A pistol was used by Batman early in war on crime. In his initial appearances, the Dark Knight carried and used one as part of his regular arsenal, though often as a tool rather than a weapon. The pistol was abandoned following the implementation of rules against killing or using weapons capable of lethal force. However, Batman has made use of a pistol on very rare occasions.
History[]
Golden Age[]
A splash page of Batman wielding the pistol in Detective Comics #35
Batman first made use of a pistol during his encounter with the Monk and Dala. In this story, he used it to kill both vampires with silver bullets he'd fashioned, putting an end to their attacks. This was notably one of the only occasions where Batman actually used a gun to kill enemies.[1] Batman later made use of a pistol to destroy Carl Kruger's Death Rays[2] and draw the police to the scene of a crime.[3] When Dick Grayson joined Batman's crusade as Robin, the use of a gun was gradually phased out, with Batman implementing rules that they would never "kill with weapons of any kind".[4] Later stories would retcon that Batman had never used firearms at the start of his crusade, with the stories where he did taking place on Earth-Two.
Post-Crisis[]
Batman wielding a pistol during Batman: Year Two
In the 1987 storyline Batman: Year Two, Batman abandons his code against using guns to deal with the Reaper, a vigilante using lethal means against Gotham's criminals.[5] To this end, he used the pistol used by Joe Chill as his weapon, using it often disarm and wound opponents, but never to kill. Batman briefly considers using it to end Chill's life, but the decision is taken out of his hands by the Reaper himself. After the vigilante's defeat, Batman has the gun buried in a Wayne Foundation project and vows never to use them again, in memory of his parents and to prevent him from becoming like the Reaper.[6] The story was later rendered non-canonical after the events of Zero Hour, including Batman's usage of a gun.
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Batman wields a pistol to confront Darkseid.
During Final Crisis, Batman wields a pistol to during a confrontation with Darkseid. Having learned of his weakness to radion, Batman acquired the weapon and a bullet made of the material, citing the confrontation as a one-time exemption to his no-guns rule. Batman shot the gun as Darkseid fired his Omega beams, hitting him with the bullet and mortally wounding him. This facilitated the New God's defeat by the Justice League.
Alternate Realities[]
- Dark Knight Universe: In The Dark Knight comic series, Batman makes use of modified firearms such as a piton-firing sniper rifle. However, whilst escaping the Commissioner Yindel and GCPD following the Joker's death, he makes use of a stolen pistol to detonate explosives planed in the building.
- Flashpoint: In the Flashpoint event, the reality's Batman (Thomas Wayne) is established to use both guns and lethal force. He makes use of them during the story.
- Earth-51: In Countdown, the reality is briefly visited and it is established that Batman makes use of firearms following the death of Jason Todd. He notably used a gun to kill the reality's Joker and whilst interrogating the New Earth version of Todd.
- Odyssey: In flashbacks to Batman's earlier days, it is established that he made use of firearms. He uses them to threaten several civilians away from a confrontation between him and El Maniaco.
Background Information[]
In his initial characterization, Batman carried a gun due to the influence of pulp character like the Shadow, who carried and used weapons to fight and kill enemies. This likewise was intended to be the case with Batman, who was originally planned to be targeted towards older audiences. Despite this, Batman in those stories rarely used weapons or guns, often relying on his own fighting abilities.
Following the introduction of Robin and complaints about the Dark Knight killing Hugo Strange's Monster Men in Batman #1, editor Whitney Ellsworth told Kane and Finger "never have [Batman] kill again". Following this, it was established in a later comic that Batman didn't kill with "weapons of any kind" or carry a gun. It was also likely editorial abandoned the usage of a gun to set a better example towards younger readers. Later stories retconned that Batman had never used guns in his early crusade.
The No-Guns Rule[]
In universe, many writers, such as Denny O'Neil and Grant Morrison, justified Batman's lack of gun usage as a result of trauma from his parents' murder. According to O'Neil, he and other writers decreed that the character had a fear of guns as a result of realization of death and how it cannot be undone.[7] Most modern writers justified Batman's refusal to use a gun because he believes it is too easy to kill someone with them. Ironically, some of Batman's gadgets, most notably the Grapple Gun, are sometimes modeled after firearms, though these are often depicted as non-lethal weapons. In addition, Batman has made use of other weapons where it can be possible to kill the target, including swords and shuriken.