Joker

The Joker is Batman's arch foe. His continuing agenda is to humiliate and destroy Batman and his allies.

Background Information
On the paralell-universe of Earth-One, the Joker was once little more than a petty criminal who committed crimes using the masked identity of the Red Hood. His career as the Red Hood ended after an altercation with the Batman, which resulted in the Red Hood falling from a catwalk into a vat of chemicals. The chemicals changed the Red Hood's appearance by bleaching his skin, dying his hair green, and contorting his facial muscles into a perpetual malignant grin. The incident also drove the man irrevocably insane. Dubbing himself the Joker, he became the Batman's most notorious adversary. Not only did he prove himself to be the most dangerous of foes, but he also proved to be the most mysterious. Even after countless battles with one another, the Batman never discovered the Joker’s true identity.

Filmation Continuity
In 1968 the Joker teams up with the Penguin to switch crime methods so they can sue Batman for false arrest. In the end however they start to fight which leads to their downfall.

The Joker then returns a short time later and steals what he needs to build a laser so he can destroy Gotham City. In order to trick Batman and Robin he leaves false clues but that doesn't stop them from finding his lair. But the Joker managed to trap them in a funhouse slide that is going straight into a fire pit. But they managed to escape. The Joker then flees and self destructs the building but is followed by Batman and Robin and caught.

The Joker teams up with the Penguin, the Riddler, and the Catwoman but is defeated once again.

The Joker then runs for mayor in and teams up with Penguin and Riddler to achieve this goal and gets pardoned. In the end however his criminal ways are exposed and he is defeated once more.

The Joker teams up with Penguin and Riddler again to break up the terrific trio by destroying Robin's Confidence and steal this map. The plan almost works but Robin regained his confidence just in time to save the day. Batman and Robin then do the same thing to them and successfully split them up. Joker managed to defeat Penguin and Riddler and took the map for himself but was later defeated by Batman, Robin,and Batgirl.

It is not long before he arranges for one of his henchmen to fall in the water so Robin would save him and he could switch Robin's utility belt with a fake, filled with fixed gadgets to mess him up so Joker could carry on with his plans to kill Batman.

On one occasion he uses a pirate theme to find buried treasure.

A short time later, he teams up with Penguin again. This time they distracted a crowd by releasing wild circus animals and stole a tank. They then use the tank to rob several banks. Unfortunately they don't discover that they were being followed by two circus penguins until they got to there hideout. Batman and Robin then us another penguin to track the tank down and arrest them.

The Joker still has time to pull off opera themed crimes to trick Batman and Robin but is once again defeated.

In 1977 the Joker impersonated this scientist named Proffessor Julius Irwin and stole Irwins untested prototype hydro-electric sports car. Joker then named it "the Aqua-Car" and stored it in Gotham's waterfront district, planning to sell it to the highest bidder. However Robin went after him alone but was caught by his pet hyena, Giggles and Joker trapped him in a fishing net. He then impersonated Robin's voice and called Batman. Batman managed to figure it out however and managed to trap the Joker in a net. Joker was then sent to Commissioner Gordon.

A short time later, he managed to escape from prison and made a plan to capture Robin to trap Batman but was defeated once again.

The Joker eventually teams up with the Penguin again to use this slime to turn everybody into criminals. In the end however they were both defeated and sent to jail.

He soon teams up with Penguin, Catwoman, and Clayface to takeover Gotham. They battle Batman and Robin but escape and ally themselves with a supervillian named Zarbor who has all of Earth's nuclear power plants. They then go with him to his planet to assist him but are defeated in the end along with Zarbor and are sent to jail.

SuperFriends Continuity


In 1985 the Joker helps Darkseid in a plot to help take over the Earth. He disguises himself as Ace and saved petty crooks from Cyborg to form the ''Royal Flush Gang. '' He then sent the gang to capture Superman,Wonder Woman, and Firestorm.

But the gang is followed by Batman, Robin, and Cyborg. Batman managed to unmask him but is forced to flee when Darksied returns. The Joker along with the gang capture the remaining members. One of the members, Ten tries to free them but is stopped by Darkseid. Joker then watches as Darkseid's minions go to invade Earth, not knowing that Batman who had switched place with another gang member (Jack) freed the rest of the Super Powers Team and Ten.

When Superman stopped the invasion Darksied transported him to the Super Powers Team as punishment for his failure and was sent to jail along with the rest of the Royal Flush Gang with the possible exception of Ten.

Trivia

 * Played by Caesar Romero in the 1960's, original live action TV series and movie.
 * Voiced by Larry Storch in Filmation's 1968's The Batman/Superman Hour animated series.
 * The Joker was voiced by Lenny Weinrib in Filmation's 1977's The New Adventures of Batman. In the series, the Joker had a pet hyena named Giggles as a sidekick.