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| Publisher |
DC |
| Writer |
David Vern |
| Artist |
Neal Adams |
| Artist |
Jim Aparo |
| Published | March 1977 |
THE MYSTERY OF CHRISTMAS LOST! Dr. Tzin-Tzin, confined in solitary, manages to mentally control an ant and, through it, its entire nest, having the insects chew him a path to freedom. Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and the police enter the cell later to see the ants write "Merry Christmas" to them with their bodies. In his lair, Tzin-Tzin materializes a mystic vessel, which is filled with the Elixir of Nepenthes. He then conjures a bear-demon and then sends it to fight Batman. Then, Tzin dematerializes it and informs Batman telepathically of his own involvement. He boasts that he will rob Gotham of "something infinitely precious" which "exists only in the mind," and stabs Batman in the shoulder with a mystic dagger, which leaves him unhurt. Later, Batman discovers that the visiting Dick Grayson, Alfred, and all the citizens of Gotham are unable to concentrate on anything, with their minds on permanent "channel switch". He diagnoses this as psychataxia, and realizes that Tzin-Tzin means to rob Gotham of its Christmas, which the populace will not realize has come until December 25th is already past. Batman tracks down Tzin-Tzin, fakes psychataxia, and thus learns that Tzin-Tzin has been dumping the Elixir of Nepenthes into Gotham's water supply. He snatches the vessel of elixir away and, severing a steam pipe, bathes Tzin-Tzin in a scalding blast. Tzin-Tzin is not killed, but is badly burned. In the aftermath, Gotham recovers in time to celebrate Christmas, and Bruce Wayne tells Dick and Alfred that Tzin-Tzin will be unable to concentrate and use his magic for months.
