The Joker is infamous for his outlandish and outrageous crimes that span the spectrum from minor pranks to nearly catastrophic acts of violence. This unpredictability has established him as one of the most formidable criminals in Gotham, with each appearance raising the stakes on what he might do next.
Unlike many criminals driven by clear-cut goals, such as financial gain, the Joker thrives on chaos and absurdity. His extensive catalog of bizarre offenses has only escalated over the decades, demonstrating a particularly sinister creativity. Let’s explore some of his most heinous acts that showcase the depths of his depravity.
10 The Joker Nearly Poisoned All of Gotham City
Batman: The Man Who Laughs #1 by Ed Brubaker, Doug Mahnke, Patrick Zircher, and Aaron Sowd
Due to the numerous reboots in DC’s history, pinpointing the Joker’s first official appearance is challenging. Nevertheless, his inaugural confrontation with Batman is most commonly recognized in Batman: The Man Who Laughs. This critical comic has earned repeated references throughout Batman’s lore, including tie-ins like Batman: Death of the Family and Batman: Hush.
The tale introduces a Joker unperturbed by Batman, fixated instead on taking vengeance on Gotham City for unfathomable reasons. His chilling plan involved poisoning the city’s water supply. Thankfully, he was thwarted by Batman before he could enact this horrific scheme.
9 The Joker Once Cut Off a Man’s Skin
Joker by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo
The Joker, known for his clownish appearance, hides a terrifying brutality. A character named Monty learned this the hard way after making power plays in the criminal underworld following the Joker’s return to Arkham Asylum. Upon his release, the Joker sought to address old grievances, and Monty was high on that list.
A gruesome encounter ensued, with Monty emerging visibly altered—his skin gruesomely removed below his head. It was a macabre reminder of the Joker’s capacity for violent retribution and the horrors awaiting those who betray him.
8 The Joker Paralyzed Barbara Gordon for Life
The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland
One of the Joker’s most notorious acts was the shooting of Barbara Gordon, which resulted in her permanent paralysis. This moment reshaped both the Joker’s and Barbara’s narratives within the DC universe. Although the circumstances surrounding the Killing Joke‘s “canonicity”trigger ongoing debates, the impact of Barbara’s injury is undeniable.
The attack not only solidified the Joker’s status as Batman’s greatest adversary but also highlighted his cruelty—after shooting Babs, he took the additional step of photographing her naked to torment her father, intended to drive him insane. This chilling act epitomizes the Joker’s sadism.
7 The Joker Beat Robin Jason Todd and Blew Him Up
Batman #427 by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo
In the same year that he shot Barbara Gordon, the Joker killed Robin, Jason Todd, during a storyline that involved convoluted plots and absurd developments, such as the Joker impersonating an ambassador. After seeking out his mother, who turned him over to the Joker, Jason faced a harrowing fate.
Beaten mercilessly with a crowbar, he met a devastating end as the Joker left him strapped to a bomb set to explode. This shocking act of violence marked the unsettling precedent of a Robin’s murder and underscored the Joker’s propensity for unrestrained brutality.
6 The Joker Shot Sarah Essen-Gordon in a Room Full of Babies
Detective Comics #741 by Devin Grayson, Greg Rucka, Dale Eaglesham, and Damion Scot
In the grim narrative of No Man’s Land, Gotham descends into chaos. The Joker exacerbated this turbulence by kidnapping numerous infants, prompting Sarah Essen-Gordon’s desperate rescue effort. Unfortunately, her bravery led to her demise.
In a horrifying encounter, the Joker threw a baby at her, distracting her momentarily and allowing him to shoot her point-blank. The scenario, constructed amidst a room full of defenseless babies, only heightens the horror of her murder.
5 The Joker Blew Up an Entire School Full of Children
Batman: Cacophony by Kevin Smith and Walt Flanagan
The Joker’s disregard for human life reaches shocking heights when he blows up an entire school filled with children as an act of revenge against a criminal associate. When Maxie Zeus began producing drugs using Joker Venom, the Clown Prince retaliated by bombing the school—the ultimate sign of his cruel and twisted logic.
This horrific incident signifies a dangerous trend: the Joker’s willingness to cross all moral boundaries to assert his dominance. His actions demonstrate a harrowing lack of conscience and a commitment to chaos at any cost.
4 The Joker Turned the Justice League into Supervillains
Batman: Endgame by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
In one of his most sinister plots, the Joker manages to corrupt the Justice League, transforming them into supervillains through his notorious Joker Venom. This nefarious scheme saw iconic heroes like Superman, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman turn against Batman in a chaotic showdown.
Had the Joker chosen to unleash his puppet heroes on the world, the catastrophic aftermath could have been unimaginable. This incident serves as a testament to the Joker’s capacity for disaster, as his machinations create a potential worldwide crisis.
3 The Joker Turned All of Gotham into Maniacs
Batman: Endgame by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
The Joker seeks to illustrate his belief that anyone can devolve into madness with the right push. He unleashed a potent version of Joker Venom onto the streets of Gotham, causing widespread transformation into violent maniacs who turned on their own loved ones.
The chaos he incited resembled a terrifying zombie apocalypse, with Gotham City spiraling into anarchy. Though Batman ultimately managed to reverse this calamity, the Joker’s philosophy and impact remain a haunting narrative of societal dysfunction.
2 The Joker Literally Ate All of China
Emperor Joker #1 by Joe Kelly, Jeph Loeb, Duncan Rouleau, Todd Nauck, Carlo Barberi, Scott McDaniel, Marlo Alquiza, Jaime Mendoza, Richard Bonk, Tanya Horie, and Richard Starkings
In a narrative twist, the Joker’s aspirations of destruction reach cosmic proportions when he literally consumes an entire nation—China—during his brief wielding of god-like powers. This act of mass murder, reminiscent of a macabre culinary delight, reflects his unfettered sadism.
This escalation to genocidal extremes emphasizes how the Joker’s malevolence knows no bounds when empowered by such unimaginable abilities.
1 The Joker’s Worst Crime Is Undoubtedly Omnicide
Emperor Joker #1 by Joe Kelly, Jeph Loeb, Duncan Rouleau, Todd Nauck, Carlo Barberi, Scott McDaniel, Marlo Alquiza, Jaime Mendoza, Richard Bonk, Tanya Horie, and Richard Starkings
Perhaps the pinnacle of the Joker’s crimes is captured in the tale where he utilized Mr. Mxyzptlk’s reality-altering abilities to eliminate nearly all existence from the universe. In this dark scenario, he eradicated entire populations, marking his murder tally in the trillions.
This astonishingly cosmic scale of destruction poses the question: is there any horror too great for the Joker? His history of violence includes everything from heinous murders to global annihilation, culminating ultimately in a morally unfathomable act of total erasure. It’s a testament to the character’s representation of chaos and evil.