Batwoman #17

Issue Details

Synopsis

WORLD'S FINEST PART 5 - MERCY The coming of Ceto is accompanied by what Batwoman can only describe as a tear in the fabric of reality - but it is so violent a tear. Looking on the monster before her, she can barely maintain her sanity. Fortunately, Wonder Woman's resolve snaps her into reality enough to explain that whatever ritual that Medusa and Maro had performed brought this horror to Gotham City. Thought Diana knows the creature's name, she has no idea how to stop it. Without much else to do, Batwoman suggests that they start by defeating Medusa, at least.   Meanwhile, Bette Kane has been training with her Uncle Jake for this moment. She is facing the man who put her in a coma, the Hook. Unfortunately the monster seems to have the upper hand, until she uses one of her new suit's features: a flamethrower. She scorches his face, and while he cowers in pain, she inserts an explosive into the stump of his arm, blasting the evil hook from the body it had been possessing. As she throws the hook into the bay, she warns her victim to tell the others at Arkham Asylum that he was burned by Hawkfire.   The hook sinks to the bottom of the sea, and takes up residence on the back of a crab. Nearby, Maro's corpse has transformed into the body of his sister Sune. She wakes, and realizes that her twin brother must have been washed away and drowned, leaving only her - but she feels so empty, as she swims for shore.   Meanwhile, in the battle against Medusa and her creatures, Kyle Abbott marvels at his own courage in facing her, knowing that if he were merely a man, he would not have been able to do it. When he rushes at her, he hears Batwoman crying out for him to stop, but it is too late. He catches her eye, and is immediately turned to stone. Upon hitting the ground, he shatters, and Batwoman is saddened to see her ally killed.   She is surprised when she hears a scream from behind her, and turns to see her cousin has burned another creature. Though she has only been healthy a short while, Bette is there to help. Seeing Wonder Woman fighting with Bloody Mary, Batwoman realizes that the woman is really a mirror to be shattered. Together, all three women attack Mary at the same time, and she shatters into shards of bloody glass. Taking up one of the shards, Batwoman warns her friends to look away as she holds it up to reflect Medusa's gaze back at her. Within moments, Medusa herself is turned to stone, and as revenge for the death of Kyle, Batwoman smashes her to pieces.   With Medusa destroyed, the monstrous Ceto seems to dissipate into a fog, which distills further into the body of a nude woman. The woman walks to shore, and turns to Batwoman, asking after her daughter. She crouches over the crumbled remains of Medusa, explaining that she had appeared as her daughter had wanted her to - as the destroyer of the world. However, freed of her daughter's will, all she wants to do now is erase the tales that have been told of her and her children; the tales of monsters. Wonder Woman is firm in her feelings that the woman will not change, and only death will follow her. Batwoman stays her hand, suggesting that there is still a chance to change it. Softening, Diana takes Ceto's hands and offers to take her to a place where the world will be safe from her - and she would be safe from the world.   As The DEO closes in, Bette explains her new codename, and Kate is filled with pride. Wonder Woman, not eager to meet the DEO agents makes for to leave, but before she does, Batwoman admits that she had been tasked with recording all of her interactions with the amazon, and offers the camera over to her. Destroying it, Wonder Woman is impressed with Batwoman's integrity, and offers her help if ever it is needed.   Agent Chase is angry that the camera was not recovered, but she falls silent when she sees that Batwoman has more important things on her mind: the children. All of the kidnapped children are now free, and Batwoman is relieved to see them all safe, and eager to get them all home.  Remembering how Detective Maggie Sawyer's reputation had been marred by her inability to find the children, Batwoman leads them into the park where Maggie sits, dejected and shaken. Maggie is filled with surprise when she all of the lost children following the vigilante, and she asks whether that is all of them. Batwoman responds "Yes, Mags", and Maggie realizes that her girlfriend Kate has been under the mask the whole time. Without hesitation, Batwoman takes Maggie in her arms, kisses her, and asks her to marry her.   One week later, Director Bones tracks down a certain sarcophagus, and inside it, he finds Beth Kane, still very much alive, and still certain that she is Alice Lidell.