Joker- the supervillain of the DC Comics universe, the main and sworn enemy of Batman. In the cinema, the role of the Joker was played by several actors, and in this article I will tell you who played the role of the Joker in film.

Actors who played the Joker

1. The first Joker. He was first played on television by an American actor. Romero Cesar, who played the famous villain in the Batman series (1967-1969). Although he didn’t really look like a villain either ... here he is more of a joker, a comedian than some kind of serial maniac!

2. The second in the movie "Batman" (1989), the role of the Joker was played by an actor Jack Nicholson. Here the character received a backstory: the antagonist, in the course of the fight with Batman, falls into some kind of vat, as a result of which he changes completely (from hair color to psyche)

3. The third was inimitable Heath Ledger with the film "The Dark Knight" (2008). One of the best Jokers. No wonder the performer of this role, who, unfortunately, did not live to see the premiere of the film, was posthumously awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Not neat make-up, terrible hair and unscrupulous appearance - it is because of all this that this Joker turned out to be the most realistic. He was the one who played him in the movie. The Dark Knight

4. Another Joker was no less inimitable Jared Leto with his main role in the movie Suicide Squad (2016). A street rebel, a guy with a head, this is the actor himself. To create his image, most of the details were taken from the comics themselves - green hair, a cheeky grin, silver teeth, rings and an endless number of tattoos on his body. It is possible that such an image will become a new canon and style icon .. it was he who played it in Suicide Squad

5. Do not forget about one of the most famous (in my opinion) and the best Joker (also in my opinion) Mark Hamill. Mark first began voicing one of the most famous cartoon villains in the world in 1992 in the Batman animated series. Before he became the voice of the Joker, the actor already had a wealth of experience in voicing animated characters. He voiced him so superbly that from every second of his Joker on the screen, you are imbued with this game of voice! Also, his voice can be heard in the Batman series of games, where he also did an excellent job.

You just listen to how this voice sounds!

And that's all for now, but I'm sure that the role of the Joker will not end there in our lifetime, we will still see several reincarnations of the most famous criminal!

He first appeared in a comic called Batman#1 (April 25, 1940) and was created by Jerry Robinson, Bob Kane, and Bill Finger. Credit for creating the Joker is a moot point; Kane and Robinson took credit for designing the Joker, acknowledging Finger's writing input. Although the Joker was planned as a one-time character and was supposed to die during his first appearance, he was abandoned and became Batman's nemesis in the aftermath.

The Joker's facial nerves are paralyzed, giving the appearance of a permanent smile. His green hair and nails, ruddy lips, and chalk-white skin are directly due to exposure to the chemicals. The Joker's face in the mouth area is "decorated" with large cicatricial scars in the form of a terrible smile. The Joker is 198 cm tall and weighs 73 kilograms.

Biography

The Joker's past remains shrouded in mystery to this day, despite the character's entire seventy-year history. DC continues to stick to Alan Moore's theory of the sinister clown's multiple past. Perhaps even the Joker himself no longer remembers who he was until the night he put on the Red Hood. According to the recognized canonical version, the man who became the Joker (perhaps he was an unsuccessful comedian, and possibly a gangster) fell into acid, frightened by Batman, when he participated in the robbery of a card factory in the Red Hood costume. As a result, he went crazy, got white skin, black circles around his eyes and green hair, and a smile froze on his face forever.

Some time after the Hood incident, a warehouse full of smiling corpses was discovered in Gotham. And on the TV screens, a strange character in a purple suit appeared, who announced in advance who and when he was going to kill. Batman and Commissioner Gordon had to make a lot of efforts to stop the Joker, who cracked down on the owners of the ill-fated plant and intended to poison the Gotham reservoir. As a result, the villain ended up in the Arkham psychiatric hospital, whose patients he had released onto the streets of the city shortly before.
Later, the Joker had a partner, Harley Quinn, dressed in a harlequin costume and madly in love with a maniac. Also, according to some versions, he had a pregnant wife, Jenny, who died in an accident, and the Joker sometimes worried because of her.

Easy Targets

The Joker begins firing a powerful sniper rifle, resulting in the shooting killing Mayor Dickerson and the Superintendent, all in an effort to force the town's residents to stay at home during the Christmas holidays. He then becomes the cause of major crime in Gotham before revealing himself by planting bombs throughout the city as a "Christmas present" for Batman, causing him to rush to save a large number of Christmas shoppers from death. The Joker then starts shooting in a number of large locations, where he kills several detectives, only to be shot down by Maggie Sawyer, after which his bomb goes off, but people have already been evacuated from the toy store, ultimately the Joker comes to his senses already in the hospital and laughs at the bloody carnage he did.

rebirth

Comic Batman#655, The Joker is shot in the face by a mentally ill police officer, rendering him disabled for some time. After undergoing intensive plastic surgery and some physical therapy, the Joker appeared in a comic Batman#663 with a completely new look. While he was in intensive care, he developed an even more dangerous form of his Venom, giving it to Harley Quinn to kill his former partners to signal a spiritual rebirth. Later, he went on a rampage attempting to kill Harley Quinn, which would climax in his revival, but Batman stopped him, and through these events, the Joker joins the Black Glove.

Faces of death

After the events Flashpoint, Joker story moments could be changed, but the Joker's personality hasn't changed in New 52.

Comic Detective Comics #1, it appears as the main suspect in a number of murders in Gotham, he used a black shirt, and at the end of this comic, we see that his face was cut off by the Dollmaker.

Capabilities

Because of him mental state The Joker is immune to fear as he takes everything as a joke. He also has immunity to poison, as a result of prolonged exposure to it. chemical substances. The fear gas the Scarecrow is famous for has no effect on him, and the Visionary was unable to hypnotize him in the comic. Birds of Prey#121. The Joker and Poison Ivy have been shown to be immune to each other's chemicals. Also, he has a very high tolerance for pain. Comic Birds of Prey#16, The Joker had a cast on his leg, but he moved like he wasn't even there. He laughed after he got shot in the comic Batman: Dark Victory. He showed no signs of pain after several Batarangs slit his mouth in the comic Batman Confidential. It seems that most of the time he just enjoys the pain by provoking others to hit him; thus, to some extent, he can be described as a sadomasochist. Several times he has been known to survive explosions and crashes. His bones heal quickly, and it's been hinted in a couple of comics that he doesn't age physically.

The Joker is a brilliant inventor and chemist. Using a seemingly ludicrous but actually very dangerous arsenal of comedic-themed weapons such as his patented laughing gas, flag gun, explosive fart pads, an acid-squirting flower (which is usually found on his jacket), a handheld stun gun, sharp as card razor, poison pies and exploding cigars. The Joker is immune to his own poison, as well as other types of similar toxins. The Joker is an excellent shooter, he almost never misses. His accuracy was also proven when he fired at the ropes of suspended hostages to distract Batman. The Joker has occasionally displayed above-average hand-to-hand combat skills, sometimes even taking Batman by surprise with his punch.

The Joker does not possess any direct superhuman powers. However, he does display several inhuman abilities. Arc of history Arkham Asylum testifies to that he is "supernormal"; this means that he sees the reality of the universe without any personal illusions, and that his personality can change everything to fit the circumstances, which allows him to be great at pretending and passing off lies as truth, as he truly believes what he says. Also, the Joker very often manages to cheat his death. People have repeatedly assumed that he is dead, but he returned again and again to wreak havoc. superpower is controversial issue in regards to the Joker, but the Joker's insanity, or his state of mind, leaves him immune to the Specter's condemnations, though Batman once explains this by saying that the Joker doesn't actually know what is right and wrong.

The Joker also tends to break the fourth wall and seems to have a sense of heightened awareness that he is a comic book character. He is the only character who speaks directly to the reader. The Joker also knows that he is the perfect opposite of Batman. Comic Legends of the Dark Knight#65-68, The Joker, thinks he killed Batman and it makes no sense for him to be the Joker anymore, he resorts to plastic surgery and tries to lead a normal, healthy life. However, upon discovering that Batman is still alive, he reverts to insanity and continues his criminal career.

In the media

Animated series

Hour of Batman and Superman"released in 1968. The role of the character was voiced by Larry Storch. The Joker appeared as a regular opponent of Batman.

The Joker appears in the animated series " Batman Adventures"During the period 1968 - 1969. The role of the character was voiced. In the episode "How Many Herring in a Wheelbarrow?", the Joker raids technology firms to build a strong solar mirror that he can use as a laser weapon. He also appears in several other series" My crime is your crime", "Two Penguins are too many", "The game of cat and mouse" and others.

The Joker appears in the animated series " super friends"coming out in the period 1973 - 1983. The role of the character was voiced by Frank Welker.

The Joker appears in the animated series " The New Adventures of Batman"released in 1977 - 1999. The role of the character was voiced by Mark Hamill.

The Joker appears in the animated series " Super Power Team: Guardians of the Galaxy"released in 1985 - 1986. The role of the character was voiced by Frank Welker.

The Joker appears in the animated series " Batman", voiced by Mark Hamill. He appears in the episode "Christmas with the Joker", in which he escapes from Arkham Asylum on Christmas Eve.

The Joker appears in the animated series " The New Adventures of Batman", which was released in the period 1997 - 1999. The role of the character was voiced by Mark Hamill.

The Joker is mentioned in the animated series " Batman of the future", which was released in the period 1999 - 2001. He does not personally appear in the cartoon, but there are references to it.

The Joker appears in the animated series " Justice League", voiced by Mark Hamill.

The Joker appears in the animated series " static shock", voiced the role of the character. He appeared in an episode called "Major League", in which the Joker wants to destroy a young superhero named Static Shock.

The Joker appears in the animated series " Batman"coming out in the period 2004 - 2008. The character was voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.

The Joker appears in the animated series " Batman: Courage and Boldness", voiced by Jeff Bennett. The Joker first appears as the Red Hood in the episode titled "Deep Cover Job". In this episode, Owlman and the Scarlet Scarab are shown causing an accident at a chemical plant, resulting in his deformity. from his Batman counterpart, this Red Hood becomes a true hero.The Joker also appears in episodes titled "Joker: Vile and Vile!", "Emperor Joker!", and others.

The Joker appears in the animated series " Young Justice", voiced by Brent Spiner. He appears as a member League H justice, together with Count Vertigo , Black Adam , Atomic Skull , I'm worm Ivy , Ultra-Humanoid and Wotan . They are used a combination of poison Cobras and Joker's Poison in Mystique getting radioactive enhanced plants to attack largest cities in the world. The Joker was given the task of controlling the plants when "Justice League" started a fight with them.

Animated films

The Joker appears in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm", which was released in 1993, the character is voiced by Mark Hamill.

The Joker appears in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker The character is voiced by Mark Hamill. He mysteriously returns to Gotham. Flashbacks show that the Joker kidnapped and tortured Tim Drake, driving Robin insane; Drake kills the Joker during his insanity, but the chip implanted in Tim's neck possesses a copy the Joker's mind and DNA, allowing him to gradually take over Drake's body and transform him into a duplicate of the Joker.

The Joker appears in Batman vs Dracula" Released in 2005, voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson. The Joker escapes Arkham Asylum and unwittingly becomes a vampire under the control of Count Dracula. Batman manages to capture him, after which he brings him to the Batcave, where he cures the Joker of his bloodlust.

The Joker appears in Batman: Under the Red Hood"released in 2010. The character was voiced by John DiMaggio. According to the film, he was once an early version of the Red Hood (as several people used a pseudonym). Hired by Ra" with al Ghul to distract Batman from terrorists planning to destroy the world economy in exchange for a small state, the Joker lures the Dynamic Duo to Sarajevo, Bosnia, where he beats Jason Todd with a crowbar and leaves Robin in the hope that he will be killed by a bomb blast.

The Joker appears in Justice League: Crisis of Two Worlds The character was voiced by James Patrick Stewart. On an alternate Earth, the heroic version of the Joker is known as the Harlequin. He is a longtime ally of Lex Luthor from the same Earth and a former member of their Justice League/Underground Justice. He sacrifices his life so that Luthor can escape and ask for help for their Earth, which has been besieged by the villainous Crime Syndicate of America.

The Joker appears in Batman: Return dark knight. Part 1" and " Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Part 2", the role of the character was voiced by Michael Emerson. The Joker falls into a catatonia and is in Arkham Asylum, after Batman retires, and with the return of the Dark Knight ten years later (at the end of the first part), the Joker comes to his senses. In the course of events the second part of the film, the Joker tricks his doctor and gets on TV.While at the studio, he pulls off his terrible plan, during which many people die (using his signature gas) and goes to a local amusement park.In the final scene, the Joker succeeds inflict a lot on Batman knife wounds and at the end twists his neck, which has already been injured.

The Joker appears in Batman: Assault on Arkham" Released in 2014. The role of the character is voiced by Troy Baker. The Joker is in Arkham Asylum, but before getting there, he hid a bomb in Gotham that Batman is trying to find.

The Joker appears in Batman Unlimited: Chaos"released in 2015. The character was voiced by Troy Baker.

The Joker appears in Batman: The Killing Joke".

The Joker appears in Batman: The Masked Knights Return.

The Joker appears in The Lego Batman Movie, released in 2017, voiced by Zach Galifianakis.

Series

The Joker appears in the television series " Batman"Coming out in the period 1966 - 1968, the role of the character was played by Cesar Romero. Romero refused to shave his mustache for the role, and their outline is noticeable despite the makeup.

The Joker appears in the television series Birds of Prey, portrayed by Roger Stonebarner and voiced by Mark Hamill. The Joker appears in the first episode in which he has a small role.

The Joker appears in the television series Gotham, portrayed by Cameron Monaghan.

Movies

The Joker appears in Batman", which was released in 1989, the role of the character was played by actor Jack Nicholson, and Hugo Bleek played the role of the Joker in a flashback . In the film, the Joker is originally Jack Napier, who is right hand bandit leader Carl Grissom (Jack Palance), who is disfigured as a result of a skirmish with Batman (Michael Keaton) at a chemical factory. After being shot in the face, Napier falls into a vat of chemical waste,as a result, he gets green hair, chalk-white skin, and bright red lips. because of failed attempt plastic surgery on his face, he has scars that give the appearance of a permanent smile. Driven into an absolute frenzy by the reflection of himself he sees, the Joker kills Grissom and becomes the new head of his syndicate and launches a new crime wave designed to outdo Batman, who he thinks is getting too much press. During the final battle between Batman and the Joker, they discover each other's equality and realize that they "made each other".

Jack Napier appears in the movie " Batman forever which was released in 1995 and was portrayed by David Y. Hodges. Napier appears in a flashback.

The Joker appears in the movie The Dark Knight", which was released in 2008, the role of the character was played by Heath Ledger. At the beginning of the film, the Joker appears as a bank robber, after which he was hired by the Gotham City crime families to kill Batman (Christian Bale). He threatens to kill every day until Batman will not reveal his secret identity.

The Joker appears in the movie Suicide Squad, portrayed by Jared Leto.

Games

The Joker appears in Lego Batman: The Videogame.
The Joker appears in the game" Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe".
The Joker appears in the game "Batman Vengeance Joker".
The Joker appears in Batman: Arkham Asylum.
The Joker appears in Batman: Arkham City.
The Joker appears in DC Universe Online.
The Joker appears in LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes.
The Joker appears in the Batman game. released for the Sega Mega Drive
The Joker appears in the game" The Adventures of Batman and Robin".
The Joker appears in Batman: Arkham Origins.
The Joker appears in Injustice: Gods Among us".
The Joker appears in the game "Infinite Crisis".
The Joker appears in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham.
The Joker appears in Batman: Arkham Knight.
The Joker appears in Lego Dimensions.

The Joker (DC Comics) is one of famous villains comics and Batman's most implacable enemy. Perhaps this is the most charismatic, charming and unpredictable maniac of Gotham, besides, he has his own crowd of admirers and fans.

Character Description

The Joker (DC Comics) first appeared in the first issue of Batman, published on April 25, 1940. The character was created by Jerry Robinson, Billy Finger and Bob Kane. The Joker was originally conceived as a one-time villain who was supposed to die the first time he appeared. But in the end he was abandoned and became the main enemy of Batman.

The appearance of the Joker is quite remarkable. His lips are constantly stretched into a smile due to the fact that the facial muscles were paralyzed. The hair and nails of the villain are green, the skin is pale, the lips are bright red - all these are the consequences of exposure to chemicals. His face is disfigured by two large welts that start at the corners of his mouth, giving the appearance of a horrible smile. The height of the character is 198 cm, and the weight is 73 kg.

Birth of the Joker

Batman's nemesis has a mysterious past. In this regard, DC is siding with Alan Moore, who talked about the character's multivariate past. There is an opinion that the Joker himself does not remember who he was before the fateful night when he put on the Red Cap.

According to the canonical version, a person (a gangster or a failed comedian), who later became the Joker, was frightened by Batman and fell into acid. That night, he put on the Red Cap and took part in the robbery of the factory. After the tragedy, he went mad, and his body changed and took on its terrifying appearance.

Some time passed, and in Gotham they accidentally discovered a warehouse filled with the dead, whose lips froze in a smile. At the same time, someone in a purple suit appeared on the TV screens, the stranger talked about when and whom he would kill.

The Joker managed to deal with the director of the plant where the tragedy happened to him, and almost poisoned the city reservoir before Batman and Commissioner Gordon, who helped him, could stop him. The result was the conclusion in the Arkham psychiatric hospital, the inhabitants of which were released shortly before by a mad clown.

Later, the maniac has a partner wearing a harlequin costume - Harley Quinn, madly in love with the Joker.

According to some versions, the villain had a pregnant wife who died due to an accident. The Joker sometimes remembers her and grieves.

Christmas surprises

Soon the Joker is free and gathers a group of supporters around him. So, the Joker's gang, led by a mad leader on the eve of Christmas, opens fire in the city center. The shootout kills Mayor Dickerson and the superintendent. However, the goal of the gangsters was not to kill the head of Gotham, the Joker just wanted the residents to be afraid to leave their homes all the Christmas holidays.

The maniac doesn't stop there. His next step is preparing a "Christmas present" for Batman. The Joker lays out bombs all over the city, and the hero has to find them all and save people. Bye The Dark Knight busy neutralizing dangerous surprises, the psychopath's gang once again opens fire in the most crowded places in Gotham. Among the victims are police officers. A bomb explodes in one of the shops, fortunately, Batman managed to evacuate people in advance. With great difficulty, the hero manages to catch the Joker. The psychopath comes to himself hospital bed and laughs, remembering the bloody massacre arranged by him.

rebirth

The Joker is the most famous supervillain in the DC Comics universe. And it owes its popularity to its unpredictability, madness and mysterious origin. In issue #665 of Batman, the Joker is seriously injured and ends up in a wheelchair. After an intensive period of recovery and the intervention of plastic surgeons, the maniac's appearance changes.

While in treatment, the Joker was able to perfect the formula for his Poison. He gave the toxin to Harley Quinn and ordered to kill his former criminal partners, which would indicate the revival of the villain. Despite following orders, the Joker tries to kill Quinn. The girl is saved only by the intervention of Batman. After these events, the maniac joins the Black Glove criminal community.

Abilities and character

First of all, you need to remember that the Joker (DC Comics) is a typical crazy maniac. The comics about the villain only reinforce the readers in this judgment. The Joker is smart, unpredictable, possesses various skills and understands a number of sciences, including chemistry. He does not trust anyone and is equally secretive both with enemies and with partners who do not stay alive for a long time. The Joker easily deals with allies as soon as they fulfill their function. The maniac is simply obsessed with Batman, whom he thinks main reason all your failures. Nevertheless, the Joker considers his opponent worthy and intelligent.

The villain is completely insane and ready to do anything for his goal. The Joker is fearless and agile, perfectly oriented in a new situation and knows how to avoid danger. Madness tells him non-trivial solutions.

In addition, the Joker has such abilities as:

• Very high intelligence.
• Excellent knowledge of chemistry.
• Incredible ingenuity.
• Amazing willpower that makes him immune to torture and mind manipulation.
• Strategic talent.
• Immunity to acids and poisons.

Technical devices

The Joker (DC Comics) does not hesitate to use various devices and chemicals. Among them:

• A toxin that makes the victim laugh to death.
• All corrosive acid.
• Playing cards with sharp edges.
• Smoke balls.
• Wears poisonous needles or electric shocks on his arm.
• Cane with rockets.
• Bombs of various shapes and sizes.

The Joker (DC Comics) has made several appearances in various lists villains and comic book characters and more. So, in 2006, he was named the best villain in history by Wizard magazine. In 2009, the Internet portal IGN named him second among the 100 comic book villains. In 2013 Joker was ranked 8th out of 50 best characters comics from Empire magazine, no other villain has received such a high place.

Green hair, a white face, a smile that looks more like a grin - even those who have never touched comics in their lives will recognize him. Laughing psychopath, killer jester, clown prince of crime - or simply the Joker, the one and only. Batman's archenemy turned 77 and it's been a hell of a busy year. In our material, we will try to walk at least along the tops of this voluminous and vibrant story filled with laughter and blood.

If you approach the character from the position of cultural studies, it turns out that he is a couple of thousand years old. Indeed, in essence, the Joker is a trickster, not much different from the folkloric Loki and Mephistopheles, an evil, insidious creature that mocks what people revere, the embodiment of pure nihilism. In almost every world culture and era one can find its predecessors, whether it be a forest spirit with a specific sense of humor or a fair Harlequin mocking poor Pierrot. Perhaps that is why the Joker has taken root so well - because he was always there.

The first appearance of the Joker

In the form familiar to us, the terrorist clown appeared in 1940. Who actually is the father of this character is a mystery that is not destined to be solved. Each of the three people working on Batman comics at the time - Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson - claimed that he created the Joker, and the rest, they say, just picked up the idea.

It is no longer possible to determine which of them is right. But the source of inspiration is definitely known - the German actor Konrad Veidt in the image of Gwynplaine from the film adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel "The Man Who Laughs" in 1928. And also, oddly enough, playing card"Joker".

Conrad Veidt as Gwynplaine. It is possible that the skin color of the Joker is due to the fact that the film was black and white

Those who think that at first the Joker was a funny joker criminal, and only began to kill towards the end of the 20th century, do not know the history of comics very well. The so-called "Golden Age", which lasted from the late 1930s to the early 1950s, was heavily mixed with blood. The same Batman, for example, did not immediately become a terry moralist and once did not stand on ceremony with gangsters. Of course, he didn’t shoot at point-blank range, but if he had to throw another bandit off the roof, he didn’t hesitate. So the Joker made his debut in comics as a real serial killer.

According to the plot of the release of Batman # 1, the newly-born villain announced the names of his victims on the radio, usually someone from the urban elite of Gotham, and they died exactly one day later with unnatural smiles on their faces. The maniac pursued a simple goal - to sow fear and gain authority based on it from local gangsters. A very reasonable plan. The early Joker was generally far from insane. Cruel, cold-blooded, resourceful, but hardly crazy. He hardly even laughed.

Early comics are somewhat similar to silent horror films. For all their absurdity, they regularly terrify

But there was still something irrational about him. The evil jester decided that he did not want to know who was hiding under the mask of Batman, and even refused to kill the hero at the first opportunity - it's not interesting after all. If we draw parallels between the first Joker and Heath Ledger's interpretation, the image of the villain in The Dark Knight no longer seems so uncanonical.

When the Joker was funny

For ten whole years, none of the authors thought to explain why the character has white skin and green hair. Although for Batman comics, this was not common. The Joker generally became the first full-fledged supervillain of the Bat-universe - before him, Bruce Wayne fought ordinary criminals. The story about the fall of a robber in a red cap into a vat of chemicals appeared only in the early 1950s and is still considered canon.

In the "Silver Age", the Joker was hungry for wealth and was afraid of the tax office

Around the same time, conservative psychiatrist Fredric Wertham published the controversial book Corruption of the Innocents, in which he argued that comics litter the minds of children and lead them to a crooked path. The work created a lot of noise, and publishers across America were forced to adopt the "Comic Book Code", which obliged writers and artists to severe self-censorship. Thus began the "Silver Age" - the era of fun, harmless and monotonous adventures.

Batman and the Joker also fell under the distribution, turning into a noble knight and a playful clown, respectively. From now on, there could be no talk of any murders. Their place was taken by thematic crimes. Pumping up the city with laughing gas and making everyone throw away jewelry, commit a robbery dressed up as Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton, escape from the police, making the cops laugh helplessly - that's what the white-faced villain now liked. And what kind of villain is he? Yes, a bully and a dirty trick.

In the 1960s, the Joker finally got its first screen incarnation in the Batman series with Adam West. The role was played by an actor of Cuban origin, Cesar Romero, who had previously played mostly heroic lovers. However, in the new role, he showed himself brightly. The Joker turned out to be noisy, foolish, but charming - to match the series itself.

The Batman series of the 1960s is considered a classic in the States. This is how most mature Americans know the Joker since childhood

The jokes are over

Nothing good can be expected from such a clown

In the 1970s, the good nature pills that had been fed him for twenty years slowly stopped working on the Joker. AT popular culture, especially in the movies, violence was creeping in, and comics could not help but succumb to the general trend. It was then that the Dark Knight saga took on the familiar features of a dark detective thriller.

The first bell that marked the return of the killer clown was the 1973 plot of Five Ways for the Joker's Revenge. In it, the villain once again escaped from custody, but instead of committing absurd crimes, he began to punish former accomplices who left the leader to the mercy of fate. And the punishment did not mean throwing a cake in the face - no, everything was in an adult way. Two were poisoned with the poison of laughter, another took a drag on a cigar with nitroglycerin, and the fourth maniac simply hung. The last henchman was supposed to be a snack for the shark, but Batman saved him.

The personal series of the Joker did not last long. How to write about someone who doesn't even look like an anti-hero?

The Joker experienced a real renaissance in the 1980s, when two stories about him came out that left a deep mark on the history of comics. Everyone who is fond of geek culture has heard about Alan Moore's "Killing Joke" at least once. This graphic novel consistently ranks among the top must-read comics. There are many reasons for this.

Firstly, it was after the events of The Killing Joke that Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, found herself chained to wheelchair. It was a bold move on the part of the publisher - before that, the heroes had never lost their strength for a long time and certainly did not become disabled.

Secondly, The Killing Joke is the first attempt to show the Joker as a real person, a tragic figure whose madness has a good reason. Thanks to the deft manipulation of emotions, the reader was surprised to find that the sinister jester, it turns out, can be sympathized with. But it is a mistake to believe that the Joker's real backstory is revealed in the comic - no, DC and Moore would not risk killing the intrigue. The novel offers only one of the possible options.

This scene from The Killing Joke sparked outrage from feminists across America

But the arch "Death in the Family", on the contrary, sought to please the reader not to surprise, but to please. The DC audience at the time adored the Joker's violent antics and hated the second Robin, Jason Todd. The writers created him to replace the super-correct Dick Grayson, who left Batman for free bread and became Nightwing. The new wonder boy was supposed to be a "bad boy" in the spirit of the times, but instead became a bad character.

The brash and blunt sidekick was so disliked by the public that DC took the unprecedented step of launching a telephone vote on whether Todd would survive the next adventure or not. Readers cold-bloodedly sentenced the guy to death. His death was not quick or painless - the Joker, laughing devilishly, beat the young man with a tire iron and, barely alive, left him in a mined warehouse. Batman tried to save the ward, but everything was already a foregone conclusion.

Over time, Jason Todd was resurrected, but it took more than ten years. And in the 1980s, Robin's death was final and irrevocable. It's hard to overestimate the importance of this plot twist for Batman and the comic book industry as a whole. Later, the writers more than once forced the Joker to commit far greater atrocities, going beyond any limits. But it seems that no one could surpass The Killing Joke and Death in the Family in terms of effectiveness.

On big and small screens

The success of the 1978 Superman movie and the rise of Batman comics convinced Warner Bros. that the public was ready for big cinema about the Knight of the Night. The studio bosses decided to go straight from the trump cards. Or rather, the Joker. In early drafts of the script, there was also a Penguin, but the creators threw it away so as not to distract the attention of the audience from the confrontation between the two archenemies.

The film company wanted the film to be a definite hit, and the risk was exhausted by hiring a young Tim Burton to direct and the not-so-famous Michael Keaton to play Batman. The villain was to be played by a real star. Robin Williams and even David Bowie showed interest in this role.

Legend has it that Jack Nicholson became the top choice after one of the producers saw Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. The wild grin and crazy eyes of the actor made an indelible impression on the film boss, and he convinced his colleagues that Nicholson and no one else should play the Joker. After much persuasion, Jack agreed, but he asked for a fabulous fee - 60 million from the film's box office and a percentage of video and merchandise sales.

Let's still admit the obvious: Nicholson played Nicholson in "Batman", only in makeup

The Joker in Burton's film turned out to be bright and charismatic, but ... not crazy at all. This is a narcissistic and cruel gangster dude, but not an infernal jester, from whose laughter goosebumps run. Perhaps the reason is that its origin is not shrouded in a veil of secrecy. The viewer knows that before falling into a vat of chemicals, Nicholson's Joker was an ordinary bandit. The writers even gave him a human name - Jack Napier (in honor of the late actor Alan Napier, who played Alfred in "Batman" in the 1960s). No mystery, no intrigue. And the decision to make him the killer of Bruce Wayne's parents caused wild outrage among comic book fans.

However, the film turned out to be worthwhile and successful. He popularized Batman and the Joker, showed them in all their dark glory, erased the memories of the old comedy show. Warner Bros. almost immediately they gave the go-ahead for a sequel and, more importantly for us, the animated series "Batman" by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini - gothic, gloomy, not wanting to lisp with a young viewer. Of course, it was also designed for children, but he was not shy about raising adult topics. There was drama, there was psychologism. It was there that the Joker's companion appeared - everyone's favorite Harley Quinn. It also had the best Joker outside of comics.

Hamill's Joker will forever remain in the childhood memories of thousands of viewers. Well, or in nightmares

When Mark Hamill was invited to the studio, he was sure that he would be offered to write a couple of stories for the series. After " Star Wars"His acting career did not work out, and Mark began to write scripts, even achieved success in this. Therefore, when asked to stand behind the microphone, the former Skywalker was somewhat surprised. But there was nothing unusual about this - two years earlier, Hamill played the supervillain Trickster in the series The Flash, created by the same WB television division in the wake of the popularity of Burton's Batman. The types of the two villains largely coincided, and the creators decided to call this particular actor.

And it turned out to be one of the most correct decisions in almost the entire history of the animated series. Mark so subtly and truly felt the character, got into the role so much that to this day he is considered the best voice of the Joker of all. What's there - just the best Joker. He's funny, creepy, crazy, and his laughter is unmistakable.

Mark Hamill still managed to play the Joker live... well, almost. In The Flash, he returned to the role of Trickster, but borrowed his voice and mannerisms from a killer clown.

new age joker

In the 1990s, the comics industry was in a fever. The crisis of sales, the crisis of ideas - in general, the crisis of everything. In what happened in the DC Universe of those years, with its parallel worlds, space-time shifts, sudden deaths and resurrections, the devil himself will break his leg. Therefore, we will bypass this realm of chaos, since nothing really epoch-making about the Joker came out then. Although true connoisseurs of comics can certainly argue with this.

In the Emperor Joker arc, an evil jester was tricked into gaining divine power and temporarily became the ruler of the universe...

... and in "The Last Laugh" he infected the whole world with a virus that turns everyone into a crazy clown

He remained on the periphery in the early 2000s. In significant arcs like Batman: Quiet! the clown flickered, but more often on the sidelines. Readers and authors seem to be fed up with it. The hackneyed image needed a radical update.

In the animated series "Batman" in 2004, the Joker already appears in an unusual guise. He is hunched, moves in a monkey manner, instead of a neat hairstyle - a lush green mane, instead of a tailcoat - a straitjacket. Unusual, but fresh and bold, although in general the animated series was much inferior to its predecessor. But those changes in the Joker were only a sign of what was really coming.

In the 2004 animated series, the Joker is completely different from himself. And it suits him

When Christopher Nolan was asked why he chose Heath Ledger to play the Joker in The Dark Knight, the director replied: "Because Heath is fearless." And for what Nolan and David Goyer conceived, remarkable courage was needed. Both fully understood the burden of responsibility on their shoulders, despite the fact that Christopher was and remains far from comics. Rebooting the Batman franchise is one thing, fitting it into a conventionally realistic world fantasy character, besides having a gigantic army of fans, is quite another. This required an actor who was ready, firstly, to accept a flurry of criticism from geeks, and secondly, to convince the world that the filmmakers who encroached on the canon were right.

A lot of articles have been written about the Joker Ledger, and even scientific papers. This is without a doubt one of the most striking and influential acting jobs in cinema. early XXI century. But comic book conservatives still criticize it for being uncanonical. Say, this is not Mr. J: he does not behave like he should, and in general, Nolan filmed something of his own, and not a film adaptation of comics about Batman.

The last entry in the diary that Ledger kept on behalf of the Joker while preparing for the role was the words "bye-bye" on a full page. Creepy coincidence

But if we disassemble the image created by Ledger, precisely in the context of the character's history, it turns out interesting thing: the actor and screenwriters captured the essence of the Joker as accurately as possible. What should be a killer jester? Crazy? The Joker in The Dark Knight builds grandiose multi-way plans in order to achieve an irrational goal that he alone understands. Insidious and cruel? How many
he killed in the course of the film, how many lives he broke! It was he who turned the honest and noble Harvey Dent into a revenge-obsessed Two-Face, revealingly desecrating the ideals of morality that had barely arisen in Gotham. Eccentric and ironic? Yes, all the Joker's monologues resemble a stand-up show of a radical comedian, and he himself is a kind of hybrid of Andy Kaufman and Charles Manson. And how he bursts out laughing during the beating - this is the same demonstration scene, reflecting the essence of the character!

Even the special relationship of the Joker to Batman is revealed in The Dark Knight much better than in Burton, where the gangster clown perceived the archenemy as just another hindrance, nothing more. So everything is nowhere more canonical.

In the year The Dark Knight was released, Brian Azarello published a graphic novel called The Joker, where the villain clearly resembles Heath Ledger.

Clown without a face

It's been eight years since the release of The Dark Knight. All this time, the Joker, in which interest has grown dramatically, constantly flashed in comics, cartoons and video games. Let's highlight the Batman: Arkham series, in which Mark Hamill returned to his beloved role for two games, and he was replaced by the no less talented Troy Baker. The franchise covers almost the entire history of the confrontation between Batman and the Joker - from the first collision to the death of a laughing psychopath and his, so to speak, posthumous existence. This is a competent compilation of dozens of comic stories into several voluminous, but integral works.

As for the comics, the version of the clown from The New 52 universe made the most noise. Screenwriter Scott Snyder (not a relative of Zack Snyder, if anything) went on a daring move: according to the plot, the Joker loses face. Literally. The clown is simply cut off. And after some time, he steals his face from the evidence repository of the Gotham police. And he puts on. Like a mask. Right on the bare meat. Brrrr, even writing about it is unpleasant.

So just watch

Nevertheless, such extreme approached the character in the best possible way. The new look emphasized the depth of the clown's mental disorder. He is a real monster, whose inflamed brain generates ingenious and sophisticated plans. Even Harley Quinn is afraid of such a Mr. Jay, and she can be understood.

It seems that the Joker is able to survive anything only because death itself prefers to stay away from him. Batman is more than ever confused and helpless in front of this embodiment of chaos. In the finale of the "Death of the Family" arc, which is considered one of the best in The New 52, ​​the Dark Knight defeats the enemy, but it seems that this, too, is only part of the Joker's plan. Show must go on.

In the Batman R.I.P. The Joker already looks like a serial killer from a horror movie

Over the past year, we have received as many as two new on-screen Jokers. The first of them appeared in the TV series Gotham, and everything is not easy with him. The character played by Cameron Monaghan is Jerome Valeska. He is the son of a circus performer who killed his own mother, after which he was admitted to Arkham Asylum, escaped from there and became a reckless criminal with a penchant for theatrical effects.

The creators claim that Jerome is not the Joker, but it's hard to believe them. He acts like the Joker, talks like the Joker, laughs like the Joker. He even looks like the Joker, except that his skin color is normal and his hair is red. And since the series completely spit on realism and resurrects dead characters for one or two, the likelihood that a young psychopath bathes in chemicals grows to 99%.

And this is good. Yes, the mystery of the killer jester's identity will be dissolved again, but Gotham is famous for the fact that it shows on the screen everything that is left behind the scenes in the comics. Otherwise, the image of Monaghan corresponds to the canon, and the style of the game is clearly inspired by the voice acting of Mark Hamill.

Cameron Monaghan (Jerome from Gotham) doesn't even have to wear makeup

And so we got to the most discussed Joker recent years- Jared Leto in Suicide Squad. The irony is that there is, in fact, nothing to say about him. character in the film bat she cried - eight minutes with a little, and he is revealed (or rather, “outlined”) in just a couple of scenes. He is eccentric, self-centered, emotionally unstable - in general, almost the same as he should be. Only sometimes, like everything in the DC Universe, it is too serious and pretentious. The comedian side of the Joker is barely hinted at.

But the image added humanity. In the film, Mr. J doesn't just keep Harley Quinn around like a funny toy, but loves her, although it's hard to believe that his rotten heart is capable of feeling. Leto himself said in an interview that he wanted to show the complex and controversial nature Joker, to make him a man who both enjoys madness and suffers from it. Alas, great amount the filmed scenes with his participation were not included in the theatrical editing of the film.

Let's hope all the cut scenes with the Joker will someday be shown. I really want to know what kind of toys Summer wanted to show

Certainly we missed something. It is impossible to cover everything that has come out about the Joker in 75 years within the framework of one material. For example, there are no theories about what's going on with the clown in DC comics right now. And there it just turned out that all these years three different Jokers had been villainous instead of one. This plot twist targets the hype as obviously as Captain America's publicized betrayal. And until the writers come up with a clear and sane rationale for him, you should not take him seriously.

The Joker is a global star. An icon of modern pop culture, no less than Batman. And no matter what scriptwriters, artists, actors and directors do with it, its essence will not change. An evil clown, the embodiment of cruel irony of fate and pure madness. A villain whose image cuts into memory at first sight. Too popular to ever disappear. Whatever the fate of the DC Universe, you should not worry about the Joker - his laughter will sound more than once.

Everyone has heard of Batman and the Joker in one way or another. This couple is one of best examples confrontation between hero and villain in the history of comics. It's no surprise that the Joker has become one of the most dangerous villains in the DC Universe - other supervillains tell each other horror stories about him.

A character with no backstory as such, a mystery character, but one of the most iconic and popular supervillains in comics, whose influence on culture is difficult to describe. We invite you to read or remember the story of this crazy clown.

Concept

The Joker is easy to recognize even if you haven't read the comics. His wide smile, his white face and often slicked back green hair all identify the Clown King of Crime. But how did he come to such a recognizable image at a time when there were no supervillains, much less supervillain clowns.

The concept of the character was based on a sketch of a Joker card drawn by Jerry Robinson. However, it is believed that the main source of inspiration was the character Gwynplaine (Conrad Veidt) from the film The Man Who Laughs (1928). A lot of this character's appearance is based on the Joker, especially his big, evil smile.

Co-creator Bob Kane confirmed in an interview in 1994: “… (Joker) looks like Conrad Veidt, you know, the actor from The Man Who Laughs. Finger had a book with photos of Conrad, he showed me and said: “This is the Joker.”

First appearance

Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939 and, due to his growing popularity, received his own comic series as early as April 1940. The first issue expanded on the Batman mythology, introducing Catwoman and the Joker, who would become one of the main components of the Batman world. Already the first confrontation showed how dangerous the Joker can be when he planted a deadly toxin throughout the city.

In the original script, Kane and Finger killed the Joker in his debut issue. But editor Whitney Ellsworth saved the villain (the last panel showed that the villain survived). It was a huge success for the villain, without which he could simply disappear forever from the world of comics, and it is not known how Batman would have changed without his main enemy.

Origin

The origin of the Joker has been a huge mystery for over 75 years, and the full and true story of his appearance has never been told. However, many authors have tried to tell their version of the appearance of the Joker. Batman fans consider Alan Moore's version of the origin in the Killing Joke graphic novel to be the most canonical version of the origin.

In the novel, we see flashbacks of the Joker, a failed comedian who turned to crime as a member of the Red Hood Gang in order to earn some money to help support his pregnant wife. However, in an attempt to escape from Batman, he falls into a vat of chemistry, survives, but is seriously injured. This incident and the death of his wife drive him crazy, turning him into the Joker.

But the most interesting thing here is that even the Joker does not remember his origin story: “Sometimes I remember one thing, sometimes quite another ... if the past is so necessary, let it be with options! a person should have a choice! HA HA HA!”

Appearance

The Joker is famous for many reasons, but his unique appearance is undeniable: his red lips, green hair and snow-white skin are all the result of falling into a vat of chemistry.

Also an integral part of the image is a crazy smile. He suffers from the so-called "rictus grin", when a spasm in the muscles of his face creates a constant smirk in his mouth.

In addition to his insane appearance, the Joker usually wears a purple three-piece suit consisting of a long tuxedo and striped trousers.

Golden age

As stated above, the Joker first appeared in Batman #1 in April 1940, in that issue he killed several people with his trademark "Joker toxin" - a poison that not only kills, but kills victims with uncontrollable laughter, leaving corpses with crazy smiles. Despite the fact that in the first issue the Joker stabs himself in the chest, he nevertheless survives and continues to terrorize Batman and Robin. Subsequently, Mr. Jay began to appear in large numbers the first Batman comics, killing a lot of people along the way and avoiding capture. When Batman and Robin finally caught him, he almost always managed to escape.

When DC introduced the concept of a multiverse, characters from the Golden Age of comics became residents of Earth-2 and, along with other Earths, merged into one as a result of the Crisis on Infinite Earths event. The Joker began his final massacre following the death of Bruce Wayne and the revelation of his Batman identity. The Joker found out that he lost the main enemy and went even more crazy, went to Gotham, killing a lot of innocents, trying to get the attention of Batman, and he did this, but Dick Grayson was in the suit.

silver Age

The Comic Code banned violence in comics, so many characters have undergone major changes, including the Joker. He stopped pursuing the goal of killing the Dark Knight, now he just wants to play with him.

Some things already inherent in the Joker appeared just in Silver Age such as his inventive practical jokes, prank guns, and deadly toys.

Additionally, the character's mystique prompted screenwriter Bill Finger to write his origin story. Just then, the Joker became the “Red Hood” and, in an attempt to escape from Batman, got into a vat of chemistry.

Bronze Age

After a short hiatus in the late 60s and early 70s, screenwriter Denny O'Neill and artist Neil Adams revived the Joker. Returning him to the canonical image of a psychopathic killer. Due to his inclinations, he was declared insane and sent to Arkham Asylum instead of prison.

During the height of the Bronze Age from 1975 to 1976, DC ran the Joker ongoin, in which the Clown King of Crime had to face a new villain each issue. But because of the Comic Code, the Joker appeared as a hero in every issue, which significantly reduced interest in the series. And it was canceled after 9 episodes.

At the end of the Silver Age and the beginning of the Bronze Age, screenwriter Steve Englehart and artist Marshall Rogers contributed to recognizable style villain additions in the form of an elongated face and a long coat.

modern age

The Crisis on Infinite Earths event has launched new era comics - modern age(sometimes called the Dark Age). During this era, Batman's mythology underwent important changes, and accordingly, the changes affected the Joker. This period was marked by writing iconic stories for the character (including the Killing Joke).

The first story was The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, which introduced the old and evil version A Batman who comes out of retirement to end crime up to and including killing the Joker. The plot was released in 1986 and turned the industry upside down.

Another story is Batman: A Death in the Family, which follows the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin, at the hands of the Joker. First time the Joker kills central character from the Bat-pantheon, thereby greatly influencing further development Batman comics.

Impact on the Batfamily

The Joker has always influenced the Dark Knight, but there were moments that seriously influenced Batman's loved ones.

In the late 80s, DC fans got tired of Jason Todd and wanted the character to be replaced. However, instead of making changes, the editors took the idea from The Dark Knight Returns and decided to kill off the character. But not wanting to decide the fate of the character themselves, DC opened two hotlines and asked readers to vote: “Should Jason Todd live or die?”. As a result, more than 10,000 votes were taken in the vote, but even a small gap of 72 votes decided the fate of Jason Todd. The Joker kidnapped Robin and locked him in an abandoned warehouse where he beat him mercilessly with a crowbar, but the explosion ended Todd's suffering.

Not stopping there, the Killer Clown broke into the apartment of Commissioner Gordon's daughter, Barbara, also known as Batgirl, in the same "Killing Joke" and tried to shoot her. After which she remained paralyzed.

Joker family

The Joker is used to working alongside other Batman foes such as the Scarecrow, the Penguin or Two-Face, but there are only two characters that can be called members of his "family": Harley Quinn and the Joker's daughter.

Harley Quinn (real name Dr. Harleen Quinzel) first appeared in the 1992 Batman animated series and began her comic book journey a year later in Batman Adventures #12 in September 1993. While serving as the Joker's psychiatrist during his time in Arkham, Dr. Quinzel fell in love with the villain and helped him escape. Falling in love with the Joker drives her crazy, and she becomes the villainess Harley Quinn.

Another character who is more confused about his past than the Joker is Duela Dent. She first appeared in 1976's "Batman Family #6" as the daughter of the Joker, but this was later proven to be false. Then she tried to call herself the daughter of Scarecrow, Catwoman, Penguin, Riddler and, in the end, Harvey Dent.

Influence on comics and pop culture

Long before Heath Ledger's Joker, the character had been a huge impact to pop culture. Often referred to as the first supervillain in comics, he has also been Batman's perennial enemy since his first appearance in 1940.

In 2015 famous psychologist Dr. Travis Langley published The Joker: A Serious Study of the Clown King of Crime, the book was the first scientific work about a supervillain. The Joker is an iconic and important character in comics who has influenced the industry more than once and will continue to do so. His quotes, such as "It only takes one bad day for the most intelligent person in the world to go crazy" have been used more than once in pop culture.

In other media

As the archenemy of the Dark Knight, the Joker has appeared in virtually every adaptation of The Dark Knight Adventures (over 250 products). Many actors have embodied the character on the screens or have been the voice of the voice acting, but only a few are remembered by the fans as the “real” Joker.

The first screen Joker was Cesar Romero in the famous 1966 television series Batman. The Joker was next played by Jack Nicholson in a Tim Burton film in 1989. The most popular incarnation of the Joker performed by Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight, 2008). And a recent performance in Suicide Squad by Jared Leto.

In addition, the Joker has appeared in large numbers. feature-length cartoons, where he was voiced by actors such as Mark Hamill and Troy Baker. And, of course, the Joker could not ignore the game based on DC comics: he appeared in Injustice: Gods Among Us, DC: Universe Online, the Batman Arkham series and many others.

Important comics

In addition to the Killing Joke mentioned above, many important and interesting stories, which tell a lot about the character.

• "Death of the Family" and "Endgame": Two stories from the New 52 initiative focus on the return of the Joker, who knows the secrets of the Bat-Family;
• "Batman. Under the Hood" tells about the resurrected Jason Todd, who returned to Gotham, trying to take revenge and kill the Joker;
• The Man Who Laughs, Joker Year One, chronicles the supervillain's first appearance in Gotham and the beginning of their confrontation with the Dark Knight.
• Joker is a graphic novel set in an alternate universe, but allows a deeper look into the Joker's psyche.

character future

Currently, the Joker is back again and has no intention of leaving. Actor Jared Leto has yet to reprise his role as the Clown King of Crime in the DCEU universe. In the comics, the Joker has returned after the events of Endgame, and we'll soon see his confrontation with the Riddler in Tom King's War of Riddles and Riddles. And given the fact that the DC: Rebirth comic revealed that there are as many as three Jokers, one can only guess what will happen next.