Joker is the most feared villain in Gotham City and the archenemy of Batman. The journey of Joker is no less interesting and actually defines what he is and why he gets to the nerve of Batman and sometimes other superheroes.
He is one villain for Batman who has such a difficult time finishing him off. The Joker is in more than one ways more than just a villain. He is one of the most complex characters created for a comic book and has fascinated fans since its inception in the 1940s. He has also inspired plenty of merchandise and you also find a lot of cool, witty and sarcastic t-shirt designs.
The Joker – The Super villain
The Joker is the sadist super villain of Gotham City and the archenemy of Batman. He is a sociopath with a sadistic personality. He likes killing people for fun and on whim and creating havoc in the city. His characterization has changed during these decades. He has come a long way from being a super psychopath villain to a goofy, trickster and a thief in the 1950s and 1960s. Later, he returned to his original character traits.
He has been portrayed several times in movies and each movie has its own interpretation of the Joker, but the core personality remained the same. He was suppose to be killed after initial appearances in the comic, but was retained. He enjoys battle of wits with Batman immensely and for that he doesn’t mind killing of people and create havoc just to annoy Batman, the superhero of the Gotham City. Later, Harley Quinn was introduced as his girlfriend and like the Joker, she too became famous and one of the most popular villains.
What Makes Joker the Joker?
Every hero has a back story, so is the villain. Although the original name of the Joker is not known, he was initially known as the Red Hood. The most widely accepted back story is that he was a chemical engineer in a plant aspiring to be a stand-up comedian. He quits his job to pursue his dream but fails. In order to support his pregnant wife he decides to help two criminals break into the plant. But, the plan fails and the two criminals are killed. He is now pursued by Batman and he accidently falls into a vat of chemicals. When he emerges he is bleached white with his hair tuned green and he now has devilish red lips. Later he learns that his wife has died at child birth along with his child. These events combined together make him insane and that one bad day changes him forever and he now becomes the Joker.
Late he is admitted into a psychiatric institute where he meets his future girlfriend Harley Quinn, who interestingly was his psychiatrist. He manipulates her and she helps him escape.
The Joker is believed to be a victim of certain circumstances which turn him into the monster that he is. Instead of coping with the situation with maturity and calmness, he turns the rage inward. Using his knowledge of the chemicals he develops lethal weapons that leave the victim in various state of grotesqueness. This is the implied humor. He is sarcastic and often uses his wit and humor when he is creating weapons or planning tricks. He loves playing the games of wit with Batman.
The Joker has many shades and if he were not an insane killer, he would defiantly have made a different kind of stand-up comedian. He is one of the complex characters to define.