Throughout the character 's long history , there have been several different origin tales ; they most commonly depict him as falling into a vat of chemical waste , which bleaches his skin and turns his hair green and his lips bright red , giving him the appearance of a clown . Similarly , throughout the character 's long history , there have been several different origin tales ; they most commonly depict him as falling into a tank of chemical waste , which bleaches his skin and turns his hair green and his lips bright red , giving him the appearance of a clown .