In the late 1980s Batman storey, A Death in the Family, the Joker placed the whole free world in jeopardy. The Joker played the role of the Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations in the novel. Ayatollah Khomeini, the Iranian leader, appointed him to the role. Batman couldn't approach him since his diplomatic immunity shielded him from being imprisoned for any of the crimes he committed. His tenure, however, was brief. After bemoaning in his address that both he and the Iranians are "treated with disdain by the rest of the world," he disclosed his actual intention - to poison everyone in the General Assembly – not long after.