include "The Criminal", a methodical mastermind based on the Golden Age Joker; "The Clown", a goofy prankster based on the Silver Age Joker; and "The Comedian", a sadistic psychopath based on the Modern Age Joker. The Comedian orchestrates the deaths of the other two Jokers and reveals himself as the original. The miniseries ends with the revelation that Batman knows
11286-498: The trauma of his wife's earlier accidental death, drives him insane, and results in the birth of the Joker. However, the Joker says that this story may not be true; he admits that he does not remember exactly what drove him insane, and says that he prefers his past to be "multiple choice". In this graphic novel, the Joker shoots and paralyzes Barbara Gordon , the former Batgirl , and tortures her father, Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon , to prove that it only takes "one bad day" to drive
11400-499: The two characters have a similar aesthetic. The Batman Who Laughs Rising is a 2020 cooperative strategy dice game from The Op. The character appeared as an expansion for the second edition of the board game Zombicide . Knight Models has a line of gaming miniatures based on the DC comics run. Funko has released action figures of the character. Various figures from companies such as Diamond Select Toys and Prime 1 Studios have produced figures as well. McFarlane Toys has also made
11514-452: The villain for that. Batman comic book writer Peter Tomasi concurred, stating that the Joker's main goal is to make Batman the best that he can be. The Joker and Batman represent opposites: the extroverted Joker wears colorful clothing and embraces chaos, while the introverted, monochromatic Batman represents order and discipline. The Joker is often depicted as defining his existence through his conflict with Batman. In 1994's "Going Sane",
11628-407: The villain shatter the trust between Batman and his adopted family. Capullo's Joker design replaced his traditional outfit with a utilitarian , messy, and disheveled appearance to convey that the character was on a mission; his face (surgically removed in 2011's Detective Comics (vol. 2) #1) was reattached with belts, wires, and hooks, and he was outfitted with mechanics overalls. The Joker's face
11742-451: The villain tries to lead a normal life after Batman's (apparent) death, only to become his old self again when Batman reappears; in "Emperor Joker", an apparently omnipotent Joker cannot destroy Batman without undoing himself. Since the Joker is simply "the Joker", he believes that Batman is "Batman" (with or without the costume) and has no interest in what is behind Batman's mask, ignoring opportunities to learn Batman's secret identity. Given
11856-518: Was The Man Who Laughs — his face had been permanently operated on so that he will always have this perpetual grin. And it looked absolutely weird. I cut the picture out of the book and gave it to Bob, who drew the profile and gave it a more sinister aspect. Then he worked on the face; made him look a little clown -like, which accounted for his white face, red lips, green hair. And that was the Joker! Although Kane adamantly refused to share credit for many of his characters, and refuted Robinson's claim for
11970-519: Was also inspired by the Steeplechase Face , an image in Steeplechase Park at Coney Island that resembled a Joker's head, which he sketched and later shared with future editorial director Carmine Infantino . In a 1994 interview with journalist Frank Lovece , Kane stated his position: Bill Finger and I created the Joker. Bill was the writer. Jerry Robinson came to me with a playing card of
12084-532: Was also. Finger provided his own account in 1966: I got a call from Bob Kane.... He had a new villain. When I arrived he was holding a playing card. Apparently Jerry Robinson or Bob, I don't recall who, looked at the card and they had an idea for a character ... the Joker. Bob made a rough sketch of it. At first it didn't look much like the Joker. It looked more like a clown. But I remembered that Grosset & Dunlap formerly issued very cheap editions of classics by Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugo ... The volume I had
12198-399: Was depicted as an alternate universe Batman who does not have a code against killing. Snyder explained his intent on the character in an interview by The Hollywood Reporter : "He's basically Batman's worst nightmare come to life: Batman, if he was infected by the Joker toxin and lost all sense of ethics. What he wants to do in Gotham is bring Bruce’s worst nightmares to life". Snyder's hope
12312-592: Was intrigued by villains; he believed that some characters are made up of contradictions, leading to the Joker's sense of humor. He said that the name came first, followed by an image of a playing card from a deck he often had at hand: "I wanted somebody visually exciting. I wanted somebody that would make an indelible impression, would be bizarre, would be memorable like the Hunchback of Notre Dame or any other villains that had unique physical characters." He told Finger about his concept by telephone, later providing sketches of
12426-399: Was overruled by then-editor Whitney Ellsworth ; a hastily drawn panel, indicating that the Joker was still alive, was added to the comic. The Joker went on to appear in nine of Batman ' s first 12 issues. The character's regular appearances quickly defined him as the archenemy of Batman and Robin ; he killed dozens of people, and even derailed a train. By issue #13, Kane's work on
12540-507: Was played by Cesar Romero . The show's popularity compelled Schwartz to keep the comics in a similar vein. As the show's popularity waned, however, so did that of the Batman comics. After the TV series ended in 1969, the increase in public visibility had not stopped the comic's sales decline; editorial director Carmine Infantino resolved to turn things around, moving stories away from child-friendly adventures. The Silver Age introduced several of
12654-465: Was popular, and was adapted into the comics as the Joker's romantic interest in 1999. In the same year, Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle 's comic book Anarky concluded with the revelation that the titular character was the Joker's son. Breyfogle conceived the idea as a means to expand on Anarky's characterization, but O'Neil (by then the editor for the Batman series of books) was opposed to it, and only allowed it to be written under protest, and with
12768-598: Was restored in Snyder's and Capullo's " Endgame " (2014), the concluding chapter to "Death of the Family". The conclusion of the 2020 " Joker War " storyline by writer James Tynion IV and artist Jorge Jiménez sees the Joker leave Gotham after Batman chooses to let him die. This led to a second ongoing Joker series, beginning in March 2021 with Tynion writing and Guillem March providing art. The Joker has undergone many revisions since his 1940 debut. The most common interpretation of
12882-440: Was that his character would be popular enough to get his own comic book series, and Snyder believed that " Jock would be the perfect person to do it".. The Batman Who Laughs is an alternate universe variant of Batman from Earth -22 in the Dark Multiverse who was transformed into a Joker-like form as part of the original Joker's dying scheme. He then takes over Earth, killing most of his allies and turning his son Damian Wayne into
12996-506: Was the third, and Alice: Madness Returns the fourth. The defunct Star Trek action figure line was relaunched in 2013 as Star Trek Select. All Universal Monsters, Munsters and Star Trek Selects also received non-Select releases at Toys "R" Us , with the larger accessory pieces removed and sometimes replaced by different, smaller ones. The Femme Fatales line of 9-inch PVC statues began by licensing popular female characters from independent comic books, including Dawn and Tarot: Witch of
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