Nolanverse’s Joker is The Agent of Chaos

• Name: Joker
• Real Identity: Unknown
• Status: Alive. Presumably sent to Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane at the end of The Dark Knight
• Height: Unknown (Presumably 6 ft 2 in)
• Eyes: Green
• Hair: Green (artificially colored with grease paint)
• Unusual Features:  The face is scarred in a way that resembles a garish smile.  This Joker paints his face white using grease paint and darkens his eyes with makeup.
• Abilities: highly intelligent, master of diguise
• Weapons: knives, dynamite
• Weaknesses: Same as any other human being
• First Appearance: The Dark Knight , 2008. Played by the late Heath Ledger.  Movie directed by Christopher Nolan

This is not your typical Joker.  What director Christoper Nolan did for the Batman franchise was reinterpret the characters in a realistic and more terryfying way for the new generations.  The one that got the biggest facelift was the Joker.  He lost his bleached skin to become a normal man in a clown makeup and the lips pulled up in a rictus resulting from nerve damage got replaced by a horribly scarred  smile. He also lost the acid-squirting buttonniere and the 100K-volt joy buzzer for a bunch of knives and truckloads of dynamite. Indeed this is a much scarier version of Joker, one that would haunt the nights of every Gothamite in the movie and leave a long lasting impression on the fans even years after the movie.

According to the late Heath Ledger himself (the actor who played Joker), this is a real psychopath.  “A mass-murdering clown with absolutely no remorse for what he does. He calls himself and anarchist, a literal AGENT OF CHAOS”.  He claims he has no plans, but the truth is that everything he does is part of a grand scheme to break all schemes.  His plan is to make Gotham the city of chaos,  and even turn its heroes into its most hated criminals. All in the name of chaos, leading him to be the strongest force the city will have to contend with and the absolute leader of the mob that is terrified of him.

Like his comic counterpart, the origin of the character is shrouded in mystery but the Joker does not waste any time in making multiple stories of it, just to see their victims shudder at the garish details.  His methods are so unpredictable, that Batman is always behind his nemesis’ plans.  It is not until Batman understands that there is really no motive on what Joker does, that he really comprehends the extent of the Jester’s perversity and chaotic influence.

Joker sets his mission on turning the city into chaos first by attacking the city justice department killing judges, witnesses and hunting Harvey Dent (who he believes is Batman).  The real Batman sets off to stop him before he destroys the armored car carrying Dent, but at the last moment the Dark Knight (who has a vow not to kill) avoids a collision with a defying Joker in the middle of the street and crashes by the large truck.  Unconcious, Batman is about to me unmasked and slashed by his enemy, when he’s saved by the Commissioner Gordon and the MCU who arrest the clown.

Unknowingly to all, this was all part of the Joker’s plan as he had Dent and Batman’s love interest Rachel Dowes kidnapped while he was interrogated at MCU.  Joker offers Batman a deal: Choose one of them to save. He then proceeds to give him the location of the two victims. Unfortunately  Batman believes the information and runs to save Rachel leaving Gordon to save Harvey.  But not realizing that Joker had switched the addressess.  Batman finds the attorney which he tries to save.  Unfortunately, the rescue results in a severe fire that disfigures the left side of Harvey’s face. Gordon could not arrive  in enough time to save Rachel.

The burns leave Harvey mentally damaged, and with a little push of Joker’s anarchic phylosophy,  Dent becomes Two Face who goes after Gordon who he blames for Rachel’s death.  In the meantime Joker sets the city in chaos, blowing hospitals, and rigging two ferries full of people offering them the chance to either blow the other boat or allow them to be killed by him.  Batman finally finds a way to find the Joker and after a confrontation, defeats him and has him sent to Arkham Asylum.