Detective Comics #509

Issue Details

Synopsis

NINE LIVES HAS A CAT... As Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle share a parting kiss after a night out in Gotham City, a silent figure watches them from the shadows of the streets.   When Selina arrives to her apartment, she gets ready to sleep, worried about her relationship with Bruce, but her thoughts are interrupted as Thomas Blake breaks into the place and attacks her. Meanwhile, the Batman makes sure that Dr. Thirteen doesn't remember his encounter with Man-Bat while investigating Wayne Manor and Batman goes home.  In the middle of the night, Alfred awakes Bruce as the silent alarm at the Wayne Institute has been activated. After a quick change, Batman is already on his way to the place to investigate the occurrence. Once inside, Batman is confronted by Catman, who wants to retrieve part of his costume that was ripped in his previous encounter with Batman and Catwoman. Catman wants the cloth in order to restore his scarred face and he manages to defeat Batman in close combat, thanks to a lucky break.   Batman recovers and finds himself tied to wooden posts in some shore close to the ocean. Catman explains that the rising water will soon drown Batman and he will finally have his revenge. As Catman leaves, the water starts rising until Batman is fully covered. However, the water has soaked the sand and Batman is able to remove the wooden posts and save himself.   Batman finds a nearby boat, which he assumes is Catman's hideout. Inside, Catman has Selina tied and he has finally recovered the missing piece of his costume. However, his face is not restored and Selina explains that perhaps the magical cloth has been used too many times and it doesn't work anymore. Angry at her, Catman turns his attention to Selina, but Batman grabs him from behind and a rematch starts. This time, Batman gets the upper hand in the fight and Catman is defeated for good.   Later at the Gotham Central Station, Selina Kyle has decided to leave Gotham again as her past continues to haunt her and she thinks it is best to rediscover herself instead of living a lie. Selina's decision adds more stress and concerns to an already weary Bruce, unaware that he is being watched closely by someone from his past, who is determined to find a connection between Bruce Wayne and Batman. THE FIRES OF DESTRUCTION! Batgirl is wondering how she can take Annihilator down now he has stolen Supergirl's powers and powered-up his energy blasts. Then she notices his scratched hand and his sweaty face and deduces he's only absorbing Supergirl's energies.   Swiftly she throws a tear-gas capsule to distract his attention, swoops down and snatches Supergirl away from him. Annihilator streaks after Batgirl and tries to blast her down. Batgirl struggles to dodge his blasts until she realizes she can shield herself with Supergirl's invulnerable body. Annihilator's energy blasts accidentally revive Supergirl. Batgirl warns her friend she must avoid his energy-draining touch, so Supergirl resorts to her heat beams. Annihilator manipulates the air molecules to form a shield that reflects Supergirl's beams back at her, but suddenly his body starts to mutate further, and Annihilator decides to teleport away.   Supergirl's super-vision confirms he has disappeared with no trace. Batgirl wonders why Batman hasn't appeared yet, and Supergirl reveals her cousin has gone on a mission with the JLA, so Batman must be with them. Hence, it's up to them save Gotham City. Before they get going, though, Barbara asks Linda to build a secret exit tunnel in her friend Jeff Cotton's service station so she can come and go secretely. Supergirl quickly carves out an underground passageway as well as a secret basement to keep her Batcycle.   Meanwhile, the Annihilator is studying his new changes. His first mutation affected his mind and drove him into a rage. His growing mental powers are changing him again, and now he wishes to rebuild Gotham after destroying it, repopulating it with a race of super-beings fathered by him. He starts building a ray gun powered by his energy stone, intending to use it on the woman he will choose to deliver his offspring.   In the meantime, Supergirl and Batgirl try to come up with a plan to defeat him. Batgirl remembers she has seen the v-shaped design on his lab coat before. Batgirl figures out it's Vesper Research Laboratories' logo, and Supergirl and Batgirl head out, hoping to catch Annihilator off guard. Unfortunately, Annihilator's precognitive powers warn him that both heroines are on their way. He waits for them, positioned at a window and intending to use his newly-completed ray on non-invulnerable Batgirl.