A musing on the origin of the TDK Joker

A comic, actually - I'm in the process of writing the script for the events leading up to, and including, the birth of the Joker. I will also include some of his first antics (ideas will, in fact, pertain to Nolan's universe) after his inception. I will only post what I have completed thus far, so pm me if you want to read any of it

Right now, this first scene is all I have - don't pm me unless you want some input in the creative process

Story notes here:

Spoiler

• Has a ponytail – keeps the hair out of his line-of-sight
• Takes pride in his appearance (it could still work with the TDK Joker, seeing as his vanity could go on to play a part in causing his insanity later on - he sees himself as looking good at all times regardless of the actual quality of his appearance)
• He was once a hit-man for the mob (Falcone’s or otherwise)
o “Funny guy”
o sick sense of humor
• He knows his chemistry – makes his own bombs, etc.
• leaves a calling card whenever he gets a target – the suicidal King of Hearts
• at one point, in passing, one guy talks about getting the new manager position at Gotham National Bank
o the previous manager went into the profession of “pushing daisies”
o his name will be FBM for now
• need more ideas for this

• at one point, he starts taking jobs from other people – whoever pay best
• only problem is, he goes so far as to do work for a rival mob
• now his old mob is pissed – he betrayed them
• such dishonor calls for drastic measures – killing would be letting him off easy
• J’s at home working on some new bomb ideas and such
• Suddenly everything goes black to him

• Abruptly, he wakes up tied to a chair in dank, factory-like environment – doesn’t know it, but he has a couple black eyes going
• he also has a searing pain in his ____ leg
• Thinks to himself, “Hehe…a hit-man with his hands tied – might as well have chopped my arms off.”
• “Already feels like they took out my leg…”
• his ponytail is undone by someone he can’t see
o “Do ya know what happens to people like you?”
o “People that cross the line?”
o need a snappy comeback here…
• FBM (or someone else – substitution for now) comes into view – he’s the only person there
o “Think you’re a funny guy, eh?”
o “I think of myself as the class clown that doesn’t give a **** about the class…does that do it for ya?”
o “Oh! Wanna be a clown, do ya? Well, I’ve got just the stuff for ya…”
• Takes some white make-up off the table to his left and smears it on J’s face
o “You like a little blue, there – somethin’ wrong?”
• Picks up a knife,
o “How about I…help ya out a little?”
• positions it on the inside of J’s right cheek,
o “Let’s put a smile on that face…”
• and pulls quickly
• Does the same for the left
o “Aw, what a shame – you can’t see the black eyes I gave ya earlier…let’s fix that…”
o “Besides - can’t have a sad, little clown without some make-up around the eyes…”
• Smears some black shoe polish around J’s eyes
o “Now – how we gonna make this new image of yours last?”
o “Well…”
• walks over to a white bucket
o “…I’ve got just the thing…”
• brings the bucket over to J and sets it down in front of him
o “This here is gonna solve our little dilemma…”
• FBM moves behind J, cuts the rope holding him to the chair, and forces him to his knees while dunking J’s head violently into the bucket
• After pulling J’s head out of the liquid, FBM lets go of his shirt and leaves the room while J falls sideways; passing out as he hits his head on the concrete
• J eventually leaves the place in a daze – after a couple hours manages to make it back to his place
• Finds a first-aid kit in the bottom of his desk drawer
• Attempts to stitch his face wounds back together
• When he’s done, he takes one last look in the mirror

Enjoy, clowns!


The Origin of the Joker a la “The Dark Knight”


SCENE 1

[SCENERY 1]GOTHAM DUSK – SUN HAS ALMOST COMPLETELY VANISHED FROM THE EVENING SKY - THE APARTMENT BUILDING AT 1138 3RD AVE. AND 49TH ST. HAYSVILLE

A MAN IN A TRENCHCOAT WALKS ALONG THE SIDEWALK ALONG 3RD AVENUE - AS HE WALKS HE'S SINGING A LITTLE TUNE TO HIMSELF

TRENCHCOAT

"There's a little churchyard just along the way
It used to be Lambeth's finest array..."
"...Of tombstones, epitaphs, wreaths, flowers all that jazz
Till the war came along and someone dropped a bomb on the lot..."​

AFTER CROSSING THE STREET AND MAKING HIS WAY TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE APT. BUILDING ON THE CORNER, HE ASCENDS THE STAIRS TO THE DOORWAY – HE EXTENDS HIS INDEX FINGER AND PRESSES THE BUTTON NEXT TO THE NAME, “ARKARD – 2D”

TRENCHCOAT

“Express delivery from a Mz. Francis Arkard for a Mr. Phillip Arkard.”​

[SCENERY 2] ARKARD – 2D

IT’S A RELATIVELY DECENT PLACE FOR THIS PART OF TOWN – HAS THE MAIN ROOM WHERE MAINLY LIVING AND SLEEPING GOES ON, AND THE BATHROOM IS ADJACENT TO THE LEFT WALL (FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE MAIN DOORWAY) – THERE’S A DESK IN THE FAR-RIGHT CORNER AND AN OPEN WINDOW AT THE BACK WALL FACING AN ALLEYWAY

THERE IS A FIRE ESCAPE OUTSIDE THE WINDOW.


ARKARD IS AT HIS DESK WRITING – WHEN HE HEARS THE CALL FROM DOWNSTAIRS, PAUSES FOR A MOMENT – SPECULATING ON THE ODDNESS OF THIS OCCURANCE

ARKARD

TO HIMSELF - “Why is mother sending me something? I just told her yesterday that I’m doing fine…”​

HE GETS UP AND WALKS TO THE DOOR

TRENCHCOAT CONTINUES TO SING HIS TUNE AS HE WAITS FOR A RESPONSE

TRENCHCOAT

"...And in this little yard, there's a little old man
With a little shovel in his little bitty hand..."​

ARKARD HESITATES FOR A MOMENT BEFORE FINALLY PUTTING HIS FINGER ON THE BUZZER TO OPEN THE DOOR DOWNSTAIRS

ARKARD

“Come on up.”​

RELEASES THE BUZZER AND RETURNS TO HIS WRITING

TRENCHCOAT SINGS AS HE WALKS DOWN THE HALLWAY TO THE ELEVATOR

TRENCHCOAT

"...He seems to spend all his days puffing ***s and digging graves
He hates the reverend vicar and he lives all alone in his home..."​

ARKARD APPEARS FRANTIC IN HIS THOUGHTS AS IF HE’S HAVING TROUBLE CONCENTRATING

TRENCHCOAT ENTERS THE ELEVATOR

TRENCHCOAT

"...Ah-choo! excuse me..."​

WITH HIS EYES CLOSED, ARKARD RUBS HIS TEMPLES WITH HIS MIDDLE FINGERS –

TRENCHCOAT RIDES THE ELEVATOR

TRENCHCOAT

"...Please Mr. Gravedigger, don't feel ashamed
As you dig little holes for the dead and the maimed
Please Mr. Gravedigger, I couldn't care
If you found a golden locket full of some girl's hair
And you put it in your pocket..."​

ARKARD IS STILL TRYING TO GET HIS THOUGHTS TOGETHER

ARKARD

*exhales* “How am I gonna get this done before tomorrow – I’ve barely even started on it…”​

TRENCHCOAT STOPS SINGING AS THE ELEVATOR DOOR OPENS

TRENCHCOAT

"...God, it's pouring down..."​

HE WALKS TOWARDS RM. 2D


SUDDENLY ARKARD'S EYES OPEN AND HE SLAMS HIS HANDS DOWN ON HIS DESK

ARKARD

“Damn it – why can’t I think right now!!”​

TRENCHCOAT FINDS THE DOOR SLIGHTLY AJAR – HE CAN HEAR ARKARD TALKING TO HIMSELF – SEES HIM THROUGH THE OPENING

USING HIS RIGHT HAND, ARKARD CRUMPLES THE PAPER HE HAD BEEN WRITING ON AND THROWS IT OUT THE OPEN WINDOW TO HIS LEFT – HE SLUMPS HIS HEAD INTO HIS HANDS

TRENCHCOAT

“Got a little writer’s block, do ya?”​

ARKARD TURNS HIS HEAD TO THE DOORWAY AND SEES TRENCHCOAT POINTING A GUN AT HIM

ARKARD

<What the hell is going on?>​

ARKARD HAS LOOK OF SHOCK ON HIS FACE FROM THE SIGHT OF THE GUN

TRENCHCOAT STANDS IN THE DOORWAY AND SPEAKS AS HE CLOSES THE DOOR WITH HIS FREE HAND

TRENCHCOAT

&#8220;Package for Mr. Arkard.&#8221;

ARKARD

&#8220;Who are you? What are you doing here?

TRENCHCOAT

&#8220;You know, when a favor is asked of someone&#8230;and they follow through&#8230;it&#8217;s only natural that the favor they ask would be addressed in the same fashion&#8230;&#8221;

ARKARD

&#8220;Bu-&#8230;but &#8211; I did &#8211; I made sure I paid my debt to your people!&#8221;​

TRENCHCOAT GLANCES DOWN AT HIS GUN WITH A NONCHALANT LOOK ON HIS FACE &#8211; HE STROKES IT SLIGHTLY AS HE TALKS

TRENCHCOAT

&#8220;It would appear there&#8217;s been a bit of a miscommunication, then&#8230;&#8221;​

ARKARD&#8217;S LOOK OF SHOCK DISAPPEARS AND BECOMES THAT OF EXCITED RELIEF

ARKARD

*sigh* &#8220;So - it&#8217;s just been a misunderstanding&#8230;&#8221;​

SUDDENLY, ARKARD REMEMBERS THE PACKAGE

ARKARD

&#8220;How did you know my mother&#8217;s name, anyway?​

AS TRENCHCOAT WALKS SLOWLY ACROSS THE ROOM, HE CHECKS HIS GUN FOR AMMO

TRENCHCOAT

&#8220;Yes &#8211; quite the misunderstanding&#8230;&#8221;

ARKARD

"You didn&#8217;t do anything to her, did you?!&#8221;​

AFTER CHECKING THE CLIP, TRENCHCOAT SLIDES IT BACK IN SO THAT IT CLICKS, AND THEN LOOKS STRAIGHT AT THE WRITER WITH A STRAIGHT, SERIOUS FACE

TRENCHCOAT

&#8220;It would seem that you are under the impression that it was my employers that made the mistake and not you.&#8221;​

ARKARD&#8217;S FACE CHANGED SLIGHTLY TO A SOMEWHAT WORRIED AND PUZZLED LOOK

ARKARD

&#8220;What? You just said &#8211;&#8220;

TRENCHCOAT

&#8220;What I said was that there has been a misunderstanding &#8211; how ironic that you would confuse confusion&#8230;&#8221;​

AS HE SAYS THIS, HE RAISES HIS GUN SLOWLY AND ***** IT

TRENCHCOAT

&#8220;Buuut&#8230;&#8221;​

TRENCHCOAT STOPS RAISING HIS GUN ABOUT HALF-WAY UP HIS CHEST AND RECOILS HIS ARM A LITTLE

ARKARD

&#8220;But? But what?!&#8221;​

TRENCHCOAT UN-***** HIS GUN AND RAISES BOTH HIS HANDS UP IN A &#8220;WHATEVER&#8221; FASHION WHILE HE SPEAKS

TRENCHCOAT

&#8220;&#8230;I suppose I don&#8217;t have to kill you&#8230;&#8221;​

HIS GUN IS PUT AWAY AS HE TURNS HIS BACK TO ARKARD AND STARTS WALKING TOWARDS THE DOOR &#8211; ARKARD HAS A LOOK OF DISBELIEF ON HIS FACE AT FIRST &#8211;

TRENCHCOAT

&#8220;Don&#8217;t worry about your mother &#8211; she&#8217;s fine&#8230;&#8221;​

THE WRITER HAS A LOOK OF GRATITUDE AND RELIEF ON HIS FACE AS HE EXHALES

ARKARD

&#8220;Oh, thank you &#8211; oh, thank God&#8230;&#8221;​

HE HAS TURNED HIS HEAD TO HIS LEFT AND IS NO LONGER LOOKING TOWARDS TRENCHCOAT

BY NOW TRENCHCOAT IS LOOKING AT THE WRITER AGAIN WITH THE GUN COCKED AND POINTING STRAIGHT AT HIS HEAD

TRENCHCOAT

&#8220;Yes &#8211; thank God&#8230;&#8221;​

*BAM*​

ARKARD IS SHOT JUST ABOVE HIS RIGHT EAR &#8211; HIS BODY CRUMPLES ONTO THE FLOOR ON HIS LEFT-HAND SIDE.

TRENCHCOAT

&#8220;You don&#8217;t have to worry about your sweet, little mother any more. You&#8217;re in a better place now &#8211; even Hell is better than Gotham nowadays&#8230;&#8221; *laughs*​

TRENCHCOAT LOOKS ONE LAST TIME AT HIS LIFELESS FORM AND DROPS A SINGLE POKER CARD ON THE DESK &#8211; A KING OF HEARTS

TRENCHCOAT PUTS HIS GUN AWAY WITH THE SAFETY CLICKED ON - HE THEN REMEMBERS ARKARD'S FRUSTRATION FROM EARLIER AS HE EYEBALLS THE CRUMPLED PAPER IN THE TRASH BIN AND ON THE FLOOR

TRENCHCOAT

&#8220;Well &#8211; that&#8217;s a load off his mind &#8211;&#8220; *laughs*​

WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT PEOPLE WILL BE WONDERING WHERE THAT GUNSHOT CAME FROM (AND PROBABLY CALLING THE POLICE), HE MAKES FOR THE FIRE ESCAPE OUTSIDE THE WINDOW IN ORDER TO DISAPPEAR INTO THE ALLEY

AS HE MOVES FOR THE WINDOW, HE STARTS HIS TUNE AGAIN

TRENCHCOAT

"...Her mother doesn't know about your sentimental joy
She thinks it's down below with the rest of her toys..."​

HE JUMPS OUT ONTO THE PLATFORM AND BEGINS HIS DESCENT


(not finished yet)

END SCENE






So...whaddya think?

 

Thanks for the posts, guys! I'm going to start the illustrations for this scene, but, for the meantime, I'm trying to come up with the next section of scenes - any ideas where it could go from here?

 

Thanks for the input - I'll see how that may work into it

EDIT: I added a couple things into the scenery at the beginning, and at the end

 

Could you elaborate? I'm afraid I don't know much about her outside of BTAS

 

Thanks for the enthusiasm t:

My idea for the incorporation of make-up is that it is both permanently on his face in a very messy, incomplete manner, and that he later fills in the remaining areas and clean up the lines and enhance his smile to make people think that he's just some guy running around with make-up on. With this concept, he is also able to easily mask his appearance with skin-tone make-up to disguise himself for whatever fun he wants to have.

 

More is on the way

 

I'm going to do some research on it, but it'll be a kind of chemical that bonds certain chemicals to other objects

It'll be a comic - I'm drawing out the panels for this scene

 

hurm

 

Thanks for the support

It'll translate much better in the comic form, so I wouldn't be worried about it

 

*whistle*