Record-holding Batman costume stocked with 23 working Bat-gadgets
Ben Affleck might feel a little envious if he sees this tour of a crazy Batsuit with a suite of functional crime-fighting gadgets.
There are normal Guinness World Records, like "most dominoes stacked in 30 seconds" and "largest bubblegum bubble blown." And then there are are some obscure ones, like "most apples crushed with the bicep in one minute" and "most functional gadgets on a cos-play suit."
The latter honor goes to Julian Checkley, the man inside a totally bonkers Batman suit loaded with 23 working gadgets.
Guinness refers to Checkley as a "special creature effects expert," which sounds like an amazing job. Checkley didn't make the 3D-printed hard armor parts of the suit himself, but his company, Order 66 Creatures and Effects, created all the prop gadgets.
Here's just a partial list of the gadgets: Bat-sign projector, cowl respirator, gas dispenser (this is an actual gadget, not an anatomical part), folding Batarang, grapnel gun, Batcam, concealed laryngeal microphone, two-way radio and fireball shooter. There's even a video screen built into one of the gauntlets.
Some of the gadget designs, like the grapnel gun, folding Batarang and smoke grenades, were inspired by the Batman video game Arkham Origins.
The suit's gas dispenser tucks away beneath the wrist on the right arm. Lift up your hand and it dispenses a cloud of carbon dioxide. One of Checkley's favorite gadgets is a bat-shaped magnetic Bluetooth tracking device that should be on the must-have list for any superhero. His other top choice is a sweet wrist-mounted fireball shooter that really does emit a small blast of flames into the air.
Checkley isn't hauling his gear around in a Bat-backpack. All 23 of the items fit on the costume. That's where the Batsuit utility belt really comes in handy. My personal favorite? The Bat-flask. You never know when you might need a nip of whiskey on a chilly crime-fighting night.