Typography portrait of the joker from batman.

The joker is a fictional character, published by DC Comic. He is the archenemy of batman,having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin. Created by Jerry Robinson, Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the character first appeared in Batman#1(spring 1940). Throughout his comic book appearance, the joker is portrayed as a master criminal whose characterization has varied. The original and currently dominant image is of a highly intelligent psychopath with a warped, sadistic sense of humor, while other writers have portrayed him as an eccentric prankster. They most commonly depict him as falling into a tank of chemical waste, which bleaches his skin white and turns his hair green and his lips bright red, giving him an appearance of a clown. Their long,dynamic relationship often parallels the concept of yin and yang.