DC comics have a vast assortment of interesting and unique vehicles (most of which seem to belong to Batman). But, of course, every Vehicle has something to offer to its superpowered users, from high-speed trains to spaceships that can travel through the multiverse. Let’s look at some of the coolest vehicles in the DC universe.
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1. The Invisible Jet
While Wonder Woman can fly, the Invisible Jet is extremely helpful when she needs to transport cargo or groups of people over a long distance. In some versions of the comic books, Wonder Woman built the plane by connecting its three parts, and now it only responds to her voice. In others, the jet was created by Athena, who transformed Pegasus so that Diana would have a fast means of transportation.
However, on Prime Earth, the invisible jet was a rebuilt version of Steve Trevor’s aircraft, which had crashed on Themyscira. Amazonian science had turned the plane invisible, and it disintegrated shortly after Steve and Diana landed in the US.
The degree of the jet’s invisibility varies from comic to comic, and while it is invisible to radar, it can’t always hide those inside the vehicle. The plane can withstand the intense pressures found at the bottom of the ocean and the furthest reaches of space, as well as extremely high temperatures.
It can travel at extremely high speeds and is capable of both telepathy and teleportation. Wonder Woman’s jet is definitely one of the coolest vehicles in the DC universe and is extremely helpful as she fights injustice in the world of Man.
2. Batmobile
As one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, it only makes sense that Batman would have one of the coolest vehicles in the DC universe.
There wasn’t anything special about the first Batmobile. It started as a red convertible before it became a customised blue roadster before it was eventually redesigned into the ever-changing supercar we know and love today.
Nevertheless, it is one of Batman’s most advanced pieces of tech and is as well-known as the character himself. Batman: The Animated Series’s Batmobile even got its own Hot Wheels figurine.
The vehicle doesn’t only have on-board weaponry (which is non-lethal in some versions of the comics), but a radio transmitter, Bat-Radar (which Batman used to scan for crimes in progress), Gas masks (Gotham City villains have a weird love for gas-based attacks) and an ejector spring.
Several versions of the Batmobile have been introduced in media. Still, the best versions of the car have been the Batmobile for The Dark Knight trilogy and the Batmobile from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which made its first appearance in one of the film’s best scenes.
No matter what version of the car is being driven, this is not something you want to see coming up behind you in the dead of night. It will make even the most law-abiding citizens a little nervous.
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3. The Bug
Blue Beetle’s Bug is the coolest flying vehicle in the DC universe. Ted Kord is one of the most brilliant minds in the DC universe, and the Bug’s capabilities have most accurately displayed that brilliance.
When Ted Kord first took on the mantle of Blue Beetle, Kord couldn’t get the scarab that had gifted the former Blue Beetle his powers to work for him. So instead, he turned to science, training himself to be in peak physical condition and creating gadgets to help him stop criminals, much like Batman. However, this is very rarely recognised by fans or other characters.
One of those gadgets was the Bug, an aerial vehicle that greatly assisted Kord on his adventures. It was constructed using failed experiments and old automobile parts and later improved, first by Ted and his new inventions and then by the Green Lantern Kilowog.
The ship has reinforced armour and is powered by solar energy, which it also collects to use against Blue Beetles’ enemies offensively. The ship is very quiet for a vehicle, thanks to its antigravity units and can move at very high speeds.
The Bug has several onboard weapons (including solar and electrical/magnetic impulse blasts), and a portable crime lab and is capable of underwater travel. It also contains an array of other technology, such as a supercomputer and a communication centre.
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4. The Javelin-7
This is a ship created by Batman for the Justice League and is one of the coolest-looking vehicles in the DC universe. The Javelin (and Javelin-7) was designed specifically for members of the team who couldn’t travel through space safely. It is also capable of underwater travel and generating a wormhole for “faster-than-light travel”.
There have been several models of the ship, and most have either been severely damaged or destroyed in battle. With the ever-expanding team, new versions of the Javelin were designed and are now stored in the Watchtower.
The ship has appeared chiefly in the animated Justice League series, but a version of it was seen in the DCEU. Its cloaking technology was highly advanced and made the ship of passing by most high-tech scanners.
This ship was armed with laser cannons and occasionally missiles (depending on the version of the ship) and had a cockpit capsule that could be ejected from the craft in an emergency.
5. Lobo’s Spacehog
If a hero encounters Lobo during their adventures, they will more than likely see his infamous space bike as well.
Lobo is the foul-mouthed master bounty hunter who spends most of his time drinking, fighting and gambling. However, when on a job, nothing will get in the way of its completion, especially since he considers the promises he makes unbreakable.
Hailing from Czarnia, Lobo became a mercenary soon after he slaughtered his entire race. He didn’t particularly care about who he was sent after as long as he got pain.
A despicable character needs a vehicle that matches their personality, and the space hog does precisely this. Designed after a low-seated chopper, the Space Hog travels at incredibly high speeds and has a “miniaturised 17-litre powerplant with 3x Turbo and full HandsOff facility.”
The bike is insanely loud and is a brilliant representation of Lobo’s 90s punk rock aesthetic.
6. Batgirl’s Ricochet
After being rendered paralysed during a run-in with the Joker, Barbara Gordon created the Ricochet, intending for it to be used to escape dangerous situations.
During one of Stephanie Brown’s (Batgirl) missions to catch Roxy Rocket at the Clock Tower, she asked for Barbara’s (Oracle) help to find the villain. Upon realising that the young vigilante wouldn’t reach her in time, Barbara sent her the Ricochet and made it the new official vehicle of Batgirl.
Barbara designed the vehicle so paraplegic people, specifically herself, could operate it efficiently. Its system has handlebars, similar to a motorcycle, that are also used to access the acceleration, breaks and throttle.
Users can gain access to the vehicle through two entrances: either by the sliding front display or the hatch on the roof. The tri-wheeled vehicle has several functions which operate very similarly to the Batmobile. For example, the onboard computer can connect with the Batcave and the Clock Tower and run on autopilot.
It can reach incredibly high speeds in a matter of seconds, and if the driver is put in a dangerous situation, the wheels will angle the capsule up so that the occupant can be shot a safe distance away.
Despite it having no weaponry on board (due to the fact that it is an escape vehicle), it is still one of the coolest vehicles in the DC universe, made even more remarkable by the fact that it was apparently inspired by the Tumbler/Bat Pod which featured in The Dark Knight.
7. House of Heroes
This pandimensional satellite operates outside of time and space, monitoring the area between universes. It was initially inhabited by the Monitors, a multiversal race who were charged with protecting the universe. 52 Exist, and each is assigned to a different world.
After the Monitors abandoned the massive ship following the Monitors’ extinguishing, one was left behind to guard the Multiverse.
It soon became home to champions from all over the Multiverse, which awakened the ships A.I. Harbinger, who named themselves the Justice League Incarnate.
Its role as one of the most effective methods of travel between multiverses makes it one of the coolest vehicles in the DC universe. But, of course, it also helps that a full roster of heroes operates it.
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8. The Cosmic Treadmill
“Thawne was able to travel through time freely, while Wally and I always needed help. We used something I swore I’d never set foot on again. I should have destroyed it. But I save it for a rainy day. And there’s a storm coming.” – The Flash
Barry Allen created the Cosmic Treadmill so that he and other speedsters could travel back in time and deal with problems from the past or future that were affecting his present. He often used it on his adventures and even programmed it to travel to other universes.
It proved instrumental in defeating Zoom by sending him back to his own time – a moment of expert trickery and speed by Wally West – and was even reprogrammed to send Jenni Ognats back to her future.
The speed force became integral to the time travel aspect of the treadmill. Running forward would cause the creation of positive radiation, sending the user to the future, while running backwards would result in negative radiation, which would send the user to the past.
While it has become a bit of a lame concept for some comic book fans over the years, it is still one of the coolest vehicles in the DC universe. The treadmill would eventually end up in the 25th century before it was stolen by Eobard Thawne, who travelled back in time to pose as Barry Allen in the 20th century.
9. Batplane
This was the second aerial-based vehicle that Batman used in his fight against crime in Gotham City. While it isn’t as popular as the Batmobile, it is still very well known, as it has been featured in several video games, including the Arkhamverse and Injustice. The first time Batman flew it was when the Monster Men tried to take over Gotham City.
Unlike the Batgyro, which the plane looked very similar to, the Batplan didn’t have rotor blades and featured a gun on the front for combat, though Batman (and the writers) later removed this. The plane’s next upgrade gave it a bat-shaped shield which gave the vehicle a very menacing look and doubled as protection for its engine.
The plan was also revealed to be capable of turning into a speedboat. It did this by retracting its wheels and folding in its wings. Even though the plane was destroyed, it was later revealed that Batman had more than one model ready and waiting for him.
Batman later upgraded the plane, and it was able to transform into a submarine and a three-wheeled car. These upgrades were removed in later versions of the Batplane.
After criminals nabbed the Batplane, Batman designed a new vehicle they named the Batplane II. This version was much sleeker than the original and had a wider variety of functions, which highly benefited Batman and Robin when they took out criminals.
An upgrade for the Batplane II gave it retractable wings for easy storage in the Batcave, enough space to hold the Batmobile,, and a ramp that would make entering the Batplane II in different vehicles easier. It also has a fully-functioning crime lab onboard, making it one of the coolest vehicles in the DC universe.
The plane has had many upgrades and versions over the years,, and each one has vastly improved its predecessor.
DC’s animated version of the Batplane is known as the Batwing and has a grappling hook on board, which Batman has often used to pick up objects and even people from a distance.
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10. Sam
“I found out later that it was my car that broke my fall. Sam’s car.” – Diego Zhao
Sam is a 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP that was modified by Diego Zhao to aid him in his crusade. The vehicle makes use of electrical conductors, a busbar and a solid steel caster to use power from the train rails on the F Subway in Brooklyn. This makes it possible for Diego to pilot Sam on any unoccupied tracts.
Sam is entirely bulletproof, even its tires and windshield and can be operated by Diego remotely. It also features twin shotguns in its front grill and a steel hydraulic spike and steel-core ram, used for direct attacks and offensive manoeuvres.
The car was named in honour of the late Samantha Flynn and is easily one of the coolest vehicles in the DC universe.
11. The T-Car
This vehicle is frequently used by the Teen Titans in the Teen Titans animated TV series. After deciding that his team needed a car, especially since some of the members of the Teen Titans couldn’t fly, Cyborg built a highly advanced car from scratch.
Cyborg was very proud of his creation and nicknamed it “baby”, but it was stolen almost immediately after he’d completed it. The greasers that stole it soon lost it to a villain, who in turn lost it to another villain. During the fight to get it back, the car was destroyed.
Cyborg found the motherboard of his beloved T-Car and managed to rebuild it with some help from Raven. However, this would not be the last time it was rebuilt. The T-Car has often been damaged or crushed in some way, which greatly upsets Cyborg every time it happens, but it is always rebuilt.
12. War Wheel
There were at least three different versions of this super weapon in Blackhawk’s history. The War Wheel was a giant, heavily armoured wheel which was driven around and used to crush vehicles or buildings that stood in its path.
The first version of the wheel appeared as a Nazi weapon in 1940 and destroyed a town in Belgium before Blackhawk stopped it using high voltage wires as a trip-wire. The electric shock that the wheel received upon impact killed the men inside, halting its destruction.
It appeared in a Spanish town a little while later and was stopped after it got stuck in quicksand, which forced those inside the wheel to surrender.
The second version of the wheel was created by the Soviets in 1952. All of Blackhawk’s attacks against the wheel were ineffective. Finally, the hero lured the wheel away on foot and trapped it in a pocket of quicksand, though no one emerged from the wheel once it was stopped.
The third and final version of the wheel made an appearance during the Cold War in 1957. The War Wheel was a museum piece that was reactivated by Blackhawk. Stanislaus disabled the weapon by throwing a bomb into its exhaust port.
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Which vehicles in the DC universe are your favourite?
The 12 Best Vehicles in the DC Universe Written by Hannah Lieberum for Fortress of Solitude
