Batman #185

Issue Details

Synopsis

BATMAN, JUNIOR When Batman doesn't allow Robin to come with him on a case, and the Boy Wonder learns by accident that Batman had a partner before him, Batman, Jr. The real identity of Batman, Jr, is John Vance, who is currently working together with Batman to track down recently escaped gangster Birrel Binter. Out of frustration and sadness, Robin confronts Batman with the truth and he learns that Vance was Batman, Jr. for only one case, after which he never worked with Batman again until now. ROBIN FALLS IN LOVE Batman and Robin take in a rehearsal of the "Ice Capers" show they will make an appearance in for charity. While there, Robin swings down and rescues Vera Lovely, a beautiful teen-aged skater, from crashing into a ring of fire blown out of position by a fan. Vera insists on rewarding Robin with a kiss, which a photographer snaps a shot of, and Robin begins to fall in love--hard--for Vera. Batman points out that the photographer never took his lens cap off. The photographer, who had earlier remarked that he wanted to see Vera's first-ever pair of skates, was told by her press agent Paul Garvey that they were in a bank vault until they could be auctioned off at the performance for charity. Robin begins dating Vera, and begins cutting corners, on his crime-fighting with Batman. But Garvey, intent on following his boss's orders for a publicity romance, keeps Robin and Vera separated by various ruses so that she will be forced to go out with Roddy Dale, Miracle Pictures' latest teenage idol. Both Robin and Vera, misunderstanding, are less than happy. The night of the performance, Robin convinces Batman to show up an hour early to watch Vera skate. Batman notes the phony photographer again at the press box, finds out that none of the other pressmen know him, and describes him on the phone to the police. By that means, he learns that the man is actually Ben Keefe, wanted on suspicion of heisting $50,000 in jewels. The detective deduces that Keefe has hidden the jewels in Vera's first pair of skates. Keefe, disguised as a skater, snatches the skates away from their new owner after they've been auctioned and tries to escape across the ice, but Robin stops him by bringing a sandbag down and spilling it in his path causing him to slip and fall. Afterward, Robin and Vera get together, compare notes, and find out how they have been gulled, and the P.R. man repents his error. On their way home, Robin confides to Batman that he intends to keep his mind on crooks from here on in, not girls. ROBIN’S NEW BOSS Batman and Robin are scooped in their attempt to capture some thieves at an airport by Mr. Marvel, a new costumed crime-fighter, who uses futuristic gadgets and rides in a sky-car. In a press conference, Mr. Marvel says that he is a scientist and that he believes Batman's crime-fighting methods are outdated, as lawmen should not have to use fisticuffs. As Mr. Marvel continues to make headlines, Bruce Wayne notices Dick Grayson seeming to hero-worship the newcomer. Finally, Robin packs up and announces he is leaving to become Mr. Marvel's partner. Batman tries persuasion, which fails, and then tells Robin that can stop him from leaving as his legal guardian. Robin replies that he would have to reveal his Bruce Wayne identity in court to do so, and that, after a trial period, he will have his features changed by Mr. Marvel to start a new identity. The two heroes make a strained farewell. Later, Robin mulls over the real reason he has joined Mr. Marvel: to save Batman's life. Earlier, Marvel threatened to kill Batman if Robin did not become his partner, demonstrated his power by using a disintegrator ray-gun on a Batman billboard, and indicated that a device on his belt was tuned into "Batman's frequency" and would send a death-bolt to Batman if Robin did not team up with Marvel. Robin and Marvel continue their crime-busting, but Batman, recovering partially from the shock, suspects that Robin has not given him the true reason for his departure, and begins shadowing the pair. During another encounter with crooks, Robin breaks off the fight, slugs Mr. Marvel, and tears away his belt. Batman joins in the fracas and helps Robin put down the brigands, and afterwards, learns the truth from Robin. Batman braces Marvel and unmasks him, revealing Marvel as an alien. The alien confesses that he and his partner had long observed Batman and Robin from their hovering spacecraft, and that Marvel had made a wager he could acquire Robin as a partner for ten days. He confesses that his belt had no power to tune in on Batman's frequency, makes a lame apology, and is whisked back into his ship by his partner. Batman muses that Robin was only his partner for nine days, so Marvel has lost his bet. The two heroes head for home, reunited again. ROBIN, THE SUPER BOY WONDER! Batman and Robin trail escaped criminal Biff Warner to the Yucatan jungle, where Robin gains super-strength and amnesia from a freak effect of a lightning bolt and battles Batman under the instructions of a rogue Indian. Batman manages to escape Robin's wrath and soon he starts investigating the case. Batman learns that Robin is under the control of the rogue Indian, who is trying to lead the tribe against their chief. When someone tries to eliminate Robin, Batman saves the kid, restoring his memory. Batman then deduces that the rogue Indian is none other than Biff Warner in disguise and after the misunderstanding is cleared, Batman and Robin return to America with Warner as their prisoner after Robin's powers have faded. THE BOY WONDER CONFESSES! When Dick Grayson is late to school one morning, he is asked by his teacher why and he tells them that he was out catching a crook as Robin the Boy Wonder and to prove it, he performs all sorts of acrobatic acts in front of the entire class. The news reaches the press, who immediately make a connection between Grayson and Bruce Wayne as Batman and Robin. However, it is later revealed that everything is part of a plan between Bruce and Dick in order to clarify the fact that they aren't the dynamic duo. They were forced to take this measures after learning that a criminal known as Mister Camera, who has footage of them in their secret identities, is being released from prison and will carry out a threat to unmask them. The plan succeeds and once again, all suspicions are removed from them and later they learn that the footage never revealed their identities THE SECRET OF ANT-MAN Batman is away on a special assignment, and leaves Robin the task of patrolling Gotham City. He befriends a tiny, costumed hero called Ant-Man whom he mistakenly suspects might be Batman. He later discovers that the Ant-Man is actually a mobster named Jumbo Carson and apprehends him ROBIN DIES AT DAWN Batman volunteers to participate in a special military experiment to test the long term effects of isolation on the human psyche. During this experience, Batman suffers a hallucination in which he witnesses Robin being killed on an alien world. The hallucinations persist and Batman is so overwrought that he is incapable of continuing his work. He hands the responsibility of safeguarding Gotham City to Robin. A criminal cartel known as the Gorilla Gang encounter Robin and abduct him. Batman is forced to come out of retirement to rescue him. The mission emboldens Batman's confidence and he stops having hallucinations.