- Created By mayjayann
What Is Reality?
On recent occasions, several Gotham City citizens have fallen victim to a mysterious computer hacker. What's more, a strange riddle is left at every scene. First, a late night jogger tries to make a withdrawal from an ATM, only to have his account wiped clean. With it came the message "Where does a 500 pound gorilla sleep?". Later, the Stock Market is attacked along with the question "What's worse than a millipede with flat feet?" Finally, the Department of Motor Vehicles is attacked, with the riddle, "How do you fit 5 elephants into a compact car?"
Under pressure from the press, Batman and Commissioner Gordon deduce that The Riddler is behind this, and also discover that Edward Nygma (Riddler's true name) is erasing all of his personal records from existence (or as Riddler puts it, "deleting Nygma"). Just then, Gordon gets a message that a crate with a question marks painted on it has been delivered to the Department and it's ticking.
Meanwhile, the Police Records Room is evacuated but the guards turn out to be the Riddler's men and they steal the hard copies stored there. Batman, Gordon and Robin go to investigate the crate and discover that it's a variation on the Chinese Box Puzzle. Robin claims he can open it as he had once solved the "Baxter’s box puzzle in 37 seconds" and off side mentions how he had a sledgehammer. All the same, Robin manages to find the secret way to open the crate and finds that it's a giant computer. Robin is assigned to investigate it while Batman returns to the Batcave.
Later, in the Bat-cave Batman and Alfred try to decipher the clues, and eventually realize that the clues aren't in the answers, but the questions themselves. More specifically, the numbers in the questions (500, 1000, 5). Batman then converts the numbers to Roman Numerals getting the letters D, M & V, indicating that the Department of Motor Vehicles is once again his target. Batman unsuccessfully attempts to stop Riddler's men from stealing Nygma's information. And when Batman tries to stop them Riddler attacks him with a robot controlled van filled with nitro glycerin. Batman manages to evade the van but the subsequent fire caused by the explosion takes up his time as he tries to put it out.
While this is happening, Robin is at police headquarters, examining the computer left there. He explores the mainframe and finds it's a virtual reality simulator. He invites Gordon to try it and shows him the program that Gordon claims, "even feels real." Robin leaves Gordon to get a snack and immediately discovers that the door has been locked. Riddler then takes control of the program and "kidnaps" Gordon by trapping his mind in the virtual reality program. Meanwhile, Batman puts out the fire and Riddler contacts him on a payphone; leaving him a riddle, "Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no tales." The phone then drops out four quarters and a penny. Deducing that a penny is made of copper and copper is another word for police and that the "no tales" meant "no tails on the quarters" thereby leaving him with only head quarters Batman realizes Riddler is directing him to Police Headquarters. And the fact that four quarters and a penny makes one hundred one cents means he's to go to room 101.
When he gets there, he finds Riddler hooked up a cordless modem and Gordon is inside the virtual world, strapped onto a rapidly spinning "swing carousel" type ride. Everything that happens in the program will seem so real to Gordon that his body will react as if it truly happened so his heart is beating at a dangerous rate and simply shutting off the program would be like "hitting a brick wall at 400 miles an hour." After giving Robin a microphone so that they can still talk to one another, Batman goes "inside" the machine to save Gordon.
Batman finds himself in an endless hall of doors and Riddler tells him to find the door that "leads to a plane where kings and queens contend." Unable to figure out the riddle, Batman opens a door at random and finds three question marks that start firing exploding dots at him. Evading them, Batman opens a door marked "crazy intent" which also means "loco motive." The door releases a train that smashes the question marks and Batman moves on. Robin finally realizes that the riddle refers to a chessboard. Finding a door marked 4096 which is sixty-four squared (a pun on there being sixty-four squares on a chessboard) he enters.
Riddler tells Batman that only Batman can put the king in check and that he has to "move according to the rules or it's the end of the day." The pieces attack Batman and he runs from them finding that the tiles break under his feet. Realizing that Batman is the Dark Knight, Robin realizes Batman must move like a knight and put the white king in check. Batman does so creating nightfall and is knighted. Suddenly Batman finds himself riding on a Pegasus. Realizing that Pegasus is also the name of a constellation, Batman has Robin guide him to the proper constellation while the signs of Orion and Taurus attack him.
Finally having made his way through the virtual landscape, Batman finds Gordon is inside a "Baxter's Puzzle Box." Robin is confident he can help Batman open it in less than the minute that they're given. However, Riddler cuts off the feed so Batman has to work on his own. Batman, remembering Robin's previous comment about the Baxter Box takes advantage of the world's "virtual reality" aspect and morphs his hands into sledgehammers, trying to break the box apart.
However, the Riddler responds by stopping Batman and putting the box back together. Batman retaliates by duplicating himself and continuing his work. Riddler duplicates himself to even greater numbers that Batman does. Unfortunately for Riddler, with his consciousness ultimately spread across thirty-two bodies, he no longer has the concentration to keep his world together, and it begins to collapse.
Batman then gets Gordon out, and realizes that Riddler left a clue as to where he is. They find him inside the "World's Fair Exposition" ("If the planet were equitable, I'd still have my old job".) Unfortunately, Riddler did not escape in time, and is found a mind-wiped vegetable.
Paging the Crime Doctor
A lone armored truck drives the night streets of Gotham. An ambulance drives up behind it and the drivers pull over. However, the ambulance drivers pull out a gun and blow out the truck's tires. They then hurl a gas bomb into the truck causing the drivers to pass out and crash. A trio of criminals crawls out of the ambulance and steal its cargo. They muse over how easy the job was but Batman comes to disillusion them of that notion. The crooks put up a fight but Batman manages to force them to crash and proceeds to apprehend them. However, one of the criminals takes hold of the stolen cargo: a surgical laser, and fires it at Batman. Batman's cowl is grazed and though the laser malfunctions, Batman is thrown off balance just long enough for the crooks to throw him from the bridge. They believe Batman is dead, but he luckily managed to land on a trolley car and escapes.
The thugs run off to Rupert Thorne who is going to see a doctor, Matthew Thorne, who specializes in helping criminals. Rupert is skeptical that his thugs managed to kill Batman but he's got other things to think about. He gives Matthew the medical laser but Matthew is upset. Rupert mentions how they're brothers and he thinks that there is no reason for the contempt. However, Matthew relates on how he failed to report a bullet (as is required by law) that he removed from Rupert on his insistence and for that he lost his license. Rupert is unsympathetic and starts yelling at Matthew but he starts having heart problems and falls to the ground.
Meanwhile, Leslie Thompkins treats a few patients and is visited by Batman. Batman falls to the ground in front of her and she diagnoses him with a concussion. She prescribes him some medicine and tells him to stay in bed the whole day but she knows that he won't and reminisces on how Thomas knew Bruce was stubborn too.
Matthew takes some x-rays of Rupert and explains that he has a heart tumor that's pressing against the aorta and restricts the flow of blood into the heart. He tells Rupert that the only way that he can save him is to take him to the hospital but Rupert refuses. Not wanting to see his brother die and eager to recover his license (which Rupert promises him if he helps) Matthew talks about Leslie Thompkins whom can help him. Rupert sends his thugs over but Matthew insists on going with them.
Rupert's thugs go to retrieve Leslie who knows about Matthew's criminal activities. She refuses to help save Rupert and Matthew allows the thugs to take her by force.
Back at Rupert's hideout, Leslie and Matthew prepare for the surgery. Leslie is skeptical that Matthew will really get his license back but Matthew is sure his brother won't turn on him. Meanwhile, Batman checks a fabric sample and learns that the thugs were working for Rupert Thorne and wonders why he would want a surgical laser. Deciding to pay Leslie a visit, he and Alfred find the entire place in shambles. Searching the room, they find a picture of Leslie and Thomas when they were still in medical school. Reading the message on the back, "Thanks for all the good times with my two Best Friends. Love, Matt." Alfred remembers that Matthew was a colleague in medical school. Bruce looks up the school's yearbook and finds Matthew Thorne's picture. Realizing the connection to Rupert, he deduces where Leslie is.
The operation a success, Matthew and Leslie leave the operating room. Unfortunately, Rupert had left his thugs with orders to kill Leslie once the operation was over. Batman arrives outside of the building but one of the orderlies catches him and attacks. Batman is still suffering from his concussion and finds it difficult to fight the orderly. Things only get worse when the orderly manages to get hold of the surgical laser and starts firing on him. Fortunately, Batman manages to beat him.
While Batman deals with the orderly, Matthew wants to leave Leslie alive and take her home but the thugs say that if he interferes with them killing Leslie the deal is off. Matthew agrees to let Leslie die but says he wants it done his way: he'll give her an injection which will be quick, painless, and can be made to look like she died of a heart attack. Leslie is unsurprised at the fact that she'll be killed and disgustedly calls Matthew no better than his brother. However, Matthew sticks Rupert's thug with the injection causing him to pass out. Matthew then tells Leslie that they have to leave. She's surprised that Matthew sided with her but he says that his license isn't worth a person's life. Leslie's relived believing that Matthew is back to his old self. Unfortunately, the thug is discovered by another thug and he calls for help. Matthew and Leslie make their way up the elevator to the roof of the building while Batman arrives and handles the thugs. Unfortunately, one of them manages to get into an elevator and onto the roof.
On the roof, Matthew manages to jump to the next rooftop but Leslie isn't sure she can and only leaps after the thug starts firing at her. She jumps but was right about not being able to make it and just barely manages to grab onto the edge. Matthew tries to hold her up but the thug gets ready to shoot. Fortunately, Batman stops him. Unfortunately, Matthew is unable to hold onto Leslie and she drops. Batman, however, is able to save her before she hits the ground.
Later, Matthew is in jail and receives a visit from Bruce who is willing to help with the legal costs and put in a good word. Matthew is skeptical about Bruce's intentions however, and when he learns that Bruce wants something he promptly refuses. Bruce tells him that he doesn't want anything illegal. When asked what, Bruce replies, "Something you know. Something only you can give me. Tell me about my father." Matthew is only too willing to comply.
It's Never Too Late
In his estate, Arnold Stromwell, Gotham's reigning crime boss, is watching the evening news. The lead item is the worsening conflict between himself and upcoming boss Rupert Thorne. That much he knows, but he is shocked to hear on the news that his son, Joey, has been missing for days. He and his son were estranged, but Stromwell is convinced that Thorne is behind this. He orders his men to set up a meeting with Thorne.
Batman, disguised as a hobo is eavesdropping on Thorne when he receives Stromwell's message, and plots to assassinate Stromwell. On the way to the meeting, Stromwell passes an old rail yard, and has a flashback: two young boys, Arnie and Michael, are arguing on their way home. Arnie has stolen a handful of candy, and Michael refuses to take any. Arnie swears that one day he will "own" Gotham. But as they walk home, a train roars up the tracks at the boys. Michael dives out of the way, but Arnie's shoe is stuck...
Shaking off the memory, Stromwell enters a deli controlled by Thorne for the meeting.
Elsewhere, Batman approaches an elderly priest and asks for his help.
Thorne acts affable, but Stromwell seizes him and demands to know where his son is. Seeming genuinely surprised, Thorne swears he had nothing to do with Joey's disappearance. Calming down, Stromwell accepts Thorne's invitation to sit - then realizes he has been set up as Thorne and the deli owner run out the back. A bomb inside the deli explodes. Stromwell is knocked unconscious, and trapped by the flames, but Batman enters and pulls him free. When Stromwell regains consciousness, Batman confronts him, asking him to give up his criminal ways and turn state's evidence. Stromwell acts defiant, but Batman decides to take him on a "tour" - first to Arnie's old neighborhood, where he started as an ordinary drug peddler, then to Sunrise Foundation, a drug rehabilitation center. Inside, Stromwell is shocked to find his estranged wife, Connie, who is attending to Joey, suffering from severe drug withdrawal pains. Stromwell rages, but is brought up short when Connie said it was one of his own dealers who got Joey addicted.
Appearing contrite, Stromwell agrees to hand over files incriminating himself and Thorne to Batman. But at the empty office he leads Batman to, Stromwell slips Batman a stack of dummy files, and uses his distraction to grab a gun, saying he won't go down so easily, and once he's finished with Thorne, he'll "rescue" Joey from the rehab center. Then they are both attacked by Thorne and his gang, who overheard a bum that witnessed Stromwell's escape at Batman's hands. Batman subdues Thorne's thugs, while Stromwell flees, with Thorne himself in pursuit. As Stromwell runs, he finds himself back at the old rail yard, and remembers the rest of the flashback: Just before the train hits, Arnie manages to get his shoe free, and stumbles out of the way - straight onto the next track as a second train is bearing down on him. Michael pushes Arnie out of the way, and the train roars over him, Arnie screaming "Michael! Michael...!" Stromwell collapses, sobbing "Michael... Michael..." A voice answers, "I'm here, Arnie." The old priest steps into the light - Father Michael Stromwell. He wasn't killed, but lost a leg - something for which Arnie never forgave himself. Out of guilt, he angrily says he doesn't need Michael's help, to which Michael reminds him of the current dismal state of his life: his family is broken, his son is gravely ill, his empire is crumbling, and his enemies are closing in. Michael appeals to Arnie, asking him to do the right thing: "[F]or yourself, for your son, for me, your little brother." Arnie hugs his brother, sobbing.
Then both of them are menaced by Thorne, with a gun, but Batman arrives just in time to save them. The police arrive on the scene. Thorne is arrested, and Arnie, arm in arm with his brother, prepares to give a statement to the police. Batman, his work done, slips away into the night. 
The Mechanic
While pursuing the Penguin's thugs Eagleton, Falcone and Sheldrake in their getaway vehicle, Batman and Robin stop short when a dividing bridge opens between them. The bridge comes down, crushing the Batmobile's front half.
The Batmobile limps to a secret garage operated by Earl Cooper, the Batmobile's designer and mechanic. He says he will need a few days to repair it, and in the meantime gives them two Batcycles to ride.
In the Penguin's hideout, Falcone brings an acquaintance to him, Arnold Rundle who works for an auto parts company. Rundle says that he has traced a pattern of exotic car parts being ordered and sent to one location: Earl's garage. Penguin is delighted.
Penguin and his thugs invade Earl's garage and take Earl and his daughter, Marva, hostage. At first, Earl refuses to help Penguin, who is intrigued to know why he is so loyal to Batman. Earl explains that Batman saved his life, twice. Earl was an engineer for a car company, who quit in protest when the company leaders refused to listen to his warnings about serious safety defects in one of their cars. His former bosses sent thugs after Earl, but Batman saved him. Several months later, Earl had been unable to find another job, when Batman appeared again in his run-down Batmobile and asked for Earl to design and build him a new one. After it was completed, Batman kept Earl on to maintain and upgrade it.
Penguin turns his attention to Marva, forcing Earl to cooperate.
Batman and Robin are called in to pick up the repaired Batmobile. With Falcone watching from the shadows, Earl tries to slip a warning to Batman, saying repeatedly that Marva is down "in the basement," and emphasizing that he has fixed the car's air conditioning.
As soon as they drive away, Penguin follows in his own car, taking Marva along as a hostage and leaving Falcone to guard Earl.
Earl has been forced to rig the Batmobile with a remote control held by Penguin. Penguin has a fine old time sending the car on a crazy ride, with the Dynamic Duo trapped inside and unable to control it. Batman presses the eject button, but it has been disabled. Finally, Penguin decides to end the game. He drives the Batmobile to the roof of a parking structure and prepares to send them off the edge. Batman realizes that "down in the basement" is a slang term in race car driving for crashing. Remembering what else Earl said, Batman presses the air conditioning switch, and the ejector seats fire, launching Robin and he to safety. The Batmobile goes off the edge and explodes, and Penguin believes he has won.
Back at the garage, Falcone receives the news of the Dynamic Duo's death with jubilation. Unable to contain himself, Earl knocks Falcone out and ties him up, then cries, believing that his friend is gone and his daughter is doomed.
Batman and Robin parachute down, and attack Penguin and his thugs. Penguin tries to get away, dragging Marva along, but Batman stops him and rescues her.
Batman apologizes to Earl for letting Penguin trace him, and assures him that from now on, future parts will be ordered through dummy corporations so no one else can. Earl, feeling no regrets, launches on an enthusiastic description of the newer, better Batmobile he's going to build.
At Stonegate Penitentiary, Penguin has been put to work in the license plate factory, scrubbing the finished plates. He comes across one that reads "1BAT4U", and tears it in half in a rage.
Beware the Gray Ghost
In flashback, a young Bruce Wayne is watching an episode of his favorite show, The Gray Ghost. Cutting between the past and the present, the same thing is seen happening in the present as in the TV show: a whirring sound is heard, followed by a massive explosion that destroys a building. The police receive a ransom note, signed "The Mad Bomber." In the show, the Gray Ghost is shown jumping off a neighboring building to investigate, while in the present Batman does the exact same thing.
Batman sees the connection, but does not remember the end of the episode, since he fell asleep before it was over. Bruce Wayne tries to find a tape of the show, but is told that it is impossible to find, as the prints were lost in a studio fire. Looking up the show at the library, Bruce finds Simon Trent, the actor who played the Gray Ghost is still alive, and is living in Gotham.
An elderly Trent is shown living in a seedy apartment, with his landlord demanding the unpaid rent. Trent gets a call from his agent, and finds he has been rejected for another part. He has been unable to get work since his glory days as the Gray Ghost, due to being typecast. In despair, Trent trashes his apartment in a rage. Fed up with his Gray Ghost memorabilia, he takes it all to a toy store, selling it for as much as the owner, a young man named Ted, is willing to pay.
Trent returns home and falls asleep. When he wakes up all his stuff has been returned, and a note from Batman is attached to his Gray Ghost costume, summoning Trent to a meeting.
Trent shows up and Batman asks for his help. Trent says he doesn't remember the details of the "Mad Bomber" episode; he made hundreds of them. He angrily tells Batman to leave him alone, but then the same whirring noise is heard, and the Gotham Bank explodes. Batman goes to investigate, while Trent runs back to his home.
When Trent arrives, Batman is already there. Trent reluctantly opens his closet and reveals old film reels: a complete collection of "The Gray Ghost." He gives Batman the episode, and asks to be left in peace. Bruce watches the film at home (enjoying it), and discovers the source of the whirring noise: radio-controlled toy cars, carrying explosives. Forewarned, he and the police lie in wait at the next target, the Gotham Library. As a set of cars speed toward the library, one is destroyed by a police sniper, another by Batman with a flamethrower. The last car breaks off and Batman pursues it into an alley. At the end of the alley, he finds the car is a decoy, and turns to see another trio of cars racing toward him.
Batman is trapped, but then a rope falls from above, and Batman climbs it just as the cars hit and explode. Reaching the top, Batman finds Trent, dressed in full costume. Batman gives him the toy car, which Trent identifies as an authentic piece of Gray Ghost merchandise. Batman invites the Gray Ghost to help him. Trent hesitates, but then another set of toy cars appear. Both heroes jump into the Batmobile and speed away, managing to evade and detonate the cars harmlessly.
Batman takes the Gray Ghost to the Batcave. The Gray Ghost notices its similarity to the "Gray Ghost Lair" from the TV show. Batman also reveals a special corner where he still keeps some Gray Ghost merchandise from his childhood. He tells Trent he watched him as a child, and that the Gray Ghost was an inspiration to him. Trent says, "So it wasn't all for nothing..."
Batman scans the car for fingerprints, and finds Trent's on it. He turns and confronts him. Trent swears he's innocent, he sold his toy cars a long time ago... meaning the Mad Bomber is Ted, the toy collector. Batman confronts Ted, who is obsessed with toys, and needs the money to buy more. He traps Batman with a ring of toy cars, but then Trent appears in costume and takes him down. A fire starts, and they escape the building before an explosion destroys the toy shop. Ted cries for the loss of his toys and is taken into police custody.
Trent is hailed as a hero, and his career is re-started by the release of "The Gray Ghost" on DVD and broadcast television. He has been offered a part in a film, and his merchandise is now highly valuable. While signing autographs at a convention, he is approached by Bruce Wayne, who says that he used to watch "The Gray Ghost" with his father, and the Gray Ghost was his hero. Having heard these same words from Batman, Trent probably suspects who Bruce Wayne really is, which he acknowledges with a smile.
