Batarang
The batarang is a roughly bat-shaped throwing weapon used by the DC Comics superhero Batman. Batarangs are a staple of Batman's arsenal, appearing in every major Batman television and film adaptation to date.
Inspiration
The name "Batarang" is a portmanteau of bat and boomerang, and was originally spelled "baterang".The earliest depictions were of scalloped, metal boomerangs used to attack opponents, which quickly flew back to the thrower.
Usage
Batarangs are customizable throwing weapons, based on shurikens and boomerangs, and are collapsible so that a large number of them can fit inside of Batman's utility belt.Batman uses batarang as a weapon of ranged attack, the primary alternative to firearms, which he usually rejects for personal reasons.
Batarangs are used primarily to knock guns and other tools out of an assailant's hand.
They also serve as Batman's calling cards to alert criminal elements of his presence and props to create an illusion to the superstitious that he commands bats when he throws them.
Although they are named after boomerangs, batarangs have become more like shuriken in recent interpretations.
Variants
The use of the batarang has been in a state of constant development since its early appearances.According to The Essential Batman Encyclopedia,
"The most consistently used versions of the Batarang included ones with micro-serrated edges; a hard-impact version for stunning criminals; a remote-controlled one linked to his Utility Belt; and an aerodynamically edged model with a throwing top."
By Batman
Rope batarangs
Also known as the Batrope, rope batarangs were used as grappling hooks before the Grapple Gun's introduction.Electric batarangs
Electric variants that deliver powerful electric shocks to whatever they come in contact with. These batarangs can incapacitate enemies or overload electronic devices.Compact batarangs
After the 1985-1986 Crisis on Infinite Earths, Batman developed smaller batarangs with sharp edges that could disarm criminals.Explosive batarangs
Explosive variants that explode once they hit their target.Remote-controlled batarangs
Remote-controlled variants that let Batman fully steer the batarang via a remote control. These are used when a straight line of sight isn't possible. These batarangs have cameras in them so that Batman can see where they are going.Others
In 1946, Batman and Robin developed a "batarang gun", and then a lighter "batarang pistol" in 1947.A 1957 story called "The 100 Batarangs of Batman!" detailed the magnetic batarang, the seeing-eye batarang, the flash-bulb batarang, the bomb batarang, the rope batarang, the police whistle batarang and the mysterious Batarang X, among others.
Other characters and versions
uses batarangs. Nightwing, a former Robin, is known to use his own modified batarangs called Wing-Dings, which are styled after a bird. Tim Drake, the third Robin, also possesses his own R-shaped shuriken.In an issue of Teen Titans, Drake claims that he hid the costs for shipping a Batmobile from Gotham City to San Francisco in "the batarang budget", which he tells the others is "bigger than you might think".
The current version of Batwoman uses foldable S-shaped throwing weapons stored in two sets of three on her gauntlets; these can be removed and thrown by hand, launched pneumatically, or used as forearm-mounted blades.
Catman uses weapons inspired by Batman's and calls them "catarangs".
Like Robin, Anarky, an occasional antagonist of Batman, makes use of shuriken formed after his own gimmick, the "circle-a".
A Throwing Bird—colloquially referred to as a "Birdarang"—is a roughly bird-shaped throwing weapon used by Robin as a non-lethal ranged attack alternative to firearms.
As with Batman, Robin can launch his weapon with a launcher located on his lower arm. They are also used by Robin in non-Batman media such as Teen Titans Go! where they appear under the name Birdarangs.
Ken Washio from the 1972 anime series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman also use Birdarangs.
History
Batarangs first appeared in Detective Comics #31, in the story "Batman Versus the Vampire".Batman threw the first batarang at the Monk and missed, but later in the story, the batarang helped him knock over a chandelier and escape from the villain's trap.
A 1957 story called "The 100 Batarangs of Batman!" included an "origin story" for the batarang, which was given to Batman by circus performer Lee Collins.
In Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #2, illustrates one use of Batman's batarang; one criminal thought it was a bat chasing him, and when it hit his hand, revealing to be a batarang, alerting him of Batman's presence.
Later, in Batman #575, that during the hero's fight with the terrorist Banner, the villain thought he saw Batman grabbing two bats from a flock and throws them during their fight.
A rifle-like grappling gun first appeared in Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1. However, the now standard hand-held version of Batman's grappling gun first appeared in the 1989 Batman film. It gradually replaced the batarang and a rope in the comics after artist Norm Breyfogle introduced a grapple gun in Batman #458 in January 1991.
That tool became the standard in the subsequent animated series, comics, films, and video games such as Batman: Arkham Asylum and in Batman: Arkham City a more advanced version called the Grapnel was introduced which could be used to launch Batman into the air to glide using kinetic energy.
In other media
Live-action television
In the film adaptations of Batman, the batarangs shown roughly match the adapted bat logo of the respective franchise.Following the backlash against the camp Batman television series, the franchise has avoided falling into the perceived overuse of the bat- prefix, for which the 1960s series was criticized.
Though featured prominently, the batarangs are rarely referred to by name, unlike the Batcave and Batmobile.
The television series Birds of Prey also features batarangs. However these versions are circular and bear the Birds of Prey symbol, rather than the traditional bat shape.
In the episode "Nothing's Shocking" from the fifth and final season of Gotham, Bruce Wayne uses sharp objects and throws them at an enemy similar to the batarangs, foreshadowing their full appearance later in the season. The batarangs officially appear in the series finale "The Beginning...". In the episode, Batman uses his batarangs to defeat Jeremiah Valeska.
Kate used the batarangs in the television series Batwoman.
Live-action films
Burton/Schumacher film series
The batarang used in Batman was a foldable metal bat-shaped boomerang attached to a line and was used to ensnare an enemy's legs and manually drag them back.Batman Returns also featured a computerized version that could be programmed to fly after specific targets. Batman Forever featured two types of batarangs: one with a string which catches one of Two-Face's thugs in the Gotham City bank and a "Sonar Batarang" that uses the "Sonar Suit" to destroy the Super Box and the Nygmatech building.
Other batarangs are seen in the Batcave, along with the one used in Batman Returns but not used during the film.
Batarangs also appeared in Batman & Robin.
''The Dark Knight'' trilogy
The 2005 film Batman Begins showed them as a simple bat-shaped shuriken, used mainly for distraction rather than as weapons, fitting in with that film's depiction of Batman's ninja training.While The Dark Knight uses the batarang in its promotional posters, it is not thrown in the film.
As part of Lucius Fox's improvements on the Batsuit, he adds blades on the suit that shoot out of Batman's arm, which are similar to the batarang.
To gain leverage over his fight with the Joker, Batman shoots these blades at him, distracting him and giving Batman the upper hand.
His true batarangs are only seen once during the film; when Bruce Wayne puts away his Batsuit after deciding to turn himself in to the police, he takes a minute to pick up and stare at one of his batarangs, and then proceeds to put it away with the rest of his gear.
DC Extended Universe
- The Batarang appears in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In the film, Batman leaves batarangs near crime scenes after he has finished his job as a calling card, for example after he steals kryptonite from Lex Luthor's labs, he leaves a batarang in the place where the kryptonite was stored. He also uses in combat, however rather than disarming criminals, he uses them to stab like a shuriken.
- In Justice League, Bruce throws a Batarang at Barry Allen to show him that he is aware of his super speed, and to reveal his own identity as Batman. Barry quickly dodges and catches it. After Bruce tells Barry that he is putting together a team and Barry says he will join, he asks Bruce if he can keep the Batarang he caught, due to his admiration for it. Batman seems to accept that and allows him to keep it.
- Freddy Freeman owns a replica Batarang in Shazam!, which proves useful as it is thrown at Dr. Sivana in the film's climax, wounding him and proving his human vulnerability without the Seven Deadly Sins.
- In The Flash, Batman uses a batarang to offhandedly take down a thug working for Carmine Falcone. The alternate universe Batman uses his version of the batarang throughout the film, most notably when rescuing Supergirl from a Siberian lab.
''The Batman''
Batman's chest insignia doubles as a bat-shaped knife, which he first uses to cut through police tape and enter a crime scene and later to cut a powered electrical cable hanging precariously over rising flood waters filled with hundreds of civilians.
The other version the batarang created for the film was exclusively used in promotional artwork such as that seen on toy boxes.
This alternate batarang is similar to what was used in the Dark Knight trilogy, being a smaller shuriken-esque throwing weapon that matched the symbol used on the Bat-Signal.