Batman's utility belt

Utility Belt
File:Utility-belt.jpg One of Batman's utility belts and some of its contents
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Detective Comics #29 (July 1939)
Created by	Gardner Fox
In story information
Type	Equipment
Element of stories featuring	Batman

Batman's utility belt is the most characteristic portion of Batman's costume. Similar belts are used by the various Robins, Batgirls, and other members of the Batman family.

History

Batman historian Les Daniels credits Gardner Fox, (the first writer other than Bill Finger to write the adventures of Batman in Detective Comics), with introducing the utility belt concept in Detective Comics #29 (July 1939). In its first appearance, Batman's utility belt "contain[ed] choking gas capsules." Two issues after the utility belt debuted, Fox also wrote the first appearance of a bat-themed weapon, when the batarang debuted in the story "Batman vs. the Vampire" in Detective Comics #31 (Sep 1939).

Up until 1989, most artists drew the utility belt as a simple yellow belt with a buckle and cylinders around it. In 1986, Frank Miller drew Batman's utility belt with military-style pouches, as well as a smaller secondary utility belt occasionally worn on the thigh of a leg, in the Batman: The Dark Knight Returns limited series. This rendition was utilized again in Batman: Year One and used by almost every artist in the Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight comics series. In 2000, the pouches became a standard feature in the depiction of the utility belt.

One feature added to the utility belt in Tim Burton's live-action films, Batman and Batman Returns, was a small motor which would move items from the back of the belt around to the front allowing Batman easier access to his weaponry and tools.

A common gag amongst comic fans is Batman's apparent ability to carry a tool for almost every eventuality on his belt, all prefixed with the word 'bat', such as bat-cookies and bat-milk. Often, especially in the Adam West series, Batman could carry everything needed for a particular scenario, from typical batarangs to a miniature batphone which remotely linked to the one in the Batmobile.

Description

Although seemingly unremarkable in appearance, the utility belt is one of Batman's most important tools in fighting crime. Composed of a kevlar strap and metal buckle, the utility belt houses ten cylinder cartridges, which vertically clip onto the outside of the belt. The buckle itself contains a miniature camera and two-way radio. A secondary compartment behind the length of the belt houses Batman's supply of collapsible batarangs.

Each of the ten cylinders contains various tools integral to Batman's war on crime, and are interchangeable with other cylinders depending on Batman's needs for the mission. Through the years, Batman has modified the contents of his belt to accommodate various needs.

During the events of No Man's Land, Batman made use of a simpler workman's belt with larger pockets due to the necessity of carrying more equipment. After No Man's Land, he designed a new bulkier version of the belt, which resembled the workman's belt he wore but with high-tech upgrades and security measures.

In the animated series Batman Beyond, the belt is incorporated into the batsuit Wayne's successor, Terry McGinnis wears, with features such as the buzz blade belt buckle, and button on the buckle to activate the suit's camouflage system. In one episode where a malevolent computer intelligence seized control of the suit, McGinnis donned one of Wayne's old utility belts, loaded with vintage equipment, to confront the menace.

In the more recent animated series The Batman, the belt contains highly advanced gadgets that allows Batman to summon his vehicles, thaw him out in case of being frozen, and control his surveillance batarangs. The belt also locks in place when worn and is therefore, very hard for anyone other than Batman, to take off. Batman once extended the design of the utility belt to shoulder and chest for carrying a number of vampire-fighting gadgetry such as garlic bombs, vaccine to counteract the vampiric virus, and presumably sacred items commonly known to enable warding off the creatures such as holy water, Christian cross, and rosary in The Batman vs. Dracula when Gotham had an outbreak of vampirism caused by Count Dracula. The extension of the belt would also create a shape of a cross, resembling a Christianity icon.

Contents

Elements of the utility belt at times include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Batarangs: A customized throwing weapon used by Batman. Interpretations of the weapon have varied from the boomerang to the shuriken. Recent interpretations have shown a large array of different types and sizes for different effects (i.e. blunt impact, edged, slashing).
• Bat-lasso: Thrown around the feet of Batman's enemies to tie them with a composite-nylon cord. Often causes an escaping opponent to trip. With the push of a button in Batman's glove it can deliver an electric shock.
• Bat-cuffs: Bat shaped handcuffs, resembling the kind used by Special Forces units. These restraints are made of a lightweight diamond-impregnated nylon overlaying a banded steel core. Using a one-piece design, they slide closed and have to be cut off. Batman has given a special tool with a diamond-edged cutting implement to the Gotham PD for removal.
• Bat-monitor
• Bat-Tracer: Used to track enemies Batman can't follow closely.
• Communications device: Often an earbug housed in an ear of Batman's cowl, but sometimes handheld.
• Bat Line: A device that shoots out a steel line in both directions making a zip line. In the 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum it is called the Line Launcher.
• Bat-Darts: Tipped with tranquillizers
• First aid kit:
• Cryo Capsules: Small capsules that release a cryonic acid upon the breaking of the shell.
• Bat Goo gun: A handheld foam projector that fires an adhesive-like substance to incapacitate opponents.
• Grapple gun: Used to fire a bat-shaped hook attached to a high-tensile wire line in order to scale sheer surfaces and/or swing across gaps.
• Night vision bat-goggles: Using Starlite infrared lenses to see thermal output in low light or non-lit situations. Currently built-in to Batman's cowl.
• Batlight: A simple flashlight. Batman uses it in numerous episodes of the animated series, usually when looking for clues, or through private files in the dark. Sometimes replaced by an infrared version that provides illumination viewable only through special eyepieces in Batman's cowl, which allows him to see in the dark without becoming visible himself.
• Flamethower: a miniature flamethower that was used on BatBane in the "Ghosts of Batman arc"
• Kryptonite ring: Stored in a lead box, it is reserved for emergency use against a rogue Superman and/or other Kryptonians.
• Acetylene torch: A strong miniaturized laser used as a cutting tool.
• Line gun: (Grapnel Gun) Similar to a grappling hook, the line gun uses a strong clamp attached to a high-tensile wire for scaling surfaces and/or traversing gaps. It can be recovered by releasing the clamp and rewinding the cable. It was based from one that is designed as compact climbing gear for commando units.
• Lock pick: Sometimes kept in the gloves instead.
• Marble: Rolled down stairs to imitate footsteps. Depicted as a magnetic metal ball in the "Hush" storyline arc.
• Micro bat-camera: A miniature camera
• Miniature smoke grenades
• Miniaturized toolkit
• Rebreather: Allows Batman to breathe underwater or in vacuum. Depending on the writer and/or artist, it may also be incorporated with the gas mask.
• A Master Bat-Key (sometimes mistakenly called a skeleton key) is perhaps the simplest tool in Batman's utility belt.
• Smoke pellets: Often used to quickly provide cover for Batman's stealthly exits and entries. Knock-out gas pellets are used as well for non-lethally incapacitating opponents. Lachrymatory and regurgitant agents are deployed by throwing or breaking open the small hardened-gelatin spheroid capsules.
• BatStungun/taser, used by Batman to stun his enemies with an electrical shock to temporarily paralize them
• Stun (Flash-Bang) grenades: Emits bright light and loud sound to blind and stun enemies.
• Thermite grenades: An incendiary used to burn through obstacles. In Batman: Year One, the thermite charge ignited accidentally and destroyed the utility belt. Although they are identified as Thermite, it is safe to assume that Thermate is used instead. (The former is a World War II technology which has largely been replaced by the latter.) In Judgement on Gotham (1991), Batman is equipped with a phosphor-based incendiary device.
• A cache of cash
• Evidence bags: Bags in which to hold evidence.
• Collapsible sword seen in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, sharp enough to cut through steel objects such as Clock King's robots. Resembles a Lightsaber.
• Bat-Saw used in Batman & Robin to cut through Poison Ivy's vines.
• Bat-Heater mini bat shaped tool used to melt ice.
• Listening devices: Miniature listening devices or 'bugs', sometimes fired from a modified pistol and used to listen in on criminals' conversations. Used in Batman: The Animated Series.

Bat-grenades

Batman typically utilizes two mini-explosive types: small "pellet" grenades with quick-setting contact cement and five-second delay fuses; and concussion/blast grenandes of explosive or flash/bang force with three-second to 40-minute delay, radio-control, or bungee-primia cord detonators.

Other media

A variation of the Bat-grenandes or Bat-bomb appeared in the 1997 live-action film Batman & Robin. These bat-shaped portable explosives could either be thrown or attached with a magnet.

Bat-grenades were also designed for but ultimately, not shown in the 1989 live-action Batman film. With this bomb, following a time run off, an explosive with enormous explosive yield is set free. In the same movie however, Batman was seen using smoke grenades.

For director Tim Burton's second Batman film, Batman Returns (1992), the Caped Crusader had in his arsenal, a collection of special bat-"test tubes." These little tubes were hidden in the utility belt, and contained several mixtures of chemicals. They had several effects when thrown separately or mixed together. The blue was napalm, the red was an explosive and the green was knockout gas.

Christopher Nolan's film The Dark Knight (2008) had Batman using remote explosive devices that appear to be designed primarily for creating diversions and for making holes to escape or enter from. Fired from a device similar in functionality to a sniper rifle (and which has a fantastically long range), the small and barely-noticeable explosives stick to surfaces by means of a gummy adhesive applied to them. They remain on the surface until detonated, and the force of the explosion is potent enough to destroy concrete pillars. A pneumatic mangling device once held on his hand, would give a perception of unlimited force which would allow Batman to bend a barrel of a rifle with ease.

The 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum has Batman using an "explosive gel" compound that he can spray on surfaces to collapse walls or floors or set as a trap to knock over and stun enemies. The gel is sprayed onto a surface and then either set off manually with a detonator built into the sprayer or goes off by itself when an enemy approaches closely enough.

Grappling Gun

The grapple (or line) gun (or Batcable), normally allows Batman to scale up or rappel down tall buildings, or swing between Gotham City skyscrapers on successive lines.

Similar to a grappling hook and speargun, the line gun uses a strong clamp attached to a high-tensile wire for scaling surfaces and/or traversing gaps. It can be recovered by releasing the clamp and rewinding the cable. It was based from one that is designed as compact climbing gear for commando units. In emergencies with small and powerful explosives he cannot defuse in time, Batman has used the gun on occasion to fasten the explosive to the gun's line clamp to launch it away to explode at a hopefully safe distance.

A magazine of explosively-propelled darts attach to de-cel jumpline reels secured with braking and clipping mechanisms inside the grapnel gun sleeve. "Smart" acceleration motors within the grapnel dart head enables attachment to light aluminum, steel, or concrete masonry. The dart is also engineered for snap-on mini-carabiner or high-test de-cel line, and the state-of-the-art industrial retracting motor attached to the reel is powerful enough to lift several hundred pounds.

Other media

Batman (1989 film)

This grapple gun was a spring action, speargun-like device that shot a grappling hook and, when needed, paralyzing gas.

Batman Returns

The grapple gun from Batman Returns was based on the first model from the 1989 Batman film. It was revised around the handle. Now, it had more chrome parts. The launcher was now at the lower part, but on the upper surface and it was operated with the thumb.

Batman Forever

The look of the grapple gun changed dramatically for Batman Forever, to fit with the new Batman (Joel Schumacher directed instead of Tim Burton, and Val Kilmer was the star instead of Michael Keaton). Now, it was more powerful and could cut through hard steel and rock, as seen in the opening bank sequence.

Batman & Robin

The grapple gun from Batman & Robin was very different from the one from Batman Forever. It can be attached on Batman's glove or the utility belt. The 90 m rope it launches can carry as much as 400 kg.

Ace the Bathound

Bathound uses a belt similar to the Batman; Brave and the Bold in which there is a bat grappling hook along with sleeping powder.

Batman Begins/Dark Knight

The grapple gun from Batman Begins was propelled with compressed air works with a magnetic grappling hook. The thin climbing cable was tested on a load-carrying capacity of 350 lb (160 kg).

Batman: The Brave and the Bold

In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, the latest Batman cartoon, the Caped Crusader uses a very different version of the grapple gun. It is in the shape of a bat and fires the bats head which attaches to something then pulls Batman to it.

External links

• Superhero Gadgets as a Deus Ex Machina
• Utility Belt Bio
• IGN: Holy Bat-Gadgets!