Batman’s utility belt is critical for taking the mere mortal and turning him into someone who can stand toe to toe with the likes of Superman or a very flamboyant Jim Carrey in a Green Man suit. And one of the key utility-belt items is, of course, a grappling hook gun. A grappling hook gun that the Hacksmith has recreated in real life! Which means we’re all one step closer to becoming Batman. Or at least the Hacksmith is… in his backyard.

For his latest entry into his Make It Real series, the Hacksmith, who’s behind totally bonkers contraptions like this working version of Captain America’s shield and this working version of Reinhardt’s Rocket Hammer, turned his attention to making a working version of Batman’s grappling hook gun. And if there’s any big surprise here it’s that the gun, which is gas-powered and utilizes a kevlar rope, works prettay prettay prettay good.

The video above shows off the build process for the Bat-tastic gadget (which first appeared in Tim Burton’s Batman; before that Batman simply threw the hook), as well as a bit of preliminary testing (i.e. shooting hooks into abandoned buildings). But if you want to see it in action — as well as some sweet house-to-treehouse ziplining  — then check out the video below:

And if you’re thinking to yourself: that’s a pretty great gas-powered grappling gun and all, but Batman needs to be able to ascend like it ain’t no thing but a Bat wing, don’t worry because the Hacksmith is also working on an 8-horsepower “electric ascension device” that will enable users of the grappling hook to simply glide away.

What do you think about this real-life Batman grappling hook gun? Shoot us your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: the Hacksmith