Arthur Fleck was an awkward and sadistic party clown and comedian who struggled with his mental health, and eventually became the anarchistic serial killer known as Joker out of anger at the abuse he suffered. His actions inspired the violent Clown movement across Gotham City, though he came to reject them in the following years.
History
Early life
Arthur Fleck was born on November 21, 1946, presumably in Gotham City, New York. He was adopted and raised in the city by Penny Fleck, who dated multiple abusive men and allowed them to physically and even sexually harm Arthur. This led to him developing a neurological condition that caused sudden fits of uncontrollable laughter, which he would struggle to control through the rest of his life. To placate the depressed Arthur, Penny would tell him his purpose was to bring laughter and joy to the world, which he took very literally.
Arthur forces a smile while putting on his clown makeup
While going in and out of mental institutions for years, he came to admire comedian and talk show host Murray Franklin, and aspired to be a stand-up comedian himself. As an adult, he continued to care for his aging mother, having repressed the memories of her abuse, and came to work as a party clown at HA-HA's. Aside from Gary Puddles, his coworkers often mocked him, and most strangers he encountered in the city were often judgmental or even hostile towards him for his awkward behavior and bursts of laughter.
By his late thirties, Arthur had grown increasingly frustrated at the ableism and general cruelty of Gotham. His mother's insistence on contacting her former employer, billionaire Thomas Wayne, to get them financial help also caused him to develop a grudge against the class disparity in the city. His only means of escapism were dancing and daydreaming, as he felt his meetings with his psychiatrist weren't helping his mood at all.[1][2]
The Joker murders
In the fall of 1981, Arthur was gifted a revolver by his coworker Randall, but bringing it on a job to a children's hospital got him fired from HA-HA's. On the train ride home the same day, he was harassed by three young Wayne Enterprises employees, and shot them in self-defense before running home. Witnesses could only report seeing a man in clown makeup fleeing the scene, and in the following days, news of the murders sparked a series of violent protests across the city of people dressed as clowns, standing against the injustice and inequality the city had to offer.
Seeing that he had inadvertently started this movement, Arthur's self-confidence increased, and he decided to attempt his dream of stand-up comedy, but his laughter made it difficult for him to finish a single joke. After returning home, he found letters in his apartment that Penny had written to Thomas Wayne that alleged Arthur was Wayne's son, though when he tried to look into this. Wayne and his family repeatedly denied it and insisted she was delusional, around the same time she was hospitalized after a stroke.
While visiting his mother in the hospital, Arthur witnessed the video recording of his failed stand-up set being played on Live! with Murray Franklin, where Murray mocked and humiliated Arthur before an audience of millions. Murray's secretary later called Arthur, who was furious about the whole situation, and invited him onto the show, which he accepted. After Arthur recovered his mother's medical records from Arkham State Hospital and learned about the abuse he'd repressed, he returned to her room and smothered her with a pillow.
Some time after his mother's death, Arthur was visited at his apartment by Randall and Gary, who wished to give their condolences. Arthur brutally killed Randall, but let Gary leave physically unharmed, but ultimately traumatized. Now completely embracing a nihilistic philosophy, Arthur put on a brightly colored suit and clown makeup, complete with green hair dye, and left for his appearance on the show. On his way, he was spotted and chased by two detectives who wanted to question him about his mother's death. He managed to escape into a train filled with supporters of the Clown movement, and was lost in the crowd, laughing at the detectives as they were beaten by the angry mob.
Joker executes Murray Franklin on live television
With his revolver concealed, Arthur made his way to the show, where he asked to be introduced by Murray as "Joker", in reference to one of the insults Murray made while initially mocking him. After his initial introduction on the show, and realizing that Murray had merely brought him on to humiliate him further, Joker admitted on live television to killing the men on the subway, making a passionate speech about society's cruel nature making him "werewolf and go wild". He then shot Murray through the head with his revolver, all of which was televised before he was beaten and apprehended by the GCPD.[1]
Rise of the Clown movement
Arthur embraces the celebration by the Clowns
Joker's televised murder of Murray Franklin intensified the Clown movement to a fever pitch. That same night, Thomas Wayne and his wife were murdered on the streets by a protestor in front of their son. Riots broke out in full force across the city, with protestors committing arson, attacking cops, and causing general pandemonium. One protestor managed to crash an ambulance into the police car in which Joker was being driven to prison, and freed him for a brief time before he was caught again.[1]
Even after Arthur was incarcerated in Arkham to await trial, the Clowns continued to grow in numbers and influence. A TV movie based on Arthur's story was produced, attracting even more fans to his anarchistic ideology, including Lee Quinzel.[2]
Public murder trial
Two years later, Arthur met with his lawyer, Maryanne Stewart, who wanted to prove that the Joker persona was a separate being born from his mental instability, in opposition to Harvey Dent, who was determined to convict Arthur to the death penalty. While in Arkham, he met Lee and fell in love.
During a movie night for the inmates, Lee set a fire, and the two of them attempted to escape, but were caught. Arthur was thrown in a dark cell as punishment, but was able to meet with Lee, who had talked a guard into letting her in, again. Lee told him that she would be transferred away and that he should stop taking his medication. The two then had sexual intercourse.
During the trial, Maryanne revealed to Arthur that Lee was not actually incarcerated for arson, but was a well-off psychiatry student who was obsessed with him. Arthur confronted Lee about this, who confessed, but also stated she was pregnant with their child and she had prepared his old apartment to live in.
Thanks to Lee's influence, Arthur fired Maryanne and decided to represent himself. When faced with Gary's testimony, Arthur initially mocked the attempts to convict him, but was struck with remorse when he found out how badly he had unintentionally ruined Gary's life. However, he made the mistake of insulting the Arkham guards on live television, which prompted them to beat and gang-rape him when he got back. Additionally, the guards murdered the only inmate he had a friendly relationship with. Shaken, Arthur renounced the Joker during the trial, losing the support of Lee and many of his followers and ensuring his condemnation to the electric chair. However, a bomb went off, and Joker followers still loyal to him attempted to escape with him, but Arthur simply ran away. Meeting Lee at the stairs to his apartment, Arthur tried to talk to her, but Lee revealed that she only loved him for the Joker, not himself. The police arrived to arrest him.
While watching a Pepe le Pew cartoon with his fellow inmates, a guard called Arthur away for a visit. However, another inmate intercepted. The inmate told a joke about Arthur with the punchline of "How about I get you what you fucking deserve?", and stabbed him to death.[2]
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
- Charisma
- Dancing
- Disguise
- Firearms: While not an expert with firearms, Arthur possessed a .38-caliber revolver, with which he killed four people at close range.[1]
- Intimidation: Arthur initially had severe anxiety, but was eventually worn down and became totally numb to anything remotely frightening.
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic): Surprisingly, his lithe, wiry physique doesn't stop Arthur from having aggressive outbursts and combined with his unpredictability, he can occasionally deliver the pain to anyone who crosses him.
- Weaponry: Arthur can use everyday objects as improvised weapons including a pillow and a pair of scissors.
- Pain Resistance: Arthur has a high tolerance for pain. He was hit by a taxi and kept on running, and quickly recovered from a car crash.
Other Characteristics
- Mental Disorder
- Drug Addiction: Arthur was a habitual smoker.[1]
Paraphernalia
Weapons
- Colt Detective Special Revolver
Notes
- This version of the character is exclusive to the continuity of the film Joker and is an adaptation of the Joker. The original character was created by Jerry Robinson, Bob Kane, and Bill Finger and first appeared in Batman #1.
- Arthur Fleck was portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix.
Recommended Material
Related
- 3 Appearances of Arthur Fleck (Joker Movie)
- 11 Images featuring Arthur Fleck (Joker Movie)
- 1 Quotations by or about Arthur Fleck (Joker Movie)
- Character Gallery: Arthur Fleck (Joker Movie)
Footnotes