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 ...

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 ...

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsbat and

boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning b ...

, and was originally spelled baterang. Although they are named after boomerangs, batarangs have become more like

shuriken A ''shuriken'' ( ja, 手裏剣; literally: "hidden hand blade") is a Japanese concealed weapon that was used as a hidden dagger or metsubushi to distract or misdirect. They are also known as throwing stars, or ninja stars, although they we ...

in recent interpretations. They have since become a staple of Batman's arsenal, appearing in every major Batman

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...

and film adaptation to date. Recent interpretations of the Dark Knight find additional motivation to use the batarang as a ranged attack (alternative to firearms, which he rejects outright due to the circumstances of his parents' murder, except for certain circumstances) and is used primarily to knock guns out of an assailant's hand. A Batarang prop from the 1997 film '' Batman & Robin'' has been donated to the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

, and is in the

National Museum of American History The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...

's entertainment collection.

History

Batarangs first appeared 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 ...

'' #31 (September 1939), 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. The earliest depictions were of scalloped,

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typi ...

boomerangs used to attack opponents, which quickly flew back to the thrower. However, variations of batarangs include those that can fold to fit into

Batman's utility belt Batman's utility belt is a feature of Batman's costume. Similar belts are used by the various Robins, Batgirl, and other members of the Bat-family. History Batman historian Les Daniels credits Gardner Fox, the first writer other than Bill Fin ...

, those that can be explosively charged, those that can be remote-controlled, and those that are electrified. The use of the batarang has been in a state of constant development since its early appearances. 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!" (''Detective Comics'' #244, June 1957) 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. That issue also included an "origin story" for the batarang, which was given to Batman by an Australian circus performer named Lee Collins. After the 1985-1986 ''

Crisis on Infinite Earths "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to ...

'', Batman developed smaller batarangs with sharp edges that could disarm criminals. 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." 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 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 ...

'' film. It gradually replaced the batarang and a rope in the comics after artist

Norm Breyfogle Norman Keith Breyfogle (; February 27, 1960 – September 24, 2018) was an American artist, best known for his comic book art on DC Comics' Batman franchise from 1987 to 1995. During this time, he co-created the villains Ventriloquist and Ratcat ...

introduced a grapple gun in ''

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 ...

'' #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. A Batarang prop from the 1997 film '' Batman & Robin'' has been donated to the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

, and is in the

National Museum of American History The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...

's entertainment collection. It was donated by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

studio chairman

Barry Meyer Barry M. Meyer (born November 28, 1946) is an American television producer who served as Chairman of Warner Bros. Entertainment. Early life Born to a Jewish family in New York City, the son of Perry Meyer and Lillian Katz Meyer. Meyer holds a b ...

in 2013, along with other famous movie props including a golden ticket from 2005's ''

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. The story was originally ...

'' and models from the 1995 film '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch''.

Other characters and versions

Batgirl Batgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. Although the character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in 19 ...

also uses batarangs.

Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Althoug ...

, a former Robin, is known to use his own modified batarangs called ''Wing-Dings'', which are styled after a

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

.

Tim Drake Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick, he first appeared in ''Batman'' #436 (August 1 ...

, the third Robin, also possesses his own 'R'-shaped shuriken. In an issue of ''

Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to ...

'' (Vol. 3), Drake claims that he hid the costs for shipping a

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 ...

from

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 ...

to

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

in "the batarang budget", which he tells the others is "bigger than you might think". The current version of

Batwoman Batwoman is a name used by several characters of DC Comics, both in mainstream continuity and Elseworlds. The best known Batwomen are Kathy Kane and Kate Kane. History * The first Batwoman, Kathy Kane, debuted during the Silver Age of Comics ...

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 also uses weapons inspired by Batman's and calls them "catarangs". Like Robin,

Anarky Anarky is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Co-created by Alan Grant (writer), Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #608 (November 1989), as an adversary of Batman. Ana ...

, an occasional antagonist of Batman, also makes use of shuriken formed after his own gimmick, the "

circle-a Anarchists have employed certain symbols for their cause, including most prominently the circle-A and the black flag. Anarchist cultural symbols have been prevalent in popular culture since around the turn of the 21st century, concurrent with ...

". A ''Throwing Bird''—colloquially referred to as a "''Birdarang''"—is a roughly bird-shaped throwing weapon used by 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

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 ...

as a non-lethal ranged attack alternative to

firearms A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

. 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! ''Teen Titans Go!'' is an American animated television series developed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network. It premiered on April 23, 2013 and is based on the DC Comics fictional superhero team. The series was announced f ...

'' where they appear under the name Birdarangs. Ken Washio (the eagle) from the 1972 anime series

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman is a Japanese animated franchise about a five-member superhero ninja team created by Tatsuo Yoshida and produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The original anime series, which debuted in 1972, was eponymously entitled ''Kagaku Ninja-tai Gatcha ...

(''

Battle of the Planets ''Battle of the Planets'' is an American adaptation of the Japanese anime series '' Science Ninja Team Gatchaman'' (1972). Of the 105 original ''Gatchaman'' episodes, 85 were used in the ''Battle of the Planets'' adaptation, produced by Sandy Fr ...

'') also use Birdarangs.

In other media

Live-action television

In the movie adaptations of Batman, the batarangs shown roughly match the adapted bat logo of the respective movie 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 very rarely referred to by name, unlike 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 ...

and

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 ...

. The television series ''

Birds of Prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predato ...

'' 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 ''Nothing's Shocking'' is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, released on August 23, 1988 through Warner Bros. Records. ''Nothing's Shocking'' was well received by critics and peaked at number 103 on the ' ...

" from the fifth and final season of '' Gotham'',

Bruce Wayne 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 ...

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 Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska are characters and antagonists on the FOX television series '' Gotham''. They are identical twin brothers portrayed by Cameron Monaghan. The series is a crime drama developed by Bruno Heller based on the Batman ...

at

Ace Chemicals This page list the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics. Sites * the Arrowcave – The former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy. * Avernus Cemetery – A burial ground located in Central City for ...

. Kate used the batarangs in the television series ''

Batwoman Batwoman is a name used by several characters of DC Comics, both in mainstream continuity and Elseworlds. The best known Batwomen are Kathy Kane and Kate Kane. History * The first Batwoman, Kathy Kane, debuted during the Silver Age of Comics ...

''.

Live-action films

The batarang used in ''

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 ...

'' was a foldable metal bat attached to a line and was used to ensnare an enemy's legs and manually drag them back. ''

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 ...

'' also featured a computerized version that could be programmed to fly after specific targets. ''

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 ...

'' featured two types of batarangs: one with a string which catches one of

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 ...

'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 movie. Batarangs also appeared in ''

Batman and Robin Batman and Robin are a superhero duo appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman and Robin may also refer to: Comics and literature * ''Batman and Robin'' (comic strip), a newspaper comic strip, started in 1943 *''All Star Ba ...

''.

''The Dark Knight'' trilogy

The 2005 film ''

Batman Begins ''Batman Begins'' is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, with Michael Caine, ...

'' showed them as a simple bat-shaped

shuriken A ''shuriken'' ( ja, 手裏剣; literally: "hidden hand blade") is a Japanese concealed weapon that was used as a hidden dagger or metsubushi to distract or misdirect. They are also known as throwing stars, or ninja stars, although they we ...

, used mainly for distraction rather than as weapons, fitting in with that film's depiction of Batman's

ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, bodyguarding and their fighting skills in martial arts, including ninjutsu.Kawakami, pp ...

training. While ''

The Dark Knight ''The Dark Knight'' is a 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother Jonathan. Based on the DC Comics superhero, Batman, it is the sequel to ''Batman Begins'' (2005) and the second instal ...

'' uses the batarang in its promotional posters, it is not thrown in the film. As part of

Lucius Fox Lucius Fox is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Bruce Wayne / Batman. He is Bruce Wayne's business manager at Wayne Enterprises who runs the business interests that ...

's improvements on the

Batsuit The Batsuit (or Bat-Suit) is the costume of DC Comics' fictional superhero Batman, who appears in their American comic books. The suit has been depicted in various ways, and the stories themselves have described Batman as modifying the details o ...

, 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 The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book ''Batman'' on April 25, 19 ...

, 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. In ''

The Dark Knight Rises ''The Dark Knight Rises'' is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan, and the story with David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the ...

'' the traditional batarangs as seen in ''Batman Begins'' and ''The Dark Knight'' are not shown but a similar weapon is used. Batman fires miniature bat shaped darts at Bane's henchmen which knock them unconscious.

DC Extended Universe

*The Batarang appears in '' Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice''. In the movie 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 A ''shuriken'' ( ja, 手裏剣; literally: "hidden hand blade") is a Japanese concealed weapon that was used as a hidden dagger or metsubushi to distract or misdirect. They are also known as throwing stars, or ninja stars, although they we ...

. * In ''

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...

'', Wayne 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 Captain Marvel Jr. (Frederick "Freddy" Freeman) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A member of the Marvel/Shazam Family team of superheroes associated with Captain Marvel/Shazam, he was created by Ed He ...

owns a replica Batarang in '' Shazam!'', which proves useful as it is thrown at

Dr Sivana Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, the character is a recurring enemy of the superhero Captain Marvel/Shazam, both of whom first appe ...

in the film's climax, wounding him and proving his human vulnerability without the

Seven Deadly Sins The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings. Although they are not directly mentioned in the Bible, there are parallels with the seven things ...

.

Animation

DC Animated Universe

In '' Batman: The Animated Series'' his use of batarangs is ubiquitous. The standard is a serrated crescent shaped. One version attached to a line allowed him to snare criminals as well as ascend and swing from rooftops but he relied on his grappling gun for transportation. ''

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 ...

'', another animated series, which takes place 50 years in Gotham City's future, has a young high school student donning a high tech version of the

batsuit The Batsuit (or Bat-Suit) is the costume of DC Comics' fictional superhero Batman, who appears in their American comic books. The suit has been depicted in various ways, and the stories themselves have described Batman as modifying the details o ...

to become the new Batman. This suit, among many other features, has the ability to automatically load ultra-compact foldable circular batarangs in the wearer's hand or shoot them through the top of the wrist. The batarangs are collapsible and come in a variety of forms including electrical versions to take down Inque, and explosive versions to demolish obstacles. In the ''

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...

'' cartoon series, Batman employed a variety of Batarangs, including explosive Batarangs and electrically charged variants.

Other animated cartoons

In the ''Teen Titans'' animated series, Robin uses similar modified batarangs to the adult Nightwing, referred to as ''birdarangs''. The same weapons are used by ''

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 ...

''s interpretation of Robin. Robin also uses circular Batarang type weapons in the TV series ''

Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...

''. In the animated series ''

Krypto the Superdog ''Krypto the Superdog'' is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation, based on Superman's canine companion Krypto, which premiered on Cartoon Network on March 25, 2005 (exactly 50 years after his comic debut), ...

'', Robbie the Robin uses comical weapons called ''beakerangs'', which are miniature projectiles that contain a highly exaggerated amount of purple incapacitating foam.

Ace the Bat-Hound Ace the Bat-Hound is a superhero dog appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is commonly featured as the canine crime-fighting partner of Batman and the mentor of Krypto, Streaky and the Dog Star Patrol. Kevin Hart voices t ...

fires Batarangs from his flying platform. 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 ...

'', a later animated series, the batarangs are mostly depicted as futuristic throwing weapons lined with fluorescent blue, and making a distinct humming noise while flying through the air. They are also portrayed as sharp enough to slice through metal pipes. The Batman has from time to time also used them in hand-to-hand combat (in one instance, during the fight with Clayface II, Batman attached a rotating batarang to his wrist, making it a makeshift miniature buzzsaw). Despite the regular batarangs, the Batman uses several other variations, including

explosion An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are kno ...

batarangs, that explode after making contact;

electrocuting Electrocution is death or severe injury caused by electric shock from electric current passing through the body. The word is derived from "electro" and "execution", but it is also used for accidental death. The term "electrocution" was coined ...

batarangs, that discharge a strong electric current through a person or object; and, batarangs with a special technological

virus A virus is a wikt:submicroscopic, submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living Cell (biology), cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and ...

, that infects and disables a machine or gadget, making it ineffective. Also, the Batman uses a very special remote-controlled batarang, that is a little larger than the other versions, can adhere to any surface, and has a miniature high-resolution camera. Despite them being futuristic, these batarangs have the most boomerang characteristics, and are shown return to Batman's hand. In ''

The Batman vs. Dracula ''The Batman vs. Dracula'' is a 2005 American direct-to-video animated superhero-horror film based on '' The Batman'' television series. The film is a crossover with the 1897 horror novel ''Dracula''. The film was released to DVD on October 1 ...

,'' Alfred Pennyworth treated some of the batarangs with

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northe ...

in preparation of the Dark Knight's battle with

Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some ...

. In '' Batman: The Brave and the Bold'', the batarangs are not shown as high tech futuristic throwing tools like in ''The Batman'', but as simple shuriken/boomerangs that he uses to fight crime (although he has been seen using explosive batarangs, and in the case of the

Gentleman Ghost Gentleman Ghost is a supervillain appearing in books published by DC Comics publications. Created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Joe Kubert, the character first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #88 (October 1947). Fictional character biography ...

, Nth metal batarangs.) Batman has also been shown to be able to turn his bat symbol into a batarang, as seen the pilot episode, "Rise of the Blue Beetle". Also,

Owlman In Cornish folklore, the Owlman ( kw, Cowanden), sometimes referred to as the Cornish Owlman, or the Owlman of Mawnan, is an owl-like humanoid creature said to have been seen in 1976 in the village of Mawnan, Cornwall, UK. The Owlman is somet ...

, Batman's parallel universe counterpart, has a similar weapon to the batarang, however, his, instead of spinning at high speeds, fly straight like a glider. In the series ''

Beware the Batman ''Beware the Batman'' is an American computer-animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. The series premiered in the United States on Cartoon Network on July 13, 2013, as part of their DC Nation block, replacing '' Batma ...

'', the batarangs have a shape similar to the Nolan universe counterpart with bronze and gray coloring. Some are collapsible. Others employ miniaturized scanners allowing Batman to study potentially dangerous objects from afar. Others carry explosive charges. In '' Robot Chicken DC Comics Special III: Magical Friendship'', in the Robot Chicken DC Universe Batman reveals to Robin that he created a Batarang entirely out of

Kryptonite Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique, poisonous r ...

which he planned to use to kill Superman if he ever turned evil as one of the many methods he developed to deal with members of the Justice League if they ever turned evil. Later in the special, Batman stabs the Kryptonian-half of

Composite Superman The Composite Superman is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Superman and Batman. The character first appeared in ''World's Finest Comics'' #142 (June 1964) and was created by Edmond Hamilton and Curt Swan. Fictional character biography Joseph ...

's shoulder with the Kryptonite Batarang to weaken him enough to allow Superman to defeat him with a punch to the groin.

Video games

The Batarang was a primary weapon in '' Batman: The Caped Crusader''. It was used to climb and swing in '' Batman: The Movie''. '' Batman: Vengeance'' features regular and

electrified Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic histor ...

batarangs as throwing weapons. '' Lego Batman: The Video Game'' features batarangs (in two different colors), which can be used by four characters; Batman & Batgirl (black and yellow), and Robin &

Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Althoug ...

(red and green). In the ''Batman Begins'' video game, Batarangs were only used to interact with the environment, in order to scare henchmen. The

Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same te ...

''

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 ...

'' game allowed the collection and use of up to 3 Batarangs that could be thrown simultaneously.

Batman: Arkham

In '' Batman: Arkham Asylum'', Batman can wield a single Batarang from the beginning, and the player has the opportunity to unlock multiple variations such as remote-controlled Batarangs and Sonic Batarangs. In addition, the Collector's Edition of the game comes with a 14" plastic Batarang model affixed to a display base. The Batarang appears in the sequel, '' Batman: Arkham City'', introducing a new variation, a reverse Batarang which can loop behind an enemy and attack from behind. '' Batman: Arkham Knight'', the third and final installment in Rocksteady's Arkham trilogy, also features the batarang with many of the same variants and abilities seen in the previous two games. Batman also has a new Batarang called the Bat Scanner he can throw high into the air around Gotham to scan a specific area. Toy and prop replica company NECA produced a batarang replica based in the Arkham Knight design, which can be purchased through video game retailer Gamestop. This batarang replica can be folded at its middle hinge and rapidly opened with the press of a button, and also has a removable LED light panel.

References

External links

{{Gardner Fox Batman objects Fictional elements introduced in 1939 Throwing weapons

History

Other characters and versions

In other media

Live-action television

Live-action films

''The Dark Knight'' trilogy

DC Extended Universe

Animation

DC Animated Universe

Other animated cartoons

Video games

Batman: Arkham

References

Further reading

External links