Batman #308

Issue Details

Synopsis

THERE'LL BE A COLD TIME IN THE OLD TOWN TONIGHT! Bruce Wayne meets with a reformed Selina Kyle, the Catwoman, who wants to invest money in Wayne Enterprises as part of her efforts of going straight. Giving her a chance, Bruce agrees and after she has left the building, he asks Lucius Fox to investigate the activities and current profile of Miss Kyle. While on Lucius' office, Bruce meets his daughter Tiffany Fox, who runs Wayne Enterprises' ghetto drug-rehabilitation program.  Later, Batman answers the summons of the Bat-Signal and meets with Commissioner Gordon on the crime scene, where they find the frozen body of financier Jacob Riker, a clear work by the master criminal Mister Freeze. At the same time, another millionaire, John McVee, undergoes one of Mr. Freeze's cryogenic treatments, hoping to have his lifespan greatly increased. As Freeze's treatment starts, McVee's body temperature lowers, his aging processes slows, but the end result is not a success. McVee's body survives, but his brain cells remain frozen, turning him into a living zombie, and is thus added to Freeze's servile "Cold Pack", a group of failed experiments commanded by Freeze. The whole purpose of these experimentations is to recreate his own accident in order to repeat the process on his newfound lover, Hildy, who is secretly planning to kill Freeze after he does so.   Batman tracks down Freeze in his headquarters, but is overcome by the Cold Pack and given the freeze-treatment. However, he has ripped out enough power cables beforehand to ensure that he does not get the full-power treatment, but he still pretends to become one of Freeze's failed experiments. Infatuated with Batman, Hildy starts speaking to the "Batman zombie" about her plans to eliminate Freeze and maybe then, she would save Batman. After listening to her confession, Freeze turns against her and Batman stops pretending to be a zombie to confront Freeze. Realizing that the other zombies obey Freeze's command through the helmet of his Cryo-Suit, Batman shatters Freeze's command-helmet and knocks him down, severing the regulating cable of his Ice Gun in the process. Hildy grabs the gun and fires at them, but the weapon backfires and she is encased in solid ice. Batman is finally able to capture Freeze and takes him to the authorities for the crimes he's committed.   Elsewhere, S.T.A.R. Labs scientists bury the body of Mark Desmond, thinking they have killed him with a radiation treatment intended to normalize him. However, as they leave the Gotham Cemetery, huge hands break the surface of the grave.