Superman #130 (May 1959) gives us a tale on how kryptonite has affected Superman throughout his life, as he lays dying next to a chunk of kryptonite he was not able to melt or crawl away from. It includes the first time we see Superman’s kryptonite-shielded suit, including how television played a role in helping […]
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In Detective Comics #236 (August 1956), a criminal scientist is released from prison and starts selling defenses against Batman’s gadgetry. As a result, Batman switches up all their tricks, introducing new vehicles like the above “Bat-Track” tank, an aerodyne, and the like. Of course once the scientist is re-captured, it’s back to the same ol’ […]
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The Catwoman continues her renewed crime spree from last year in Detective Comics #211 (July 1954). This time her Kitty Car has morphed into a Cat-Jet, complete with “Claw Retractors” that lets her damage the Bat-jet.
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In Batman #61 (August 1950), criminals capture the abandoned Bat-plane and trigger Bruce and Dick to build a new Bat-Plane (sometimes called Batplane II)… by themselves… in the Bat-cave. The new Bat-Plane is sleeker, more like a jet. I wonder if the U.S. involvement with the Korean War had anything to do with more military-inspired […]
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In Detective Comics #122 (February 1947), the Catwoman returns again to plague Gotham City with her “black cat” crimes. Her “Kitty Car” is introduced which seems to have more power and gadgetry than the Batmobile… how?!? The story also brings back her black hair, I guess she got tired of being a blonde while in […]
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In Detective Comics #60 (December 1941), the Bat-Signal is used for the first time by the Gotham Police to summon Batman.
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By Detective Comics #48 (December 1940), Bob Kane and Bill Finger are starting to develop the Batman back-story a bit, giving the dynamic duo a secret tunnel leading to a seemingly abandoned barn with their “supercharged” car, called for the first time: the Bat-Mobile!
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The “gadgeting” of Batman continues in Detective Comics #37 (February 1940) with Bruce adding a night-vision device to let him see in the dark. Note that this is only a couple months after Germans started experimenting with nightvision goggles in World War II!
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The Batman introduced two new gadgets in Detective Comics #31 (August 1939): The Bat-Gyro and the Bat-arang. It is also revealed that Bruce Wayne has a fiance named Julie Madison who is hypnotized by the second villain in Batman’s rogue’s gallery: The Mad Monk. In just five issues, Gardner Fox and Bob Kane have done […]
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In June 1939, Detective Comics #29 is the first story to feature The Batman‘s use of gadgets. This much longer story (10 pages) featured Batman’s first “arch criminal”, Doctor Death and lots of action: Batman swinging around the city on his rope, Batman scaling a building, Batman getting shot, and finally vanquishing his foe. I […]
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