Synopsis
"The Legend of the Batman - Who He is, and How he Came to Be"
Fifteen years ago, a mugger named Joe Chill accosts Thomas and Martha Wayne and their young son Bruce. He shoots Thomas and Martha and leaves Bruce to survive. Bruce vows to avenge his parents and spends the following years developing his mind and body. One evening, while sitting in his father's study, a huge bat flies into the window. Believing it to be an omen, Bruce decides to drape himself in the trappings of a bat, and thus the Batman is born.
"The Joker"
The Joker, a grinning clown-faced killer, announces his crimes over the radio, threatening to kill several men and steal valuable items from them. When he is successful, the underworld is angry that he has upstaged them. Brute Nelson, a gangster, plans a trap for The Joker, but The Joker avoids the trap and kills Nelson. Batman, having an interest in the case is nearly killed himself when he attempts to pursue the Clown Prince of Crime.
Batman and Robin watch the site of The Joker's next attack where The Joker has killed Judge Drake. Robin follows The Joker back to an old house, but is captured. Batman arrives in time to save Robin from being injected with Joker Venom, a poison which kills leaving a smile on the victims face.
Joker escapes again, but only temporarily as Batman tracks him down once again. This time the Dynamic Duo are able to take down the villain and send him to prison.
"The Giants of Dr. Hugo Strange"
Dr. Hugo Strange returns with a growth formula that changes asylum-patients into 10-foot tall "man-monsters" that wreak havoc on Gotham City. Batman is captured and injected with the serum, but manages to escape and create an antidote. Batman then pilots the Batplane and defeats many of Dr. Hugo Strange's henchmen and some of the monsters.
"The Cat"
Batman and Robin encounter a female jewel thief known only as The Cat. They stop her from stealing an emerald necklace, but the smitten Batman allows her escape.
"The Joker Returns"
Two days after the Joker is captured, he manages to escape and begins to cause more trouble. He brutally murders a police chief, steals a priceless painting, and steals a valuable gem while killing its owner in the process. Bruce Wayne then hears The Joker's next radio broadcast a day later which he threatens to break into the Drake Museum and steal The Cleopatra Necklace. That night, The Joker breaks into the museum and steals the necklace. Batman dramatically enters the museum to stop him, and the two start dueling. The Joker ends up escaping after knocking out Batman. The police wake up from the Joker gassing them and are about to unmask the unconscious Batman when he springs up and escapes. A famous public speaker starts lashing out against The Joker. In return, The Joker threatens to kill him and succeeds. Bruce Wayne has a meeting with Commissioner Gordon and the two decide to form a trap for The Joker. He falls into their trap and ends up in a chase with The Batman after him. The Joker ends up stabbing himself after trying to maul Batman. In the end, the reader is informed that The Joker will live.
Appearances
"The Legend of the Batman - Who He is, and How he Came to Be"
Individuals
- Batman
- Martha Wayne (Flashback Only)
- Thomas Wayne (Flashback Only)
- Joe Chill (Flashback Only)
Locations
"The Joker"
Individuals
- Batman
- Robin
- James Gordon
- The Joker (First Appearance)
- Brute Nelson
- Henry Claridge
- Jay Wylde
- Judge Drake
Locations
Items
"The Giants of Hugo Strange"
Individuals
Locations
"The Cat"
Individuals
Locations
Vehicles
- Luxury Cruise Ship
"The Joker Returns"
Individuals
- Batman
- Robin
- James Gordon
- The Joker
- Chalmers
- Edgar Martin
Locations
Behind the scenes
- Batman (Earth-2) appears in Prof. Strange's story, where he mows down his mutated human men with the Batplane.
- The plot from "The Joker" is re-imagined in the 2005 graphic novel Batman: The Man Who Laughs. The plots from "The Joker" and "The Joker Returns" are major influences on the 2008 feature film The Dark Knight where The Joker does the same things as he did in those comics such as publicly announcing his crimes before committing them, removing his make-up and disguising himself as a police officer to gain access to a person he threatened to kill, using a powerful bomb smuggled into jail to escape, stealing and killing not for personal gain but to create chaos and disorder, and infringing on the city's old-fashioned mobsters.