If someone lives in Gotham City for any period of time, it’s likely that they’ll see Batman’s Batmobile tearing down the streets of Gotham, or maybe even the Batwing high in the sky. But when all the world’s technology stops working, instead of being put at a disadvantage, Batman just brings out a much cooler alternative than a plain old gadget.
Batman has countless cool gadgets that he uses to fight crime, from his iconic batarangs to the Batmobile itself. No matter who he’s going up against, he’s known to have contingency plans — which often depend on technology to pull off. But it’s not his cool toys that make Batman dangerous; it’s been proven time and time again that when Batman is removed from his gear or his money, he’s still just as formidable. There is no better example of this than when all of Earth’s technology stopped working, and, instead of giving up or even slowing down, Batman simply tamed a dragon to use as his new Batwing.
Batman Summons Batwing — the Dragon
Batman’s new version of the Batwing first appears in Superman/Batman #82 by Cullen Bunn, Chriscross, Marc Deering, Brad Anderson, and Steve Wands. After a group of magical villains makes a demonic pact to sell the sun to a demon god, DC’s magical heroes try to reverse it. They put all of their power into returning life to the sun, and, while they succeed, this new sun gives off magic energy instead of solar radiation, which then acts as an E.M.P., shutting down all technology. Without his iconic gadgets, Batman has to resort to using alchemical potions and magical artifacts. By far the biggest change to Batman’s arsenal, though, is his new ride: instead of any form of the Batmobile or the high-flying Batwing, Batman now commands a giant fire-breathing dragon as his main mode of transportation — and he names it “Batwing,” of course.
Not only is Batman training and using a dragon unbelievably cool, but dragons have always been tied to the Bat-Family in one way or another. Dick Grayson chose the name Nightwing because it was a Kryptonian dragon of shadows, which he learned about from Superman. Tim Drake’s last name is Drake, which is a form of dragon. During DC’s Metal events, Jokerized dragons were commonplace, and Batman even became a dragon himself at one point. So while Superman/Batman story is the first time Batman uses a dragon in combat, the relationship between Batman and dragons has a long history that continues to this day.
Batman’s Dragon Batwing Is His Real Secret Weapon
Even without technology, Batman finds a way to survive. It’s no secret that Batman isn’t a huge fan of magic, but when the Earth is plunged into a dark future that revolves around magic, he not only adapts — he thrives. Batman is one of the last living members of the Justice League in this timeline, and that’s likely due to how Batman commands his new dragon Batwing to replace his useless tech.
Check out Superman/Batman #82, available now from DC Comics!
