So...what do you drive?

When engaged in even the most superficial of discussions about superheroes, there are certain topics of conversation that are likely to surface: choice of actors for the lead role, director at the helm, approval of villain/sidekick/heroine, relative faithfulness to the source material and, car enthusiast or not, the ‘super’ ride of the hero in question. (Don’t agree—consider, then, why most of us know what the heck a Batmobile is.) Not to diminish the impact costume, catch phrases and city settings have on character, but how our fave do-gooders choose to get around the cities they protect speaks volumes about the true man behind the suit, mask or flaming skull, as the case may be.

Sure, Superman could leap tall buildings in a single bound but what inanimate object can instantly communicate stealth, a slightly wicked sense of humour and a serious dangerous streak like a superhero’s wheels? Taking a cue from the car-as-symbol mentality that exists in our fair culture, we take a look at what superhero vehicles reveal about the men who drive them.

Bat-Pod

After sitting behind the wheel of the iconic Batmobile and the tank-like craft introduced in Batman Begins, what could Batman possibly drive next? How about a two-wheeled, self-standing, armoured not-quite-motorcycle called a Bat-Pod. With front weapons, a smaller stature for those hard-to-navigate alley fights and a rotational seat so our caped crusader won’t be thrown off, audiences are introduced to an ever-maturing Batman through his functional, streamlined, and in this case, less flashy vehicle. But then again, we always knew he was a complicated man.

Mach 5

Speed Racer, the cinematic homage to the original anime show helmed by the Wachowski Bros., features a car that’s sleek, slightly cartoonish, youthful and immediately suggests break-neck speed. The zippy red and white Mach 5 that Speed drives tells us everything we need to know about him: he’s an impetuous, well-meaning adolescent with a gift for gears, who loves nothing more than cruising in his sporty ride, like a boy with an exorbitantly expensive toy. A black Ferrari simply wouldn’t do.

Silver Surfboard

No wheels, no problem. Marvel Comics hero Silver Surfer took his surfboard on rides much more ambitious than carving a killer wave since his airborne craft could travel beyond the speed of light. Imbued with cosmic powers responsible for his silvery finish, whizzing by on his surfboard, shirtless and gleaming, and giving the Fantastic Four a run for their money, this dude is bad-ass, plain and simple, thanks, in no small part, to his bitchin’ board.

Audi R8

Tony Stark, the enigmatic, snarky weapons manufacturer-come-crime-fighting-good-guy would not be caught dead driving just any flashy sports car. With his encyclopedic knowledge of science and technology, his ride would have to be just as innovative and sleek as his self-made battle suit and the powerful, lustrous Audi R8 is the ideal externalization of the intelligent, charismatic man behind the iron, wait for it, mask.

Hell Cycle

Stunt rider Johnny Blaze made a deal with the devil that, well, didn’t quite work out as planned. For a man with such an intimate connection to the bowels of hell, it only makes sense that once he becomes the Ghost Rider, head aflame, mystic chains twirling overhead like possessed rattlesnakes, his heavily modified motorcycle would project the same conflicted otherworldliness. Covered in a heavy metallic finish with a skull head, horns and fiery tires, the menacing Hell Cycle and the man who rides it remain fortified, guarded objects that, once crossed, come to frightening life with a ferocious power that cannot be denied. Not your average hog.