Jokers biography

This article is about the original comic book character. For the 2019 film, see Joker (film). For other uses, see Joker (disambiguation).

The Joker

The Joker is a supervillain and the archenemy of Batman. First introduced in Batman #1 (Spring 1940), he was originally a criminal mastermind with a devious sense of humor. Initially intended to serve as a one-time appearances, Joker's instant popularity ensured that the character would continue to appear, becoming a frequent enemy of the Dark Knight and Robin, the Boy Wonder. By the late 1940s, Joker had been reimagined as a harmless prankster. Falling into obscurity by the 1960s, he was re-introduced in the 1970s as a more legitimate threat and one of the most infamous criminals within Gotham City. In recent years, the character has taken on the persona of an evil-incarnate, simply taking joy in tormenting Batman or trying to push him into villainy.

Widely considered Batman's arch-nemesis, the Joker has also been responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin. His characterization has changed over the years, with the most common incarnation being a criminal mastermind who commits crimes for his own entertainment. Joker is also considered one of DC' most recognizable characters, with him also battling other heroes such as Superman and Wonder Woman. The character has also become an icon in popular culture, usually through his portrayals in various media related to Batman and other DC properties.

Publication History

Originally conceived as an evil "court-jester"

Fictional character in the 2008 film The Dark Knight

Fictional character

The Joker is a character portrayed by Heath Ledger and the main antagonist in Christopher Nolan's 2008 superhero film The Dark Knight. Based on the DC Comicssupervillainof the same name, he is depicted as a psychopathic criminal mastermind with a warped, sadistic sense of humor who defines himself by his conflict with the vigilante Batman. In the film, the Joker tests how far Batman will go to save Gotham City from descending into chaos by targeting the Caped Crusader's allies, including police lieutenant James Gordon and district attorney Harvey Dent.

Ledger's portrayal of the Joker as an avatar of anarchy and chaos was specifically influenced by the graphic novels Batman: The Killing Joke and Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. He wears the character's traditional purple and green color palette, while his disfigured clown-like appearance is the result of smeared makeup that covers the facial scars of a Glasgow smile (rather than bleached white skin from falling into a tank of chemical waste, like in the source material). Paintings by Francis Bacon, the character of Alex in Anthony Burgess' novel A Clockwork Orange and Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation of the same name, and various punk rock musicians served as additional inspirations for Ledger's performance.

Although Ledger's casting as the Joker was initially controversial, it is now widely considered to be his finest performance; Ledger himself regarded it as his most enjoyable. When the film was released in July 2008, six months after Ledger died from an accidental prescription drug overdose, his performance as the Joker received widespread acclaim and earned numerous posthumous accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Ledger's Joker is often listed as one of the greatest and most iconic villains in film and popular culture and has become one of the most n

Laugh it up, film fans! Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is almost upon us, ready to unleash a wave of crime — and think pieces — the likes of which Hollywood hasn’t seen since Heath Ledger terrorized Gotham City in The Dark Knight over a decade ago. But the story of the most infamous villain in Batman’s rogues gallery is itself as interesting as any of the character’s adventures either on screen or the printed page. Here’s a quick guide to the madcap history of the Caped Crusader’s deadliest enemy ….

An Origin Shrouded in Mystery
The Joker debuted in Batman #1, the Spring 1940 launch of the Dark Knight’s dedicated comic-book series; it also revealed the superhero’s origin for the first time and contained the first appearance of Catwoman. (Batman first appeared in a separate series, Detective Comics, which gave DC Comics its name and in which he still stars to this day.)

But the creation of the Clown Prince is shrouded in controversy, with the three men involved — writer Bill Finger and artists Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson — each offering a different account of how the Joker came to be. The exact order of events varies depending on who you believe, but in essence, the character was a hybrid of influences. Robinson produced a joker playing-card design. Finger provided inspiration in the form of a clown-face logo from Coney Island and, crucially, a picture of actor Conrad Veidt playing the disfigured, permanently grinning title character in the 1928 horror film The Man Who Laughs. Both Robinson and Kane, who for decades received sole credit for the creation of Batman, designed the character on the page, while Robinson and Finger helped develop the concept of the Joker as Batman’s nemesis. The result was a villain unlike any of the gangsters and mad scientists Batman and his recently added sidekick Robin had ever faced before