7 Best Scientific Upgrades Used By DC Heroes

DC Comics has been ahead of the curve of superheroes many times over the years. Science fiction was always one of those places where the publisher excelled, even if their marvelous competition became more well-known for their use of sci-fi, especially in the Silver Age. DC had science-based heroes from just about the beginning, especially if you consider that in the most technical sense Superman is a science-based character. Over the years, DC scientists have been on the cutting edge of superhero technology, creating wonders that have made defending the multiverse possible for many of the best heroes ever.

Sometimes, these creations are weapons that make their user more potent. Other times, they interact with their minds or combine with power of the user to do amazing things. These are DC’s seven best scientific upgrades used by heroes, allowing them to become even more potent in the war on evil.

7) The Firestorm Matrix

Firestorm is a DC legend and the only reason he’s possible is because of the Firestorm Matrix. Now, this one is one of the weirder science-based things in comics because it’s not, well, actually a thing at all. Basically, Profesor Martin Stein and Ronnie Raymond were caught in an explosion from a variety of elements and fused together, becoming a new composite lifeform with vast power over molecules. It can be duplicated, as many people have been pulled into Firestorm Matrices over the years, so it would count as science more than anything else. In fact, it’s creation was part of the Superman Project, enacted by the government after the Man of Steel showed up to create their own answers to him.

6) The Bio-Belt

DC helped redefine superheroes in the Silver Age, creating numerous sci-fi heroes to fit into an era of American history obsessed with scientific advancement. Ray Palmer was one of these. He was a physics grad student who discovered a White Dwarf Star Fragment. He was able to create the Bio-Belt with it, which allowed him to shrink to atomic size and control his mass. He used it to become the Atom, joining the Justice League and becoming a professor as the years went on. He would eventually shift the controls from his belt to his glove to make using the belt easier, becoming a pint-sized but mighty legend in the process.

5) Cosmic Treadmill

The Flash is one of the most powerful heroes ever, the Speed Force allowing the various Scarlet Speedsters to bend the laws of physics past the breaking point. The Flash can move at many times the speed of light, generating vast amounts of energy, and the Cosmic Treadmill harnesses that energy. It allows speedster to travel through the multiverse and time (in post-Crisis DC before the return of the multiverse, it was just used for time travel), taking them on adventures that have changed the history of the DC Multiverse… sometimes literally. It’s one of the most important pieces of tech in the Flash comics and has played a big role in DC history.

4) T-Sphere

Mister Terrific is a low-key icon. Anyone whose been reading Justice Society comics since the turn of the millennium knows how great a hero he is and a big factor in that have been his T-Spheres. Michael Holt is the third-smartest person on Earth and he created the T-Spheres to be the ultimate tool. He controls them through his T-mask and each one is equipped with a variety of onboard systems including sensors, lasers, holo projectors, anti-gravity tech, and just about everything else you can think of. They make Batman’s utility belt look decidedly low-tech and are the perfect accoutrements for the superhero on the go with the Justice League.

3) Power Rings

Power rings have been a part of the DC Multiverse since the beginning. The first was worn by Alan Scott as the first Green Lantern, but that one was magic-based. The sci-fi ones wouldn’t start showing up til the Silver Age, when Abin Sur crashed to Earth and Hal Jordan was chosen to be the Green Lantern of Sector 2814. Power rings tapped into the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum and allowed their users to manipulate the energy of various emotions. They also had powerful onboard computers and communication systems, allowing their bearer access to a variety of records and sensor systems, as well as the ability to fly at faster than light speeds. They’re amazing pieces of technology and rightfully thought of as the greatest weapons in the universe.

2) Anti-Superman Armor

People have been using armor to fight Superman for ages now, but leave it to Batman to come up with one that could succeed. Readers first saw Batman’s anti-Superman armor in The Dark Knight Returns, which allowed him to take advantage of the Man of Steel’s weakness after being caught in a nuclear blast; a full-powered Superman would have destroyed it. Over the years, Batman’s anti-Superman armors have gotten way better, able to fight the Man of Steel (and other Kryptonians) to a standstill. It’s not exactly the most heroic technology, but it gets the job done.

1) Hellbat Armor

Batman’s love affair with armor began with the anti-Superman armor but would reach its apex in the New 52. He created two powerful suits of armor during this period (the Justicebuster almost made this list, but I didn’t want it to have too many armors; two is plenty) and the Hellbat was easily the most powerful of the two. He donned it to go after Darkseid and it was able to hold its own against the God of Evil. The armor is made up of nanites, allowing the wearer to reshape it on the fly into various weapons. It can fire powerful energy blasts, able to dump all its power from the chest emblem in a fantastically destructive blast. It can be dangerous to the wearer, but it is fantastically powerful.

What’s you favorite DC scientific upgrade? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!

7 Best Upgraded Versions of DC Heroes, Ranked