Since its first appearance in Batman #1 in April of the year 1940, the quintessential villain of the Dark Knight has always hidden a lot of mysteries. Beyond the multiple versions of him about how he ended up with his characteristic scars, the truth is that the real name has never been made clear of the character. Luckily, we have finally been able to get out of doubt. DC has finally decided to put name and surname to the villain in number #5 of Flashpoint Beyond.
What names has the Joker had so far?
The Joker has had dozens of appearances in the comics and has also had a lot of prominence in the Batman movies. However, his real name has always been a great unknown. The identity of the character has generated a great mystery among comic fans. So much so that detailed theories have been developed about the character’s name.
Jack Napier
Already in Tim Burton’s films, the Joker received the name of Jack Napier, a name that has been used quite a bit since then. However, they didn’t rely on any comics to make that decision—nor will you see this name in any panel. The name just came out of a fun mix. On the one hand, the name of the Jack Nicholson, the one who was going to play the villain. And on the other, the last name of Alan Napper, a tribute to the actor who had played Alfred in the 1966 Batman series and who had died a year before Burton’s film was released in theaters. Years later, this Joker name was recycled into the arrowverse.
Arthur Fleck
The other name of the Joker that we know is Arthur Fleckwhich is what the protagonist of the film was called jokerdirected by Todd Phillips and played by Joaquin Phoenix.
Neither Jack Napier nor Arthur Fleck
As we said, the Batman movies in which this character has appeared have dared to give Name and surname. However, the comics had resisted to date.
Everything seemed that it was going to follow the same path as always until the release of the number #5 of Flashpoint Beyondthe sequel to flash point. In this issue, Martha Wayne and Thomas Wayne discuss the true identity of the Joker. Martha ends up winning the discussion, as she admits that she forced a Psycho-Pirate to tell her the true identity of the character. This is how we discovered that the Joker’s real first name is Jack Oswald White. Come on, they weren’t completely off track with Jack Napier.
An alternate universe that applies to the DC Universe
Despite Flashpoint Beyond is an alternate universe, all the characters that appear share the same names as in the DC Universe. In this version, the Joker is a failed comedian, something similar to what we saw in his solo movie. Jack Oswald White is a married man, and he works as a clerk at the Wayne Casino. For this reason, it follows that the villain’s name applies to the entire DC Universe, exactly the same as for the rest of the characters.
In case you were wondering, he musician Jack White It has been key to naming the character. In fact, the artist has thanked DC Comics for the gesture on his Instagram account.
