Hydra leader Red Skull has a terrifying take on a signature Joker weapon that would make even the Clown Prince of Crime concerned. The Joker has been known to be one of the most horrifying villains that anyone in the DC universe could ever face. He’s a criminal that has brought irreparable harm to countless innocent lives and even fan-favorite heroes. Only a few of his most notorious acts have included the murder of Jason Todd and the devastating assault on Barbara Gordon, all of which were showcased in a recent Joker comic that flipped the MCU’s incredibly satisfying ending. However, on top of these iconic moments in villainy, he also has a signature calling card.
The Joker utilizes a special type of “laughing” gas in his crimes to spread fear across Gotham while letting the living know that it was him. Originally dubbed “Joker Venom” and later becoming more well known as “Smilex,” the gas is a toxin that causes unsuspecting victims to begin laughing uncontrollably. This leads to them eventually suffocating to death while leaving behind a haunting smile reminiscent of the Joker himself. It’s a pretty scary way to go since it causes the victims to not be able to breathe, but Captain America’s arch-rival Red Skull actually found a way to make Smilex seem more tolerable.
Red Skull, also known as Johann Schmidt, is the leader of the nefarious Hydra organization and has been attempting to work in the shadows ever since the end of World War II to spread fascism. However, this doesn’t stop him from showing the world that he’s still out there with his chemical concoction called the “Dust of Death.” While the chemical make-up is different from the Joker’s Smilex since it’s a virus, it still has a similar purpose while having a more terrifying effect. Best shown in Mark Gruenwald and Kieron Dwyer’s Captain America #350 from 1989, the unfortunate souls that breathe the dust quickly feel its effects as their skin begins to melt. It leaves them dead with nothing left of their face than a horrified red skull, telling the world that they fell at the hands of the notorious Hydra leader.
While the effects of the Dust of Death are later described as “the rapid mummification of his victim’s faces,” it’s undeniably clear that this is the more painful option between the two. Just witnessing Commissioner Rockwell’s face mirror the fate of Major Arnold Toht in Raiders of the Lost Ark is enough to make readers want to take Smilex if given the option. It just appears far more painful to imagine one’s skin to slowly melt as it rapidly mummifies. It’s an absolutely horrid way to go.
While Smilex and the Dust of Death have similar purposes, it’s clear that Red Skull wanted to find a way to take things further when sentencing his victims to death. It goes without saying that he found it. While Smilex is certainly a scary thing to face since it means people suffocate, the Dust of Death is just a whole other level as it pretty much turns the victim’s face inside-out. Red Skull has found the ultimate weapon to use against his enemies, and it says a lot when even the Joker himself would say it’s one step too far in a terrifying direction.
