[instrumental music]
[sirens blaring]
[water trickling]
I do love spendin' afternoons in the old fishin' hole.
[groans]
Unh..
Let's see what we hooked, boys.
Here we go.
Huh?
[groaning]
Huh?
[grunts]
Hidin' in the shadows?
Huh. Since when do I need to see you to find you, Batman?
[sniffs]
You're not bats.
Huh?
Aah!
[growls]
[groans]
[pulsates]
[yelling]
[pulsates]
Aah!
[roars]
Whoever you are, you are meat.
Aah!
[groans]
[grunts]
[sighs]
[groaning]
What the.. What is this?
This?
This is the end..
...for all of you.
[theme music]
[beeping]
[revving]
boom
whoosh
[music continues]
(male #1) 'Killer Croc is the latest'
of the so-called rogues' gallery criminals to disappear.
And witnesses are calling it the work of a new vigilante
patrolling our city streets.
Now, questions are being raised
as to whether there's room in Gotham
for two costumed crime fighters.
The only hero Gotham needs is this new guy.
With the Batman, those crackpots never stayed locked up for long.
I say it's time the Bat hang up his cape
and call it a night.
'Let a new hero actually get the job done.'
It's not like it's your fault
they keep escaping from Arkham.
Time for work.
[bats screeching]
[upbeat music]
whoosh
[dramatic music]
Rag Doll, Moth, Firefly..
They were all here.
And all taken down by a mystery vigilante.
This new hero's not leaving much work for us, huh?
He's no hero.
If he were, he'd hand these criminals over to the police.
Instead, he's collecting them.
The question is why.
beep
Break-in at the art museum.
[bats screeching]
Mm. I know the purr-fect place for you.
Try back where you found it.
Batman, my favorite stalker.
Ooh, and another new kid partner.
Is that because they make you look taller?
Achoo!
Sorry, allergic to cats..
...and bad jokes.
Now, handsome, how did you know to find me here?
I thought I was being careful.
Nothing screams careful like a brick through the window.
Someone else tripped the alarm and on purpose.
I see you got my message.
Took you long enough to get here!
- Penguin! - Quack!
Unh. Huh?
Wait. Let's find out what he wants.
What I want is to turn myself in.
'Come on!'
Chop, chop.
Let's go. Pat me down.
Have to catch me in the act.
Is that it?
Okay, uh, look..
...I'm stealing.
What, not enough?
Then you should know that, soon all of Gotham will suffer
some cruel ironic bird-related fate
at the hands of El Penguino!
What's a felon gotta pull
to get arrested around here?
Uh, you're embarrassing yourself.
Listen, I'm beggin' you.
I need your protection from that new guy!
He's not like you, Batman.
He's scary...er.
Ha! There's no new guy.
That's a rumor.
Huh? What? Aah.
Whoa!
crackle
The thing about rumors..
...they're often true.
You get one chance, Batman.
Step away from the low-life scum.
Alright then.
ding
clang
- Excuse me. - Aah.
I don't like that kid.
Ha! Wha..
Unh!
Ow. That hurt.
No point in not stickin' around.
Comin', toots?
swish
tick tick tick
[grunting]
(male #2) 'Sorry, Bats.'
'The suit absorbs my body heat.'
[pulsating]
slam
There you are.
Aah!
[groans]
[grunts]
[panting]
Aah! Oh, no!
Batman!
Rumor's good.
He keeps disappearing without a trace.
Not this time.
[instrumental music]
crackle crackle
(Batman) 'Rumor's using light-refracting nano-fibers'
'to become invisible.'
The only company in Gotham
developing that kind of tech is Karon Industries..
As in, Paul Karon.
[groans]
[growls]
Our captor continues to captivate me.
I wonder what it is that motivates him.
And if there is some ultimate punishment
he has awaiting us.
[scoffs] Punishment?
You mean something worse than being stuck here
listening to you?
I have bad news, and I have worse news.
'The bad news is'
'I've sentenced all of you to life.'
The worse news is
it's going to be a very short sentence.
However, before I can carry it out
'I still have one very special piece to add.'
- Ready, Mr. Karon? - Two minutes, Mario.
I'm here if you need me.
[flips switch]
Paul Karon.
Why, if it isn't the people's hero.
Oh, wait, heard a rumor
someone more qualified has that job now.
This new vigilante
he's been using technology developed by you
to abduct criminals from Gotham.
Well, if you find him
tell him I want to shake his hand.
Any idea how he got your stuff?
Maybe it fell off a truck.
Maybe it isn't my stuff.
[wheelchair motor humming]
And maybe, I just don't care.
Oh.
You haven't told him where we've met before
have you, Batman?
(Paul) Not long ago I developed a tool that could emit
low frequency sound waves
so powerful they could destroy a building.
[tool hisses]
[all gasp]
(Paul) The government was very interested..
crash
(Paul) ...but so was Joker.
Of course, the Batman
would heroically arrive.
thud
whoosh
boom
clatter clatter
(Paul) Batman saved the day.
But not me.
These villains weren't in Gotham
before Batman took to the streets.
He's attracted them like moths to light.
And now he can barely contain them.
Gotham's better off because of the Batman.
I, certainly, am not.
Now, if you're done interrogating the victim
why don't you get out of here?
Ready?
[flips light on]
So where do we go now?
Who says we're done here?
[bats screeching]
And what are we looking for?
We'll know when we see it.
Oh. It's gonna be one of those nights.
'Cool. What is this stuff?'
"Exo Legs?"
(Mario) 'Anything else you need, boss?'
(Paul) 'No, thank you, Mario.'
'Go home...get some sleep.'
Okay, but, are you sure you want me to leave you here?
I may not be 100%, my friend
but, I can still handle myself in the lab.
Now, go. I'll see ya in the morning.
Okay, boss. Goodnight.
[door closes]
whirr
[whirring]
(Robin) 'A super-powered exoskeleton'
'and a company that makes secret stealth suits..'
He's our guy.
We should've kicked his butt last night.
We don't know where he's keeping his victims.
If we're going to find them
we'll have to catch Paul Karon in the act.
Wouldn't everyone be better off
if we just let Karon finish the job?
The code we work by isn't always the easiest way, Robin.
But it's the right way.
whoosh
[Joker laughs]
Uh, heh-heh, he loved the show!
Physical comedy is truly an art.
(man on TV) 'World's deadliest disasters'
'will continue after these messages.'
crash
You know, I admit, when Punch and Judy
didn't check in the other night, I started to worry.
It was only a matter of time before this Rumor
came a-courtin' me.
So I decided..
Why sit around waiting?
Be proactive!
Oh, boys.
Let's show our new friend
he's welcome at Uncle Joker's hospitality hut.
Huh? Oh!
Aah! Whoa!
Huh?
Whoa!
Mm.
[grunting]
Huh?
Oh, man!
[gasps]
Huh?
[yells]
[whirring]
(Batman) Joker was taken tonight.
Didn't think you had it in ya.
Congratulations.
It wasn't us.
Anything you'd like to confess?
Do I really need an alibi?
We know about your Exo-Suit.
When I was hurt, I realized the suit
had non-military applications.
I've been testing it..
Looking for a way to help people like me.
Hardly a crime, Batman.
[door opens]
I heard voices.
Everything okay, Mr. Karon?
If you don't believe me, ask Theo.
'He's been with me all day.'
Where's your bodyguard from the other night?
Mario? It's his night off. Why?
[bats screeching]
whirr whirr whirr
thud thud thud
Time's up, my friends.
(Hugo Strange) 'Ahem.'
Excuse me.
Before you send us all to that
big Arkham Asylum in the sky
would you mind indulging an old man's
intellectual curiosity
and answer a simple question?
Why?
Why? I'll tell you why.
I'm the bodyguard of Paul Karon.
A great man.
A man, you, Joker, maimed.
Me?
I should have known this was Joker's fault.
Just had to make that boy angry.
Don't blame Joker.
Blame the Bat.
He had the chance to permanently
stop each and every one of you
'but was always prevented by some code of ethics.'
Now I'm left to finish a job he doesn't have the guts to.
[laughs]
And you believe every word of that, don't you?
'You didn't capture us so you could save Gotham.'
'No, you're trying to erase your own failure'
'of not saving your boss.'
That's not true. Shut up!
Karon's sonic weapon..
Once it's warmed up, it's gonna destroy
every super-villain in Gotham in one fell swoop.
(Batman) You have nothing to prove, Mario.
Probably shouldn't use
one of your boss' old factories as a hideout.
He helped you find me?
But this was for him.
Even he felt you crossed a line.
Maybe it's a line
you should have crossed, too, Batman.
[dye pellet ricochets]
[grunts]
Aah.
[groaning]
[grunting]
crackle crackle
[grunts]
[groans]
[alarm blaring]
[rattling]
[grunting]
(Joker) 'Mind if we cut in, Batsy?'
You see, there's this nasty little rumor
we'd all like to stomp out.
You have to save me.
I know.
[intense music]
[chuckling]
Let me guess, this is one of those
"Not the easy way, but the right way" moments?
boom
[intense music]
[grunting]
[men grunting]
[music continues]
whoosh
clang
[grunts]
slam
[grunts]
[growling]
crackle crackle
[groaning]
[shrieking]
Aah! Whoa!
whoosh
[yells]
[grunts]
[both grunt]
[shrieking]
[Batman grunting]
[grunts]
thud
This counts as overtime, right?
[laughing]
[Robin grunts]
[grunting]
[instrumental music]
[beeping]
crackle crackle
You know, I bet there was an off button.
How can you do this?
They had to be stopped!
They're the criminals. Them! Not me!
Not me!
[purring] Meow.
Just wanted to say thanks, handsome.
And by the way..
...I still find you scary.
[instrumental music]
[theme music]