Superheroes can't spend their entire lives fighting crime. They need a base of operations to gather information, analyze their options, and coordinate with their superhero allies. The same can be said about supervillains. While many of these heroes have the funds to create perfect homes, DC was never content allowing a mansion to be a character's only place of residence.
The need to show superheroes and supervillains in their own space resulted in the long tradition of superhero and supervillain headquarters. Besides featuring cool and innovative aesthetics, a character's base of operations often became an important part of the character's backstory and history.
10 The Birds Of Prey Operated Out Of A Clock Tower
After the Joker shot her, Barbara Gordon believed she needed to build her life and form a new superhero identity. As Oracle, she devoted her life to superhero feats using sophisticated high tech. While she originally worked with Amanda Waller and the Suicide Squad, before long, she found herself back in Gotham City.
Working outside of Gotham required Barbara to have a cool secret base. She set up shop in the Clock Tower and founded the Birds of Prey. From her Clock Tower, Barbara directed missions for superheroes such as Black Canary, Huntress, and Lady Blackhawk.
9 The Hall Of Doom Was Appropriately Named
Superheroes aren't the only comic characters who need a place to direct their plots. The Legion of Doom comprised multiple supervillains trying to destroy the Justice League, and they first showed up in the 1978 cartoon series, Challenge of the Super Friends.
The Legion of Doom made the Hall of Doom their headquarters. The Hall's permanent location resided in the Slaughter Swamp, close to Gotham. Unlike many other bases, the Hall of Doom could fly, shoot rockets, and even travel through time. Villains in the Legion could even control the Hall through remote control if they needed to make a sudden escape.
8 The Outsiders Reformed In An Abandoned Bomb Shelter
After Donna Troy's death in the Graduation Day event, the original Titans disbanded and Nightwing bore the weight on his shoulders. Determined to life up his friend, Roy Harper started a new Outsiders with characters such as Grace Choi, Indigo, Thunder, and Metamorpho. Harper referred to their new base as "the Clubhouse."
For their base, the Outsiders used an abandoned Brooklyn bomb shelter. The bomb shelter stretched a mile down from the surface and took up nine city blocks. The shelter was originally built by multi-millionaire C.T. Wentworth, who had been concerned about nuclear war during the 50s and 60s.
7 Gabriel's Horn Was A 70s Base For The Teen Titans
The original Teen Titans debuted in 1964 in the pages of The Brave and the Bold (Vol 1) #54, by Bob Haney, Bruno Premiani, Sheldon Moldoff, Stan Starkman, and Ira Schnapp. By 1964, the teen superhero group had their own comic and their own base at Titans' Lair. By the 1970s, Dr. Light had destroyed the Titans' Lair.
As a result, the Titans, Mal Duncan, and Karen Beecher purchased a disco in Farmingdale, Long Island named the Gabriel's Horn. The upstairs remained a disco that served as a place to hang out when the Titans weren't fighting crime. The lower level became the Titans' base full of electronic and medical equipment.
6 The Tower Of Fate Was Designed To Be Impenetrable
While Dr. Kent Nelson may have become one of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe once he gained the powers of Dr. Fate, he still needed a base of operations to call home. As such, Nelson chose a tower located in Salem, Massachusetts.
The Tower of Fate was notoriously hard to get into, as it featured no doors or windows. Only Fate and his wife, Inza, could enter and exit freely. Inside the Tower of Fate, Nelson protected magical and non-magical artifacts. These artifacts allowed Fate to see various points in the timeline.
5 Superman's Fortress of Solitude Came From Other Comics
Although many associate the term "Fortress of Solitude" with Superman, the first Fortress of Solitude in comics appeared in Doc Savage pulp comics in the 1930s and 40s. Throughout this period, Superman didn't have a Fortress of Solitude.
Superman's Fortress of Solitude debuted in 1958 and became an infamous Silver Age hero base. Located in the Artic, it allowed Superman to connect with his Kryptonian heritage through advanced equipment and tools. The Fortress also contained an alien zoo, a Phantom Zone projector, and a place for Supergirl to live.
4 It Took Four Years For Batman To Get A Batcave
It would be hard for most fans to imagine now, but Batman originally operated out of an old barn connected to Wayne Manor through a series of tunnels. It wasn't until 1943 that the idea of "The Bat Cave" was introduced, four years after Batman had debuted.
Since the introduction of the Batcave, it went on to become a major part of Batman's history and identity. The cave has been used as a gathering spot for Gotham heroes, a medical lab, a crime lab, and a storage space for Batman's crime-fighting arsenal.
3 Titans Tower Was The Titans' Most Iconic Base
Marv Wolfman first introduced the Titans Tower in 1980 to serve as the base of operations for the New Teen Titans. The iconic group of Nightwing, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Wonder Girl lived in the ten-story base, built by Victor Stone's father out of guilt for turning Victor into a Cyborg.
The original tower was located on the East River in New York. A second Tower was constructed underground with a hologram of the original building displayed on top of it. A third Tower was constructed off San Francisco Bay. Although the Titans have called numerous places home, the Titans Tower will always be their most well-known headquarters.
2 The Legion Clubhouse Shared An Important Connection With Superman
The Legion of Superheroes were inspired to become heroes thanks to the heroic efforts of Kal-El. They also used a ship sent to earth by Superman's Kryptonian parents as their very first base of operations.
The Legion's Clubhouse's rocket fell to Earth and landed in Kal-El Memorial Park thousands of year after Superman had landed. Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, and Saturn Girl managed to gain entry. Despite being a spaceship, the clubhouse had space for a communications room, council room, two labs, a record room, and a gymnasium.
1 Justice League's Watchtower Wasn't Located On Earth
The Justice League Watchtower was first written into canon by Grant Morrison at the end of their first Justice League comic run. Although the heroes had previously worked out of the Justice League satellite, Morrison decided to give them a permanent base on the moon.
The Justice League Watchtower was made of the extra durable metal, promethium. Within the Watchtower, telepaths could monitor activities on Earth and Star Trek-like transporter systems beamed people to the surface and back. The Watchtower made several appearances in the animated Justice League and Justice League Unlimited series.