Batman Glides on His Cape

About this drawing

Gliding Batman shows off one of his favorite tricks: using his cape like a pair of wings. In many stories, the cape stiffens so he can sail silently from the top of a building down to the street.

In the 2005 movie Batman Begins, the cape is made of a special fabric that is normally soft but turns rigid when a small electric current runs through it. That lets Batman glide, and when he lands, the cape drapes down like ordinary cloth again.

The bat idea has a story behind it. In the comics, Bruce Wayne wanted a costume that would scare criminals. While he was thinking it over, a bat flew in through the window, and he decided to become one. As a boy, he had been terrified of bats after falling into a cave full of them.

Gliding is not the same as flying. Batman has no powers, so he has to jump from somewhere high and ride the air forward, much like people who fly in wingsuits. Even so, watching him sail silently over the city is one of his most striking images.

• batman
• bats
• cape
• dc comics