Joker (Batman '66)

Overview[]

A felonious criminal who uses funny prank weapons and convoluted themes in his schemes to unmask the Batman and get the last laugh on the Caped Crusader! The Joker was one of the Dark Knight's most frequent antagonists as the Jester of Jackanapes.

First appearing on January 26, 1966 in the Batman live action television episode, "The Joker is Wild" and was portrayed by Cesar Romero. Romero would go on to reprise his role as the Ace of Knaves as one of the more frequent campy villains of the series and in the 1966 feature film, Batman: The Movie.

Background[]

Batman 251-cover — *The Joker's Last Laugh! Batman Vol.1 #251 (Sep. 1973)*

The Joker is a major supervillain in the DC Comics, first appearing in Batman #1 which was published on April 25, 1940. Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson are credited as being responsible for his creation. Finger was reputedly inspired by the appearance of actor Conrad Veidt who portrayed a man disfigured with a perpetual grin as the titular character in the 1928 film, "The Man Who Laughs".

The Joker has been considered to be THE principal arch-nemesis to the Dark Knight for decades. In addition to being one of the most iconic and recognizable members of the Batman's Rogues Gallery, he is widely considered to be one of the greatest supervillains of all time as the Clown Prince of Crime.

Like his nemesis who uses bats, the Joker employs his own symbolism revolving around clowns, comedy, playing cards and his warped and sadistic sense of humor and mad genius have made him a potent adversary for the Dark Knight Detective along with his bleached white skin, shocking green hair, and macabre death head's grin make him one of the most visually distinctive.

The Joker has been a defining part of the mythology and history of the Batman for decades ever since his appearance. For the most part, the Ace of Knaves has never had a definitive origin story.

The Joker's identity is a mystery and at times, he has claimed various different versions which are contradictory. Some indicate that he was a failed comedian forced into a life of crime; others state that he was a former Gotham hoodlum turned crime boss who hid behind a veneer of respectability and high-priced lawyers; another history indicates that he was abused by his father with a runaway mother which turned him into a life of crime; while yet another origin proclaims that he was a brilliant but sadistic genius.

The Joker admits that even he doesn't know for sure which is real and which is false but typically all of his stories involve the Batman and the Ace Chemical Plant where he was being pursued by the Dark Knight only to to fall into a vat of chemicals. The strange mixture would turn his skin chalk white, dyed his hair green, and caused his facial muscles to be pulled into a fixed rictus. Some stories have indicated that the shock of his new bizarre appearance caused him to lose his mind while others suggest that the Joker is actually sane but like his archnemesis who cultivates his reputation to make criminals superstitious and fearful of him; the Joker does the same by employing bizarre and convoluted campaigns to make himself appear to be insane but is actually a carefully cultivated mask of randomness and unpredictability.

Dc-comics joker-haha — *Laugh, Clown Laugh!*

Among his more memorable heinous acts have included murdering of Jason Todd, the second Robin; paralyzing Barbara Gordon by shooting her in the spine, ending her career as Batgirl; and murdering Commissioner Gordon's second wife Sarah Essen.

The Joker brazenly believes that he is the definitive archnemesis of the Batman and that he is destined to kill the Dark Knight ... or vice versa, in which case will be his greatest triumph as well; by doing so he will force the Dark Knight to finally violate his most sacred code of never taking a life and thus, destroying a good man. By the same token, the Joker believes himself to be the only one worthy of killing the Batman and has on occasion, acted to protect the Caped Crusader from other enemies.

The Joker has made numerous frequent appearances in various films, animated cartoons, and television series starring the Batman over the decades.

Major Plots[]

Personality and Traits[]

Appearances[]

Films[]

Batman: The Movie (1966)

TV Series[]

Batman[]

Season 1

The Joker is Wild
Batman Is Riled
The Joker Goes to School
He Meets His Match, The Grisly Ghoul
The Joker Trumps an Ace
Batman Sets the Pace

Season 2

The Impractical Joker
The Joker's Provokers
The Zodiac Crimes
The Joker's Hard Times
The Penguin Declines
The Joker's Last Laugh
The Joker's Epitaph
Pop Goes the Joker
Flop Goes the Joker

Season 3

Surf's Up! Joker's Under!
The Funny Feline Felonies
The Joke's on Catwoman
The Joker's Flying Saucer

Trivia[]

Cesar Romero admitted that he was unaware of why he was chosen for the role of the Joker as it was unlike anything he had performed before. Apparently William Dozier, the creator and producer of the Batman TV series had seen him in one of his movies and declared that he wanted Cesar as the Joker.

As Cesar Romero refused to shave his trademark moustache, the make up artists had to cover it with as much make up as they could but it still showed up in a number of lot of close up shots.