Batman believes in the sanctity of life so much he refuses to kill his villains, no matter how dangerous they are. They’re both obsessed with their missions, but while Batman’s goal is to enforce order and to save people, the Joker’s desire is to wreak havoc, and his primary tool to achieve that end is murder. Regardless of whatever loose change Two-Face carries around in his pockets, Batman and Joker will always be the two sides of the same coin. After spending the Silver Age of comics primarily pulling mean-spirited pranks, the Joker returned to his violent streak in the ‘70s, and he’s been terrorizing Gotham City ever since as the Dark Knight’s deadliest, most formidable enemy. He was a murderer from his first appearance, in which he used “Joker Venom” to kill his victims while leaving them with unnatural grins on their faces. The Joker debuted in Batman #1 in 1940 and appeared in nine of the series’ first 10 issues, cementing him early as the Dark Knight’s foremost foe. Unfortunately, that inspiration can reach into the real world, too. He is the supervillain that inspires anyone who, justly or otherwise, wants to see the world burn. Whatever horrible things the character has done, there is a core of the Joker that could appeal to anyone who feels let down by society or disenfranchised. His hatred of the principles of society often shades him as an anti-establishment figure.

Because the Joker has fans, far beyond his role as Batman’s greatest foe and foil. The Joker’s fame makes him the most popular fictional mass murderer in the world. He’s a character so well-known that his own self-titled movie - Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix, opening October 4 - doesn’t even need a cameo from his superhero arch-nemesis to sell tickets. And he’s the most popular supervillain in the world.Īctually, DC Comics’ Joker is more than that: He’s one of the four most recognizable comic book characters in the world, along with Spider-Man, Superman, and Batman. He’s beaten a child to death with a crowbar. He’s tortured, poisoned, and maimed even more.

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