20 Things You Didn't Know About The Joker

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down little-known facts about the criminal clown from across all forms of media.

#20: He’s Terrified of the IRS

“The New Batman Adventures” (1997-99)

There’s very few things Joker is genuinely afraid of, and more often than not he’s the one doing the scaring. So it might be a surprise to learn that he’s deathly afraid of the IRS. At least the DCAU version of him, that is. When he hits it rich, his sudden fortune comes with a cost, namely, taxes. Sure, he’s an agent of chaos and possibly the face of true evil, but he’s also someone just trying to finish up his W2s! It might be a silly fear for Joker to have, but hey, at least it’s relatable – those IRS agents can be the stuff of nightmares.

#19: He Put a Deposit Down on an Electric Car

“Harley Quinn” (2019-)

Though Joker has driven his own Jokermobile on occasion, it seems that he’s interested in some alternatives too. When he learns the secret identity of Batman, he uses the information to launch into a rant about WayneTech and how he never got what he was promised. The hilarious tidbit kind of makes us want to take the Joker’s side with this one. If you really think about it, Bruce’s company robbed him. In fact, it robbed all of us. Now we’ll probably never get to see the Joker driving around in the Wayne equivalent of a Tesla Model S! Joker may be a crook but a gigantic tech company not delivering what they promised is also super evil.

#18: He Didn’t Choose His Name

“Batman: The Man Who Laughs” (2005)

The Joker is an all-time classic supervillain name that’s instantly recognizable, but what if we told you it’s an alias that the Clown Prince of Crime didn’t come up with? In the comic “Batman: The Man Who Laughs,” it’s revealed that the name was possibly coined by Gotham’s police, and later the press ran with it. Given it’s a pretty sweet name, we’re not surprised that he liked it so much. It’s a good thing too, because imagine if he took on a lame name like “Captain Clown” or “Joke Man.” Those don't really have the same ring to them.

#17: He Created Clayface

“The Batman” (2004-08)

We’ll preface by saying that Joker created a specific version of the Clayface character, but still, an iconic villain creating another iconic villain is some serious villain-ception. When Joker captures GCPD detective Ethan Bennett, he subjects him to severe psychological torment. Upon his rescue, the Joker’s signature “Joker Putty” formula accidentally comes into contact with Ethan. When you add that to his already weakened mental state, the tragic Clayface is born. This cartoon was well-known for the radical departures it took from the larger mythos, and in cases like these, those risks helped make Joker that much more interesting.

#16: He Might Be the Father of Anarky

“Anarky #8”

Did you know that Joker has a son? Well… maybe. When Lonnie Machin, aka Anarky, made his way onto the scene, he tried bringing down Gotham’s elites. But along the way he got sidetracked, and in issue eight of his limited series, he tracked down his biological mother. His mom then seemingly revealed that Lonnie’s father was the Joker. The comic’s writer, Alan Grant, meant to reveal that this was actually all a lie in later installments. However, the book was canceled before he could get there. So… in a way, Joker being Anarky’s father could be true. But even if it’s canon, it’s not a plot point that’s been revisited. Still, Joker being a dad is something truly insane.

#15: The “Joker Stairs” Were Considered a Religious Destination

“Joker” (2019)

Whether you loved or hated it, the “Joker” movie was iconic, and as it turns out, some of the places he visited quickly became iconic too. The infamous scene where Arthur Fleck dances wildly down a set of stairs while firmly embracing his Joker persona has garnered a lot of attention. As such, the “Joker Stairs,” as they’ve been called, have since gotten a ton of visitors. In fact, when you looked up the stairs on Google Maps, they were listed as a “religious destination.” While Google might not label them that way any more, it’s pretty astonishing that they did at one point. Have you ever worshiped at the shrine of the Joker?

#14: He Ate All of China

“Superman: Emperor Joker” (2000)

You might have a wild appetite but we’re guessing you’ve never eaten an entire country before. But you know who did? Joker when he became Emperor Joker. This happened after he tricked a fifth dimensional being, Mister Mxyzptlk, into giving him godlike powers. He did all kinds of crazy things with it, like killing Batman repeatedly and remaking the world in his image. But what really takes the cake is when he gulped down China. Because sure, why not? He was probably really hungry. It’s actually insane how messed up this was. He didn’t just kill off an entire population, he did it with giant-sized chopsticks too. Only the Joker can make mass extinction a part of a balanced diet.

#13: Bruce Wayne’s Mom Is the Joker in the Flashpoint Timeline

“Flashpoint: Batman - Knight of Vengeance” (2011)

When Barry Allen monumentally screws up the timeline it leads to the dark reality known as Flashpoint. And in a world as grim as this, things are bound to be wonky. One of the biggest surprises happens to involve the Batman mythos. You might already know that Flashpoint Batman ends up being Thomas Wayne, but did you know that Flashpoint Joker is Martha Wayne? Talk about one wacky family tree. Joker and Batman have always been intrinsically linked together, but adding a familial twist like this makes their dynamic so much more intriguing. It’s also a disturbing look at how tragic Martha Wayne’s life would be if she lived instead of Bruce.

#12: Two “Proto” Jokers Exist

“Gotham” (2014-19)

When you’ve had as many adaptations as the Joker has, there’s bound to be some more experimental takes on the classic supervillain. In “Gotham,” for instance, he isn’t exactly a one-man show. As a matter of fact, he’s actually two brothers. The Valeska twins, Jerome and Jeremiah, each terrorize Gotham in their own unique ways. Jerome is the cartoonishly psychotic brother always looking to spread chaos. But on the other side of the coin is Jeremiah, the eerily calm brother with a method behind his madness. Each of these proto-versions represents different yet equally important facets of the clown in haunting ways.

#11: He Was an Iranian Ambassador

“Batman: A Death in the Family” (1988)

When people say they want a comic-accurate adaptation of “Death in the Family” we’re really curious if they want to see this specific plot point adapted too. It sounds like something out of a fever dream, but trust us when we say it happened. Appointed by Ayatollah Khomeini himself, Joker becomes the official ambassador for Iran. As such an influential political figure, he uses his power to do… well, nothing beneficial. Joker mainly just uses his status to exploit his diplomatic immunity and further torment Batman after killing Robin. We don’t want to get political but we can all agree that an Ayatollah putting the Joker into power isn’t very bright.

#10: He Had His Own Face Cut Off

“Detective Comics: Faces of Death” (2011-12)

Ah, the New 52, a time of wide-scale reboots and absolutely bonkers character choices. Want to hear one? Well, how about the time when Joker got his own face cut off. While beefing with the Batfamily as he normally does, he got himself thrown into Arkham so he could meet up with the Dollmaker. Once he did, the twisted surgeon assisted him in removing his face. Yep, that’s definitely going to leave a mark. Don’t worry, he got his face back, but let’s just say the results weren’t pretty. While his motives were somewhat unclear, this extreme act of bodily harm showed that this newer iteration of Joker was far more psychotic than before.

#9: He’s a Hero on Earth 3

“Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths” (2010)

The multiverse can be a worn-down vehicle for excessive cameos, but when done right, it can also introduce unique concepts. Just look at the “Crisis on Two Earths” movie. In it, audiences are introduced to the Jester. He’s a heroic version of the Joker from Earth 3, where our usual heroes are actually the villains and vice versa. While these alternate reality versions of Joker are rare, there’s more than you think! There’s also the comic “White Knight,” which sees Jack Napier’s Joker get cured and then wage a one-man legal war against a more brutal Batman. Though Jester’s not in this movie much, sadly, he’s an exciting look at what Joker could be if he wanted to become a hero.

#8: He Was Visually Inspired by a German Expressionist Film

“The Man Who Laughs” (1928)

There are a lot of things that go into the design of the Joker – his devilish personality, flamboyant outfits, sinister intentions, and of course his devious physical appearance. And when it comes to his looks, a lot of inspiration came from silent film star Conrad Veidt. More specifically, Veidt’s portrayal of Gwynplaine from the appropriately named “The Man Who Laughs.” When you compare the two, Joker is the spitting image of Veidt. Look no further than his wickedly unnerving smile, sharp facial features, and ghastly skin for an uncanny resemblance. Gwynplaine’s face is so striking, it’s no wonder they based so much of Joker’s design off of him. Without Conrad Veidt, who knows how Joker would have looked.

#7: There’s a Variant Who Never Became the Joker

“Batman #134” (2016-)

Prepare to go into the Jokerverse for this one! In issue 134 of Chip Zdarsky’s “Batman” run, readers learn of Darwin Halliday, aka Red Mask. He might seem like another generic Batman villain at first but he’s actually far from that. When caught in an explosion inside of a lab, the incident causes this billionaire to learn that he’s a multiversal variant of the Joker. News like that can unravel a person, but Darwin takes the information in stride. In later issues, he starts going bonkers around the multiverse trying to create more Jokers. Even though Batman labels Darwin as “the sane Joker,” it’s clear that he’s got some issues.

#6: He Might Be Immortal

“Batman: Endgame” (2014-15)

It’s no secret that the New 52 took many creative liberties with the Joker, but cutting his face off wasn’t the only hard left turn that esteemed comic writer Scott Snyder took with the character. During “Endgame,” the Batfamily finds evidence to suggest that Joker might be more than just a crazy clown. In fact, he may actually be the Pale Man, a fabled immortal who plagued Gotham for eons. The theory was widely considered to simply be a ruse. However, giving Joker unexpected mythical origins is a super fun concept to play around with. Who knows, maybe that idea will be revisited one day.

#5: His True Name

“Flashpoint Beyond #5” (2022)

Joker’s had lots of names. Jack Napier, Joseph Kerr, Arthur Fleck, John Doe, Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska, etc., etc. But his true name – unless they change it later – was finally revealed in “Flashpoint Beyond.” As we return to the Flashpoint universe, Martha Wayne Joker explains to Thomas Wayne Batman that the Joker of the main Earth is a man named Jack Oswald White. Funnily enough, Jack White is also the name of a prominent singer. Besides that, it’s not a particularly noteworthy name, but getting Joker’s identity is still pretty huge. It’s also interesting how Joker’s middle name is the same as Penguin’s first. That’s a fun conversation to have by the water cooler at the next Gotham Rogues meetup!

#4: He Might Have Super Sanity

“Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth” (1989)

Usually we assume that Joker is insane, but maybe that diagnosis isn’t accurate. In Grant Morrison’s “Arkham Asylum” graphic novel, the writer proposes that he has super sanity. Basically, he’s sane. So sane that he’s got complete mastery over his state of mind, meaning he can adapt his personality to fit any situation. He’s like a social chameleon, which in theory makes him great for parties, but we still wouldn’t recommend inviting him to any! Since he has such a high level of sanity, he just looks insane to us since he functions on a level we can’t comprehend. He may even be aware that he’s a fictional character. We don’t need to explain how a fourth-wall breaking super-sane Joker would be a nightmare.

#3: He Had a Sidekick Before Harley Quinn

Various

Harley is easily the most famous of Joker’s accomplices, but she wasn’t actually his first. Back in the Golden Age, that was Gaggy! Gagsworth A. Gagsworthy was a circus performer who turned to villainy after being replaced by the Flying Graysons. Since he kind of looks like a demented court jester, he and Mister. J became a perfect pairing. While Joker and Harley had a toxic relationship, Joker and Gaggy’s partnership proved to be plentiful. They were practically best buds. And since Joker was a lighthearted prankster during this era, the two found joy in putting Batman through the ringer with their mischief. In some ways, Gaggy brought out Joker’s more fun, less murderous side that we don’t see much of anymore.

#2: His Bathroom Dance Was Improvised

“Joker” (2019)

Shortly after killing several aggressive Wayne Investments employees, Arthur flees into a nearby bathroom. It’s a moment where emotions run high, and how does he respond? By slowly breaking out into a hypnotic dance. Actor Joaquin Phoenix actually went off script in this scene. While it’s not what director Todd Phillips initially planned, the sequence was stunning enough to survive in the movie’s final cut. And for good reason! It’s a captivating, even slightly unsettling look at how this broken man begins slipping into madness. It’s atmospheric, it’s weird, and it’s undeniably Joker.

#1: He Was Only Supposed to Appear Once

“Batman #1” (1940)

For one of the greatest supervillains to have ever been created, the most shocking thing about him is that he was supposed to die in his very first appearance. The clown prince of crime is a cash cow, but if “Batman #1” went as planned, he would’ve just been cannon fodder. The “Batman” creators initially thought that Joker constantly bouncing back to get the better of the Dark Knight would make him look weak, so they planned to write the clown off. Thankfully though, editor Whitney Ellsworth stepped in to ensure his survival. He saw the vision, and that vision led to serious success. With legendary appearances in award-winning comics, shows, and movies, Joker might never have gotten there without Whitney’s quick thinking.