1. Crippling And Abusing Barbara Gordon - The Killing Joke
Its fair to say that there are several moments from The Jokers sordid history that could make the top spot on this list. What transpired in The Killing Joke just cannot be ignored, largely down to the fact that the Joker did so much damage to two of Batmans closest allies. When The Joker decides that he wants to torment Jim Gordon, he sees the best way to get a reaction as targeting Gordons daughter Barbara, who also happens to be Batgirl at that point. And so, after holding Jim hostage, Joker turns up at Babs door and proceeds to shoot her through the spine, paralysing her as a result. If this wasnt enough, he then strips Barbara naked and take photographs of her flailing body. Whilst its not confirmed, there's plenty speculation from readers that Barbara was actually raped during this ordeal. If youve read the story, you can make up your own conclusions on that disturbing point. The Joker would go on to strip Jim Gordon and have him run a disturbing amusement park gauntlet whilst images of his naked daughter were displayed in order to drive the Commissioner insane. For many people, The Killing Joke is the story that turned The Joker from an amusing, slightly twisted antagonist to the most truly disturbing, sadistic villain of the DC Universe. Theres plenty of other Joker moments that turn the stomach and won't be making it to the big screen any time soon, but which of his horrible acts are the ones that stand out the most to you?
Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics.
As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic.
Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.
