- "It'll be a long time before anyone catches me in another Art Gallery."
- ―Baby Jane Towser[src]
"Baby" Jane Towser was a wealthy gullible heiress who took an instant liking to the Joker's work with art and decided to become his muse, unaware that she was just a pawn for his crimes.
History[]
Baby Jane with the judges looking at an artist's painting.
Nothing much is known about Baby Jane Towser's past except that her father was filthy rich and she was the heiress of the Towser Paper Clip Fortune.
She first appears hosting an art contest at the Gotham City art center where the Joker is one of the competitors. Baby Jane introduces each of the competitors and tells the audience that they have three minutes to make a painting and at the end, the judges would decide the winner and award a grand prize.
She fires the starter's pistol and all the artists set to work displaying different ways of creating art, but Baby Jane is surprised to see that Joker looks like he hasn't even started.
The crafty villain assures her that he has almost finished. The time is up, Baby Jane fires the pistol again to end the contest and goes with the judges to decide which painting is the winner. After looking at each one with admiration they finally go to the Joker's painting "Death of a Mauve Bat" that appears to be completely bare, but Joker assures them that it's bare because the bat was dead in 1936. Baby Jane is impressed and sees the painting as symbolic of the emptiness of modern life.
After discussing with the judges, Baby Jane announces Joker as the winner and says that his painting would be hanging in the Gotham City Museum.
Joker adds that he will be opening up an art school for millionaires and Baby Jane immediately wants to sign up calling Joker "a big hunk of genius".
Bruce Wayne the world famous philanthropist and a friend of Baby Jane who was amongst the audience who watched the contest, signs up too and Baby Jane admires the way Joker says that the rich, the wellborn and the able all have talent.
The next day, Baby Jane is at the Joker art institute making a sculpture of the Clown Prince of Crime himself which flatters him.
Baby Jane at the Joker's art institute.
Suddenly after the Joker criticizes Bruce Wayne's work and the two argue, the villain's henchmen burst in and take all the students hostage. Baby Jane is shocked, but the villain says that he is an artist of a special breed and tells them all that he has already sent out notes to their families demanding each of their valuable Renaissance Art collection in exchange for their lives or else he will chuck them to the bottom of the river. The henchmen then tie them up.
Robin suddenly appears through the window and with Bruce Wayne attack the Joker and his men, but they are easily overpowered and taken away while Baby Jane and the rest of the students watch in horror as the felonious funnyman reveals that he had a nasty surprise in store for Batman (unaware that Bruce Wayne is Batman. He thinks of him as a coward too afraid to face him.) and Robin and takes them to a sinister trap.
While Baby Jane is watching the Joker celebrating his success, she urges Joker to untie them but he only unties her, none of the others and even insults one of the students much to her disapproval, but Joker makes an excuse saying that artists are not required to be nice only talented.
She watches him go back to his room where he hopes to of killed Robin, but he suddenly comes back terrified and begs for support from her. Baby Jane nearly refuses until she falls for the villain's charms as he tells her that he is attracted to her and feels that she is still impressed by his paintings. Touched by his words, the gullible girl forgives him.
Bruce Wayne and Robin who escaped the Joker's deadly trap arrive and precede to arrest him. Baby Jane tells them that the Joker hasn't stolen anything, she will not press charges about the kidnapping and blackmails the other students into doing the same.
Victorious, the Joker leaves with Baby Jane arm in arm while Bruce and Robin untie the other students.
Later at Baby Jane's mansion, the heiress treats the Joker to a chicken dinner and gives him as much chicken as he wants for his "muse". She asks him how he gets his ideas for his paintings and the crooked Clown says that they're from inspirations by his muse and beautiful admirers. She wants to truly inspire a work of art. Joker promises her that she will.
Suddenly the Joker tells her that he has an idea for a master piece and has his henchman cover Baby Jane's priceless antique dining table with paint and chop it to pieces. Baby Jane at first is horrified, but the Joker tricks her into thinking that this table would produce a memorable work of art.
Afterwards the Joker goes around with Baby Jane admiring the pieces of the table and telling her that these paintings should be hanging in the Gotham City Museum. The heiress at first protests saying that the place is already filled up and doesn't want to replace the paintings with the Joker's.
The villain looks hurt and tells her that he will find another inspiration, Baby Jane finally gives in and allows the Joker to have her father's key to the Towser wing of the museum. That same night while Joker and Baby Jane are hanging up the paintings, his henchman are stealing the Towser Renaissance art collection and taking it back to the Joker art Institution.
Baby Jane being held hostage by the Joker.
Later the Joker ties up and gags her. Baby Jane finally sees the villain's true colors and is held there by his henchman.
While she is still tied up, the Joker is tricked and attacked by the Dynamic Duo, but quickly leaves the room while his henchman are fighting them and takes Baby Jane with him to Wayne Manor to get some getaway cash and revenge on Bruce Wayne.
They arrive and after using the heiress and a pistol as an assurance that he gets the money is lead by the butler Alfred Pennyworth to the lounge where he shoves Baby Jane on a sofa next to Harriet Cooper who ungags her.
They both watch as Alfred and the villain have a sword duel which the Joker loses and runs away in the direction of Bruce Wayne's study.
She is later talking to Mrs. Cooper who assures her that it wasn't her fault but blames herself for being so gullible. Batman and Robin suddenly appear and assure them that the Joker has been captured and that Alfred is safe. Baby Jane apologizes to Batman for what has happened. But Batman assures her that it was an easy mistake to make. She goes on to tell him that it will be a long time before anyone catches her in another art gallery.
After this it is most likely that she is returned home to her mansion.
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- Baby Jane wasn't an able assistant to the Joker like most of them. She was just a gullible girl who was easily persuaded to join in the Joker's criminal activities.
Gallery[]
