Image via DC Comics
For those who only know Batman through movies or TV show, the Dark Knight gets around mostly in Batmobiles that are crazy, completely custom rides. However, in the comics Batman uses quite a few cars, both Batmobiles and other vehicles, in his quest to fight crime in Gotham. One of these, curiously, has been a Humvee.
A real Batmobile, not a replica, is up for grabs.
Right after Gotham was hit by a devastating earthquake in the excellent No Man’s Land story arc, Batman puts his Humvee to work to move a boulder blocking a tunnel in the Batcave. We get a fairly good looks at the military truck, which has of course been painted black and wears the requisite bat insignias.
That comic, Batman #555, came out in June 1998. At the time, Humvees were mostly owned by the wealthy, with former bodybuilder and action movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger being the most prominent example.
It seems only fitting that Bruce Wayne, the wealthiest man in Gotham, would have acquired such a plaything. However, instead of driving it to the country club or some swanky restaurant downtown, the man put it to use in his night job.
His Hummer is modified in some curious ways, starting with the deep dish wheels with the bat logo prominently displayed, just like on the Batmobile parked next to it.
There’s also a metal grille guard, which doesn’t protrude much beyond the natural bodyline of the truck. He’s added a solid fastback to the Humvee, giving it a sleeker, sportier look than if the bed were left open or had a squared-off cover.
By far the most interesting modification are the huge exhaust stacks on the rear fenders, just ahead of the rear wheels. Mechanically, they make absolutely no sense, but they’re obviously added for visual effect, a type of bravado to let the reader know this is no mere stock Humvee. Just what exactly has been done to the powertrain isn’t clear, but one could imagine all sorts of things.
Does this Humvee technically qualify as a Batmobile? It’s an excellent question we’ll leave you to answer.
Images via DC Comics
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