April Fools everybody! Yes, it’s that time of year when we inexplicably become absolute arseholes to each other and try to perform all sorts of malicious and unfunny pranks on each other. Not that I don’t like April Fools or anything. It’s not like I was subjected to cruel tortures every year by sadistic school children, regardless of my emotional state of being. I’m not bitter or anything. *humourless laugh*.
Anyway, in celebration of this pseudo holiday hiding its evil nature by masquerading as fun, I’ve decided to compile a list of the top five “super pranksters”. This is a list of super heroes and villains who like to poke fun, set traps and generally cause chaos wherever they go.
DISCLAIMER! This list is my own personal opinion. If you don’t like it then you’re simply being difficult and you should take a long, hard look at yourself. Shame on you.
5. The Riddler
“Riddle me this, riddle me that, who else thought Jim Carrey was funny in that film? Just me? Okay. Yeah, I know it doesn’t rhyme. Sue me.”
Yep, The Riddler. Often regarded as Batman’s most intelligent adversary (which isn’t saying much. All of Batman’s detective work is summed up my him using the Bat-Computer to solve the case. It’s basically an advanced form of Google-Fu), Edward Nigma is obsessed with riddles and puzzles. No, I mean REALLY obsessed. He’s tried to commit crimes without leaving clues for Batman to solve, but he can’t. It’s a serious compulsion of his.
But he makes up for this by inventing incredibly hard to solve riddles and all sorts of question mark themed gadgets and gimmicks, frequently trapping the Dark Knight in almost impossible situations. The great thing about this character is that he doesn’t want to beat or kill Batman, he want’s to prove that he’s smarter than him. Ummm, the guy dresses up like a bat and jumps off of rooftops. I think you might have the edge on him in the brain department, mate. But it’s never enough for him as he continuously pits himself against Batman in a battle of the mind. All I know is, I’d like to see how he’d do on a game show. I think he’d win big time.
4. The Trickster
One of The Flash’s most deadly enemies (And incidentally one of the few I can stand to say aloud. I mean, Professor Zoom? Mirror Master? Captain Cold? Captain Boomerang? Seriously, why “captain”? I wasn’t aware the armed forces put emphasis on freeze guns and boomerang training.), The Trickster is a master of practical jokes where the punch line is DEATH! Well, I say death… I’m not sure he’s actually killed anyone. Okay then, the punch line is CRIME! Yeah, that’ll do.
The Trickster relies mostly on various gimmicks that can be used for nefarious purposes, such as itching powder, potato head bombs, sharpened jacks, exploding rubber chickens, exploding yo-yos, exploding spinning tops. Basically a lot of stuff that explodes. But despite all the fun and games, he’s proven to be a real pain for The Flash, and is possibly his number one foe, being featured prominently in a lot of Flash media, most notably the 1990 Flash TV series in which he was played by Mark Hamill. Hoo boy! You know he’s a cool character if Mark plays him!
3. Mister Mxyzptlk
Y’know what’s worse than a super villain whose just out to cause trouble? A super villain whose just out to cause trouble that can bend the very fabric of reality. An “Imp” from the fifth dimension, Mister Mxyzptlk has made it his life goal to annoy the heck out of Superman. Seeing as he is from the fifth dimension, he is not bound by the laws of our dimension, meaning he can do things that defy explanation or logic, making him the most powerful of Superman’s enemies.
Despite that, he can’t be technically classified as a villain. Why? Because he doesn’t rob banks or kill people etc. Nope, he’s just out to harass Superman. And boy does he do just that. He’s caused all kinds of bother for him. And the only way to get rid of him is to trick him into saying his own name backwards. Huh. That’s almost as stupid a weakness as a glowing green rock. Ah well.
2. Deadpool
Awwww yeah! Here he is! The Merc with the Mouth! Deadpool! He’s a mercenary who likes big guns, bigger swords and Bea Arthur. Oh, and he’s insane. Not only that, he’s perfectly aware of the fact that he lives in a comic book, frequently breaking the 4th wall. He’s also got quite a zany sense of humour, often making fun of everyone he encounters.
The people who are the most frequent recipient of his personal brand of humour are his friends though. Mainly Blind Al, an elderly woman he kept prisoner in his own home, Weasel, his long suffering partner in crime and Bob: Agent of HYDRA, a fan of Deadpool’s who works for HYDRA. But that doesn’t stop him from annoying other members of the Marvel community. He’s pranked everyone, from Spider-Man to Wolverine. I guess when you have an unlimited healing factor you don’t have to be too concerned with consequences.
1. The Joker
He’s the Clown Prince of Crime, the Harlequin of Hate and the Jester of Genocide. The ultimate super villain. The antithesis of sanity and order. Batman’s number one foe. And he loves to laugh. And unlike the Trickster, he has never had a problem with killing people. But the truly demented thing about him is that murder is a joke to him. He only kills when he deems it funny. And let’s just say he’s got a very singular sense of humour. Seeing as he has no superpowers, he frequently relies on tricks and gadgets to get the job done, such as acid-squirting flowers, razor-tipped playing cards, lethal joy buzzers and, of course, his patented Joker Venom, a poison that causes the victim to laugh uncontrollably until they die with a large, creepy smile on their face. Umm…. ba-dum-tish?
Not that he’s adverse to using more rudimentary methods. He’s used knives and guns as well as ordinary explosives. But it’s his ghoulish sense of showmanship that makes him a force to be reckoned with. Add in a dangerous obsession with Batman and you’ve got a guy who is NOT to be messed with. Yep, he will never kill Batman as he simply finds the guy too funny. To be honest, I can see where he’s coming from. I mean, Bat Anti-Shark Spray? Come on. Some of the Joker’s more memorable pranks include torturing Commissioner Gordon, paralysing Batgirl and killing Jason Todd. Wow. Let’s hope he never goes into stand-up.
What do YOU think of these pranksters? Are they as funny as a pie to the face or as stupid as cellophane over the toilet? Seriously, that’s not funny! I mean it! Stop laughing! Anyway, let us know what you think the comments or on Twitter. In the meantime, I’m going to go and repress a few childhood memories.