The Joker

The joker is a very interesting icon in Pop Culture, and an ageless one at that. The Joker is a supervillain created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson who first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book Batman (April 25, 1940), published by DC Comics. Credit for the Joker’s creation is disputed; Kane and Robinson claimed responsibility for the Joker’s design while acknowledging Finger’s writing contribution. In his comic book appearances, the Joker is portrayed as a criminal mastermind. Introduced as a psychopath with a warped, sadistic sense of humor; the character became a goofy prankster in the late 1950s in response to regulation by the Comics Code Authority, before returning to his darker roots during the early 1970s.

Joker is fascinating, mysterious and even a highly likeable supervillain of all time, why? Because he stands for something anarchist. Unlike other Supervillains most notable trait is his feminine side which is makes him quite androgynous and less threatening at first. Whereas most villains use their sheer power in many way, Joker is more like an evil mastermind.

The Joker has had various possible origin stories during his decades of appearances. The most common story involves him falling into a tank of chemical waste that bleaches his skin white and turns his hair green and lips bright red; the resulting disfigurement drives him insane. The antithesis of Batman in personality and appearance, the Joker is considered by critics to be his perfect adversary.

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 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. The 1990s introduced a romantic interest for the Joker in his former psychiatrist, Harley Quinn, who became his villainous sidekick and later escaped an abusive relationship with him. Although his primary obsession is Batman, the Joker has also fought other heroes, including Superman and Wonder Woman.

One of the most iconic characters in popular culture, the Joker has been listed among the greatest comic book villains and fictional characters ever created.The great philosophical debacle of the Batman series is that the battle between these two never ends.  The Joker has even said in the comics and in film that they will keep at it for as long as they live.  Personally, I think that the Joker believes him to be the only enemy worth facing.  When the comic series first had him in it, he was nothing more than a lunatic, like every other villain, but his character quickly evolves into a criminal genius.

There were a couple of adaptations of joker one being In his initial dozen or so appearances, starting with Batman #1 (1940), the Joker was a straightforward spree killer/mass murderer, with a bizarre appearance modeled after the symbol of the Joker known from playing cards. It is of note that in his second appearance he was actually slated to be killed off. The Batman’s Animated Series was one of the popular ones, really popularizing the Joker’s character in a more humane way than just non dimensional psychopath. Later this Trend followed and writers began to focus further on Joker’s past, him being a misfit and misunderstood within Society.Though many have been related, a definitive history of the Joker has never been established in the comics, and his true name has never been confirmed. Nobody knows who he truly is.

Detective Comics #168 (February 1951) revealed that he had been a criminal known as the Red Hood. In the story, the Red Hood was robbing the Monarch Playing Card factory and encountered Batman for the first time. He tried to escape from the Dark Knight by fleeing to the Ace Chemical Plant where he fell into a vat of chemicals. He survived but the chemicals had radically changed his body resulting in chalk-white skin, emerald green hair, and a bizarre ruby-red grin.

The most widely cited back-story can be seen in Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke. It depicts him as originally being an engineer at a chemical plant who quit his job to pursue his dream of being a stand-up comedian, only to fail miserably. Desperate to support his pregnant wife, Jeannie, the man agrees to help two criminals break into the plant where he was formerly employed. My all time favorite adaptations of joker are listed below!

JOAQUIN PHOENIX IN JOKER

His Arthur Fleck is impossible to look away from, even when you desperately want to. Phoenix sways, grimaces, shuffles, and delivers terrible, involuntary paroxysms of laughter even as he openly weeps. One the most impeccable performances ever seen. I was impressed by how his portrayal of Joker truly disturbing to a point where it got hard for me to watch.

JACK NICHOLSON IN BATMAN

Nicholson made a career out of playing charismatic characters who felt dangerous, who seemed like they could snap at any moment and turn violent. And maybe most importantly, he had one of the most memorable smiles in Hollywood. So sure, Nicholson’s Joker might be an aging mobster with a penchant for the music of Prince, but he captures the essential elements of the character: He’s funny AND he’s scary.

Nicholson gets it, playing the Joker as someone having the time of his life every moment he’s onscreen. Whether he’s murdering a museum full of people, having dinner with Vicki Vale, or losing a fight to Batman, it’s all a joke to him. —PW

MARK HAMILL IN BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM

Veteran villain portrayer Tim Curry had seemed like a shoe-in, but there was a big problem with his screen tests. They could get him to be dark and scary, sure. But they couldn’t get him to be funny.

To that directorial difficulty, we owe Mark Hamill as the Joker, a performance so definitive that when anyone other than he is cast in a Warner Bros. animated production, you will see fans immediately asking the question: “What, was Mark Hamill busy?” Reasonable, considering the number of times he has returned to play the Clown Prince of Crime — in cartoon shows, straight to DVD animated movies, video games, and one theatrically released feature film, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, which allows him to stand alongside the other cinematic Jokers listed here.