Ranking Every Joker Origin Worst To Best

1. The Killing Joke

The Killing Joke is one of the most controversial Batman stories of all time, and one Alan Moore - characteristically - wants nothing to do with. On one hand it exemplifies some of the most destructive tropes in the superhero genre (a torturous focus on the macabre and the fridging of women stand out the most), while on the other it perfectly nails the dichotomy between the Clown Prince and his greatest rival, right down to his complicated and uncertain origins.

But it's also a book of contradictions. While Moore reiterates in no uncertain terms that the origin optioned by the Joker shouldn't be taken at face value, it's also gone on to influence several incarnations of the character both on and off the page. It both is and isn't a representation of Joker's spontaneity, and that can make grappling with the book's legacy somewhat frustrating.

Either way, the origin optioned by The Killing Joke sees the Clown Prince as a failing comedian struggling to support his pregnant partner. Just when things are at their most desperate, the mob comes along with an opportunity for the comedian to make a quick buck, by pretending he's the Red Hood during a break-in to a chemical facility.

The rest of the story is fairly familiar. Batman shows up, Joker gets knocked into a vat of chemicals, and emerges as the Clown Prince. Or does he?

The genius of Moore and Brian Bolland's text is that it never once lends weight to the Joker's version of events. He could've had "one bad day" as he suggests, or this could be another sick fantasy he's concocted to rationalise his evil. In the end, however, it epitomises the rogue's appeal. There's simply no point trying to explain him, and the sheer array of origins on offer - along with TKJ - contributes to that chaos.

Why bother changing it?