Batsuit
Encyclopedia
The Batsuit is the costume
of the fictional character
Batman
, a superhero
appearing in DC Comics
. Though the suit has been drawn many different ways by different artists, and the stories themselves have described Batman as modifying the details of his costume from time to time, it is most often depicted as consisting of a scalloped cape, a bat-like cowl, a pair of gloves with blades on the sides, boots, a yellow utility belt
, and dark briefs
over a tight-fitting body suit
with the image of a bat emblazoned on the chest, either as a part of a yellow ellipse or black entirely.
Batman wears this costume both to conceal his identity, and to frighten criminals. Most versions of the Batsuit incorporate some form of body armor, and often night-vision, gas filters, and other aids to combat effectiveness or protection. All versions of the outfit incorporate a utility belt
containing a variety of crimefighting equipment.
portrayal simply flying in an open window, in Post-Crisis continuity such as Batman: Year One
, dramatically crashing through the glass). Seeing that "criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot," Bruce adopts the persona of a bat in order to conceal his identity and strike fear into his adversaries. Subsequent origin tales have had Bruce terrified by bats as a child, and observing a bat costume worn by his father at a costume ball, but the primary impetus of his decision to adopt the bat persona has always been the incident of the bat coming in the window of his study. It is as a result of this incident that the Batsuit was developed.
had created. The bat symbol on the chest has also alternated from a simple black bat to a bat design on a yellow ellipse. The yellow ellipse was introduced in 1964 as part of the "New Look" Batman stories, and was meant to be a connection to the Bat-Signal
. In the continuity of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
the yellow ellipse design was deliberately meant as a target, attracting a potential gunman's aim to the heavily armored chestpiece, and away from Batman's unarmored face. A subsequent issue of Shadow of the Bat re-established the concept. Other elements, such as the utility belt and the length of the cowl's ears, have been changed by various artistic teams.
are worn over a unitard
or union suit
, similar to the garb of early 20th century circus performers. Batman #1 revealed that there is a ballistic vest sewn into the costume. In modern depictions, the briefs are integrated into the main costume, so that section of the costume constitutes only a seam and color change from the rest of the suit. The bodysuit has varied in color and style as depicted by different artists: grey tights with dark blue briefs, light blue tights etc.
The Post-Crisis version of the bodysuit is not constructed from simple fabric, but from fictional advanced materials that give it resistance to tearing. In addition, the suit also contains various defense and protection mechanisms layered into the suit's fabric. The basic version of the Batsuit is insulated against electricity and is mildly fire resistant. Batman utilizes many different body armor designs, some of which are constructed into his Batsuits, and others which are separate. In its most basic version, the suit is bulletproof around the upper torso and back. Other versions are entirely bulletproof to small arms fire, and have advanced flexible armor plating. In Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman wears a basic batsuit throughout the game but can unlock a new "Armored" batsuit after completing the main story-line. The armored suit is much bulkier and features heavy plate armor on the torso and limbs and segmented armor on the joints and neck.
. This eventually evolved into a more cape-like design of varying length. Some artists draw the cape with protrusions on the shoulders, likely representing the "thumb" part of a bat's wing, though this is not a consistent addition. The cape is occasionally depicted as bulletproof.' The cape varies according to the current writer, sometimes being depicted as bulletproof and fire resistant, and other times being nothing more than simple fabric that tears easily and sustains constant damage and is continuously replaced. For example, in the Batman: The Animated Series
episode "Robin's Reckoning", Batman fell through a floor heavily compromised by machine-gun fire and landed badly, hurting his leg. He ripped up his cape and used some pieces of broken wood to make an impromptu ankle splint
. In the video game "Batman: Arkham Asylum" the batsuit is damaged many times over the course of the game, the cape being torn and ripped severely.
The cape may also incorporate Nomex
fire-resistant/retardant material (as demonstrated in the film Batman Forever
and the Knightfall novelization by Denny O'Neil) and a Kevlar
weave to slow the impact of bullets. The cape ends also contain some sort of weight tips that prevent the cape from getting tangled or blowing in his face in windy conditions. The weights can also be used for offensive purposes, like striking an enemy by whipping the cape around. This device was expanded in The Dark Knight Strikes Again where the ends of the cape contained razor-sharp blades which Batman used to slice through several corrupt government officials.
In the 2005 film
Batman Begins
, the cape was also used as a sort of wingsuit; when an electric current was applied to the cape, the shape-memory fibers (much like Shape memory polymer
) aligned into a semi-rigid form resembling a bat's wings, allowing Batman to glide over the streets and rooftops of Gotham. A hang-glider version of this concept was presented in Batman Returns
, in which a harness folds out of the cape to make it a rigid wing-like structure, then folds back when the wearer rolls forward on the ground after landing. In the show Justice League
Batman ejected from the Batplane
with his cape acting as a parachute using a harness. After Dick Grayson
took over the identity of Batman, he and Damian Wayne
, the new Robin
and Bruce Wayne's biological son, developed a "para-cape" for their costumes which gives them an ability to glide. However, at the beginning, Grayson finds that the new cape has too much weight. The 2009 video game
Batman: Arkham Asylum
also gives Batman the same gliding ability as in Batman Begins.
In the 2010 comic book mini-series Batman Beyond, Dick Grayson explains that there is also a tactical reason for adding a cape to the costume: misdirection. It "hides the body, makes it difficult to know where to strike" when Batman moves. However, a flashback reveals that after armor-piercing rounds from the Joker's gun penetrated the cape, it saved Bruce but Dick, who was behind him, was critically wounded. It explains why Bruce eliminates the cape on the Batman Beyond
incarnation of the Batsuit, as he'd rather be the one who got shot instead of others.
has sometimes served other purposes. Occasionally, the cowl is depicted as having defense mechanisms such as electric shock or stun gas in order to prevent unauthorized removal (as shown in The Dark Knight
, Batman: Hush
and Justice League of America #24). In Batman Begins
, Bruce Wayne mail orders the materials to build the cowl through a maze of untraceable shell companies. To avoid suspicion, Wayne orders very large quantities of 10,000, each part sent to different location, and under different aliases. However, because some meta-human criminals have the power to see through solid objects, Batman also lines the cowl with lead
to protect his identity. That property is absent in The New Batman/Superman Adventures
crossover "World's Finest", where Superman saw through Batman's cowl with ease, it is unknown whether modifications were made later. The cowl also contains shifting lenses that identifies suspect's identities, as well as their weak points (through medical records), while simultaneously avoiding the possibility of eye identification (presumably why he has solid white eyes in his animated appearances). The cowl has special visions, like infrared vision (heat sensors), night vision, and ultraviolet vision. The cowl's visor is also a digital camera for obtaining evidences. Also, in The Dark Knight
, Batman uses a sonar
concept (via Cellphone) introduced by Lucius Fox
. This technology is utilized by using echolocation to triangulate objects via cell phones. Recently (in Detective Comics #838), it's been revealed that Batman also has an echolocation system in the cowl. In Batman: The Animated Series
, Batman wears a special motorcycle helmet
when riding his Batcycle
that is molded with bat ears to accommodate his cowl's ears. In Batman: Arkham Asylum
, Batman extensively uses a sophisticated "detective mode" vision enhancement built into the cowl that allows him to see enemies in darkness, including through walls, see their condition and state of alertness, and detect and identify hidden objects and analyze evidence. It also gives him the white eyes while it is activated.
In addition, one of the cowl's ears carries a high-gain antenna for an internal comm-link on the left side of the cowl, allowing Batman to stay in contact with his allies. The comm-link can also scan police radios and other communication frequencies. It also carries an inertial navigation unit to keep him in balance when facing foes such as the Scarecrow
or Count Vertigo
. The cowl's Kevlar panels provide a level of protection for his head against firearms. The front of the skull and the sides of the temples also have small armor inserts to increase the effectiveness of skull strikes and protect from concussive blows. Repeated encounters with the Mad Hatter
also forced Batman to shield his cowl against the villain's mind control. Its basic design has remained unchanged; however, it has been frequently updated to advance Batman's crusade. The one aspect of the cowl that does undergo variations is the ears, although the length and pointiness of the ears is supposedly primarily due to the style of the artist drawing Batman, and tends not to be tied to the functionality of the cowl in any way. In Batman: The Brave and the Bold
, the cowl's ears can change lengths for various uses. However artist Karl Kerchl has drawn Batman's costume vault showing that he has a wide selection of cowls with ears of different lengths.
Despite that Dick Grayson's cowl is supposedly has the same features as Bruce Wayne's, Grayson often finds it interferes his peripheral vision
when wearing it.
In Batman: Cacophony
, during Batman's hunt with the masked serial killer Onomatopoeia
, the Dark Knight reinforced one of his cowls with a secondary armor beneath its kevlar headpiece with bloodpack lining in anticipation of being shot in the skull, to create an opportunity to fake his own death to get himself closer to the villain. This was based from assassin Deadshot
's helmet designs.
worn below the glove around the wrist. In Batman Begins
these bracers are part of the costume of the ninja sect Wayne trained with, painted black - this set are hard enough to slice Ra's al Ghul's
sword into many pieces. Traditionally, the scallops serve a defensive purpose and are used to defend against bladed weapons, such as swords or knives. In The Dark Knight
, Batman is given enhanced gloves with which the fins can be launched by pressing a button and fired to become like throwing stars. Towards the end of the movie, Batman launches them at The Joker effectively incapacitating him. Additionally, the gloves have been specially treated to be both shock-proof as well as radiation-resistant. The glove designs that incorporate fingertip blades also have joint armor-reinforcement in the glove, from the wrists and knuckles to the fingers. He also has electrical shockers in the fingertips of his gloves, which are used to control the structure of his cape. Additionally, Batman hides a few pieces of his arsenal in his gloves, such as a lock pick. Also as stated in the Batman hand book, the knuckles of the glove contain a small amount of lead
shot to increase the force of his blows, however this has yet to be seen in the comic book series. Similar knuckle reinforcement can be seen in the video game Batman: Arkham Asylum
, where Batman actually sprays his knuckles with an explosive gel to drastically increase the force of a punch; the explosion effectively destroys his glove, and nearly breaks his arm.
In Batman & Robin, the boots have ice skates built into them.
and the realization that being shot while wearing such protection should still be avoided, has led to the costume being re-imagined with varying forms of bulletproof protection which employs the aforementioned use of the suit's chest symbol to lure shots at the armor's strongest point. Despite the armor, Batman almost always evades gunfire and is very rarely actually shot. In the 1989 film "Batman", one of the Joker's men shoots Batman nearly point-blank in the chest. The suits body armor saved his life yet the force was still enough to briefly render him unconscious. Although the suit often included a neck-brace and other preventative bracing, after recovering from his spinal cord injury (the result of Bane
's attack), Batman reinforced the armor with a material to dampen shocks and impact, along with a spinal brace, to protect him from such abuse. The Batsuit also has a magnetic signature harness, allowing Batman to attract his body to a gargantuan metal object (like a plane).
During The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul
, Batman acquired an ancient suit of armor from Talia al Ghul
, The Suit of Sorrows. According to its legends, it can impart strength and speed of its wearer but also would completely corrupt anyone whose heart and soul is not pure. At first, the Dark Knight was dubious of the legend, but eventually experienced an aggressive behavior while wearing the armor during patrols. Batman later learns from a member of The Order Of The Pure, a splinter faction of The Order Of St. Dumas
, that the armor once belonged to a knight named Geoffrey de Cantonna, who massacred hundreds of people in an alpine valley
in 1190. The Suit of Sorrows becomes one of the trophy displays within the Batcave, to remind the Dark Knight that he must be ever vigilant not only in his crusade against crime, but also himself. The new Azrael takes up wearing the suit eventually.
In all eight one-shots of Bruce Wayne: The Road Home, which sets after the events of Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne
, show that Batman has developed an exosuit mimicking Amazo
's capability of copying metahuman
powers, includes Superman
's heat vision, superspeed which is labelled with SF as in The Flash's speedforce, Martian Manhunter
's invisibility, emitting a Green Lantern
's ring's energy, a lasso
mirroring Wonder Woman
's Lasso of Truth
, and superstrength. There is a design flaw on this suit: it uses too much power to keep it functioning. Thus, Batman must only use it for a limited amount of time. Lucius Fox also supplies Bruce Wayne and his son Damian a pair of experimental jetsuit prototypes. They can provide artificially enhanced strength and endurance as well as short-range flight capability. The prototypes are considered too risky and expensive for operational military use, allowing the Waynes to utilize them for the family's Batman Inc. project.
's utility belt is his most characteristic prop, much like Wonder Woman
's Lasso of Truth
, or Green Lantern
's ring
. The exact contents of this belt are not known because Batman usually changes it to suit his needs. His uncanny ability to carry unusually appropriate tools is legendary. Batman's enemies are especially interested in the utility belt as they believe it will give them an advantage over him, but the belt's compartments are locked and only Batman knows how to open them (except on one condition in Justice League
, when Lex Luthor managed to open it and in an episode of The Batman
"The Cat and the Bat" Catwoman stole Batman's utility belt and managed to open the cylinders.) Occasionally, the utility belt is depicted as having defense mechanisms such as electric shock, locks, marker paint, or stun gas in order to prevent tampering. The belt is almost always yellow in color, and the look of the belt is usually depicted as having either capsule-like cylinders or military style pouches to store his equipment in.
The array of devices Batman carries have become more complex over time. The simple coiled rope and batarang
scaling equipment became a rocket-powered (or compressed-air-powered) grapple gun. The suit has also carried on different occasions a re-breather device, flash and gas grenades, explosives and a detonator, lockpicks, a signaling device for the Batmobile
, electronic surveillance equipment (including video camera and monitor), a forensic kit for gathering crime scene evidence, a medical kit, a small toolkit, a homing device, a cache of money and, in early incarnations, a pistol in a holster. On any occasion where Batman anticipates encountering Superman
, he has also carried (in a lead case) a Kryptonite
ring given to him by the Man of Steel as a weapon of last resort (in some instances, Batman has acquired - or manufactured - the kryptonite himself, such as Frank Miller
's The Dark Knight graphic novels). One exception to this is seen in Kingdom Come
, since in that novel, Superman has become impervious to kryptonite.
variant of his costume, a fireproof version for fighting his enemy Firefly, a thermal insulated version for fighting Mister Freeze, as well as others. Many versions of the hero, including those shown in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
, Kingdom Come, Batman Beyond
and Batman versus Predator, show him swapping his cloth costume for a suit of powered armor.
story arc (1992–1994), the character Jean-Paul Valley
redesigned the Batsuit during his tenure as Batman. Rather than appearing as a new costume, Jean-Paul developed it over time. Valley created an armored suit that contained more gadgets, including a shuriken launcher, flamethrower and other, more lethal weapons. This version of the suit did away with the traditional cape and cowl. It featured armored and bladed wings and was highly bulletproof, capable of sustaining direct machine gun barrages as well as enduring the explosions from grenades and high intensity fire. The suit also featured an underwater rebreather
. A circular ammo feeder affixed to the back of the suit provided Valley with continuous bat-shaped shuriken. It was then made to be more high tech, with the eyes appearing more as goggles, different color scheme, and more armor. After being caught in an explosion during his fight with the former Batman at the time, Bruce Wayne, the main color scheme turns into orange-and-yellow. This suit has often been seen as a reaction to occasional fan criticism that the Batsuit should have been more high-tech for the modern age. While the suit bears immense power, it also seems to slow its user's speed and limit movement capacity. In the end, the suit became Valley's vulnerable point, as Bruce realized that his replacement had become too reliant upon the suit's gadgetry. In their final confrontation, Bruce, in his traditional bat costume, tricked Valley into discarding the armor by leading him into a narrow tunnel that forced Valley to remove most of the armor to follow Bruce. Upon seeing Bruce revealed in his Batsuit under blinding daylight after being forced to remove his helmet – the last part of the armour Valley had kept – Valley's fragile mind collapsed, and he acknowledged Bruce as the true Batman.
The gauntlets from this costume are now being used by Kate Spencer
, the current Manhunter
, who obtained them from an LAPD
evidence room. They had been used by a small-time crook who unsuccessfully robbed the safe of a Gotham lawyer who keeps information on all his supervillain clients' loot.
's live-action films. The costume is also much sturdier than his regular costume, as it is made of Kevlar for added protection. Batman designs it with his encounter with Bane in mind. The gauntlets and boots for this Batsuit are also one piece, connected seamlessly to the arms and legs. By Robin #14, Batman substitutes the original gloves and boots for ones of more protective quality, citing his encounter with the Russian Troika. Later in No Man's Land, Batman replaces the utility belt, which uses capsules, for a utility belt with the standard military style pouches.
Also, the gloves which Bruce used during his tenure have been replaced by gauntlet-type wrist attachments, their coloring making them appear similar to the original Batman's glove color scheme. These attachments feature two scallops while Bruce's traditionally has three (although that there are some artists draw three scallops).
Lastly, during the Dark Knight's battle with the Red Hood, Jason Todd shoots Batman in the chest, noting that although the suit was lined with Kevlar and the symbol was copper-plated, him shooting Dick in the chest would still hurt. After shooting Batman, the symbol is blown out of the costume, showing a mesh of fiber underneath.
Rejected concept art by Tony Daniel
showcased an outfit that was visually similar to the costume of Earth-Two
's Dick Grayson. Another concept sketch by Frank Quitely
depicted a plated design that heavily resembled the Batsuit worn by Bruce Wayne in the film The Dark Knight.
, he designs another Batsuit which differentiates from Dick Grayson's (concept drawings by artist David Finch) and adds further upgrades. It is notably similar to the Troika outfit, but unlike that Batsuit, this suit includes a full set of electronics, including a heating and cooling system, secure broadband communications, and is capable of emitting an electromagnetic pulse
, which disrupts electronic devices around him (such as rooftop security cameras). For combat efficiency, Batman added projectiles on the gauntlets to incapaticate opponents and retractable knives on the boots' soles.
The shield is no longer just a bat-themed insignia adorned on the chest area. It can be used as a wide-beam flashlight and intimidating opponents, therefore could be "powered down to black or gray so that it camouflages itself when necessary."
, Batman wears another version of the Batsuit. It is designed by artist Jim Lee
. This Batsuit appears using various elements from Christopher Nolan
's Batman films. Just as in The Dark Knight, it is made of hardened kevlar plates on titanium-dipped tri-weave fibers and is broken into multiple pieces of armor over a more flexible bodysuit for greater mobility. The gloves are made of a dense but malleable leather with ribbing on fingers (palm side), raised piping and convex metal knuckles (topside). Mesh detail appears just beneath the palm and inside the three recessed louver-like shapes located on both topside. The blades on the sides of Batman's gauntlets are now retractable and are capable of firing outwards as projectiles. The utility belt is now a convex metal ampules form, its buckle is made of beveled metal platelets. The back of the belt has an intricate containment device and can be detached to be used as a tool. Batman also adapts a para-cape that aerodynamically support himself for gliding.
and Hanna-Barbera
, including The Batman/Superman Hour
(1968–1977), Super Friends
(1973–1986) and The New Adventures of Batman
(1977), Batman's costume consistently resembles the blue and gray Batsuit of the Silver Age comics.
In Batman: The Animated Series
(1992–1995), the Batsuit overall appears to be a cross between the "New Look" costume and the original Bob Kane
design; the suit's chest emblem and utility belt are similar to the "New Look" version, but the cape and cowl have Kane's original color scheme of black with blue highlights. Occasionally the cape and cowl appear to be woven in one piece, and when he's not fighting the cape is usually seen covering Batman's entire body below his head. The costume lacks any armor qualities, instead being merely a body suit with no apparent special features and it often becomes torn in serious fights. It is occasionally seen packed in Bruce Wayne's luggage or in his vehicles, and it is made clear that he has numerous spares. In the episodes "P.O.V." and "Zatanna", it is shown that he hides lock picks and blades within his gloves in preparation of when his wrists being bound by handcuffs or ropes. The exact design and coloration of the suit was not always consistent in the series, as various animation studios worked on separate episodes. Flashbacks shown in the episodes "Robin's Reckoning
" and "The Mechanic", as well as in the animated spin-off film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
(1993), show Batman in an alternate costume that, according to the book Batman Animated
, was based on the Batsuit from Batman: Year One
.
In The New Batman Adventures
(1997–1999), Batman's physical appearance was revamped. The Batsuit's colors became darker overall and the utility belt uses pouches instead of capsules or cylinders; the belt's color was changed from yellow to a very pale light brown. His gloves also have extended scallops and his chest emblem is changed into a complete bat with no yellow ellipse. The blue highlights of his cape and cowl are removed although there are some grey highlights on the shoulders of the cape, and the cape itself is redesigned to reach over his shoulders, even when it is not covering his entire body below the head. This Batsuit is based on his original Bob Kane
design, and his modern comic book appearance. He also has an alternate suit of black armor (debut in the episode "Torch Song") capable to withstand extreme heat and flame (such as Firefly's attacks) and presumably bulletproof as well.
In Justice League
(2001–2004), Batman was again redesigned and his uniform was given a mixture appearance of the previous two suits. The Batsuit is basically the same as in The New Batman Adventures, but has the blue highlights from the original series' costume. Additionally, the artists added certain modifications to foreshadow the futuristic costume variant (see below), including the lengthening of the "ears" on the cowl from Batman Beyond, and the addition of heels on the boots. This Batsuit is a combination of all the Batsuit designs from Batman The Animated Series with the color scheme, The New Batman Adventures design, and the long-ears from Batman Beyond. This design is also re-used in Justice League Unlimited
(2004–2006). A "Justice Lords
" version of the Batsuit worn by an alternative-universe incarnation of Batman featured lighter gray colors on the cape, cowl and chest, and jet black on the rest of the bodysuit. The cape was also extended to cover the upper torso and shoulders entirely, with the Bat insignia embedded into the chest portion. The insignia itself was also changed to become more angular, and was colored a metallic silver. The Justice Lords Batsuit also did not use separate colors for the "underwear" portion, and had a silver-gray utility belt, and the gauntlets had no scallops.
In Batman Beyond
(1999–2001), an extremely different variant of the Batsuit is featured. The new costume does away with the traditional individual articles of clothing and appears to be a simple black bodysuit with a red chest emblem, and the cowl also covers Batman's whole face. However, this version is more than a simple costume. Form fitting and highly responsive, it's actually a "powered suit", similar to an artificial powered exoskeleton. Originally, Bruce designed the suit for himself and wore it to aid his aging body, as the series' storyline was set years after Justice League. Terry McGinnis
would be Bruce's future successor and became the suit's primary wearer from then on. Giving Terry increased strength, and equipped with sophisticated built-in gadgets similar to Jean Paul Valley
's variant, it is unlike any other Batsuit in the DCAU
. This costume is used in the Superman/Batman comics in which Terry makes his first appearance. Of its many features, the most frequently used are a set of retractable wings and jet boots which, together, allow for flight, an active camouflage
system which renders him nearly invisible
, and a two-way radio
and surveillance
system that allows Bruce to see and hear everything Terry does and give him advice. It is also revealed in the episode "April Moon" that the suit's technology was designed by Dr. Peter Corso, a medical scientist who specialized in prosthesis
. Repeated encounters with Inque led Bruce and Terry to add electroshock circuitry to protect himself or to disable an opponent. The original utility belt was capsulized like Batman's original belt, but as of "Epilogue," which is set 15 years after Batman Beyond, Terry has replaced the capsule belt with more traditional pouches. In the episode "Disappearing Inque", Bruce showed Terry a prototype Batsuit that resemble the Bat-armor from DC Comics's award-winning comic book saga Kingdom Come
; this Batsuit can increase Bruce's endurance and offer him some protection, but hindering his movements due to its size and puts a strain on his weakened heart.
(2004–2008), the Batsuit looks very similar to the costume from Batman: The Animated Series, but has shorter 'ears' on the cowl to make the Batman look more like a "boxer", has claws on the fingertips of the gloves, a slightly redesigned bat symbol with shorter scallops with the yellow ellipse on his chest, a more high-tech computerized utility belt
linking to the Batcave's computer system
called the "Batwave"; The oval shaped buckle can be removed and used for several purposes, such as controlling the Batmobile, the Batbot, or as seen in "The Cat and the Bat" fly remote-controlled batarangs. It also has a longer cape that, just like the DCAU costumes, sometimes covers his entire body below the head. In the episode "Fleurs Du Mal," shown that the suit is linked to the Batwave, to monitor his physical and mental activities. Despite this regular default Batsuit, Batman uses some other variations of the Batsuit as well in the series to tackle certain situations and villains.
(2008), a DC Universe Animated Original Movie set between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, details of the Batsuit are shown. The suit has many characteristics of the Batman Begins suit, but on the segment "Field Test
," Batman upgrades the suit with an advanced motion scanner that has an electromagnetic gyro which produces a magnetic shield capable to deflect small-arms fire before he abandons it. On "In Darkness Dwells," it is shown that there's an infrared
scope built within the cowl, along with a rebreather
that can be folded within it. There's a wireless relay communicator in the cowl. Its signals are locked with quantum cryptology and bounced through a dozen different satellites (presumably the WayneComs). As per the animation styles the suit varies between versions of the Batman Begins costume and the Comic Book costumes.
(2008–present), Batman wears a slightly modified version of the blue and gray suit worn during the Silver Age comics. According to the show's creators, this was deliberately done to invoke a less dark and violent depiction of Batman following the release of The Dark Knight.
Though similar in appearance to the older costumes, this Batsuit is unique in and that it possesses a much larger amount of gadgetry than any other costume shown to date, and has many characteristics of the Batsuit in Batman Beyond. Thus far, this version of the Batsuit has been shown to not only contain multiple batarangs and other standard Bat-paraphernalia, but also a collapsible sword, wings, deep space gear, scuba equipment, and multiple rocket thrusters. Also, the emblem on Batman's chest can now transform into an emergency Batarang, becoming hard and rigid after being exposed to some sort of magnetic field emitted by the suit. Also the 'ears' on the mask can become long blades with the push of a button, sharp enough to pierce a robot's head.
In the episode "Game Over for Owlman," the villain Owlman
steals one of Batman's costumes that looks identical to the original Detective Comics #27 design, and commits a series of crimes to frame the Caped Crusader. In a flashback sequence from the episode "The Color of Revenge," Batman is shown wearing a slightly different costume that has the chest emblem from the Golden Age comics. In another flashback during "The Golden Age of Justice", a much younger Batman is shown wearing the original Bob Kane outfit during training sessions with the Justice Society.
of the 1960s, starring actor Adam West
, featured a blue-purple and gray version of the Batsuit with a noticeably shorter cape and tiny ears. There were also light blue eyebrows painted on the cowl. In keeping with the campy
nature of the series, the devices on the utility belt were often used as gags, with one of the most bizarre items being a thermos for storing alphabet soup. In one episode, Bruce Wayne carried two capsules that when dropped in a glass of water became full-sized costumes for Batman and Robin, complete with utility belts. In the crossover episode featuring The Green Hornet
, Britt Reid refers to Batman's costume as a "goofy purple cape."
's Batman films feature a black Batsuit with the yellow ellipse emblem, yellow utility belt, heavy armor placed on the chest, forearms, and boots, with the chest armor incorporating the bat-emblem. This becomes the basic template on which all subsequent live-action Batsuits are based. On several occasions in the live-action films, Bruce Wayne's appearance in this Batsuit template has been likened to that of "A giant bat", especially when his cape is spread wide in front of terrified criminals.
In Batman
(1989), the basic design of the suit, done by Bob Ringwood, is essentially the Neal Adams
version of the costume, which was still in vogue in the comics during the 1980s. This movie suit was notable for its introduction of the grapple gun, which was later adopted by the comics, for the black eye makeup worn under the mask, which has been used in every live-action Batman film since, and for the construction of the cowl, which made it impossible for actor Michael Keaton
to turn his head while wearing it. The costume was constructed of heavy materials (foam rubber
in real life, special body armour in the context of the film), instead of the thinner material seen in the comics. While Bruce Wayne is depicted as a muscular man in the comics, Keaton was not of the same physical build and the armor was designed to make Batman appear that way.
(1992), Bruce is seen choosing his Batsuit and accessories out of many spares from a large walk-in closet carved into a wall of the Batcave. The suit used in this film differs slightly from the previous version, being that it was made out of a thinner, slightly more flexible foam rubber material and featured a more angular shape in the musculature of the armor that is shown to have weak areas (most notable when Catwoman
is able to pierce the side of the suit after feeling for weakness in it). It also features a bat-emblem more similar to the DC Comics emblem than the previous film's costume and the gloves' scallops appear to be metal spikes instead of rubber ones. At one point in the film, Batman's cape is shown to be able to change into a glider that allows him to glide through the sky.
's Batman films are known for their addition of rubber nipples to the Batman and Robin
costumes (on the DVD commentary, Schumacher claimed they were inspired by statues of the Greek gods), though they are noticeably absent from the secondary suits Batman wears during the climax of both films.
In Batman Forever
(1995), the Batsuit is somewhat similar to the previous two films' costumes, except for the focus on a more anatomical design overall and a black utility belt instead of a yellow one. The "ears" on the mask are also longer. One notable feature of the costume is a button on the utility belt which causes a fireproof coating to excrete from and cover the cape, allowing Batman to wrap it around himself as a shield from extreme fires, and a more 3-D bat emblem on his chest. Also like in Batman Returns, Bruce has numerous spares which he keeps in a large dome-like structure in the Batcave of this film. Dr. Chase Meridian, the film's love interest for Batman, mentions the appeal of Batman's suit as she runs her fingers across the chest section. After all of the regular Batsuits are destroyed by the Riddler
, Bruce is forced to use a prototype "Sonar Suit", which is an iridescent silvery-black and more armor-like. This new Batsuit utilizes lenses that slide automatically over the cowl's eyeholes to display a sonar-generated image of Batman's surroundings to him, allowing him to see with more accuracy in extreme darkness or glare. The Batsuits in this film were created from a less dense mixture of foam rubber, which resulted in much lighter suits and allowed more flexibility for actor Val Kilmer
and the various stunt doubles, while increasing durability. More than 100 Batman and Robin costumes were created to allow for the range of stunts, from underwater scenes to scenes involving fire and extreme fighting. The basic Batsuit of Batman Forever was subsequently used by director Christopher Nolan
when auditioning actors for the lead role in Batman Begins, and was worn by actors Christian Bale
and Cillian Murphy
among others.
. As in Batman Forever, the basic Batsuit of this film also features nipples and a comically-enlarged codpiece
.
(2005) is given the most complete description ever seen in a Batman film and possibly the comic books. The suit is derived from Lucius Fox
's Research and Development Program, within Wayne Enterprises' Applied Sciences Division. It is described by Fox as a Nomex
survival suit originally intended for advanced
military use, but was considered to be too expensive for the United States Army
and military in general. Based on an advanced infantry armor system constructed from Nomex, the first layer of protection is an undersuit with built-in temperature regulators designed to keep the wearer at a comfortable temperature in almost any condition. The second layer of protection consists of armor built over the chest, calves, thighs, arms, and back. This armor features a kevlar
bi-weave that can stop slashing weapons and can also deflect any bullet short of a straight shot impact, and reinforced joints that supposedly allow maximum flexibility and mobility, which Batman finds still hinders his movements due to its weight. The armor is then coated with a black latex material for camouflage and to dampen Bruce's heat signature, making him difficult to detect with night-vision equipment. Made of a graphite
material, the cowl
acts as a protective helmet. The cowl's Kevlar lining is supposed to be bulletproof. A manufacturing defect in the graphite used in the production of the first shipment of the cowl's components made its outer shell incapable of withstanding blunt trauma (a flaw Alfred demonstrates to Bruce using a baseball bat). The second shipment (not shown) was supposed to fix this problem. They have to order a shipment of over 10,000 components to avoid suspicion. An advanced eavesdropping device is concealed within the cowl's right ear and enables Batman to listen in on conversations from a distance.
The utility belt is bronze in color and is a modified climbing harness, with magnetized impact-resistant pouches and canisters attached to the belt at ergonomic points for ease of reach. It carries a magnetic gas-powered grapple gun, an encrypted cell phone, Batarang
s which resemble ninja throwing stars cut in the shape of a bat, a medical kit, smoke bombs, mini explosives, periscope, remote control for the Batmobile (the Tumbler), mini-cam
, money, and other unspecified equipment. Batman removed the belt's shoulder and chest straps because they constricted his movements.
Batman's cape is made of "memory cloth," also developed by Lucius Fox. It is essentially flexible in its normal state, but becomes semi-rigid in a fixed form (Batman's wings in the movie) when an electric current is passed through it from the microcircuits in the palms of his gloves. To acquire the cloth, Bruce claims that he wants to use it for "BASE-jumping," whereas to acquire the main components to the Batsuit, he says he's "borrowing" it for "spelunking" (though Fox is a little confused and asks Bruce if he really expects to run into a lot of gunfire while cave-diving).
Bruce also adds metal gauntlets with scallops on the forearms, an innovation derived from his experience as a pupil of Ra's al Ghul
's organization, the League of Shadows. Mainly used to block against knives or other stabbing weapons, Bruce managed to surprise Ra's by breaking the blade of his ninjaken in multiple places with the gauntlets.
The left boot heel contains a high frequency sonic "sounder" which can summon bats (first seen in Batman: Year One
).
Prior to the latest upgrade to the Batsuit in the next film, Batman still used the original less flexible Nomex based suit. During a fight scene it is shown that he has hydraulic assistance that allows him to bend a gun barrel and tear through the sheet metal of a van while chasing after the Scarecrow. The last example shown of the modified Batsuit was when Batman jumped from a parking garage ledge, he landed directly on the van while moving at high speed and crushed its roof.
(2008), the Batsuit is changed later in the film, due to Batman's growing frustration over his overall lack of mobility. In this new design, the bodysuit is made of hardened kevlar
plates on titanium
-dipped tri-weave fibers and is broken into multiple pieces of armor over a more flexible bodysuit for greater mobility. As a trade-off, however, the flexible armor leaves Batman more vulnerable to injury from bullets or knives in favor of increased flexibility and lighter weight. The cowl of the Batsuit, which in previous film incarnations has been attached to the shoulder and neck, is now a separate component inspired by the design of motorcycle helmets, allowing the wearer to freely swivel and move his neck without moving the rest of his upper torso (by personal request of Bruce as 'it would make backing out of the driveway easier') as was characteristic in all the previous cinematic versions of the Batsuit. Also, a strong electric current runs through it that prevents anyone except Bruce from removing it, further protecting his identity.
In this Batsuit, the iconic blades on the sides of Batman's gauntlets are now retractable and are capable of firing outwards as projectiles. The bat emblem is smaller than the one in Batman Begins and it bears a greater resemblance to the Batman logo that has been associated with the rebooted film franchise.
The suit again has an external 'memory cloth' cape, but, now has the ability to fold into a backpack shape as demonstrated during the base jump in Hong Kong. It is unclear in the film if once deployed, as a glider, it can return to this backpack shape automatically. According to costume designer Linda Hemming this backpack idea was developed, at the request of Nolan, as a fall back if the cape were to get caught up in the rear wheel of the Batpod in motion. However, the concept was not used in the Batpod sequences after the film crew realised they had failed to account for the motion of the Batpod blowing the cape behind the rider, keeping it free from the rear wheel.
One notable modification was made to the utility belt; an air-powered charge-firing rifle, which allows Batman to fire timed explosive charges from considerable distances and can be folded into two halves into a box-like shape to fit into his utility belt's compartment.
The Batsuit also has "sonar-vision", where signals emitted by mobile phones are converted into images in a similar way to echolocation
, in which bat
s use sound to see. In order to view the images, lenses fold down from Batman's cowl to cover his eyes. Aesthetically this gives Batman, for the first time on film, the 'white eyed' appearance he is always depicted within the comic books and various animated films/television series.
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
of the fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
appearing in DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. Though the suit has been drawn many different ways by different artists, and the stories themselves have described Batman as modifying the details of his costume from time to time, it is most often depicted as consisting of a scalloped cape, a bat-like cowl, a pair of gloves with blades on the sides, boots, a yellow utility belt
Batman's utility belt
Batman's utility belt is one of the most characteristic portions of Batman's costume. Similar belts are used by the various Robins, Batgirls, and other members of the Batman family.-History:...
, and dark briefs
Briefs
Briefs are a type of short, tight underwear and swimwear, as opposed to styles where the material extends down the legs.In the case of men's underwear, briefs, unlike boxer shorts, hold the wearer's genitals in a relatively fixed position, which make briefs a popular underwear choice for men who...
over a tight-fitting body suit
Unitard
A unitard is a skin-tight one-piece garment with long legs and sometimes long sleeves. It differs from a leotard in that a leotard does not have long legs. The garment can be considered to be a combination of a leotard and tights...
with the image of a bat emblazoned on the chest, either as a part of a yellow ellipse or black entirely.
Batman wears this costume both to conceal his identity, and to frighten criminals. Most versions of the Batsuit incorporate some form of body armor, and often night-vision, gas filters, and other aids to combat effectiveness or protection. All versions of the outfit incorporate a utility belt
Batman's utility belt
Batman's utility belt is one of the most characteristic portions of Batman's costume. Similar belts are used by the various Robins, Batgirls, and other members of the Batman family.-History:...
containing a variety of crimefighting equipment.
Origin
While brooding in his study over how to be a more effective crime fighter, Bruce Wayne saw a bat come through his window (in the earliest Detective ComicsDetective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
portrayal simply flying in an open window, in Post-Crisis continuity such as Batman: Year One
Batman: Year One
"Year One", later referred to as "Batman: Year One", is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein...
, dramatically crashing through the glass). Seeing that "criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot," Bruce adopts the persona of a bat in order to conceal his identity and strike fear into his adversaries. Subsequent origin tales have had Bruce terrified by bats as a child, and observing a bat costume worn by his father at a costume ball, but the primary impetus of his decision to adopt the bat persona has always been the incident of the bat coming in the window of his study. It is as a result of this incident that the Batsuit was developed.
Color scheme
Batman's cape, cowl, gloves, briefs, and boots are usually either of two colors: Black (Usually with blue highlights) or blue entirely. The blue highlights on the black are there in order to show detail and give the illusion of three-dimensionality. Over time, the initial blue highlight spread out over the previously black cape and cowl to become the dominant color. Thus artists' renditions depict the costume as black and gray or blue and gray. During the 1990s following Bruce Wayne's return to costume after the events of the KnightsEnd storyline, he utilized an all black costume that incorporated some armor advancements that Jean-Paul ValleyAzrael (comics)
Azrael is the name of several fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are a group of assassins who were created by The Order of St. Dumas to "enforce god's will"...
had created. The bat symbol on the chest has also alternated from a simple black bat to a bat design on a yellow ellipse. The yellow ellipse was introduced in 1964 as part of the "New Look" Batman stories, and was meant to be a connection to the Bat-Signal
Bat-Signal
The Bat-Signal is a distress signal device appearing in the various interpretations of the Batman mythos. It is a specially modified Klieg searchlight with a stylized symbol of a bat attached to the light so that it projects a large Bat emblem on the sky or buildings of Gotham City...
. In the continuity of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a four-issue comic book limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller, originally published by DC Comics under the title Batman: The Dark Knight in 1986. When the issues were released in a collected edition later that year, the story title for the first issue...
the yellow ellipse design was deliberately meant as a target, attracting a potential gunman's aim to the heavily armored chestpiece, and away from Batman's unarmored face. A subsequent issue of Shadow of the Bat re-established the concept. Other elements, such as the utility belt and the length of the cowl's ears, have been changed by various artistic teams.
Basic suit
The basic foundation of the Batsuit is a tight-fitting bodysuit, similar to many superheroes. In early depictions, contrasting briefsBriefs
Briefs are a type of short, tight underwear and swimwear, as opposed to styles where the material extends down the legs.In the case of men's underwear, briefs, unlike boxer shorts, hold the wearer's genitals in a relatively fixed position, which make briefs a popular underwear choice for men who...
are worn over a unitard
Unitard
A unitard is a skin-tight one-piece garment with long legs and sometimes long sleeves. It differs from a leotard in that a leotard does not have long legs. The garment can be considered to be a combination of a leotard and tights...
or union suit
Union suit
A union suit is a type of one-piece long underwear. Created in Utica, New York, United States, it originated as women's wear during the 19th-century United States clothing reform efforts, as an alternative to constricting garments, and soon gained popularity among men as well...
, similar to the garb of early 20th century circus performers. Batman #1 revealed that there is a ballistic vest sewn into the costume. In modern depictions, the briefs are integrated into the main costume, so that section of the costume constitutes only a seam and color change from the rest of the suit. The bodysuit has varied in color and style as depicted by different artists: grey tights with dark blue briefs, light blue tights etc.
The Post-Crisis version of the bodysuit is not constructed from simple fabric, but from fictional advanced materials that give it resistance to tearing. In addition, the suit also contains various defense and protection mechanisms layered into the suit's fabric. The basic version of the Batsuit is insulated against electricity and is mildly fire resistant. Batman utilizes many different body armor designs, some of which are constructed into his Batsuits, and others which are separate. In its most basic version, the suit is bulletproof around the upper torso and back. Other versions are entirely bulletproof to small arms fire, and have advanced flexible armor plating. In Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009 action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics' Batman developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...
Batman wears a basic batsuit throughout the game but can unlock a new "Armored" batsuit after completing the main story-line. The armored suit is much bulkier and features heavy plate armor on the torso and limbs and segmented armor on the joints and neck.
Cape
As different artists have taken over the responsibility of drawing the character, the details of the suit have changed considerably. The original incarnation of the cape was a wing-like structure inspired by drawings by Leonardo Da VinciLeonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
. This eventually evolved into a more cape-like design of varying length. Some artists draw the cape with protrusions on the shoulders, likely representing the "thumb" part of a bat's wing, though this is not a consistent addition. The cape is occasionally depicted as bulletproof.' The cape varies according to the current writer, sometimes being depicted as bulletproof and fire resistant, and other times being nothing more than simple fabric that tears easily and sustains constant damage and is continuously replaced. For example, in the Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
episode "Robin's Reckoning", Batman fell through a floor heavily compromised by machine-gun fire and landed badly, hurting his leg. He ripped up his cape and used some pieces of broken wood to make an impromptu ankle splint
Splint (medicine)
A splint is a device used for support or immobilization of limbs or of the spine.It can be used:* By the emergency medical services or by volunteer first responders, to immobilize a fractured limb before the transportation; it is then a temporary immobilization;* By allied health professionals such...
. In the video game "Batman: Arkham Asylum" the batsuit is damaged many times over the course of the game, the cape being torn and ripped severely.
The cape may also incorporate Nomex
Nomex
Nomex is a registered trademark for flame resistant meta-aramid material developed in the early 1960s by DuPont and first marketed in 1967.- Properties:...
fire-resistant/retardant material (as demonstrated in the film Batman Forever
Batman Forever
Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Returns , with Val Kilmer replacing Michael Keaton as Batman...
and the Knightfall novelization by Denny O'Neil) and a Kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
weave to slow the impact of bullets. The cape ends also contain some sort of weight tips that prevent the cape from getting tangled or blowing in his face in windy conditions. The weights can also be used for offensive purposes, like striking an enemy by whipping the cape around. This device was expanded in The Dark Knight Strikes Again where the ends of the cape contained razor-sharp blades which Batman used to slice through several corrupt government officials.
In the 2005 film
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
Batman Begins
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
, the cape was also used as a sort of wingsuit; when an electric current was applied to the cape, the shape-memory fibers (much like Shape memory polymer
Shape Memory Polymer
Shape-memory polymers are polymeric smart materials that have the ability to return from a deformed state to their original shape induced by an external stimulus , such as temperature change....
) aligned into a semi-rigid form resembling a bat's wings, allowing Batman to glide over the streets and rooftops of Gotham. A hang-glider version of this concept was presented in Batman Returns
Batman Returns
Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman , and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.Burton originally did not...
, in which a harness folds out of the cape to make it a rigid wing-like structure, then folds back when the wearer rolls forward on the ground after landing. In the show Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
Batman ejected from the Batplane
Batplane
The Batplane, later known as the Batwing, is the fictional aircraft for the comic book superhero Batman. The vehicle was introduced in "Batman Versus The Vampire, I", published in Detective Comics #31 in 1939, a story which saw Batman travel to continental Europe...
with his cape acting as a parachute using a harness. After Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
took over the identity of Batman, he and Damian Wayne
Damian Wayne
Damian Wayne is a fictional character in the . Damian is the child of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, and thus the grandson of Batman villain Ra's al Ghul....
, the new Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
and Bruce Wayne's biological son, developed a "para-cape" for their costumes which gives them an ability to glide. However, at the beginning, Grayson finds that the new cape has too much weight. The 2009 video game
2009 in video gaming
The year 2009 saw the release of many video games, including several sequels.-Events:-Scheduled releases:List of games scheduled for release in 2009 in North America....
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009 action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics' Batman developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...
also gives Batman the same gliding ability as in Batman Begins.
In the 2010 comic book mini-series Batman Beyond, Dick Grayson explains that there is also a tactical reason for adding a cape to the costume: misdirection. It "hides the body, makes it difficult to know where to strike" when Batman moves. However, a flashback reveals that after armor-piercing rounds from the Joker's gun penetrated the cape, it saved Bruce but Dick, who was behind him, was critically wounded. It explains why Bruce eliminates the cape on the Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
incarnation of the Batsuit, as he'd rather be the one who got shot instead of others.
Cowl
In addition to concealing his features and contributing to his imposing appearance, Batman's cowlCowl
This article is about the garment used by monks and nuns. For other uses, see Cowl or Cowling .The cowl is an item of clothing consisting of a long, hooded garment with wide sleeves. Originally it may have referred simply to the hooded portion of a cloak...
has sometimes served other purposes. Occasionally, the cowl is depicted as having defense mechanisms such as electric shock or stun gas in order to prevent unauthorized removal (as shown in The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight (film)
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins...
, Batman: Hush
Batman: Hush
Hush is a 2002-2003 comic book story arc that ran through the Batman monthly series. It was written by Jeph Loeb, penciled by Jim Lee, inked by Scott Williams and colored by Alex Sinclair. The story depicts a mysterious stalker called Hush, who seems intent on sabotaging Batman from afar, and it...
and Justice League of America #24). In Batman Begins
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
, Bruce Wayne mail orders the materials to build the cowl through a maze of untraceable shell companies. To avoid suspicion, Wayne orders very large quantities of 10,000, each part sent to different location, and under different aliases. However, because some meta-human criminals have the power to see through solid objects, Batman also lines the cowl with lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
to protect his identity. That property is absent in The New Batman/Superman Adventures
The New Batman/Superman Adventures
The New Batman/Superman Adventures is a name given to a rerun package series that combined Superman: The Animated Series with The New Batman Adventures produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It aired from 1997-2000 on Kids' WB...
crossover "World's Finest", where Superman saw through Batman's cowl with ease, it is unknown whether modifications were made later. The cowl also contains shifting lenses that identifies suspect's identities, as well as their weak points (through medical records), while simultaneously avoiding the possibility of eye identification (presumably why he has solid white eyes in his animated appearances). The cowl has special visions, like infrared vision (heat sensors), night vision, and ultraviolet vision. The cowl's visor is also a digital camera for obtaining evidences. Also, in The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight (film)
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins...
, Batman uses a sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
concept (via Cellphone) introduced by Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox is a fictional character appearing in Batman comic books by DC Comics. He was created by Len Wein and John Calnan, and first appeared in Batman #307 . As a supporting character, he acts as Bruce Wayne's business manager who supposedly unknowingly runs the business interests that supply...
. This technology is utilized by using echolocation to triangulate objects via cell phones. Recently (in Detective Comics #838), it's been revealed that Batman also has an echolocation system in the cowl. In Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
, Batman wears a special motorcycle helmet
Motorcycle helmet
A motorcycle helmet is a type of protective headgear used by motorcycle riders. The primary goal of a motorcycle helmet is motorcycle safety - to protect the rider's head during impact, thus preventing or reducing head injury or saving the rider's life...
when riding his Batcycle
Batcycle
The Batcycle is the fictional personal motorcycle of comic book superhero Batman. In the comic book universe, Batman's personal Batcycle is a modified street-bike with a 786 cc liquid-cooled V-4 engine. It contains a computer-controlled carburetor and bulletproof wind-guard.-Batman :The Batcycle...
that is molded with bat ears to accommodate his cowl's ears. In Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009 action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics' Batman developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...
, Batman extensively uses a sophisticated "detective mode" vision enhancement built into the cowl that allows him to see enemies in darkness, including through walls, see their condition and state of alertness, and detect and identify hidden objects and analyze evidence. It also gives him the white eyes while it is activated.
In addition, one of the cowl's ears carries a high-gain antenna for an internal comm-link on the left side of the cowl, allowing Batman to stay in contact with his allies. The comm-link can also scan police radios and other communication frequencies. It also carries an inertial navigation unit to keep him in balance when facing foes such as the Scarecrow
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
or Count Vertigo
Count Vertigo
Count Werner Vertigo is a DC Comics supervillain. First appearing in World's Finest Comics #251 , Count Vertigo is the last descendant of the royal family that ruled the small eastern European country of Vlatava that was taken over by the Soviets and later became devastated by the Spectre.-Starting...
. The cowl's Kevlar panels provide a level of protection for his head against firearms. The front of the skull and the sides of the temples also have small armor inserts to increase the effectiveness of skull strikes and protect from concussive blows. Repeated encounters with the Mad Hatter
Mad Hatter (comics)
The Mad Hatter is a fictional supervillain and enemy of Batman in the DC Universe. He is modeled after the Hatter from Lewis Carroll's novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a character often called the "Mad Hatter" in adaptations of Carroll. He made his first appearance in Batman #49 in October...
also forced Batman to shield his cowl against the villain's mind control. Its basic design has remained unchanged; however, it has been frequently updated to advance Batman's crusade. The one aspect of the cowl that does undergo variations is the ears, although the length and pointiness of the ears is supposedly primarily due to the style of the artist drawing Batman, and tends not to be tied to the functionality of the cowl in any way. In Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
, the cowl's ears can change lengths for various uses. However artist Karl Kerchl has drawn Batman's costume vault showing that he has a wide selection of cowls with ears of different lengths.
Despite that Dick Grayson's cowl is supposedly has the same features as Bruce Wayne's, Grayson often finds it interferes his peripheral vision
Peripheral vision
Peripheral vision is a part of vision that occurs outside the very center of gaze. There is a broad set of non-central points in the field of view that is included in the notion of peripheral vision...
when wearing it.
In Batman: Cacophony
Batman: Cacophony
Batman: Cacophony is the title of a three-issue comic book limited series starring Batman. The series was written by Kevin Smith with art by Walt Flanagan, and ran from November 2008 through March 2009 due to delays with issue three.-History:...
, during Batman's hunt with the masked serial killer Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia (comics)
Onomatopoeia is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Green Arrow and Batman. He first appeared in Green Arrow #12 . He was created by writer Kevin Smith and artist Phil Hester...
, the Dark Knight reinforced one of his cowls with a secondary armor beneath its kevlar headpiece with bloodpack lining in anticipation of being shot in the skull, to create an opportunity to fake his own death to get himself closer to the villain. This was based from assassin Deadshot
Deadshot
Deadshot is a fictional character, a supervillain/assassin in the DC Universe and an enemy of Batman. He first appears in Batman #59 and was created by Bob Kane, David Vern Reed and Lew Schwartz....
's helmet designs.
Gloves
In the earliest Batman stories of Detective Comics, the costume featured a few curiosities before it evolved in to its more or less standard style. The first gloves were purple in color, ordinary looking, and lacked any sort of scalloped fins or other stylings, and only came to the wrists. The second Batman adventure depicted the character wearing no gloves at all. A few issues later the gloves became longer, and by 1940 the familiar fins were added (in early stories, these pieces originally resembled miniature, scalloped bat wings, but eventually became three simple triangular fins). In some later incarnations, the scallops are attached to a separated bracerBracer
A bracer is a strap or sheath, commonly made of leather, stone, or plastic that covers the inside of an archer's arm to protect it while shooting. Bracers keep the inside of the archer's forearm from getting hurt by the string of the bow or the fletching of the arrow; they also prevent loose...
worn below the glove around the wrist. In Batman Begins
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
these bracers are part of the costume of the ninja sect Wayne trained with, painted black - this set are hard enough to slice Ra's al Ghul's
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
sword into many pieces. Traditionally, the scallops serve a defensive purpose and are used to defend against bladed weapons, such as swords or knives. In The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight (film)
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins...
, Batman is given enhanced gloves with which the fins can be launched by pressing a button and fired to become like throwing stars. Towards the end of the movie, Batman launches them at The Joker effectively incapacitating him. Additionally, the gloves have been specially treated to be both shock-proof as well as radiation-resistant. The glove designs that incorporate fingertip blades also have joint armor-reinforcement in the glove, from the wrists and knuckles to the fingers. He also has electrical shockers in the fingertips of his gloves, which are used to control the structure of his cape. Additionally, Batman hides a few pieces of his arsenal in his gloves, such as a lock pick. Also as stated in the Batman hand book, the knuckles of the glove contain a small amount of lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
shot to increase the force of his blows, however this has yet to be seen in the comic book series. Similar knuckle reinforcement can be seen in the video game Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009 action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics' Batman developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...
, where Batman actually sprays his knuckles with an explosive gel to drastically increase the force of a punch; the explosion effectively destroys his glove, and nearly breaks his arm.
Boots
In Batman: Year One, it is depicted that Batman hid a few pieces of his arsenal in his leather boots, such as a blow gun (its length made it impossible to fit in Batman's belt compartment) with fast-acting anesthetic darts and an ultrasonic device built into his left heel. The basic design of the boots are modeled on Tactical boots, but they are made from lightweight rubbers and are much more flexible to allow for full extension when kicking. The boots feature a unique "slingshot" ankle reinforcement design that acts as both armor and as reinforcement for the ankle joint when kicking or landing from high distances. The bottom is a flexible split sole design and is textured for a variety of surfaces. The boots also have steel toes, making them much more effective when on the offensive. Although Batman is already an accomplished Olympic level swimmer, during the Batman: Hush storyline, it is revealed that he installed underwater propellers in the heels. In Batman Begins, a boot heel is revealed to contain an ultrasonic signaling device capable of calling live bats to it as a form of protection and cover for Batman during a getaway. This device was originally introduced in the Batman: Year One series.In Batman & Robin, the boots have ice skates built into them.
Armor
The Batsuit has been repeatedly updated in order to reflect advances in technology. Originally the costume contained no protective armor, since the creative talent felt that it made Batman seem too powerful to see him shrug off bullet hits. However, the real world advent of various forms of personal protective materials like KevlarKevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
and the realization that being shot while wearing such protection should still be avoided, has led to the costume being re-imagined with varying forms of bulletproof protection which employs the aforementioned use of the suit's chest symbol to lure shots at the armor's strongest point. Despite the armor, Batman almost always evades gunfire and is very rarely actually shot. In the 1989 film "Batman", one of the Joker's men shoots Batman nearly point-blank in the chest. The suits body armor saved his life yet the force was still enough to briefly render him unconscious. Although the suit often included a neck-brace and other preventative bracing, after recovering from his spinal cord injury (the result of Bane
Bane (comics)
Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
's attack), Batman reinforced the armor with a material to dampen shocks and impact, along with a spinal brace, to protect him from such abuse. The Batsuit also has a magnetic signature harness, allowing Batman to attract his body to a gargantuan metal object (like a plane).
During The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul
Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul
"The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul" is the name of an eight issue comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics in 2007 and 2008. It involves the return of notable Batman villain Ra's al Ghul, and is his first appearance since his apparent death in Batman: Death and the Maidens in 2003...
, Batman acquired an ancient suit of armor from Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, the now-estranged daughter of the supervillain Ra's al Ghul, a love interest of Batman, and the mother of his son Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin...
, The Suit of Sorrows. According to its legends, it can impart strength and speed of its wearer but also would completely corrupt anyone whose heart and soul is not pure. At first, the Dark Knight was dubious of the legend, but eventually experienced an aggressive behavior while wearing the armor during patrols. Batman later learns from a member of The Order Of The Pure, a splinter faction of The Order Of St. Dumas
The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas
-History:The order was originally a part of the Knights Templar, a group of soldier-monks that were formed during the Crusades originally to protect pilgrims journeying to the Holy Land, and who grew quite powerful before being disbanded...
, that the armor once belonged to a knight named Geoffrey de Cantonna, who massacred hundreds of people in an alpine valley
Valleys of the Alps
-Rhine basin :High Rhine*Aare**Limmat***Linth ****Lake Walen*****Seez****Klöntal****Sernftal**Reuss River***Lake Lucerne****Sarner Aa ****Muotathal***Schächen, Klausen Pass connects to Glarus...
in 1190. The Suit of Sorrows becomes one of the trophy displays within the Batcave, to remind the Dark Knight that he must be ever vigilant not only in his crusade against crime, but also himself. The new Azrael takes up wearing the suit eventually.
In all eight one-shots of Bruce Wayne: The Road Home, which sets after the events of Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne is a 6-issue American comic book limited series published by DC Comics beginning in May 2010 to November 2010, written by Grant Morrison and featuring a team of rotating artists starting with Chris Sprouse and Frazer Irving.The series picks up from Batman and Robin...
, show that Batman has developed an exosuit mimicking Amazo
Amazo
Amazo is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in The Brave and the Bold #30 and was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson. An android, Amazo's special ability is to replicate the special abilities of various superheroes and...
's capability of copying metahuman
Metahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
powers, includes Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
's heat vision, superspeed which is labelled with SF as in The Flash's speedforce, Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
's invisibility, emitting a Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
's ring's energy, a lasso
Lasso
A lasso , also referred to as a lariat, riata, or reata , is a loop of rope that is designed to be thrown around a target and tighten when pulled. It is a well-known tool of the American cowboy. The word is also a verb; to lasso is to successfully throw the loop of rope around something...
mirroring Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
's Lasso of Truth
Lasso of Truth
The Lasso of Truth is a fictional weapon wielded by DC Comics superheroine Wonder Woman, Princess Diana of Themyscira. It is usually referred to as the Magic Lasso or Golden Lasso and forces anyone it captures to obey and tell the truth....
, and superstrength. There is a design flaw on this suit: it uses too much power to keep it functioning. Thus, Batman must only use it for a limited amount of time. Lucius Fox also supplies Bruce Wayne and his son Damian a pair of experimental jetsuit prototypes. They can provide artificially enhanced strength and endurance as well as short-range flight capability. The prototypes are considered too risky and expensive for operational military use, allowing the Waynes to utilize them for the family's Batman Inc. project.
Utility belt and other equipment
BatmanBatman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
's utility belt is his most characteristic prop, much like Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
's Lasso of Truth
Lasso of Truth
The Lasso of Truth is a fictional weapon wielded by DC Comics superheroine Wonder Woman, Princess Diana of Themyscira. It is usually referred to as the Magic Lasso or Golden Lasso and forces anyone it captures to obey and tell the truth....
, or Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
's ring
Power ring (weapon)
A power ring is a fictional object featured in comic book titles published by DC Comics. It first appeared in All-American Comics #16 .-Origin:...
. The exact contents of this belt are not known because Batman usually changes it to suit his needs. His uncanny ability to carry unusually appropriate tools is legendary. Batman's enemies are especially interested in the utility belt as they believe it will give them an advantage over him, but the belt's compartments are locked and only Batman knows how to open them (except on one condition in Justice League
Justice League (TV series)
Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
, when Lex Luthor managed to open it and in an episode of The Batman
The Batman (TV series)
The Batman is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. It ran from 2004 to 2008, on the Saturday morning television block Kids' WB...
"The Cat and the Bat" Catwoman stole Batman's utility belt and managed to open the cylinders.) Occasionally, the utility belt is depicted as having defense mechanisms such as electric shock, locks, marker paint, or stun gas in order to prevent tampering. The belt is almost always yellow in color, and the look of the belt is usually depicted as having either capsule-like cylinders or military style pouches to store his equipment in.
The array of devices Batman carries have become more complex over time. The simple coiled rope and batarang
Batarang
A batarang is a roughly bat-shaped throwing weapon used by the DC Comics superhero Batman. The name is a portmanteau of bat and boomerang, and was originally spelled baterang. Although they are named after boomerangs, batarangs have become more like shuriken in recent interpretations...
scaling equipment became a rocket-powered (or compressed-air-powered) grapple gun. The suit has also carried on different occasions a re-breather device, flash and gas grenades, explosives and a detonator, lockpicks, a signaling device for the Batmobile
Batmobile
The Batmobile is the automobile of DC Comics superhero Batman. The car has evolved along with the character from comic books to television and films. Kept in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is a gadget-laden vehicle used by Batman in his crime-fighting...
, electronic surveillance equipment (including video camera and monitor), a forensic kit for gathering crime scene evidence, a medical kit, a small toolkit, a homing device, a cache of money and, in early incarnations, a pistol in a holster. On any occasion where Batman anticipates encountering Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, he has also carried (in a lead case) a Kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
ring given to him by the Man of Steel as a weapon of last resort (in some instances, Batman has acquired - or manufactured - the kryptonite himself, such as Frank Miller
Frank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
's The Dark Knight graphic novels). One exception to this is seen in Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (comics)
Kingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Alex Ross and Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
, since in that novel, Superman has become impervious to kryptonite.
Variants
Batman keeps variant costumes for dealing with extraordinary situations; for example, he has been shown in a SCUBAScuba set
A scuba set is an independent breathing set that provides a scuba diver with the breathing gas necessary to breathe underwater during scuba diving. It is much used for sport diving and some sorts of work diving....
variant of his costume, a fireproof version for fighting his enemy Firefly, a thermal insulated version for fighting Mister Freeze, as well as others. Many versions of the hero, including those shown in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a four-issue comic book limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller, originally published by DC Comics under the title Batman: The Dark Knight in 1986. When the issues were released in a collected edition later that year, the story title for the first issue...
, Kingdom Come, Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
and Batman versus Predator, show him swapping his cloth costume for a suit of powered armor.
Jean-Paul Valley
In the KnightfallBatman: Knightfall
"Knightfall" is the title given to a major Batman story arc published by DC Comics that dominated Batman-related serial comic books in the spring and summer of 1993...
story arc (1992–1994), the character Jean-Paul Valley
Azrael (comics)
Azrael is the name of several fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are a group of assassins who were created by The Order of St. Dumas to "enforce god's will"...
redesigned the Batsuit during his tenure as Batman. Rather than appearing as a new costume, Jean-Paul developed it over time. Valley created an armored suit that contained more gadgets, including a shuriken launcher, flamethrower and other, more lethal weapons. This version of the suit did away with the traditional cape and cowl. It featured armored and bladed wings and was highly bulletproof, capable of sustaining direct machine gun barrages as well as enduring the explosions from grenades and high intensity fire. The suit also featured an underwater rebreather
Rebreather
A rebreather is a type of breathing set that provides a breathing gas containing oxygen and recycled exhaled gas. This recycling reduces the volume of breathing gas used, making a rebreather lighter and more compact than an open-circuit breathing set for the same duration in environments where...
. A circular ammo feeder affixed to the back of the suit provided Valley with continuous bat-shaped shuriken. It was then made to be more high tech, with the eyes appearing more as goggles, different color scheme, and more armor. After being caught in an explosion during his fight with the former Batman at the time, Bruce Wayne, the main color scheme turns into orange-and-yellow. This suit has often been seen as a reaction to occasional fan criticism that the Batsuit should have been more high-tech for the modern age. While the suit bears immense power, it also seems to slow its user's speed and limit movement capacity. In the end, the suit became Valley's vulnerable point, as Bruce realized that his replacement had become too reliant upon the suit's gadgetry. In their final confrontation, Bruce, in his traditional bat costume, tricked Valley into discarding the armor by leading him into a narrow tunnel that forced Valley to remove most of the armor to follow Bruce. Upon seeing Bruce revealed in his Batsuit under blinding daylight after being forced to remove his helmet – the last part of the armour Valley had kept – Valley's fragile mind collapsed, and he acknowledged Bruce as the true Batman.
The gauntlets from this costume are now being used by Kate Spencer
Manhunter (Kate Spencer)
Manhunter is a fictional character, a superheroine in publications from DC Comics. Kate Spencer is the eighth DC Comics character depicted using the name Manhunter, and the first female to do so. The character first appears in Manhunter Manhunter is a fictional character, a superheroine in...
, the current Manhunter
Manhunter (comics)
-Golden Age:The first of DC's Manhunters was a non-costumed independent investigator, Paul Kirk, who helped police solve crimes during the early 1940s. Though the series was titled "Paul Kirk, Manhunter", Kirk didn't use the Manhunter name as an alias...
, who obtained them from an LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
evidence room. They had been used by a small-time crook who unsuccessfully robbed the safe of a Gotham lawyer who keeps information on all his supervillain clients' loot.
Troika
While no different in terms of gadgets, the Batsuit that Batman wears, first in the Troika storyline, is noticeably darker than his default costume, comparable to the Batsuits featured in Tim BurtonTim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
's live-action films. The costume is also much sturdier than his regular costume, as it is made of Kevlar for added protection. Batman designs it with his encounter with Bane in mind. The gauntlets and boots for this Batsuit are also one piece, connected seamlessly to the arms and legs. By Robin #14, Batman substitutes the original gloves and boots for ones of more protective quality, citing his encounter with the Russian Troika. Later in No Man's Land, Batman replaces the utility belt, which uses capsules, for a utility belt with the standard military style pouches.
Dick Grayson
In Batman and Robin, Dick Grayson (filling in as Batman when Bruce was presumed dead) wears a seemingly lighter, easy to wear Batsuit as compared to that of Bruce Wayne. There are noticeable differences in the Batbelt - while Bruce's does not sport the Bat-Symbol, Dick's belt sports a golden version of it, as well as a differently modeled belt.Also, the gloves which Bruce used during his tenure have been replaced by gauntlet-type wrist attachments, their coloring making them appear similar to the original Batman's glove color scheme. These attachments feature two scallops while Bruce's traditionally has three (although that there are some artists draw three scallops).
Lastly, during the Dark Knight's battle with the Red Hood, Jason Todd shoots Batman in the chest, noting that although the suit was lined with Kevlar and the symbol was copper-plated, him shooting Dick in the chest would still hurt. After shooting Batman, the symbol is blown out of the costume, showing a mesh of fiber underneath.
Rejected concept art by Tony Daniel
Tony Daniel
Antonio Salvador Daniel AKA Tony S. Daniel is an American comic book writer and artist, known for his work on various books for DC Comics, including Teen Titans, Flash: The Fastest Man Alive and Batman.-Career:...
showcased an outfit that was visually similar to the costume of Earth-Two
Earth-Two
Earth-Two is a fictional universe appearing in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Flash #123 , Earth-Two was created to explain how Silver-Age versions of characters such as the Flash could appear in stories with their Golden Age counterparts...
's Dick Grayson. Another concept sketch by Frank Quitely
Frank Quitely
Vincent Deighan, better known by the pen name Frank Quitely, is a Scottish comic book artist. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with Grant Morrison on titles such as New X-Men, We3, All-Star Superman, and Batman and Robin, as well as his work with Mark Millar on The...
depicted a plated design that heavily resembled the Batsuit worn by Bruce Wayne in the film The Dark Knight.
Batman, Inc.
After Bruce Wayne returns from his journey through timeBatman: The Return of Bruce Wayne
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne is a 6-issue American comic book limited series published by DC Comics beginning in May 2010 to November 2010, written by Grant Morrison and featuring a team of rotating artists starting with Chris Sprouse and Frazer Irving.The series picks up from Batman and Robin...
, he designs another Batsuit which differentiates from Dick Grayson's (concept drawings by artist David Finch) and adds further upgrades. It is notably similar to the Troika outfit, but unlike that Batsuit, this suit includes a full set of electronics, including a heating and cooling system, secure broadband communications, and is capable of emitting an electromagnetic pulse
Electromagnetic pulse
An electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field...
, which disrupts electronic devices around him (such as rooftop security cameras). For combat efficiency, Batman added projectiles on the gauntlets to incapaticate opponents and retractable knives on the boots' soles.
The shield is no longer just a bat-themed insignia adorned on the chest area. It can be used as a wide-beam flashlight and intimidating opponents, therefore could be "powered down to black or gray so that it camouflages itself when necessary."
DC Relaunch
In the wake of the New 52The New 52
The New 52 is a 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero books, in which all of its existing titles were cancelled, and 52 new series debuted in September 2011 with new #1 issues. Among the series being renumbered are Action Comics and Detective Comics,...
, Batman wears another version of the Batsuit. It is designed by artist Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
. This Batsuit appears using various elements from Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan
Christopher Jonathan James Nolan is a British-American film director, screenwriter and producer.He received serious notice after his second feature Memento , which he wrote and directed based on a story idea by his brother, Jonathan Nolan. Jonathan went to co-write later scripts with him,...
's Batman films. Just as in The Dark Knight, it is made of hardened kevlar plates on titanium-dipped tri-weave fibers and is broken into multiple pieces of armor over a more flexible bodysuit for greater mobility. The gloves are made of a dense but malleable leather with ribbing on fingers (palm side), raised piping and convex metal knuckles (topside). Mesh detail appears just beneath the palm and inside the three recessed louver-like shapes located on both topside. The blades on the sides of Batman's gauntlets are now retractable and are capable of firing outwards as projectiles. The utility belt is now a convex metal ampules form, its buckle is made of beveled metal platelets. The back of the belt has an intricate containment device and can be detached to be used as a tool. Batman also adapts a para-cape that aerodynamically support himself for gliding.
Filmation and Hanna-Barbera
In the various superhero animated series produced by FilmationFilmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
and Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
, including The Batman/Superman Hour
The Batman/Superman Hour
The Batman/Superman Hour is a Filmation animated series that was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1969. Premiering on September 14, 1968, this 60-minute program featured new adventures of the DC Comics superheroes Batman, Robin and Batgirl alongside shorts from The New Adventures of Superman and The...
(1968–1977), Super Friends
Super Friends
Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1986 on ABC as part of its Saturday morning cartoon lineup...
(1973–1986) and The New Adventures of Batman
The New Adventures of Batman
The New Adventures of Batman is an animated series produced by Filmation in 1977 featuring the DC Comics superheroes Batman and Robin, and Batgirl. The current distributor is Warner Bros. Television due to parent company Warner Bros's ownership of DC Comics, which publishes the Batman titles...
(1977), Batman's costume consistently resembles the blue and gray Batsuit of the Silver Age comics.
DC Animated Universe
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
(1992–1995), the Batsuit overall appears to be a cross between the "New Look" costume and the original Bob Kane
Bob Kane
Bob Kane was an American comic book artist and writer, credited as the creator of the DC Comics superhero Batman...
design; the suit's chest emblem and utility belt are similar to the "New Look" version, but the cape and cowl have Kane's original color scheme of black with blue highlights. Occasionally the cape and cowl appear to be woven in one piece, and when he's not fighting the cape is usually seen covering Batman's entire body below his head. The costume lacks any armor qualities, instead being merely a body suit with no apparent special features and it often becomes torn in serious fights. It is occasionally seen packed in Bruce Wayne's luggage or in his vehicles, and it is made clear that he has numerous spares. In the episodes "P.O.V." and "Zatanna", it is shown that he hides lock picks and blades within his gloves in preparation of when his wrists being bound by handcuffs or ropes. The exact design and coloration of the suit was not always consistent in the series, as various animation studios worked on separate episodes. Flashbacks shown in the episodes "Robin's Reckoning
Robin's Reckoning
Robin's Reckoning is a two part episode of the critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series. The first part aired on February 7, 1993 and was written by Randy Rogel and directed by Dick Sebast; it earned the series an Emmy for Most Outstanding Half Hour or Less Program and is considered to be...
" and "The Mechanic", as well as in the animated spin-off film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a 1993 animated superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, and is a spin-off of the Emmy Award-winning Batman: The Animated Series...
(1993), show Batman in an alternate costume that, according to the book Batman Animated
Batman Animated
Batman Animated is a coffee table book written by Paul Dini and designed by Chip Kidd, about the popular TV show, Batman: The Animated Series. It was first published in a hardcover edition in 1998 by Titan Books...
, was based on the Batsuit from Batman: Year One
Batman: Year One
"Year One", later referred to as "Batman: Year One", is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein...
.
In The New Batman Adventures
The New Batman Adventures
The New Batman Adventures is the successor to Batman: The Animated Series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Although bearing different character designs and animation styles, both shows take place in the same continuity, with TNBA set two years after BTAS. The series aired on The WB from...
(1997–1999), Batman's physical appearance was revamped. The Batsuit's colors became darker overall and the utility belt uses pouches instead of capsules or cylinders; the belt's color was changed from yellow to a very pale light brown. His gloves also have extended scallops and his chest emblem is changed into a complete bat with no yellow ellipse. The blue highlights of his cape and cowl are removed although there are some grey highlights on the shoulders of the cape, and the cape itself is redesigned to reach over his shoulders, even when it is not covering his entire body below the head. This Batsuit is based on his original Bob Kane
Bob Kane
Bob Kane was an American comic book artist and writer, credited as the creator of the DC Comics superhero Batman...
design, and his modern comic book appearance. He also has an alternate suit of black armor (debut in the episode "Torch Song") capable to withstand extreme heat and flame (such as Firefly's attacks) and presumably bulletproof as well.
In Justice League
Justice League (TV series)
Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
(2001–2004), Batman was again redesigned and his uniform was given a mixture appearance of the previous two suits. The Batsuit is basically the same as in The New Batman Adventures, but has the blue highlights from the original series' costume. Additionally, the artists added certain modifications to foreshadow the futuristic costume variant (see below), including the lengthening of the "ears" on the cowl from Batman Beyond, and the addition of heels on the boots. This Batsuit is a combination of all the Batsuit designs from Batman The Animated Series with the color scheme, The New Batman Adventures design, and the long-ears from Batman Beyond. This design is also re-used in Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
(2004–2006). A "Justice Lords
Justice Lords
The Justice Lords are fictional heroes-turned-villains who first appeared in the two-part Justice League episode "A Better World" .-Biography:...
" version of the Batsuit worn by an alternative-universe incarnation of Batman featured lighter gray colors on the cape, cowl and chest, and jet black on the rest of the bodysuit. The cape was also extended to cover the upper torso and shoulders entirely, with the Bat insignia embedded into the chest portion. The insignia itself was also changed to become more angular, and was colored a metallic silver. The Justice Lords Batsuit also did not use separate colors for the "underwear" portion, and had a silver-gray utility belt, and the gauntlets had no scallops.
In Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
(1999–2001), an extremely different variant of the Batsuit is featured. The new costume does away with the traditional individual articles of clothing and appears to be a simple black bodysuit with a red chest emblem, and the cowl also covers Batman's whole face. However, this version is more than a simple costume. Form fitting and highly responsive, it's actually a "powered suit", similar to an artificial powered exoskeleton. Originally, Bruce designed the suit for himself and wore it to aid his aging body, as the series' storyline was set years after Justice League. Terry McGinnis
Terry McGinnis
Batman is a fictional superhero in comics published by DC Comics as well as the main protagonist of the animated television series Batman Beyond , in which he has succeeded Bruce Wayne as the protector of Gotham City. He was voiced by Will Friedle...
would be Bruce's future successor and became the suit's primary wearer from then on. Giving Terry increased strength, and equipped with sophisticated built-in gadgets similar to Jean Paul Valley
Azrael (comics)
Azrael is the name of several fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are a group of assassins who were created by The Order of St. Dumas to "enforce god's will"...
's variant, it is unlike any other Batsuit in the DCAU
DC animated universe
The DC Animated Universe is a fan term that refers to a series of popular animated television series and related spin-offs produced by Warner Bros. Animation which share the same continuity. Most of these series are adapted from DC Comics properties...
. This costume is used in the Superman/Batman comics in which Terry makes his first appearance. Of its many features, the most frequently used are a set of retractable wings and jet boots which, together, allow for flight, an active camouflage
Active camouflage
Active camouflage or adaptive camouflage, is a group of camouflage technologies which allow an object to blend into its surroundings by use of panels or coatings capable of altering their appearance, color, luminance and reflective properties...
system which renders him nearly invisible
Invisibility
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be invisible . The term is usually used as a fantasy/science fiction term, where objects are literally made unseeable by magical or technological means; however, its effects can also be seen in the real...
, and a two-way radio
Two-way radio
A two-way radio is a radio that can both transmit and receive , unlike a broadcast receiver which only receives content. The term refers to a personal radio transceiver that allows the operator to have a two-way conversation with other similar radios operating on the same radio frequency...
and surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
system that allows Bruce to see and hear everything Terry does and give him advice. It is also revealed in the episode "April Moon" that the suit's technology was designed by Dr. Peter Corso, a medical scientist who specialized in prosthesis
Prosthesis
In medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...
. Repeated encounters with Inque led Bruce and Terry to add electroshock circuitry to protect himself or to disable an opponent. The original utility belt was capsulized like Batman's original belt, but as of "Epilogue," which is set 15 years after Batman Beyond, Terry has replaced the capsule belt with more traditional pouches. In the episode "Disappearing Inque", Bruce showed Terry a prototype Batsuit that resemble the Bat-armor from DC Comics's award-winning comic book saga Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (comics)
Kingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Alex Ross and Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
; this Batsuit can increase Bruce's endurance and offer him some protection, but hindering his movements due to its size and puts a strain on his weakened heart.
The Batman
In The BatmanThe Batman (TV series)
The Batman is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. It ran from 2004 to 2008, on the Saturday morning television block Kids' WB...
(2004–2008), the Batsuit looks very similar to the costume from Batman: The Animated Series, but has shorter 'ears' on the cowl to make the Batman look more like a "boxer", has claws on the fingertips of the gloves, a slightly redesigned bat symbol with shorter scallops with the yellow ellipse on his chest, a more high-tech computerized utility belt
Batman's utility belt
Batman's utility belt is one of the most characteristic portions of Batman's costume. Similar belts are used by the various Robins, Batgirls, and other members of the Batman family.-History:...
linking to the Batcave's computer system
Batcomputer
The Batcomputer is the fictional computer system used by comic book superhero Batman. It is located in the Batcave. The Batcomputer was first introduced in fiction in 1964.-Portrayal in fiction:...
called the "Batwave"; The oval shaped buckle can be removed and used for several purposes, such as controlling the Batmobile, the Batbot, or as seen in "The Cat and the Bat" fly remote-controlled batarangs. It also has a longer cape that, just like the DCAU costumes, sometimes covers his entire body below the head. In the episode "Fleurs Du Mal," shown that the suit is linked to the Batwave, to monitor his physical and mental activities. Despite this regular default Batsuit, Batman uses some other variations of the Batsuit as well in the series to tackle certain situations and villains.
- In the episode "Traction", the Batman is badly injured by the immensely powerful BaneBane (comics)Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
, due to which he is forced to build a prototype called the "Batbot" to battle the villain. The Batbot is controlled by Bruce Wayne while sitting inside its cockpit. It is shown to possess superhuman strength to match that of Bane, along with enhanced levels of agility and endurance. It has two turbo retro-thrusters for flight on its back as well. The Batbot is also shown to be controlled via the Batman's utility belt (for example, in "The Cat and the Bat" episode).
- In the episode "The Big Chill", when Mr. FreezeMr. FreezeMr. Freeze, real name Dr. Victor Fries , is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. Created by Bob Kane, he first appeared in Batman #121 ....
defeats the Batman in their first encounter, the latter's butler AlfredAlfred PennyworthAlfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
coats the Batsuit with a special white weather-proof material, that can withstand sub-zero temperatures and can be used by the Batman to camouflage himself in snow. It covers the Batman's facial part as well, which is usually the only exposed part of his regular Batsuit. Additionally, this arctic Batsuit is shown to be armed with retractable ice skates in the boots and two flamethrowers attached on either side of the waist. Also, the blades on the Batman's gloves emit high electric sparks to melt any ice in his path. The arctic Batsuit reappears in the episode "Fire and Ice", and is depicted to sustain heavy amounts of damage but protects it's wearer, when the villain Firefly maneuvers the Batman into a fuel tanker that is about to explode. The Batman survives, but injures himself and has the suit damaged.
- In the episode "Swamped", when the Batman has to battle Killer CrocKiller CrocKiller Croc is a comic book supervillain in the DC Universe, an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Gene Colan, while there was a shadowy cameo in Detective Comics #523 , his actual first appearance is credited to Batman #357 , which is also the first appearance of Jason...
, he uses a special hydro Batsuit, that does not get wet or allow water to enter it. It is totally black in color, and the Batman somehow sheds or retracts his cape in his suit when he goes underwater to battle Killer Croc.
- In the movie The Batman vs. DraculaThe Batman vs. DraculaThe Batman vs. Dracula is a 2005 direct-to-video animated movie based on The Batman television series. It has a much darker tone than the show, and features Vicki Vale...
(2005), Batman briefly extended the design of his utility belt to his shoulders and chest for carrying a vast number of vampire-fighting gadgetry such as garlic bombs, the garlic-treated batarangs, and vials of vaccine made to counteract a vampiric virus spread from the vampire lord Count Vlad DraculaCount DraculaCount Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
. The extension of the belt would also create a shape of a crossCrossA cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
, which also commonly known able to ward off the creatures as they have an aversion to all of the ChristianityChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
icons, including the oneChristian crossThe Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
happens to be in a shape of it.
- When arsonist Garfield Lynn's transformation from Firefly to a nuclearNuclear powerNuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
-powered PhosphorusDoctor PhosphorusDoctor Phosphorus is a fictional character who has appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. Primarily an enemy of Batman, the supervillain exists in DC's main shared universe, known as the DC Universe...
on the "White Heat", Batman designed a black NBC suitNBC suitAn NBC suit is a type of military personal protective equipment designed to provide protection against direct contact with and contamination by radioactive, biological or chemical substances, and provides protection from contamination with radioactive materials and some types of radiation,...
, built by Alfred, to protect himself.
- On the episode "Artifacts", it is shown that, decades into the future, an elder Batman would adapt a simpler Batsuit resembling of Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight ReturnsBatman: The Dark Knight ReturnsBatman: The Dark Knight Returns is a four-issue comic book limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller, originally published by DC Comics under the title Batman: The Dark Knight in 1986. When the issues were released in a collected edition later that year, the story title for the first issue...
graphic novel.
Batman: Gotham Knight
In Batman: Gotham KnightBatman: Gotham Knight
is a 2008 direct-to-DVD animated superhero anthology film of six animated short films set in-between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. It depicts Batman battling against the mob of Gotham City, as well as other villains...
(2008), a DC Universe Animated Original Movie set between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, details of the Batsuit are shown. The suit has many characteristics of the Batman Begins suit, but on the segment "Field Test
Field test
A field test may refer to*Visual field test*Field test mode*Field Test, a short film, part of Batman: Gotham Knight...
," Batman upgrades the suit with an advanced motion scanner that has an electromagnetic gyro which produces a magnetic shield capable to deflect small-arms fire before he abandons it. On "In Darkness Dwells," it is shown that there's an infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
scope built within the cowl, along with a rebreather
Rebreather
A rebreather is a type of breathing set that provides a breathing gas containing oxygen and recycled exhaled gas. This recycling reduces the volume of breathing gas used, making a rebreather lighter and more compact than an open-circuit breathing set for the same duration in environments where...
that can be folded within it. There's a wireless relay communicator in the cowl. Its signals are locked with quantum cryptology and bounced through a dozen different satellites (presumably the WayneComs). As per the animation styles the suit varies between versions of the Batman Begins costume and the Comic Book costumes.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
In Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
(2008–present), Batman wears a slightly modified version of the blue and gray suit worn during the Silver Age comics. According to the show's creators, this was deliberately done to invoke a less dark and violent depiction of Batman following the release of The Dark Knight.
Though similar in appearance to the older costumes, this Batsuit is unique in and that it possesses a much larger amount of gadgetry than any other costume shown to date, and has many characteristics of the Batsuit in Batman Beyond. Thus far, this version of the Batsuit has been shown to not only contain multiple batarangs and other standard Bat-paraphernalia, but also a collapsible sword, wings, deep space gear, scuba equipment, and multiple rocket thrusters. Also, the emblem on Batman's chest can now transform into an emergency Batarang, becoming hard and rigid after being exposed to some sort of magnetic field emitted by the suit. Also the 'ears' on the mask can become long blades with the push of a button, sharp enough to pierce a robot's head.
In the episode "Game Over for Owlman," the villain Owlman
Owlman (comics)
Owlman is the name of several fictional supervillains that appear in comic books published by DC Comics who are the intended reverse counterparts of Batman. Owlman first appeared in Justice League of America #29 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky...
steals one of Batman's costumes that looks identical to the original Detective Comics #27 design, and commits a series of crimes to frame the Caped Crusader. In a flashback sequence from the episode "The Color of Revenge," Batman is shown wearing a slightly different costume that has the chest emblem from the Golden Age comics. In another flashback during "The Golden Age of Justice", a much younger Batman is shown wearing the original Bob Kane outfit during training sessions with the Justice Society.
Batman (1960s TV series)
The live-action Batman television seriesBatman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
of the 1960s, starring actor Adam West
Adam West
William West Anderson , better known by the stage name Adam West, is an American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series and the film of the same name...
, featured a blue-purple and gray version of the Batsuit with a noticeably shorter cape and tiny ears. There were also light blue eyebrows painted on the cowl. In keeping with the campy
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
nature of the series, the devices on the utility belt were often used as gags, with one of the most bizarre items being a thermos for storing alphabet soup. In one episode, Bruce Wayne carried two capsules that when dropped in a glass of water became full-sized costumes for Batman and Robin, complete with utility belts. In the crossover episode featuring The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet is an American radio and television masked vigilante created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell, in 1936. Since his radio debut in the 1930s, the Green Hornet has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of media...
, Britt Reid refers to Batman's costume as a "goofy purple cape."
Batman (1989 film)
Director Tim BurtonTim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
's Batman films feature a black Batsuit with the yellow ellipse emblem, yellow utility belt, heavy armor placed on the chest, forearms, and boots, with the chest armor incorporating the bat-emblem. This becomes the basic template on which all subsequent live-action Batsuits are based. On several occasions in the live-action films, Bruce Wayne's appearance in this Batsuit template has been likened to that of "A giant bat", especially when his cape is spread wide in front of terrified criminals.
In Batman
Batman (1989 film)
Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance...
(1989), the basic design of the suit, done by Bob Ringwood, is essentially the Neal Adams
Neal Adams
Neal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who...
version of the costume, which was still in vogue in the comics during the 1980s. This movie suit was notable for its introduction of the grapple gun, which was later adopted by the comics, for the black eye makeup worn under the mask, which has been used in every live-action Batman film since, and for the construction of the cowl, which made it impossible for actor Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton
Michael John Douglas , better known by the stage name Michael Keaton, is an American actor known for his early comedic roles, most notably his performance as the title character of Tim Burton's Beetlejuice . Keaton is also famous for his dramatic portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Tim Burton's...
to turn his head while wearing it. The costume was constructed of heavy materials (foam rubber
Foam rubber
Foam rubber refers to rubber that has been manufactured with a foaming agent to create an air-filled matrix structure. Commercial foam rubbers are generally either polyurethane foam or natural foam rubber latex. Latex foam rubber, used in mattresses, is well-known for its endurance.-See also:*...
in real life, special body armour in the context of the film), instead of the thinner material seen in the comics. While Bruce Wayne is depicted as a muscular man in the comics, Keaton was not of the same physical build and the armor was designed to make Batman appear that way.
Batman Returns
In Batman ReturnsBatman Returns
Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman , and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.Burton originally did not...
(1992), Bruce is seen choosing his Batsuit and accessories out of many spares from a large walk-in closet carved into a wall of the Batcave. The suit used in this film differs slightly from the previous version, being that it was made out of a thinner, slightly more flexible foam rubber material and featured a more angular shape in the musculature of the armor that is shown to have weak areas (most notable when Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
is able to pierce the side of the suit after feeling for weakness in it). It also features a bat-emblem more similar to the DC Comics emblem than the previous film's costume and the gloves' scallops appear to be metal spikes instead of rubber ones. At one point in the film, Batman's cape is shown to be able to change into a glider that allows him to glide through the sky.
Batman Forever
Director Joel SchumacherJoel Schumacher
Joel T. Schumacher is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.-Early life:Schumacher was born in New York City, the son of Marian and Francis Schumacher. His mother was a Swedish Jew, and his father was a Baptist from Knoxville, Tennessee, who died when Joel was four years old...
's Batman films are known for their addition of rubber nipples to the Batman and Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
costumes (on the DVD commentary, Schumacher claimed they were inspired by statues of the Greek gods), though they are noticeably absent from the secondary suits Batman wears during the climax of both films.
In Batman Forever
Batman Forever
Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Returns , with Val Kilmer replacing Michael Keaton as Batman...
(1995), the Batsuit is somewhat similar to the previous two films' costumes, except for the focus on a more anatomical design overall and a black utility belt instead of a yellow one. The "ears" on the mask are also longer. One notable feature of the costume is a button on the utility belt which causes a fireproof coating to excrete from and cover the cape, allowing Batman to wrap it around himself as a shield from extreme fires, and a more 3-D bat emblem on his chest. Also like in Batman Returns, Bruce has numerous spares which he keeps in a large dome-like structure in the Batcave of this film. Dr. Chase Meridian, the film's love interest for Batman, mentions the appeal of Batman's suit as she runs her fingers across the chest section. After all of the regular Batsuits are destroyed by the Riddler
Riddler
The Riddler is a fictional character, a comic book character and supervillain published by DC Comics, and an enemy of Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #140 ....
, Bruce is forced to use a prototype "Sonar Suit", which is an iridescent silvery-black and more armor-like. This new Batsuit utilizes lenses that slide automatically over the cowl's eyeholes to display a sonar-generated image of Batman's surroundings to him, allowing him to see with more accuracy in extreme darkness or glare. The Batsuits in this film were created from a less dense mixture of foam rubber, which resulted in much lighter suits and allowed more flexibility for actor Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer
Val Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a...
and the various stunt doubles, while increasing durability. More than 100 Batman and Robin costumes were created to allow for the range of stunts, from underwater scenes to scenes involving fire and extreme fighting. The basic Batsuit of Batman Forever was subsequently used by director Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan
Christopher Jonathan James Nolan is a British-American film director, screenwriter and producer.He received serious notice after his second feature Memento , which he wrote and directed based on a story idea by his brother, Jonathan Nolan. Jonathan went to co-write later scripts with him,...
when auditioning actors for the lead role in Batman Begins, and was worn by actors Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
and Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphy is an Irish film and theatre actor. He is often noted by critics for his chameleonic performances in diverse roles and distinctive blue eyes and general sex appeal....
among others.
Batman & Robin
In the second Schumacher film, Batman & Robin (1997), Batman produces a bat-credit card from his utility belt which has an expiration date of "Forever". This film also added pop-out ice skates to the costume's boots. The basic Batsuit of this film is also noticeably more blue than black in color tone, including the ellipse around the bat symbol. A second, more elaborately detailed costume (a silvery Arctic version) is worn by Batman during the film's climax against Mr. FreezeMr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze, real name Dr. Victor Fries , is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. Created by Bob Kane, he first appeared in Batman #121 ....
. As in Batman Forever, the basic Batsuit of this film also features nipples and a comically-enlarged codpiece
Codpiece
A codpiece is a covering flap or pouch that attaches to the front of the crotch of men's trousers and usually accentuates the genital area. It was held closed by string ties, buttons, or other methods...
.
Batman Begins
The costume in the reboot Batman BeginsBatman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
(2005) is given the most complete description ever seen in a Batman film and possibly the comic books. The suit is derived from Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox is a fictional character appearing in Batman comic books by DC Comics. He was created by Len Wein and John Calnan, and first appeared in Batman #307 . As a supporting character, he acts as Bruce Wayne's business manager who supposedly unknowingly runs the business interests that supply...
's Research and Development Program, within Wayne Enterprises' Applied Sciences Division. It is described by Fox as a Nomex
Nomex
Nomex is a registered trademark for flame resistant meta-aramid material developed in the early 1960s by DuPont and first marketed in 1967.- Properties:...
survival suit originally intended for advanced
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
military use, but was considered to be too expensive for the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and military in general. Based on an advanced infantry armor system constructed from Nomex, the first layer of protection is an undersuit with built-in temperature regulators designed to keep the wearer at a comfortable temperature in almost any condition. The second layer of protection consists of armor built over the chest, calves, thighs, arms, and back. This armor features a kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
bi-weave that can stop slashing weapons and can also deflect any bullet short of a straight shot impact, and reinforced joints that supposedly allow maximum flexibility and mobility, which Batman finds still hinders his movements due to its weight. The armor is then coated with a black latex material for camouflage and to dampen Bruce's heat signature, making him difficult to detect with night-vision equipment. Made of a graphite
Graphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
material, the cowl
Cowl
This article is about the garment used by monks and nuns. For other uses, see Cowl or Cowling .The cowl is an item of clothing consisting of a long, hooded garment with wide sleeves. Originally it may have referred simply to the hooded portion of a cloak...
acts as a protective helmet. The cowl's Kevlar lining is supposed to be bulletproof. A manufacturing defect in the graphite used in the production of the first shipment of the cowl's components made its outer shell incapable of withstanding blunt trauma (a flaw Alfred demonstrates to Bruce using a baseball bat). The second shipment (not shown) was supposed to fix this problem. They have to order a shipment of over 10,000 components to avoid suspicion. An advanced eavesdropping device is concealed within the cowl's right ear and enables Batman to listen in on conversations from a distance.
The utility belt is bronze in color and is a modified climbing harness, with magnetized impact-resistant pouches and canisters attached to the belt at ergonomic points for ease of reach. It carries a magnetic gas-powered grapple gun, an encrypted cell phone, Batarang
Batarang
A batarang is a roughly bat-shaped throwing weapon used by the DC Comics superhero Batman. The name is a portmanteau of bat and boomerang, and was originally spelled baterang. Although they are named after boomerangs, batarangs have become more like shuriken in recent interpretations...
s which resemble ninja throwing stars cut in the shape of a bat, a medical kit, smoke bombs, mini explosives, periscope, remote control for the Batmobile (the Tumbler), mini-cam
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
, money, and other unspecified equipment. Batman removed the belt's shoulder and chest straps because they constricted his movements.
Batman's cape is made of "memory cloth," also developed by Lucius Fox. It is essentially flexible in its normal state, but becomes semi-rigid in a fixed form (Batman's wings in the movie) when an electric current is passed through it from the microcircuits in the palms of his gloves. To acquire the cloth, Bruce claims that he wants to use it for "BASE-jumping," whereas to acquire the main components to the Batsuit, he says he's "borrowing" it for "spelunking" (though Fox is a little confused and asks Bruce if he really expects to run into a lot of gunfire while cave-diving).
Bruce also adds metal gauntlets with scallops on the forearms, an innovation derived from his experience as a pupil of Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
's organization, the League of Shadows. Mainly used to block against knives or other stabbing weapons, Bruce managed to surprise Ra's by breaking the blade of his ninjaken in multiple places with the gauntlets.
The left boot heel contains a high frequency sonic "sounder" which can summon bats (first seen in Batman: Year One
Batman: Year One
"Year One", later referred to as "Batman: Year One", is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein...
).
Prior to the latest upgrade to the Batsuit in the next film, Batman still used the original less flexible Nomex based suit. During a fight scene it is shown that he has hydraulic assistance that allows him to bend a gun barrel and tear through the sheet metal of a van while chasing after the Scarecrow. The last example shown of the modified Batsuit was when Batman jumped from a parking garage ledge, he landed directly on the van while moving at high speed and crushed its roof.
The Dark Knight
Although he retains the costume from the previous film at the beginning of The Dark KnightThe Dark Knight (film)
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins...
(2008), the Batsuit is changed later in the film, due to Batman's growing frustration over his overall lack of mobility. In this new design, the bodysuit is made of hardened kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
plates on titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
-dipped tri-weave fibers and is broken into multiple pieces of armor over a more flexible bodysuit for greater mobility. As a trade-off, however, the flexible armor leaves Batman more vulnerable to injury from bullets or knives in favor of increased flexibility and lighter weight. The cowl of the Batsuit, which in previous film incarnations has been attached to the shoulder and neck, is now a separate component inspired by the design of motorcycle helmets, allowing the wearer to freely swivel and move his neck without moving the rest of his upper torso (by personal request of Bruce as 'it would make backing out of the driveway easier') as was characteristic in all the previous cinematic versions of the Batsuit. Also, a strong electric current runs through it that prevents anyone except Bruce from removing it, further protecting his identity.
In this Batsuit, the iconic blades on the sides of Batman's gauntlets are now retractable and are capable of firing outwards as projectiles. The bat emblem is smaller than the one in Batman Begins and it bears a greater resemblance to the Batman logo that has been associated with the rebooted film franchise.
The suit again has an external 'memory cloth' cape, but, now has the ability to fold into a backpack shape as demonstrated during the base jump in Hong Kong. It is unclear in the film if once deployed, as a glider, it can return to this backpack shape automatically. According to costume designer Linda Hemming this backpack idea was developed, at the request of Nolan, as a fall back if the cape were to get caught up in the rear wheel of the Batpod in motion. However, the concept was not used in the Batpod sequences after the film crew realised they had failed to account for the motion of the Batpod blowing the cape behind the rider, keeping it free from the rear wheel.
One notable modification was made to the utility belt; an air-powered charge-firing rifle, which allows Batman to fire timed explosive charges from considerable distances and can be folded into two halves into a box-like shape to fit into his utility belt's compartment.
The Batsuit also has "sonar-vision", where signals emitted by mobile phones are converted into images in a similar way to echolocation
Animal echolocation
Echolocation, also called biosonar, is the biological sonar used by several kinds of animals.Echolocating animals emit calls out to the environment and listen to the echoes of those calls that return from various objects near them. They use these echoes to locate and identify the objects...
, in which bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s use sound to see. In order to view the images, lenses fold down from Batman's cowl to cover his eyes. Aesthetically this gives Batman, for the first time on film, the 'white eyed' appearance he is always depicted within the comic books and various animated films/television series.