THREE OF THE COOLEST SUPERHERO CARS, AFTER THE BATMOBILE

The world’s most iconic superhero car keeps getting more awesome by the day. The Batmobile that will appear in the latest Justice League film, due out over Thanksgiving, made an early debut at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, and it’s bigger and badder than ever before. In fact, the newest Batmobile is truly a tank, it's more than 20 feet long and weighs a whopping 8,500 pounds, but is still capable of clocking in speeds of more than 200 mph. Its onboard military arsenal includes .50-caliber machine guns and missile launchers. And for defense, the Batmobile has stealth capability and an active protection system to counter anti-tank missiles.

The Batmobile is the world’s most famous superhero car, but it’s far from the only cool car in comic book-dom. Just like a cowboy needs a horse, superheroes invariably need a sweet ride. But what makes superhero cars so cool? Let's take a look under the hood of three of the niftiest super-powered vehicles to see what makes them so unique.

1) Beautiful But Deadly: The Black Beauty

Before the Batmobile, there was the Black Beauty. Just as his ancestor, the Lone Ranger, rode the great horse Silver, millionaire newspaper publisher Britt Reid (aka the Green Hornet) drove the world’s first supercar, which combined style with great crime-fighting power.

During the original radio show for the Green Hornet, the Black Beauty was described as a black sedan that could run in stealth silent mode. In a 1940 Universal movie adaptation, she was played by a 1937 Lincoln-Zephyr, a four-door mid-sized luxury car depicted as capable of hitting 200 mph.

But the Black Beauty got a major upgrade for the 1966 Green Hornet TV show, which also featured a customized Imperial Crown limousine coated with special pure black / green pearl paint and came equipped with “infra-green” headlights. The new Beauty also came with rocket launchers, knockout gas nozzles, and a flying surveillance drone. The coolest part? She was driven by none other than martial artist and actor, Bruce Lee.

Finally, the Black Beauty received another major upgrade in the 2011 film adaptation of the Green Hornet. The new version added a ballistic-steel-reinforced exterior, plus hood-mounted .30-caliber machine guns, a flame-thrower, and Stinger missiles, among some other weapons.

2) The Swiss Army Knife of Cars: The Mach Five

Inspired by James Bond’s Aston Martin, Speed Racer’s Mach 5 is arguably one of the coolest cars ever created. Resembling mid-60s race-cars like the Prince R380, the Mach 5 resembles a jet more so than a car, and its steering wheel comes with seven buttons controlling an array of gadgets.

One button can release jacks to enable the Mach 5 to jump short distances, while another can replace the vehicle's tires with special belt tires that can travel over virtually any terrain, much like today's Continental tires. Meantime, a third button unleashes cutter blades that can mow down trees, while a separate deflector button can protect the Mach 5 from bullets or make it waterproof for underwater travel.

While underwater, the Mach 5 can see above the surface with a periscope, and special headlights allow drivers to see in infrared light. Additionally, the Mach 5 can release a flying drone for surveillance purposes or to use as an aerial weapon; it can even activate mini-wings to assist with long jumps. Indeed, the Mach 5's versatility, combined with its style and speed, make it one of the most unique and slickest supercars.

3) Bad to the Bone: The Hell Cycle and Hell Charger

When it comes to badness, it’s hard to beat the Ghost Rider’s vehicles. When stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze was supernaturally transformed into the Ghost Rider, he also acquired the power to change his bike into the Hell Cycle. Originally, Blaze drove a regular blue and silver chopper, but soon discovered he had the power to magically create vehicles out of hellfire or surround normal vehicles with hellfire.

Over the years, the Ghost Rider has used his power to customize a wide array of different vehicles. In the eponymous 2007 movie, his first bike was a tribute to the Captain America bike from Easy Rider, with Peter Fonda (who starred in the 1960s classic) making a surprise cameo appearance.

In the 2011 sequel, Ghost Rider converts a huge strip-mining machine into a vehicle of mass destruction. Street racer Robbie Reyes eventually acquired the powers of the Ghost Rider and transformed his 1969 Dodge Charger into the Hell Charger. With flaming tires and a super-powered engine, the capability to withstand a direct hit from a rocket-propelled grenade and self-repairing ability, the Hell Charger is certainly the baddest car on the block.