Batsuit

"There was only one thing wrong: they weren't afraid of me. I've got to strike fear into them from the start."
— Bruce Wayne^[1]

The Batsuits were the costumes Batman developed and used for himself in his crime fighting career. All Batsuits incorporated a utility belt with compartments to hold several items, the contents of which changed according to his needs, and often included items such as flashlights, laser cutters, underwater rebreathers, binoculars, a fingerprinting kit, remote controls for his vehicles, and more.

History

Before the Batsuit

File:Batman 1st suit.png

Batman's first costume.

In Bruce Wayne's earliest adventures as a crime fighter, he wore simple clothing and a ski mask. Failing to strike fear into the hearts of his quarry, he resolved to develop a more intimidating visage.

First Batsuit

When Bruce assembled the first incarnation of the Batsuit, it was a very simple prototype design. The utility belt consisted of cloth pouches that housed small throwing weapons: such as spiked pellets and grappling hooks. The costume itself featured simple gloves without any scallops, and a plain black bat-emblem without the yellow oval that his next costume would sport. The original Batsuit's cape and cowl also featured the same black-with-blue-highlights color scheme that the second and fourth Batsuits would feature. After donning his cowl for the first time, Batman turned around to face Alfred Pennyworth, who was genuinely frightened by his master's new appearance.

Second Batsuit

File:Batman BTAS.jpg

Batman's second costume.

The second Batsuit incorporated more advanced materials and varied gadgets and weaponry. The cloth pouches on the utility belt were replaced by rigid cylinders. The simple grappling hook and line were replaced by a device that launched a line-trailing grapple over great distances, although the hook and line still saw action sometimes. It was during this redesign that the many gadgets and accessories designed to complement the suit and expand Batman's arsenal began to appear, such as rebreathing apparatus and a motorcycle helmet designed similarly to the cowl.

Third Batsuit

File:BatmanTNBA.png

Batman's third costume, an updated version of his first costume.

Batman's third Batsuit was more reminiscent of the first in design, and was given a more muted color scheme of black and grey. This suit continued to advance the range of gadgetry and weapons available to Batman. Batman appeared to have returned to using cloth pouches in this suit's utility belt. This suit was the first to incorporate functional wings and a jetpack to enable gliding and flight.

Early 21st Century Batsuit

Batman JL — Batman's fourth costume, another updated version of his original costume.

Around the time of Batman's involvement with the original Justice League, the Batsuit underwent another redesign. This time, the suit retained the simplicity of the third design, but incorporated the color scheme of the first and second suits. The ears on the cowl were lengthened and the boots had heels. This suit also continued the trend of advancing the arsenal available to the Batman. Once again, the utility belt was redesigned. This time, the compartments retained the size of the cloth pouch versions, but appear to have been constructed of a more rigid material; when he was captured by the Injustice Gang, it resisted the rogues' attempts to open it, even electrifying Solomon Grundy.

Mid 21st Century Batsuit

The final Batsuit was developed presumably to compensate for Bruce Wayne's advancing age and was eventually inherited by Terry McGinnis when he assumed the mantle of Batman.^[2] The Suit was at least two decades old when Terry became Gotham's new savior; however, its technology was so advanced that it was still considered state of the art. Another fifteen years later, Terry was still wearing this Batsuit, though its belt had pouches.^[3]

Gallery

Other Batsuits

Fireproof

To battle the villain Firefly, Batman donned a heavy suit that was very resistant to heat and fire.

Bat Armor

A powered exosuit developed by Bruce Wayne during his later years as Batman. The suit gave its wearer excellent protection from attacks, and was able to shrink so as to be concealed beneath clothing. The suit was not used extensively, because its use put a great strain on Bruce's heart.

The Savage Time

In the alternate timeline created by Vandal Savage's disruptions of the historical events of World War II, Bruce Wayne still became Batman. The Batsuit he developed in this alternate timeline reflected the state of war he lived under. This suit incorporated a helmet with seemingly no eyes (possibly a visor), and several rigid armor plates. Unlike the Batman of the primary timeline, this Batman incorporated firearms into his arsenal.

Justice Lords

In an alternate universe very similar to our own, Batman altered his costume after the Justice League transitioned to being the Justice Lords. The new costume had elements of our universe's late 21st century Batsuit yet incorporated design elements similar to the other Justice Lords' costumes. Since their world would have been so cleaned up, Batman would have had plenty more spare time to research and develop technologies.