The Batboat, Batstrike, or Batsub is the fictional personal aqua-dynamic hydrofoil/

submersible A submersible is a small watercraft designed to operate underwater. The term "submersible" is often used to differentiate from other underwater vessels known as submarines, in that a submarine is a fully self-sufficient craft, capable of in ...

watercraft of the

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with their f ...

superhero

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book '' Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939 ...

Batman's boats

Batskiboat

The Batskiboat is a version of the Batboat in the

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment building in Amsterdam after two of its engines ...

live-action film ''

Batman Returns ''Batman Returns'' is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton and written by Daniel Waters. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to ''Batman'' (1989) and the second installment in the 1989–1997 ''Batman ...

''. Batman uses the jet-powered hydrofoil near the climax of the film to travel through Gotham's sewer system towards the

Penguin Penguins ( order Sphenisciformes , family Spheniscidae ) are a group of aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is found north of the Equator. Highly adapt ...

's lair. The Batskiboat's design is a cross between the film's

Batmobile The Batmobile is the fictional car driven by the superhero Batman. Housed in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is both a heavily armored tactical assault vehicle and a personalized custom-built pursuit and ...

, a Killer whale and the figure of a shark. It is a single-seater and has the same extras as the Batmobile, including torpedo launchers. It also has a radar, which can be used by Batman to monitor each area of Gotham City.

Batstrike

The Batstrike is a neutral-buoyancy undersea scooter. The Batstrike carries submerged speeds in excess of 5 knots.

Batsub

The Bat-Submersible (or "Batsub") made its debut in May 1949 in ''

Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman ...

'' #147. Batman and Robin employed the Bat-Sub in order to net

Tiger Shark The tiger shark (''Galeocerdo cuvier'') is a species of requiem shark and the last extant member of the family Galeocerdonidae. It is a large macropredator, capable of attaining a length over . Populations are found in many tropical and temper ...

. The Batsub (or Bat-Sub) is another fictional watercraft along with the Batboat used by the comic superhero

for alternative transportation purposes. In the

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake strike ...

film ''

Batman Forever ''Batman Forever'' (on-screen title is simply ''Forever'') is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The third installment ...

'', a version of the Batwing is shown to have a cockpit that can transform into a submersible vehicle should the air vehicle be shot down. This mini submarine does not have

armament A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...

and is only equipped with a search headlight. Environment systems include CO₂-scrubbers and air-conditioning units in the Bat-Submersible's stern. Oxygen tanks provide up to six hours of breathable air. There are also emergency tanks that allow an added twelve hours of life-support. The life-support includes oxygen/helium mixes for deep-water submersion.

Publication history

In Sub-Level 6 of the

Batcave The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal ...

, there's an aqua-dynamic hydrofoil/

(otherwise known as the ''Batboat'') on both the navigable Gotham River and the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Afr ...

's waters.

Background

Early in his career, while investigating arms dealers operating along the wharves of

Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his allies and foes. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, t ...

's Chinatown district, Batman used a prototype Batboat to pursue the fleeing criminals. In what was later regarded as an "extreme measure", Batman destroyed their launch with a bow-mounted flame-thrower. The first official Batboat made its debut in April 1946 (in ''

'' #110). The storyline involved Scotland Yard providing Batman and

Robin Robin may refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including: **European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'') ** Bush-robin ** Forest ...

with the boat in order to speed their search for the villainous

Professor Moriarty Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character and criminal mastermind created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to be a formidable enemy for the author's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. He was created primarily as a device by which Doyle could ...

Hydrofoil

To submerge, the Batboat's foils retract to reduce parasitic drag. Its aluminum propellers are driven by sealed electrolyte batteries.

Cockpit

The Batboat displays include state-of-the-art 'at-a-glance' navigation and communication links, an ascent-rate alarm, a dive-time clock, and a safe-ceiling depth meter.

Offensive weapons

Batboat's armaments include a pneumatic harpoon, a launching grapnel, depth charges and active-homing torpedoes, often programmed to specifically target a target's propulsion system to disable it with a minimized risk of sinking.

Television and film

1960s Batman

The first appearance of the Batboat was in the

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo is ...

film ''Batman''. It was subsequently used in seasons two and three of the 1960s ''Batman'' television series. It was created by Glastron Industries. Since Glastron was based in Austin, Texas, the world premiere of the 1966 "Batman" movie was also held there. Mel Whitley and Robert Hammond designed the Batboat from a Glastron V-174. They added a red flashing beacon, glowing eyes, bazooka hatches, seats for both Batman and

at the front of the boat, twin wind screens, a center console, an outdrive jet cover, and an aft to deck cover with a glowing

Bat-Signal The Bat-Signal is a distress signal device appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, as a means to summon the superhero, Batman. It is a specially modified searchlight with a stylized emblem of a bat affixed to the light, allow ...

on the tail fin. Although the boat was powered by a Merc Cruiser L-6 stern drive and At wood Corporation manufactured the hardwire, a water squirter and a jet nozzle were added to make the Batboat look like it was nuclear-powered. It took 31 days to build. Eventually, a

replica A 1:1 replica is an exact copy of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without claiming to be identical. Al ...

was built of the Batboat. When the Batman television show was cancelled, Glastron used the two Batboats for promotions on tours. After much touring, the boats were sold. One boat went to a Glastron dealer who was a

Shriner Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic society established in 1870 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Shriners International describes itself ...

. He used it in various Shriner parades. This Batboat was then moved to the Car Stars museum in

Gatlinburg Gatlinburg is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. It is located southeast of Knoxville and had a population of 3,944 at the 2010 Census and a U.S. Census population of 3,577 in 2020. It is a popular vacation resor ...

, Tennessee.

''Batman: The Animated Series''

The Batboat was also featured in '' Batman: The Animated Series''. It could also be used as a submarine.

''Batman Returns''

A darker version was used in ''

'' as the Batskiboat. Batman uses the vehicle near the climax of the film to travel through Gotham's sewer system towards the

's lair.

''Batman Forever''

A second Batboat appears in the film ''

'', piloted by Robin, and is quickly destroyed by the

Riddler The Riddler (Edward Nigma, later Edward Nygma or Edward Nashton) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, and debuted in ''Detective Comics'' #140 in Oc ...

and

Two-Face Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in '' Detective Comics'' #66 (August 1942). As one of Batman ...

. In the same film, a version of the Batwing is shown to have a cockpit that can transform into a submersible vehicle should the air vehicle be shot down.

''The Batman''

The Batboat is also used in ''

The Batman Batman is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman or The Batman may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Characters * Batman (Terry McGinnis) * Batman (Thomas Wayne) * Batman (Earth-Two) * Batm ...

''. This one has similarity to the

Batskiboat The Batboat, Batstrike, or Batsub is the fictional personal aqua-dynamic hydrofoil/submersible watercraft of the DC Comics superhero Batman. Batman's boats Batskiboat The Batskiboat is a version of the Batboat in the 1992 live-action film ''Ba ...

but it has black and blue color. This version somehow gives this boat the appearance that it is hovering over the water rather than touching it. It holds three people and is equipped with an on-board computer which can be activated from his belt. It has submersible capabilities like in '' Batman: The Animated Series''. In "The Icy Depth", when trapped in ice it can generate enough heat to break through the ice.

''Batman Beyond''

A submarine appeared in the episode "Earth Mover" in ''

Batman Beyond ''Batman Beyond'' (known as ''Batman of the Future'' outside the United States) is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaborati ...

''. It was used by

Terry McGinnis Batman (Terrence "Terry" McGinnis Wayne) is a fictional superhero appearing in media published by DC Entertainment. The character was created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini and first appeared in the pilot episode of the animated television series ...

, the new Batman, to navigate Gotham city's underground rivers.

''Superman/Batman: Apocalypse''

The ''Bat Skiboat'' makes an appearance early in '' Superman/Batman: Apocalypse''.

''Lego Batman: The Movie - DC Super Heroes Unite''

The Batboat makes an appearance in '' Lego Batman: The Movie - DC Super Heroes Unite''.

Video games

''Batman''

In the 1986 computer game

, the player has to collect seven pieces of the Batcraft, a

hovercraft A hovercraft, also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is an amphibious craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and other surfaces. Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the hull, or air cushion, ...

-type vehicle, from the depths of the

in order to complete the game.Archived a
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and th
Wayback Machine

''Lego Batman: The Video Game''

The Batboat is one of the playable vehicles Lego Batman: The Video Game. In the game, it has the abilities to shoot, throw rope, and jump with more force on ramps.

''Batman: Arkham City''

The Batboat is mentioned in '' Batman: Arkham City'' as being used by Batman to attempt to stop Joker's escape from Arkham Asylum, that took place before the events of Arkham City. In the tie-in comic, it's shown Batman has multiple (at least three) Batboats.

Lego Batman

A hovercraft version of the Batboat is featured in the

Lego Batman Lego Batman was a theme and product range of the Lego construction toy, introduced in 2006, based on the superhero character Batman, under license from DC Comics. The sets feature vehicles, characters and scenes from the comics and films. The in ...

building toy set 7780 Batboat: the Hunt for

Killer Croc Killer Croc is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery. Originally a ...

References

External links

The Unofficial Batboat BiographyTelevision - Batman: The Series - Gadgets - BatboatMovies - Batman Returns - Gadgets - BatskiboatMovies - Batman Forever - Gadgets - BatboatCharacter Profiles - Gadgets - Batboat
{{Batman (TV series) Fictional elements introduced in 1946