DC · DC Comics
The Joker
Batman's opposite number, powered by nothing but intent.
Across continuities
One canonical record, many iterations. A version is this character in a different continuity; a variant is a separate in-fiction instance inside one. Everything below resolves back to this page.
| Iteration | Type | Continuity | Performed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Joker (Post-Crisis DC) | Version | no performer on file |
Key issues
Milestone appearances — first appearance, death, return, team change. These are the issues the collector market actually prices.
- debut · 1940
Batman #1 DC Comics
First appearance, intended to be killed off in the same issue - key · 1986
The Dark Knight Returns #3
Catatonic until Batman returns, which frames him as defined entirely by Batman - key · 1988
Batman: The Killing Joke
Offers an origin while stating he remembers it differently each time — the ambiguity is the point - key · 1988
Batman: A Death in the Family #427
Beats Jason Todd with a crowbar; the reader vote made the death canon
On screen
Canonical productions only. Parody and fan work is classified and excluded — Wikidata makes no such distinction, so without it these lists fill with material that is not canon.
| Performer | Production | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Cesar Romero | Batman | 1966 |
| Mark Hamill | Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker | 2000 |
| Cameron Monaghan | Gotham | 2014 |
| Joaquin Phoenix | Joker | 2019 |
| Barry Keoghan | The Batman | 2022 |
| Vera Drew | The People's Joker | 2022 |
Has appeared with
Every character who has shared a production with this one. Wikis are organised by character, not by encounter, so this question is close to unanswerable elsewhere — it exists here only because co-occurrence is recorded at the moment an appearance is.
| Character | Where | Shared |
|---|---|---|
| Batman | Batman, The Batman | 2 |
| Poison Ivy | Gotham | 1 |
| Ra's al Ghul | The People's Joker | 1 |
Commonly got wrong
Claims that are widely repeated and wrong, with what the cited record actually shows. If you are generating anything about this subject, these are the errors to avoid.
Commonly believed The Killing Joke tells the Joker's real origin.
Actually The book has him say he remembers his past 'one way and another' and prefers it multiple choice. The origin is presented as unreliable narration by the character, not as canon.
Commonly believed The Joker's real name is Jack Napier.
Actually That name comes from the 1989 Tim Burton film, not the comics. In mainstream comics continuity the Joker has no confirmed legal name, and DC has repeatedly declined to fix one.
Continuities
Claims on this page are tagged by canon. Blending them is the most common error in both wikis and AI answers.
- Post-Crisis DC — 1986 Crisis on Infinite Earths through 2011 Flashpoint
- Pre-Crisis DC — DC continuity before the 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths
- New 52 — DC relaunched continuity, 2011 to 2016
Last updated 2026-09-06 · machine-readable version