History Main / BatSignal

* ''Series/Batwoman2019''. The pilot episode has a ceremony to officially turn off the Batsignal, as Batman has been missing from Gotham for three years. Events are interrupted by new supervillain Alice making her debut. In a later scene Alice summons Batwoman by making shadow puppets using the batsignal playing on the Wayne tower--she smashes the signal, but Luke Fox creates a new one to announce the debut of Batwoman.

* ''Series/Batwoman2019''. The pilot episode has a ceremony to officially turn off the Batsignal, as Batman has been missing from Gotham for three years. Events are interrupted by new supervillain Alice making her debut. In a later scene Alice summons Batwoman by making shadow puppets using the batsignal playing on the Wayne tower.

* ''Series/Batwoman2019'', naturally, has the Bat-Signal on a rooftop, though it's not specified if it's the GCPD.

The Bat Signal is a specific form of RegularCaller. A very specific form of EpicHail. See also {{Hotline}}, for another means of summoning a superhero.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' had their own hotline, but in one episode, the Mayor sent a flashing heart signal into the sky. [[note]] The girls were trying to spend quality time with a new girl of their age, and weren't home to pick up the phone. [[/note]] There was even a [[WesternAnimation/CartoonNetworkGroovies catchy song]] about it, "Signal in the Sky" by Apples in Stereo (originally from the album ''Music/HeroesAndVillains''). It's TheArtifact: They had it in the original short, before the hotline was invented.

** In ''Joker's Favor'', the man who had been blackmailed into being Joker's patsy created a bat-shaped object and moved it back and forth in front of a large window in the hopes of getting Batman to save him. Fortunately, Bruce Wayne was driving by the building at the time.

* In ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'' one of the Sword of Omens' powers is to beam the [[IconicLogo ThunderCats logo]] into the sky, to tell the other [=ThunderCats=] that Lion-O is in trouble and summon them all for today's big showdown.

The Bat Signal is a specific form of RegularCaller. A very specific form of EpicHail.

[[folder: Anime and Manga]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

---> '''Spider-Man:''' You like it? I can rent it to you if you want.\\

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Film ]]

--> '''Kick Ass''': How do I get a hold of you.\\
'''Hit Girl''': You just contact the mayor's office, he has a special signal he shines in the sky. It's in the shape of a giant cock.

[[folder: Literature]]

[[folder: Live Action Television]]

--> '''Creator/GaryBusey''': *pointing to his own chair* Why, it's Gary Busey! Somebody must have turned on the Bat[[spoiler:[[AxCrazy shit]]]] Signal!

[[folder: Video Games]]

--->'''Commissioner Gordon:''' It took just twenty-four hours for us to lose control of the city. Tonight, Gotham's relying on one man to save us all... (''[[CueTheSun Cue the Bat Signal]]'')

-->'''Batman:''' That light, has a bat on it, Jim.
-->'''Commissioner Gordon:''' You give me a number to call, I'll rethink my methods.

-->'''Tigerlily Jones''': Fire up your spotlight sky-signal and summon your bloods to this cubby!\\
'''Tip''': Um. I called Sweetheart.\\
'''Tigerlily''': If you don't have a spotlight sky-signal, just say so.

-->'''Batman''': "What the hell is this?"\\
'''Commissioner Gordon''': "Oh, this thing is great. I just turn it on, and he shows up with the bad guys!"

-->'''Mayor Blank:''' "Every time we flash the Die Fledermaus signal, he disconnects his phone and leaves town for a week."

-->'''Bart:''' Hey look! Is that Dad?
-->'''Lisa:''' [[LopsidedDichotomy Either that or Batman's really let himself go.]]

* A "Spider-Signal" is lit across several buildings in ''Ride/TheAmazingAdventuresOfSpiderMan''.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' had their own hotline, but in one episode, the Mayor sent a flashing heart signal into the sky. [[note]] The girls were trying to spend quality time with a new girl of their age, and weren't home to pick up the phone. [[/note]] There was even a [[WesternAnimation/CartoonNetworkGroovies catchy song]] about it, "Signal in the Sky" by Apples in Stereo. It's TheArtifact: They had it in the original short, before the hotline was invented.

* In ''Videogame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'', Batman uses these to defeat the Scarecrow. ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' also uses these for objective location markers (and for custom waypoint markers that the player can set.) The bat-signal spotlight itself can be found atop the GCPD and serves as a riddle solution.

* Old-fashioned flare guns shoot a bright signal flair into the sky.

* Old-fashioned flare guns that shot a bright light into the sky.

* Franchise/{{Batman}} has used many different forms of this over the years. In addition to its signaling function, it is sometimes used by Batman himself as part of the whole "strike terror in the hearts of criminals" program. Gordon gives a similar explanation in the comic ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' in response to the question of why use the BatSignal instead of something else. The series ''ComicBook/GothamCentral'' delves into the legality and operation of the signal, and what it implies for the relationship between Batman and the police. Legally, no employee of City Hall or the police can operate the signal, since that would qualify as an official endorsement of Batman and make the city government responsible for whatever actions Batman takes. As such, only Stacy, the secretary of the Major Crimes Unit who is technically a temp and not a city employee at all, is allowed to turn on the signal. The signal itself is eventually ''dismantled'' following the events of the "War Games" crossover (A BatFamilyCrossover from the mid-2000's) when the GCPD feels that Batman has broken the bonds of good faith between them.

* What happens when dirt gets on the BatSignal? ''WebComic/OzyAndMillie'' [[http://ozyandmillie.org/2000/08/28/ozy-and-millie-417/ discuss the idea here]]...

** Played with in the episode "Legends of the Dark Knight". Three kids, who have been telling stories up to now about how they think Batman is, stumble on [[KillItWIthFire Firefly]] as he's about to torch a place. One of the kids has a homemade BatSignal flashlight, and shines it through a hole in the ceiling... for a few seconds, before the batteries die. Batman arrives a few minutes later anyway, and the kid excitedly thinks Bats saw his signal. A moment later, Batman tells Firefly that he was tracking him and figured out his pattern.

** THE Bat Signal was introduced in the episode "the Cape and Cowl Conspiracy".
** More from DCAU: In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'', Batman and Robin team up with Static. Batman gives Static a bat-shaped communicator, but Static loses it. Then, when he needs to contact Batman, he uses his electromagnetic powers to project a (custom-designed) BatSignal. It can be seen [[http://dcanimated.wikia.com/wiki/The_Big_Leagues here]].

* Some cities lit up memorial BatSignal displays to commemorate the death of Creator/AdamWest in June 2017.

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/{{Batman}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bat-signal.jpg]]]]

* In ''Film/{{Batman}}'', the film ends with the gift of the signal to the city in order to symbolize Batman's help and serve as a public notice. This is just one additional reason to not like ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'', with one of Robin's complaints being that he doesn't have a "Robin Signal"; in ''Film/BatmanForever'' it was treated with a sense of trust and importance, here it was part of their "cred" and merchandise.

[[folder: Literature ]]

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

[[folder: Videogames ]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' had their own hotline, but in one episode, the Mayor sent a flashing heart signal into the sky. [[note]] The girls were trying to spend quality time with a new girl of their age, and weren't home to pick up the phone. [[/note]] There was even a catchy song about it, "Signal in the Sky" by Apples in Stereo. It's TheArtifact: They had it in the original short, before the hotline was invented.

** For a crossover with Webvideo/JesuOtaku, he used the JO signal. The first night there are no clouds, so nobody can see it. The second night it works, but [[WebVideo/TheAngryJoeShow Angry Joe]] thinks it's summoning him. [[RuleOfThree The third night]] it works fine, but JO doesn't answer. So he has to call her on the phone.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' had their own hotline, but one episode had the Mayor sending a flashing heart signal into the sky. There was even a catchy song about it, "Signal in the Sky" by Apples in Stereo. It's TheArtifact: They had it in the original short, before the hotline was invented.

** Incidentally, Robin does get his coveted "Robin Signal" late in the film deployed by [[TheVamp Poison Ivy]] to lure him into [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor a deadly trap]]. [[spoiler: [[BatmanGambit Which is just]] what [[JustBetweenYouAndMe Batman had in mind]].]]

** In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', Commissioner Gordon mentions that turning it on is more a reminder to Gotham, even if Batman himself does not show up to answer it "I like reminding everybody that he's out there." [[spoiler: As part of the police officially disowning Batman and hunting him down they symbolically smash the signal.]] In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' [[spoiler: the first sign that Batman wasn't killed ferrying the nuke to safe territory was Gordon finding the signal repaired]].

* ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'': [[spoiler: Spider-Man is given his own Spider Signal as a part of his new equipment from Tony Stark.]]

--> '''Creator/GaryBusey''': *pointing to his own chair* Why, it's Gary Busey! Somebody must have turned on the Bat[[spoiler: [[AxCrazy shit]]]] Signal!