For the first time in DC Comics history, the true name of Batman’s greatest enemy, the Joker, may have finally been revealed.
The Joker has been menacing the Dark Knight in the pages of DC comics ever since 1940’s Batman #1. Over the course of that long history, the character has had a few different names attributed to him in alternate timelines and other media – notably, he became Jack Napier in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman and Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips’ 2019 film Joker.
However, the latest issue of DC’s Flashpoint Beyond may have just dropped the real name of DC’s original Joker for the first time in over 80 years.
And The Joker’s Name Is…
Flashpoint Beyond #5 sees an alternate version of the Joker – Martha Wayne, from the Flashpoint timeline – learn that Bruce became Batman in the main DC universe, while the Joker was a man named Jack Oswald White.
According to the Flashpoint version of Martha Wayne, DC’s original Joker was a failed comedian with a wife and child, in what is a clear nod to the version of the Joker’s backstory seen in the seminal graphic novel The Killing Joke.
In the Flashpoint timeline, Jack Oswald White eventually found himself “stuck in a menial job cleaning the bathrooms at Wayne Casino.” The version of Jack who Martha encounters comes from her own universe, but characters in the Flashpoint timeline have all shared names with their main continuity counterparts.
It is unknown if DC’s prime Batman will also learn the true identity of his greatest enemy, but for now it seems his readers have been made privy to this information. At least, until DC’s next retcon or the reveal this was all a misdirect.
Batman was last seen confronting the Joker on the big screen in this year’s The Batman. Here’s the synopsis:
Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.
When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.
Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman stars Robert Pattinson as the titular hero, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál, with Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Colin Farrell as the Penguin.
The Batman is streaming exclusively on HBO Max and is available to own on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD. Stay tuned for all the latest news on Colin Farrell’s future on The Penguin and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.
