Batman Incorporated #7

Issue Details

Synopsis

BELLY OF THE WHALE It s raining in Gotham City. Leviathan has captured Batman and the Outsiders have been hospitalized. The Knight is dead. The Robins must rise to the occasion.   In Yemen, Batman Incorporated affiliate group the Kollektiv is investigating a training facility and find the carcass of a whale. Examining it via satellite link, Damian notices damage to the pelvis, and realizes his mother birthed a monster.   At St Malphas hospital, Nightwing is comforting Beryl Hutchinson. Commissioner Gordon is shocked to see how badly the situation is going. At the Batcave, Damian is playing with his cat, when Alfred delivers some food. Damian askes the time to explain what he has uncovered about the Heretic: Talia al Ghul grew a clone of Damian in an artificial womb. At the facility in Yemen, she grew the clone to adult size by gestating it in the body of a whale. The clone was then taught to kill using the facility's stock of superhumans. Now it serves Leviathan.   Wingman arrives at Batcave East, with the rest of Batman Inc to meet him there. Damian wonders if they can trust him, but Alfred points out that Jason Todd, having worked for both of Damian's parents, has chosen Bruce and wants to redeem himself. As they say this, Wingman is ambushed by the Hood, who declares his allegiance to Spyral.   At a Leviathan base, Talia muses to herself as she opens a safe. She has nations and armies at her command, mind-control drugs in Gotham's food chain, and now, the Meta-Material Bomb of Doctor Dedalus: Oroboro. She sets a booby trap in the base, tells the Heretic to bring the safe and departs. Less than a minute later, Red Robin arrives, tracking the tracking beacon in Batman's belt, and finds it wrapped around a statue of the goddess Kali. Seconds later, the building explodes.   At Wayne Enterprises HQ, Ellie, the receptionist, is shocked when a new security guard starts shooting people. The arrival of Talia al Ghul distracts him enough for he to get away.   Batman comes to with the voice of Talia al Ghul in his ear. She explains that he is covered in chains, trapped in an airtight safe, deprived of his boots and running out of oxygen. The challenges of the night have allowed her technicians to gauge, with accuracy, how long it will take for him to get free. By thee time Batman gets loose he will be too late. Talia departs, gloating that she has defeated Batman at his own game and should probably become his "arch nemesis".   At the Batcave, Damian realizes he needs to get out and save the day. Partly to prove he is a true son of Batman, but mostly because he is a true son of Batman. Alfred, sympathetic, hands him the Robin costume and asks him to say that he overpowered Alfred.   As Leviathan forces devolve the situation around St Malphas' into a full-blown riot, Damian takes up the mantle of Robin and shows Alfred how much his approval meant by disabling all the security locks, stealing the Robin jet-armor and flying to the rescue!