History Main / BatSignal

* ''Film/TheBatman2022'' has a slight twist in that the Bat Signal is present, but not located on the Gotham Police Department; instead, it's on top of an unfinished, apparently abandoned construction sight that no one but Batman and Gordon ever go to, and use as a meeting spot. This makes sense as it's repeatedly demonstrated that while Batman is (barely) toperated by the police, Gordon -- who is not yet [[TheCommissionerGordon the commissioner]] -- is the only one willing to actively work with him. Most likely his fellow officers wouldn't tolerate having the signal on their roof, and he lacks the authority to force the issue.

* Bumblebee in ''Film/{{Transformers|2007}}'' sneaks away to a junkyard and shines what looks like a spotlight into the sky. The following evening, Autobot reinforcements arrive. As it is expected to be seen from space, it is either made of very strong light or uses other components as well.

* Bumblebee in ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' sneaks away to a junkyard and shines what looks like a spotlight into the sky. The following evening, Autobot reinforcements arrive. As it is expected to be seen from space, it is either made of very strong light or uses other components as well.

* ''Film/TheBatman'' has a slight twist in that the Bat Signal is present, but not located on the Gotham Police Department; instead, it's on top of an unfinished, apparently abandoned construction sight that no one but Batman and Gordon ever go to, and use as a meeting spot. This makes sense as it's repeatedly demonstrated that while Batman is (barely) toperated by the police, Gordon -- who is not yet TheComissioner -- is the only one willing to actively work with him. Most likely his fellow officers wouldn't tolerate having the signal on their roof, and he lacks the authority to force the issue.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{ThunderCats|1985}}'' 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 best-known example is the [[TropeNamers Trope Namer]], Franchise/{{Batman}}, though it has been referenced, parodied, subverted, and otherwise used many times since. The UrExample of this trope is Anime/GoldenBat.

* ''Fanfic/TalesOfTheCanterlotDeportationAgency: Jack'': [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/377944/7/tales-of-the-canterlot-deportation-agency-jack/angle-shooting Angle Shooting]]: Mentioned, as a nod at Franchise/{{Batman}} use of this, because the story is based off those stories:

* ''FanFic/WithThisRing'': OL does this with Eris' sigil to summon her.

* There's a cartoon out there with an elderly woman using the Bat-Signal to get Batman to investigate the strange noise the dishwasher's making. The implication being of course that she's Batman's ''[[CriticalResearchFailure mother]]''.

** Played with when Bill Gates shines a Windows logo into the sky to summon a helicopter to pick him up. Yeah.

* On ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'', Larry-Boy had one of these as part of the whole Batman parody. Humorously, in one movie, they need to contact him during the day, and the mayor just calls Larry on the phone instead. When he asks why they didn't use the signal, she responds "Because it's daytime. The signal doesn't work in the daytime."

** When Batman is claimed to be dead the GCPD considered altering the signal into a [[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]] signal since he's the only one showing up when it's used. Tim insists they keep it as the bat-signal as it is a powerful symbol and he figures the [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} obvious choice]] will pick up Batman's mantle any day now.
* Sadly, the trope was averted in the case of Bat-Family character Stephanie Brown: there is no "Spoiler Alert." However, after she became [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl 2009}} Batgirl]] she would respond to the titular signal on numerous occasions, reasoning that it is the ''Bat''-signal, not Bat''man''-signal. In one situation, however, the signal was actually the bait for a trap the Gotham Police were laying, as [[MistakenForMurderer she was suspected of murder at the time]].

* The Comicbook/FantasticFour have a signal to summon ''each other''. The Fantasti-Flare lights up the sky, then forms the giant '''4''' in the sky to let them know they're needed.

* While ComicBook/{{Superman}} has no need for a "Super-Signal", in the opening chapters of ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'', a young kid bought a can of fluorescent yellow spray-paint and tagged a building with a crude S-shield in the hopes that Superman would see it, as Lois had been kidnapped by Underworlders. He does.
** Interestingly, in Volume 3 of ''ComicBook/SupermanEarthOne'', Lois ends up getting one to contact Superman, her reasoning being that he spends so much time in the clouds. Superman points out that it might as well tell an alien invasion "drop bombs here". [[spoiler:Lex Luthor uses it as a trap to hit Superman with red sun radiation, but it's kept at the very end.]]
** During ''Comicbook/SupermanGrounded'' Batman himself uses a Super-Signal to get Superman's attention.
* Spoofed in [[ComicBook/WilqSuperbohater Wilq the Superhero]], where it is frequently used by Commissioner Gondor, using an actual, living turtle. Sometimes this doesn't end well for the turtle. Also employed by Entombed, who is much gentler with the poor creature.
* Done in the ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse, where Paperinik (Donald's superhero[=/=]antihero alter ego) in some stories has a similar signal, either a bat with his signature hat or a domino mask. In one occasion, a cop used it to make shadow puppets in the sky before his bemused superior could put the mask on the searchlight.

[[folder:Film]]

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanGothamByGaslight''. At an advance viewing of the Gotham World Fair, Bruce Wayne and other honored guests are shown one of the many technological wonders on display. "The Stairway to Heaven! [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness A fully-electronical lantern bright enough to illuminate the celestial firmament above!]]"[[note]]A carbon-arc searchlight.[[/note]] This proves to be the expected ChekhovsGun when Selena Kyle uses it to temporarily blind Jack the Ripper, then she smears her blood on the lens in a rough bat-shape and points it up at the clouds, letting Bruce know her location.

* ''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.

* On ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'', Larry Boy had one of these.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', there is no official bat-signal, because A) Batman's been gone for quite some time before Terry picks up the mantle, and B) at best, Commissioner Barbara Gordon merely ''tolerates'' the new Batman as opposed to outright supporting him as her father did. In the first season finale, Paxton Powers uses a makeshift one to summon Batman; he answers but breaks the signal light and tells Paxton facetiously to use email next time.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanGothamByGaslight''. At an advance viewing of the Gotham World Fair, Bruce Wayne and other honored guests are shown one of the many technological wonders on display. "The Stairway to Heaven! [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness A fully-electronical lantern bright enough to illuminate the celestial firmament above!]]"[[note]]A carbon-arc searchlight.]] This proves to be the expected ChekhovsGun when Selena Kyle uses it to temporarily blind Jack the Ripper, then she smears her blood on the lens in a rough bat-shape and points it up at the clouds, letting Bruce know her location.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[https://youtu.be/K_Qj2xEbids He gave us a signal!]]"]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[FridgeLogic Good thing it's always cloudy in Gotham]].[[note]]They use the side of a building on clear nights.[[/note]]]]

** Parodied in a crossover with Webvideo/JesuOtaku where he repeatedly tries to summon her by using the JO signal. On his first attempt, it fails because it's a cloudless night and there's nothing to project it on. On his second attempt, it fails because it's the middle of the day. [[RuleOfThree On his third attempt]], there are clouds and it's night....but [[WebVideo/TheAngryJoeShow Angry Joe]] responds to it, thinking that it's for him. A frustrated Critic finally just asks him for Jesu's cell phone number.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' once won Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy's Conch Signal in a contest and used it to summon them whenever he needed, say, a mayonnaise jar opened, or just to hang out.