The king of gadgets in the comics is without question Batman. He has no superpowers whatsoever and makes up the difference by having a special gadget for almost every occasion. But the thing is he's not the only one in DC Comics who loves gadgets. Other heroes like Blue Beetle have their own collections, as well.
That being said, not every gadget is a winner. Some of them are ridiculous, useless, and straight-up do not work. Such gadgets are usually entertaining, at the very least, but being funny doesn't win fights unless that person is Harley Quinn.
10 Blue Beetle's Insane Solar-Powered Gun
When looking for a runner-up to Batman for the most gadget-obsessed hero in DC Comics, there's only one name that fits the bill. Ted Kord was a scientist and inventor turned crime-fighter who used his intellect to design numerous weapons and gadgets.
One of his key pieces of gear is his solar-powered gun. The weapon itself isn't the problem but having it be solar-powered seems like a bit of an issue. If Blue Beetle does any crime-fighting at night, that weapon might become a little useless. Fortunately for him, all criminals operate on a 9 to 5 schedule.
9 Heat Wave Runs Around With An Unimpressive Flamethrower
Fighting someone like The Flash requires some serious power and skill. This is the fastest person on the planet, after all. Even Superman has problems matching his almost absurd speed levels. As such, it seems odd that a guy with a small flamethrower could cause him such problems.
Heat Wave is a pyromaniac with a heat blaster. And it's not even a really cool heat blaster. It seems like he should have a much more impressive weapon for fighting a hero with the absurd power levels of The Flash but he's sticking with it.
8 The Cosmic Treadmill Is Just Ridiculous
Speaking of The Flash, he isn't immune to goofy gadgets syndrome. This one is a little painful to bring up as the Cosmic Treadmill is about as classic an item as fans will find in DC Comics. But when readers step back and really take a look at it, it's kind of strange.
The Cosmic Treadmill is quietly literally a treadmill that The Flash can run on really fast to travel through time and space. While its use is quite interesting, it's still hard to get past the visual of The Flash running on a treadmill.
7 The Unfortunately Named Batpoon
When it comes to having an endless supply of gadgets, no one in the history of comic books has more at their disposal than Batman. The Caped Crusader seems to have something for every occasion, which is either really impressive or disturbingly obsessive.
A lot of Batman's gadgets are incredibly useful. Some are just incredibly ridiculous, like the Batpoon. It's literally a small, hand-held harpoon launcher that he once used to fight Superman. The gadget was ludicrous and the name was even worse.
6 Trickster Has Bad Fashion Sense And Worse Gadgets
It's not just heroes who are prone to basing their entire gimmicks on themed gadgets. Villains do the same thing. The Riddler is a prime example of this as he uses a lot of riddle-themed paraphernalia and question marks in his schtick. He's actually made it work over the years.
Trickster, on the other hand, might want to rethink everything about his criminal career. His style is absolutely terrible and his gadgets are worse. It looks like he bought them all at a bargain joke shop. Shopping at a place like that might be fine for teenagers, just not for supervillains.
5 Most Of Captain Boomerang's Boomerangs
When it comes to on-the-nose names, Captain Boomerang takes the cake. This Aussie villain certainly lives up to his name, expertly whipping boomerangs at his opponents. Calling himself a captain seems a bit arrogant, though.
If he was just tossing sharp or explosive boomerangs at people, that would be one thing. But he has some really odd ones, like his rocket boomerang and his collapsible boomerang. Those ones just don't seem particularly useful.
4 Batman Has A Spray To Repel Lady Villains
Giving Batman the benefit of the doubt on this one is kind of important. It popped up in a special crossover between Batman and Planetary. The field team was dealing with Batman while reality kept changing around them. This meant facing off against various incarnations of the Dark Knight.
When Batman 1966 rolled around, he busted out the Bat-Female-Villain-Repellent and sprayed Jakita Wagner in the face. It was effective but it's hard to ignore the ridiculous, multi-hyphenated name written on the can.
3 Any Arrow That Green Arrow Uses That Isn't Just Pointy
While Deadshot might dispute this, Green Arrow may be the greatest marksman in DC Comics. His ability as an archer is basically unparalleled. The man can hit virtually any target from any angle that's in the range of his bow.
Being an archer in combat isn't an issue at all. Using boxing glove arrows and boomerang arrows is. When Green Arrow is simply using pointy arrows to take his enemies out, he's the best in the game. But it's nearly impossible to take him seriously when he busts out an arrow that must defy the laws of physics to fly.
2 The Mirror Cowl Was Also A Bad Fashion Choice
Batman's repertoire of gadgets isn't limited to the items on his utility belt. His costume itself is a weapon, one that he adjusts for different threats and situations. Batman and Iron Man are actually quite similar in that way.
And like Iron Man, some of Batman's costumes are just outright ridiculous. Batman has a mirrored cowl that he wears because... well, there really isn't a good reason. Batman probably had an idea for why he created this gear but, in the end, it was just silly.
1 Codpiece Has A Literal Crotch Canon
Anyone who has read the various Doom Patrol comics knows how weird things can get. This team might be DC's ultimate group of oddballs and miscreants. But as strange as they are, the villains they face are even more absurd.
Codpiece literally wears a codpiece that can become multiple weapons, including a powerful canon and a pair of retractable boxing gloves. It takes a special person to make that kind of gimmick work, and the man behind Codpiece definitely isn't one of them.