Detective Comics #307

Issue Details

Synopsis

ALPHA, THE EXPERIMENTAL MAN! Batman and Robin help train Alpha, an artificial man created by Dr. Burgos, a scientist. When Alpha falls in love with Batwoman he uses the professor's ray device to boost his intellect and power, a measure that will result in his disintegration. As a result of his exposure to the ray, Alpha's power levels are increased, but Burgos explains to Batman that it will destroy Alpha in the end if they can't take him back to the laboratory for treatment. When the heroes try to bring Alpha back, he refuses to go, believing that the humans have turned against him. Only Batwoman has the ability to convince Alpha that they are just trying to help him, but when Batwoman's life is in peril, Alpha decides to save her by risking his own life. Batman and Robin arrive in time to rescue Batwoman, but much too late to save Alpha. Shortly afterwards, the heroes and Dr. Burgos mourn the passing of an artificial form of existence, who died showing his human side. ALIAS SCARFACE SCANLON After several crooks elude capture by spectacular getaway means, one such crook, Scarface Scanlon, appears to jump to his death from a bridge into a river. Accordingly, Detective John Jones is made up to look like Scanlon and takes his place to learn the secret of the getaways. The masquerade almost works, until Scanlon turns up alive and Jones's makeup disguise is removed. Jones is thrown in a cell, which he escapes by becoming the Martian Manhunter and walking through the wall. He proceeds to nab Scarface, turn him in to the cops, and uses his chameleon powers to transform himself into Scarface Scanlon. Since the crooks cannot remove his disguise this time, they take J'onzz for the real Scanlon, and he manages to capture all of the getaway gangsters.