The Joker: 10 Totally Different Characters He's Been

9. Happy-Go-Lucky-Trickster

That was how he originally appeared, because those early Batman comics were inspired by the equally violent and trigger-happy radio serials and pulp magazines of the era. As comic books grew in popularity they started to grab the attention of people who thought perhaps all of this wilful bloodshed was perhaps not suitable for a younger audience. During the fifties the Comics Code was formed, and any title that wanted to be sold on news stands had to adhere to their exacting standards. Which meant no violence, nobody dying, no kissing or allusions to sex, amongst other things (most of which were hugely racist and/or homophobic). That meant that The Joker spent the better part of twenty years unable to murder, and instead was basically like a court jester that sort of annoyed Batman more than anything else. With pranks and such.