Batman - The 1940s Serials

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Agent Richard07, Jul 10, 2012.

  1. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

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    Yeah, but Batman is always ahead of the curve and so it could be a gimme that his stuff is better than what everyone else has available to them. :lol:
     
  2. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    ^Yeah, okay... the '66 Batman had an atomic-powered car and a nuclear reactor in the Batcave, so I'll give you that one. ;)
     
  3. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    ^ Right; he's Batman!!! ;) :lol:
     
  4. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

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    Hmm... Now could the '40's Batmobile have a tracking system similar to Bond's in Goldfinger?

    How about tire shredders? Possibly dumping oil slicks and/or spikes out back when being pursued? Then again since when is Batman being pusued? :lol: Then again you never know.

    Didn't the '66 car have a chain cutter? Then again with a reinforced "bat" plate on the front end the car could just ram its way through chains and other obstacles...short of actually needing a tank. :lol:

    How about a gas dispenser for disabling anyone trying to break into the car? I suppose this would require a remote starting/unlocking system for Batman.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2012
  5. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    Define "tracking system." Do you mean something detecting a radio signal from a bug or tracking device placed on another vehicle? The ability to receive and track a radio signal would've been around in the '40s, certainly; I'd say the tricky part would be making the homing beacon itself. This was before transistors, so you couldn't really miniaturize a radio transmitter. Unless you could hide a big clunky assemblage of vacuum tubes in the bad guys' trunk without them noticing, it might not be viable.

    On the other hand, given the era's general recklessness with regard to radioactivity, you could do something like spraying a car with a radium mist and tracking it via Geiger counter.


    Those seem simple enough. They don't require any electronics, just levers or hydraulics to deploy them. Heck, they had wheel shredders in Ben-Hur, and caltrops were used against horses and footsoldiers long before car tires were invented.


    There was a Batram, a deployable battering-ram type thingy on the front. There was also the Bat-Ray Projector, a four-pronged antenna that rose from the hood and emitted a laserlike cutting beam (though it was sometimes animated more as a jagged "electric" ray). And yes, there was a chain-cutter blade too. The Batmobile's equipment is detailed here: http://home.comcast.net/~apennyworth/original/1966batmobilevisualtimeline.html

    The '66 Batmobile had a Bat-alarm with a fold-down nameplate falsely identifying it as the starter button, so that any bad guy who climbed into the convertible and tried to activate it would set off horns, sirens, and fireworks shot out of the diagonal tubes on the rear. I suppose '60s Batman basically invented the modern car alarm, though his version was dialed up to 11.
     
  6. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Similar to the idea Q floated in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, about placing radioactive lint on people to track their movements (more James Bond).
     
  7. Agent Richard07

    Agent Richard07 Admiral Admiral

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  8. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    ^That has kind of an avian look to it. Maybe more a Penguinmobile.
     
  9. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

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    Alex Ross had a 1950 Studebaker customized to look like the 1950 Batmobile...which was based on the 1950 Studebaker.