The Joker has always had a notoriously ambiguous origin. As one of the greatest comic book characters of all time, the Joker has had hundreds of different writers, each with their own unique take on the Clown Prince of Crime. After various reboots, rewrites and retcons, DC eventually gave up on trying to create a definitive origin for the Joker and embraced the chaos inherent within the character. In Alan Moores Batman: The Killing Joke, the Joker even admits: Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another If Im going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice! This only proves that DC wants this characters origin to remain a mystery. Yet despite this mystery, there are some frequent (though not always consistent) elements within the Jokers back-story, which usually involve someone falling into a vat of chemicals, having their skin bleached and hair turned green, and suffering a severe mental breakdown. And while these are the most common elements of the Jokers narrative, the circumstances and identity of this individual remain inconsistent and mysterious. Recently, DC has changed its approach to continuity. Since the end of Convergence re-established an infinite multiverse, everything counts. Every version of every character through out the entire history of the DCU now exists in one form or fashion within the multiverse. This only complicates the matter even more, as every version of the Jokers origin is now potentially valid. Therefore, here is a quasi-chronological compilation of the seven most compelling, most likely origins of everyones favorite Bat-Villain: The Joker. WARNING: There are Batman: Endgame spoilers ahead.
Since childhood, Bryant has been an avid fan of superheroes, and he has been reading comic books since 2006. His full name is "George Bryant Lucas"; however, after enduring countless Darth Vader jokes, he has chosen to go by his middle name. Born and raised in the United States, Bryant is currently living with his lovely wife in the country side of Wiltshire County, UK. Bryant does suffer from a mild case of dyslexia; misspellings and homonyms are to be expected on occasion.
