Editing Joker (character) (section)

===Skills and equipment<!--'Joker venom' redirects here-->===
[[File:Joker (DC Comics character).jpg|thumb|The Joker's lapel often holds an acid-spraying flower.]]
The Joker has no inherent superhuman abilities.<ref name="ImpactWhatCulture"/> He commits crimes with a variety of weaponized thematic props such as a deck of razor-tipped playing cards, rolling marbles, [[jack-in-the-box]]es with unpleasant surprises and exploding cigars capable of leveling a building. The flower in his lapel sprays acid, and his hand often holds a lethal joy buzzer conducting a million volts of electricity, although both items were introduced in 1952 as harmless joke items.<ref name="JokerGadgets"/>{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=70}} However, his chemical genius provides his most-notable weapon: "'''Joker venom'''", a liquid or gaseous toxin that sends its targets into fits of uncontrollable laughter; higher doses can lead to paralysis, coma or death, leaving its victim with a ghoulish, pained rictus grin. The Joker has used venom since his debut; only he knows the formula, and is shown to be gifted enough to manufacture the toxin from ordinary household chemicals. Another version of the venom (used in ''Joker: Last Laugh'') makes its victims resemble the Joker, susceptible to his orders.<ref name="BronzeAge6"/><ref name="JokerBioGeek2"/><ref name="WeaponsVenom"/>{{sfn|Manning|2011|pp=69, 124}} The villain is immune to venom and most poisons; in ''Batman'' #663 (April 2007), Morrison writes that being "an avid consumer of his own chemical experiments, the Joker's immunity to poison concoctions that might kill another man in an instant has been developed over years of dedicated abuse."<ref name="Batman663"/>{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=69}}

The character's arsenal is inspired by his nemesis' weaponry, such as [[batarang]]s. In "The Joker's Utility Belt" (1952), he mimicked [[Batman's utility belt]] with non-lethal items, such as Mexican jumping beans and sneezing powder.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=70}} In 1942's "The Joker Follows Suit", the villain built his versions of the [[Batplane]] and [[Batmobile]], the Jokergyro and Jokermobile (the latter with a large Joker face on its hood), and created a Joker-signal with which criminals could summon him for their heists.{{sfn|Manning|2011|pp=70,75}} The Jokermobile lasted for several decades, evolving with the Batmobile. His technical genius is not limited by practicality, allowing him to hijack Gotham's television airwaves to issue threats, transform buildings into death traps, launch a gas attack on the city and rain poisoned glass shards on its citizens from an airship.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=75}}<ref name="IGNJokerStories"/>

The Joker is portrayed as skilled in [[melee]] combat, from his initial appearances when he defeats Batman in a sword fight (nearly killing him), and others when he overwhelms Batman but declines to kill him.{{sfn|Manning|2011|pp=24, 37–38, 105}} He is talented with firearms, although even his guns are theatrical; his long-barreled revolver often releases a flag reading "Bang", and a second trigger-pull launches the flag to skewer its target.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=70}}<ref name="Debut"/> Although formidable in combat, the Joker's chief asset is his mind.{{sfn|Manning|2011|p=38}}