When Batman first appeared in 1939, Bob Kane and Bill Finger conceived him as a pulp crime fighter in the mold of Sherlock Holmes and The Shadow. This version was a colorful adventurer far removed from the dark and unstable vigilante who became popular after Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns.
Consequently, Golden and Silver Age Batman comics could accommodate a wide range of whimsical concepts, including a collection of outrageous gadgets. As with James Bond, watching Batman use spectacular devices to get himself out of a jam is an essential part of the character’s appeal, but sometimes it was incredibly strange or downright improbable.
11/11 Batman Just Likes Having Things In The Shape Of A Bat
10/11 
In Batman Vol. 1 #109, Dick Sprang, the definitive Silver Age Batman artist, drew a visual guide entitled, “Famed Batarangs: Used For Special Emergencies.” For the most part, these were devices that had no business being in the shape of a bat.
For example, the “Seeing-Eye-Batarang” just sounds like a camera that’s difficult to grip, or perhaps it’s a crude version of a drone video recorder. Given how the Batarang is a throwing device, the “Flash-Bulb-Batarang” would only function for a couple of seconds before it shatters. Still, it’s nice to know that even Batman needs to whistle for the police occasionally.
“Invaders from the Past” by writer Jerry Coleman, penciler Sheldon Moldoff, and inker Charles Paris, was the lead feature in Batman Vol. 1 #149. The plot revolves around a group of petty criminals disguising themselves as time-displaced warriors, leading to a sequence involving an uncoupled railway car.
Fortunately, Batman protected Gotham’s residents from this potential traffic hazard by using his trusty bat crayons to make an impromptu stop sign. Given the limited space in his utility belt, crayons seem like a strange tool to invest in. One can only wonder what other arts and crafts supplies The Dark Knight must carry with him.
8/11 Whatever Happened To The Sticky Bat Shield?
The Bat-Sheild made its appearance on the cover of Batman Vol. 1 #190 by artist Carmine Infantino, who was also responsible for updating Batman’s look in the sixties. This gadget was used to protect our hero from the Penguin’s projectile attacks and is naturally adorned with a bat symbol.
Yet, the Bat-Shield doesn’t even appear in the interior story, which suggests it exists for the sole purpose of aping an iconic Captain America pose on the cover. Speaking of strange gadgets, the Penguin’s evolving collection of weaponized umbrellas could even put The Dark Knight to shame.
7/11 The OG Batman Liked Guns
Batman’s aversion to guns and his strict code of not killing have become fundamental parts of the character; however, these elements were very much absent in the original Golden Age comics. Back then, Batman would casually kill side villains, although it could be argued these incidents weren’t meant to be taken so seriously.
One fact that’s unavoidable is that the early Batman loved using guns, which was even stranger given how he was never depicted as actually shooting anyone. The real reason for this is that co-creator, Bob Kane, used outlines of the pulp hero The Shadow when he was drawing Batman comics, and The Shadow loved guns.
6/11 One Never Knows When A Giant Balloon Batman May Come In Handy
“The Batman In a Bottle” by writer Bill Finger, penciler Dick Sprang, and inker Stan Kaye was the lead feature in Batman Vol. 1 #115. In this classic Silver Age yarn, the Caped Crusader travels to the land of the giants where he’s placed in a glass bottle and put on display.
Fortunately, our resourceful hero uses a huge Batman balloon to trick the giants into believing he has a far larger counterpart. It’s highly improbable Batman could have compressed such a thing into a compartment on his belt and set it up to inflate automatically. But if Wayne Enterprises do have that technology, maybe they could share it with the good folks at Macy’s.
5/11 The Secret Identity Disc Should Not Have Gone Past The Concept Stage
The Secret Identity Disc deserves the label of the most random and ill-advised gadget Batman has ever used. It appeared in Detective Comics #185 in “The Secret of Batman’s Utility Belt” by writer David Veen Reed and artists Dick Sprang and Charles Paris.
This gadget is just a disc with Batman’s name written on it, which he keeps on hand at all times so people will know his true identity in case he dies. It’s strange to imagine why the masked crusader – emphasis on masked – was suddenly interested in getting credit for his good deeds. There’s no reason for Batman to create such an easy opportunity for his foes to figure out who he is.
4/11 Batman Really Can Fit Anything Onto His Belt
It’s always a good idea to carry a spare set of clothes, but regular humans generally have a hard time figuring out where to place them. This isn’t so for The Dark Knight, who’s able to compress an entire batsuit inside a pocket in his utility belt. Strange as that may be, the story in which Batman’s mini costume appears is even stranger.
In “Jail For Heroes” by David Vern Reed and Lew Sayre Schwartz, Batman’s master plan is to dress his enemy in a bat costume and then turn him into a human puppet using ventriloquism, thus, getting his foe attacked by Batman’s rogues. Again, backup clothes are a relatively tame gadget, but the plot itself is certifiably zany.
3/11 Batarang X Could Have Never Become Airborne
Batman has deployed various methods of flying around during his career, from different types of paragliding to improbably swinging across buildings using nothing but a grappling hook. Yet, all of these aerial techniques pale in comparison to “Batarang-X.”
This gadget appeared in Detective Comics #244, “The 100 Batarangs of Batman” by Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff, and Charles Paris. If Batarang-X was just a bat-shaped hang-glider, it might be more believable. However, it’s literally a giant boomerang fired by a cannon, and Batman somehow rides on top of it. And no, there’s no engine.
2/11 The Rubber Lips Were Due For A Comeback
The Silver Age didn’t have a monopoly on strangeness. Several modern Batman writers conceived strange gadgets that are often loving homages to the silliness of Batman’s past. This was definitely the case during Scott Snyder’s recent run on Batman.
For instance, All-Star Batman #7 by Scott Snyder and Tula Lotay referenced Joel Schumacher’s unfairly maligned Batman & Robin by having Batman use one of the film’s most infamous devices – rubber lips. Not only is it weird that this is all it takes to protect oneself from Poison Ivy’s toxic kiss, but a scientist like Pamela Isley ought to be able to recognize the lips are rubber.
1/11 Honestly, Bat-Jet-Skates Might Actually Come In Handy
Speaking of Batman & Robin, bat-fans might remember the scene where the dynamic duo escapes an exploding rocket by riding jet surfboards across the air. This is clearly an adaptation of a sequence from Batman Vol. 1 #117 by Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris. In “Manhunt From Outer Space,” Batman and Robin board a rocket ship by riding their handy Bat-Jet-Skates.
As goofy as it is to picture the grim avenger of the night skating around Gotham City, the gadget would probably make apprehending fleeing criminals much easier. The fact Batman has never used his skates again is a glaring plot hole current creators are obliged to address. Over to you, Chip.
