Batman #76

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE DANGER CLUB The members of the Danger Club are people whose lives are constantly in danger. When they deny membership to a taxi driver, the man decides to become a racing car driver and ends up dead. His brother, angry at the members of the club, threatens them and not long after this, they start dying in violent murders. To solve the case and capture the killer, Batman decides to join the club himself and he captures the assassin, who is in fact the secretary of the club. THE PENGUIN’S FABULOUS FOWLS! Once again, the Penguin is going to be released from prison, and once again he claims to be "going straight". He claims that, this time, he's going across the world to prove that the birds of myth like the phoenix and the basilisk actually existed. Batman and Robin think that Penguin's idea is insane, but since it will supposedly keep him out of trouble, they let him leave. Some time passes, and Batman and Robin (in their civilian identities of Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson) hear a radio broadcast stating that Penguin has returned to Gotham City with a chartered schooner and an incredible announcement. Suspicious of their longtime adversary, Batman and Robin go down to Gotham Harbor to see the Penguin. Penguin reveals that he succeeded in capturing the mythical birds, and even has one called the "mystery bird", that he promises will be the downfall of Batman's career. Reporters and policemen consider Penguin's musings just a bluff and dismiss him, but the Caped Crusader is still skeptical about Penguin, and decides to follow him to his country aviary. When Batman and Robin arrive in the Batmobile, they are immediately greeted by a frantic Penguin, who claims that crooks had just released all of his birds for his refusal to return to crime. The crooks, still nearby, sideswipe the Batmobile as they flee, temporarily preventing the Dynamic Duo from giving chase. Batman still doesn't believe in the existence of Penguin's legendary birds, until a report comes on over the Batmobile's police scanner stating that a winged lion is flying over Gotham City. The Dynamic Duo take Penguin as they rush back to Gotham, where the winged lion has disappeared and has been replaced with a thunderbird attacking the Billings Building. When they arrive at the Billings Building, the Thunderbird has flown away, and has damaged some valuable art to the point where there are no fragments left. Batman immediately suspects the Penguin is behind it, but with no evidence on him, he's forced to let the Penguin help wrangle up his birds. They trace the next bird, a phoenix, to Gotham Bank, where cash was supposedly destroyed in the fire. Not wanting to take any chances, Batman and Robin deliver Penguin to Gotham City Police Department for holding while they go to stop Penguin's basilisk. Penguin manages to convince Commissioner Gordon to free him so he can stop his basilisk. When Batman and Robin arrive to fight the beast, they start to get frozen by it's glare, until Batman notices a frozen man by the basilisk's feet and learns the secret of the beast. Penguin, thinking the Duo is frozen, proceeds to rob a jewelry store, but Batman captures him and reveals its not the gaze of the basilisk, but a nerve gas it exhales that freezes its victims. Penguin turns the basilisk on a passing bus, forcing Batman and Robin to chase and stop the bus while Penguin escapes to his hideout. The next morning, Penguin has his henchmen release the "mystery bird," a giant Man-Bat, while he and his gang use the Roc to rob Gotham Stadium. Batman and Robin go on patrol searching for Penguin's legendary birds, when they encounter a commotion caused by the Man-Bat. Batman races to the top of one of Gotham's skyscrapers and knocks the Man-Bat out of the sky to the ground, where it immediately breaks apart, revealing Penguin's true scheme: using robotic versions of legendary birds to commit crimes. Penguin and his robot Roc soon fly overhead, and Batman and Robin give chase. Over Gotham Stadium, Batman and Robin use a metal mooring line to stop Penguin's Roc and return him to the bird cage. THE MAN OF 100 MURDERS A famous actor known for his roles in movies as a ruthless assassin is removed from the production of a new film in which Batman and Robin are involved. The actor turns to crime and decides to replicate the murders of his movies in real life, leading to an extraordinary chase which ends up with him captured by Batman.