10 Terrifying Moments In Comic Book Movies

Jack Nicholson is in the bottom tier of Jokers...there I said it. While there's plenty to love about Nicholson's slightly maniacal take on the character, later performances by guys like Heath Ledger and Mark Hamill blow him out of the water every day of the week. Even though Nicholson might not be in the running for the greatest Joker, his introduction did get the horrifying aspects of the character down to a tee.

Going back to the original idea from the comics, the 1989 Batman depicts the Joker as a lowly gangster who ends up going insane after falling into a vat of chemicals, which turned his skin pale white.

Rather than showing everything up front, having Nicholson veiled in shadows lets you build up the image of this psychotic clown in your head before he comes on the screen. As he walks out of the surgeon's room after smashing a mirror, that laugh sends chills running up and down your spine.

By the time Jack finally comes on screen, the peeled-back smile and green hair he sports as he shoots down his original boss is the perfect combination of dread and comedy in one single scene. This Joker may not have been as gritty as later versions, but for one shining moment, absolutely no one could hold a candle to Nicholson.