Trickster Archetype

The trickster archetype has existed within folklore for generations as an entity of immense knowledge, cunning, and chaos, while usually challenging social norms in the name of progress or learning. When this paradigm is applied to the world of comic book villains, it is apparent that the trickster of folklore is the primary model for creating compelling, convincing rogues who challenge and hone their counterparts into better heroes. An examination of the world’s most popular comic book superheroes, such as Batman, Spider-man, and The Flash, reveals that perhaps the most vital aspect to their success rests with a rich and diverse “rogues gallery” of villains. Generally, these rogues’ galleries are populated with a number of tropes lifted directly

from folklore and, specifically, led by a character that embodies the archetype of the trickster.
The trickster is a character that has existed throughout the ages in almost all examples of mythology and folklore. The trickster often displays a abundant amount of intelligence and/or mystical information, which he then may use against the protagonist of the story, or simply against his counterparts. This is commonly manifested in the form of the eschewing of social norms and conventions, the employment of conduct that flagrantly employs taboo and deceit, and the intense desire to only impart knowledge via tricks and games designed to test those who seek enlightenment.
One of the most popular comic book heroes to crossover into worldwide, mainstream popular culture is Spider-man. Aside from the relatable nature of Peter Parker to readers and viewers as a realistic teenage boy with every day worries and problems, much of Spider-Man’s popularity is due to the anthropomorphic nature of his powers. Indeed, Spider-Man’s powers - and weaknesses - are very much based on the characteristics of spiders, from his wall-clinging and web-slinging to his “spider sense” that alerts him to danger just before it occurs. Following this template, Spider-Mans extremely effective rogues gallery consists primarily of villains who similarly rely heavily on anthropomorphism- itself a common trait to, and likely borrowed directly from, the folklore of many cultures. Indeed, a list of Spider-Man villains quickly begins to sound like a literal zoo full of folklore motifs – Chameleon, Vulture, Rhino, Doctor Octopus, Lizard, Scorpion, Jackal, and the Black Cat just to scratch the surface. However, the most well-known and arch villain of Spider-Man’s rogue’s gallery does not draw inspiration from the anthropomorphisms of folklore, but rather the archetype of the trickster.
The Green Goblin, and to a lesser degree his successor Hobgoblin, relies heavily on the mechanisms of the trickster, and this serves to make him the most enduring and dynamic of all of Spider-Man’s foes.

A “Goblin Formula” that has the side effect of making him into a violent madman serves to augment his strength, intelligence, and stamina, making him a considerable foe. The Green Goblin zips around on his bat-shaped “goblin-glider” wielding a bag of varied tricks and often projecting elaborate illusions to confuse his foes. Perhaps his most effective employment of trickery, however, comes from the success of his secret life. Like many comic book heroes themselves, the Green Goblin is, by day, a well-mannered billionaire and CEO of a major corporation. It is during this “civilian” life as Norman Osborn that the Green Goblin exhibits many of the characteristics inherent in the trickster, with his mastery of technology, strategy, business, and influence. These all serve to fuel his chaotic behavior by night, when he dresses up like a creature straight out of the cautionary tales of folklore to wreak havoc on the population and Spider-Man. While the influence of folklore motifs in the character of the Green Goblin may be subtler than that his anthropomorphic rogues gallery peers, the arch villains of other superheroes fly their association with the trickster archetype

proudly.
Perhaps one of the most flagrant uses of the trickster archetype in comic book villains comes to us in comic books featuring “The Flash”.

The Flash, the fastest man on earth, is able to tap into the “speed force” to achieve supersonic speeds that sometimes even allow him to distort the physical characteristics of space and time. As is typical with many superheroes, the Flash mythos contains a fair amount of “mirror-opposite” villains, those who employ extreme cold or other methods that can slow down the speed of the flash, or doppelganger villains, whose powers are very similar to the Flash himself and attempt to foil him by going even faster. However, perhaps the most versatile and remarkable villain in the rogues gallery of the Flash comes to us in the form of a character who literally goes by the name of “The

Trickster”.
The Trickster has existed in multiple incarnations throughout his rich history in comic books. In all of these, however, he has been wholly focused on foiling the efforts of the Flash via various methods of trickery. Sometimes these methods are as simple as exploding toys, and other times they consist of elaborately conceived tests designed to challenge the ability of the Flash to think quickly under pressure and solve puzzles within an unreasonable time constraint. The Trickster is commonly portrayed as funding his exploits via the mechanism of being a “con artist” by day.
Although often portrayed as being comedic in an extremely slapstick manner, the Trickster also displays incredible mental aptitude in the design of his deceits. So cunning is The Trickster, that there is even an instance in which he, with the help of an altruistic superhero by the name of Captain Marvel, managed to pull one over on the earthly incarnation of the devil himself. Instead of being concentrated on destroying the Flash, the Trickster is primarily focused on harassing and testing him. Indeed, there are instances where The Trickster explicitly admits that given the chance, he would have no interest in ending the Flash’s life, because the fun would then be over. The Trickster has appeared in both animated and live-action form outside of comic books, and is most commonly associated with actor Mark Hamill. This is an association that The Trickster shares with perhaps the most well known trickster of comic books.
Mark Hamill is also the definitive voice of the Joker, who stands as the most popular and well known of all comic book villains and the archrival of Batman, who is indisputably the most popular hero of all time. The Joker sits atop Batman’s legendary rogues gallery, a group that employs many various tropes associated with folklore motifs and archetypes. Any selection of Batman villains reeks of folore influence. The Riddler, a bona fide trickster in his own right, uses trickery and riddles to test and hone the mind of Batman. The Scarecrow, a figure in folklore long tied to the mystical boogeyman often portrayed in ragged clothing, fills this role by employing toxins of terror to force Batman to face his greatest fears. The super powerful Bane represents the brute strength of giants and ogres, while Clayface embodies the archetype of the cunning shape shifter. Solomon Grundy, brutally murdered and disposed of in a swamp, rises from the dead to mindlessly seek his vengeance and ultimate release. This is only a small selection of Batman’s long list of classic villains that pilfer their motivations from the history of folklore. Some of these villains rely heavily on the trickster archetype, but non so famously and effectively as the Joker.
On the surface, it is easy to perceive the Joker as a psychopathic criminal mastermind with a maniacal sense of humor. While this is all true, it is in the Joker’s relationship to Batman. With no discernable origin or motivation, and absolutely no superhuman or supernatural abilities, the Joker is wholly focused on challenging the Batman to be better at his job of crime fighting, thereby raising the bar for the Joker himself. It is this dedication and these methods that make the Joker the archetypal trickster. The Joker is not motivated by a particular set of moral concerns but rather by forcing Batman to evaluate his own. It is in this manner that the Joker best represents the trickster of folklore. At his best, the Joker does not act out of a desire for random violence, but as a mechanism of social reflection. The Joker employs his actions in an effort to undermine the “status quo” and expose many of the social, political, and moral duplicities to which the majority of society consciously chooses to remain wholly ignorant. The Joker is not acting out of empirically evil intent, but rather asks the reader what constitutes evil, and wants to inspire Batman to turning a discerning eye towards himself. This characterization runs directly parallel to the typical trickster of folklore, exhibiting aptitudes for cunning intellect, progressive and taboo social engineering, ridiculous shenanigans, theatrical stagecraft, and comedic absurdity while sporadically switching between cruel violence and insightful, innocent eccentricity.