Beware the Creeper

At the Ace Chemical Plant, news reporter Jack Ryder is anchoring a live TV special on the career of the Joker, starting with his encounter with Batman at the plant that ended with his life-changing tumble into a vat of chemicals.
Joker, watching from above, decides to stage his own tribute to that fateful day, entering onto the scene, dosing Ryder and his crew with his trademark laughing gas, and then "re-enacting" his confrontation with Batman by tipping Ryder into another large vat of chemicals. Batman, having glimpsed Joker on the television, is quick to arrive at the plant with Robin. While Joker's henchmen keep them busy, Joker occupies himself with pushing the hapless Ryder back into the chemical soup every time he tries to climb out. For his finale, Joker gives Ryder an exploding cigar causing the chemicals to explode. Joker then fights Robin knocking him into the plant's controls causing the tank to flush into the nearby sewer, forcing Batman to try and save Ryder, letting Joker escape.

Ryder's burning coat is seen dissolving into the chemicals and he is presumed dead, but in fact Ryder has survived, and had a bizarre reaction to the combination of Joker gas and the chemicals: he is transformed into an extraordinarily strong and agile maniac with yellow skin, green hair, and a rictus grin. Ryder runs around town for a while and decides that he should get revenge on the Joker. Ducking into a thrift store, he assembles a bizarre costume, preparing for a new career as a crime-fighter. He uses his own credit card, alerting Alfred to the transaction. Alfred then alerts Batman to the Creeper's location.
Joker returns to his hideout upset that someone is stealing his image. However, he finds that his henchmen are gone, Harley has given them the night off, so she can throw a special, private party for Joker's birthday. She rises out of a giant pie and offers to play but Joker predictably, tosses Harley out on her ear telling her to "find the plagiarist who's been stealing my act!"
Ryder's finds Joker's thugs at the Stacked Deck, he demands Joker's whereabouts, dubbing himself (based on one of Mo's remarks), "The Creeper!" The three thugs attack Ryder but he has no trouble taking them down. Harley starts moping outside the club when Ryder catches site of her. Feeling an intense attraction, he accosts her, demanding "the inside story on the Joker... and your phone number."

Harley runs from the club and Ryder is instantly after her. She tries to kill him by dropping a heavy crate onto him but Ryder is unharmed. Pursuing Harley back to Joker's hideout, the Creeper confronts the Joker who throws a vial of explosives at him. However, the Creeper is still unharmed and is only defeated when Harley hits him with her hammer into a stack of giant blocks. The explosion leads Batman and Robin there, where they begin their pursuit of Joker and Harley. The Creeper wakes up and pursues Joker and Harley as well. However, being in the Jokermobile he accidentally unleashes missiles behind him. He then attacks Joker. Although his mania is benign, his methods are so extremely wild and frantic that even the Joker begs to be arrested, crying "He's a lunatic!" Batman cuffs Joker and injects the Creeper with a sedative.
Back at Ryder's apartment, Batman applies a skin patch that returns Ryder to his normal state. Before leaving him to rest, Batman warns him that the patch must be left on to counteract the chemicals. After they leave, Ryder examines the skin patch curiously, finding it hard to believe that a "little piece of cotton" can make such a big difference. Outside his apartment, there is a small sound of tearing fabric, and soon the Creeper's demented laughter is pealing from the window.

The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne

Out on a closed bridge, a solitary woman, Judge Maria Vargas goes to a meeting with a couple of thugs unaware that Batman is following her. The thugs demand money but she says that they were to make a trade. The men show her a videotape and she hands over the money. However, the thugs claim it's not all there and demand another hundred grand. Vargas insists she can't afford that much but the thugs refuse to listen. Batman decides it's time to reveal himself and attacks the thugs. During the chaos, the tape falls onto an I-beam hanging from the bridge and Vargas desperately goes after it. Unfortunately, she loses her balance and is knocked out on the girder. Batman manages to save her but the tape falls into the water below and the thugs escape.
The police later arrive and take Vargas to the hospital. Although she's not hurt badly, she'll be out for a while and cannot provide any information leaving Commissioner Gordon to wonder what she was so afraid of. He insists that Vargas was an honest woman and had nothing to hide so he's sure that blackmail was out of the question. Batman, however, isn't too sure about it. Continuing with his wonderings, Gordon mentions that Vargas had just gone on vacation at a relaxation resort the Yucca Springs Health Resort that happens to belong to Daggett Industries. Batman figures that there's a connection and decides to pay the place a visit.
Wayne heads out with Alfred and schedules an appointment with Dr. Hugo Strange, the same doctor that treated Vargas. Wayne is placed upon a machine that Dr. Strange explains will lower his defenses. Wayne isn't too sure he wants to be subjected to the treatment but Dr. Strange goes ahead with it anyway. He asks Wayne about his childhood, and while Wayne isn't willing to talk about it, but Dr. Strange's machine reveals his thoughts on screen. Seeing that Bruce lost his parents, Dr. Strange presses the issue and discovers that Bruce Wayne is in actuality Batman. Wayne leaves more stressed than before but unaware of the true nature of Dr. Strange's machine. Dr. Strange, however, is intrigued by his newfound information.
Later, Dr. Strange calls up the Joker and tells him that he has something that would be interesting. Meanwhile, Wayne decides to take advantage of Dr. Strange's absence and examines his machine. Discovering a batch of tapes he finds Vargas' and watches it. The tape reveals that as a child she accidentally started the "Great Gotham Dock Fire" when she was playing with matches. Realizing the purpose of the machine, Wayne checks to see his tape but discovers that it's missing.
Elsewhere, the Joker, Two-Face, and the Penguin arrive with some rather heavy bags. Alfred witnesses the three crime bosses entering the resort and discovers that the bags contain money. He calls Wayne who is erasing the tapes, and warns him to escape. However, Dr. Strange and his thugs discover and kidnap him. Unaware of this, Wayne realizes that Dr. Strange is going to auction off his secret and decides to make a new tape just before he destroys the machine. Dr. Strange and his thugs arrive, but they are too late to save the machine. They capture Wayne who is strangely apathetic and lock him up.
With his enemy locked away, Dr. Strange starts his auction, which quickly reaches the millions, but the Joker decides that they should "pool their assets." However, unbeknownst to Strange, Wayne has escaped. Batman connects a new link to the screen and the video shows Dr. Strange claiming that his plan was to imagine Batman to be anyone he wanted and Batman's enemies would believe it and pay a fortune. Enraged at this, the three villains attack Strange who tries to escape. However, the villains catch up with him at the airport and take him for an unfriendly ride. Desperate to save himself, Strange tells the villains that Bruce Wayne is Batman which falls on deaf ears. The trio prepares to throw Strange out of the plane but Batman, who had climbed onto the bottom of the plane, cuts the fuel tubes forcing them to land. The villains threaten Batman, but he manages to disarm them and the police arrive taking the three into custody.
Gordon reveals that Judge Vargas has confessed to her guilt but Batman points out that she had nothing to fear since it was an accident. Strange, however, is not convinced that he has lost. He has already figured out that Batman imagined the fake tape and he knows Batman's true identity. However, much to Dr. Strange's surprise and dismay, Bruce Wayne walks up next to Batman. Batman then explains that he knew of Dr. Strange's scheme and had Bruce Wayne pretend to be Batman. Now confused over the accuracy of his original theory, Strange is taken away.
When everyone is gone, Bruce Wayne removes his mask revealing himself to be Dick Grayson wearing Wayne's clothes and leg extension braces to look taller. Batman then decides to go home, believing he's had enough vacation.

Christmas with the Joker

It's Christmas at Arkham Asylum, and all of the sociopaths are decorating and singing Christmas carols. The Joker is in the middle of the asylum choir, and naturally changes the words to "Jingle Bells"((singing) Jingle Bells, Batman smells. Robin laid an egg. The batmobile lost a wheel and the Joker got away! Crashing through the roof, in a one-horse open tree. Busting out I go, laughing all the whee! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!
)before making his escape on a rocket-powered Christmas tree. Meanwhile, back at the Batcave, Robin tries to convince Batman to kick back and relax as there's no need for them to go out on Christmas. Batman believes otherwise since Joker has escaped. Robin makes a deal with Batman: if they go out on patrol and find no sign of the Joker, then they'll return home and watch It's a Wonderful Life. Batman agrees and the duo heads out. All seems quiet in Gotham for a change and Robin is convinced they aren't needed. Batman is his usual self: seeing a man running after a rich old woman and believing that she's going to be robbed, he heads out after them. However, the man calls to the woman and tells her that she dropped a package a couple of blocks back and returns it to her the lady thanks him & gives him a kiss on the cheek. Robin asks to go home and Batman silently swings off. "He could give lessons to Scrooge." The dynamic duo returns to Wayne Manor for dinner and Batman finally relents and decides to give It's a Wonderful Life a try. As they settle in for the movie, However, they discover that It's a Wonderful Life isn't on. Instead they find that Joker has hijacked the television waves and has a "Special" for Batman. Joker shows a tank with a giant Santa Claus on top crashing through the city. The show is announced to be "Christmas with the Joker." Batman and Robin instantly work to find the Joker's location by checking power surges and head out to find him. Joker mentions that since he doesn't have a family of his own to spend Christmas with, he's stolen one: The Lawful Family, consisting of Gordon, Summer Gleeson, and Detective Bullock. Joker tells Batman that he can have them if he can find them by midnight. If he fails, they will die. However, before Batman and Robin can reach him, Joker reveals "Laughy" his own Christmas Elf. Laughy and Joker explain that they will blow up a rail bridge just in time for the 11:30 train to arrive. Summer becomes agitated and explains that her mother is on that train. The Batmobile pulls up alongside the train and Batman and Robin split up so Robin can uncouple the passenger cars and Batman can find the engineer. Robin manages to stop the cars with ease, and Batman crawls up to the engine, grabs the engine and dives off the train to safety. The train continues off the bridge and blows up in the valley. In retaliation for his latest prank being sent awry, Joker blows up his studio audience which are cardborad. Batman and Robin return to the Batmobile, where Batman reveals that he's isolated the Joker's broadcast signal, and that it's coming from Mount Gotham. They race towards the observatory and find a present by the radar antenna. Batman suspects a trap, and sure enough the present bursts open to reveal a Joker-style jack-in-the-box. While the duo is distracted by more of Joker's threats, the observatory telescope reveals itself to be a giant cannon and zeros in on Batman and Robin. They take off running as the cannon begins to fire, and the Joker cuts to a commercial.
We resume to find Batman and Robin still evading the cannon. This time they split up, with Robin heading inside the observatory. Batman causes the cannon to fire on the radar antenna, and Joker sends the cannon out of control, firing on Gotham City. Robin enters the observatory and finds a line of Joker dolls with machine-guns as hands. Robin rolls out of the way from the gunfire and dodges behind a pillar. Batman tells him to do "Operation Cause and Effect," which seems to consist of throwing a grenade at the cannon's control panel. Robin rejoins Batman outside of the observatory, and Batman admits he doesn't know what to do next. Back on Joker's show, Joker brings Summer over to open up her Christmas present. She opens it and pulls out a Betty Blooper doll. Joker reveals that the doll is going to be wound up and set loose on Gotham City, but this time he's overplayed his hand. Batman realizes that Betty Blooper dolls haven't been made since the Laffco Toy Factory shut down 10 years ago. They head to the abandoned factory. Joker's been waiting for them, however, and he starts "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" blasting through the factory's loudspeakers and then automates three giant Nutcracker robots to attack Batman and Robin. The team quickly takes them out, Just then, the song switches to "the Russian Dance" and toy planes fly after the duo. Batman grabs up a baseball bat and smashes most of them while Robin catches the rest in an oil barrel. Just as the planes are finished off, but Donner and Blitzen show up on the catwalk to start shooting down at them. Batman and Robin evade their fire and duck behind a pile of teddy bears. The henchmen open fire on Batman's cape, but after they stop firing they realize they've been shooting one of the large bears and it falls off the catwalk,pinning them to the ground. With Joker's men and traps down, the duo sets out to find him but he reveals himself. along with his "Lawful" family, bound and gagged and hung over a vat of molten plastic He's poised to cut the rope, unless if Batman doesn't come and get his Christmas present. Expecting a trap, Batman takes the present and opens it to discover a spring-loaded pie inside. Joker has a laugh Batman wipes the pie loose and races after Joker, who cuts the rope. Batman jumps on top of the vat and catches the prisoners, then turns them over to Robin. He catches up with Joker, who escapes because Batman grabbed onto a pair of fake arms inside Joker's jacket. Joker races on to the catwalk and trips on a skate, narrowly falling into his own vat. Fortunately for him, Batman saves him and bids him a Merry Christmas. Joker simply says, "Bah humbug!" Back at Wayne Manor, Batman and Robin finish watching It's a Wonderful Life, and we see that Joker is back in his cell at Arkham.

sins of the father

In the middle of the Gotham night, a young boy is being hotly pursued by an elderly police officer who demands the lad returns his donuts. Over fences and through the dingy alleys they go, until finally they reach a dead end. With a keen mind and a display of acrobatics, the youth vaults himself onto a fire escape; however, the window to the apartment is firmly sealed, to the officer's glee. Yet, the little one has one more trick up his sleeve: a Baterang! He wields it with a marksmanship that displays it isn't the first time he's thrown one of them before, and manages to get the cop all wrapped up in somebody's clothes line, allowing him to make his getaway. SSomewhere across town, thugs Manny and Mo are banging on an apartment door demanding 'Drake' to come out and go talk to 'the boss'. When no one answers, they pull out their guns and kick down the door. The place is an absolute mess, and to their surprise – and disbelief – there is a small collection of Batman stories and pictures affixed to the wall in a sort of collage. Just then, the window opens and in creeps the same boy who was being chased by the police. One of the thugs grabs him by the scruff of his neck and inquires where his father is. The resourceful and feisty boy makes his escape using the donuts and some ingenuity with a banister and a floor mat. The guys open fire, unloading no fewer than ten rounds, but all without so much as nicking the boy. Just when it appears that he'll be home free yet again, he runs right into the perpetually coin-flipping Two-Face.
They take the kid to the docks in order to get some privacy for their interrogation. After a few moments, it becomes clear that they won't get any direct answers from the child, so Two-Face orders a search of his possessions. One of the thugs finds a letter to 'Timmy' saying that he has to leave town. Enclosed with the letter is a key. Two-Face must recognize it because he immediately puts it in his jacket pocket and walks away. As he's departing, one of his men asks what they should do with Tim, to which – naturally – he flips his coin: kill him! Before that can happen, a pair of Baterangs whiz through the air knocking the guns from their hands. Enter Batman. A fight ensues! The quick-thinking Tim manages to free himself from his bondage, but not in time to help Batman, who gets bashed with a crane's massive hook, sent his way by Two-Face. He ends up crashing into a stack of barrels filled with ominous red liquid; it's at that moment the two men recover their guns and open fire, resulting in first a fire, and then a series of explosions. Batman, obviously hurting with one arm cradling his abdomen, uses his other arm to scoop up Tim and lunge into the water below, just before an even bigger explosion. Down below in the water, Tim assists the caped crusader, who seems teetering on the edge of consciousness. Two-Face and his men hover above with flashlights in one hand and guns in the other, trying to put an end to the pair once and for all. Thankfully for their sake, Batman is conscious enough to remove a remote control from his utility belt and summon the Batboat. Tim wastes no time helping the wounded hero into the craft, but finds it impossible to understand the controls, resorting to desperately pushing everything he can get his hands on. Compounding his anxiety are the three men above shooting endlessly at the conspicuous boat below them. With the last bit of strength he can muster, Batman voice-activates the autopilot, set to 'home'. After a short, high-speed journey home, the two are welcomed by a shocked Alfred, who never expected to see a boy in the drivers seat. He immediately sees to Bruce's injuries, all the while Tim is having a look around the Batcave. Unable to concentrate on two things at once, Alfred loses track of the lad who has made his way up the stairs, through the clock, and into Bruce's study. The secret is out: Bruce Wayne is the Bat-Man! Just then, out of the shadows springs Batgirl to take him back downstairs. Despite having just attempted to pilfer some cash and a watch, Tim insists he's trustworthy. Batman, however, doesn't seem to care one way or the other, and is merely interested in why Two-Face is after Tim. He divulges that his father used to work for him, but that he's now skipped town, provoking sympathy from Batgirl. With great adolescent spirit, Tim declares that he can take care of himself, and proves it by pulling out his Baterang and using it to slice off a few stalactites. They're impressed. They get back on track discussing the connection between Two-Face and his manhunt for Tim's father, and Tim can only show them the letter that was with the key. From being wrapped up together for quite some time, the paper has developed an imprint of the key, which Batman immediately recognizes – as Two-Face had – as being from Gotham airport. It's there that Batman and Batgirl ambush Two-Face and his cronies, yet, Two-Face manages a getaway with the satchel Drake had hidden in the airport locker. There's only one thing for Batman to do: give chase. Alas! in the end, the mobster gives him the shake.

It's back to square one and time to turn to some basic detective work. 'Shifty' Drake's file is brought up on the Batcave's computer and – unfortunately for Tim – matches a John Doe found floating in the Metropolis River. Unbeknownst to the two bats, Tim was behind them listening to every word. He guesses his father is dead and will never come back for him, and while Batgirl begins to offer him hope and comfort him, Batman coldly confirms that he is never going to return. At that moment, Alfred interrupts, saying there is something that should be seen on television. Indeed, it's Two-Face with his own brand of a public service announcement: if he doesn't get 200 million dollars by two in the morning, he's going to release a deadly gas in Gotham. As Batman openly despairs that they have to find him before he wreaks havoc, Tim says that he thinks he may know where 'Puke-Face' is hiding out: the old Janus Theater. They waste no time; Batman and girl hop in the Batmobile and are just about to leave when it appears that Tim wants in on the bust, but Batman tells him quite plainly and authoritatively, 'No!' After they leave he vents his frustration and Alfred, seeing this, tells him that this is the way things are and always have been. At the Janus Theater, it's two minutes to two and Two-Face orders the masks brought in, obviously eluding to setting of the deadly gas. Just then, outside the room, somebody's cry of pain can be heard, and Two-Face instantly knows what it is and declares, "He's here." Just after one of his goons asks where, the Dark Knight leaps out from behind some crates and decks him! The three remaining cronies try to shoot him, but vaults those same crates their way and they have to scramble out of there. As one is trying to get away, Batgirl swings into action (literally), laying one out. While the fighting continues inside, Tim is just arriving outside the Janus Theater (via the roof of a passing bus), but he looks quite different: he's wearing the Robin costume! Inside, Two-Face's thugs keep the Dark Knights at bay long enough to set off the three-minute countdown to destruction. Just then, he picks up a tommy gun and fires it in their direction, ensuring they can't even get close to disturbing his scheme. All hope seems to be lost . . . Enter, 'Robin'. He does his best to stop Two-Face, but is simply inexperienced enough to watch his back, and ends up in the clutches of 'Puke-Face' after all. Tim wastes no time pulling out his Baterang and using it to cut the ropes holding a large grate above them, in a similar fashion he had earlier cut the stalactites. Two-Face is too quick to be caught (his henchman is not as lucky), but he has nowhere to run but into the path of one angry Bat. Saving the day is left up to Batgirl, who – at the two second count and out of options – rips out the wires from the side of the contraption. Now all she wants is to go home. Tim enthusiastically chimes in in agreement, but gets a stern stare by Batman in return.

Back at Wayne Manor, Bruce is ostensibly training Tim as they batter each other with pugel sticks. He also tells the youngster how it's going to be: Tim always gives him 110%, and Bruce makes the rules. At that moment, from out of the shadows steps Dick. Everyone is ecstatic to see his return.

i am the night

On the anniversary of the death of Bruce's parents, Batman sadly sits in the Batcave. Alfred asks if he's okay, and Batman claims that he's tired. Alfred points out that Batman hasn't eaten or slept for a while but Batman says the problem isn't his body, but his spirit. He checks the newspaper and discovers that Penguin's conviction was overturned due to a technicality. Seeing this only makes Batman wonder if he's really doing any good. Alfred assures him that he is, but Batman claims that in spite of what he's done, the war against crime continues. Alfred gives Batman a package and sadly watches as his boss leaves.

Meanwhile, a young boy asks a couple people for some bus fare which he receives. Taking the money, he happily walks away claiming, "It works every time." As he walks along he sees a child wearing a Batman costume and scoffs at it. To this boy, Batman is a joke.

Out in Crime Alley, Leslie Thompkins accompanies Batman to place roses on the spot where his parents were gunned down. Batman tells her that he keeps wondering if it should be the last time. Leslie tries to assure him he's doing the right thing but Batman still argues against it. Meanwhile, the boy, Wizard, is assaulted by a couple thugs that demand payment for allowing him to work the corner. Wizard claims that he doesn't have the money so the thugs prepare to kill him. Batman stops them with ease but Wizard is ungrateful and one of the thugs falls on the roses left in memory of Bruce's parents. Angered, Batman takes Jimmy and hands her over to Leslie to take him into the Mitchell Street Mission. Unfortunately, the fight makes Batman late for a police raid that turned out to be a setup and in the battle that takes place Gordon is severely wounded by mob-boss/gunman Jimmy "The Jazzman" Peake. Although Batman apprehends him, the damage has been done: Gordon's life hangs by a thread.

Gordon is taken to the hospital and Batman visits him feeling guilty over his failure to make it to the crime scene first. Barbara Gordon doesn't blame Batman for her father's condition, but Harvey Bullock does. Sadly, Batman decides that Bullock's words are the ones he should listen to.

Returning to the Batcave, Batman destroys his forensics equipment and screams in despair.

While Batman is wallowing in his self-pity, Jazzman is sentenced to Stonegate Penitentiary till his case can go to trial. Jazzman is not at all happy about this and knows that there's more than enough evidence against him to convict. A flunky of his tells him that there's a way out of prison and Gotham but Jazzman doesn't want out of Gotham until he takes his revenge on Commissioner Gordon: the man who caught him once before.

Worried about Bruce, who has been moping around for three days, Alfred calls Dick Grayson to try and comfort him. Dick tries to talk to Batman, but his despair is too great. Batman wonders about whom else he'll fail and when he'll die. As far as Batman's concerned, if he dies, there is no regret, but if someone else dies as a result of his failure to protect them, it's unforgivable. What's worse is that he's become little more than a marketing item for the tourist trade. Caught up in his despair, Batman decides that it may be time to quit.

Things take a turn for the worse when the Jazzman escapes from Stonegate through the sewers and heads for the hospital to finish Gordon. Learning that Jazzman has escaped, Dick goes to see Barbara and her father. Barbara is worried but Dick insists that only Batman can save Gordon. However, when he tells Bruce about it, Bruce refuses to even respond. Dick, fed up of his pleas falling on deaf ears, suits up as Robin to hunt the Jazzman down, but Batman comes to his senses at the last minute after realizing just how much danger his friend is in, and stops Robin, preferring to go after the Jazzman himself. The Jazzman arrives at the hospital (with a gun), and knocks a window cleaner out to steal his platform. He raises it until he is level with the window of Gordon's room, and prepares to finish the sleeping commissioner off with another gunshot. Fortunately, Batman arrives just in time and a violent fight ensues. Batman throws the Jazzman through the window and into the hospital room, where he pushes Barbara and the security guard aside and raises his gun once more. Barbara shields her father with her own body, but Batman throws a batarang directly into the gun just as the Jazzman fires, causing the bullet to backfire and destroy the gun, injuring the Jazzman's hand. Just before Batman and the Jazzman can resume their fight, Bullock bursts in with more guards, and the Jazzman is re-captured just as Gordon wakes up, much to Batman, Barbara and Bullock's relief.

Gordon tells Batman that they have to keep fighting and cannot give up. He tells Batman that he wanted to be like him, a hero. Batman tells him that he is a hero and leaves with a renewed spirit.

On his way home, Batman bumps into Wizard again, only to learn that the crook has reformed and is now heading back home, mostly because of what Batman did for him, and thanks the Dark Knight warmly.