DC Database
Register
Advertisement

"A World for Burning": Firefly watches Batman and Robin burn, but then Lynns' dream is interrupted by the sound of a knocking door. The person knocking is the landlord, who wants Lynns to shut up. Garfield L

Quote1 Sometimes the future is even more certain than the past. Quote2
Wiley Dalbert

Detective Comics #714 is an issue of the series Detective Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1997.

Synopsis for "A World for Burning"

Firefly watches Batman and Robin burn, but then Lynns' dream is interrupted by the sound of a knocking door. The person knocking is the landlord, who wants Lynns to shut up. Garfield Lynns had nowhere to hide except at a "hotel for criminals"; as the landlord would take any criminal in as long as they pay the rent.

Elsewhere in Gotham City; Montoya and Bullock arrest a man for drunk driving and a federal warrant appears in their database. They deliver the man whose name is Wiley Dalbert to a couple of FBI agents. As the feds take the man into their car, a flash of light blinds all of them and when the light fades, Dalbert is gone.

Later, Batman and Robin go to the scene to discover what happened in that case. Meanwhile, Dalbert enters the "hotel for criminals" looking for a room. Dalbert gives the landlord a sheaf of dollars and he is allowed to stay. The landlord goes up again to throw out Garfield Lynns and make place for the new tenant. Dalbert notices Lynns' pyromaniac tendencies and decides to pay the landlord another sum so he would leave his own room and stay elsewhere for a couple of nights. Dalbert offers Lynns to work together as partners. Meanwhile, Batman and Robin discover Dalbert's identity but the information isn't enough to learn why is he wanted by the FBI and much less how he disappeared from four highly trained officers.

Montoya and Bullock search the city for Dalbert and they are told by some witnesses that Dalbert was seen at a different place the time he disappeared. Bullock gets mad thinking that the people weren't being serious and decides to let Montoya handle the questioning. Bullock goes to a parking lot to smoke when an officer from the Denver Police Department named John Jones calls him. Jones is looking for Dalbert as well and asks Bullock a few questions. When Montoya reaches Bullock, Jones had left without Bullock noticing.

Shortly after, Dalbert is at the Gotham Library searching for some books and the librarian is curious about Dalbert's old books request and appearance, which reminded her of a man she knew many years before. Meanwhile, the landlord tries to make a reservation at the Ritz Marlton Hotel when he is taken by the security guards after paying his reservation with Dalbert's money. Later, Dalbert and Lynns plan to strike on a jewelry and steal the gems. Dalbert tells Lynns that he would meet him at a certain point and time in the future.

Alfred and Robin are discussing some possible theories of how Dalbert managed to escape when Batman interrupts their discussion as there is a new lead on the case. Commissioner Gordon calls Batman to tell him that the police apprehended a man at the Ritz Marlton for paying with cash that is dated two years from the present. Gordon also tells Batman that the police are on their way to apprehend the source of the cash: Wiley Dalbert.

The GCPD and John Jones arrive at the hotel in order to take Dalbert into police custody. At the sight of the police, Lynns and Dalbert start to argue. Jones and Bullock are about to catch when Jones feels a change in the barometric pressure and again, the blinding light stuns them, allowing Dalbert to escape. A few second later a fiery explosion consumes half the building in fire. Bullock, Montoya and the CGPD are safe but Jones receives the impact of the explosion directly. He is burning and his clothes are completely destroyed.

At that moment, Batman and Robin decide to act, but as soon as they enter the building, the floor beneath them collapses and they find themselves at the mercy of the Firefly and his flamethrower.

Appearing in "A World for Burning"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

Notes

  • This is the first part of the storyline featuring Firefly, Wiley Dalbert and Martian Manhunter.

Trivia


See Also


Links and References

Advertisement