5 Wackiest Cars from Superhero Comic Books
It’s not uncommon for a superhero or a super-villain to rely on a vehicle for assistance in transportation. Not every super-powered being can fly like Superman or run like The Flash. Batman drives the Batmobile and Ghost Rider pilots his motorcycle; they’ve become an accepted part of the character’s legacy.
Over the years, special vehicles have been introduced for other characters in Marvel and DC comics which have not been received as positively by readers—with good reason. Here are the wackiest vehicles driven by heroes and villains in comic books.
Top 5 Vehicles Driven by Superheroes and Supervillains
The Jokermobile
The Joker’s Jokermobile
DC Comics
If Batman has the Batmobile, why shouldn’t his arch-nemesis have his own vehicle? Indicative of the Clown Prince of Crime’s flamboyant persona, his Jokermobile is a bizarre sight to behold, designed with its rear end facing backwards and adorned with a giant replica Joker face across it. The vehicle made multiple appearances in the comics since 1946 before being retired when the comic’s tone became more serious.
The Spider-Mobile
Spider-man’s Spidermobile
Marvel Comics
Spider-man didn’t really want—or need—a special car, but due to an agreement made with fictional advertising executives for money, he was expected to build his own car (with the help of Johnny Storm) to feature and promote the Corona Motors engine. Unfortunately, the Spider-mobile ended up being more of a pain for the web-slinger than he’d hoped, being hijacked by the Terrible Tinkerer.
The Fantasti-Car
The Fantastic 4’s Fantasti-car
Marvel Comics
There isn’t an aspect of the Fantastic Four that isn’t pure camp, including their vehicle. While most people know about the sleek, futuristic version that debuted in 1963 with all its gizmos, some don’t realize that an earlier, much more embarrassing version debuted a year earlier. Its cumbersome, oval shape was criticized as resembling a “flying bathtub.”
The Supermobile
Superman’s Supermobile
DC Comics
Yes, despite Superman being able to fly, he still needed a flying car at one point. When he was de-powered by solar radiation, he faces off against The Android from the cockpit of the Supermobile, constructed of Supermanium and able to duplicate his powers (thanks to large mechanical arms and a control panel of vision-related powers). Its main appearance was in 1978 in this issue and has only made minor cameos since then.
The Kitty-Car
Catwoman’s/The Cat King’s Kitty-Car
DC Comics
Another of Batman’s foes who decided that the best way to evade the Caped Crusader was by having their own bafflingly recognizable themed vehicle. Catwoman’s temporary transportation of choice was—what else?—a massive motorized cat. The vehicle’s debut in the comics was actually as the property of another villain, The King of Cats. A decade later, it appeared in an episode of the live-action TV show in all its cardboard glory.
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