Appearances in Batman Comics
Having studied the Joker extensively early in his career, Batman deduces that the Joker constantly recreates himself everytime he comes back similar to super multiple personality disorder which is plays a big part in making him so unpredictable (Batman #682)
Batman Confidential #22-25
It's the first time Joker is brought in Gotham police station. To start with, the killer clown kills his cellmates with acid
Then, he uses the home number of a cop and the name of his doctor, obtained after "borrowing" the cop's cell-phone, to call the cop's wife and lead her to commit suicide, the police arriving on the scene too late.
It's not the end of it: while being moved to the courthouse to substain trial, he stages an escape attempt just for the kicks of it, killing a guard in the process
Later, at the trial, he kills the judge by exploiting his allergy to nuts and his own particular kind of marskmenship
That's not enough: since his shrink has pissed him off, he kills her with a banana peel, despite being restrained in a strait-jacket
Finally, first he saves Batman from the cop whose wife's death the killer clown was responsible of (the cop being now insane and blaming Bats for what happened, since it was him to bring the disease (i.e. Joker) at his "doorstep"), then he decides to kill the Dark Knight, only the timely intervention of Gordon rescuing Bats
Batman Confidential #29-30 (happens shortly after the events of Batman Confidential #22-25)
The Killer Clown taunts the cop whose life he previously runined (by having the cop's wife suicide), then has him escape, setting a murderous psycho on the loose
After the rogue cop has been stopped, Batman finds out that Joker took advantage of the distraction and escaped, leaving him a message
Buster (the Joker gang's driver) learns that the Joker (who has just been apprehended by the Dark Knight after a tough fight that left Bats injured and weakened) is aware of his betrayal and, desperate and terrified by the thought of what will happen to his family when the killer clown gets his hands on them, prefers to kill them himself and then commit suicide in front of Batman (who is so shaken by this that decides to retire, later reconsiderig after an hard confrontation with...himself) (Batman: Ego)
Joker, who has just caused more than a dozen of death in an usually quiet corner of Gotham and kidnapped a council-woman, lures Batman in a trap and blows up the house he's in, nearly killing the Dark Knight. Then, believing him to be died, he dumps him in the river (Legends of the Dark Knight #65, first chapter of the "Going sane" story arc that continues in the next 3 issues)
Detective Comics #1 (2011)
While on the run from the police and Batman, the killer clown tricks the cops into entering in a house where an explosive decoy is waiting for them
Pursed by Batman, he gives him a tough fight, narrowly killing him, before going down
Ending up in Arkham, he reveal his plan was to get there and has his face removed, the pain apparently not bothering him in the least
Batman #408
Chased by the dynamic duo after stealing a precious jewel (killing 3 guards in the process), Joker shots Robin (Dick Grayson) at a shoulder and has 2 chances to kill Batman he chooses not to exploit, before nearly making his escape
His actions have consequences even after his capture, since, given the press' speculations about Robin's death and Bruce's own worries, Batman decides to stop his partnership with Dick and allow the world to believe Robin died (something that causes the press to accuse him of child abuse)
Detective Comics #569-570
Joker was lacking inspiration for his crimes, then one of his men let him know that Catwoman (aka Selina Kyle) was working with Batman and Robin (Jason), and the clown prince of crime decided to do something about it. After having sent a sort of riddle about his next score to Bats, he waits for the "dynamic trio" to arrive, has his men lead Batman & Robin to a merry chase, and KO Selina while having an henchmen immobilize the dynamic duo (who later break free thanks to Bats). Then, Joker makes his escape with his men and an unconscious Catwoman.
After that, with the aid of a crooked scientist, he brainwashes (causing her a lot of pain in the process) Selina in order to have her turn back to the dark side and reveal Batman's secret identity, and he obtains just that, albeit Catwoman's memory being juggled causes her to point to someone else as being the Dark Knight's alter ego instead of Bruce Wayne
When Batman comes to the rescue, first Joker takes advantage of a diversion provided by one of his men in order to escape with Selina, then, when Bats catches up to them, he has her fight the Dark Knight and take him down, allowing her and the clown to get away
After that, the clown and Catwoman kidnap the guy whom she pointed out as being Batman, but Joker deciding to kill the man's cataleptic daughter in order to have him admit to be the Dark Knight causes Selina (who is a thief, not a killer) to turn against him. Still, Joker has managed to have her return to the wrong side of the law and to end the romance between her and Bats. In fact, after Batman and Robin arrive on the scene, she ends up first trying to escape with the clown, then, when Joker is caught, making her escape solo while eluding and taunting the Dark Knight. The killer clown doesn't fail to rub this on Batman's face, which causes him to lose his temper and pound the Joker, not breaking his no-kill code only because of Robin.
Batman #440-442
Despite being in his hospital bed after the events of "Death in the Family", Joker is able to manipulate Two Face in returning to action, despite the latter, due to a coin toss, decided to give up the crime life (incidentally, Two Face later comes close to kill both Batman and Nightwing, with a new Robin (aka Tim Drake) having to intervene to save them)
Takes a full dose of fear gas to the face and pretty much brushes it off then knocks out Scarecrow (Detective Comics #664)
Detective Comics #672-673:
Lures Azbats (Jean Paul Valley) to his hideout where he's setup a booby trap and captures him
Toys around with Azbats as he threatens to kill him and could've but doesn't wanting a more comedic death. However, once he realizes that Azbats isn't the real Batman under the armor he gets angry not really wanting to fight anymore although he's later defeated and nearly killed by Azbats after he takes other hostages
Legends of the Dark Knight #142-144 - The Demon Laughs:
Evades and kills a dozen of Ra's Al Ghul's henchmen
Defeats Ra's Al Ghul in a game of chess impressing The Demon
Comes up with a plan to steal a deadly virus from Qurac and succeeds in securing it from the scientist protecting it by showing off how cold hearted and insane he can be
Showing off some scientific knowledge by tweaking the deadly virus and experimenting on Ra's Al Ghul's henchmen
Formulates a plan to rapidly spread the virus across the world by using the weather which impresses the Demon yet again
Gotham Central #12-15 - Soft Targets:
Just when he is talking with police commissioner Akins, Gotham's major is shot dead by a sniper
who, later, first does the same to a city's superintendent
then fires against Gotham's coroner and the policemen, causing the former to lose one of her hands, and one of the policemen to die.
This mysterious sniper turns out to be none other than the Joker
As confirmed by Batman, who, alongside Stacy (aka the woman whose job is to turn on the Bat-signal) and Lieutenant Probson, is shot at by the killer clown on the Gotham Central's roof
Bats manages to save the other two, but is seemingly hit at a leg
Later, also the acting major is told about the sniper being Joker, and doesn't take the news well
To spread the panic, the clown first sends mails to the press
Then hack into the police's computer system and shows cont-down live images taken from a web-cam, making it clear that nobody is safe, and sends said images also to the media, thus causing a city-wide exodus.
The tension is high, and while the police (Major Crime Unit) is trying to figure out where the Joker will strike next only to find laptops with mails mocking them, the countdown ends and becomes a count-up
Then, just when the web-cam show the image of a TV reporter being prisoner somewhere, the Joker just walks towards Lieutenant Probson and is struck and arrested by him.
The city is relieved by his capture, but just when Probson is hitting the clown to have him reveal where he has the reporter, Bats drops by and reveals to the commissioner that the hostage isn't held in an isolated place, but is held somewhere Christmas shoppers (who returned after Joker's capture) are expected to be, meaning the clown has something planned for them
Bats is right, In fact, while Joker tries to escape, killing various policemen (including Probson), until he is shot down by the chief of the Major Crime Unit
the reporter is found by the MCU and Bats in a store, a bomb near her and, while the store is evacuated and the Dark Knight manages to save the hostage, the bomb explodes and causes an officier to end up in a coma, And the Joker? He survived the shooting and wakes up.
Hush has just finished to manhandle Riddler, when the Joker, who need something from the latter, tells the bandaged villain to let Riddler go. When Hush doesn't comply, Joker shows him who is the boss, by having his goons beat him up and taking Riddler in custody (Gotham Knights #52)
Later, Hush returns the favour by having Prometheus (hired as a body-guard) kill all Joker's men, and by beating personally the clown up. But, in the end (i.e. last issue of the Gotham Knight title, aka #74), it's Joker who has the last laugh. In fact, first he knocks out Hush by having birds gas him
Then, he has a doctor he abducted in a previous issue operate him and give him a peace-maker that Joker can control, as the killer clown reveals when Hush comes hunting for him
Incidentally, Bats finds out that it was Joker who caused people with Waynetech peace-makers to die, thus putting in trouble the dark Knight's alter ego Bruce Wayne (as shown in the previous issue)
Then, when Hush tries to operate himself, Joker shows up to taunt him and remind him it's the killer clown who is in control
In the end, Hush asks Batman for help, and Bruce agrees to have him operated if Hush goes freely to a maximum security cell and stays here. The bandaged villain seemingly complies, but escapes after the operation 'cause he wants to have his revenge on Joker. So Batman, after hinting that he may not have had Hush really operated and that he may have allowed him to escape in order to get rid of him once & for all, leave him in Joker's care. And we are left wondering if Bats really allowed the killer clown to murder Hush
Zatanna's ex-assistant dies tragically, and his current boss, aka illusionist Ivar Loxias, is involved. Therefore, Batman and Zatanna go to his place to confront him about what happened. But a surprise waits for them, since not only the illusionist confirms non-chalantly his responsibility for the murder, but he takes them down & prisoners. Then, he reveals himself to be none other than the Joker, who apparently killed Loxias and took his place (Detective Comics #833)
Along with Hugo Strange, Joker is responsible for the creation of the new Black Mask (a mob boss who set up a criminal reign in Gotham before ultimately being taken down by Dick Grayson Batman), by corrupting and driving insane Arkham Asylum's director Jeremiah Arkham (Detective Comics #866)
Batman & Robin #10-16 - (Batman VS Robin and Batman & Robin Must Die story arcs):
Disguised as crime writer Oberon "The Gravedigger" Sexton, Joker draws attention from Batman (Dick Grayson) to a series of murders committed by the so called "Domino Killer), whose victims are members of the upper echelon of the Black Glove (organization led by Simon Hurt and responsible for the Batman: RIP debacle)
Later, he helps out Robin (Damian Wayne) against members of the 99 Fiends (who work for Simon Hurt), taking out 2 of the 5 present on the scene and stuns a third in the time it takes a leaf to fall
Some time later, Simon Hurt is shown coming to town, with him the last survivor of the Black Glove's top hierarchy
The killer of the Black Glove's members is revealed to be none other than the Joker, who also found out that the crime writer he took the place of (and buried alive) killed his own wife
While in police custody and violently questioned by Robin, the killer clown takes him out and kidnaps him using Joker Venom, then uses Robin's utility belt to escape the GCPD Police Station
With Robin now his hostage, he forces Batman to work with him to help bring down the Black Glove
Poisons the popcorn of Dr. Pyg's henchmen with his Joker Venom helping out Batman (killing the last survivor of the Black Glove club in the process), in addition revealing a homemade theronuclear bomb that he has setup to go off in Gotham
Allows the kidnapped Robin to leave so he can go help out Batman and assist against the Black Glove
Later on, members of the 99 Fiends confronting a returned Bruce Wayne and the new dynamic duo fall dead on the ground, having been previously poisoned by the Joker
who then captures and buries Dr. Hurt alive
He is finally captured by Batman (Bruce Wayne) and his nuke disarmed by Robin, also revealing his real motivation for helping out the new Batman & Robin dynamic duo all along
