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From petty prankster to criminal mastermind, Comicstorian takes you through the inception and evolution of everybody’s favorite super villain, The Joker!
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Written by Gainesaurus:
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Voiced by Comicstorian:
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Animated by The LORE Team:
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Transcript:

When Batman got his own title in 1940, the new series needed a villain. Inspired by The Man Who Laughs, the Joker debuted with a flare for murdering millionaires. Originally intended to die yet saved by the editor’s insistence, no origin story was created for the character, but an attempt was made in 1951. Joker began as the Red Hood, a disguised lab worker stealing a million dollars, but fell into a pool of chemicals while running from Batman. With chemically dyed hair, skin and lips, his appearance drove him mad.

In response to 1954’s "Seduction of the Innocent" claims that comics corrupted America’s youth, Joker was rewritten as a gimmicky thief. When editor Julius Schwartz took over, he hated the character so much, he axed Joker completely. Thankfully, Cesar Romero revived the Clown Prince of Crime in the 60's Batman TV show, but like Batman, Joker struggled to overcome Bat-mania's campy humor.

With comic sales dropping, DC returned Batman to his dark roots. The Joker was reintroduced* as a criminally insane serial killer in 1973, proving so popular, he became the first villain with his own series. Stories like "The Joker Fish" solidified Joker's demented humor and paved the way for the 80's when Alan Moore's graphic novel, "The Killing Joke", retconned Joker as a struggling comedian with a pregnant wife. A patsy for the Red Hood gang, he fell into a vat of chemicals before losing his mind. He then kidnapped Commissioner Gordon and shot and paralyzed his daughter Barbara. That same year, after fans voted to kill Jason Todd, the Joker beat him to death with a crowbar.

Since then, Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill, Heath Ledger, and Jared Leto have all assumed their own unique takes on the Joker persona. From sappy foil to chaotic criminal counterpoint, Joker has proven many times he's impossible to kill.

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