Detective Comics #416

Issue Details

Synopsis

MAN-BAT MADNESS! Kirk Langstrom and Francine Lee finally get married, with Batman as their best man. However, Batman is concerned about the Langstrom's possible relapse into their human-bat transformation and for this reason, he provides them with a stash of antidote vials as a wedding present. Aware that the curse of the bat could return, both Francine and Kirk promise to never again use the Man-Bat Serum.  Unfortunately, Kirk is tempted to experiment with the formula while working on his laboratory at the Gotham Natural History Museum. When other scientists start experimenting with high-frequency equipments, the noise affects Langstrom's mind and he believes that there's nothing wrong with wanting to experiment with the Man-Bat Serum. For this reason, he creates another version of the formula, one that would make the Man-Bat transformation permanent. When the high-frequency equipment are turned off, Langstrom returns to normal and is horrified to learn that he has created the ultimate Man-Bat serum. He is tempted to destroy the formula, but following his scientifical curiosity, he decides to keep the vial, locked in a safe. Afterwards, Langstrom hurries to meet Francine at the Gotham Opera, which was another of Batman's wedding presents.   In the opera, Bruce Wayne is among the attendees with Marla Mannings as his date. His main intention is to check up on the Langstroms and make sure that they are normal. Francine and Kirk arrive at the Opera, but when the music starts playing, Kirk's mind is affected by the high frequency of the string instruments and much more with the high pitch voice of the singers. The long exposure to these elements, triggers the transformation into Man-Bat and Kirk realizes with horror that he had left Batman's antidote in his office. Francine tries to give him her own vial with the antidote, but it is shattered by the high pitch voice of the soprano. With his only salvation destroyed, Man-Bat flies away, scaring the audience with his presence. When Marla decides to go after the big news, Bruce is able to change into Batman and follow the fearsome Man-Bat outside the opera.   Man-Bat believes that the curse has returned because of the effects of the full moon and he decides to hide from it on the subway system. Batman follows the creature down there and they ride a passing train, creating fear on the passengers. Their fight causes the train to get off the rails and stop in the middle of the road. As Man-Bat prepares to leave, Batman pleads to his human side to help him rescue the people stuck in the subway and Man-Bat surprisingly helps the people and guides them to the nearest exit. In the meantime, Francine decides to go to Kirk's office and she learns that he had been experimenting with the new Man-Bat formula.   After the people of the subway are rescued, Man-Bat flies away from the place and Batman has a hunch of where he is going. Moments later, Man-Bat arrives at his office, where he finds Francine, but ignores her as he only wants the new formula to remain as Man-Bat forever. Francine tries her best to stop Kirk, but after a while he gets to the safe and drinks the entire vial. However, instead of becoming Man-Bat permanently, Kirk returns to his human form and Batman appears from the shadows, explaining that he arrived seconds before Man-Bat and switched the formula in the safe with one of his most potent antidotes. Finally, with Kirk returned to normal, Francine asks Batman if they could live a normal life, but Batman replies that they can only hope. THE DEADLY GO-BETWEEN! Commissioner Gordon's friend, officer Jim McClean, has been murdered, and the Commissioner has vowed to catch his friend's killer. This prompts Barbara Gordon to do her own investigation as Batgirl. Tapping her father's phone, she overhears a phone message from "Batgirl" telling him to meet her at Park and Elm. Traveling there to catch her imposter in the act, Batgirl finds herself captured by thugs from a group called the Ice-Men.   Unable to warn he father, Commissioner Gordon is tricked by the fake Batgirl and he is lead to believe that Zed Kurtz is responsible for McClean's death. He is also shown McClean's gun as evidence and vows to shoot the crook with his victim's own weapon. However, it is all a trap for Gordon, because Zed and his men are prepared to shoot at the Commissioner at the slightest sign of danger. REX-CIRCUS DETECTIVE! THE CASE OF THE GOLD DUST DEATH