Detective Comics #10

Issue Details

Synopsis

ON THE BRINK In the Gotham City Business District, an armored car from the Gotham City Trust is suddenly cut off by an unmarked van. Suddenly, the door of the van opens, and the drivers find themselves under fire by the van's inhabitants. The armored car crashes in an explosion, and though the drivers manage to get out alive, they are soon shot to death by men dressed in Batman costumes.   Across town, Bruce Wayne makes another attempt to visit Charlotte Rivers, who has, until now, refused to see him. Something has been plaguing her mind, and she is naturally self-conscious about the scars and stitches that are beneath her hospital gown. She announces that she is moving to Paris on a job offer, mostly because she needs the space. She needs time to deal with feelings of guilt about her sister Jill. Bruce tries to be understanding, but his attention is stolen by noise from outside. He peers out the window, and sees that he is needed. He hugs Charlotte before disappearing.   Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock are in pursuit of the escaping Batman imposters, but they only manage to corner one of them - who dies while allowing his partners to escape. The other Batmen sneak into the sewers, but it isn't long before the real Batman begins attacking them. However, to his surprise, the imposters attempt kamikaze by pulling explosive ripcords while in close proximity to him. It is only his quick reflexes that prevent him from being killed along with them. Nearby, the man who hired the imposters - Mr. Toxic - escapes with the item they stole.   The GCPD Swat Team discovers Batman in the sewer, and allow him to pass unscathed, under orders from City Hall. Batman next visits Gordon and Bullock on the roof of Gotham City Police Headquarters. Gordon explains that the men stole something from the Dunhill Laboratory, where a radiation accident purportedly occurred recently. The lead physicist's body was apparently melted into sludge, as a result of the accident.   At the Batcave, Batman recalls that Dunhill Labs was working on the discovery of parallel dimensions and time travel. Dunhill Labs had been using a Hadron Collider in their experiments. Professor Dunhill claims that the stolen materials were a highly sensitive, corrosive, radioactive substance. It was meant to be transferred to S.T.A.R. Labs for analysis before it was hijacked. Going over the crime scene photos, Batman discovers a pop-up window in one of the photos of a computer monitor. It appears to be spam, but the spam has a distinctive logo in the corner, and it catches his eye.   The logo belongs to HM Industries, who had set up a workshop within Wayne Tower, and have been there for the last nine months under the supervision of Hugh Marder. Investigating, Batman finds that some of the things he's seeing are not among those he expected Marder to be working with. He discovers a strange fluid - a puddle mixed with blood. It moves as if it is being pushed by a breeze. He uses his spectral analysis lenses to determine that someone is still there. Behind a secured door, Batman discovers a huge and fully operational Hadron Collider - with Hugh Marder trapped in the center of it. Marder manages to warn Batman to save himself, but only too late. Mr. Toxic appears, seemingly out of nowhere, and blasts Batman with powerful radiation. THE BIG FALL Harvey Dent is given a rude awakening via a bucket of cold water as he lies bound on the floor of a darkened warehouse. A man who is referred to only as the Leader explains that he is doing his part to rid the world of evil, one man at a time - and the time for Harvey Dent's reckoning is at hand. But when the Leader sets his hands on Harvey, he is taken aback by just how much light still lives within the man who is now called Two-Face.   The Leader takes Harvey under his wing, and for a week he works to bring out Harvey's light side. Harvey himself begins to feel like a normal person; one of the group. However, the feeling cannot last. After just one week, he wakes in the same manner as he had on his arrival. The Leader returns his coin and urges Harvey to go and find his own way of fighting his demons. He cannot help him anymore.   Meanwhile, the people who conspired to have Harvey Dent killed by the Leader are worried that he may still return. The Leader is known to kill those infested with darkness, but if Two-Face is still alive, Tommy and Dominic Sterano will have a full-scale gang-war on their hands. Regardless, Sterano has already informed Two-Face's associates that their boss won't be around anymore, so if he is alive, he will find himself without friends. Sterano and Tommy are interrupted by the appearance of Tommy's girl Lydia, who managed to get past security, somehow.   She got past security because Two-Face killed them, and he bursts into the room, crushing Lydia under the unhinged door. Now, he's come for revenge.