Bob the Goon

"Bob, remember, you are my number one guy."

- The Joker, imitating Carl Grissom.

Bob was the Joker's close trusted friend and first lieutenant among his Goons, until he was shot by the Joker himself.

History
During Jack Napier's career in the mob, his most loyal enforcer and friend was Bob, who defended and protected Jack wherever he went, according to Jack. Bob was always busy trying to accommodate Napier, even in little things such as straightening the mirror or polishing the door handle of Jack's car. In one incident, Lt. Max Eckhardt pulled his gun on Jack, and Bob immediately went to his friend's aid, standing close to him while aiming his own gun at Eckhardt. Bob managed to threaten Batman off of Jack in the Axis Chemical Co. plant with Comm. James Gordon at gunpoint, then escaped, calling for Jack to follow.

Even after the incident that disfigured Napier and shattered his sanity, Bob still remained a steadfast Aide-de-Camp to the newly-dubbed 'Joker'. Bob was always dutifully present at the Joker's side, no matter what the circumstances.

He led the Joker's personal army of thugs, and was appointed to investigate Alexander Knox to find out everything the reporter was trying to dig up on Batman.

Bob performed many chores for his friend, also being dispatched on errands of a more personal nature, such as spying on photojournalist Vicki Vale, to whom the Joker became romantically obsessed. When Bob brought back his report on Knox, he first told Joker of Vicki Vale.

When the Joker arranged to meet Vicki at The Gotham Art museum, Bob enjoyed himself while he was vandalizing the priceless paintings with a dagger, although The Joker stopped him from carving up the Edward Munch picture, Scream. Bob later brings Alicia Hunt to meet Vicki Vale.

After cornering Batman in an alley, Bob fired two shots from his pistol into Batman's chest, causing Batman to jerk, but Bob later realized there was no blood. After observing that Batman appeared to be wearing body armor, Bob, the courage returning in his voice, ordered Batman unmasked. The other henchmen, however, were quickly taken down. Bob himself was then challenged by Batman, but fled the scene.

Bob met his end after Batman ruined the Joker's scheme to poison the public with Smylex. The Joker, looking for somebody to take his anger out on, asked Bob for his gun. Bob immediately obeyed, only to be shot and killed. "I'm gonna need a minute or two alone, boys", said the Joker in a moment of mock reflection.

Other Appearances
Some of the Joker/Jack's goons in the 1989 Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MS DOS, MSX, ZX Spectrum and Amiga video game adaptions of the Batman film are based off Bob, who shoots at Batman. In the first level at Axis Chemicals, he is depicted wearing a trenchcoat, and in the final level at the Gotham Cathedral, he is wearing a Joker goon jacket, like in the movie (in the Amstrad CPC, GX4000, MSX, and Commodore 64 version, he only appears in the Gotham Cathedral Level).

Behind the scenes

 * Tracey Walter was cast as Bob on actor Jack Nicholson's suggestion, since he and Walter are close friends.
 * In the Batman script, Bob is identified as Robert Hawkins. The novelization of the movie confirms this as Bob's actual name. The information card on the back of his action figure card identifies him as Robert "Crazy Bob" Capistrano, although this is not canon.
 * There was a deleted scene in which Bob fought Batman with a knife. Though the scene was cut, it can still be seen in behind the scene's documentaries and trading cards.
 * Bob is theorized by some viewers to be Jack Napier's partner, who mugged Thomas and Martha Wayne moments before Napier shot them dead in cold blood, leaving young Bruce Wayne an orphan and sowing the seeds for his future war on crime as Batman.
 * He is the only Joker Goon from the Burton films to have his own action figure.