| Joker | |
|---|---|
| Tim Burton's Batman character | |
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Jack_Napier_Joker.jpeg) Jack Nicholson as the Joker in Batman | |
| First appearance | Batman (1989) |
| Last appearance | Batman (1989) |
| Based on | |
| Adapted by | |
| Portrayed by | Jack Nicholson
Other
|
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Jack Napier |
| Occupation | Mobster Hitman (formerly) |
| Home | Gotham City |
Jack Napier, also known as the Joker, is a fictional character introduced in the 1989 superhero film Batman, directed by Tim Burton. Primarily portrayed by Jack Nicholson, the character was based on the DC Comics supervillain the Joker.[1] His name is a play on the word Jackanapes, as well as a reference to the names Jack Nicholson and Alan Napier, the latter having portrayed Alfred Pennyworth in the 1960s Batman TV series and having died the previous year.[2][3] This depiction is notable for being one of the first adaptations of the character to have a distinct first and last name, as well as one of the few instances which show his origins. This iteration of the Joker is a psychopathic gangster who serves as the right-hand man of Gotham City crime boss Carl Grissom until he is disfigured following a confrontation with the vigilante Batman; his disfigurement drives him insane, and he becomes a costumed criminal mastermind obsessed with "out-doing" the Dark Knight, who he believes is getting too much press, in addition to seeking revenge against him.
Ever since Nicholson's portrayal in the film, the name Jack Napier has been used by various adaptations of the character, including Batman: The Animated Series and Batwoman, in which he is respectively voiced and portrayed by Mark Hamill and Nathan Dashwood, and the Murphyverse. This interpretation of the character is also responsible for the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne, the parents of Batman's alter-ego Bruce Wayne in Batman.[4][5]
- ^ Bart, Peter (October 8, 2019). "How Jack Nicholson's Batman Freak-Out Helped Build The Mythology Behind 'Joker'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^ Cronin, Brian (19 September 2018). "You Don't Know Jack: The History of the Joker's Original 'Real Name'". CBR.
- ^ Amazing Heroes #159, pg. 45, Andy Mangel's Backstage: With Sam Hamm
- ^ Collinson, Gary (August 20, 2017). "The Joker to use the name Jack Napier in new Batman comic". Flickering Myth. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
- ^ Cronin, Brian (September 19, 2018). "You Don't Know Jack: The History of the Joker's Original 'Real Name'". Comic Book Resources.