Bang! flag pistol

The Joker has been depicted using a joke pistol gag item that produces a "Bang!" flag when the trigger is pulled. It is often used to catch enemies off guard or toying with them. In some stories, the "Bang!" flag can be fired from the pistol at opponents. According to Joker when first using it on Sidney, it was actually a spear gun.

History[]

It first appeared in Batman #321, when the Joker murdered one of his henchmen Sidney just because he wasn't laughing at one of his jokes. It has only made a few other appearances since.

In Other Media[]

Live-Action[]

Batman: During the Skirmish of Gotham Cathedral, Joker uses a revolver to hold Vicki Vale hostage at the Old Gotham Cathedral. Whilst waltzing with her, he holds the gun to his head, threatening suicide and pulls the trigger, releasing the flag, which makes Vicki scream with fright. After laughing at the gag, Joker tosses the gun away.

Animated[]

Batman: The Animated Series: During the opening sequence of "Harley and Ivy", the Joker demands that Harley Quinn give him a gun to fire at the pursuing Batmobile. However, it's revealed to be a flag gun, enraging him. Harley meekly responds, "You didn't say which gun."
In the uncensored version of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Joker threatens his henchman Bonk with a customized gun after Bonk speaks out against him. After Bonk reacts with fear Joker pulls the trigger, revealing the flag. However, after a few seconds of letting the gang believe he was kidding, Joker pulls the trigger a second time, which fired the flag as a lethal projectile, killing Bonk. (However, in the censored version, the gun produces a deadly gas which makes Bonk laugh himself to death instead of firing the flag.) In the uncensored version of the flashback of Joker's final encounter, Joker Jr. used the same gun to kill the Joker himself, with Joker earlier giving the gun to him to shoot Batman with it, or as he put it, "deliver the punchline." (the edited version instead altered the scene to imply that Joker made a gun specifically to turn Batman into another Joker like them only for him to refuse outright).
In the animated adaptation of Batman: The Killing Joke, much like in the source material, the Joker accidentally used it against Batman in an attempt to shoot him after recovering his discarded gun, causing him to toss it in irritation (especially when he was partly affected by Batman's revelation that not only did Joker fail in breaking James Gordon, but that Joker may be alone in his madness all along).

Video Games[]

Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe: the Joker's "Killing Joke" fatality involves him "shooting" his opponent with a Bang! flag pistol. After dropping it and beginning to laugh, Joker pulls out a real gun and executes them. This fatality was also mimicked by Shang Tsung in the 2011 Mortal Kombat reboot.
Batman: The Enemy Within: During the "Villain Joker" outcome for "Same Stitch", Joker uses a Bang! flag gun during his fight with Selina Kyle. Like most depictions, it is depicted as a gag object rather than an actual weapon.

Gallery[]

Images[]

Videos[]

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe - The Joker's "Gunshot" Fatality