Detective Comics #461

Issue Details

Synopsis

BRUCE WAYNE... BAIT IN A BAT-TRAP Bruce Wayne was kidnapped by Captain Stingaree and his men to be used as bait to catch "Batman #2." Stingaree believes that there are secretly three Batmen (all brothers) and has already captured one (Michael). He also believes that Bruce Wayne is secretly financing them which is why Wayne was kidnapped. A dummy, dressed in Bruce Wayne's clothes, is dumped outside the GCPD Headquarters from a moving car and a few seconds later the dummy explodes.  Commissioner Gordon decides to contact Batman using the Bat-Signal and the Dark Knight arrives and reveals he already knows why he was summoned and where to start looking. While en route to his next destination, Batman stops two muggings in a park while he reveals that he only feigned unconsciousness when he was attacked by Stingaree and soon escaped.   Batman returns to the scene of his abduction and finds some mud which he surmises was left as a clue to Wayne's location. Since Batman is Wayne, he doesn't need to analyze the mud to know where it came from. En route he stops a breaking and entering, then descends into the sewers and awaits the trap to be sprung. The sewer tunnel collapses behind him and hundreds of rats come charging. Batman escapes by flipping along the ceiling on pipes until he reaches higher ground. That tunnel, however, is flushed with high pressure water. Batman clings to the side when a scuba diver arrives and fights Batman. Batman feigns losing consciousness so the diver closes in, then grabs his scuba mouthpiece and gets some air. They struggle until they both pass out.   The diver, Stingaree, awakens first and drags the still unconscious Batman back to his lair, chaining him to a wall. He realizes that Bruce Wayne is free but since he has caught Batman #2, unmasked as Robert Courtney, he doesn't care. Meanwhile Bruce Wayne enters Police HQ claiming that Batman rescued him. THE MONEYBAG CAPER! Tim Trench goes to his office to find Manooch sitting behind his desk. After Tim slaps Manooch around, Manooch says he's there to hire Tim on behalf of Big Willy Cline. They go across the street to Cline's office where Cline offers Tim $500 to be his bodyguard on their way to the airport. It seems Cline tried a double cross and got caught. Tim agrees and the three men go outside. Manooch darts behind some parked cars. Tim and Willy turn to see a car fast approaching. Tim rescues a blind man and calls to Willy to take cover. But the gunman shoots Willy down. Tim then shoots the gunman. Tim then slaps Manooch around some more as he was obviously part of the plan seeing as he dove for cover before there was any signs of danger. The bag containing the $500 is picked up by the blind man's dog.