|
|
Batman and Robin:
Episode guide
When a horrifying bat creature terrorizes Gotham City, the authorities conclude it must be Batman and put out an all-points bulletin on the Dark Knight. Meanwhile, Batman's investigation leads him to the laboratory of Kirk Langstrom, a prominent zoologist, who has been experimenting with a formula that turns him into the ManBat creature. Not only does Batman have to capture Man-Bat in order to save Langstrom, but also to set the police straight and clear his name.
The Joker takes over Gotham's airwaves and terrorizes the city during Christmas. He's hiding in a TV studio, holding Commissioner Gordon, Detective Bullock, and Summer Gleason hostage. He challenges Batman to find him before midnight, or else the hostages will have a very un-merry Christmas.
A horrifying villain, who goes by the name of Scarecrow, is spreading fear gas and wreaking havoc on Gotham State University. Batman investigates to discover that the culprit is really Professor Jonathan Crane, who was kicked out of the university years ago for conducting fear experiments and has returned as Scarecrow to get revenge. Under the influence of a treacherous fear gas, Batman must fight this wily strawman and his worst fear at the same time.
The Joker employs a lethal mind altering laughing gas to transform the citizens of Gotham into total fools. If Batman doesn't stop the Clown Prince of crime, everyone will soon go totally mad, including his friend and butler, Alfred.
D.A. Harvey Dent becomes romantically involved with a mystery woman named Pamela Isley. When Dent is poisoned after a dinner date, Batman investigates and makes the horrifying discovery that the poison was administered through Pamela's lipstick. He tracks the woman down and discovers that she is really Poison Ivy, a plant-crazed villainess who harbors a secret vendetta against the D.A. Batman ends up in Poison Ivy' s lethal greenhouse, fighting for the life of his best friend, as well as his own.
Batman encounters mysterious 'wee green people,' who have been committing petty crimes. He saves one from a speeding train and finds it is a small boy who doesn't speak. Batman soon learns that the boy belongs to a gang of forgotten runaways, the 'Under-Dwellers," who live deep within the Gotham sewer system. Their leader is the crazed Sewer King who forces the children to steal food and supplies for him. Batman leads a revolt, defeats the Sewer King, and frees the Under-Dwellers.
When Bullock botches a sting operation, he and the other officers involved, Montoya and rookie Wilkes, are questioned by Internal Affairs. Bullock's face saving story is so at odds with the other testimony that the I.A. investigator believes no one and suspends them all, pending further investigation. Eager to clear her name, Montoya follows up on some clues which lead her to the location of the gangsters they were after during the sting. With Batman's help she cracks the case and exonerates everyone involved, teaching Bullock a thing or two about the importance of teamwork.
When indigent men start disappearing from the bowery, Bruce goes undercover as lowlife Gaff Morgan to investigate. He is soon assaulted by several men, hit over the head and shanghaied, and ends up as an amnesia victim forced to work with other kidnapped men in a treacherous and remote mining camp. Despite his memory loss, Bruce's defiant nature causes trouble for his captors, who end up locking him in a sweat box. During this harrowing punishment however, his memory returns, and with newfound strength Bruce is able to escape, transform into Batman and defeat his captors once and for all. Later, as Bruce Wayne, he is also able to offer jobs to several of his kidnapped companions, thereby giving them a new lease on life.
Mayor Hill's son feels overlooked and unloved when his father throws him an elaborate birthday party that is more a political media event than a real celebration. Meanwhile, the Joker infiltrates the party dressed as a clown in order to plant a bomb. The Mayor's son, a budding magician, becomes so enamored of the clown's tricks that he steals away in the clown's truck when the Joker leaves. When Batman tracks down the Joker to a closed amusement park, the wily villain plays on the kid's naiveté and uses him to trap the Batman. In the end, Batman saves himself and the boy, and defeats the Joker atop a runaway roller coaster. Sadder, but wiser, the boy returns to his father, who now realizes how neglectful he was of his son's feelings.
District Attorney Harvey Dent is hiding a deep dark secret, even from his best friend Bruce Wayne. He has a second personality, that of Big Bad Harv, a hard nosed gangster. When crime boss Rupert Thorne learns of Dent's sickness, he tries to blackmail him. Unfortunately, Dent's "bad" side comes to the fore, and he physically attacks Thorne and his men just as Batman arrives on the scene. In the ensuing melee, a chemical explosion sends Dent to the hospital. When Dent's bandages are removed, the left side of his face is scarred and deformed, and his second personality becomes dominant. As the crazed Dent races from the hospital, we are informed the story is TO BE CONTINUED. (See show 517 -- Two-Face, part Two)
An aging mob boss, Arnold Stromwell, is about to be rubbed out by a rival boss, Rupert Thorne. Batman saves Stromwell from Thorne's men and keeps the crime boss one step ahead of his enemies. In the process, Stromwell learns his drug dealings have caused his son to end up in a drug rehab center. By the end of the evening, after a reunion with his brother, a priest, and an emotion-wrenching recollection from their childhood, Stromwell turns state's evidence and vows to make amends.
512- I'VE GOT BATMAN IN MY BASEMENT
While attempting to regain a stolen Faberge Egg from the Penguin, Batman is sprayed with nerve gas by the fowl fellow. Our unconscious hero is rescued by a 12-year-old aspiring detective who hides him in his basement. It's up to the precocious kid to figure out how to revive the comatose crime fighter before the Penguin finds him.
513- THE CAT AND THE CLAW (PART 1)
The Catwoman steals a valuable necklace to fund the purchase of land for a mountain lion preserve. In the course of her escape she encounters Batman, and finds herself undeniably attracted to him. Afterward, Bruce Wayne dates Selina Kyle, Catwoman's alter ego, and finds himself undeniably attracted to her. In the midst of these budding romances, Selina/Catwoman learns that the land she wants has been snatched up by a mysterious cartel, although the cartel's reasons for buying it don't make sense. After infiltrating the cartel's headquarters, Catwoman discovers evidence of a military facility inside a mountain on the land in question. As it turns out, the cartel is fronting for an international terrorist group headed by the Red Claw, a mysterious woman terrorist. The group will be using the land for a staging area. Batman learns that Catwoman is getting in over her head, although she's not aware of it. (See show 516 for Part Two)
Brilliant cryogenics expert Dr. Victor Fries was hard at work on a freezing process to save his wife's life when the heartless corporation underwriting the project pulled the plug, literally. The freezing chamber exploded, destroying the doctor's wife and transforming Fries himself permanently into a pathetic creature only able to survive in sub-zero temperatures. He returns a year later as Mr. Freeze, thirsting for revenge against the sleazy CEO who destroyed his life. Batman's sympathy is with Freeze, but first he has to stop him from committing murder by destroying a building filled with innocent people in order to carry out his vendetta.
Somewhere in a middle-class suburb of Gotham, little KIMBERLY VENTRIS is regularly visited by her imaginary playmate, "MOJO." However, the mysterious, unseen Mojo seems awfully tangible -- and vocal -- for an "imaginary" friend. At about the same time, a fortune in valuables disappears as if by magic from a gem exposition at which Bruce Wayne is among the patrons. Assuming his Batman identity, Bruce investigates, and finds himself battling an invisible man! The Dark Knight's further investigation uncovers the fact that an independent optics researcher, Dr. Abner Carrows, had developed what he called a "cloak of invisibility" -- a plastic of his own invention which, when electrified by Carrows's patented process, refracts light so as to make the material and anything covered by it invisible. But Carrows has recently died and, according to the scientist's assistant, a quantity of the special plastic is missing from his lab. The trail leads to ex-con LLOYD VENTRIS, who "embezzled" the material while working as a janitor in Carrows's lab.
With the purloined plastic, he has constructed a special suit as well as a customized "plating" for his car -- turning himself into an invisible man with an invisible vehicle. Upon his release from prison, Ventris discovered that his ex-wife, Helen, has gone to court to cut off all visitation rights to daughter Kimberly ... and he has been secretly visiting her in his invisible state, pretending to be Mojo! As Mojo, he learned that Helen plans to move away from Gotham, taking Kimberly where he'll never see her again. Now, enriched by his "invisible man" thefts, Ventris contrives to kidnap Kimberly and, with his ill-gotten gains, provide for her in a manner her mother can't. But life with a fugitive felon is no match for Helen's nurturing care ... and it's up to the Batman to stop the abduction. But to do so, he must square off with a foe he can't even see, and survive a breathtaking climax that has Batman hanging on for dear life -- dragged almost to his doom by a wildly-careening invisible car!
516- THE CAT AND THE CLAW (PART 2)
The terrorists put their plans into motion, stealing a virulent strain of plague which they use to hold the city for ransom. Meanwhile Catwoman infiltrates the terrorists' under mountain headquarters, not realizing what she's getting into. When Batman follows her there, they're both captured, trussed up, and left to die as victims of the viral plague. However, by working as a team, not only do they destroy the plague before it can do any harm, they also prevent the terrorists from fleeing the area before the authorities arrive. Unfortunately, despite Catwoman's assistance, Batman is compelled to turn her over to the police. Though he's grown quite fond of Selina, she is a thief and the law is the law.
Two Face begins an aggressive campaign against his hated rival, Rupert Thorne, who puts out a two-million dollar contract an him. Since Two Face used to be Harvey Dent, Bruce Wayne's best friend, Batman wants to find him before Thorne does. Thorne's people snare Two Face first by using his former fiancee, Grace, as bait. Just as Thorne is about to rub him out, Batman intervenes, allowing Two Face to get the drop on Thorne. When Two Face flips his coin to decide how he's going to get rid of Thorne, Batman tips over a box of silver dollars, burying the coin and throwing Two Face into a frenzy of uncertainty -- he can't make up his mind without his precious coin. Thus subdued, Two Face is accompanied to the prison hospital by Grace, who hopes to help him recover from his tormented mental state.
Batman realizes that a pattern of recent bombings in Gotham is based on an episode of an old television series featuring his favorite boyhood hero, the "Gray Ghost." Seeking information, Batman visits the actor who played the Gray Ghost, only to discover that over the years, he's become a victim of type-casting and has not been able to find other work. Though the "Gray Ghost" is reluctant to help Batman at first, he has a change of heart and appears at the scene of the next bombing just when Batman needs him. As Batman continues his investigation with the Gray Ghost, the actor begins to see parallels between Batman and 'the Gray Ghost's methodology, and comes to realize what an important part he must have played in Batman's early life. Not only does this revelation give the actor a new sense of worth, but when he and Batman succeed in capturing the mysterious bomber, the ensuing publicity completely revitalizes the Gray Ghost's sagging career.
Bruce Wayne becomes concerned when some of his richest friends are seduced into a new age Brotherhood scam by Nostromos, a fraudulent psychic. Bruce joins the Brotherhood in an attempt to debunk Nostromos' claims. Nostromos, predicting the fall of civilization, urges his acolytes to transfer their bank funds to the Brotherhood's coffers. Batman exposes Nostromos' scheme to bilk the members of their money, and captures him after a chase through a planetarium. In the end, Bruce's friends learn an important lesson about where to place their faith.
Matt Hagen, a popular actor renowned for his 'Man of a Thousand Faces' ability to play any part, has a terrible secret -- he's addicted to a strange chemical formula developed by Roland Daggett's labs. This chemical gives him the ability to alter his facial features without makeup, keeping his matinee idol looks so that his public doesn't know he was horribly disfigured in an accident years ago. But in return for the stuff, Daggett has him play 'roles" that aren't entirely legal. Hagen is Daggett's puppet, and resents it mightily. When Daggett has Hagen impersonate Bruce Wayne in order to obtain documents from Lucius Fox, Wayne's right hand man, a chain of events is started that results in Fox being wounded and Bruce Wayne arrested for assault. Hagen, attempting to break free from Daggett's control, is seized by Daggett's henchman and force-fed a large amount of the chemical enough to completely alter his genetic structure and turn him into Clayface an amorphous figure who can re-form his body into anything he wants. Part I ends with Wayne in jail and Clayface out for vengeance on Daggett. (See show 521 for Part Two)
Clayface learns that Daggett is going to appear on TV to hype his new product, the same chemical that was his downfall, as a skin conditioner. After a skirmish with Batman in Lucius Fox's hospital room, Clayface takes the disguise of a woman and joins the audience of Summer Gleeson's show. Batman is there, however, and a free-for-all in the Galaxy Broadcasting Building results. Batman eventually defeats Clayface by zapping him with an electric current. Clayface supposedly 'dies' -- however subsequent experiments in the Batcave with a fragment of Clayface's clay-like substance shows that electricity has no effect on it. Clayface was first and foremost an actor, after all -- and his death scene was played so convincingly that it fooled even Batman.
Charlie Collins, a nondescript accountant, accidentally runs afoul of the Joker. Pleading for his life, the run-of-the-mill every man promises the Joker anything, if he will only let him go. The notion amuses the Joker, who makes Charlie promise to do him a favor. If Charlie refuses, his family will fall prey to the Joker's thugs. The favor: Charlie must distract the Batman while the Joker infiltrates a testimonial dinner for Commissioner Gordon to plant a bomb. But the worm turns when Charlie decides he's had enough and takes on the Joker man to man.
Detective Harvey Bullock is framed for suspected murder and goes to jail. Batman, though he has no great love for Bullock, thinks he's innocent. His investigation reveals that the real criminal is Killer Croc, a mutant hit man who wants revenge on Bullock because Bullock sent him to jail years ago.
The Scarecrow has come up with a fear chemical that is triggered by the release of adrenaline. He uses the chemical on Gotham's greatest athletes, then bets against them to rake in the winnings. Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Robin, learns about this scheme after his college roommate, a football star, inexplicably becomes terrified during a game. While trying to help Batman track down the Scarecrow, Robin is infected by the chemical and becomes stricken senseless with fear every time his adrenaline pumps. In the end, Robin is placed in a position in which he must overcome this overwhelming fear in order to prevent Scarecrow from spilling his formula over a stadium filled with spectators.
Temple Fugate, a maniacally punctilious man whose life and business are ruled by the clock, is persuaded by then-attorney, Hamilton Hill, to shatter precedent and deviate fifteen minutes from his rigid, self-imposed schedule. Chaos for Fugate results as a result of this, culminating in a court case going against Fugate and for Hill's firm. Fugate is financially ruined, and swears revenge on Hill. Five years later, after Hill becomes Mayor, strange things begin happening in Gotham, all having to do with time. Synchronized traffic lights go awry, subway trains collide, etc. These disasters are a result of Fugate (who now calls himself the Clock King) attempting to discredit Mayor Hill. He finally kidnaps Hill and ties him to the minute hand of the Gotham Clock Tower. Unless Batman can rescue him, when the clock strikes midnight Hill will be crushed.
526- APPOINTMENT IN CRIME ALLEY
Every year at the same time, Batman makes a pilgrimage to meet Dr. Leslie Thompkins, the woman who took care of the young Bruce Wayne after his parents were brutally murdered in Park Row. But this time a series of dangerous distractions keeps the Batman occupied, causing him to miss his appointment. This is. too bad, because Roland Daggett, a ruthless land developer and entrepreneur, has hired arsonists to make sure that the part of Park Row called Crime Alley goes up in flames to make way for his new condo development. And Dr. Thompkins is taken prisoner by the arsonists when she stumbles across their plans. Unless Batman can reach Crime Alley in time, the buildings -- and Dr. Thompkins -- will go up in smoke.
The Mad Hatter develops a form of mind control which he implements by placing devices in people's hats. He uses this to impress Alice, a woman he's smitten with, turning all of Gotham into a wonderland to please her every whim. When he learns she's in love with another, the jealous Hatter decides to use his mind control power to do away with her beau. He then kidnaps Alice and takes her to Gotham's Central Park. Batman must fight his way through a bizarre chess board composed of living pieces, all under the Hatter's power.
When Batman attempts to thwart the Scarecrow's plan to poison Gotham's water supply with a chemical that induces non-stop nightmares and hallucinations, the Dark Knight is infected with the concoction. Unable to tell reality from fantasy, he is committed to Arkham Asylum. He must find a way to escape and stop the Scarecrow from plunging the people of Gotham into a nightmare without end.
A health spa which advertises a 'back to nature' rejuvenating potion lures Alfred and his friend, Maggie Paige, there. It is in fact being run by Poison Ivy, who is using a new form of chlorophyll to turn people into trees. Batman investigates, and is nearly transformed into a tree himself, before he finally stops Poison Ivy.
Bruce Wayne wakes up to find his dearest wish has come true: his parents are not dead, and he is not and has never been Batman. Not only that, but he's engaged to Selina Kyle. At first he's ecstatic, but a number of clues force him to the conclusion that somehow this is all an elaborate charade. His quest to find the truth eventually pits Bruce against Batman in a surreal battle atop a church tower. Batman is unmasked and revealed to be the Mad Hatter, who has put Bruce in a forced dream state. Bruce's only way to wake up is to throw himself from the tower, which he does -- and returns to his life as the Dark Knight.
531- THE CAPE & COWL CONSPIRACY
Batman investigates a theft of bearer bonds intended for the starving people of Byelocroatia. One suspect is Baron Waclow Jozek, a European nobleman. He confronts Jozek, who tells him that Josiah Wormwood is responsible for theft. Batman has heard of him; the 'deathtrap specialist", a man who conceives fiendishly elaborate mazes of psychological torture designed to force people to tell him valuable secrets. Jozek contacts Wormwood and sets him a task; to use his talents to get Batman's cape and cowl. Wormwood agrees. Batman, tracking down Wormwood, follows clues that eventually lead him to the wax museum, where the Dark Knight is trapped. Wormwood claims the cape and cowl. He contacts Jozek, who shows up to claim the prize -- and who turns out in reality to be Batman. The Dark Knight has outfoxed Wormwood, who now faces a long prison sentence.
532- ROBIN'S RECKONING (PART 1)
When Batman and Robin bust up an extortion ring trying to damage a high-rise under construction, Batman learns the name of the gang leader. To Robin's surprise, he refuses to let Robin continue the investigating with him, preferring to work alone instead. Miffed, Robin accesses the Batcomputer to learn what Batman wouldn't tell him on their case. To his shock, he finds that the case is connected with Tony Zucco, a gangster who was responsible for the death of Robin's parents during the latter's high-wire act. Robin decides to take matters into his own hands and deal with Zucco on his own, despite Batman's orders not to. (See show 537 for Part Two)
The Joker has developed a chemical which induces "Joker" smiles on fish. He makes a visit to the Gotham copyright offices, demanding a copyright for his Joker fish. When the frightened bureaucrats tell him that such a copyright is impossible, he threatens to kill them one by one until he gets what he wants. Fortunately for the city employees, Batman comes to their rescue, and tracks the Joker to an old seaquarium, where he defeats the grinning villain in a dramatic battle involving a great white shark.
Wayne Enterprises' various companies are robbed by a mysterious figure known as the Ninja. Batman- and Robin discover that the Ninja is actually Kyodai Ken, the only man who could beat Bruce Wayne when they studied martial arts together as boys in Japan. Bruce exposed Kyodai's attempt to rob the dojo, which got Kyodai expelled from the place. Now Kyodai is back for revenge. He traps Bruce Wayne, Summer Gleeson and Robin, and challenges Bruce to a martial arts duel. Bruce cannot fight back in front of Summer for fear of exposing his secret identity. It's up to. Robin to arrange a diversion that will allow Bruce to defeat his old enemy
While tracking down her missing cat, Selina Kyle (Catwoman) uncovers a plot by industrialist Roland Daggett and his company scientist, Professor Milo, to infect animals with a disease that will spread through the city's strays and eventually affect the human populace as well. Daggett, of course, has the only cure, which he plans to introduce onto the market. It will not only make him millions, but give him a new image as a public hero. When Catwoman herself becomes infected by the disease, Batman races against time to save her and stop the fiendish plot before the infected animals are released.
536- THE STRANGE SECRET OF BRUCE WAYNE
When Judge Vargas, a friend of Gordon's and Bruce Wayne's, is blackmailed by Dr. Hugo Strange, Bruce journeys to Strange's health resort in Yucca Springs to investigate. Strange has invented a machine that can see people's thoughts, and he uses this on Bruce to discover that Bruce is Batman. He then attempts to auction Batman's secret identity to the Joker, Two-Face and the Penguin. Batman turns the tables on Strange by using the mind-reading machine to literally "imagine" a taped scenario of Strange cheating the three villains out of their money. Enraged, the three villains attempt to kill Strange, and Batman saves the day. Robin poses as Bruce Wayne at the end to convince Strange that Bruce is not Batman.
537- ROBIN'S RECKONING (PART 2)
Robin heads off in hot pursuit of Tony Zucco, the thug who was responsible for his parents' death, despite Batman's forbidding him to do it. Some tricky detective work takes him to the crook's hideout at the old amusement pier -where Zucco has accidentally trapped Batman. Thanks to Robin's timely arrival, Batman and the Boy Wonder capture Zucco. In the process, Robin learns that Batman had tried to keep him away not because he thought that Robin's emotion might get the best of him -- but because Batman couldn't stand the thought that Zucco, who had taken so much from Robin, might have taken Robin, too.
High-tech secrets are stolen from Wayne Enterprises by a robot. Bruce Wayne knows that the only one capable of building such sophisticated robots is Karl Rossum, owner of Cybertron Labs. Meanwhile, Barbara Gordon suspects that her father, the Commissioner, is not himself. She's right -- he's been replaced by a look-alike robot, as have Bullock and Mayor Hill. It is all part of a plan by HARDAC, an Artificial Intelligence computer created by Rossum, to supplant humanity with machines. When Rossum learns of this plan, HARDAC replaces him as well. Bruce Wayne invites Randa Duane to dinner, not knowing that she's a robot also. She discovers the secret entrance to the Batcave, and sets up an interface connection between the Batcomputer and HARDAC. When Batman tries to use the Batcomputer, it attacks him, using robotic arms to seize him and begin to crush him. As Batman struggles futilely in the arms' grip, we END PART ONE
539- IF YOU'RE SO SMART WHY AREN'T YOU RICH?
When Edward Nygma, the genius behind the computer game, "Riddle of the Minotaur," demands his rightful share of profits for the game from his greedy and manipulative boss, Mockridge, he is summarily fired. Nygma vows revenge, and years later when Mockridge is selling his company to Wayne Enterprises, Nygma makes his move, in a new guise, that of the Riddler! He kidnaps Mockridge, but not before encountering Batman and Robin. Batman quickly deduces the Riddler's real identity. In order to rid himself of the Dark Knight and "his brat," the Riddler uses Mockridge to lure Batman and Robin into a giant 'Minotaur' maze, based on the computer game. The only way Batman can save Mockridge and leave the maze is by solving a series of deadly riddles.
An enraged Joker breaks out of Arkham Asylum when he learns billionaire developer Cameron Kaiser has built a gambling casino, Joker's Wild, exploiting the evil clown's likeness. Batman is also infuriated, knowing the Joker will destroy the casino and everyone in it to avenge his wounded pride. This is all part of Kaiser's plan, for he's counting on collecting a fortune in insurance money when the Joker blows the place up. Unpredictable as always, the Joker later decides to kill Kaiser and run the casino himself. Batman's last-minute intervention saves Kaiser's life and sends the Joker back to Arkham.
Selina Kyle is kidnapped and taken to an offshore island by Dr. Emile Dorian, a genetic engineer with a fondness for cats. He has created a man-cat hybrid named Tygrus, and wishes to provide him with a mate. He injects Selina with a serum which makes her a cat woman in body as well as in name.. Batman learns of this and comes to the island to rescue Selina. He is captured and forced into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse (or cat-and-bat). Tygrus, as the cat-man, hunts Batman through the island's jungles. With Selina's help, Batman manages to convince Tygrus that Dorian, whom Tygrus reveres as his father, is wrong to experiment with peoples' lives. Tygrus attacks Dorian to free Selina and causes an explosion which destroys the laboratory. Batman and Selina escape, and Tygrus rescues Dorian. He asks Batman to take Dorian back to justice and gives Selina the antidote for her mutation, though what he wants most is for her to stay with him. Batman and Selina leave, taking Dorian with them, and Tygrus remains in lonely exile.
Batman investigates the appearance of a wolf creature in Gotham, not realizing that the monster happens to be one of Bruce Wayne's associates - Anthony Romulus, ex-Olympic champion and media spokesman. As we discover in the course of the story, years ago Romulus approached the devious Professor Milo for a steroid formula that would help him win the decathlon. Unfortunately the formula included a wolf hormone, which produced recurring lycanthropic side effects. Now Romulus must do Milo's bidding as a wolf creature if he is to ever receive a cure. Milo decides to use the Romulus wolf as the instrument to destroy Batman. However, when Milo sics the Romulus wolf on the Dark Knight, the creature turns on his creator, giving Batman the opportunity to defeat them both. Even so, the wolf creature escapes into a river. Though neither Romulus or the wolf are seen again, you can hear an eerie howl from the countryside whenever the full moon rises over Gotham City.
Kyodai Ken, the Ninja who hates Bruce Wayne (see 'Night of the Ninja"), kidnaps the daughter of Sensei Yoru, the martial arts instructor who taught both Kyodai and Bruce. His ransom for her is a scroll that teaches the location of the fabled Death Touch. Bruce Wayne and Alfred travel to Japan to help Yoru regain his daughter. This is particularly dangerous, as Kyodai, having fought both Batman and Bruce, knows that they are the same man because their fighting styles are identical.
Batman rescues Yoru's daughter, but Kyodai manages to get the scroll. He then kidnaps Alfred, and challenges Batman to a duel, the stakes of which are Alfred's life. Batman agrees to meet Kyodai on the slopes of a volcano, and the two fight while the mountain begins to erupt. Kyodai tries the Death Touch on Batman, but to his shock finds that it doesn't work -- Batman has figured out a way to render it ineffectual. A volcanic fissure separates them, and rising lava traps Kyodai. Batman attempts to save him, but the Ninja finds a remnant of honor by refusing to be saved.
Batman manages to free himself from the Batcomputer's clutches and HARDAC breaks the connection before the Dark Knight can trace it back to Cybertron. Batman is summoned by Barbara Gordon, using the Bat signal. She tells him she thinks her Father has been somehow replaced. Bullock spots them on the roof Cybertron. Rossum is saved, as are Gordon, Bullock and Hill, and their robot duplicates are destroyed.
When a man-sized bat ransacks Gotham harbor, Batman suspects that Dr. Kirk Langstrom is up to his old tricks, taking the Man-Bat formula again. Batman isn't the only one. Kirk's wife, Francine, is so distrustful of her husband that she decides to leave him. Though Kirk maintains that he's innocent, it takes a DNA test to prove to Batman that he's telling the truth. After further investigation, Batman discovers that Francine was accidentally infected by the Man-Bat formula and is probably the one transforming into the bat creature. By this time Francine is an a plane, flying out of Gotham. And she is starting to transform. It's a flight to the finish as Batman uses the Batwing to catch up to the plane and administer the antidote that will cure her She-Bat condition once and for all.
While hiding out from the police, a group of Batman's deadliest enemies (The Joker, The Penguin, Two-Face, Poison Ivy and Killer Croc) gather at the criminals-only Stacked Deck Club to play cards and swap stories about their mutual nemesis. Each one has an 'Almost Got 'Im' story when it comes to trying to do in Batman: Poison Ivy's attempt with poisoned pumpkins, Two-Face's giant penny, Penguin's killer birds, even the big rock Croc tossed at him. However, the Joker's Tonight Show-style electrocution puts the others to shame.' In fact, if it weren't for the timely intervention of Catwoman, the Joker really would have ended the Dark Knight's career. Still, he admits he did manage to put one over on Batman by spiriting Catwoman away unseen during the confusion. That's just what Batman, who has been there all the time disguised as Croc, needs to hear.. After taking care of the surprised crooks, Batman races off to confront the Joker's girl, Harley Quinn, who has orders to kill Catwoman if the Joker doesn't return. Catwoman is saved, and even she has an 'Almost Got Im' story to add by the episode's end.
Penguin's being released from prison, and he's disappointed to find that none of his friends are around to greet him. In fact, none of his friends are around, period. Meanwhile, Veronica Vreeland, a slipping A-list socialite is looking for a way to create a splash with her next party and arrives at the idea of having a criminal in attendance -- especially if there's one whose manners would create a stir. Penguin fits the bill perfectly. In the process of convincing the Penguin to come to her party, Veronica finds she likes the corpulent little guy. For his part, the Penguin begins to fall in love with her. Instead of allowing a nice friendship to develop, Veronica's cohort, Pierce, keeps her focused on simply using the Penguin for her social climbing purposes. At the big party Penguin discovers he was just being used. Enraged, he kidnaps Veronica and demands Pierce deliver her family's huge ransom. It's up to Batman to track down the Penguin and save the two selfish socialites.
Seeking to prove once and for all that his is the superior mind, the Riddler lures Batman into a riddle-solving contest inside a computer game of virtual reality. In the course of solving the riddles and escaping the Riddler's traps, Batman learns that he is able to manipulate the virtual reality landscape much like the Riddler does. With this newfound power Batman causes the Riddler to lose his concentration. As the virtual reality background collapses on Riddler, his "superior" mind is thrown into a state of catatonia, perhaps for all time.
On the anniversary of the death of Bruce's parents, Batman accompanies Dr. Leslie Thompkins to Crime Alley to deposit roses on the spot where they were gunned down. Batman expresses doubts about whether or not he should continue his one-man war against crime; is it doing any good? Is he fooling himself? While in the alley, he rescues a teen-aged street kid nicknamed Wizard from two thugs. Wizard is less than grateful, and Batman delivers him to a halfway house. Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon, Bullock and Montoya are on stakeout to arrest the Jazzman, a gangster with a penchant for music and mayhem. Batman had promised to be there, and so Gordon delays the arrest until he can't wait any longer. Batman arrives to find a gun battle going on. He helps defeat the gangsters and arrest the Jazzman, but at a high cost -- Gordon is severely wounded.
Batman is crushed by this; he feels it's his fault because he wasn't there on time. He decides to give up being the Dark Knight, before any more of his friends are hurt through his neglect. Neither Alfred nor Dick can dissuade him. Meanwhile, the Jazzman manages to escape from jail and goes gunning for Gordon in the hospital. When Bruce learns of this he realizes he can't quit -- there are still people who depend on him. He confronts the Jazzman in a dramatic showdown in Gordon's hospital room, saving Gordon from being shot again. Afterward, Gordon comes out of his coma and tells Batman never to give up the fight. On his way home, Batman encounters Wizard at the bus station, and the teenager thanks the Dark Knight, telling him he's heading back home to his parents. Batman realizes that even one life saved is enough to continue his crusade against crime.
The Batman investigates the notorious global crime cartel, The Society of Shadows, which has begun to operate in Gotham City. Led by the man known only as Vertigo, they plan to hijack a certain freight train due to arrive the following night. Aboard the train is the sonic drill, a digging tool that uses ultrasound waves ... and a device that could become a fearsome, deadly weapon in the wrong hands. While trying to stop the hijacking, the Dark Knight falls victim to the amazing vertigo device. This is Vertigo's unique weapon whose radiation scrambles the victim's senses to create the illusion that the world has gone topsy-turvy. Victims of the Vertigo Effect might think they're floating upside-down, for example, or standing on a wall. Despite this, however, Batman gets the upper hand ... until a mysterious, leather-clad Lady In Black, armed with an unusual crossbow-gun, appears on the scene. She fires an arrow that separates Batman and Vertigo as they grapple, allowing Vertigo to escape.
Following Vertigo's trail, Batman encounters the Lady In Black again ... and learns that she is Talia, daughter of the real head of the Society of Shadows. And she is actually Vertigo's enemy -- sent by her father to prevent the capture of the sonic drill. After being trapped by Vertigo and imprisoned together, the Batman and Talia join forces to escape and take on Vertigo anew, this time defeating him. In the course of this, they develop a grudging mutual respect that borders on physical attraction. But Batman remains off-balance as to where Talia's true loyalties lie when she turns her weapon on him to prevent him from leaving with the sonic drill. It turns out that Vertigo was once her father's second-in-command, but sought to control the Society himself. Now Talia will take command of her mysterious father's organization ... as well as take the sonic drill! But Batman has sabotaged the drill, rendering it useless to Talia's father who is revealed as the ancient, madman Ra's Al Ghul. Which leaves the sinister immortal with quite a score to settle with The Dark Knight...
551- THE MAN WHO KILLED BATMAN
Third-rate mob stumble-bum, Sidney Debris, crawls to crime kingpin Rupert Thorne begging for help. It seems Sidney has done the impossible and become the man who killed Batman. Sidney explains (in a flashback that takes up most of the episode) that while he was acting as look-out for drug-runners, Batman surprised him on a warehouse roof. The two struggled, and Sid's bumbling caused Batman to pitch off the roof and into a shed of explosive gas. After the ensuing fire, the only thing found was Batman's cape and cowl. At first lauded as a hero by the underworld, Sidney soon became the man to beat. Suddenly everybody wanted a piece of the man who killed Batman, particularly the Joker, who had his henchwench Harley bring Sidney to him for corroboration of the tale. Once the Joker believed Batman was gone, his grief was considerable, and he held a wake for the Dark Knight at the chemical plant where they first "met.'
The capper of the ceremony was to be Sidney's own execution at the Joker's hands (for killing Batman before the Joker could, of course), but a lucky fluke allowed Sid to escape. As the flashback ends, Sid begs Thorne to get him safely out of town. But it turns out Thorne already heard the rumors, and suspects Sidney of playing dumb as a way of advancing upwards in his mob. Just then Batman shows up alive and well to save Sidney from Thorne's wrath. It seems Batman was trying to find out who was calling the shots behind the drug-runners, and he knew if he stayed out of sight and followed Sidney, he'd eventually find the kingpin. Sidney is sent to jail for his original part in Thorne's operation, but he earns new respect in prison as "The Man Who Nearly Off'ed The Bat."
Clayface is falling apart -- literally. His clay like body is virtually disintegrating. Fortunately, a woman scientist he knew from his movie star days is working on a remedy. However, he is forced to steal money to pay for the expensive components of the remedy. Because he can't hold a shape for more than an hour or so, the doctor has created a flexible exoskeleton in which he can maneuver. He is in this shell receiving his final treatment, after which he should be able to maintain his shape indefinitely, when Batman arrives onto the scene and foils the scheme. In a deadly fight, Clayface is washed away into the ocean, where he is gone forever. Or is he?
Dr. Matthew Thorne, forced into losing his medical license and becoming the crime doctor by his younger brother, crime bass Rupert Thorne, must perform delicate surgery on Rupert. He can't do it alone, and kidnaps Dr. Leslie Thompkins to assist. Batman discovers Leslie's disappearance, and rushes to track her down. In the process we learn how Matthew is basically a good man: when he learns that Rupert's men will ultimately kill Leslie, he goes against his brother to save her.
When the glamorous magician Zatanna is framed for a robbery during her act, Batman swings to her defense. Zatanna is grateful though a little puzzled by the Dark Knight's commitment to prove her innocence, and we learn in flashback that ir young Bruce Wayne met the then-teen-aged Zatanna when he was working as an assistant to her magician father, Zatara. The two heroes unite and use the skills Zatara taught them to expose and combat an evil illusionist. Zatanna is cleared of the crime and she and Batman share a fond but wistful farewell.
When THE PENGUIN sends his goons to pull off a burglary, Batman and Robin pursue the distinctive Penguin limo in their Batmobile. Thanks to a freak accident during the high-speed chase, The Penguin Ganggets away and the Batmobile is virtually demolished. And so the Dark Knight must do as he always does in this situation -- turn to Earl Cooper, the former automotive engineer who designed the present version of the Batmobile. Cooper has been financed and outfitted by the Batman with his own secret body shop. There, Earl works "on retainer" -always on call to repair the Batmobile in emergencies like this one. However, when an employee of one of Earl's suppliers turns out to be an informant for The Penguin, the Felonious Fowl is able to make the connection between Batman and Earl Cooper!
Infiltrating Earl's shop, The Penguin and his men hold Earl's daughter hostage in exchange for Earl's cooperation in setting a trap for the Batman. Earl will design and construct a device that puts The Penguin in the driver's seat -- by remote control By disengaging the brake system and all the safety features, then accelerating the Batmobile through a series of dangerous maneuvers, The Penguin intends to ace out Batman and Robin once and for all But the masked crime fighters are one step ahead of The Penguin -- thanks to the clever clues Earl slips Batman, in a coded message. Though the Batmobile is ultimately demolished once again, the Batman and Robin eject in time. And in the end, time is exactly what The Penguin winds up doing ... while Earl designs and constructs a new, improved Batmobile in his brand-new, top-secret shop.
After being booted out of the Joker's service, Harley Quinn forms a partnership with Poison Ivy. By day, they're house mates and best pals, by night, they're a deadly duo, billed 'The New Queens of Crime' by the Gotham tabloids. The Joker has a fit when he hears of their "Thelma and Louise"-style crime spree, and sets out to get Harley (and more important, the loot she stole) back. Batman has also figured out where the girls are, and both he and the Joker arrive at Ivy's hideout (a model house built over a toxic waste dump) to have it out with them. In an explosive battle Batman takes out the Joker and his men, but a surprise assist from Officer Montoya helps the Dark Knight finally collar Harley and Ivy.
557- SHADOW OF THE BAT (PART 1)
When Commissioner Gordon is framed for taking bribes from gangland boss Rupert Thorne, his daughter Barbara pleads with Batman to show up at a rally being put on in the commissioner's behalf by Assistant Commissioner Gil Mason. Batman, hot on the trail of the mysterious figure behind the frame-up, declines, preferring to send Robin in his place. Barbara determined that one way or another the Dark Knight will make an appearance, so she rents a Batman costume and, using her gymnastic abilities, impersonates Batman. Her plan backfires, however, when an unexpected drive-by shooting by gangsters reveals her as a girl. The next day the papers are trumpeting the question, "Who is Batgirl?"
Batman, in disguise as Matches Malone, infiltrates the headquarters of the one responsible for the frame-up and finds it's Two Face. Before he can escape, he's knocked unconscious and captured. Meanwhile, Barbara discovers information that Gil Mason is actually in cahoots with whoever framed her father. With Batman missing and no one else to turn to, she decides to redesign the costume and investigate the case as Batgirl.
Pandemonium strikes the unveiling of the Raven X-1 1 1 -- an experimental police helicopter with state-of-the-art weaponry, developed by WayneTech -- as it is demonstrated for the police. The Penguin has pulled off a plot to hijack the armored chopper and, in the course of The Penguin's raid, Bruce Wayne is temporarily blinded. Now Dr. Leslie Thompkins gives Bruce strict instructions to keep his eyes bandaged for forty-eight hours or risk losing his sight permanently. But when The Penguin starts using the Raven's weaponry to b low up famous Gotham landmarks, as part of his plan to extort a fabulous sum from the city treasury, it's up to the Batman to stop him -- blindness or no blindness. Only by rigging up a special helmet, utilizing the Raven technology perfected by WayneTech, can the Batman function -- a helmet which translates the Raven's radar and sonar signals into images fed directly to his brain. So armed, the Batman sets a trap for The Penguin at the ransom drop-sight -- a Gotham steel mill. But when the device malfunctions, it comes down to a mano-a-mano battle between The Penguin, armed with his umbrella weapons, and a near-helpless Dark Knight who is literally 'blind as a bat'.
559- THE DEMON'S QUEST (PART 1)
When Robin is mysteriously abducted from his college campus, the Batman begins a fruitless search ... until he is astounded by the sudden appearance in the Batcave of Ra's Al Ghul -- the mysterious cult leader whose name means "The Demon's Head.' Ra's quickly reveals himself to be the leader of The Society of Shadows (whom the Batman encountered in 'Off-Balance") ... as well as the father of Talia, the femme fatale whom the Dark Knight also met in that episode. It seems that Talia has been abducted under circumstances similar to Robin's -suggesting that the same persons are responsible. So begins an uneasy truce -the Batman and 'The Demon" teaming up to find the kidnap victims. After Batman survives a number of traps en route -- in one of which Ra's Al Ghul is apparently killed -- it comes down to the Batman on the trail alone. His quest ends in a mountain fortress where he finds Robin held captive -- alone.
It's only after freeing Robin that the Batman reveals what he'd suspected from the first: that the abductions, and the search, were all engineered by Ra's as an arcane test of Batman's mettle. In this manner, Ra's hoped to gauge Batman's worthiness to succeed him as leader of The Society of Shadows. It seems that Talia -- who now appears here, clearly nobody's prisoner -- is in love with Batman. And Ra's -- who is thousands of years old thanks to the rejuvenating properties of his Lazarus Pit -believes his body will not withstand another near-death and resurrection. Now he needs an heir, and Batman has been elected. As Batman curtly refuses the offer, Ra's collapses and is rushed into the Pit, from which he unexpectedly emerges. And, as the episode concludes, we learn that a by-product of the rejuvenating process is that the subject emerges temporarily insane ... and with the physical strength of ten menl Now, it is this formidable opponent -- this enraged juggernaut -- who seeks revenge on Batman for spurning him ... even if he must destroy his own daughter to get it.
Thieves break into a warehouse containing remnants of Cybertron's robotic machines and electronics. They are interrupted in their robbery by Batman, who bursts out of a crate and mops up the floor with two of the three thugs. The third fires a gun point-blank at Batman, only to discover, along with the astonished Dark Knight, that Batman is a robot when his electronic insides are exposed. The robot Batman, believing himself to be the real McCoy and sorely confused, makes his way back to Wayne Manor, where Alfred accuses him of being one of Karl Rossum's duplicants. Alfred flees to the Batcave and tries to incapacitate the robot, but the robot knocks Alfred out instead. The robot learns from the Batcomputer the present whereabouts of Karl Rossum -- on a farm outside Gotham City. Meanwhile, the real Batman learns that an impersonator is capturing criminals. He deduces that Rossum is somehow involved and confronts Rossum in his greenhouse. Rossum denies implication -- "I don't try to build life anymore, I just grow it' -- and Batman leaves. The robot Batman then shows up. Still believing he's really Batman, he tells Rossum that somehow his mind has been implanted in a robotic body. Rossum, initially astonished, convinces the robot that he is not human. The real Batman then shows up and a battle between the two doppelgangers takes place, destroying the greenhouse. The robot. Batman goes to the GCPD impound yard and discovers a data chip containing the core memory files of HARDAC, the Artificial Intelligence computer Rossum created. When the chip is inserted in the robot's head, HARDAC is reactivated. He explains that the robot Batman was a final duplicant created just before Cybertron was destroyed (as chronicled in 'Heart of Steel' Part I and Part II) but never activated.
He assumes control of the robot in order to continue his plan to replace humanity with robot duplicants. The robot returns to the Batcave and uploads the HARDAC files to the Batcomputer, telling Alfred that in five minutes HARDAC will have access to a global network of computers via modem. The real Batman shows up and a battle royale in the Batcave commences, ending with the real Batman falling into a chasm. The robot Batman believes he's taken a life and, filled with remorse, destroys the Batcomputer, incinerating himself in the process. Alfred rescues Batman from the pit and they sadly regard the charred remains of the robot, who, like Batman, was willing to die to protect humanity.
561- SHADOW OF THE BAT (PART 2)
Robin discovers that Gil Mason is in league with the underworld and goes to investigate him. He encounters Batgirl along the way, who is also trying to get to the bottom of things to clear her father's name. Each learns, without knowing that the other knows it, that Mason is to meet the mysterious gang leader in an abandoned subway in South Gotham. There's no love lost between Batgirl and Robin and so they go separate ways, each arriving at the subway station independently. Mason joins Two Face, who has decided to execute Matches Malone. Batgirl tries to stop this, but bungles it, and she, along with Robin and Matches, are trapped in the subway. Two Face floods the subway tunnel.
Two Face has Gordon busted out of jail as part of his two-part plan to discredit the Commissioner and establish Gil Mason as head of police, while Two Face takes over the gangs. He takes Gordon to Bayshore Wharf, planning to execute him there. In the subway, Matches changes to Batman, and manages to help Batgirl escape via his grappling gun through a hole in the ceiling. Before she can rescue him and Robin, however, the two are swept away by the flood. Batgirl realizes it's up to her to save her father, and heads for Bayshore Wharf. Batman and Robin manage to escape by crashing a subway car through an embankment wall. They arrive at Bayshore Wharf and, along with Batgirl, tackle the crooks. Two-Face is captured and Gordon freed, but Mason escapes in a speedboat. Batgirl leaps into the boat and struggles with him, managing to pull him into the water just as the boat strikes the Statue of Freedom and explodes. Gordon is cleared of all charges, and Gil Mason, horribly disfigured and crippled, is in a coma and will be a vegetable for the rest of his life. Bruce and Dick agree that Batgirl, whoever she is, acquitted herself nobly. Barbara, hearing this, smiles as the two speculate on whether they'll ever see Batgirl again.
Believing himself to be the reincarnation of the Greek God Zeus, mad shipping magnate Maxie Zeus hijacks an experimental electron cannon. Mounting the weapon atop his penthouse, Maxie plans to rain 'lightning bolts' down on the wicked mortals' below. After breaking into the building, Batman must under go a series of Herculean challenges before finally confronting Maxie for control of the deadly cannon.
563- THE DEMON'S QUEST (PART 2)
After freeing Talia from her father's clutches, Batman engages Ra's Al Ghul in bat-tie, holding him at bay long enough for the maddening effects of the Lazarus Pit to wear off. Whereupon Ra's activates a self-destruct mechanism in his mountain lair and beats a hasty retreat with Talia, leaving Batman and Robin to be finished off by a cave-in. The pair escape in time and narrowly avoid being buried alive in an avalanche, giving Ra's more than enough time to vanish. Only two clues to his whereabouts remain: while a prisoner, Robin hear Ra's speak of repairing to his 'desert stronghold,' as well as hearing the word "Orpheus" repeated over and over. It turns out that Orpheus is the name of a satellite in synchronous orbit over a specific point in the Sahara Desert. A location that turns out to hide Ra's Al Ghul's desert fortress.
There, the Batman is overcome by attackers and thrown in to a dungeon, after learning of the ecologically-conscious Demon's ultimate, made plan. It turns out that the Lazarus Pit we saw was merely one of many -- each of which is a kind of "spring' fed by the same magma-like layer of rolling chemicals deep beneath Earth's crust. Now, here in the desert, Ra's mans the computerized controls that activate a device aboard the Orpheus satellite. The satellite is actually a weapon which will explosively destroy all the Lazarus Pits simultaneously, throughout the world. The resulting flood of Lazarus Pit chemicals will wash. over Earth like a tidal wave -- almost instantly returning Earth to the lush, green, eco-balanced sphere it was in its infancy ... but in the process destroying all life that now exists on the planet. The fate of everything and everyone now living hangs in the balance as Batman races to free himself from imprisonment ... and dispatch Ra's Al Ghul in a duel to the death, in time to prevent the Orpheus Weapon from doing its cataclysmic work!
Gotham Police are baffled by a series of crimes executed with clockwork-like precision. Batman investigates and discovers that the crimes. are planned by a mob boss known as Scarface. He traces Scarface to his lair -- a deserted mannequin warehouse -- and discovers, to his astonishment, that the crime czar is a wooden dummy, manipulated by a mild-mannered man called the Ventriloquist. Batman tries to get the Ventriloquist to agree to turn state's evidence against Scarface, but the Ventriloquist is terrified of his alter ego. It's a classic case of split personality. Batman plants a hidden transceiver on the Ventriloquist and learns of the gang's next crime. When he arrives to prevent it, however, he's ambushed and taken prisoner. He wakens to find himself tied up and dangling over a pit full of disembodied and sharpened mannequin arms. Scarface taunts him, telling him that the Ventriloquist confessed he had spoken with Batman.
Batman manages to convince the paranoid Scarface that the Ventriloquist is a traitor, leading to a bizarre confrontation between the two personalities as Scarface tries to kill the Ventriloquist. A fight ensues, with Batman triumphant. Scarface is destroyed by a stray burst of gunfire. The Ventriloquist is taken to Arkham, where he is last seen carving a new dummy from wood.
Wealthy socialite Veronica Vreeland returns from Central America bringing tiny handmade dolls for all her friends. According to native legend, once placed under a pillow the dolls do the sleeper's worrying for them. Unknown to Veronica or her guests, each of the dolls contains a tiny microchip which plants hypnotic suggestions inside the sleepers' brains. And the man controlling the dolls? None other than the Mad Hatter, who is using the dolls' powers in an elaborate extortion scheme against Gotham's wealthiest citizens, including Bruce Wayne! Batman tracks the Hatter to his hideout in an abandoned costume warehouse where the madman gets the jump on the Dark Knight and tries to remove his cowl, head and all, in a guillotine.
En route to an upstate prison, Killer Croc escapes and leads Batman on a dangerous chase through the wilderness. After throwing Batman temporarily off his trail, the reptile-man takes refuge with a group of retired circus freaks, and convinces them to help him. When Batman arrives, Croc and the freaks band together to capture him. But when Croc attempts to kill the Dark Knight, the freaks see Croc's true colors and come to Batman's rescue.
Someone has put a hit out on Gotham's toughest cop, Harvey Bullock. After surviving several near misses, Bullock realizes he has no choice but to ask his arch-rival Batman to help him discover who is behind the murder attempts. During their investigation Bullock learns that his gruff and mean-spirited manner has created enemies in the unlikeliest of people.
Gotham's deadliest criminals, The Joker, Twoface, Mad Hatter, Ventriloquist, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, kidnap Batman and put him on trial in Arkham Asylum. The Dark Knight's only hope rests with District Attorney Janet Van Dorn who, despite her anti-Batman stance, is forced into defending the Caped Crusader's life as well as her own.
A mystic Egyptian scroll donated to the Gotham museum by Bruce Wayne is stolen by Ra's Al Ghul, and Batman and Talia must join forces to prevent the power-mad Ra's from unlocking the scroll's secrets of life and death. Their quest takes them to a hidden temple deep beneath the Egyptian desert. There the Dark Knight is forced into a terrifying battle with an ancient Egyptian sorceress who seeks to destroy them all.
Not only has Poison Ivy been released from Arkham Asylum, she's also married her doctor and settled down to help him raise his two sons. Still, wealthy Gotham bachelors are being poisoned and robbed in ways that exactly mirror Ivy's old crimes. The attacks take a personal turn when Bruce Wayne's ward Dick (Robin) Grayson is kidnapped by the mysterious assailant. Is Ivy responsible? And if so, how can Batman prove it?
Three wealthy, bored friends of Bruce Wayne's decide to seek new thrills by becoming master criminals. As the Fox, the Shark and the Vulture, the Terrible Trio pick Gotham clean, until they encounter the one person who cannot be bought off -- Batman.
Batman and Robin form an uneasy alliance with Harley Quinn in order to learn where the Joker has hidden a stolen atomic bomb. Harley leads them on a madcap hunt through Gotham, and eventually into a deadly show-down with the Clown Prince of Crime himself. Harley is torn between her promise to help Batman and her twisted love for the Joker, but her better nature wins out in the end.
The Clock King returns to carry out his vendetta against Mayor Hill. This time the clock-mad criminal hopes to murder Hill with the help of a stolen invention that allows him to warp time and travel at super-speed. Securing another device from its creator, Batman and Robin take on the Clock King in a furious high-speed battle for the mayor's life.
Anxious to take up her old ways as Catwoman, Selina Kyle joins forces with the Ventriloquist and Scarface to humiliate socialite Veronica Vreeland. But the real victim is Catwoman herself, who has been secretly set up by Scarface to take the fall for another robbery. Batman has to intercede before the furious feline makes things worse by killing the double-talking Ventriloquist.
Batman comes face to face with his most powerful adversary yet, the chemically charged assassin, Bane. Originally hired by Rupert Thorne to kill Batman, Bane plans on taking control of Thorne's criminal empire once Batman is destroyed. It's a fight to the death with all of Gotham in the balance as Batman takes on the man who has vowed to "Break the bat!"
A former child star, now grown bitter and insane, kidnaps her TV family and holds them prisoner on an abandoned sound stage. While Robin works fast to free the actors from Baby-Doll's explosive death-trap, Batman pursues the tiny fiend through a deadly carnival fun house.
International terrorist Red Claw has Alfred kidnapped when the butler makes a visit to his native England. It seems Alfred once worked for the British Secret service, and Red Claw has learned he was entrusted with the firing code to a hidden long range missile. Batman and Robin have to rescue Alfred before Red Claw learns the firing code, or else she will use the missile to bring England to its knees.
While attempting to rescue one of his immortal followers from a hospital, Ra's Al Ghul tells Batman and Robin a tale from his mysterious past. Along with Batman and Robin, we learn of Ra's attempts in the 1800's to destroy the fledgling railroad and seize control of the US government. The one person standing in his way is the renegade bounty hunter, Jonah Hex. How Ra's battle with Hex is tied to his present-day battle with Batman is revealed in a surprise ending.
Upon his release from Arkham, the Riddler becomes an instant celebrity with his own line of toys and games. Soon he's rich, well-liked and happy, except for the fact that he's never managed to best Batman in a battle of wits. Realizing that he's still obsessed with beating the Dark Knight and that the obsession will lead to his downfall, the Riddler lures Batman into a death-trap puzzle to get rid of his opponent and end the riddle games.
Just before he is to undergo the operation that will restore his face, Harvey (Twoface) Dent is kidnapped by a mysterious villain. Batman and Robin split up to nab the criminal mastermind behind the scheme. Is it the Penguin, Rupert Thorne, or someone with a more personal reason for hating Harvey Dent?
Discharged from Arkham Asylum, Harley Quinn tries to lead a sane, normal life. Sadly, she just can't seem to stay out of trouble, and when a misunderstanding occurs, Harley makes the situation worse by stealing Bruce Wayne's car and kidnapping his girlfriend. This ignites a screwball chase that not only involves Batman and Robin, but the police, army, and Gotham's most dangerous gangsters as well.
Several Arkham inmates, including the Scarecrow, Ventriloquist and Harley Quinn lodge complaints against Lyle Bolton, the Asylum's sadistic new chief of security. When Bolton is fired, he vows revenge on societies' true lunatics, the officials whose policies have turned Gotham City into a haven for crime. Taking on the new identity of master jailer Lock-Up, Bolton kidnaps several prominent Gothamites, including Commissioner Gordon and Mayor Hill, and locks them away on an abandoned prison ship. It's up to Batman and Robin to confront Lock-Up and battle him for the lives of those he's wrongfully imprisoned.
Gotham City is plagued by a rash of crazy crimes all committed by bizarre villains. Batman and Robin investigate, discovering the "criminals" are actually famous comedians brainwashed by the Joker. It seems the comedians had the disguised Joker tossed out of the annual Gotham Comedy Competition the year before and the jealous clown has sworn to destroy their reputations in return.
Mr. Freeze is sprung from Arkham by aging billionaire Grant Walker, who is looking to freeze the world and recreate it according to his own design. Batman and Robin infiltrate the billionaire's underwater city and combat both high-tech robots and Mr. Freeze himself, who has decided to do Walker's bidding and cover the earth in a new ice age.
Though she fantasizes about rescuing Batman from the Joker, Penguin and Twoface, Barbara Gordon has given up her double life as Batgirl. That is, until a rare cat statue is stolen from her university museum. All clues point to Catwoman as the thief, but when Batgirl investigates, she discovers another crook actually committed the crime. Teaming up, Batgirl and Catwoman discover Roland Daggett masterminded the scheme, and with a little assist from Robin, succeed in putting the villain away for good.