But just how rich would you need to be to become a superhero like Batman, with all his cars and gadgets as of “Dark Knight Rises”? Well, comic historian Thaddeus Howze has come up with a pretty specific answer.

$682,450,750, to be exact.

here’s how

“Custom graphite cowl – $1,000,000”.
Geez, give me a mere $500,000 and I’l make one for you.

More seriously, custom graphite isn’t expensive. Start with a head model carved out of something cheap such as clay, wax, or 3-D printed plastic. Cut to shape and layer on epoxy and carbon fibre fabric in turn until it’s a thick as you want. Then bake it in a small oven.

Good quality (2*2 twill) carbon fibre cloth costs $70 per square metre. The face mask surface area is about 0.1 square metres. You need somewhere between 5 and 10 layers, let’s be bold and say ten layers. Total cost of carbon fibre on its own 10*0.1*70 = $70. You could start with other carbon fibre products, but the cost would be about the same. Add to that epoxy. How much? Less than 1 cm thick, so the full mask requires less than 10^3 cubic metres, which is 1 litre. 1 litre of resin and hardener costs $55 (or less than $40 if you buy it in bulk). If the small oven and sculpting in wax is free then the custom graphite face mask costs a total of $125.

So that $1,000,000 includes a profit of $999,875.

mollwollfumble said:

“Custom graphite cowl – $1,000,000”.
Geez, give me a mere $500,000 and I’l make one for you.

More seriously, custom graphite isn’t expensive. Start with a head model carved out of something cheap such as clay, wax, or 3-D printed plastic. Cut to shape and layer on epoxy and carbon fibre fabric in turn until it’s a thick as you want. Then bake it in a small oven.

Good quality (2*2 twill) carbon fibre cloth costs $70 per square metre. The face mask surface area is about 0.1 square metres. You need somewhere between 5 and 10 layers, let’s be bold and say ten layers. Total cost of carbon fibre on its own 10*0.1*70 = $70. You could start with other carbon fibre products, but the cost would be about the same. Add to that epoxy. How much? Less than 1 cm thick, so the full mask requires less than 10^3 cubic metres, which is 1 litre. 1 litre of resin and hardener costs $55 (or less than $40 if you buy it in bulk). If the small oven and sculpting in wax is free then the custom graphite face mask costs a total of $125.

So that $1,000,000 includes a profit of $999,875.

You know I meant 10^-3 cubic metres.

mollwollfumble said:

“Custom graphite cowl – $1,000,000”.
Geez, give me a mere $500,000 and I’l make one for you.

More seriously, custom graphite isn’t expensive. Start with a head model carved out of something cheap such as clay, wax, or 3-D printed plastic. Cut to shape and layer on epoxy and carbon fibre fabric in turn until it’s a thick as you want. Then bake it in a small oven.

Good quality (2*2 twill) carbon fibre cloth costs $70 per square metre. The face mask surface area is about 0.1 square metres. You need somewhere between 5 and 10 layers, let’s be bold and say ten layers. Total cost of carbon fibre on its own 10*0.1*70 = $70. You could start with other carbon fibre products, but the cost would be about the same. Add to that epoxy. How much? Less than 1 cm thick, so the full mask requires less than 10^3 cubic metres, which is 1 litre. 1 litre of resin and hardener costs $55 (or less than $40 if you buy it in bulk). If the small oven and sculpting in wax is free then the custom graphite face mask costs a total of $125.

So that $1,000,000 includes a profit of $999,875.

The price probably includes the miniature sonar gear, optical enhancements and the self protection gear that kicks in if someone tries to take it off him.

mollwollfumble said:

“Custom graphite cowl – $1,000,000”.
Geez, give me a mere $500,000 and I’l make one for you.

More seriously, custom graphite isn’t expensive. Start with a head model carved out of something cheap such as clay, wax, or 3-D printed plastic. Cut to shape and layer on epoxy and carbon fibre fabric in turn until it’s a thick as you want. Then bake it in a small oven.

Good quality (2*2 twill) carbon fibre cloth costs $70 per square metre. The face mask surface area is about 0.1 square metres. You need somewhere between 5 and 10 layers, let’s be bold and say ten layers. Total cost of carbon fibre on its own 10*0.1*70 = $70. You could start with other carbon fibre products, but the cost would be about the same. Add to that epoxy. How much? Less than 1 cm thick, so the full mask requires less than 10^3 cubic metres, which is 1 litre. 1 litre of resin and hardener costs $55 (or less than $40 if you buy it in bulk). If the small oven and sculpting in wax is free then the custom graphite face mask costs a total of $125.

So that $1,000,000 includes a profit of $999,875.

You haven’t costed time to make it…

poikilotherm said:

mollwollfumble said:

“Custom graphite cowl – $1,000,000”.
Geez, give me a mere $500,000 and I’l make one for you.

More seriously, custom graphite isn’t expensive. Start with a head model carved out of something cheap such as clay, wax, or 3-D printed plastic. Cut to shape and layer on epoxy and carbon fibre fabric in turn until it’s a thick as you want. Then bake it in a small oven.

Good quality (2*2 twill) carbon fibre cloth costs $70 per square metre. The face mask surface area is about 0.1 square metres. You need somewhere between 5 and 10 layers, let’s be bold and say ten layers. Total cost of carbon fibre on its own 10*0.1*70 = $70. You could start with other carbon fibre products, but the cost would be about the same. Add to that epoxy. How much? Less than 1 cm thick, so the full mask requires less than 10^3 cubic metres, which is 1 litre. 1 litre of resin and hardener costs $55 (or less than $40 if you buy it in bulk). If the small oven and sculpting in wax is free then the custom graphite face mask costs a total of $125.

So that $1,000,000 includes a profit of $999,875.

You haven’t costed time to make it…

Nor the vacuum pump and other equipment.