It goes without saying that Batman is one of the most iconic characters in comics. As the star of countless comic books, films, and television shows (both animated and live-action), the DC Comics superstar is instantly recognizable. As such, it is hardly surprising that, unlike many of his fellow heroes, Batman's costume has remained relatively consistent since his first appearance in 1939.

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Even so, there have been a few situations that required a wardrobe change. Many of these changes were strange to look at; however, in nearly every case, the change served a purpose or improved function for Bruce or whomever else happened to be wearing the costume at the time.

10 His Cowl Sometimes Has Projectile Ears

Batman shoots his projectile ears

While not an entirely new Batsuit, the oddness of Batman's weaponized ears still warrants a mention. In Detective Comics #1029, Batman is in pursuit of a small group of bank robbers. Eventually, he seizes control of their getaway vehicle. Despite being trapped in a vehicle driven by Batman and going high speed in the middle of Gotham City, the criminals decide to shoot him in the back of the head.

Batman's cowl is typically bulletproof, however, and so the attack only serves to irritate him. Batman responds by tipping the seat back and shooting his ears at the two robbers in the back seat.

9 He Cut A Dashing Figure In Cursed Medieval Armor

Batman with cursed medieval armor

The Suit of Sorrows made its debut in Detective Comics #838. An al Ghul family heirloom, it was originally gifted to Batman by his former flame Talia al Ghul to help keep him alive as the two searched for their missing son.

It served its purpose at the time and even assisted Batman in his mission as it seemed to enhance his physical abilities somewhat. He cut a dashing, if anachronistic, figure in medieval armor. Eventually, this brief but strange period of Batman wearing magical armor came to an end when he suspected the armor of corrupting him from within.

8 His Bulky Power Suit Let Him (Almost) Beat Superman

Batman, Dark Knight Returns Power Suit

Every so often, Batman finds himself in a situation that requires a little more heft than his humanity allows. At times like that, he will often employ armor or a powered suit to bridge the gap between himself and his more powerful foes— or colleagues. Perhaps the most famous of these suits is the one he wore to his final confrontation with Superman in The Dark Knight Returns.

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At the time, many readers were surprised to see the normally svelte and athletic Batman weighed down by bulky armor. Even so, the suit is now regarded as a classic and paved the way for many power suits to come, also eventually making its way to the big screen by way of Batman V. Superman.

7 Brightly Colored Suits Helped To Conceal Robin's Secret Identity

Rainbow Batman

A truly bizarre moment in Batman costumes occurred in Detective Comics #241. After Dick Grayson is injured while protecting a girl from bank robbers in flight, Batman begins wearing a series of brightly colored costumes instead of the normal blue and grey. While this may seem inexplicable, it was done for a purpose.

Fearing that Robin and Dick Grayson's identical injuries would compromise Dick's secret identity, Batman opted to draw attention to himself instead. It probably would have been easier to just ask Robin to stay home for a while. Still, the plot proved effective, and Robin's true identity remained concealed.

6 His Platinum Knight Suit Represented His Ideal Future

Batman's Silver Knight suit

Readers first got a glance at this unusually bright-colored batsuit at the end of Batman #95. Designed by Alfred Pennyworth before his death and brought to life by Lucius Fox, the Platinum Knight suit represented the future Alfred wanted for Bruce— one in which Batman's mission had been largely fulfilled, and Bruce was free to find happiness.

Despite its strange off-brand color scheme, the suit was highly functional and equipped with features that would allow Batman to neutralize his common enemies. Outside a Joker toxin-fueled dream sequence, it was never actually worn by Batman himself but, looking at those features, it would have been useful if he had.

5 Azrael Embraced the "Extreme" Aesthetic Of The '90s

Azrael as Batman

The 1990s saw a change in the superhero genre with more heroes embracing extreme violence and even killing. Given that environment, and in the wake of more hard-edged presentations of Batman as in the 1989 Batman film, it's hardly surprising that many fans wanted to see Batman follow suit. For a while, DC indulged them with an extremely violent Batman acting as judge, jury, and executioner.

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Fortunately, the Batman in question was not Bruce Wayne. Instead, newcomer Jean-Paul Valley— a.k.a. the first Azrael— inherited the mantle when Bruce was temporarily paralyzed by way of Bane's knee. Though Valley originally wore a traditional Batsuit, he eventually traded it in for a more "extreme" armored look including pouches, claws, and more. It was definitely a strange look for a role that usually comes with an understated but impactful silhouette, but it's hard to argue against the usefulness of armor and claws.

4 Having Stripes Gave Him Superpowers

Zebra Batman

No discussion of Batman's more unorthodox fashion choices is complete without a look at his time as the Zebra Batman. However, this wardrobe change was hardly Batman's choice. It began when Zebra Man, a zebra-striped man with magnetic powers, began to cause trouble. The lines on his body were the source of Zebra Man's power, but could not be controlled without the use of a special belt.

Batman is exposed to these forces and emerges with similar powers, but he is unable to control his newfound abilities, as he does not have the necessary belt. Eventually, he manages to get ahold of Zebra Man's belt and return both of them to normal. Still, fans remember that for just one issue, many decades ago, Batman was essentially a zebra-striped Magneto.

3 Thomas Wayne's Party Costume Was Both Fashionable & Functional

Thomas Wayne's original batsuit

Thanks to his appearances as both the Batman of Flashpoint and the second Batman of New52's Earth-Two, the idea that Thomas Wayne could become Batman is a long known and accepted fact to modern readers. That was not the case in 1956, when Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff introduce Thomas Wayne as the "first," albeit short-tenured, Batman.

Thomas Wayne's costume was clearly designed to evoke the original, golden age Batsuit, from the wider set, more bat-accurate ears to the wing-like design of the cape. Though originally intended as a party costume, it came in handy years later when Bruce Wayne donned the old threads to strike fear into the heart of the man responsible for the murder of the Waynes.

2 The Fenrir Suit Was Made For Busting Justice

Justice Buster Fenrir

Inspired by the suit in The Dark Knight Returns, Batman's Fenrir armor was designed to fight gods and win. The power suit first appeared in Batman: Endgame #1 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. After a Joker-controlled Wonder Woman attacks Bruce Wayne, he is forced to resort to one of his famous contingency plans.

This proves to be the correct decision as the remainder of the Justice League follows in her wake. Though Batman managed to turn the tide due to the specialized mechanisms built into the Fenrir armor, the armor itself was ultimately torn to pieces by Superman.

1 Citizen Wayne Had Two Strange Suits For The Price Of One

Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne in Citizen Wayne

In 1994, DC Comics released a series of annuals featuring alternate universe stories as extensions of the famous Elseworlds line. One story, "Citizen Wayne," was featured in Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #4 and featured not one but two strange costumes. The first— a practical Bat-themed suit featuring a full face-mask, utility belt, and firearms— was used by the Batman of this 20s themed world. The twist lies in the identity of this Batman: A scarred and embittered Harvey Dent. It falls to Harvey's friend and rival Bruce Wayne to stop him.

To do so, Bruce dons a weird and wonderful costume of his own, a strange knight/samurai mashup with a color scheme that owes more to Azrael than the traditional Batsuit.

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