Detective Comics #510

Issue Details

Synopsis

HEAD-HUNT BY A MAD HATTER During the Mayoral Debate between Arthur Reeves and Hamilton Hill, Batman stops a crime in progress and earns the congratulations of the people, except for Reeves, who is determined to bring Batman down and he knows he can with the recent evidence he has been provided.  Meanwhile, Lucius Fox is working late at Wayne Enterprises, when his computer starts acting strange and it blows with a big explosion that leaves him unconscious. The whole scene is watched by a mysterious man who calls himself the Mad Hatter.   The next morning, the Gotham City Police Department arrive at the scene and Commissioner Gordon calls Bruce Wayne to inform him of the events. Lucius Fox has been kidnapped and there is only one clue left behind: a business card. Bruce dials the number and The Mad Hatter demands two million dollars for the ransom of Lucius Fox. As the call is being traced by the police, Bruce Wayne agrees and the Hatter gives him the location where to drop the money.   Later, Bruce investigates the abduction scene and finds connections to the Mad Hatter. After learning that Hatter has been using electronic parts to tamper with computers, Bruce deduces that the Mad Hatter will most likely double-cross them.   True to Batman's suspicions, Mad Hatter doesn't intend to retrieve the money by himself and instead, he will first turn Lucius Fox into a mindless zombie using a special machine of his own creation. Before Hatter can proceed, Batman arrives at his hideout and takes down all of the Hatter's hired thugs, before he confronts the mastermind behind it all. Hatter threatens Batman with erasing Fox's memories and Batman makes a bargain in exchange for Lucius. Hatter agrees and Batman is placed in the madman's mind device. Before the madman can start the process, Batman says that he recalls this foe and that he is not the same as the Mad Hatter he has confronted the past years. The Mad Hatter replies that indeed Batman sould recall him as they encountered each other more than a decade ago. The villain explains that he is the original Mad Hatter and that after he was captured by Batman, an imposter took his place and used his name to start a crime career while he was locked away in a sanitarium. But now, he has escaped and after disposing of the imposter, the real Mad Hatter started a new crime spree.   After revealing the truth, the Mad Hatter activates the machine that will erase Batman's memories. After the deed is done, the Mad Hatter celebrates his victory, but Batman recovers in no time and captures the Mad Hatter for good. When the police arrive to take away the crooks, Batman explains to Commissioner Gordon that he had deduced that Hatter had some kind of mind-machine and that he took the precaution to protect his head gear. Despite the victory over the Mad Hatter, Batman has another concern as Arthur Reeves has declared to the press that he can and will reveal Batman's secret identity. BRIDE OF DESTRCTION! Supergirl and Batgirl are nearing Vesper Laboratories, unaware that Annihilator is ready to snipe at Batgirl from a window. However, Supergirl scans the building and warns her partner in time for her to avoid the Annihilator's shot.   Supergirl grabs Batgirl and flies into the building. Both women try to talk the Annihilator into letting them help him reverse his mutation, but he refuses and blasts Supergirl through the wall and across the city with a psychic blast. His energy blast starts a fire, and Annihilator decides to exploit it to burn the building down. He fuels the fires psychically and vanishes. Batgirl is trying to put the fire out unsuccessfully when Supergirl returns. As Supergirl extinguishes the fire, Batgirl heads off to find the Annihilator.   Batgirl finds him quickly and notices his body has evolved again. As she simultaneously avoids his energy gunshots and attempts to knock him out, Batgirl learns he wants to turn her into another mutant and make her his mate. Batgirl punches him away but he manages to hold her still telepathically. Annihilator fires at her, but Supergirl swoops down suddenly and blocks the shot. Then she rushes to build a prison around Annihilator, using a nearby pile of bricks.   Nevertheless, Annihilator bursts out of the wall and drains Supergirl's energies from a safe distance. Supergirl faints, but Batgirl has come up with a way to defeat him. Barbara blows a fire hydrant open, and the jet stream gets Annihilator drenched and slammed into a wall. As the villain regains his bearings, Batgirl gets Supergirl to come around and asks her to freeze-breath him.   Supergirl's cold blast hits the Annihilator, who gradually reverts back to normal and passes out. Supergirl asks Batgirl how she could guess coldness would change him back, and Batgirl explains she remembered his body changed every time he was exposed to great heat, so she guessed heat triggers his mutation and maybe intense cold would revert it.   Kara praises her friend and leaves Barbara with Kenneth Anderson, both heroines agreeing that they'll have to work together again before long.