Batman: Shadow of the Bat (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1995. It was published on August 17, 1995.
Synopsis for "Ratcatcher: The Secret of the Universe, Part One"
Thomas Blake tries to enter the Cat and Fiddle, but the bouncers tell him he's banned from every casino in Gotham City. He's a wanted criminal, and they're going to call the police. Blake leaves, thinking they'd better make the phone call quick, but he returns later as Cat-Man to steal the casino's money.
Batman hears of the robbery on the police radio, and he intercepts Cat-Man on the rooftops. The two fight. Cat-Man eventually lands a hard punch on Batman's face and runs away. Batman catches up to him, but a loud shriek sends him running to foil another crime. Cat-Man escapes this time.
Catwoman, meanwhile, breaks into the South Seas Museum while it is hosting a Pacific Cats Expo. She is about to steal a cat statue when two men approach her and say they are the Council of Three. Their third is missing in action, and they wish her to steal something for them. They'll pay her a million dollars.
They tell her that years ago Thomas Blake came to their island and asked to study the rituals of their cat cult. They refused him because he wasn't one of their people, and in revenge, Blake stole the carving and the cloth that wraps it were imbued with magical power and that they would be worth a fortune on the black market. He waited until all the people were in a dream-trance before stealing the statue and murdering its guards. The possessor of the cloth has the luck of the cat, and ever since they lost the cloth, they have lost their luck. Now that they've found Cat-Man again, they want their luck back.
Catwoman takes the job.
Batman finds a large group of rats robbing a pharmacy, and he knows it has to be Ratcatcher's work. Batman calls the prison to demand they perform a bed check, and they discover Ratcatcher missing. He is in the sewers performing experiments on the rats, making them bigger and more intelligent. He declares this the birth of rattus sapiens.
Mayor Krol is interviewed on the news. The reporter suggests he drop out of the race after the allegations made by Marion Grange, and Krol says he's not in this business for the good of the people. The reporter reminds him he's on TV, and he gulps.
Breaking news interrupts them--an eleventh pharmacy has been robbed by rats tonight. Batman and Alfred Pennyworth watch in the Batcave. Batman believes Ratcatcher will use the water supply to enact his plans, but there are only limited ways he can do so.
He asks Alfred how his Cat-Man research is coming, and Alfred reveals Cat-Man bought his Jaguar Z-Car from a Riverside dealer anonymously with cash. The gravel on the wheels suggest that Cat-Man parked the car in North Riverside where quartzite lines driveways.
Batman leaves in the Batmobile to investigate as Alfred quips, "Rats... cats... bats... it's a veritable jungle out there!"
Cat-Man returns to his lair where the third member of the Council of Three sits, bound. Cat-Man reveals that he's going to kill him and make it look as though Cat-Man died, allowing Blake to live as a free man again.
Catwoman steals a motorcycle from a passing gangster and heads to Riverside.
Appearing in "Ratcatcher: The Secret of the Universe, Part One"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- The Council of Three
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Alfred Pennyworth
- Armand Krol
- Marion Grange (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Gotham City
- Cat and Fiddle
- South Seas Museum
- Blackgate Penitentiary
- Batcave
Items:
Vehicles:
- Batmobile
- Jaguar Z-Car
Notes
- The three-part Secret of the Universe storyline continues in part two, Catwoman #26.
See Also
- Cover gallery for the Batman: Shadow of the Bat series
- Images from Batman: Shadow of the Bat Vol 1 43
Recommended Reading
The Secret of the Universe | ||
---|---|---|
Part I: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #43 | Part II: Catwoman #26 | Part III: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #44 |