Batman (Adam West)

"Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb."

- Batman

Batman was the protector of Gotham City. Adam West played Batman in the 1966 show Batman, it's film and an animated feature in addition to countless other appearances.

Batman faced four main recurring villains in the show, The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler and Catwoman.

Character
Bruce Wayne is Gotham's top philanthropist. He has been helping people publicly through the firm he runs called "The Wayne Foundation", and secretly in the guise of Batman, since his parents were killed when he was a young boy. He is an international sportsman, and enjoys potholing, fishing and falconry. These skills often come in handy when fighting crime. Bruce has many hobbies, such as collecting antlers, stamps and antique pocket watches. Even as a child he was a skilled individual. When he was 11 years old, Wayne was the Junior Marble Champion of Gotham City. The one thing he cannot abide is being called a coward. As Bruce Wayne he lived at Wayne Manor with his youthful ward Dick Grayson (Robin), his butler Alfred Pennyworth (although his surname was never used in the series) and Aunt Harriet Cooper. He has a crush on Batgirl.

He is extremely moral with people breaking the law and although he was ready and willing to send criminals such as Joker, Penguin and Riddler to prison, he showed a sense of compassion for Catwoman who had a crush on him. But because she wouldn't give up her life of crime and always wanted Robin out of the way, the relationship was never explored further by Batman.

He is a great friend of Police Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara, as both identities but the two men never found out who he really was. He developed a friendship with Batgirl who helped him and Robin fight crime, who was really the Commissioner's daughter Barbara.

Batman was always willing to put others first before himself and often helped Robin while on their adventures with things like Mathematics and Languages.

Batman's Crime-Fighting Equipment
Although Batman was a master of countless fighting styles, displayed an unfathomable understanding of advanced calculus, and was endowed with insightful wit and masterful cunning, from time to time the Caped Crusader had to rely on his self-made tools of the trade to see the day through. What follows is a list of these handy gadgets.


 * Batpoles (The way Bruce and Dick get from Stately Wayne Manor to the Batcave)
 * Batarang (The most commonly used weapon that Batman and Robin use when battling villains, a bat-shaped boomerang)
 * Batsuit (Bruce and Dick's disguises as Batman and Robin)
 * Batphone (A device which is used by Batman and Police Commissioner Gordon to communicate.)
 * Batsignal (A superheated spotlight used by the police to signal the Dynamic Duo when there is crime)
 * Bat-cuffs (The same as ordinary police handcuffs, used to capture villains)
 * Batsleep Gas (A form of sleeping gas used on people, especially if Batman and Robin are taking them to or leaving the Batcave)
 * Bat-Wake Gas (Wakes people up, when they are at the Batcave)
 * Batrope (Batman's way of climbing high and steep walls, the hook is a Batarang, since Batman and Robin would rarely use elevators or stairs. When it was necessary to gain entry into tall buildings, the Dynamic Duo would use a batarang to secure a line and then climb up the side of the building. It was slow going, more so than an elevator for instance, but it allowed for secrecy. On occasion, Batman and Robin would use the batrope to climb to a vantage point from which they could survey the surrounding area. Once the investigating was complete, they would use the Reverse Bat-climb to get back down to the ground. Batman is adamant about having both hands on the Bat-rope during the Bat-climb)
 * Utility Belt (The yellow belt of gadget pockets where Batman and Robin kept their weapons and devices)
 * Bulletproof Batshield (What Batman and Robin use to protect themselves against dangerous attacks, sometimes they hold it themselves, other times they have it attached to the Batmobile)
 * Radio Frequency Bat-generator
 * Bat-printer (used to forge documents)
 * Precious Metals Bat-analyzer (lists the components of metallic objects)
 * Bat-roscope (finds fingerprints on an item)
 * Bat-analyst (also called Bat-analyzer, lists the chemical components of an item using ultraviolet light)
 * Bat-spectrograph Criminal Analyzer (records biological information of anyone in close range)
 * Bat-sound Analyzer (analyzes background sounds on recordings)
 * Master Bat-file (gives out addresses)
 * Home Dry Bat-cleaning Plant (used to dry costumes, but takes several hours)
 * Automatic Bat-alarm for Detecting Phone Detecting Equipment
 * Diversionary Bat-phone Lines (prevents tracing of Batphone)
 * Integro-differential Robot Analyzer (tells if there is anything out of the ordinary about a certain robot)
 * Bat-calendar (gives a list of Gotham City current events)
 * Bat-syllable Device (lets Alfred type in words, then pronounces them in Bruce's voice, in a staggered fashion)
 * Brainwave Bat-analyzer (checks the areas of the brain one at a time for tampering)
 * Bat-tape Reader (checks for abnormalities in recorded sounds)
 * Electronic Translator (give it foreign writing and it displays English text on screen)
 * Wireless Bat-transmitter (for bat-emergencies only, it receives morse bat-code)
 * Bat-naps (for cleaning dirty costumes)
 * Bat-secret Writing Detector
 * Bat-radar
 * Bat-spot Analyzer
 * Electronic Hair Bat-analyzer
 * Portable Anti Crime Lab
 * Bat-Makeup Kit
 * Bat-funnel
 * Bat-scilloscope
 * Business Bat-index Machine
 * Well-known Criminals File
 * Emergency Bat-call Box
 * Criminal Analyzing Bat-sensor
 * Bat-dummy (Life-sized puppet; can be manipulated through cunning ventriloquism)
 * Recollection Cycle Bat-restorer (restores lost memory)
 * Current Criminal Activity Bat-disclosure Unit
 * Auxiliary Circuit Bat-generator (for power disruptions)
 * Bat-answer Phone (plugs into the Batphone, carries on a conversation in Batman's voice)
 * Interdigital Bat-sorter
 * Bat-research Shelf (contains the collected volumes of The History of Gotham City)
 * Bat-armour
 * Bat-weather Instruments
 * Criminal Sensor Bat-indicator (when a villain enters Gotham City, automatically plays one of his or her soundbites)
 * Three-dimensional Bat-restorer
 * Batmobile's Nuclear Power Source (the large generator at the back of the Batcave)
 * U.S. and Canada Crime Computer (provides subway schedules)
 * Hyper-spectrographic Analyzer (analyzes cloth and determines where it originated)
 * Chemo-electric Secret Writing Detector
 * Electronic Bugging Devices (in the shape of small amphibians & insects)
 * Gotham City Plans & Views (calls up microfiches of local building plans)
 * Portable Freezing Chamber (for testing anti-freeze capsules)
 * Giant Lighted Lucite Map of Gotham City
 * Intergalactic Recorder
 * Anti-crime Auxiliary Power Generator (supplies power to Batcave when a power outage occurs)
 * Bat-Television (a simple, ordinary television set)
 * Pattern Identification Manual (once a substance has been analyzed, this book provides the name)
 * Bat-scanner and Homing Transmitter (the transmitter is placed on the object wished to be tracked and the signal is picked up by the Bat-scanner)
 * Emergency Back-up Receivers (should something go wrong with the Bat-scanner, this will reroute the signal)
 * Voice Control Batmobile Relay Circuit (via this circuit, Batman can control the Batmobile)
 * Truth Control Bat-tester (Placed over the face of the individual being interrogated. As the person answers questions, their breath is captured in the bag. The breath is then mixed with a chemical liquid. Should the individual be telling the truth, the oxygen content will turn the liquid red. If they are lying, their increased metabolism means more oxygen which will create an imbalance in the liquid and it will remain clear)
 * Memory Bat-bank (contains photos of known criminals)
 * Bat-Magnifying Lens (used for delicate work such as painting false fingerprints)
 * State Penn Occupancy Report (contains up-to-date information on the criminals currently housed in the State Penitentiary)
 * Compressed Steam Batpole Lift (for carrying Batman and Robin up the batpoles)
 * Automatic Costume Change Device (the mechanism which changes Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson into their crime-fighting attire as they slide down the bat-poles, and vice versa. Can be shut off via a switch in the Batcave; can negate both changes or one change.)
 * Bat-index (a computerized phone book and automatic phone dialer)
 * Bat-speech Imitator (used to produce Batman's voice when Alfred is dressed as Batman)
 * Bat-crime Computer (createa a profile of a specific villain and then computes the villains next caper by searching for patterns of activity)
 * Bat-Seismograph (this equipment is so sensitive it can pinpoint the location of a small explosion in Gotham City)
 * Transitorized Shortwave Bat-receiver (receives messages from the Transitorized Shortwave Bat-transmitter)
 * Bat-jets (capable of lifting a 5000 pound automobile more than 500 miles in the air)
 * Radioactive Bat-pellets (a good way to track people or things because the pellets can be found using the Bat-geiger Counter)
 * Microfilm Crime File (contains photos and information on criminals)
 * Bat-chemical Analyzer (self-explanatory)
 * Bat-drone Plane (remote control plane used to pick up narrow wavelengths being transmitted high above Gotham)
 * Bat-drone Control (the console used to pilot the Bat-drone. Also used to pick up the source of the transmission being tracked. Includes the Bat-drone Retriever Switch which brings the drone to a safe landing inside the Batcave.)
 * Bugging Devices (constructed in the Batcave from spare components)
 * Batmobile Tracking Graph (the Batmobile's tracking location signal can be pinpointed on this map of Gotham City)
 * Bat-extension (a second Bat-phone that can be carried around the Batcave when working up in hard-to-reach places)
 * Giant hydraulic bat-press (used to make bat-diamonds, can take up to six months to create one large enough to power the Batcomputer)
 * Bat-directional finder (tells you which direction to go in to find a certain substance)
 * Bat-air press (for blowing up balloons)
 * Bat-capsule Dispensory (where numerous crime-fighting pills are stored)
 * Bat Wax Solvent (dissolves any type of wax)
 * Sky-writing drone (a model jet that can write even the longest messages in the sky)
 * Bat-antidote Powder (used to recover from any form of poison)
 * Bat-cillin (also called Bat-acillin, available in lozenge form to prevent infection)
 * Mobile Phone Bat-plugs (enable use of a portable Bat-phone)
 * Batzooka (rocket launcher)
 * Shark repellent bat-spray

Charitable Organizations
Public organizations Batman as Bruce Wayne is associated with:
 * Bruce Wayne School of Home Economics
 * Wayne Animal Sanctuary
 * Wayne Federation of Boys Clubs
 * Bruce Wayne Ice Arena
 * Wayne Foundation Free Nursery School
 * Gotham City Boxing Commission
 * Gotham State Prison Parole Board
 * Gotham Point Surfing Association
 * Bruce Wayne Foundation Memorial Handicap
 * Gotham Library's Board of Trustees
 * First National Bank of Gotham City
 * Gotham Lines
 * Bruce Wayne Rehabilitation Fund
 * The Wayne Foundation for Delinquent Girls
 * Gotham City Museum
 * Gotham City League of Bankers
 * Wayne Camp for Underprivileged Children
 * Gotham Millionaires Hunting Club
 * Gotham City Water Commission
 * The Thomas Wayne Memorial Clock Tower

Behind the scenes
Adam West's portrayal of Batman is famous for being considered very campy. The character of Batman in the comics was like that at the time. He played up on the comedy Dick Grayson and was very clever, often figuring out impossible clues or riddles but also had a knack for getting into trouble and was often strapped to machines or put inside a tank slowly filling up with water by various villains. He always escaped using his wits or his ridiculous array of gadgets. The gadgets were often used as puns e.g. "Luckily I carried my shark repellent Bat-spray" when dealing with sharks. He unsurprisingly appeared in every episode.

Appearances

 * Batman (1960s series)
 * Batman (1966 film)
 * The New Adventures of Batman
 * Legends of the Superheroes (two 1979 comedy specials)
 * ​Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders