Detective Comics #8

Issue Details

Synopsis

SCARE TACTICS After breaking into Gotham City's Disease Control Laboratories, Catwoman has been overcome by fear and panic. She sees herself as being pursued by Poison Ivy, who is supposed to be working for good among the Birds of Prey. Catwoman has been affected by Scarecrow's Fear Toxin, and her pursuer is actually Batman, who, once he has a hold of her, gives her the antidote.  Fifteen minutes ago, Batman had been contacted by Scarecrow with a threat that in just one hour, he would make a hostage suffer unless Batman performed three tasks for him. The first task was to catch Catwoman breaking into the lab; the second, to deduce with whom she was going to rendezvous and where; the third, to find them when and where they do.   Catwoman has stolen anti-fear toxin capsules from the lab, meant to be used against the Scarecrow. Batman demands to know where she was planning to take them, but her head hasn't cleared enough. He aggressively tries to make her wrack her brain for the information, but all he manages to get out is the name "Digger Jones," and the location of a paper plant on Printer's Row.   Batman finds that the old paper plant is being used to hold illegal dogfights. When he kicks down the door, the patrons scatter. Quickly, he demands to know where Digger Jones is, and a few stragglers point him out as he escapes through a back door. Batman catches up quickly, and captures him. Batman ties Digger up and slathers him with a bloody porterhouse steak, using the threat of the hungry dogs as incentive to tell him where the capsules were meant to go. Fearfully, Digger spills that the hand-off was to be at the old private school at the end of Dearborn Street.   Afterward, Batman receives a call from Scarecrow, who congratulates him on a job well done. Inadvertently, Scarecrow reveals that he is watching Batman, and the vigilante catches a glimpse of him running from the scene and gives chase. He catches up, and the Scarecrow reveals that while there is no hostage, there will be a victim. By completing the third task, Batman will save a life, but Scarecrow will also see one of his enemies defeated. Batman believes that he can beat this game even if he hands Scarecrow over to police. The madman warns that the victim can be found at the Dearborn address before Batman ties him to a chimney and tips off the Commissioner.   Outside, Batman discovers several imposters dressed up as the Scarecrow, and takes most of them out. Inside, Eli Strange is overseeing an operation for his father Hugo Strange. The boy is happy to be allowed to oversee things, but Hugo warns via satellite that the police are en route. He orders Eli to abandon plans to load the vans with chemicals, and get out. Their discussion is interrupted by the appearance of Batman.   Batman corners Eli, and begins threatening him with even more violence if he doesn't reveal where the child that Scarecrow warned him about is. Looking at the photo he was given, he suddenly realizes that Eli is that child, but grown up.   After turning Eli in to the police, Batman discovers that though Eli claims to be the son of Professor Hugo Strange, his birth certificate shows him as Elliot Montrose, son of a deceased Julia Montrose. He was adopted by middle-class parents, and was so intellectually gifted that he graduated from college at the age of ten. He worked at the Pentagon by age 17, but his two superiors died in separate freak accidents, and within the month he was in Gotham.   Batman realizes that Eli was never a victim - Gotham City was to be the victim. Mass produced fear-toxin could have caused a catastrophe. At least for the time being, that catastrophe has been averted. WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE Suffering from some kind of injury, Two-Face struggles back to his hideout, where a team of spiritually influenced surgeons patch up his wounds.   Thirteen days prior, Two-Face had been visited by a man named Harden who claimed to have been sent by prosecutor Dominic Sterano. He explained that the evidence against Harvey Dent was contaminated, and all charges have been dropped. This means that Two-Face should be able to reclaim his job as the District Attorney of Gotham City. However, Sterano wanted a meeting first. This makes Two-Face suspicious, as Sterano's antagonism for Harvey Dent is well known.   Suspicious, Two-Face has Harden taken away and tortured after finding that Sterano has been conveniently out of town rather than able to confirm that he sent Harden. While Harden is tortured, Two-Face's man McMurphy receives a call that reveals that Harden was sent by Sterano. Even so, Two-Face is sure that there is someone else who has something to gain by wanting to kill him.   Two-Face has Harden released and dropped off at the E.R. His coin landed on the good side.