The Bat-Bobsled

I was watching the Men’s Two-Man Bobsled event from the 2010 Winter Olympics tonight and thought the USA’s black bobsled would be very cool as a “Bat-Bobsled” with its black paint and fins.  I then remembered the original Bat-Bobsled as it appeared in the Golden Age of comic books.

Batman #26 (December 1944-January 1945)

Yep, in the winter of 1945, Batman, Robin and Alfred took to the snow in this sled with a bat-head front (by the great Jerry Robinson).  I don’t remember ever hearing it called the “Bat-Bobsled” or the “Bat-Sled”, but why not?  I bet without Alfred weighing down the back Batman and Robin would have had a shot at a medal!  With Robin as the pilot and Batman on the brake how could they go wrong?  Unfortunately, both the 1940 and 1944 Winter Olympics (they would have been the fifth and sixth Winter Games) were cancelled due to World War II.  The 1936 games had been held in Germany (the last time that the summer and winter games were held in the same country during the same year) and the Winter Olympics would not return until 1948 in St. Moritz.  Tough luck for the Caped Crusaders’ Olympic ambitions!