Joker

The **Joker** is an infamously extreme and formidable psychopathic crime lord from Gotham City, being at the very top of the city's criminal underworld, greatly feared by all other crime bosses and criminals, including his long time rival Roman Sionis.

Though he is devoid of empathy or pity for anybody taking part in his wicked schemes either by intimidation or fraud, the Joker used to adore his on-and-off girlfriend and partner-in-crime Harley Quinn, doing his utmost to rescue her from Task Force X and the clutches of Amanda Waller, with eventual success. For unknown reasons, he later broke up with Harley, leaving her on her own and a target of many of his enemies.

The Joker is also the longtime archenemy of Batman, whom he considers to be his own favorite "joke" and the murderer of the latter's protege, Robin.

## Biography

### Clown Prince of Crime

#### Chaotic beginning

"*Most of the world doesn't share your opinion, Mr. Wayne."* *"Maybe it's the Gotham City in me. We have a bad history with freaks dressed like clowns.*"
―Bruce Wayne to Clark Kent[src]
Nothing, including his real name, is known about the Joker's past before the beginning of his supervillain career, though it can be surmised that he was most likely born before Batman, in 1971, and grew up somewhere around Gotham City, New Jersey.

It is known, however, that at one point, he fell into a boiling vat of toxic waste during a botched robbery at ACE Chemicals, permanently bleaching his skin chalk-white, turning his hair bright green and staining his lips bright red. Seeing this disfigurement, the combination of chemical exposure and brain damage via oxygen deprivation drove him completely insane, into psychopathy. Thus was born the bombastic, psychopathic, fearsome, and murderous man who would shortly thereafter be nicknamed "The Joker".

Batman would come into conflict with the Joker on numerous occasions, leading him to become the vigilante's greatest enemy. Upon repeated interactions, the Joker developed a sick and twisted love for the Batman, and their games together. Eventually, Batman would defeat and apprehend him, subsequently having the Joker imprisoned in Arkham Asylum for his numerous crimes.

#### Arkham and breakout

"*I did everything you said. I helped you!"* *"Uh, you helped me?!? By erasing my mind?!? What few faded memories I had! No. You left me in a black hole of rage and confusion. Is that the medicine you practice, Doctor Quinzel?*"
―Harleen Quinzel and Joker[src]
In Arkham Asylum, Joker would first meet a psychiatric intern Dr. Harleen Quinzel when he was assigned as her patient, whom he psychologically sabotaged and manipulated. She gradually fell in love with him, and the Joker got Harleen to do him favors, which was giving him first a stuffed kitten, and then a machine gun. Shortly thereafter, Joker's bizarrely dressed goons (lead by Jonny Frost) broke into Arkham Asylum, and successfully aided their boss in escaping, tying Harleen down in the process. Before leaving, however, Joker sadistically subjected Harleen to shock therapy (as a retaliation for her shock therapy leaving him "in a black hole of rage and confusion"), fracturing her psyche and causing intense psychological trauma. Thus resulting in her severe mental instability.

#### Chemical wedding

"*Do not say this oath thoughtlessly. Desire becomes surrender, surrender becomes power.*"
―Joker to Harleen Quinzel[src]
Harleen later chased him down on a motorcycle, and managed to get Joker to stop his Smiley Car. She nearly killed him with a gun, even shooting a man who approached them. Joker took the gun and taunted her. Harleen claimed to love him, but Joker responds by saying that he is not someone who is loved, but rather "an idea, a state of mind, who executes [his] will according to [his] plan," with Harleen not being part of his plan. When Harleen still wanted to come with him, Joker took her to ACE Chemicals, where he had originally had his accident. While there, Harleen was told to say an oath and was asked if she would die for him. When she told him she would, he decided to die was too easy and asked her if she would live for him instead. She responded in the affirmative and allowed herself to fall into the vat of chemicals. Joker turned to walk away, leaving her to die, but was conflicted, changing his mind and jumping in after her, he pulled her up to the vat's surface. Joker then kissed her, and Harleen awakened. They kissed again and the Joker broke down into maniacal laughter.

From that point on, Harleen dubbed herself "Harley Quinn" (donning a red-and-black Harlequin costume), and the duo of psychopathic lovers would go on many crime sprees in Gotham City together, which would often result in the duo coming into conflict with Batman, becoming (as Amanda Waller would later claim) the criminal King and Queen of the city.

#### Harley Quinn and the Joker

After the Chemical Wedding, the reign of Harley Quinn grew in Gotham City. Joker taking all of her credit for the robberies she had managed to commit. At some point in time, Harley dared Joker to tattoo a smiley face onto the face of a man named Happy. Joker's relationship with Harley gave her immunity over criminals and low-lives of Gotham considering the fear of Joker, including the likes of crime boss Black Mask.

#### Murder of Robin

At some point before the Black Zero Event, the Joker managed to kill Batman's crime-fighting partner Robin. In an act of vengeance, Batman smashed Joker's teeth in, permanently damaging his smile. Batman locked him away in Arkham Asylum, but Joker eventually escaped once again and got his teeth replaced with metallic grills. To mark his change at the hands of Batman's fury, Joker got a "Damaged" tattooed on his forehead, permanently reminding both himself and Batman of what had occurred between them. In hopes of driving his adversary further insane, Joker spray-painted "HAHAHA JOKE'S ON YOU BATMAN" in yellow on the Robin suit. A devastated Batman would later place the damaged and vandalized suit in an exhibit in the Batcave.