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Bat-Signal

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Superman and Robin catch sight of the activated Bat-Signal.

"You've a call on your private line."
— Alfred Pennyworth[1]

The Bat-Signal was a searchlight on the roof of the Gotham Police Department used to summon Batman for help when necessary.

Contents

[edit] History

The first attempt of a Bat-Signal.

Curiously, the first version of the Bat-Signal was an impromptu contraption fashioned by simpleton Charlie Collins in a desperate attempt to attract the Dark Knight's attention. He did so by swinging an antique set of glider wings (shaped like a bat's) back and forth across a window.[2] The actual Signal was eventually developed by Commissioner James Gordon, and first used to alert Batman to a puzzle delivered by Josiah Wormwood. Seeing it, Batman expressed concern that Gordon would get in trouble with Mayor Hill for installing it.[3]

Though Gordon usually used the signal, others knew about it and sometimes used it as well. Barbara Gordon used it to contact Batman when she believed that an impostor had replaced her father. At this meeting, the signal was partially destroyed when Batman was attacked by Harvey Bullock duplicant, and Barbara used Batman's grapple gun to pull the robot into the signal, electrocuting it.[4] Likewise, the real Harvey Bullock used the signal for the first time when reluctantly asking for Batman's help in discovering who was trying to kill him.[5]

On another memorable occasion, Bullock was once handcuffed to a pipe on the roof of police headquarters by Lock-Up, and the only way he could call for help was to reach the switch on the signal.[6]

There were a few occasions in which the Signal was used though to no avail. After the Penguin ransomed Gotham City with his newly acquired Raven X1-11 helicopter, Gordon used the signal as usual, but Batman had been temporary blinded and was unable to respond. [1] Also, when Batman was being hunted by the police on suspicions that he had murdered several gang lords, Bullock tried to use the Bat-Signal to lure him in, but Batman did not respond. [7]

Batman's allies were also compelled to respond to the Bat-Signal. Robin was once interrupted by the signal when he was searching for the runaway Annie.[8] When Nightwing decided to reconnect with Batman's crusade, he did so by responding to the bat signal with Robin.[9] During Batman's mysterious disappearance, Superman filled in as him and joined Robin in answering the Bat-Signal.[10]

The Signal even played a significant role in a hallucination. When Batgirl was infected with Scarecrow's fear toxin, she imagined a fight breaking out involving Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and Bane. In this battle, Batman electrocuted Bane by placing his Venom injection tubes into the bat signal. But before Bane died he pushed the Signal off its housing and rolled it at Batman and Gordon, causing them to plummet to their deaths.[11]

After Bruce Wayne retired as Batman, the signal was no longer used. Even when Terry McGinnis took up Batman's mantle, Barbara Gordon (now Police Commissioner, like her father) chose not to use the signal or one like it. Nevertheless, the original signal light was somehow acquired by Paxton Powers, who used it to attract the new Batman's attention when his father, Derek Powers, degenerated into the villain known as Blight. On this occasion, McGinnis used a batarang to smash the signal. It was not seen again.[12]

[edit] Other Uses

"Look... must be trouble."
— a Gotham City diner[13]

Since the Bat-Signal was visible in the sky to anyone, it became something of a legend in Gotham City, and was copied by several citizens. Matt attempted to use his Batman flashlight as a bat signal after he and his friends discovered Firefly attempting to burn down an old movie theater. [14] While Batman and Robin were investigating the Joker's appearance in Dakota, Static lost the signal device Batman had given him so he improvised by conjuring a Bat-Signal out of static electricity and sending it in the air. When Tim pointed the improv signal out to Bruce, the latter asked sarcastically why Static didn't just use a bullhorn.[15]

The reputation of the Bat-Signal was clearly international, seeing as Luminus once used a mock "S-Signal" to draw Superman out.[16]

[edit] Sightings and References

Batman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

The New Batman Adventures

Static Shock

Batman Beyond

[edit] Feature Films

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Batman: The Animated Series, "Blind as a Bat"
  2. ↑ Idem, "Joker's Favor"
  3. ↑ Idem, "The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy"
  4. ↑ Idem, "Heart of Steel, Part II"
  5. ↑ Idem, "A Bullet For Bullock"
  6. ↑ Idem, "Lock-Up"
  7. ↑ Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
  8. ↑ The New Batman Adventures, "Growing Pains"
  9. ↑ Idem, "Old Wounds"
  10. ↑ Superman: The Animated Series, "Knight Time"
  11. ↑ The New Batman Adventures, "Over the Edge"
  12. ↑ Batman Beyond, "Ascension"
  13. ↑ Batman: The Animated Series, "Trial"
  14. ↑ The New Batman Adventures, "Legends of the Dark Knight"
  15. ↑ Static Shock, "The Big Leagues"
  16. ↑ Superman: The Animated Series, "Solar Power"
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