Without his arsenal of gadgets, the Caped Crusader wouldn't be much of a superhero. By necessity, Bruce Wayne became a serious inventor - and in the upcoming film Batman Begins, director Christopher Nolan (Memento) tracks Wayne's early days of Batgear R&D.
So, where did the Batmobile come from? It's a military prototype that's been retrofitted for urban use. And what was the inspiration for the Batcape? Hang gliding. Because the movie is about Batman's origins, all the gear is still in beta, which allows for a few testing mishaps onscreen. (Where's Robin when you need him?)
Making the hardware believable meant building a slew of functional Batmachines. For example, rather than drop a kit-car body on an existing chassis, some 25 prop masters spent six months constructing five fully operational Batmobiles from the ground up. None of this came cheap - not for Warner Bros., which spent a reported $135 million to make the movie, and not for billionaire Bruce Wayne. "The one superpower Batman has is money," says Nathan Crowley, the film's production designer. But Wayne couldn't just send Alfred out to pick up a Batsuit - he had to develop one himself.
Inside the Caped Crusader's Closet
Batsuit: Bruce Wayne repurposed Kevlar armor from an abandoned military project to fashion his full bodysuit. Then he sprayed on a black rubber coating - for style and protection from the elements.
Batcape: Electricity is key here. When Wayne applies a jolt of juice, the ribs embedded in the fabric go rigid, turning the cape into effective gliding wings. The special "memory fabric" also gives the cape that sweet billowy effect when Batman strikes a pose on top of a building.
Batarangs: These razor-sharp weapons are based on the principles of Eastern throwing knives. Each one is hand-machined in the shape of - you guessed it - a bat.
Cowl: Besides being a protective helmet, Batman's headgear contains a listening device that allows him to eavesdrop on distant conversations.
Gauntlets: These spiked arm crampons can be used for climbing or to parry attacks from villains.
- Jason Silverman
credit Warner Bros.
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Batman Undressed
