Fans of the DC Comics character Batman have always said that if he was given enough prep time, he could easily beat anyone. Part of what makes Batman so powerful isn’t only his genius and grit, but his arsenal of cool gadgets that have been seen across the comics, ever since his introduction in 1939’s Detective Comics issue 27.
The Caped Crusader is a fan-favorite character and a pop culture icon. The Dark Knight has been seen in many films and recently received his reboot with Robert Pattinson in the cowl with The Batman. Every iteration, from TV, live-action movies, to comics, has its share of cool gadgets.
8 Smoke Bombs
Like a ninja emerging from the shadows, Batman is often seen opening his utility belt to pull out a few tiny pellets to create confusion and smoke surrounding his prey. Smoke bombs are used quite a lot in Batman’s arsenal to regain the aspect of stealth, and to disorientate the enemies that need a court date with the fists of justice.
Seeing Batman throw his smoke bombs on the ground, and watching them dissipate into a thick cloud of smoke is always fun, especially when it leaves the criminals of Gotham City terrified of what comes next.
7 Cowl Protection
There have been a few times in the comics where Batman lay unconscious, and at the mercy of the criminals of Gotham that seek to figure out just who he is under that cowl. Yet, almost every time someone decides to invade his personal space and peel off that mask, they are met with a strong gas to turn them away.
Batman has countermeasures in his cowl to prevent people from exposing his identity. This is often seen with a gas-like mechanic, where the person prying off the mask will be met with tear gas or knockout gas until they are unconscious, making sure that no one but Batman’s most trusted allies knows who he is.
6 The Grapple Gun
A staple of Batman’s arsenal, the grapple gun is seen in practically every iteration of the character. It provides great mobility in Gotham City, considering Batman cannot just fly up to a rooftop. They also had a great gameplay feature in the Batman: Arkham Series, which allowed players to seamlessly glide across the city.
The grapple gun helps Batman get to higher locations without needing to climb, or just helps him to get away faster if he’s in trouble. There’s a great moment with the device in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where Batman frantically uses it to escape Doomsday’s laser beams.
5 Ultrasonic Bat Beacon
Part of Batman’s genius allowed him to create a device that with the press of a button, sends a swarm of bats towards his location. This device sends out an ultrasonic signal to attract the winged creatures. The device has appeared in some Batman films but was most prominent in Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One.
It’s a great device that truly brings a literal interpretation to turning Batman into a ‘bat man’. Victims of The Dark Knight will see him integrate with bats, and it would appear as if he can control them with his mind. It adds fear to his character and shows a great relationship with the bats that he shapes himself after.
4 Kryptonite Ring
In more recent years, the tension of a rivalry between Batman and Superman has grown, ever since the Injustice video game presented the two as enemies in an alternate timeline. Part of Batman’s deterrence for the Son of Krypton, Superman, is to house a Kryptonite ring in his utility belt. It’s a means of dealing with Superman, in case that day ever happens.
It received some prominence in Jeph Loeb’s 2012 comic, Batman: Hush, in which Batman uses the Kryptonite ring to punch Superman, who is being controlled by Poison Ivy. Only someone as fearless as Batman would rely on a tiny and glowing green ring to deliver serious punches to the Man of Steel’s face.
3 Hellbat Armor
Moreso a suit of armor than a gadget, but it is certainly one of the Caped Crusader’s greatest achievements and the coolest gadgets. The Hellbat armor was forged by the Justice League, and designed by Batman. It allowed him to fight in battles way above what a human could do. With intense strength and resistance. It would be fun to see this armor appear in a Batman game.
Batman used the Hellbat armor to travel to Apokolips. Here, he confronted and fought Darkseid over the ownership of his son’s corpse, Damian Wayne. The suit utilizes nanomachines and the power of the sun. However, the armor can kill Batman due to how it feeds off of his metabolism. It’s a great and powerful gadget that allows Batman to counter any threat if it is so grave.
2 The Batarang
Perhaps the most classic of Batman’s gadgets, the Batarang is in every iteration of the character, including underappreciated DC games. It’s the most commonly used weapon in Batman’s arsenal and is often shaped like his bat symbol. It can be sharp or dull, but either way, Batman will never miss his target with this swooping gadget.
Batarangs have seen many forms. Be it sonic, remote-controlled, or just normal metal. There’s always a use for these gadgets, and it makes fans wonder just who is going around Gotham cleaning these up from the streets since Batman seems to have an infinite amount of these cool throwing weapons.
1 Lollipops
Everyone loves Batman for his gruff, gritty personality. The way that he gets things done, no matter the cost, as long as no one dies in the process. He’s cold, calculating, he’s Batman. Yet, deep down, he is still a traumatized boy who lost his parents to a gunman in an alleyway. Batman’s coolest gadget is due to its wholesome nature. Batman houses lollipops in his utility belt, for the children who need them.
Batman uses lollipops to distract children that are in traumatic emergencies. It shows that under that scary costume, there’s still a man with a big heart, and his mission remains the same. No child should experience an event that turns them into Batman, they shouldn’t have their childhood murdered in front of them. Lollipops are Batman’s way of connecting to child victims and keeping them calm and distracted.