Alternative versions of Joker
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As a fictional character and the archenemy of Batman, the Joker has been represented in a variety of different stories that redefine elements of the character's appearance and personality. Each work typically establishes its own continuity, and sometimes introduces parallel universes, to the point where distinct differences in the portrayal of the character can be identified. This article details various versions of the Joker depicted in works including various alternative universe stories.


Possible futures


''Batman: Digital Justice''

In the 1990
graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
'' Batman: Digital Justice'' created by Pepe Moreno, an
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...
calling itself the "Joker Virus" takes over a futuristic, technology-dependent
Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List of Batman supporting characters#Bat-Family, allies and List of Batman fa ...
in the late 21st century and claims to be the
reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is ...
of its creator, the original Joker. Batman, in this version the grandson of Commissioner James W. Gordon, stops the virus with help from another A.I.: the Batcomputer, as programmed by the long-dead Bruce Wayne.


''Dark Knight'' Universe

* In the
alternative future Time travel is a common theme in fiction, mainly since the late 19th century, and has been depicted in a variety of media, such as literature, television, film, and advertisements. The concept of time travel by mechanical means was popularized ...
of ''
The Dark Knight Returns ''The Dark Knight Returns'' (alternatively titled ''Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'') is a 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman, written by Frank Miller, illustrated by Miller and Klaus Janson, with color by Lynn Varley, and p ...
'' (1986), the Joker has been catatonic since Batman's retirement but regains consciousness after seeing a news story about his nemesis' reemergence. He manipulates his psychiatrist into declaring him cured, and hires a publicist to book him on a late night talk show. He then embarks on a killing spree, drawing Batman out into the open. Batman pursues him into the Tunnel of Love at a carnival, where he fractures the Joker's neck in a fit of rage, but cannot bring himself to kill his old foe. The Joker then commits suicide by twisting his fractured neck until it breaks completely, thus framing Batman as a murderer. His body is soon found by the police before it abruptly bursts into flame, Batman having rigged the corpse to create a distraction. * In '' The Dark Knight Strikes Again'' (2001), the sequel to ''The Dark Knight Returns'', a man resembling the Joker with supernatural powers and a healing factor kills numerous superheroes under orders from
Lex Luthor Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: April ...
to foil Batman's superhero revolution against Luthor's dictatorial regime. Despite his appearance, several heroes insist that he cannot be the deceased Joker. In the climax, he is revealed to be
Dick Grayson Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics ...
, who had been fired and abandoned by Batman many years ago. Grayson targeted Batman's partner Carrie Kelley specifically because of his jealousy of the girl. Grayson's disguise as the Joker is shown to have been a ploy to taunt Batman emotionally before taking his revenge. Dick is killed after a final confrontation with Batman. * In ''
All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder ''All Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder'' is an American comic book series written by Frank Miller and penciled by Jim Lee. It was published by DC Comics, with a sporadic schedule, between 2005 and 2008. The series was to be rebooted under the t ...
'', the prequel to ''The Dark Knight Returns'' (1986), the Joker is revealed to be the man responsible for the death of Grayson's parents, having hired "Jocko-Boy" Vanzetti to murder them during a circus act. * In the one-shot ''Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade'', the Joker is revealed to be responsible for the death of
Jason Todd Jason Peter Todd is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #357 in March 1983, Todd was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin (chara ...
, by having ordered his men to brutally beat the new Robin to death in retaliation of his last defeat by the Dynamic Duo. *In ''Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child'' (2019), the sequel to The Dark Knight III: The Master Race, another Joker is seen working alongside Darkseid and campaigning to be President of the United States while his henchmen cause chaos in the streets of Gotham before he is defeated by Carrie Kelley as Batwoman. While the identity of this Joker is never revealed in story, the character notes in the deluxe edition of the comic by the artist,
Rafael Grampá Rafael Grampá is a Brazilian comic book artist and film director, best known for his creator-owned graphic novel '' Mesmo Delivery'' and DC Comics' '' The Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child''. Career At the age of 14, Grampá drew flags for ...
, for the character seems to suggest that the Joker who appears in ''The Golden Child'' is in fact the original Joker from ''The Dark Knight Returns'', and that
Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'' and subsequen ...
didn't want to explain how or why the Joker was alive again after his death, as such Grampá explains in the character notes he decided to draw the Joker to look as if he had plastic surgery "Since the last time we saw him in the Dark Knight saga, where he was burnt!"


''Flashpoint''

In the alternate timeline of the '' Flashpoint'' event,
Martha Wayne Martha Wayne ( Kane) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. She is the mother of Bruce Wayne (Batman), and wife of Dr. Thomas Wayne as well as the pate ...
is the Joker (and even resembles
Heath Ledger Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor and music video director. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to ...
's portrayal as seen in ''
The Dark Knight ''The Dark Knight'' is a 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother Jonathan Nolan, Jonathan. Based on the DC Comics superhero, Batman, it is the sequel to ''Batman Begins'' (2005) and t ...
''). After Bruce Wayne is shot and killed by Joe Chill, Martha is unable to cope with her loss, so she cuts open her cheeks to create a faux smile. As the Joker, she is the nemesis of Batman and uses
Yo-Yo A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE. The yo-yo was also called a bandalore in ...
as a henchman. She kidnaps Harvey Dent's son and daughter. The Joker kills James Gordon after she tricks Gordon into shooting Harvey's daughter (disguised as the Joker). After Dent's son and daughter are saved, Batman confronts the Joker about their son's death. As Batman has recently met Barry Allen, Martha learns that there is a way to rewrite history where Bruce will live, although they will die. Realizing that her son will be Batman in that timeline, Martha flees in horror, falling to her death in the caverns below Wayne Manor.


Alternative universes

The DC Multiverse contains numerous parallel universes, which in turn contain parallel Earths and alternative versions of DC characters that are different from the mainstream DC continuity.


Earth-Two

Joker's history on Earth-Two is the same as his Golden Age history.
King Kull Kull of Atlantis or Kull the Conqueror is a fictional character created by writer Robert E. Howard. The character was more introspective than Howard's subsequent creation, Conan the Barbarian, whose first appearance was in a re-write of a rejec ...
later recruited Joker of Earth-Two to assist Weeper II of Earth-S, Doctor Light of Earth-One, and Shade of Earth-One in order to trap one side of Earth-S in darkness. Joker did show Weeper how he commits his crimes on Earth-Two. Their plot was defeated by Batman and Robin of Earth-Two,
Mr. Scarlet and Pinky the Whiz Kid Mr. Scarlet and Pinky the Whiz Kid are two duo fictional comic book superheroes connected to each other, and first introduced in '' Wow Comics''. The superheroes were originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. The original Mis ...
of Earth-S, and Hawkman and
Hawkgirl Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics' ...
of Earth-One. After Batman had died from terminal cancer, Joker refused to believe that his archenemy is dead. Dick Grayson posed as Batman to mesmerize Joker enough for Huntress to apprehend him. When Nicholas Lucien came out of a coma following his last fight with Batman, he found himself incarcerated at Gotham State Penitentiary where Joker became his cellmate. Lucien planned to have his revenge on Batman only to be told by Joker that Batman is dead.


Earth-2

The Joker of the Post-''52'' Earth-2 is depicted as an old man, frail and wheelchair-reliant after a lifetime of exposure to deadly chemicals, and ironically unable to laugh without hurting himself. After disfiguring the Huntress's boyfriend, Harry Simms, in an attempt to create a replacement for the deceased
Two-Face Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #66 (August 1942). As one of Batman's ...
, he is tracked down by the vengeful heroine. The Joker attempts to kill the Huntress with a lethal joy buzzer, but the attack is intercepted by
Power Girl Power Girl, also known as Kara Zor-L and Karen Starr, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books by DC Comics, making her first appearance in ''All Star Comics'' #58 (January/February 1976). Power Girl is the cousin of the superhero Supe ...
, and the Joker is himself electrocuted as a result.


Earth-3

The Joker of Earth-3 is a hero operating under the alias of the Jokester, and first appeared in ''Countdown'' #32 (Sep 2007). He is the nemesis of
Owlman In Cornish folklore, the Owlman ( kw, Cowanden), sometimes referred to as the Cornish Owlman, or the Owlman of Mawnan, is an owl-like humanoid creature said to have been seen in 1976 in the village of Mawnan, Cornwall, UK. The Owlman is sometim ...
, a villainous version of Batman. Jokester and his daughter
Duela Dent Duela Dent is a fictional character in the DC Universe. She is a former member of the Suicide Squad, the Teen Titans and its counterpart, Titans East. Introduced under the alias of the Joker's Daughter, she has also used the aliases Catgirl the C ...
are killed by the rogue
Monitor Monitor or monitor may refer to: Places * Monitor, Alberta * Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States * Monitor, Kentucky * Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States * Monitor, Washington * Monitor, Logan County, West ...
Solomon.


Earth-9

The Joker of Earth-9 in the DC Comics imprint
Tangent Comics Tangent Comics is a DC Comics imprint created in 1997, developed from ideas by Dan Jurgens. The line, formed from various one-shots, focused on creating all-new characters using established DC names, such as the Joker, Superman, and the Flash. ...
is a female hero who uses her array of jokes and comical devices to mock the evil tyrant Superman's authority. She first appears in ''Tangent Comics/The Joker'' #1 (Dec. 1997). This Joker is actually three women: student Mary Marvel, entrepreneur Christie Xanadu, and reporter Lori Lemaris, all of whom take turns wearing the Joker costume. Mary is captured by the Tangent Superman and tortured into revealing the identities of the other two before she is killed. Lemaris is sent to prison and Christina's fate is left unknown. Lemaris is later re-offered the Joker mantle, but instead chooses to take up that of her fallen comrade, Manhunter.


Earth-16

On this alternate Earth, the children of metahuman heroes and villains have been forced into apparent retirement due to the efficiency of Superman robots. Amongst these individuals is
Duela Dent Duela Dent is a fictional character in the DC Universe. She is a former member of the Suicide Squad, the Teen Titans and its counterpart, Titans East. Introduced under the alias of the Joker's Daughter, she has also used the aliases Catgirl the C ...
/the Joker's Daughter, friends with Alexis Luthor, daughter of Lex Luthor.


Earth-23

In the timeline of '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'', set outside the DC animated universe, the character operates as the hero the Red Hood, escaping the clutches of the villainous Batman counterpart, Owlman.


''Superman/Batman'' (2008)

A "
Super deformed Chibi, also known as super deformation, or S.D. is a style of caricature originating in Japan, and common in anime and manga where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby with stubby limbs, oversized heads, and m ...
" version of the Justice League of America and some villains (the Joker among them) appeared in ''Superman/Batman'' #51 and #52. In
Grant Morrison Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...
's 2014–15 miniseries ''
The Multiversity ''The Multiversity'' is a two-issue limited series combined with seven interrelated one-shots set in the DC Multiverse in The New 52, a collection of universes seen in publications by DC Comics. The one-shots in the series were written by Gran ...
'', this alternate Earth is given the designation Earth-42.


Earth 2

In 2011, "
The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...
" rebooted the DC continuity. On Earth 2, Joker is a dangerous criminal who is imprisoned in a stasis chamber at Arkham Base. When Batman entered Arkham base to look for inmates to aid him, he shot Joker in the head.


''Batman: Earth One''

The Joker is introduced towards the end of Volume Three of the
graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
series '' Batman: Earth One''. In this version, he is suggested to be the one responsible for the Flying Graysons' demise, and frees
Toyman The Toyman is the name of three supervillains and one adolescent superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, mostly as an adversary for Superman. The most well-known incarnation of the Toyman is Winslow Percival Schott, a criminal w ...
from police custody him in order to enlist him for his future plans.


Elseworlds

''Elseworlds'' titles are stories that take place in their own separate continuities and often feature different interpretations of mainstream continuity characters.


''Batman: Bloodstorm'' (1994)

In ''Batman: Bloodstorm'', a sequel to '' Batman & Dracula: Red Rain'', the Joker becomes the leader of a group of
vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deat ...
s after the death of their original leader, Dracula. Although he successfully coordinates their efforts to take control of Gotham's major crime families, the now-vampire Batman aided by were-cat Selina Kyle is able to destroy the Joker's minions. Unfortunately, Selina is killed in the final battle with the Joker's vampires, with her death causing Batman to succumb to his lust for blood and drink from the Joker. Although he stakes his foe to prevent him from coming back as a vampire, Batman is left tormented by the knowledge that the Joker won their long conflict by driving him to kill, often reflecting that he is damned by Dracula's bite and the Joker's blood in equal measure as he surrenders to his vampire side and turns on his old enemies.


''Batman: In Darkest Knight'' (1994)

In '' Batman: In Darkest Knight'', a Joker/
Two-Face Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #66 (August 1942). As one of Batman's ...
analog character is created when Sinestro absorbs the mind of
Joe Chill Joe Chill is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the character first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #33 (Novem ...
, driving him insane and resulting in his taking on Joker's iconic purple suit and warped sense of humor (as well as a state resembling multiple personality disorder). The classic Joker origin (as depicted in ''Batman: The Killing Joke, The Killing Joke'') is referenced, but averted by Green Lantern Bruce Wayne; after being arrested, the Red Hood says he has "had a really bad day", and Bruce counters by saying that that is no excuse, because everyone has terrible days, which shames the Hood into apologizing.


''Batman: Leatherwing'' (1994)

In ''Batman: Leatherwing'', the Joker is represented as the Laughing Man, the deformed and insane pirate captain of the ship ''Pescador''. He is the adversary of Captain Leatherwing, a Batman analogue.


''Batman: Nosferatu'' (1999)

In ''Batman: Nosferatu'', the Joker appears as the Laughing Man, a monstrous cyborg created by the experiments of the depraved Dr. Arkham, who uses him as an assassin. This version of the Joker ironically ends up creating this world's Batman after an assassination attempt on Bruce Wayne's counterpart.


''Batman: Two Faces'' (1998)

In ''Batman: Two Faces'', the Joker is not an independent entity, but a shared identity created when a potion created by Bruce Wayne to give himself superhuman strength also creates a new personality, Bruce alternating randomly between himself and the Joker, his Batman identity fighting crime, while the Joker commits murders. After he realizes the truth and confesses to his allies, Bruce, unable to cure himself, allows himself to fall off a building to stop the Joker once and for all.


''Gotham by Gaslight'' (1989)

The Joker Cameo appearance, cameos in ''Gotham by Gaslight'' as a serial killer who, having married and poisoned at least 10 women, tries to commit suicide with strychnine when he is caught, leaving him with a permanent grin.


''JLA: The Nail'' (1998)

In ''JLA: The Nail'', the Joker is provided with Kryptonian gauntlets and launches an attack on Arkham Asylum, forcing most of the inmates to fight each other before brutally murdering Batgirl and Robin while forcing Batman to watch. Catwoman distracts Joker long enough for Batman to escape, but the traumatised Batman subsequently kills the Joker in a rage. During ''JLA: Another Nail'' (2004), Batman encounters the Joker in the afterlife when dimensional anomalies allow him to escape from Hell, briefly attempting to sacrifice himself to ensure that the Joker will remain trapped, but Robin and Batgirl's spirit halts Batman's attempted sacrifice and gives him the strength to move on from his guilt.


''Superman & Batman: Generations'' (1999)

In the ''Superman & Batman: Generations'' miniseries, the DC characters are shown to age at a normal rate, with Batman and Superman beginning their careers in 1939. In 1949, the Joker and Lex Luthor kidnap a pregnant Lois Lane and expose her to gold kryptonite; this renders her first-born child a normal human. In 1969, the now-elderly Joker secretly escapes Arkham Asylum and poses as 'Joker Junior', claiming to be the original's protege. The Joker kills the second Batman (an adult Dick Grayson) before revealing his true identity to the police as he gloats about how he has finally killed Batman, but Bruce Junior, Bruce Wayne's son and Grayson's Robin, manages to switch costumes with his mentor to create the impression that the Joker killed Robin rather than Batman. In 1975, Grayson's spirit attacks the Joker in an attempt to kill him, but the spirit of the deceased Alfred Pennyworth convinces Grayson to pass on as the Joker can be no threat to anyone. Learning that his enemy is about to die of old age, the now-retired Bruce Wayne dons the cape and cowl for a final visit to the Joker's deathbed. Batman rejects the Joker's request to learn his true identity, on the grounds that the Joker is the last man that he would want to bring peace to.


''Superman: Speeding Bullets'' (1993)

This ''Elseworlds'' story is set on an Earth where baby Kal-El was adopted by Thomas and Martha Wayne and raised as Bruce Wayne. When Bruce's parents are killed, he becomes the ruthless vigilante Batman. Batman's nemesis is Lex Luthor who, in this reality, was injured in the same type of chemical accident that created the main universe Joker. The accident also drives Luthor insane, and he attempts to destroy Gotham City with an army of thugs, but is stopped by Batman.


''Thrillkiller'' and ''Thrillkiller '62''

In the ''Elseworlds'' miniseries ''Batman: Thrillkiller'' (Jan.-March 1997), the Joker is gangster Bianca Steeplechase, and the nemesis of Batgirl and Robin (character), Robin. Steeplechase poisons Robin, masquerades as the mayor's wife, abducts and tortures Bruce Wayne, and is in a lesbian relationship with Earth-37's Harley Quinn. Bianca is killed by Batgirl, drowning in the Gotham River.


''Batman: Damned''

In the miniseries ''Batman: Damned'', printed under the DC Black Label, the Joker's death is the center of the story. The circumstances are left unclear, though it occurred after a confrontation with Batman led to both of them tumbling over a bridge. The Joker's body is later discovered by police, having washed up on shore, while Batman is severely injured and disoriented. Harley Quinn snaps completely and performs surgery on herself to resemble the Joker, before leading his henchmen on a revenge mission.


Other


Amalgam Comics

Amalgam Comics is a 1997–98 shared imprint of DC Comics and Marvel Comics, which features characters that are composites of DC and Marvel characters. The Hyena (Creed H. Quinn) is a composite of DC's Joker and Marvel's Sabretooth (comics), Sabretooth. He is the nemesis of the Dark Claw (Logan Wayne), a composite of Batman and Marvel's Wolverine (character), Wolverine. Hyena, like Wayne, is a mutant with the ability to rapidly heal injuries. The two were both subjects of the Weapon X program, an attempt to create "living weapons". Hyena used his enhancements to become a psychopathic killer. The Hyena first appeared in ''Legends of the Dark Claw'' #1 (April 1996).


''Batman Beyond''

In the timeline of ''Batman Beyond (comics), Batman Beyond'', set in the DC animated universe after the events of the film ''Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker'', the Joker remains deceased. In the ''Justice League Beyond'' arc "Flashdrive" his corpse appears in a flashback, set immediately after his death at the hands of Tim Drake in ''Return of the Joker'', being buried beneath Arkham Asylum by Batman and James Gordon. The Joker's death is shown to be the catalyst for Barbara Gordon's retirement as Batgirl besides Drake's eventual retirement as Robin.


''Batman/Judge Dredd''

Batman/Judge Dredd featured the Joker character as a member of the Dark Judges, in the original miniseries ''Batman and Judge Dredd: Die Laughing'' #1–2 (1998). The Joker helped free the original Dark Judges in exchange for immortality. He received his payment by having his spirit merged into a corpse (which was not quite the "immortality" he had sought), creating "Judge Joker". As a Dark Judge, the Joker could kill masses of people with his laugh, which caused human heads to explode. His tenure was a brief one, as he quickly became bored with slaughter simply for its own sake and did not share the original Dark Judges' fanatical zeal for their "sacred mission" of purging all life. The Joker was restored to his normal, mortal form upon returning to
Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List of Batman supporting characters#Bat-Family, allies and List of Batman fa ...
via a defective dimensional jump device.


''Batman: White Knight''

In this alternate reality, the Joker mocks Batman's attitude towards his "crusade" for justice, claiming that Batman's actions amount to nothing but an attempt to control his world and the Joker simply gives him the opportunity to express this rage. Disgusted at this claim, Batman force-feeds the Joker a bottle of pills that the villain had just stolen, but the overdose has the unexpected side effect of restoring the Joker to sanity, as well as remembering his former identity of Jack Napier, prompting him to "order" the GCPD to either charge Batman for assault, or he would sue the department for complicity in Batman's abuse of prisoners. Napier's case against the department continues as he states that the GCPD locked him up as a major criminal on minimal evidence, and even finds himself reforming Harley Quinn as he reveals that he drove the true Doctor Harleen Quinzell away a long time ago and the Harley he has been working with was another madwoman. He reinforces his vendetta against Batman by discovering records of the cost of building insurance to compensate for all the damage caused by Batman's actions, as well as taking control of several other villains by adapting the technology used by the Mad Hatter to take control of Clayface and then expose the others to samples of Clayface, allowing him to control them by proxy.


The Batman Who Laughs

On Earth-Minus-22 of the Dark Multiverse, the Joker discovers Batman's secret identity. He slaughters most of Batman's other rogues, as well as Commissioner Gordon, and then infects a sizeable portion of Gotham's population with the same chemicals that transformed him, subsequently killing several parents in front of their children with the goal of creating a gathering of children that were essentially a combination of himself and Batman. As Batman grapples with the Joker, the Joker finally dies from the chemicals that had originally transformed him. As he dies, his decaying body infects Batman with a virus that gradually transforms him into a new Joker. By the time the Batman realizes this, the process is too advanced for him to find a cure. Batman kills most of his allies and transforms Damian into a mini-Joker before turning on the rest of the Justice League and then conquering the world. Although the Batman Who Laughs successfully leads the other Dark Knights in a large-scale assault on the prime DC Universe on behalf of Barbatos, he is finally defeated by Batman and the Joker of the prime Earth. The Joker mockingly notes that even an insane Batman can only plan for scenarios that he believes are possible, and an alliance between the Joker and the Batman is the one thing the Batman Who Laughs could never have considered.


''Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew''

The 1980s series ''Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew'' presented the Multiverse (DC Comics), parallel Earth of "Earth-C", a world populated by talking animals in fiction, talking animal superheroes. Captain Carrot, in his secret identity of Roger Rodney Rabbit, is the creator of the superhero comic ''Just'a Lotta Animals'' (a cartoon-animal version of the Justice League of America). Captain Carrot and the Zoo eventually discover the characters in Rodney's comics actually live on "Earth-C-Minus", in yet another alternate universe. There, the Porker, a pig analog of the Joker, is the nemesis of Just'a Lotta Animals, the Batmouse. A poster of the Porker (drawn in a style resembling Alex Ross's version of the Joker) is later seen at a comic book convention on Earth-C.


''Injustice: Gods Among Us'' comic

In this spin-off of the Injustice: Gods Among Us, online game, the Joker tires of his unsuccessful fight with Batman, and decides to attack Superman. He and Harley Quinn kill Jimmy Olsen and abduct Lois Lane (who is pregnant with Superman's child). They place a stolen nuclear warhead within Metropolis (comics), Metropolis with a deadman switch wired to Lois. After exposing Superman to kryptonite-laced fear toxin (stolen from the Scarecrow (DC Comics), Scarecrow), Superman mistakes Lois for Doomsday (comics), Doomsday and kills her. Metropolis is destroyed in the subsequent nuclear detonation. A grief-stricken and vengeful Superman confronts the captured Joker, who states that he will just escape to commit more crimes and taunts Superman about not finding love and happiness again, saying he will take it again from him. Enraged beyond words, Superman kills the Joker and establishes the Regime, intent on eliminating crime through any means necessary. In the ''Year Three'' comic series, Superman is placed into a magical sleep where he imagines events playing out differently. He is able to break free of the fear toxin in time to save Lois, their child, and Metropolis. Before an angry Superman can attack the Joker, Batman takes the Joker away. When the Joker confesses to Batman that he would try to kill Lois again, Batman kills the Joker and is imprisoned as a result. With the tragedy averted, Superman is able to live a happy life with his wife and child. Superman is eventually woken from his dream and forced to contend with a world where the Joker bested him much to his agonizing fury. In ''Year Four'' it is revealed that the Joker's name is used by the Joker Underground, a large group of people who oppose Superman's Regime and see the Joker as a symbol of freedom. This catches Batwoman and Harley Quinn's eyes and they convince the protestors to use a different system. The Underground agree, but shortly after the two depart an enraged Superman shows up, furious they are using the Joker as a symbol. He then kills the Underground, including over 200 people, as punishment. This results in others continuing to use the Joker's name as a symbol, in response to the fact that Superman showed he is willing to murder those who had already agreed to ''stop'' using the Joker's name as their symbol, resulting in the Underground being temporarily co-opted by the Joker of an alternate universe.


''Joker'' (2008)

Another graphic novel, called simply ''Joker (graphic novel), Joker'', focuses on the character in a more gritty, realistic version of the Batman mythos.


''The People's Joker''

A 2022 film from Vera Drew, starring a version of The Joker.


''Planetary/Batman''

''Planetary/Batman'' presents the Joker as a field agent for Planetary named Jasper, working under Dick Grayson, Richard Grayson. He is apparently harmless and has a habit of giggling when he is nervous. Elijah Snow mentions not liking the way Jasper "kept hugging himself" when looking at pictures of homicides.


''Smallville''

In a comic book miniseries based on the television series ''Smallville,'' an interpretation of the Joker made his debut in ''Smallville: Alien'' #3 (February 2014). He is a parallel universe counterpart of Batman and incorporates an element of the Crime Syndicate/Society character, Owlman.


''Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles''

The Joker is first seen mocking one of Arkham's psychiatrists, earning him a dose of medication. The Joker is also mutated into a king cobra. Despite almost killing Batman, he is quickly knocked out by Donatello.


DC/Marvel crossovers

* In the 1981 story ''Batman and the Incredible Hulk: The Monster and the Madman'', the Shaper of Worlds loses control of his powers after passing through a unique field of radiation. He makes contact with the Joker to steal gamma ray equipment from Wayne Enterprises that can treat his condition. Despite the intervention of the Hulk, the Joker manages to escape with the equipment by tricking the Hulk into fighting Batman. The stolen ray proves ineffective, but exposure to the Hulk's unique gamma radiation cures the Shaper instead. As part of a deal with the Joker, the Shaper agrees to make the Joker's dreams real, but Batman and the Hulk are able to trick him into overloading his ability to dream. * Carnage (character), Carnage teams up with the Joker in ''Spider-Man and Batman: Disordered Minds'' #1 (1995). The two meet when behavioral psychiatrist Cassandra Briar attempts to use the two killers as tests for a chip that will "lobotomise" their homicidal instincts. The Carnage symbiote neutralizes Kasady's chip after it is implanted, with Kasady pretending that the chip had worked so that he could meet the Joker. After Carnage removes the Joker's chip, the two's mutual psychoses lead them into a brief alliance before their differing methods of murder cause a clash; Carnage favors numbers and actually seeing the death of his victims of his murder sprees close-up, while the Joker prefers the artistry of his usual traps and tricks, Carnage dismissing the Joker's methods as slow, while Joker sees Carnage as an amateur as anyone can just go out and kill people. The Joker tries to kill Carnage with a bomb, but Carnage drapes a piece of symbiote over a corpse to fake his death. Batman and Spider-Man uncover the trick, and Batman is subsequently engulfed in Carnage's symbiote tendrils. Carnage proposes to kill Batman, but the Joker threatens to set off a bomb to destroy Gotham City, Gotham, himself and Carnage, rather than see Carnage kill Batman. As Batman battles Carnage, Spider-Man follows the Joker. The Joker defiantly ''dares'' Spider-Man to kill him, however, Spider-Man is unable to stoop to his level, electing instead to apprehend the Joker in classic hero style. * In the 1997 DC/Marvel special ''Batman/Captain America'', the Red Skull hires the Joker to steal an atomic bomb during World War II. Joker evades Batman, Cap, Bucky Barnes, Bucky, and Robin and delivers it to the Skull, but is horrified when he learns that the Skull is a Nazi (saying "I may be a criminal lunatic but I'm an ''American'' criminal lunatic!"). When the Skull threatens to drop the bomb on Washington D.C., the Joker attacks him in the plane's cargo bay. While Captain America and Batman fly the plane over the ocean, the two villains are dropped out with the bomb just before it explodes. Both Captain America and Batman are convinced that the two are still alive somehow.''Batman & Captain America'' (January 1997)


Real Life Joker

There was, in ancient Roman times, a gladiator called Joculator, who used to live and work in what is now Tel Aviv. His name is the latin word for Joker, making him the first known person to use that name professionally.


References


External links


Why So Serious? – The Many Faces of Joker

The Origin of Joker at DCComics.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Joker (Comics) Characters created by Bill Finger Characters created by Bob Kane Characters created by Jerry Robinson DC Comics titles Fictional characters from parallel universes Alternative versions of comics characters Golden Age supervillains Joker (character), Alternative versions