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The Batsuit (or Bat-Suit) is a fictional tactical costume worn by the fictional superhero Batman, which appears in comics published by the American company DC Comics, and related media. The suit has been depicted in various artistic iterations, and the stories themselves have described Batman as modifying the details of his costume from time to time typically using military and SWAT standards materials and technology that evolved into an advanced combat suit. However, it usually consists of a gray body suit, the chest emblazoned with a stylized black bat either with or without a yellow ellipse around it, and either blue or black accessories: a wide scalloped cape, gloves with a series of fin-like projections, trunks, boots, and a close-fitting cowl (covering the upper half of his face) with ear-like projections to suggest a bat's head; and a yellow utility belt containing a variety of gadgets.
The bat symbol on the chest has also alternated from a simple black bat, to a bat design on a yellow ellipse, lending a logo-like appearance more akin to Superman's Superman logo. The yellow ellipse was introduced in 1964 as part of the "New Look" Batman stories. In , the yellow ellipse design was explained as being a heavily armored, intentional target, to draw enemy fire away from his unarmored head and body. A subsequent issue of Shadow of the Bat re-established the concept. The yellow ellipse was eventually removed in 2000 after a 36-year run and replaced by a larger stylized black bat-emblem, which resembles the one from the Golden Age comics. The ellipse made a comeback in 2021.
Other elements, such as the utility belt and the length of the cowl's ears, have been changed by various artistic teams.
Finger took a Webster's Dictionary off the shelf, looking for a drawing of a bat, and found one. He then said to Kane, "Notice the ears, why don't we duplicate the ears?" He then suggested that Kane would draw what looked like a cowl, to bring the nosepiece down and make him look mysterious and not show any eyeballs at all. Finger didn't like the bird-like wings, so he also suggested to Kane to re-design them and make a cape instead, and scallop the edges so it would flow out behind Batman when he ran so it would look like bat wings as well as adding a bat symbol on the character's chest as its chest emblem. He also suggested that the color of his bodysuit should be gray instead of red and a pair of gloves were added, colored purple from the start but later changed to blue.
Similar to many other superhero costumes, the Batsuit's basic foundation is a tight bodysuit. In early depictions, contrasting briefs were worn over a one-piece suit, similar to the garb of early 20th-century circus performers and strongmen. Batman #1 (June 1940) revealed that there is a bulletproof vest sewn into the costume. Modern depictions of Batman's suit do not incorporate contrasting briefs, and the character's suit consists of pants without a color change. The Batsuit is also no longer portrayed as a one-piece suit, as the top and pants are separate pieces.
The Post-Crisis version of the bodysuit is not constructed from simple fabric, but from fictional advanced materials that gives it resistance to tearing. In addition, the suit also contains various defense and protection mechanisms layered into the suit's fabric. These protective layers in the Batsuit are necessary since Batman, although strong, powerful, and intelligent, is still a human being with no inherent superhuman powers. 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 the video game, 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.
The material of the cape has varied with different writers, sometimes being depicted as bulletproof Batman Annual #15 (1991) and fire resistant, and other times being made of simple fabric that tears easily and is continuously replaced. For example, in the 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. He is also commonly seen with the cape able to wrap around his entire body, usually whenever he is standing or sometimes when walking.
The cape may also incorporate Nomex fire-resistant/retardant material (as demonstrated in the film Batman Forever and the novelization by Dennis O'Neil) and a Kevlar weave to slow the impact of bullets. In The Dark Knight Strikes Again, the ends of the cape contained razor-sharp blades which Batman used to slice through several corrupt government officials.
Batman's usage of the cape as a mode of transportation differed over the years. 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. 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. 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.Batman & Robin #1 However, at the beginning, Grayson finds that the new cape has too much weight. The also gave Batman the same gliding ability as in Batman Begins, while the 2022 film The Batman showed a version of the cape that—with the pull of a wire trigger—could turn into an actual wingsuit.
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, with the result that villains attacking him at long range cannot determine whether they are shooting at Batman's body or just the cape. 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 prefers being the one to take the brunt of gunfire instead of others. Batman Beyond #4 (September 2010). DC Comics.
There may be something added to the cowl that alters how people see Batman when looking at him directly."He's a tall guy. You can't see his eyes. And it's weird-- That cloak screws your mind up, like he's standing in a patch of darkness..." - from "Original Sins" by Neil Gaiman, first printed in Secret Origins Special #1: "Featuring Gotham City's Vilest Villains!" Batman's cowl 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, , Superman/Batman, and Justice League of America#24). comic book storyline Superman/Batman: Public Enemies comic book storyline 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 locations and under different aliases. However, because some superpowered individuals such as metahuman hitman Tommy Monaghan have the power to see through solid objects, Batman also lines the cowl with lead to protect his identity. Superman/Batman #9 That property is absent in The New Batman/Superman Adventures crossover "World's Finest", where Superman saw through Batman's cowl with ease.
Batman's cowl has also been depicted with shifting optical lenses that identify suspects' identities as well as their weak points (through medical records), while simultaneously avoiding the possibility of eye identification. The cowl's lenses incorporate multiple vision modes like infrared vision (heat sensors), night vision, and ultraviolet vision, comic book storyline and a digital camera for obtaining pieces of evidence. Detective Comics #840 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. In Detective Comics #838 (January 2008), it is revealed that Batman also has an echolocation system in the cowl. In , Batman wears a special motorcycle helmet when riding his Batcycle that is molded with bat ears to accommodate his cowl's ears. In , 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.
One of the cowl's ears carries a high-gain antenna for an internal communication device on the left side of the mask, allowing Batman to stay in contact with his allies. #741 This communication device is capable of scanning 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. Batman #647 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 (head butts) 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 for Batman's needs.
shows that the cowl's ears are able to change lengths for various uses. However, artist Karl Kerchl has drawn Batman's costume vault showing that he has a wide selection of masks with ears of different lengths. Adventures of Superman #643 Despite that, Dick Grayson's cowl supposedly has the same features as Bruce Wayne's, although Grayson often finds that wearing it interferes with his peripheral vision (although, as Grayson primarily wore a domino mask through his career, this could simply mean he is unused to the cowl).
In , during Batman's hunt with the masked serial killer Onomatopoeia, he reinforced one of his masks 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 on assassin Deadshot's helmet designs.
In some later incarnations, the scallops are attached to a separated bracer worn below the glove around the wrist. In Batman Begins these bracers are part of the costume Wayne wore during his League of Shadows training, painted black – this set are hard enough to slice Ra's al Ghul's sword into many pieces. The scallops typically serve a defensive purpose and are used to defend against bladed weapons, such as swords or knives. The gloves are sometimes depicted as being capable of launching the scallops as projectiles, most notably in The Dark Knight Trilogy, which also revealed electrical shockers in the fingertips of the gloves, used to control the structure of the wingsuit-style cape. Batman uses similar electric discharge gloves in the 2022 film The Batman, albeit to incapacitate enemies.
Additionally, Batman hides a few pieces of his arsenal in his gloves, such as a lock pick Robin #14 and miniaturized batarangs.Batman vol. 1 #650 (April 2006). The knuckles of each glove have been depicted as containing a small amount of lead shot to increase the force of his blows. Similar knuckle reinforcement can be seen in the video game , where Batman actually sprays his knuckles with an explosive gel to drastically increase the force of a punch (shredding the glove and nearly breaking his arm in the process). In the 2004 series The Batman, Batman's gloves have sharp claws embedded in the fingertips.
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Wayback Machine: ). The basic design of the boots are modeled on , but they are made from lightweight rubbers and are much more flexible to allow for full extension when kicking. The bottom is a flexible split sole design and is textured for a variety of surfaces. The boots also have Steel-toe boot, making them much more effective when on the offensive. Although Batman is already an elite swimmer, during the Batman: Hush storyline, it is revealed that after saving
deceased mayor Armand Krol from drowning years before he installed underwater propellers in the heels for ease.
During , 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. Detective Comics #842 The new Azrael takes up wearing the suit eventually.
In all eight one-shots of , which sets after the events of , show that Batman, acting as "The Insider", 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 Speed Force, Martian Manhunter's invisibility, emitting a Green Lantern's ring's energy, a lasso mirroring Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth, and super strength. 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. Batman: The Return one-shot (Jan. 2011)
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.Miller, Frank. Batman #406. "", DC Comics, 1987; and Batman vs. Predator #3 (1992) 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. In The Dark Knight Rises, at least one of the "pouches" has been replaced with a device previously seen being used by Bruce Wayne to avoid paparazzi attention that shuts off nearby electrical appliances.
In The Batman, released in March 2022, the bat symbol on Batman's chest is bladed, allowing it to serve as both an emblem as well as a functional tool and weapon. To be more plausible, the bat symbol was made of metal Instead of leather. In an interview with HeyUGuys blogger, Director Matthew Reeves clarified that the metal was not from the gun that was used to kill Batman's parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne.
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. Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #63
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.
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.
The shield is not 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 & Robin: Batman Must Die Reprinted collection of Batman & Robin #13-16 page 166.
In , where Bruce Wayne is chosen as the Green Lantern instead of Hal Jordan, he mostly wears the standard Green Lantern uniform, but his attire includes a cape and cowl similar to what he would wear as Batman, although it lacks the "bat ears" of the traditional cowl.
In , Bruce Wayne's costume is specifically stated as having originally been worn by his father when he portrayed a demon in a play. The general look is still the same as Batman's familiar attire, but the belt is almost triangular in design, the 'ears' on the cowl are wider without being a simple single point, and the bat-like symbol on the chest is more triangular, with a white patch at the top leading to a thin white line directly over the throat under the chin, possibly a reference to Bruce Wayne's civilian role as a priest.
In Robin 3000, the Batman of this time period wears an outfit similar to the standard batsuit; the only clear difference is an artificial left eye, similar in design to Deadshot's familiar cybernetic substitute.
In Batman/Houdini: The Devil's Workshop, most of Batman's attire is concealed under a long thick coat, the exact costume not entirely visible in the dark of the night, although his cowl is the familiar style apart from notably thinner 'ears' than usual.
In Batman: Dark Knight of the Round Table, after Bruce of Waynesmoor has spent years living in Avalon before being trained by Merlin, he is granted a suit of armour that Merlin describes as having been forged by the power of the dragon, the metals forged by the dragon's fiery breath before being cooled in its blood, granting the wearer control over the forces of nature itself. While wearing this armour, Bruce also used his father's old sword.
In and its sequel, the Batman outfit is presented with buccaneer-style gloves and boots and a floor-length cape with an upturned collar, along with a simple cloth cowl. The utility belt is shown with two short daggers and various pouches with unidentified contents.
In , depicting Bruce Wayne as a Frankenstein-esque doctor while the Bat-Man is his reanimated father, the Bat-Man's initial attire is intended to aid in his father's altered awareness of his new senses and mask some of the necessary scarring, the familiar cowl accompanied by a short cloak around the shoulders and upper arms. As the Bat-Man 'evolves' he discards the cowl and his head becomes distinctly bat-like.
In Kingdom Come and its sequel The Kingdom, an older Bruce wears a bracing powered exoskeleton due to his long career as Batman putting his body under serious strain, and then a completing armor when in action as Batman.
In the Vampire Batman trilogy, Batman wears the familiar Batsuit even after he becomes a vampire, although he wields silver batarangs in the first novel in the trilogy in his final confrontation with Dracula and, in the second novel, uses cross-shaped throwing daggers made of wood with silver in the interior, these weapons specifically designed to help him kill the other vampires. After his surrender to his vampire side and several months decaying in a coffin, Batman occasionally transforms into a twisted giant bat form when flying and hunting his enemies, but he retains the usual suit in his human form, albeit with his body now so decayed that his ribs are clearly visible and his arms seemingly reduced to skin and bones rather than muscle.
In Batman: Brotherhood of the Bat, some years after Bruce Wayne's death and humanity's decimation by a virus unleashed by Ra's al Ghul, Ra's takes control of the Batcave and uses some of Bruce's sketches of possible costumes to create an army of Bat-men based on Bruce's rejected costume designs. These costumes reflect darker or more heavily armoured styles that Bruce considered using before he decided to go with a simple design that could be adapted for multiple situations, feeling that others suffered such problems as impractically large capes, excess padding providing enhanced protection at the cost of mobility, or looking too demonic for his goal of becoming part of the darkness without appearing too intimidating for the people he was trying to protect. Later in the storyline, Talia is able to direct her son, Tallant, to oppose his grandfather, with Tallant donning his father's own Batsuit to infiltrate Ra's's plans and destroy his grandfather's army.
In Elseworld's Finest—retelling the origins of Superman and Batman in the style of pulp fiction narratives in the 1930s—Bruce Wayne is a former playboy turned impoverished archaeologist. During a confrontation with Ra's al Ghul's men on a quest for the lost city of Argos, Wayne is badly injured by a poisoned sword, but is confronted by the spirit of the ancient warrior-wizard Kha. who offers Bruce life and himself redemption if Bruce will take on his mantle. Kha's armour consists of a black bodysuit with golden gauntlets and boots, as well as a golden necklace in the style of a bat and a golden helm that resembles a twisted bat.
In League of Justice, depicting DC heroes in a fairy-tale realm, the 'Bat-Mancer' goes into action wearing armour underneath the head and wings of a giant bat.
In , depicting a world where Kal-El was taken in by the Waynes and raised as Bruce, he initially goes into action wearing what appears to be the standard Batsuit, albeit with the mouth covered as well and visible padding around the edges of the arms and legs. After Lois Lane convinces him that he would have more power as a symbol in the daylight, he adopts a new Superman-style costume, albeit without the red 'trunks' and with headgear that encircles his ears and chin while leaving his face exposed.
In , where Barbara Gordon is Batgirl after her father was killed saving the Waynes and Bruce is essentially her Alfred rather than Batman, she initially wore the standard Batgirl costume from the comics. By the time of the storyline, she has adopted a darker costume, including metallic gauntlets on her forearms and wrists, shoulders, and exterior ankles, with the main suit consisting of nanites extending out from the belt to cover her body.
In , Bruce Wayne's distant ancestor Joshua of Wainwright initially acts as a member of the Knights Templar, but when faced with a raid on Vandal Savage's compound after the rest of his group have been slain by Savage's minions, he dons his old family armour, which includes a bat-like crest and a helmet in the style of the usual Bat-cowl, including small points and a visor that shields his eyes, although his equipment consists only of a sword and a short iron knife. In the present day, after Savage kills his parents on his wedding night, Bruce adopts the familiar Batman costume to hunt their killer, later adapting it into a spacesuit with its own air supply and the cowl now an actual helmet when he confronts Vandal on a space shuttle. In the twenty-fifth Century, Brenna Wayne devises three bat-themed costumes to track the source of the conspiracy against her family, with two being high-tech black-and-orange suits with such advanced weaponry as flamethrowers in the cape/wings, and the third a simpler black suit with gold trim.
In , depicting Superman and Batman 'aging' in real-time from their debuts in 1939 onwards, Bruce Wayne is shown wearing the standard Batsuit of each era, including wearing a Robin outfit in a story set in 1929 and wearing a fox-mask with an orange cape and purple shirt during an adventure when he was a child in 1919. Dick Grayson takes on the role of Batman between 1959 and 1969, again wearing a Batsuit similar to what was worn in the comics at this time, with this suit being worn by Bruce's son, Bruce Wayne Junior, when he takes over as Batman in 1969 after Grayson is killed by a trap set by the Joker, Bruce Junior switching costumes with Grayson to create the illusion that the Joker killed Robin rather than Batman. Between 1979 and 1986, after the death of his wife on their wedding day, Bruce Junior adopts an armoured Batsuit with a covered facial mask as his new costume. He wears this costume until 1999, when he rediscovers his long-missing father- Bruce Wayne having become immortal and young in 1979 after a confrontation with Ra's al Ghul- with Bruce adopting a new Batsuit in darker colours after his return to the role.
This design was re-used in the Static Shock two-part episode "A League of Their Own", as well as the follow-up series, Justice League Unlimited (2004–2006). It was eventually re-used again for the feature film Justice League vs. the Fatal Five (2019).
Though similar in appearance to the older costumes, this Batsuit is unique in 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 has been shown to not only contain multiple Batarangs and other standard Bat-paraphernalia, but also a collapsible sword (hidden inside his utility belt with a sound similar to a lightsaber), 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!", Owlman steals one of Batman's costumes that looks identical to the original Detective Comics #27 design from 1939, and commits a series of crimes to frame Batman. 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 from the 1930s and 1940s, in addition the episode's teaser has Batman sporting various Bat suits in different colors, as an homage to Detective Comics #241. 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. This costume also appears in the feature film (2018), first worn by Batman in another flashback sequence and later worn by Fred Jones when each of the Mystery Gang borrow the displayed costumes in the Batcave.
In Batman (1989), the basic design of the suit, 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 with a motorized reel (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 nearly impossible for Michael Keaton to turn his head while wearing it). The costume was constructed of black kevlar-like material over metal plating (layers of foam rubber-latex clothing over a Neoprene bodysuit in reality, hi-tech body armor in the context of the film), instead of the light-gray spandex seen in the comics and in the 1966 live-action Batman television series. Keaton was told not to put on too much muscle in preparation for the role, as there was uncertainty to how it would effect the costume they were sculpting on bodycasts made during the filming of The Dream Team. Keaton's lean build proved helpful when adding layers of armor to his silhouette with the bodysuit.
In Batman Forever (1995), the Batsuit is 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 cowl 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, but resembles the chest symbol from Batman Returns. 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 wears 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 use of this suit in the climax of the film, allows Batman to smash the Riddler's Box-device and save both Richard Greyson and Dr Meridian, which otherwise would have been impossible with the standard Batsuit. 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 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 "sonar" Batsuit was subsequently used by Christopher Nolan when auditioning actors for the lead role in Batman Begins, and was worn by Christian Bale and Cillian Murphy among others.
The utility belt is a modified climbing harness in bronze with the chest and shoulder straps removed for ease of movement. It features 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 Batphone, Batarang shuriken, a medical kit, smoke bombs, mini explosives, periscope, remote control for the Batmobile, spy camera, money and other unspecified equipment.
Batman's cape is made of "memory cloth" also developed by Fox. It is essentially flexible in its normal state, but becomes semi-rigid in a fixed form (Batman's wings) when an electric current is passed through it from the microcircuits in the palms of his gloves.
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 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 ninjatō in multiple places with the gauntlets.
The left boot heel contains a high-frequency sonic "sounder" which can summon bats (first seen in ).
Prior to the latest upgrade to the Batsuit in the next film, Batman still uses the original less flexible Nomex-based suit. Interrupting a drug transaction between Scarecrow and Chechen, he uses a pneumatic mangler that allows him to bend a gun barrel and tear through the sheet metal of a van while chasing after Scarecrow.
In this Batsuit, the 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 previous one and it bears a greater resemblance to the Batman logo that has been associated with Nolan's films.
The suit again has an external 'memory cloth' cape, but, now has the ability to fold into a backpack shape as seen during the scene in which Batman performs a base-jump off a Hong Kong skyscraper. It was not made clear whether it can fold back into the backpack shape automatically after being used in glider mode. According to costume designer Linda Hemming, Nolan requested this design as a contingency in the event that the cape got caught up in the rear wheel of the Batpod while in motion.
The Batsuit also has "sonar-vision", where signals emitted by mobile phones are converted into images in a similar way to echolocation, in which 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/TV series.
Michael Wilkinson designed the costumes for Batman in (2016). It is influenced by the Batsuit seen in The Dark Knight Returns, and is noted by Bruce and Alfred to include additional armor to compensate for Bruce's greater age, as well as a device in the cowl to alter Bruce's voice when in the suit, both to make his voice impossible to identify as well as add an extra level of intimidation. The Batsuit is made of a Kevlar-titanium weave, is highly durable, making it resistant to knives and low-caliber firearms, the cowl and neck area of the suit consists of fabric-coated titanium alloy plating, protecting his neck and head from blade injuries and small-caliber firearms (a man using a knife could only cause sparks to fly when trying to stab Batman in the back of the neck). Not even bullets can pierce the suit at point-blank range, but some areas are somewhat vulnerable as a thug is successfully able to stab Batman with a knife in the upper arm. The cape also provided for gliding capabilities, although Batman rarely uses this, relying on the Grapple Gun instead. Unlike the Batsuits in the Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher and Christopher Nolan films this suit is black and grey as opposed to all-black or all-blue. An early scene in the film depicts Alfred conducting maintenance on a high-tech helmet with the leather mask laying next to it, implying that the Batsuit is worn overtop of armor. Multiple variants of the chest insignia were created, with the final design chosen because of the manner in which it emphasized Affleck's pectoral muscles.
A second Batsuit was unveiled at ComicCon 2014, and unlike the first which is made of cloth, it is armored and features illuminated white eyes.Collura, Scott. (July 26, 2014). "SDCC 2014: Wonder Woman Costume, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Teaser Revealed" IGN In the film, Batman's armor is a powered exoskeleton built by him and Alfred Pennyworth to counter Superman's strength as well as to protect Batman from Superman's attacks. It is also armed with a grenade launcher to fire kryptonite gas grenades and a kryptonite spear, both of which are necessary to weaken Superman to the point where Batman can fight him directly. The armor is damaged in the fight with Superman, prompting Batman to return to his usual costume when he departs to save Martha Kent from her abductors.
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021), a director's cut restoring the eponymous director's intended vision for the film, also features a reprisal of Batman's Knightmare outfit from Dawn of Justice during the film's epilogue sequence, which depicted another premonition of Wayne recruiting Joker into his insurgency opposed to the corrupted Superman. In addition, Bruce and Alfred add energy dissipating gauntlets to the primary suit, which are implied to have been inspired by Wonder Woman's metal bracelets (Alfred claims "it was Master Wayne's idea.").
Batman's cowl is made of leather but its interior is reinforced to protect against blunt force trauma, explosions, and gunfire. Unlike previous Batsuits with the cowl and cape as one piece, the cowl is separate and allows for head and neck mobility. The cape is attached to a collar that wraps around the cowl and is shorter in length than the previous capes. The suit also contains a wire trigger that folds the cape into a wingsuit that allows Batman to glide, such as when he evades the police from the top of the Gotham PD building. Furthermore, the suit contains a small slot for injecting adrenaline into his body, as shown when he uses it to get up and tackle the thug trying to strangle Catwoman, after being knocked down by a shotgun to the chest at close range.
When Bruce is undercover during most of the film, he appears to store his gloves and gauntlets, cowl, and cape inside his backpack, while wearing a hoodie with a ball cap as well as a mask covering the lower half of his face, and a helmet for when he is riding his bike, though he abandons these at the end of the film in favor of his regular Batsuit.
Aside from his grappling guns and wingsuit, Batman's other gadgets feature electric discharge gloves that Batman can use to incapacitate enemies, small charges that allow him to blow up objects or structures, and contact lenses that he wears that record video for analysis as well as live streaming for the Batcave. The contacts also allow for Batman's detective vision which enables him to use facial recognition to find people, though it takes time. Batman also carries a laptop in a protective case he keeps in the Batmobile, possibly containing other crimefighting gadgets.
In a first for live-action portrayals of Batman, the black eye makeup that most Batman actors have used behind the scenes when wearing their cowls is featured prominently in the film as a plot device, showing Bruce actually applying the makeup before putting on the cowl, as well as keep the eyeliner on even when he has removed his cowl.
At the start of season 4 Bruce uses the same suit, but with slightly different mask and a hood added to the coat. But at the end of this episode Lucius Fox represents Bruce a new bulletproof suit with a plastic mask, which looks like a cut-off facial part of Batman's cowl. Bruce continues to use this suit throughout this and next season, while Fox invents new gadgets for him to use in combat.
The only actual batsuit appeared in the final episode, based heavily on Christian Bale's suit, barring a rougher formed version of the cowl and 3D version of the Bat-symbol (similar to the costume from Batman Forever).
This exact same costume is re-used in The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Batman initially also makes use of a motorized brace to support his damaged knee after injuries he sustained in The Dark Knight. During Batman's first fight with Bane, the costume is initially damaged when Bane severely beats Batman and tears off part of the cowl after cracking the graphite. The rest of the costume is disposed of by Bane's henchmen after carrying off Bruce's badly injured body, as he is shown wearing ordinary rags when imprisoned in the Pit. After he escapes from the prison, Batman is able to acquire an identical Batsuit from the underground bunker (the same one he used as an interim batcave while Wayne Manor was under reconstruction in the previous film).
DC Extended Universe
(2016). 9781785650604, Titan Books. ISBN 9781785650604
In Suicide Squad (2016), Bruce wore the Batsuit again twice in the film where he captured Deadshot and Harley Quinn.
In Justice League (2017), the Batsuit has several additional pieces of armor, most notably on the arm and biceps. The cowl is more elongated, and the suit overall is lighter in texture. In the final battle at the climax, Bruce dons the Tactical Batsuit. This Batsuit consists of titanium armoured plates over a fireproof skin suit. The cowl also features small armoured plates on the ears, and Bruce also wears goggles, similar to Nite Owl from the Watchmen franchise.
The Batman franchise
In The Batman (2022), the Batsuit is worn during Bruce's second year in his campaign as Batman. Sporting a homemade aesthetic, the Batsuit has armor plating to protect against gunfire while retaining mobility, and his signature utility belt to house gadgets. Also, the insides of the Batsuit's gauntlets have built-in retractable grappling guns that Batman can use instantly and have inbuilt winches that can support his weight as they pull him upward. Additionally, the Bat symbol on his chest is detachable and can be used as a blade, sharp enough to cut a high-tension wire.
Gotham TV series
In this prequel series Bruce Wayne's transformation into Batman begins at the end of season 3, when he saves a nuclear family from the armed robber. His first "proto-Batsuit", shown in this episode, consists of black coat, black sweater, black gloves and simple robber-like black mask with triangle-shaped eyes.
Titans
The Batsuit appears in the season finale of Titans, titled "Dick Grayson", in a dream world created by Trigon.
Batwoman
In the television series Batwoman, the Batsuit is shown in the Batcave at Wayne Tower and it was later used by Kate Kane as Batwoman. A key element in some later episodes focuses on the strength of the Batsuit, which is capable of enduring weapons fire from most standard weapons without any damage, to the extent that Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox designed a gun specifically capable of penetrating the suit in the event of it being stolen. Fox's journal is an encoded book containing secrets, such as a fail-safe in the Batsuit that would kill the wearer. Season 1, Episode 19 "A Secret Kept From All the Rest" shows one excerpt which information that was copied from the Batsuit page on Wikipedia, with slight grammatical changes.The CW (May 10, 2020). Batwoman: Season 1, Episode 19 "A Secret Kept From All the Rest" Batwoman's Azrael Reveal Used a Wikipedia Entry - CBR
Video games
In the prequel the Batsuit takes on a more heavily protected armor look, more akin to the Nolan version in The Dark Knight: the ears are shorter and the cowl looks less like a mask and more like a combat helmet; and because of the added armor, only the cape gets progressively damaged, while the suit itself gets only scratched. Alfred constructs a concussion detonator (which attaches an orb of light that stuns enemies caught in the blast) for Batman, who also appropriates Deathstroke's remote claw gun (which fires a grappling claw that itself can shoot a grapple line to another object and pull it back to where it was fired) after defeating the assassin in the Penguin's lair; and after the death of the assassin the Electrocutioner, Batman obtains the killer's taser gloves from his body, using them for the rest of the game. In the DLC content "Cold, Cold Heart", when facing Mister Freeze, Batman adopts a prototype Extreme Environment suit to cope with severe winter conditions. The suit adapts the taser gloves as Thermal Gloves to melt large quantities of ice, and is equipped with thermal batarangs that are heated to destroy icicles and other objects. The suit protects Batman from cold and cryo-vapor, and its honeycomb structure avoids any significant increase in weight despite its new bulk.
In the final sequel the Batsuit takes on its most advanced and detailed look ever seen. The suit consists of two parts: a skintight MR fluid bodysuit with hard points made of titanium-dipped tri-weave (a la The Dark Knight), and armor plating more akin to that of an armored knight of Medieval Europe. The armor panels are highly articulated as seen in the trailer where Bruce is suiting up, and able to expand and contract with the form of the wearer—the chest armor is motorized and has high tensile wire to hold the pieces in place as he breathes and moves—giving the suit a far less bulky appearance than other previous versions and allowing it to compress around wounds caused by anything that gets past the armor's defenses. Arkham Knight also introduces to the utility belt arsenal the voice synthesizer, a gadget that allows Batman to digitally recreate the voice of someone else should that voice be needed to command enemies or digital systems.
The Astrid Arkham wears a highly military-inspired Batsuit and an Arkham symbol on his chest. His mask is a helmet that not only conceals his identity but features a heads-up display to keep track of his manned and unmanned forces throughout Gotham City. The mask also shows a map of Gotham City, seen on numerous occasions when he fights Batman. The ears on the mask serve two purposes, one to transmit commands to his troops and drones and second as psychological intimidation and mockery to the Batman. The Arkham Knight knows the influence of symbols and has adopted the Arkham Institution logo as his own in place of the bat emblem. He wears a red urban warfare style camouflage and a low slung utility belt akin to that of paratroopers. Beneath the cowl is another mask, known as a Tactical Visor in both the character showcase and referred to as such by GCPD officer Aaron Cash in red, with no eyes or mouth. This visor is later broken but repaired when The Knight is redeemed and featured as the mask of the main character in the Red Hood DLC pack.
Towards the end of Episode 4, the player has the choice to oust Penguin as CEO of Wayne Enterprises and protect Batman's tech, or to oust Two-Face as mayor of Gotham and protect Wayne Manor from being burnt down. If they choose to take on Penguin and protect Batman's tech, Fox will give Wayne the Batsuit Mark II when he goes to rescue Alfred and face Lady Arkham. The Mark II's main body is light grey with an armored frame similar to the Exoframe Batsuit from The Dark Knight Returns, with the gloves (which feature no bracers), boots, cape, and cowl remaining all black. The cowl's ears are longer, and the yellow accents on the utility belt are predominant to show the suit's upgraded tech. With the heavy protection of the suit, Lady Arkham's concussion staff will barely scratch it in the final battle.
If the player takes on Two-Face at the cost of Batman's tech, the Mark I is rendered useless by a disruptor when Batman takes on the Children of Arkham in a hostage situation at the start of Episode 5. As a result, Wayne is forced to use a prototype Batsuit for the ending of the game. The suit is similar to the New 52 suit and is little more than a skin tight suit with basic cowl functions, which forces Batman to use basic detective skills to deduce where Alfred has been taken. The utility belt has fewer yellow accents as a result of the limited tech Batman has at his disposal. Due to the low protection, the suit is heavily damaged while fighting Lady Arkham.
For the second season, , Batman utilizes a new suit similar to the kevlar-plated suit from The Dark Knight trilogy (known as the "Batsuit Mark III"). This all-black suit functions like all the other suits, is additionally heat-resistant, can also seal itself over wounds to prevent blood loss, and has varying other features (such as a gas mask). The gauntlets can also launch Bat-Anchors, grapple lines which behave like those from the remote claw gun from . The Mark I suit and whichever suit the player used at the end of the first game are featured on display in the Batcave.
At the beginning of each game, the player can choose one of four colors for Batman's tech and the Batcomputer: blue, red, yellow, and purple. This choice does not affect either game much (in season 2, the player can also change the color at any point from the game's main menu), though this is played with in first game: each color will have a different hidden message left by the kidnapped Alfred for Batman to find him; and if the player has Fox working directly in the Batcave and checks on the color via the Batcomputer's spacebar before making the antidote for Lady Arkham's drugs, Fox will make a comment that references a Batsuit from different Batman media (i.e. choosing red, Fox will comment giving the suit a red Bat symbol, to which Wayne replies, "Maybe in the future," a reference to the suit from Batman Beyond).
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