Joker Venom

**Joker Venom**is the Joker's signature weapon and is a toxin which is the Clown Prince of Crime's favorite murder weapon in the Batman comics, movies, video games and TV show's.

## Effects

### Lethal

Contact with Joker Venom causes uncontrollable spasms of laughter, followed by a painful death. Some have speculated that the toxin hyperstimulates the laughter functions of the brain, leaving the victim unable to breath. It is also possible that this drug contains the tetnus toxoid is responsible for lock jaw. Victims often exbit a grotesque grinning expression due to the spasms of facial muscles.

### Non-Lethal

The venom causes uncontrollable laughter, but instead of dying, their faces are usually pulled into an unusually large grin. Artists often stylize the effects, adding yellowed teeth, bulging eyes, paleness, etc. similar to the features of the Joker himself. Prolonged exposure to the non-fatal forms can cause permanent brain damage.

## In Other Media

### DC Animated Universe

Joker Venom first appeared in the episode "Last Laugh", where it is presented as a gas, created from mixing a number of chemicals and garbage together. When inhaled, it is not immediately lethal but death is hinted at the end. Instead, it causes the victim to break out into fits of laughters and lose all rationality, something that the Joker uses

   as a distraction while he and his men loot Gotham. Unlike later presentations, Joker shows no immunity to the Venom here; he can be seen donning a gas mask similar to a driver's helmet.

Later on, Joker develops several variants of the toxin, including the fish-affecting and binary compound strains. He also stores the gas inside the flower on his lapel, to be used as a secret weapon. The venom was eventually depicted as being lethal, with the Joker's former partner Sal Valestra being the first victim as being killed by it. Batman often had an antidote on hand to prevent the toxin's early victims from dying.

### The Batman

In this version, it is called "Joker Gas" and "Laughing Gas", and simply places victims into comas while freezing their mouths into enormous smiles. Joker's first crime involved using Joker Venom prominently, as he intended to

   burst a hot air balloon filled with the Joker Venom on a statue in the heart of Gotham City, exposing the entire city to the gas.

A lethal variant showed up later on, it should be injected into a victim with a snake-like needle. This version of the venom is in the form of a liquid and slowly kills the victim in 24 hours, and in the meantime, causes them to break in uncontrollable fits of laughter. By the end, Batman is able to make an antidote to this venom as well. A gas variant is also lethal which can cause victims die laughing.

### Batman (1989)

The Joker Venom, renamed "Smilex", was featured in the 1989 Batman movie. Here, Joker hinted he created it all by himself, as he had previously worked in a chemical plant before his transformation. Joker holds the city at his mercy by chemically altering everyday hygiene products to become components for the toxin, causing people to

    become poisoned by the Venom if they use a certain combination of products.

As Batman destroys the factory where he is manufacturing the products, Joker tries to kill the city with Smilex, this time by leading a parade with balloons filled with the gas form of the toxin, which he intends to pop when enough people are gathered. To lure people to the parade, he begins to throw thousands of dollars in cash onto the streets, but before he can release Smilex, Batman intervenes, towing the balloons away with his Batwing. Here, Joker shows no immunity to it, he can be seen donning a gas mask during the parade.

### The Dark Knight

Joker Venom had no appearances in the movie, but Joker's preferred method of murder is carving Glasgow smiles into the faces of his victims and applying makeup similar to his own might be a subtle reference. Additionally some theorize that the gas grenade stuffed in the Gotham National Bank's Manager's mouth could be Joker Gas. In the book, Hamlin began hysterically laughing and dies in the middle of a resteraunt with Sal Maroni discovering he was poisoned by some herb possibly from China, Tibet or Korea.

### Arkhamverse

Joker Venom appears as an obstacle in many areas, and often has to be removed somehow before Batman can proceed. Falling into the gas can result in Batman laughing uncontrollably until dying and the toxin attacks the nervous system of it's victims, causing a slow, painful death. The toxin is very dense, and sinks to the ground, allowing would-be victims to climb to a higher point to safety. There was also an obstacle attached to some security consoles which could lead them to stun Batman if he failed to hack them in time. Joker Venom was also used during Christmas Eve to kill a bank manager.