clang clang clang
whirr
Hey, Chris, you get a haircut?
Yeah, I figured it's the only thing
he'll see from up there.
'Oh, yeah. The big boss is visiting today.'
You have a great view from your office, Mr. Fox.
Call me Lucius. And I agree.
I never get tired of watching the process.
Everyone working together like that
all those people. It's like a giant machine.
More like an efficient team
one Bruce hardly needs to worry about.
It's what makes the other part of his life possible.
You mean the other part of his life
in which he appears at museum dedications and fashion shows.
I mean, fighting crime.
You mean, fighting crimes of fashion.
Dick, he knows I'm The Batman.
I was a close friend
of Bruce's father.
After the tragedy, I was happy to offer
what little help I could.
It was more than a little.
Lucius helped construct the Batcave.
And on the rare occasions he lets me
I get to lend a hand with some of the Bat-gadgets.
I do love tinkering with the Bat's Shadow Tek.
Oh! Well, then, yay!
So we're just throwing around words
that start with Bat now. That's fun.
Lucius, you clearly have the factory running
as smoothly as ever.
I don't know why I even bother with these visits.
Maybe you just come by to see an old friend.
Hm, it doesn't sound like me.
So who else knows?
Is there a list or something?
Is it on the Internet
brucewayneisbatman.org?
Lucius Fox is the only one
you didn't already know about.
And he'll be the last.
I try not to make a habit of having
to rely on other people
especially to keep my secrets.
What? Who are you?
Wait.. A-ah!
Can't ID 'em from here.
ID them? I can do that.
Bad guys. And pretty ordinary ones, too.
We can handle this.
Uh, didn't we just get in trouble
last week for freelancing?
The boss was very clear.
He said to wait while he scoped out the situation.
Okay.
We waited.
Hey! Uh..
Well, I'm already bored.
Any way to make this more interesting?
'We could take them down while reciting'
the alphabet backwards. Aahh!
Gotcha, birdbrains.
whoosh
thud
Guess they weren't so ordinary after all.
Maybe they were those superstrong zombie thugs.
We would have had them if you'd waited!
Look, I know being a costumed crime fighter means
never having to say I'm sorry.
But, yeah, we're sorry.
No, it's my fault.
Maybe I've been relying on you two more than I should.
This never happened when I worked alone.
Detective John Jones. I'm new to the force.
I've heard about you and your mission
to protect Gotham. Admirable.
Did you see what these guys were stealing?
The shipment belonged to your company.
My company?
Wayne Industries has had
an unusually high volume
of shipments going in and out
of the city this week.
It's no surprise that someone with sticky fingers
finally took notice.
Mind if I inspect this property
back at my headquarters?
Fine by me, but you'll need
Bruce Wayne's permission.
I can secure it.
I'll bet you can.
It's a new project.
WayneTech research really paid off this time.
We've developed whole new metals, hybrids.
It's pretty exciting if you're into metallurgy.
That's the reason for the extra shipping.
I thought that project was still
at the development stage.
It is, but the development
is requiring some supplies.
Really, there's nothing you need to worry about.
'You should have those crates sent back here unopened.'
Send them back unopened?
I see. Well, thank you.
Keep working.
Commissioner Gordon vouched for Detective Jones.
And his records from Denver check out.
clang
'Wow!'
But there's nothing before Denver
like he didn't exist.
Hey! Uh, a-a-ah..
Okay, it is so my turn.
This is so cool!
I didn't know Wayne Industries made anything like this.
We don't, and if Detective Jones is right
my company's been shipping things like this
all over the world.
Clearly, this is part of some alien conspiracy
to mass-produce these babies
ship 'em all over the world
where they await their signal
to take over the human ra-a-ace!
Whoa! Unh!
crash
New project, huh?
What's it for?
We'll keep an eye on Lucius
but I wanna find out if Jones knows more than he's letting on
about whatever's going on at Wayne Industries.
Then let's pay the detective a visit.
I'll pay him a visit..
...alone.
- Uh, Batman-- - Don't bother.
I know you're not human.
- I suppose this changes things. - Not really.
click
You're coming with me.
I have some questions for you
detective.
bam
Humans.
You act like you've never seen
a shape-shifter before.
Tell that to Clayface.
crash
He flies, too.
Great.
Huh?
Let's see if you can keep up.
bang
I can dance all night. Ugh!
- 'So can I.' - So it would seem.
But why waste time? Who are you?
My name is John Jones, I'm a detective
just like you..
...Bruce.
I'm one of the good guys.
Thanks.
So. Alien.
All my life.
Telekinesis. Neat party trick.
How heavy can the object be?
I could lift you and your best friend
that is, if you have one.
You miss being back home on Mars?
I never said I was a Martian.
Never had to. Martians hate fire.
How do you know anything about Martians?
I've dedicated my life to studying all fields
of knowledge, no matter how obscure
including thousands of years of recorded human encounters
with extraterrestrials, the Mayans
ancient Egyptians, crop circles.
I could teach a college course on Martians
except I always filed them away under urban legends.
Like alligators in the sewers.
I've fought them, too. Why'd you run?
You might have exposed me
turned me over to the authorities.
I can't allow that, not now.
Guess we both guard our secrets fiercely.
- Coffee? - We're fine, thanks.
So how'd you figure out Batman was Bruce Wayne?
- Read your mind. - Hm.
- Something wrong? - No, it's just..
That's cheating. Read my mind now.
- What? - You heard me.
You're thinking of a dog you owned as a boy.
- Location of the Batcave. - I distinctly saw--
A mental image I conjured up to block my real thoughts.
Trick I picked up from some Tibetan monks.
Anyone ever tell you you're a little paranoid?
My partners, all the time.
I'm stunned. You have partners?
I do, though sometimes I wonder
if things might be easier without them.
You may need all the help you can get with what's coming.
'And I've done my homework, Bruce, it is coming.'
- Make no mistake. - What is?
Something big, maybe too big for The Batman to handle alone.
Why don't you just tell me what you know and let me
decide what The Batman can handle alone?
I'm not the only thing from outer space
that's come to Gotham, but right now
I'm the only thing that can stop it.
- Stop what? - Invasion.
Alien invasion..
...the end of your world.
Can I get you anything else?
Hm..
'They're called The Joining'
a synthetic alien race
that's ravaged over half the galaxy
like some plague of locusts
devouring and incorporating the technologies
of every world they encounter.
And they leave nothing in their wake
but empty husks of planets.
Synthetic race. The Joining are robots.
Mm-hmm, built by a long-forgotten race
who became their first victims.
'And they feed off technology?'
Anything industrial, mechanical
they simply take it and use it.
It becomes a part of them, it's how they evolve.
That's why they were targeting Wayne Industries.
You're responsible for developing
some of the most advanced technologies on this world.
By the way, nice car.
Rang it with my mind.
Batman? What.. Is something wrong?
I need to ask you some questions about those shipments.
- Who's this? - This is Detective Jones.
- He's here to.. - Hah!
'I knew it was a replicant'
'because I didn't get a reading off him.'
- 'No emotions.' - 'So you kicked his head off.'
Yes.
Perhaps I should have mentioned I was going to do that.
Perhaps.
This is part of the standard MO
of The Joining.
Seems pretty complicated.
Not for them, they're a linked system, a network
parts of one big machine, really
like one huge robot as big as a city.
You know, Batman, most humans would be pretty thrown by this.
I'm not most humans.
If there's any chance that Lucius is still alive
we have to find him.
Then let's ask someone who knows.
Great danger.
- I can't believe this. - Really? Because robotheads..
Well, that's totally what I'm expecting on a Wednesday.
And this guy, just some guy waltzing into the Batcave
didn't have a blindfold on or anything!
Robin, I think we should be focused on the robothead.
Lucius is still alive. You're certain?
If you're trying to nod, you need a neck.
He's alive.
The real Lucius is being held
at the Wayne Industries factory.
'We are using him for information'
'but soon, he will no longer be helpful.'
- Ready? - Find Lucius.
Stop alien invasion, save world.
Sounds easy enough.
'Lucius!'
Follow me!
How about first one to Lucius wins?
Fine time for him to leave us out of things.
Robots. This is like the biggest case we've ever faced!
Good robots, too!
That thing looks just like a real person!
I know! Anyone we know could be a robot.
Oh, it wouldn't fool us if we knew the person.
- Would it? - Maybe not.
They'd probably be a little roboty
detached, unemotional
mechanical.
- Kick his head off. - You kick his head off.
Attempt to do any such thing, and I assure you
there will be no hot, buttered raisin scones
for either of you for a year.
Only Alfred sounds that much like Alfred.
Yup.
It knows we're here.
ping ping ping
tzing tzing tzing
thud
Let's call it a tie.
Lucius?
I knew you'd come.
- What.. - He's with me, Lucius.
We're getting you out of here.
No, forget me. I'm not important.
You don't have much time to..
We're too late.
Told you I could float you and your best friend.
Faster, we don't know how much longer
these things are just gonna sit here.
bang
It's begun.
- Where are they going? - Anywhere.
Everywhere that's vulnerable..
...everywhere on earth.