The Joker is Batman’s archenemy and one of the most original and popular comic book villains of all time. He has also been the subject of some of the best comic book stories ever conceived, from “The Dark Knight Returns” and “The Killing Joke” to “A Death in the Family,” and the Joker’s popularity has translated to the big screen too. Actors ranging from Jack Nicholson to Heath Ledger (who won a posthumous Oscar for his portrayal) have played the maniacal clown. Most recently, the Joker can be seen in the live action film Suicide Squad, as played by Jared Leto (who continues to grumble publicly about his deleted scenes), and in the animated adaptation of Batman: The Killing Joke performed by longtime Joker voice actor Mark Hamill. Yet despite his influence, a lot is still not known about Gotham City’s most infamous evildoer. Here are 10 little known facts about the Joker that you may not have been aware of.
10. The Joker Has Been With Batman From The Beginning
If you’re wondering how long the Joker has been tormenting Batman and the citizens of Gotham City, the answer is since the very beginning. In fact, the Joker first appeared in Batman issue #1 published on April 25, 1940. Batman creator Bob Kane conceived the Joker at the same time he came up with the idea of a standalone Batman comic book series, figuring that an insane clown would be the perfect foil for the Dark Knight. Interestingly, the original script for Batman #1 had the Joker being killed off at the end of the comic book, but editors at DC Comics liked the character so much that they intervened and had the script re-written so that the Joker would live and continue to serve as a foil to Batman for years to come.
http://thegreatcomicbookheroes.blogspot.ca/2014/02/the-jokers-first-appearance-in-batman-1.html Source: DC Comics