70s Batman Toys: Groovy Pow!-er Playthings

Batman and Robin may have fallen out of the mainstream limelight during the 1970s, but that doesn’t mean they forgot about us. Indeed, although the Dynamic Duo were scarcely seen on screen during the grooviest decade, they were still there in the comics, fighting baddies and making the world a safer place for you and me. And we repaid them by geeking out on these far-out 70s Batman toys, all classics we’ll never forget.

Batman and Robin Talking Alarm Clock

First up is this 70s Batman toy that we never knew we needed. Released by Janex, it wouldn’t be out of place in the era’s living rooms and bedrooms, where little kids might have found themselves waking before a parent or older sibling when they wanted to play with their caped crusader toys or watch some cartoons. We loved hearing why Batman and Robin were still “dedicated to fighting crime, injustice.”

Mego Batlab

So, you thought only the Scooby-Doo kids were 70s mobile?

Nah, baby.

Batman and Robin had the Mego Batlab, a VW camper thingy they converted into a crime-fighting lab. At least that’s what this toy would have you believe.

Complete with an observation deck, mysterious lights on the roof and lots of detail inside minus a lab table (you get a lot of that kind of thing in 70s toys), this toy was never going to be mistaken for just another beat-up VW camper.

Oh, and there was a criminal-catching hard net that Batman could wield from the roof hatch.

Far out!

Batman Utility Belt

Produced by Remco, the Batman Utility Belt is 70s Batman at his finest. The belt is made of the same hard plastic with metal rivets that we saw in all sorts of 70s toys, and comes with a bat-shaped buckle and three pouches for storing Batarangs.

Remco was one of the most prolific toy makers of 70s Batman toys, and of 70s toys in general. They produced Batman action figures, stickers, coloring books, and masks.

Oh, and …

Batman CSF Batcopter

Yeah, Remco made this classic, too.

It was a 70s Batman toy that you could actually fly! Sorta.

This was actually more of a game than a remote control flyer or anything too sophisticated like that. Rather, the “helicopter” was attached to one end of a long leveraged pole, and you pushed up and down, side to side on the other end to control the action.

You then lower the helicopter to various points in the Gotham City playset background to pick up flat plastic versions of various famous Batman villains.

Official Batman Chute

The Batman chute was the 70s Batman toy for kids who had a particular interest in parachuting. It was basically just a (official!) Batman figurine with a 27″ plastic parachute attached to help him float to earth in the event that he had to jump from a helicopter or fell from a building but had the wherewithal to activate the chute.

Details, details.

The chute was made by AHI toys beginning in about 1975.

Batman Play Suit

So this one probably needs air quotes around it, as it was more of a Halloween costume than and actual play suit, though you actually could play in it.

Kids in the 70s could play with anything, remember.

This play suit by Berwick, though, featured an over-the-head (partially, at least) hard Batman mask, along with pastel pants, shirt, and cape. You can get away with wearing such gentle colors as a crime-fighter if you do all your work at night … probably.

Collegeville had their own version of a Batman costume during the 1970s, featuring the typical on-your-face mask held in place by a rubber band, along with plastic “clothes” that usually wouldn’t last even until Halloween night.

(Like 70s Batman Toys? Then you might like our article on 90s Batman Toys, click here.)

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