The spring-action reel was a gadget used by Batman in his war against crime. The gadget could be fitted with multiple tools and weapon attachments to access areas or incapacitate enemies. Batman would use the gadget on multiple occasions during his crusade.
Functionality[]
On its own, the spring-action reel consisted of a grappling line and motorized reel encased in a black casing. After being attached to an object via a grappling hook, Batman could swing on the reel or use the mechanisms to pull him towards his destination. The reel could be attached onto the utility belt and could be modified to accommodate for extra weight such as other people. The spring-action reel had a foldable grip to improve handling and aim of the gadget. On at least one occasion, Batman appeared to detach the line to tie it onto another object.
The spring-action reel came with at least three different attachments that were stored in the utility belt. Each of them were able to be attached to or removed from the reel, and operated through the gadget's controls. The most commonly used was a Grappling Hook Launcher, which would attach the line to at least two grappling hook variants and fire them toward areas. Another, referred to as the "Speargun", fired a barbed hook that would attached itself to objects and enemies, allowing Batman to pull them towards him. The final known attachment was a Bolo Launcher, which fired two weighed balls connected via a line to ensnare victims or tie them to objects.
Usage History[]
Batman[]
Confrontation at Axis Chemicals[]
Batman aims the Speargun attachment
Batman first used the spring-action reel with its speargun to incapacitate one of Napier's Hood, pulling him towards and dangling him from the railing. He later used it to swing over to Jack Napier, detatching the rope before he landed. Batman later fired the grappling hook to escape the GCPD, using the reel to ascend the rope.
Car Chase Through the Streets of Gotham[]
After being cornered by the Joker's Goons in Gotham's Streets, Batman used the spring-action reel to fire a hook and attached the reel to his utility belt to ascend up the rooftops with Vicki Vale. Though he'd modified it to take both their weights, she'd given him the wrong amount, causing them to dangle mid-air. To ensure Vicki escaped, Batman detached the reel from his belt and fell to the streets to confront the group. The reel and Vale continued up to the rooftops.
Skirmish of Gotham Cathedral[]
Batman prepares to fire the Bolo attachment
When Joker attempted to escape via his helicopter, Batman used the Bolo Launcher attachment to tie his leg to a gargoyle. This hindered the escaped attempt and led to his eventual death. After he and Vicki lost their grip from the Gotham Cathedral, Batman used the reel to fire a grappling hook into the cathedral to stop their fall.
Batman Returns[]
Lighting of the Tree Ceremony[]
Batman used the spring-action reel to incapacitate the Terrifying Clown holding Selina Kyle hostage. Firing the hook into the wall behind them, he pulled off a chunk of concrete into the clown, knocking him out but leaving Kyle unharmed.
Batman '89[]
According to one account, Batman began to implement wrist-mounted grappling hooks into subsequent Batsuits, primarily to swing between buildings. However, he still made use of the spring-action reel.
Burnside Standoff[]
During his first encounter with Robin, Batman fired the spring-action reel when he was knocked from the fire escape by the vigilante. This prevented harm from the fall but caused him to collide with the wall when he swung on the line, alerting nearby National Guardsmen. Batman was able to escape the guards using the reel to get to the rooftops after using a flashbang to stun them.
The Flash[]
Another account suggests Batman continued to use the spring-action reel up until his retirement. He later redonned the gadget after agreeing to help Barry Allen and his universe's counterpart defeat General Zod and his followers.
Rescue of Supergirl[]
During the rescue of Supergirl, Batman made use of the spring-action reel to scale a cliff-face. Firing the hook at a girder, he used the gadget to get him and Allen up to a balcony overlooking them. The spring-action reel appeared not to require modification from Batman for the additional weight nor attach it to his utility belt.
Batman later made use of the spring-action reel during a fight. After one of the soldiers avoided his Batarangs, he fired the hook into him and used the reel to pull closer, allowing Batman to finish him. Batman then let the wire loose to latch around another's rifle, allowing him to disarm the solider.
Battle with the Sword of Rao[]
In one of the timelines created to avert the battle's loss, Batman used the spring-action reel to latch onto Nam-Ek and pull himself onto the Kryptonian. He then used the gadget to retain his grip whilst he traversed and placed explosives onto the soldier. The line was eventually detached after Nam-Ek managed to grab hold of Batman. It is unknown if the gadget was lost or destroyed when the vigilante was thrown against the ground.
Different Fates[]
According to various accounts, Batman abandoned the spring-action reel in favor of other devices.
Several versions claim that Batman began using a smaller device referred to as the grappling gun. However, he later made use of wrist-mounted devices that fired grappling hooks and pulled him towards the area, which were integrated on both his Sonar and Ice Armor Batsuits. These were also used by both Robin and Batgirl.
Behind the Scenes[]
Batman 1989 Speargun Demo
In Sam Hamm's first script draft for Batman, the spring-action reel could not fire its own grappling hook, requiring Batman to attach the line to a Batarang and throw it towards the intended area. The motorized reel was also located separately in the Utility Belt. The same draft also featured a separate miniature spear-gun to incapacitate one of Napier's hoods, though it's unclear whether there was a cable attached to the hook (the same hood is knocked over the railing to a "forty [foot drop]" without anything to catch/support him). By one of Warren Skaaren's rewrites, the hood is left hanging from the railing via the "BARBED HOOK" and, in the climax, Batman "[fired] a hook" into the Old Gotham Cathedral to save himself from falling. It is likely the two gadgets were combined at Tim Burton's insistence.
Julian Caldow created the original sketches for the spring-action reel, including with both its grappling hook and speargun attachments, while the props was built by John Evans' workshop. Among the attachments made was a tranquillizer dart launcher, though was not used on screen. However, a prop of the attachment appears in the Batsuit vault among other gadgets and is mention in behind the scenes featurettes.[1] When Evans did promotional interviews he would mistakenly refer to this prop exclusively as "Speargun" and mistakenly attribute the drawings to art department head Anton Furst which is what ended up being printed in vintage promo material. It's unclear if the speragun attachment was fully built in accordance to the drawing, as the movie makes a continuity error by using the grappling hook for the closeup insert shot before the smaller speargun hook is fired at the Napier hood. Keaton's arm is raised forward and out of focus in the moment where the the speargun device is actually used, but the retractable handle from Caldow's drawing, (to yank the opponent) is clearly seen.
The Spring-Action Reel/Grapple Gun from Batman Returns.
The spring-action reel's design received minor changes during production of Batman Returns, with components either replaced or changed from the original prop. Daniel Waters made reference to this old prop as the "Speargun Grapple" in his drafts to simply distinguish it from the alternative "Zip-Line Grapple". Bo Welch carried on mistakenly referring to the pistol from the first movie as simply Speargun in promotional interviews.[2] Keaton's stand-in, Mike Cassidy fired one of the standard Batarangs from the reel in a Diet Coke commercial made during filming.
Legacy[]
The spring-action reel would later inspire the creation of the Grapple Gun, a gadget that functioned the same as its grappling hook attachment. Subsequently, the gadget's speargun and grappling hook attachments have been combined in subsequent adaptations, possibly to accommodate for ease. In the years since, modern merchandise manufacturers tend to refer to it as "grapnel launcher" or grapple gun, creating further discrepancy.
Gallery[]
Concept Art[]
Photos[]
