Batman #132

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE MARTIAN FROM GOTHAM CITY Batman and Robin, on the way back from a lecture tour outside of Gotham, encounter an apparently alien being who claims to be Karik, from the planet Mars, at war with all Earthmen. He blasts a deserted forest watchtower with an electric ray-gun, brings it down around the two, and escapes. Later, Commissioner Gordon tells Batman that "Karik" is actually Clive Norris, an actor working in a new science fiction film, who fell, injured his head, and became convinced he truly was a Martian. Gordon advises Batman and Robin further that the weapons he carries are all developed by the movie studio's special effects department. When the story gets into the newspapers, Logan, a Gotham gangster, and his two cronies capitalize upon it by claiming to be three other Martians in league with Karik, and use him as their ally in a robbery. Batman and Robin eventually defeat Logan's gang, and the addled Karik wanders back to the movie set and its fake Martian landscape. Robin grapples with him desperately upon a tall prop, until Batman, who has learned that Norris was afraid of cats, drops a feline upon him and scares him back into his right mind. Batman comments that the "Martian invasion" is finally over. THE THREE FACES OF BATMAN When Batman battles the Big Jim Masters' gang at the Gotham Science Laboratory, he is knocked against a giant ray-machine and also sets off a burglar alarm. Two of his gang are caught, but Masters himself escapes. In the days to come, Batman exhibits strange personality traits: when approaching a convict atop an oil tank, a firetruck's bell causes him to become so reckless Robin has to intervene to stop Batman from being shot, and a siren's sound causes Batman to become terrified when attempting to aid a plane in danger during the next night. Afterwards, Batman can remember nothing which occurred during his periods of strange behavior. The police opt to summon Robin to another emergency, rather than Batman. But, when the Boy Wonder combats Big Jim Masters's gang at the Gotham Balloon Factory, he is overpowered and tied to a helium-filled balloon set to be released into the heavens. Masters explains to Robin that he had discovered earlier that the machine he knocked Batman against could trigger personality changes in a subject's mind at a sonic trigger, such as a bell or siren. Batman arrives, and Master's pulls out a hand-held siren. But, even though Batman feigns cowardice for a second, he recovers and demolishes Masters and his mob. Batman reveals that he had deduced what had happened to him and had one of the scientists at the lab reverse the effects of his ray. Robin, to say the least, is relieved. THE LAIR OF THE SEA-FOX The Sea-Fox, a new costumed criminal wearing a diving outfit, and his wet-suited gang are surprised by Batman and Robin in the act of robbing a Chinatown shop in Gotham City of jade, but escape into the sewers after a brief battle. To combat them, Batman and Robin break out the Bat-Sub. They next encounter the gang attempting to loot the River Street Savings Bank from the underground stream below the bank, but, through squid-like ink and sonar-baffling decoys, the Sea-Fox and his crew escape. After a third encounter, Batman and Robin are netted underwater by the aquatic evildoer, but escape by lassoing a jutting rock. They finally trail the gang to their hideout on Fort Island, an abandoned army post, and defeat them with one of the Sea-Fox's own sea-sleds.