The Darkest Deeds of the Joker in Comics

The Joker, one of the most infamous and recognizable villains in popular culture, has terrorized the citizens of Gotham City for decades in the pages of DC Comics. The Joker’s relentless pursuit of chaos and destruction has driven him to commit some of the most heinous crimes in comic book history, including kidnapping, murder, and even masterminding the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents. Nothing is off limits in his quest for the ultimate joke. Here are 10 The Darkest Deeds of the Joker in Comics.

Joker poisoned beauty products

One of his most heinous crimes was the contamination of Gotham City’s hygiene products with a toxic chemical called Smylex. The Joker’s motivation behind this act of terror was rooted in his own distorted self-image, as he was driven by his obsession with his own disfigurement. The widespread fear of using contaminated beauty products left the citizens of Gotham too scared to use even the most basic hygiene products, leading to a city that was too afraid to groom itself. The Joker’s transformation into a grotesque clown had led him to want to make everyone else as unattractive as he was, but in the end, it was revealed that the ugliest person was the Joker himself.

Paralyzing Barbara Gordon

In the comic book “The Killing Joke,” the Joker paralyzed Barbara Gordon (the first Batgirl) as part of his plan to drive Commissioner Gordon insane. He shot Barbara through the spine, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down, and took photos of her to show to Commissioner Gordon in an attempt to break his spirit. This act of violence against a beloved character was a turning point in the Joker’s history, solidifying his reputation as one of the most dangerous and sadistic villains in comics. The event also had lasting impact on Barbara Gordon, who went on to become the information broker Oracle, providing intelligence and technical support to the DC Universe’s heroes.

Contaminating the reservoirs of Gotham City

The Joker’s plan to spread madness and chaos in Gotham City is depicted in the comic book “Batman: The Man Who Laughs.” He contaminated the city’s water reservoirs with his toxic laughing gas, causing those who inhaled it to experience uncontrollable fits of laughter and leading to widespread panic and destruction. Despite Batman’s efforts to stop the Joker and neutralize the gas, it caused significant harm to the citizens of Gotham. This act solidified the Joker’s reputation as a dangerous and unpredictable threat to both Batman and the people of Gotham.

Blowing up a hospital full of patients

The Joker’s brutal attack on a hospital in the comic book “Batman: The Killing Joke” is considered one of his darkest deeds. He detonated a bomb in the hospital, causing widespread death and destruction, as part of a larger plan to drive Commissioner Gordon insane. This horrific act of violence further cemented the Joker’s reputation as a dangerous and sadistic criminal in the DC Universe, demonstrating his willingness to harm innocent people in the pursuit of chaos and destruction.

Joker gave away poisoned cotton candy

In Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns,” the Joker’s cruelty reaches new heights as he kills hundreds of people in a TV studio and later poisons 16 Cub Scouts at a county fair. The idea of innocent children being lured in by his promise of free cotton candy, only to fall victim to his poisoned treats, is especially disturbing and adds to the Joker’s reputation as a ruthless and indiscriminate killer. Although Batman was able to intervene and save some of the children, the event still profoundly impacted the people of Gotham and serves as a reminder of the Joker’s unspeakable acts of violence.

Masterminding the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents

The Joker is exposed as the driving force behind the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents in “Batman: The Man Who Laughs.” This vicious crime took the lives of two innocent individuals, but also led to the formation of the vigilante known as Batman. The Joker’s actions have had far-reaching consequences, as he is now directly responsible for creating one of his most formidable opponents. This makes it one of the Joker’s most evil and significant crimes in the DC Universe.

The Joker took down Superman

In the “Injustice: Gods Among Us” game and comic, the DC characters exist in a world where Superman and the Justice League have taken control and rule harshly. The reason for Superman becoming violent was because of the Joker. He stole a nuclear submarine and tricked Superman into thinking he was fighting Doomsday, but he actually killed his pregnant wife, Lois Lane. This loss made Superman upset and he killed the Joker, which was the Joker’s plan all along to cause chaos and destruction.

Joker attempted to trademark fish

The Joker tried to do a strange thing in the comic book “Detective Comics” in 1978. When a fish was found in Gotham City’s harbor with a scary smile, the Joker said he wanted to own the rights to it. But he was told fish can’t be owned. So, he killed some city workers to try to make them agree, but it didn’t work. Lots of people died for no reason. This crime is one of the worst because it made no sense and was cruel. The people he killed couldn’t give him the rights, so the whole thing was pointless. Later, this story was made into an episode of “Batman: The Animated Series” in 1993 that was easier for kids to understand.

The Joker detonated a bomb at a school

“Batman: Cacophony” was a three-issue series created by Kevin Smith, Walt Flanagan, and Sandra Hope in 2009. It followed a conflict between Batman, the Joker, and Maxie Zeus. Maxie Zeus was making a new drug, “Chuckles,” by mixing the Joker’s toxic poison with ecstasy. This made the Joker angry, and he began a war to put an end to it. To emphasize his point, he blew up a school full of children. While most would consider the massacre of children to be a tragedy, the Joker approached it in a lighthearted and carefree way, seeing death as the ultimate joke.”

The Joker caused broken glass to rain on Gotham City

In 2008, “Batman Confidential” #11, written by Michael Green and illustrated by Denys Cowan, depicted one of the Joker’s most brutal crimes. The Joker, who was free at the time, sought to create more followers. To achieve this goal, he sent a blimp over Gotham and blew it up, releasing a rain of broken glass infected with his deadly Joker venom. The act of raining broken glass upon the city was more terrifying than his previous use of poison, as it trapped its victims in a storm of sharp debris. Despite the horrific nature of the crime, the Joker’s intention was merely to get Batman’s attention, but Batman was occupied at the bedside of his girlfriend Lorna Shore in the hospital.

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