10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Batman’s Utility Belt

3. Batarangs!

Batman Utility Belt
DC Comics

The Batarang was introduced in Detective Comics #31, and is a throwing weapon used by Batman that's usually made from a steel alloy and is carried within his utility belt. They are either folded with a locking hinged mechanism or small enough to fit in a special pouch in the interior of the belt. Based either on Aboriginal Australian boomerangs or Japanese shuriken, depending on the era, the Batarangs are crafted in a stylized bat shape.

Some Batarangs are harder and heavier than others. These are often used to break through barriers, disarm opponents, or even knock them out. Others are lighter but have razor-sharp edges. These ten to be used to cut powerlines to allow Batman to utilize the darkness, disrupt or destroy machinery, or even have been embedded in some of the Dark Knight’s more powerful and unstoppable foes. At various points in his career, he also attached his Batrope to the Batarang to swing from building to building.

There have been a few Batarangs that have been more hi-tech. There have been some designed specifically to explode, emit an electrical charge, or emit gas to render his foes unconscious. There is a Batarang that gives out an ultrasonic sound that deafens his foes, and Batman also has a remote control Batarang that allows him to direct its flight and see what is in the path of the projectile.

Contributor
Contributor

John Wilson has been a comic book and pop culture fan his entire life. He has written for a number of websites on the subject over the years and is especially pleased to be at WhatCulture. John has written two comic books for Last Ember Press Studio and has recently self-published a children's book called "Blue." When not spending far too much time on the internet, John spends time with his lovely wife, Kim, their goofy dog, Tesla, and two very spoiled cats.