Batman and Robin #40

Issue Details

Synopsis

SUPERPOWER  PART 3 - THE DYNAMIC DUO Answering the call of the Justice League, Damian Wayne now flies among its heaviest hitters, on the way to stop a creature attacking an island off the coast of Nagasaki. Ahead of their arrival, Batman scans the creature and discovers that it is completely cybernetic, allowing him to give his son a rare okay on inflicting maximum damage to an opponent - facilitated by the emptiness of Ghost Island. It is imperative, though, that they destroy it before it gets to the mainland and harms innocents.   Discovering a hitherto unknown ability to use heat-vision, Damian partners with Superman in taking down the creature's extremities. Cleverly, he teams with Shazam to shove a radio tower down the creature's throat, and use it as a lightning rod, to take the brunt of the bolt that comes when Shazam says his name. This destroys the monster, and despite their pride in him, Damian is still rather arrogant about his being responsible for their success, suggesting that the League should feel free to contact him should he be needed on a future mission. After Damian has got into the safety of the Batplane, Bruce takes Superman and Wonder Woman aside to thank them for helping to arrange a low-stakes threat that he could use to help drain Damian of his power. Returning to the plane to take Damian home, Batman says nothing of the true nature of their mission.   Gleefully, Damian regales Alfred with the details of his battle, becoming excited enough to disturb the old man by tossing him around like a toy. Over dinner, Bruce and Alfred watch as Damian eats far more than is normal, thanks to his new metabolism, and then promptly falls asleep at the table. Sighing, Bruce puts him to bed, and discovers that without his knowledge, Damian had completed the unfinished painting of his family, with his adoptive brothers and father, by himself. Happily, Bruce and Alfred set the portrait on the wall, among the other family portraits. Alfred wonders, though, whether Bruce's plan to drain Damian worked. Bruce hopes it did, but above all, he was proud of how Damian handled himself in the field. Alfred comments that he is proud of Bruce for how he is handling fatherhood.   The next morning, Damian wakes with Titus at his side, and notices that Bruce found his note and painting after he fell asleep. While examining the empty envelope, he gets a papercut, and realizes that besides invulnerability, heat-vision is no longer among his abilities either. Determined not to be powerless, he attempts to fly out the window of his room, and nearly falls two stories.   That evening, Bruce admits that he is not upset to learn that Damian's powers are failing. He doesn't know what the nature of Damian's powers was, but he is glad they are gone. Being just Damian is going to have to be enough for his son. Damian admits that it will have to be, but he will miss flying. Alfred interrupts to point out that the Bat-Signal is shining in the sky, and father and son hurry to the Batcave and beyond, to face whatever threatens Gotham. En route, Damian notes that his father is smiling. Bruce is just happy to be back to normal.