Editing Joker (character) (section)

==Characterization==
Renowned as Batman's greatest enemy,<ref name="ImpactRama2013"/><ref name="GRadarGreatest"/><ref name="IGNRogues"/><ref name="DOGGreatest"/> the Joker is known by a number of nicknames, including the Clown Prince of Crime, the Harlequin of Hate, the Ace of Knaves, and the Jester of Genocide.<ref name="IGNRogues"/><ref name="Nicknames"/> During the evolution of the [[DC Universe]], interpretations and versions of the Joker have taken two main forms. The original, dominant image is that of a [[Psychopathy|psychopath]]{{sfn|Langley|2012|p=130}} with genius-level intelligence and a warped, sadistic sense of humor.<ref name="CrackingUp"/><ref name="ComicsComix"/> The other version, popular in comic books from the late 1940s to the 1960s and in the 1960s television series, is an eccentric, harmless prankster and thief.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=69}} Like other long-lived characters, the Joker's character and cultural interpretations have changed with time; however, unlike other characters who may need to reconcile or ignore previous versions to make sense, more than any other comic book character, the Joker thrives on his mutable and irreconcilable identities.{{sfn|Weiner|Peaslee|2015|p=33}} The Joker is typically seen in a purple suit with a long-tailed, padded-shoulder jacket, a string tie, gloves, striped pants and [[Spats (footwear)|spats]] on pointed-toe shoes (sometimes with a wide-brimmed hat). This appearance is such a fundamental aspect of the character that when the 2004 animated series ''[[The Batman (TV series)|The Batman]]'' placed the Joker in a straitjacket, it quickly redesigned him in his familiar suit.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=69}}

The Joker is obsessed with Batman, the pair representing a [[yin-yang]] of opposing dark and light force, although it is the Joker who represents humor and color and Batman who dwells in the dark.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=37}} No crime – including murder, theft, and [[terrorism]] – is beyond the Joker, and his exploits are theatrical performances that are funny to him alone. Spectacle is more important than success for the Joker, and if it is not spectacular it is boring.{{sfn|Weiner|Peaslee|2015|p=XIX}} Although the Joker claims indifference to everything, he secretly craves Batman's attention and validation.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=105}}<ref name="BronzeAge6"/> The character was described as having killed over 2,000 people in ''[[The Joker: Devil's Advocate]]'' (1996). Despite this body count, he is always found [[Insanity defense|not guilty by reason of insanity]] and sent to [[Arkham Asylum]], avoiding the [[death penalty]].<ref name="JokerDevilsAdvocate"/>{{sfn|Langley|2012|pp=162–163}} Many of the Joker's acts attempt to force Batman to kill; to the Joker, the greatest victory would be to make Batman become like him. The Joker displays no instinct for self-preservation, and is willing to die to prove his point that anyone could become like him after "one bad day".<ref name="ImpactMoral3"/> The Joker is the "personification of the irrational," and represents "everything Batman [opposes]."<ref>{{cite book|first=Bill|last=Boichel|chapter=Batman: Commodity as Myth|title=The Many Lives of the Batman: Critical Approaches to a Superhero and His Media|publisher=[[Routledge]]|location=London, England|date=1991|isbn=978-0-85170-276-6|pages=6–7}}</ref>

===Personality===
[[File:ComicCon2008jerryrobinson.jpg|upright|left|thumb|alt=Smiling, bearded white-haired man|Joker co-creator [[Jerry Robinson]] in 2008; he conceived the Joker as an exotic, enduring archvillain who could repeatedly challenge Batman]]
The Joker's main characteristic is his apparent insanity, although he is not described as having any particular psychological disorder. Like a psychopath, he lacks empathy, a conscience, and concern over right and wrong. In ''Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth'', the Joker is described as capable of processing outside sensory information only by adapting to it. This enables him to create a new personality every day (depending on what would benefit him) and explains why, at different times, he is a mischievous clown or a psychopathic killer.{{sfn|Langley|2012|pp=180–181}} In "The Clown at Midnight" (''Batman'' #663 (April 2007)), the Joker enters a meditative state where he evaluates his previous selves to consciously create a new personality, effectively modifying himself for his needs.{{sfn|Weiner|Peaslee|2015|p=217}}

''The Killing Joke'' (in which the Joker is the [[unreliable narrator]]) explains the roots of his insanity as "one bad day": losing his wife and unborn child and being disfigured by chemicals, paralleling Batman's origin in the loss of his parents. He tries (and fails) to prove that anyone can become like him after one bad day by torturing Commissioner Gordon, physically and psychologically.<ref name="Personality2"/>{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=188}} Batman offers to rehabilitate his foe; the Joker apologetically declines, believing it too late for him to be saved.<ref name="PersonalityTKJ"/> Other interpretations show that the Joker is fully aware of how his actions affect others and that his insanity as merely an act.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=37}} Comics scholar [[Peter Coogan]] describes the Joker as trying to reshape reality to fit himself by imposing his face on his victims (and fish) in an attempt to make the world comprehensible by creating a twisted parody of himself. Englehart's "The Laughing Fish" demonstrates the character's illogical nature: trying to copyright fish that bear his face, and not understanding why threatening the copyright clerk cannot produce the desired result.<ref name="BronzeAge20"/>{{sfn|Langley|2012|pp=183–184}}

The Joker is alternatively depicted as sexual and [[asexuality|asexual]].{{sfn|Duncan Smith|2013|p=379}} In ''The Dark Knight Returns'' and ''Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth'', the Joker is seductive toward Batman; it is uncertain if their relationship has [[homoerotic]] undertones or if the Joker is simply trying to manipulate his nemesis. Frank Miller interpreted the character as fixated on death and uninterested in sexual relationships, while Robinson believed that the Joker is capable of a romantic relationship.{{sfn|Duncan Smith|2013|p=379}} His relationship with Harley Quinn is abusively paradoxical; although the Joker keeps her at his side, he heedlessly harms her (for example, throwing her out a window without seeing if she survives). Harley loves him, but the Joker does not reciprocate her feelings, chiding her for distracting him from other plans.{{sfn|Langley|2012|pp=177–180}}

Snyder's "Death of the Family" describes the Joker as in love with Batman, although not in a traditionally romantic way. The Joker believes that Batman has not killed him because he makes Batman better and he loves the villain for that.<ref name="ModernAge14"/><ref name="CharacterDOTF"/> ''Batman'' comic book writer [[Peter Tomasi]] concurred, stating that the Joker's main goal is to make Batman the best that he can be.{{sfn|Weiner|Peaslee|2015|p=XXI}} The Joker and Batman represent opposites: the extroverted Joker wears colorful clothing and embraces chaos, while the introverted, monochromatic Batman represents order and discipline. The Joker is often depicted as defining his existence through his conflict with Batman. In 1994's "Going Sane", the villain tries to lead a normal life after Batman's (apparent) death, only to become his old self again when Batman reappears; in "Emperor Joker", an apparently omnipotent Joker cannot destroy Batman without undoing himself. Since the Joker is simply "the Joker", he believes that Batman is "Batman" (with or without the costume) and has no interest in what is behind Batman's mask, ignoring opportunities to learn Batman's secret identity.<ref name="JokerBioGeek3"/>{{sfn|Manning|2011|pp=37–38}} Given the opportunity to kill Batman, the villain demurs; he believes that without their game, winning is pointless.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=105}} The character has no desire for typical criminal goals like money or power; his criminality is designed only to continue his game with Batman.<ref name="JokerBioGeek"/>

The Joker is portrayed as having no fear; when fellow supervillain [[Scarecrow (DC Comics)|Scarecrow]] doses him with fear toxin in ''[[Batman: Knightfall|Knightfall]]'' (1993), the Joker merely laughs and says "Boo!"<ref name="DetectiveComic664"/> The villain has been temporarily rendered sane by several means, including [[Telepathy|telepathic]] manipulation by the [[Martian Manhunter]]<ref name="PersonalityTKJ"/> and being resurrected in a Lazarus Pit (an experience typically inducing temporary insanity in the subject). At these moments, the Joker is depicted as expressing remorse for his crimes;<ref name="ComicLotDarkKnight145"/><ref name="ComicJLA15"/> however, during a medically induced period of partial sanity in ''[[Batman: Cacophony]]'', he tells Batman, "I don't hate you 'cause I'm crazy. I'm crazy 'cause I hate you," and confirms that he will only stop killing when Batman is dead.<ref name="CraveCacophony"/><ref name="ComicCacophony"/>

===Skills and equipment<!--'Joker venom' redirects here-->===
[[File:Joker (DC Comics character).jpg|thumb|The Joker's lapel often holds an acid-spraying flower.]]
The Joker has no inherent superhuman abilities.<ref name="ImpactWhatCulture"/> He commits crimes with a variety of weaponized thematic props such as a deck of razor-tipped playing cards, rolling marbles, [[jack-in-the-box]]es with unpleasant surprises and exploding cigars capable of leveling a building. The flower in his lapel sprays acid, and his hand often holds a lethal joy buzzer conducting a million volts of electricity, although both items were introduced in 1952 as harmless joke items.<ref name="JokerGadgets"/>{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=70}} However, his chemical genius provides his most-notable weapon: "'''Joker venom'''", a liquid or gaseous toxin that sends its targets into fits of uncontrollable laughter; higher doses can lead to paralysis, coma or death, leaving its victim with a ghoulish, pained rictus grin. The Joker has used venom since his debut; only he knows the formula, and is shown to be gifted enough to manufacture the toxin from ordinary household chemicals. Another version of the venom (used in ''Joker: Last Laugh'') makes its victims resemble the Joker, susceptible to his orders.<ref name="BronzeAge6"/><ref name="JokerBioGeek2"/><ref name="WeaponsVenom"/>{{sfn|Manning|2011|pp=69, 124}} The villain is immune to venom and most poisons; in ''Batman'' #663 (April 2007), Morrison writes that being "an avid consumer of his own chemical experiments, the Joker's immunity to poison concoctions that might kill another man in an instant has been developed over years of dedicated abuse."<ref name="Batman663"/>{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=69}}

The character's arsenal is inspired by his nemesis' weaponry, such as [[batarang]]s. In "The Joker's Utility Belt" (1952), he mimicked [[Batman's utility belt]] with non-lethal items, such as Mexican jumping beans and sneezing powder.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=70}} In 1942's "The Joker Follows Suit", the villain built his versions of the [[Batplane]] and [[Batmobile]], the Jokergyro and Jokermobile (the latter with a large Joker face on its hood), and created a Joker-signal with which criminals could summon him for their heists.{{sfn|Manning|2011|pp=70,75}} The Jokermobile lasted for several decades, evolving with the Batmobile. His technical genius is not limited by practicality, allowing him to hijack Gotham's television airwaves to issue threats, transform buildings into death traps, launch a gas attack on the city and rain poisoned glass shards on its citizens from an airship.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=75}}<ref name="IGNJokerStories"/>

The Joker is portrayed as skilled in [[melee]] combat, from his initial appearances when he defeats Batman in a sword fight (nearly killing him), and others when he overwhelms Batman but declines to kill him.{{sfn|Manning|2011|pp=24, 37–38, 105}} He is talented with firearms, although even his guns are theatrical; his long-barreled revolver often releases a flag reading "Bang", and a second trigger-pull launches the flag to skewer its target.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=70}}<ref name="Debut"/> Although formidable in combat, the Joker's chief asset is his mind.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=38}}

===Relationships===
{{see also|List of Batman family enemies}}
The Joker's unpredictable, homicidal nature makes him one of the most feared supervillains in the DC Universe; the [[Trickster (comics)|Trickster]] says in the 1995 miniseries ''[[Underworld Unleashed]]'', "When super-villains want to scare each other, they tell Joker stories."<ref name="BatmanUnauthorized"/><ref name="UnderworldUnleashed"/> Gotham's villains also feel threatened by the character; depending on the circumstances, he is as likely to fight with his rivals for control of the city as he is to join them for an entertaining outcome.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=83}} The Joker interacts with other supervillains who oppose Batman, whether he is on the streets or in Arkham Asylum. He has collaborated with criminals like the [[Penguin (character)|Penguin]], the [[Riddler]], and [[Two-Face]], although these partnerships rarely end well due to the Joker's desire for unbridled chaos, and he uses his stature to lead others (such as [[Killer Croc]] and the [[Scarecrow (DC Comics)|Scarecrow]]).{{sfn|Manning|2011|pp=83, 86}} The Joker's greatest rival is [[Lex Luthor]], the smartest man in the world and Superman's archenemy. Although the villains have a friendly partnership in 1950's ''World's Finest Comics'' #88, later unions emphasized their mutual hostility and clashing egos.{{sfn|Manning|2011|pp=86,93}}

Despite his tendency to kill subordinates on a whim, the Joker has no difficulty attracting henchmen with a seemingly infinite cash supply and intimidation; they are too afraid of their employer to refuse his demands that they wear red clown noses or laugh at his macabre jokes.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=75}} Even with his unpredictability and lack of superhuman powers, the 2007 limited series ''Salvation Run'' sees hundreds of villains fall under his spell because they are more afraid of him than Lex Luthor.{{sfn|Manning|2011|pp=124, 126}} ''Batman'' #186 (1966) introduced the Joker's first sidekick: the one-shot character Gaggy Gagsworthy, who is short and dressed like a clown; the character was later resurrected as an enemy of his replacement, Harley Quinn.<ref name="SidekickGaggy"/><ref name="SidekickGaggy2"/> Introduced in the 1992 animated series, Quinn is the Joker's former Arkham psychiatrist who develops an obsessive infatuation with him and dons a red-and-black [[harlequin]] costume to join him as his sidekick and on-off girlfriend. They have a classic [[abusive relationship]]; even though the Joker constantly insults, hurts, and even tries to kill Harley, she always returns to him, convinced that he loves her.<ref name="SidekickGaggy2"/>{{sfn|Manning|2011|pp=143, 152}} The Joker is sometimes shown to keep [[spotted hyena|laughing hyena]]s as pets; this trait was introduced in the 1977 animated series ''[[The New Adventures of Batman]]''.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=75}} A 1976 issue of ''[[Batman Family]]'' introduced [[Duela Dent]] as the Joker's daughter, though her parentage claim was later proven to be false.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=177}}

Although his chief obsession is Batman, the character has occasionally ventured outside Gotham City to fight Batman's superhero allies. In "To Laugh and Die in Metropolis" (1987) the character kidnaps [[Lois Lane]], distracting Superman with a nuclear weapon. The story is notable for the Joker taking on a (relative) god and the ease with which Superman defeats him—it took only 17 pages. Asked why he came to Metropolis, the Joker replies simply: "Oh Superman, why not?"{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=121}} In 1995, the Joker fought his third major DC hero: [[Wonder Woman]], who drew on the Greek god of trickery to temper the Joker's humor and shatter his confidence.{{sfn|Manning|2011|pp=121–122, 124}} The character has joined supervillain groups like the Injustice Gang and the Injustice League to take on superhero groups like the Justice League.<ref name="Teamup1"/><ref name="Teamup2"/>