Jack Napier and the Origin of the Joker
In issue 1.5 the Joker tells a story about Jack Napier feeding the anti-corruption crusader, Edwin Atherton, to several members of Gotham’s criminal and corrupt element before the advent of Batman. Some may complain that the Joker was a comedian, a la Killing Joke, or the Red Hood. Personally, I always really liked the Jack Napier origin.
That being said, this is not meant to define Jack Napier as the origin of the Joker, but rather, to simply add to the supposed many origin stories of the Joker as to who these myriad of people were before Joker came about. This story may be true, it may not. It is the Joker after all. Even he, in this story, does not know why he remembers the tale, he just tells it.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 15
Page 15
The guests have now sat down.
Professor Hugo Strange: And will you be joining us?
Jack Napier: No, I won’t be. Just think, after tonight, you will all have the same secret. When you go after each other, remember what you did together,…
Jack Napier: And remember who made you do this.
Jack Napier (smiling): Now take, eat, all of you. This is the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for me and by many. Do this and forever remember me.
Location: Arkham Asylum Cafeteria
Scene: All of the people at the Joker’s table, except for Batzarro, is just staring at the Joker, wide-eyed with their mouths open. They cannot believe what they just heard. The Joker is laughing.
Joker: I don’t know why I even remember that story, but it has always made me smile.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 14
Page 14
Doctor Karl Hellfern: You expect us to eat him?
Jack Napier: That’s right, like one big, happy family.
Luigi Maroni, Vincent Falcone, and Penguin jump up from the table.
Luigi Maroni: I’ve already got a family, I don’t need another!
Vincent Falcone: Same here!
Men come from the darkness of the warehouse, guns drawn. They each put a gun to the head of each dinner guest.
Jack Napier: Ah, but you don’t really have a choice.
Vincent Falcone (defiant): No. I’m not doing this.
Vincent is immediately shot through the head.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 13
Page 13
Scene: The cover on the platter is removed by the Harley lookalike, revealing Edwin Atherton (his picture can be found on Wikipedia), naked, gagged, and hog-tied.
Jack Napier: Or Sunday dinner.
Gillian Loeb jumps up.
Gillian Loeb: What the hell is this?
Jack Napier: Don’t you recognize your dinner? Detective Edwin Atherton here wouldn’t play ball, so I thought I would take care of him for you.
Jack Napier: And you’re right. I shouldn’t expect this of you.
Jack Napier then pulls out a ball peen hammer and beats Edwin Atherton in the head until he is dead.
Jack Napier: No one likes food that moves.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 12
Page 12
Jack Napier: Look, there are always going to be some small disputes, right? But we here, we gotta look at the big picture.
Jack Napier: These wars are bad for business, and at our core, we are businessmen.
Penguin: Get to the point, Jack.
Jack Napier: The point is that to be able to get on with each other, we need to be less like businessmen, and more like a family…
Jack Napier: And family is all about the shared experience, be it childhood, church,…
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 11
Page 11
Close-up of Jack Napier’s face, grinning.
Jack Napier: Why, indeed.
New Panel
Side shot of Jack Napier. One hand is raised to his chest, palm down, with the fingers splayed and dangling. The other arm is extended from the elbow from the waist, palm up.
Jack Napier: Gentlemen, we all have our differences, yet we all want the same things, money and power.
New Panel
Tony Zucco: Yeah, well, what else is old?
Peter Grogan: Quiet, you. (Turning to Jack Napier) Yeah, so?
Jack Napier: So…there really is no reason for all of us here to not get along. There is more than enough for all.
Vincent Falcone: Maybe for you.
Jack Napier: Oh, but not for you, of course not. Your son getting shot last week isn’t enough for you, eh? Good thing that pretty boy Thomas Wayne is around, huh?
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 10
Page 10
Location: Morning in the Arkham Asylum Cafeteria
Scene: The Joker and Batzarro are in line getting food put in their trays. Crazy Quilt is in the line with them, as is Two-Face, Maxie Zeus, The Mad Hatter, and Mr. Zsasz.
New Panel
Scene: Batzarro and Joker are sitting down to eat.
Joker: You know, I used to eat like this all the time, all the time. Everyone would come. Everyone who was anyone. No one turned down my invitations.
Location: Joker’s Warehouse
Scene: The Joker, (as Jack Napier) has set up a banquet table. On it is a large covered platter, candelabras, drinks, and place settings. Sitting at the table is a woman who looks like a non-costumed Harley Quinn (it isn’t Harley Quinn, I just thought that it would be good to have a lookalike for her here, it kind of sets the stage for Harley in the future), Luigi Maroni, Professor Hugo Strange, Police Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb, Tony Zucco, Vincent Falcone, Penguin, and Doctor Karl Hellfern (Batman’s first supervillain). The lady who looks like Harley Quinn is sitting at one end of the table, the Joker (as Jack Napier) is standing with his chair behind him at the other end.
To help distinguish this Jack Napier from the later Joker, for this section I will refer to him as Jack Napier.
Peter Grogan (annoyed): What’s the meaning of this, Jack?
Professor Hugo Strange: Yes, some of us have business to attend to.
Jack Napier: Gentlemen, please, surely we have time to be civil. I promise I didn’t ask all of you to be here for idle chat.
Luigi Maroni: Then why are we here?
