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The Joker at times employed his high-voltage Joy Buzzer that electrocuted his enemies. The Joy Buzzer was simply a classic handshake-buzzer gag comedy item which employed considerably more voltage in shocking its victims.

This particular weapon was the most recurrent in all of the Clown Prince of Crime's sinister arsenal.

History[]

Joker's Joy Buzzer 01

The first use of the joy buzzer in Batman #73

The Joker often used his Joy Buzzer among his vast arsenal of comedy-themed weapons. Like his other weapons, that novelty device was specially modified to be extremely lethal. Unlike an ordinary joy buzzer which merely vibrated, the Joker's joy buzzer administered a dose of actual electricity into whoever touched it, and was able to stop their heartbeat within seconds.

The Joy Buzzer's first appearance was in Batman #73, where it was used to distract a policeman so that Joker and his gang could escape. In later appearances, countless characters fell victim to Joker's joy buzzer both lethal and non-lethal.

The Joker's most common usage of the device was to offer his unsuspecting victim a friendly handshake. Once they clasped hands, the Joker simply squeezed to release the electrical current, which took only a few seconds for his victim's heart to stop.

The Joker sometimes used it like a taser, attacked his opponent directly without offering a handshake, and simply grabbed his opponent with it. He also had a non-electric version of his Joy Buzzer, which utilized a simple needle that was tipped with Joker Venom. That was seen during Batman: The Killing Joke, when Joker used it to kill the owner of a run-down amusement park, and thus made the land his own.

Media Depictions[]

Live-Action[]

Batman 1960s tv series and movie[]

Joker 1960s joy buzzer

The Joker shocking the Penguin and the Riddler in Batman (1966 film)

"Have a shake on me!"
―The Joker, before he shocked the Penguin and the Riddler[src]

The Joker used that device sometimes as a good nature joke, while at other times, stunned his victims out for a few minutes.

In the episode The Funny Feline Felonies, he also used a more lethal version that caused the victim to lose his five senses one by one, just before their lungs collapsed.

Batman 1989 film[]

Joker's Joy Buzzer

The Joker's Joy Buzzer in Batman

The Joker employed a customized Joy Buzzer that electrocuted Antoine Rotelli into a smoking corpse when he refused to take part in his criminal scheme. It was spoofed in a July 1989 issue of MAD, which had a spoof of the 1989 film, where Joker (spoofed as "the Jerker") used it on someone with one goon who remarked that it had 40,000 volts and another goon commented: "You should see his Whoopee cushion!"

Birds of Prey TV Series[]

Joker bzzz

The Joker using a Joy Buzzer against Batgirl in Birds of Prey TV series

Joker use Joy Buzzer to shock Batgirl in his final battle with Batman. In this version, Joy Buzzer don't need a full contact with a body. It shooting a high voltage electric bolt to the victim wich push it back.

Animation[]

DC Animated Universe[]

In Batman: The Animated Series, the Joker employs both a harmless joy buzzer and a more harmful-electrified variant. The former is used often as a harmless prank whilst the latter is often used in fighting opponents. An electrified joy buzzer is also used to start the Jokermobile during the episode "Joker's Wild". He used the harmless variant in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm on himself, to emulate the wrong answer buzzer when correcting Arthur Reeves' claim that Batman was responsible for the murders of most of the Valestra gang and revealing it was actually a third party.

During Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Joker uses an electric Joy Buzzer during his final battle with Terry McGinnis, using it to incapacitate Ace when he attempted to attack him. The Joy Buzzer is later used to finish off the Clown Prince of Crime by Batman, who uses it to destroy Joker's DNA-altering chip and restore Tim Drake.

Batman: The Killing Joker film adaptation[]

In addition to the Joker Venom tipped variant he used in the comic, Joker also attempts to use his standard electrified joy buzzer on Batman during the final confrontation. However, Batman is able to respond before he can do so, damaging the device and forcing Joker to discard it.

Video Games[]

Tie-In games[]

The Joker is often depicted as using the Joy-Buzzer in various tie-in games to various Batman media. These including the NES version of Batman: The Video Game, where it is depicted as being able to summon localized strikes of lightning, and the Genesis version, where it can summon electrical waves on the ground.

LEGO Video Games[]

The electrified joy-buzzer features as one of the Joker's weapons from LEGO Batman: The Videogame to LEGO Dimensions. In the games, it is used either as an offensive weapon and to power LEGO generators. The gadget is also used against player characters in Joker's boss fights. Though it appears in cutscenes for LEGO DC Super-Villains, the joy-buzzer is never used in game.

Batman: Arkham series[]

Joker's joy buzzer is referenced at several points in the Batman: Arkham games, though never appears in its story mode. In Joker challenge maps in Batman: Arkham Asylum, the player will use it to in combo-takedown attacks. The joy-buzzer is also used in a brief section during Batman: Arkham Origins as part of his hallucinatory fight during his psychotherapy with Harleen Quinzel. Joker also references using the device on an abandoned theme park's owner, referencing the poison-tipped variant used in The Killing Joke.

Batman: The Enemy Within[]

In the final episode "Same Stitch", Joker will begin utilizing an electrified joy-buzzer in his vigilante or criminal activities. However, the gadget is never presented as being lethal, being used to instead stun opponents or play harmless pranks on victims.

Behind the Scenes[]

The device's use by the Joker is based on the popular misconception that the classic joy buzzer actually produces an electric shock. In fact, traditionally, the joy buzzer traditionally only produces a vibration that feels somewhat like a shock to those not expecting it.

Appearances[]

video games[]

Gallery[]

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