Detective Comics #462

Issue Details

Synopsis

KILL BATMAN IN TRIPLICATE Captain Stingaree believes that there are secretly three Batmen (all brothers) and has already captured two. Robin, having received an anonymous tip about the HQ of a Hudson University drug operation, goes through the snow to a cabin. As he approaches, an avalanche of snow lands on him.  Early the next morning, Batman gets a call from Commissioner Gordon saying that a block of ice, in which Robin is embedded, is sitting on the GCPD Headquarters' doorstep. Batman arrives as do three criminals who attempt to steal the block of ice. Batman defeats them and Gordon points out that the weather is 50 degrees and the ice block isn't melting.   Batman takes the ice back to the Batcave and uses a blowtorch on it but realizes the heat is causing the ice and the entire cave to get colder. Realizing this is the trap, Batman calls to Jerome Courtney, who is dressed as Batman, to switch places. Jerome finishes the work and is frozen himself. Stingaree arrives at the Batcave having placed a tracer inside Robin's ice block, and takes the frozen Batman back to his HQ.   He unmasks him and prepares to kill all three Batmen when three more Batmen show up. Stingaree and Batman fight while the two other Batmen vanish. Batman taunts him to summon his "crew" only to find that Stingaree is working alone. Apparently Batman had not captured Stingaree earlier because he wanted the entire crew. Robin and the Flash appear - they were ready to join the fight if necessary. Flash reveals that he had moved Batman at superspeed making it look like there were three Batmen earlier. Flash then uses his vibration powers on the ice also revealing that Captain Stingaree learned the secret of that ice from his old cellmate, Captain Cold. Afterwards Flash leaves.   Batman later explains his deductions to the Courtney triplets, Robin and Gordon that Stingaree captured the Batmen so he could secretly take his place and run illegal activities. Batman also discovered the secret the Courtneys did not want known, that Captain Stingaree is their secret "fourth" quadruplet - Karl Courtney. CLUE OF THE TALKING ORCHID Ralph and Sue attend the New York Film Festival and are approached by an old woman calling herself Orchid Annie who wants to steal Sue an Orchid Corsage which Ralph buys. During the film, Ralph and Sue hear a voice from the corsage mentioning a kidnapping. Ralph changes to Elongated Man and goes looking for Orchid Annie and discovers her to be a man in disguise. They fight until the man Ralph now calls Orchid Andy reveals that the fight was just to keep him busy. He reveals that a colleague impersonated Ralph's voice through the orchid telling Sue he needed help enabling them to kidnap her. He promises to let her go if Ralph delivers a package to G. Stephan Cravett who lives in the penthouse of the Endicott Building. Ralph takes the package and stretches to the top floor where he spots some guards. He creates a diversion by stretching his hand to the far side of the building and rustling a bush. The guards go to investigate and Ralph sneaks in. As he pulls the package from his belt, he spots the corsage and realizes he's been had (without the corsage, Sue couldn't be contacted and kidnapped). He returns to Andy and hands him the package. Andy panics as the package is a bomb but Ralph reveals that he has disarmed it. He has the man arrested and returns to the theater.