Utility & Black Glass

Batman's utility belt is the most characteristic portion of Batman's costume, much like Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth, or Green Lantern's power ring. more...

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The exact contents of the belt are not known, as Batman changes them to suit his needs; his uncanny ability to carry the appropriate tools for a mission is legendary.

Batman's enemies are especially interested in the belt as they believe it will give them an advantage over him, but the belt's pockets are locked and only Batman knows how to open them. Occasionally, the belt is depicted as having defense mechanisms such as electric shock or stun gas or even an explosive device in order to prevent tampering.

Similar belts are used by the various Robins, Batgirls, and other members of the Batman family.

History

Up until 1989, most artists drew the utility belt as a simple yellow belt with a buckle and cylinders around it. In 1986, Frank Miller drew Batman's utility belt with military-style pouches in the Batman: The Dark Knight Returns limited series. This rendition was utilized again in Batman: Year One and used by almost every artist in the Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight comics series. In 2000, the pouches became a standard feature in the depiction of the utility belt.

One feature added to the utility belt in the two Tim Burton directed Batman films, Batman and Batman Returns, was a small motor which would move items from the back of the belt around to the front allowing Batman easier access to his weaponry and tools. The feature was seen briefly when Batman and Vicki Vale were escaping the Joker's henchmen in the alley and when he rescued Selina Kyle from the Penguin's clown henchmen at the beginning of Batman Returns.

A common gag amongst comic fans is Batman's apparent ability to carry a tool for almost every eventuality on his belt, all prefixed with the word 'bat', such as bat-cookies and bat-milk. Oftentimes, especially in the Adam West series, Batman could carry everything needed for a particular scenario, from typical batarangs to a miniature batphone which remotely linked to the one in the Batmobile.

Description

Although seemingly unremarkable in appearance, the utility belt is one of Batman's most important tools in fighting crime. Composed of a kevlar strap and metal buckle, the utility belt houses ten cylinder cartridges, which vertically clip onto the outside of the belt. The buckle itself contains a miniature camera and two-way radio. A secondary compartment behind the length of the belt houses Batman's supply of collapsible batarangs.

Each of the ten cylinders contains various tools integral to Batman's war on crime, and are interchangeable with other cylinders depending on Batman's needs for the mission. Through the years, Batman has modified the contents of his belt to accommodate various needs.

Read more at Wikipedia.org