Today is April Fool’s Day, which also makes it the Lord of Laughter’s day. That mountebank of mirth who gives us an excuse to use the word “mountebank” alliteratively. It’s a day for the Joker. Far be it from us to try pranking you here on DC.com, especially when we might risk accusation of trying to upstage the master. That’s a good way to end up with a face full of smilex. So, instead of rolling out our own tricks, we’re pre-emptively appeasing the Clown Prince of Crime by celebrating the greatest tricks he’s ever pulled this side of making a pencil disappear.

(Please help me.)
 

The Laughing Fish

Gun to our head (which…funny we should mention that), we’d say that the Joker’s most definitive caper is in Detective Comics #475, where after contaminating the fish of Gotham City’s harbor to bear his face, the Joker claims a copyright on all fish sales in the city. It’s the sort of…er, genius that only a brilliant mind like the great Joker could possibly ever hatch. So much so that Joker recently returned to this motif for an encore performance in the debut issue of Batman: H2SH.

What? No, we’re not accusing the Joker of repeating material. It’s called a running gag. It’s funny!
 

Surf’s Up! Joker’s Under!

The 1960s television adaptation of the Joker was arguably his most mirthful incarnation to date, with waxy makeup covering the prominent mustache which framed his giddy laughter. Through three seasons, the Joker’s wackiest scheme by far was the use of his “Surfing Experience & Ability Transferometer & Vigor Reverser” to steal the surfing ability and technique from a champion surfer so he might win a valuable surfing competition trophy for himself. Although Batman ended up winning the prize himself, this occasion was the first time that the Joker defeated him in another competition: as the beach’s most colorful surfer.

(Batman, please. I’m buying all the time I can. Get over here.)
 

Stealing Christmas

One of the first Batman comics most experts recommend is The Long Halloween, a moody year-long exploration of Gotham City as Batman wends his way through a mystery encountering each of his most notorious nemeses. Every issue celebrates a different holiday, and Christmas is for the Joker. How does the Exulted of Exuberance celebrate? Not with torture, or maiming, or mass murder, but a Grinchian theft of Christmas baubles. Sometimes the greatest prank the Joker could pull is upending expectations by leaving everyone alone.

Doesn’t that sound great? Wouldn’t it be so funny if the Joker just let everyone go? That would be hilarious, right? Right? I’m just saying!
 

Joker for Mayor

Hey, come to think of it, you know what’s even funnier than letting Christmas slide? Giving up crime all together. One of the funniest chapters in the Joker’s recent history was in season three of the Harley Quinn animated series, where the Joker announced his completely legitimate campaign to run for mayor on a socialist platform—all so he could get his girlfriend’s kids into a Spanish immersion program. The funniest part: Joker ended up being one of the most progressive and productive political figures in the city’s history, cleaning up the corrupt police force and ensuring that the city’s wealthy elites like Bruce Wayne paid for their crimes against the people. In fact, don’t you think it would be great if—no? Too far? Yeah, okay. I have more, I promise!
 

The Joker’s Comedy of Errors

1951’s Batman #66 is perhaps one of the most notorious Joker issues for its emphasis on…famous blunders through history. Deflecting his own…mishaps, the Joker embarked here on a world-famous crime spree to rue the day we ever said the word—can we say it? Am I allowed? Even in the original context? I don’t even know. 1951 was a different time. Look, it rhymes with “zoner” and at the time was a slang-term for a careless mistake. I’m really caught right now between my editor and…erm, nobody else. No one is threatening my life right now. Haha! Why would you even think that? I’m fine. It’s all fine.
 

Make ’Em Laugh

If you’ve ever had a good laugh at the expense of ridiculous villains like the Condiment King, you owe your thanks to the Joker. It was in this episode of Batman: The Animated Series that the Joker created this mustard miscreant by transforming the pliable mind of one of his comedic rivals in a former life. Laugh it up all you like, but remember it’s always the Joker who gets the last—

Hey, what’s that in the skylight?
 

Alex Jaffe is the author of our monthly "Ask the Question" column and writes about TV, movies, comics and superhero history for DC.com. If anyone has any information on his current whereabouts, please inform the appropriate authorities or any currently operating member of the Bat-Family.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Alex Jaffe and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.