Over 85+ years of publication, DC Comics has given Batman a plethora of memorable and powerful batsuits that allow him to strike fear into the hearts of criminals and to protect Gotham City and the universe at large. But while Batman wore some batsuits for many years, others were only worn once or twice before being unfairly left in the wardrobe to collect dust. Many of these suits were designed for only specific scenarios, such as battling certain enemies or surviving particular environments. Still, given these suits’ awesome designs and abilities, DC has sidelined them far too quickly, and they deserve to have more regular appearances in Batman stories.
Batman has many batsuits thanks to his substantial wealth and technical brilliance, which have allowed him to be prepared for many different scenarios. These are the suits that have been unfairly forgotten despite their striking looks and enhancements.
With the New 52 rebooting the entire DC Universe, the storyline Zero Year reimagined Batman’s start as Gotham’s Caped Crusader. When the Riddler takes over Gotham and plunges the city into chaos and anarchy, Batman is forced to don a less high-tech suit after his original was destroyed. This sleeveless batsuit is only equipped with a standard utility belt and backpack. Although this batsuit isn’t as fancy or powerful as his other suits, it does a great job emphasizing how Batman is still an ingenious and resilient hero who can fight crime even when he lacks endless resources or decades of crime-fighting experience. Although the costume only lasted one storyline, it was an essential part of Batman’s developing years as a vigilante.
When Batman was framed for murder, his contingency plan to defeat himself was activated: a robot called Failsafe. Failsafe was designed to be stronger and more intelligent than the Dark Knight and to know all the hero’s weaknesses. To counter the deadly robot, Batman developed an all-new suit of armor. This Anti-Failsafe armor enhanced Batman’s strength and durability. The suit could also release immense amounts of heat to counteract Failsafe’s binding tendrils. Batman used his Anti-Failsafe armor to great effect in defeating Failsafe. Despite the suit’s effectiveness against Failsafe, Batman strangely didn’t use it again during the events of Absolute Power, where Failsafe returned and joined forces with Amanda Waller to declare war on all superheroes.
After Lex Luthor accidentally started a pandemic with his artificial Amazo Virus, which gave people powers before killing them, the Justice League had to work fast to contain the disease. To defend himself from both the virus and its superpowered hosts, Batman outfitted himself with the Haz-Bat Suit, which protected him from any dangerous pathogen. The suit is incredibly tough and it’s fire-resistant and can withstand direct hits from superhumans. Most importantly, the Haz-Batsuit is a great medical tool, as it can analyze infected tissue, use thermal imaging for diagnoses, and even develop antidotes to treat people for their ailments. The Haz-Bat Suit was only used once, but it would be perfect for all manner of rescue operations dealing with hazardous materials and dangerous pathogens.
In 2012, Batman came face-to-face with the deadly secret organization known as the Court of Owls, which has ruled Gotham from the shadows for centuries. When the Court sends its army of assassins called Talons to invade Wayne Manor, Batman shows what happens to people who attack him in his own house. In the Batcave, the Dark Knight dons the hulking Thrasher Armor, which was built to survive intense heat and cold. By weaponizing the suit’s incredible strength and plunging the Batcave into subzero temperatures to freeze his opponents, Batman was able to overpower the Talons. The Thrasher Armor only appeared in one issue, even though it would be a perfect countermeasure for villains like Mr. Freeze and Firefly.
Dark Nights: Death Metal saw the entire multiverse rewritten into a horrific hellscape by the goddess Perpetua and the villain Batman Who Laughs. Batman died when the villains conquered Earth, but a Black Lantern ring resurrected him. Batman adopts an awesome spiked-covered trench coat, along with a bat-skeleton motorcycle, and a deadly scythe. The suit has a great fantastical post-apocalyptic aesthetic that emphasizes how the world has fallen into darkness. And with the Black Lantern ring, Batman could summon an army of the dead, which came in handy during the final battle against the evolved Batman Who Laughs, dubbed the Darkest Knight. Of course, the batsuit was only meant for this storyline, and Batman’s death is undone when the universe is rebooted back to normal.
One of the oldest Batsuits ever designed, the Suit of Sorrows, is a mystical suit of armor forged during the Crusades. The Order of Purity created the suit, and it was intended to be worn by their champion, Azrael. Talia al Ghul gifted the suit to Batman, which drastically increased the Caped Crusader’s strength and speed. However, Batman stopped wearing the suit when he realized that it caused him to be more violent. Batman kept the Suit of Sorrows in storage until the Order of Purity stole it and gave it to Jean-Paul Valley, who became the anti-hero known as Azrael. Although Batman only wore the suit for a short time, it was interesting to see such a grounded hero wear mystical armor.
In the Elseworlds story Justice, the Justice League members don suits of armor made from Nth metal, the same material as used for Hawkman and Hawkgirl’s weapons. They wear these suits to protect themselves from Brainiac, who, working alongside the Legion of Doom, developed mind control technology. Out of all his armors, Batman’s suit easily stands out with its sleek design based on the batmobile from Adam West 60’s Batman TV series. The suit is equipped with giant mechanical bat wings for powered flight, and it can launch miniature explosives from the wrists. The suit unfortunately has only appeared in a few issues of this alternate universe storyline, but its retro/futuristic design and Nth metal composition make it deserving of a comeback in the main continuity.
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