Bat-Mech
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...Of course the Batman builds his own giant robot.
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A Bat-Mech appears in the Monsterverse crossover comic series Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong.
A giant mecha constructed by Batman and members of the Justice League in response to the Titans that were transported to their universe, the machine would be used to battle Lex Luthor's reconstructed Mechagodzilla and other Titans that converged upon Metropolis. With help from the Justice League, the Bat-Mech eventually triumphed over the mechanized Titan; however, it would ultimately be destroyed by the revived Skull Devil during the Justice League's last stand against the Titans.
Name
The mech goes unnamed within the comic itself, where it is only ever identified as a "giant robot". The name "Bat-Mech" was first applied to the machine by Legendary Comics publisher Robert Napton in an interview with Entertainment Weekly;[2] series author Brian Buccellato would later use the same name in an interview with Den of Geek.[1]
The name "Bat-Mech" was previously applied to a giant robot that first appeared in the Mattel toy line Batman Unlimited, and later appeared in the 2016 animated tie-in film Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants. However, both Napton and Buccellato identified the mech utilized in Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong as simply "a Bat-Mech", which, in addition to boasting a vastly different design, suggests that it is not meant to be the same machine from the Batman Unlimited series. It is possible that the name was merely used as a generic placeholder name created to follow the tradition of placing the word "bat-" in front of the machines and equipment employed by Batman.
Development
Legendary Comics publisher Robert Napton and series author Brian Buccellato credit Jim Lee with designing the Bat-Mech.[1][2]
Design
The Bat-Mech is a giant blue and silver humanoid mech based upon the appearance of Batman himself. The head has a similar shape to Batman's own cowl, complete with Batman's pointed ears, with the added addition of a third spike in the center of its head and a red visor in place of eyes. The head itself is protected by a large gray collar. Most of the mech's armor, including much of the head, is blue in color, although the joints of the mech as well as the upper legs are primarily silver. The machine has a rather bulky build with very thick arms and legs combined with a comparatively small waist for increased mobility. The shoulders and arms are significantly wider than the head itself, while the legs are even wider than its arms.
Origins
The construction of the Bat-Mech was headed by billionaire Bruce Wayne, who began work on the machine within days of the Titans being transported to their universe. With the help of speedsters Jay Garrick and Wally West alongside the Teen Titans, Cyborg, and other members of the Bat-Family, the mech was completed in under ten days before being launched to Metropolis to confront Lex Luthor's Mechagodzilla and the other Titans who converged upon the city.
The Bat-Mech is controlled by Batman, Cyborg, and the Flash, with the latter using the Cosmic Treadmill to power the mech.
Comics
- Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #5-7 (2024)
Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong
After the Toyman brought assorted Titans from another universe to the DC Universe through the use of the Dreamstone, Batman began work on his response plan within a matter of days of their arrival: a giant robot. With help from numerous allies, the mech was completed in under a week.
Shortly after the mech's completion, Lex Luthor amassed an army of Titans - including Scylla, Behemoth, and Tiamat - in Metropolis using his newly-reconstructed Mechagodzilla, with the monsters quickly falling under his command. The Justice League was quick to respond, and Lex Luthor was met by the Bat-Mech alongside numerous heroes assembled to oppose him. The Bat-Mech quickly engaged Mechagodzilla as more superheroes and supervillains joined the battle and fought the other Titans, with the Green Lanterns creating their own mech to assist. While grappling with Mechagodzilla, the Bat-Mech came under assault by Kong, who had fallen under Gorilla Grodd's control alongside Supergirl. Kong slammed the Bat-Mech to the ground, though before he could attack it further, the Bat-Mech was saved by Beast Boy, who took on Kong's own appearance and fought him off. Soon after, Kong and Supergirl were freed from Grodd's influence, allowing them to join the Bat-Mech and the other heroes opposing the Titans and the Legion of Doom.
After the revived Skull Devil appeared alongside an army of Skullcrawlers unleashed by the League of Assassins, the all-out war between heroes and villains escalated significantly. The Bat-Mech resumed its focus on keeping Luthor's Mechagodzilla at bay, though it was soon overwhelmed by Mechagodzilla’s missiles and multiple Skullcrawlers. While several heroes were able to assist the Bat-Mech by fighting off the Skullcrawlers, Mechagodzilla landed a rocket-propelled punch on the Bat-Mech, downing it and crippling its motor functions. As Cyborg worked to repair the machine, Mechagodzilla prepared to finish off the doomed mech with its Proton Scream. Fortunately, Shazam arrived and knocked Mechagodzilla back as it fired its beam, causing it to inadvertently kill a Skullcrawler instead. While Cyborg was able to get the Bat-Mech back online, the heroes found themselves surrounded by multiple Skullcrawlers before receiving assistance from the Green Lanterns, who reformed their Green Lantern Robo.
The two mechs battled the army of Skullcrawlers until Kong used the power of the Green Lantern Ring to fight them off alone. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman, Wonder Girl, Shazam, and Supergirl were able to cripple Mechagodzilla by ripping its arms off, allowing the Bat-Mech to finish off the defenseless mechanized Titan by grabbing it and snapping its spine over the Bat-Mech's leg. Though one foe was defeated, the Bat-Mech came under attack by the Skull Devil. Caught off guard, the Bat-Mech's pilots were unable to react in time before the Skull Devil bit the Bat-Mech clean in half with its powerful jaws.
Though the Bat-Mech was destroyed, Superman and Godzilla arrived shortly thereafter and defeated the Skull Devil, saving their universe from the threat of the Titans. Batman, the Flash, and Cyborg emerged from the wreckage of the Bat-Mech unscathed and witnessed Superman using the Dreamstone to send Godzilla, Kong, and the other Titans back to their own universe.
Abilities
Strength
The Bat-Mech could hold its own against Mechagodzilla in melee combat, though it was unable to visibly damage the machine for most of the fight.
After Mechagodzilla had its arms removed, the Bat-Mech was able to finish off the mechanical Titan before its Proton Scream could fire by lifting it up and snapping its spine over one of its legs.
Blades
The Bat-Mech had small blades on both its right and left arms, though it was never shown utilizing them in battle.
Durability
The Bat-Mech was able to withstand blows from Mechagodzilla and Kong without taking damage; even when double-teamed by them and knocked down, it took no visible damage. As the fight progressed, however, the constant blows from Kong, Mechagodzilla, and the Skullcrawlers wore it down and caused its systems to begin shutting down.
Weaknesses
While the Bat-Mech could hold its own against Mechagodzilla in a one-on-one fight, it struggled against two Titans; when Kong joined Mechagodzilla under Gorilla Grodd's influence, the Bat-Mech was knocked out of the fight until Beast Boy arrived. Batman also stated that it was not nimble enough to withstand multiple attacks. The machine was eventually downed by a rocket-propelled punch from Mechagodzilla, which disabled its motor functions for a brief period until Cyborg was able to get it back online. Had Shazam not intervened, the Bat-Mech would likely have been destroyed by Mechagodzilla's Proton Scream. It was ultimately destroyed quite swiftly by the Skull Devil through the combination of its pilots being caught off guard and the accumulated damage that it had taken from its battle with Mechagodzilla.
The Bat-Mech knocked down
The Bat-Mech destroyed by the revived Skull Devil
Gallery
Scans
The Bat-Mech under construction
The Bat-Mech nearing completion
The Bat-Mech about to take on Mechagodzilla and the Titans
The Bat-Mech on Lois Lane's monitor
The Bat-Mech battling Mechagodzilla and the Titans
The Bat-Mech picking up Mechagodzilla
The Bat-Mech snapping Mechagodzilla's spine
The Bat-Mech's remains
Covers
Trivia
- Batman has employed a variety of robots and mechs in past DC storylines, several of which, such as the aforementioned Bat-Mech from Batman Unlimited, sport many similarities to the machine utilized in Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong. That Bat-Mech even fought against giant monsters in Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants, specifically mutant variants of some of Batman's foes. Another similar mecha also appeared in DC: Mech, though it was smaller and referred to as "Batman's Mech".
- While this Bat-Mech is shown fighting Godzilla on a variant cover of the first issue, they did not interact at any point within the comic, as the Bat-Mech was destroyed before Godzilla arrived in Metropolis in the final issue of the series.
- For its appearance on a variant cover of the seventh issue, Batman is depicted controlling the Bat-Mech remotely with handheld controls, though in the comic itself, he sits in the cockpit of the machine alongside Cyborg and the Flash.
References
This is a list of references for Bat-Mech. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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