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Man-Bat vs. Batman Vol 1 1

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"Challenge of the Man-Bat"

Man-Bat vs. Batman Vol 1 1.jpg

"Man or Bat?"

"Marriage: Impossible"



Image:Quote1.png Man --! You're even more a "bat" than I ever was! Image:Quote2.png
-- Batman


Appearing in "Challenge of the Man-Bat"

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  • Curator Wilkins

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Synopsis for "Challenge of the Man-Bat"

Zoologist Kirk Langstrom is working late at the Gotham Natural History Museum putting together a bat habitat. Curator Wilkins bids him goodnight and leaves Langstrom alone in the museum. Now Langstrom can pursue his true interests -- perfecting a serum that can endow people with enhanced auditory abilties via a specialized bat gland extract.

Elsewhere in the city, a group of thieves known as the Blackout Gang break into a vault. They equip themselves with black body stockings, infrared goggles and ultra-sonic tools that enable them to conduct themselves effectively in total darkness. For all their prowess however, the Batman still manages to get the drop on them. The criminals have a momentary advantage as Batman cannot see where they are, but for every punch one of them lands against him, the Batman is able to throw one right back at them. Realizing that their heist has gone sour, the Blackout Gang escapes from the building. One of them however, mistakenly leaves behind his ultra-sonic cutter. Batman recovers it and brings it back to the Wayne Foundation for analysis.

Back at the museum, Kirk Langstrom is pleased with his progress and decides to test his new formula upon himself. The serum produces immediate results and Langstrom's hearing increases to superhuman levels. The dripping sounds from a leaky faucet drive him from the room. He quickly determines that his eyes have now become greatly more sensitive to light and he deftly shuts off all the lights in the laboratory and dons a pair of sunglasses.

At the Wayne Foundation, Bruce inspects the ultra-sonic cutter and determines the frequency that the device operates off of. He develops a sonar detector calibrated to the cutter's unique frequency. He has Alfred help him to test out his new crime-fighting tools.

Back at the museum, Kirk Langstrom continues to mutate. He grabs his coat and hat, but grows frightened when something pushes his hat off of his head. Finding a mirror, he learns to his horror what is happening. Kirk Langtrom is physically turning into a Man-Bat. He decides that he must go into hiding until he can affect a cure for his condition. He telephones the curator and tells him that he has to leave town for a little while. He neglects to mention the true reason for his departure.

That evening, the Blackout Gang decides to rob the Gotham Natural History Museum. Once they activate the sonic cutter, Batman is able to locate them and track them down. The leader of the gang suspected that Batman might have divined a way to find them, so he confounds his efforts by casting a handful of ping pong balls across the floor. As Batman is wearing a special hearing aid to find the gang members in the dark, he becomes instantly disoriented from the amplified sound of the bouncing metal balls.

Although the Blackout Gang were prepared for Batman, they were not prepared for the museum’s "other" nocturnal guardian -- the Man-Bat. The Man-Bat and Batman team-up and together they bring down the Blackout Gang. Once everything calms down, Batman casts his flashlight upon the Man-Bat's face and thanks him for his assistance. Batman is impressed by the Man-Bat's awe-inspiring "disguise", but the Man-Bat shies away, declaring that he is not wearing a disguise. As the Man-Bat runs off into the night, Batman wonders if he just made a formidable friend... or a foe.

Appearing in "Man or Bat?"

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Synopsis for "Man or Bat?"

Man-Bat hangs from the rafters at Biochem, Ltd. watching a group of criminals breaking into the vault. He bides his time, waiting for them to finish before deciding to pounce on them. Man-Bat cares little about the criminals' illegal endeavors, for he has come for a specific item that rests within the vault -- an item that just might cure him of the mutation that has transformed him into a Man-Bat.

As luck would have it, Batman has likewise stumbled onto the thieves and dives into them. Man-Bat jumps down from the rafters and lends Batman a hand. Once the criminals are defeated however, Man-Bat lets Batman know in not so many words that he needs to procure one item from the vault. He is more than willing to pay for this medical need, and drops a roll of money into the vault. Regardless, it is still a crime and Batman cannot excuse the Man-Bat's actions. As he comes towards him, Man-Bat slams Batman back with the vault door. He backhands the Dark Knight Detective, scoops up the item he came for and runs off into the night.

Batman revives and suspects that Man-Bat may have returned to the place where they first met -- Gotham Natural History Museum. He drives the Batmobile to the museum and meets Francine Lee. Francine is in the middle of speaking to a GCPD officer, explaining to him that she cannot find her fiancée, Kirk Langstrom. Batman introduces himself and learns from Francine that Langstrom is a bat specialist who supposedly made an unexpected trip to Chicago.

In Langstrom's upstairs laboratory, the Man-Bat prepares a formula using the materials he had just stolen from Biochem. Batman and Francine enter the laboratory and startle him. Man-Bat drops the formula before he has the chance to test it. Batman immediately deduces that the Man-Bat is in reality Francine's fiancée, Kirk Langstrom. The Man-Bat dives out the third story window and lands on the ground below. Batman tries to pursue him, but the Man-Bat dashes off into the woods. As Batman closes in on him, Man-Bat takes a suicide dive off a cliff's edge. His body plummets, but before it reaches the ground, Langstrom goes through one final mutation. Giant, leathery bat-wings grow from beneath Langstrom's arms and he glides to safety.

The Man-Bat flies outside the city until he finds a tight hillside crevice that he can press his body into. As he burrows, the crevice widens into a catacomb which leads directly to the Batcave. Batman returns home to find the Man-Bat and the two begin fighting. Man-Bat doesn't truly want to fight Batman, but he also refuses to be captured by him. He tries to fly out towards the Finger Alley canyon, but Batman seals off the exit and the Man-Bat slams into the steel door. Batman approaches his unconscious body and decides that he will attempt to cure the Man-Bat's condition himself.

Appearing in "Marriage: Impossible"

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  • Curator Wilkins

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Synopsis for "Marriage: Impossible"

When Batman learns about the pending marriage between Kirk Langstrom and Francine Lee, he races down to the cathedral to stop the wedding. Interrupting the ceremony, he pulls a mask off Langstrom's head, revealing the face of the Man-Bat. Man-Bat flies off through the window leaving guests horrified and Francine in tears. Batman grabs her, demanding to understand how she could marry Kirk after everything that has happened.

He recalls how he tried to cure Kirk after their last battle against one another and even brought Francine to the Batcave, hoping she could convince Kirk to accept the antidote. This tactic failed and Kirk had escaped the cave the same he got in. Francine then tells Batman how she pledged to show how committed she was to Kirk by taking the bat gland extract herself. She pulls off her veil and a mask revealing that she is now a She-Bat.

Francine flies off into the rafters and Batman chases after her. The Man-Bat peers down from above and tries to crush Batman with a chandelier. Batman evades the oncoming missile, and sprints up the cathedral staircase. Batman rings the cathedral bell, which causes the Man-Bats intense pain. Taking advantage of the situation, Batman knocks them both out and administers the antidote, turning them back to normal.

Notes

  • One-shot special; wraparound cover; $2.50 cover price.


Trivia

  • No trivia.



See Also


Recommended Reading


Links and References
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