10 Things You Didn't Know About The Batcave

So... What's the deal with that T-Rex and giant coin in the Batcave?

Batman Batcave Kryptonite
DC Comics

Bruce Wayne's home may be Wayne Manor but Batman's home will always be The Batcave. After spending years and millions of dollars, he turned the abandoned cave (or caves if you want to get technical) into his primary base of operations.

It's not just a place for Batman to brood (although he's really good at that). The Batcave is his crime lab, his gym, his museum, his workshop, his headquarters, but above all, it is his sanctuary.

The Batcave might be the most famous hideout in all fiction. Not everyone can name Superman's home in Antarctica or Doctor Strange's base in New York (the Fortress of Solitude and Sanctum Sanctorum - just FYI), but you would struggle to find a single person who hasn't heard of Batman's HQ. The Batcave is so iconic, it has appeared in every single Batman film and nearly every other Batman-related medium like cartoons, animated movies, and video games.

Despite this, there's a lot of things people don't know about the Caped Crusader's command centre. The majority of readers will know that The Batcave contains an oversized penny, and a T-Rex statue... but why? What purpose could they possibly have? Let's find out...

10. Originally, There Was No Batcave

Batman Batcave Kryptonite
DC Comics

There was no Batcave in the Dark Knight's early adventures. In fact, Bruce Wayne didn't know there was a cave near his residence until three years after Batman debuted.

Originally, Batman hid his Batsuit in an old wooden chest beside his bed. When Bruce had to conduct experiments and detective work in private in the early comics, he worked in a secret laboratory hidden behind a fake wall in his home.

When Batman acquired a Batmobile and Batplane, he decided to hide them in an old barn. (They would probably stand out in the garage.) One day, he broke through a weak section of the barn and learned there was tunnel leading to an abandoned cavern. He realised that this cave would be the perfect place to serve as his secret headquarters.

Knowing it would look suspicious if he ran to the barn every time he had to don the Batsuit, he built secret tunnels in his mansion that led directly to his new lair.

It is worth mentioning that Batman's hideout was originally called the "secret underground hangars" and wasn't referred to as The Batcave until Detective Comics #83 in 1944.

Contributor
Contributor

James Egan has written 80 books including 1000 Facts about Superheroes Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about TV Shows Vol. 1-3 Twitter - @jameswzegan85