Bio: There are many back stories to the Joker, none of which reveal his real name. It is generally understood that the Joker has an extremely confusing background, of which he himself doesn't even remember. Some of his back stories tie him to the name Jack, or with a secret identity as the Red Hood. One of the most popular stories is that he was an engineer at a chemical plant and was strong-armed into helping some criminals break into the plant. During the robbery, he was cornered by Batman and the police, and escaped by jumping into a tub of chemicals. He managed to escape the plant but came out with a terribly damaged face. White skin, red lips, and bright green hair. Other portrayals describe that the Joker worked his way up the crime world, and after a confrontation with Batman, he became disfigured and turned insane. All we know is that after some form of conflict with Batman, he was transformed into the Joker, Batman's ultimate arch-enemy.
Powers and Abilities: The Joker commits his crimes with a twisted sense of humor. He is extremely intellegent with a good knowledge of chemistry and engineering. His arsenal consists of comedic weapons; from razor sharp playing cards, acid spraying flower, exploding cigars, joy buzzers, and his most infamous is his Joker Venom, a deadly poison that causes his victims to laugh to death. His hand-to-hand combat is slightly above average, where he can often stand his ground against the Batman, yet usually avoids this option. Instead he uses his masterful schemes to put Batman in extremely daunting situations.
Media Portrayal: Starting with the comics, the Joker is instantly portrayed as the Batman's number one arch-enemy, modeled after the Joker playing card. In his first comic portrayal he announces over the radio that he will kill three of Gotham's most prominent citizens. With this publicity he instantly becomes the defining villain of Gotham City. The Joker often teams up with many other villains in finding a way to defeat Batman and cause havoc for everyone else. In one story he teams up with the Scarecrow, who eventually turns his fear gas on the Joker, and to his surprise discovers that the Joker is not afraid of anything.
In the cheesy TV series, he is portrayed in 22 episodes and a film by Cesar Romero. This portrayal is merely a comedy of which the Joker is more of a clown than an insane killer.
In the 1989 film, Batman, Jack Nicholson gives a strong performance as the Joker. In this film, the Joker is given a back story as Jack Napier, who works as a right-hand man for a major crime boss, Carl Grissom, as well as the murderer of Bruce Wayne's parents. Keeping true to the comics, Jack is disfigured in a tank of chemicals during a confrontation with Batman. He later kills Grissom, takes over his gang, and becomes the insane Joker. Throughout the film he causes havoc upon Gotham City, yet eventually falls off a building and dies in the end. His most glorious moment in the film was when he pulled out a long gun from his pants, and shot Batman's jet down. Major Kudos to Jack Nicholson for this brilliant performance.
In the animated series he was portrayed by Mr. Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. In this portrayal he was given a history as a hitman who went on to start his own gang. He is once again given the name Jack Nipier and is foiled by Batman during a plot to rob a chemical plant.
Yet his hands down most memorable portrayal to date, is in the recent film The Dark Knight. Here he is masterfully portrayed by Heath Ledger, as not so much of a clown but as a psychotic anarchist. Throughout the film he uses masterful schemes to turn Gotham City into total chaos. This portrayal won Heath Ledger numerous awards including the Academy Award for best supporting actor. Some believe he put so much into the role that it was the cause to his death. Speculations aside, Heath truly created an iconic villain, arguably the greatest fictional villain ever, and for that reason he shall always remain a legacy.
The Appeal: The Joker is a mad genius, with a twisted humor, a great sense of creativity, and a taste for the theatrics. He's got a unique style to him, a man with nothing to lose, out for total chaos. He's a masterful schemer, always one step ahead of the Batman, and really knows how to turn people against one another. I think of him as a masterful pupeteer, creating twisted schemes to manipulate the people of Gotham City into total anarchy. He wants to turn the city into a zoo of freaks, just like himself. Throughout his countless battles with the Batman, whether he wins or loses, he always seems to come on top, laughing with his infamous red smile.
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