Deep Cover for Batman! - Recap

In an empty warehouse, Red Hood tests his phase oscillator device. He uses it to create a wormhole and throws one of his red-spade throwing blades through. The oscillator shows that it has passed into a parallel universe. However, four shadowy figures move into the warehouse and surround Red Hood. Their leader, a cloaked figure in a costume with a flowing cape, leads the other three in an attack. Red Hood manages to avoid them but loses the phase oscillator to another assailant, an android capable of projecting bursts of wind. Red Hood’s attackers surround him but he escapes through a hidden trapdoor. The group’s leader steps forward: although he sounds like Batman, he’s Owlman. His comrades are the android Silver Cyclone, Blue Bowman, and Scarlet Scarab: counterparts of Red Tornado, Green Arrow, and Blue Beetle. They are members of the Injustice Syndicate, and they plan to use the phase oscillator to conquer a new world.



Batman returns to the Batcave after defeating the Riddler. He finds a throwing blade on the floor and wonders where it came from. He spots an attacker’s reflection in the metallic blade and quickly turns to find himself confronting his near-counterpart, Owlman. Hero and villain fight until Batman manages to slip away long enough to cut the power to the lights. Owlman has light-intensifier goggles, but Batman is ready for him and uses a flare to blind him long enough to knock him unconscious. Batman imprisons Owlman and finds the phase oscillator, and realizes it can create wormholes to other dimensions. When Owlman refuses to explain himself, Batman takes his costume, dons it, and creates a wormhole to go back to Owlman’s Earth.



Batman finds himself in the Injustice Syndicate’s headquarters. The three other members are waiting for him and Batman informs them the new Earth is too powerful for them to conquer. Unfortunately, they then decide to destroy the Earth as a message to other dimensions to surrender rather than risk destruction. Silver Cyclone has a bomb but needs the rare substance Promethium 90 to power it. The four Syndicate members go to a nearby nuclear plant and dispose of the workers. Silver Cyclone warns that if the Promethium 90’s containment case is breached, the substance will be destroyed. Batman realizes he can use that to his advantage. However, before he can get to the case, Red Hood attacks again. Batman goes after him, knocks him down, and whispers that he’s on his side and tells him he has the throwing blade Red Hood sent. Red Hood removes his helmet and warns that his face isn’t pretty to look at, and Batman slips a miniature bat-communicator onto him. Batman then apologizes and knocks Red Hood out, while Scarlet Scarab grabs the Promethium 90.



The group returns to Syndicate headquarters and Blue Bowman informs Batman that he’s imprisoned Red Hood. He notices that Batman seems unfamiliar with procedure but Batman quickly asserts himself and punches Blue Bowman for challenging his leadership. Blue Bowman doesn’t push the matter publicly, but privately he tells an unseen ally to watch “Owlman.”

Silver Cyclone tortures Red Hood for information on what he may have sent on to the parallel Earth. As he does so, the android talks about how Red Hood was disfigured after he opposed the Syndicate and fell into a vat of acid. Despite his injury and the damage to his psyche, Red Hood rose to the challenge and assembled a team of heroes to oppose the Syndicate. Red Hood escaped but his allies were defeated and imprisoned.

Batman accesses the Syndicate’s security systems and secretly informs Red Hood that he’s found a way to free him and the other imprisoned heroes. However, Blue Bowman’s unseen ally appears: Dyna-Mite, the Atom’s counterpart. Batman subdues him but not before the prison cell bypass systems are destroyed. Batman contacts Red Hood for directions and the latter secretly manages to slip directions into his “confession” to Red Hood. As Batman enters the ventilation shafts, Silver Cyclone realizes what his prisoner is doing and uses the headquarters’ computer to locate the intruder. He fires blasts of wind through the ventilation shafts, blowing Batman into the air conditioning fans. Batman manages to disable them with explosive pellets then makes his way to the Syndicate’s trophy room.



The Syndicate members are waiting for Batman and attack but he removes his Owlman costume and engages them as the Caped Crusader. Batman easily defeats them and frees the Red Hood, who recovers the phase oscillator. Silver Cyclone has mobilized the entire Syndicate. Batman responds by opening the cells, freeing the heroes of this Earth. The two groups battle and the heroes soon get the upper hand, throwing the villains into the cells and locking them.



Finally only Silver Cyclone is left. He produces the Promethium 90 bomb but tells his teammates that he doesn’t have the phase oscillator. The Syndicate tells the android to defuse the bomb but Silver Cyclone tells them that he plans to activate it and wipe out all organic life forms: he doesn’t care which Earth he does so on. Red Hood decapitates the android with a throwing blade, then works with Batman to open a wormhole and send the bomb through to a parallel Earth inhabited by zombies where the bomb will detonate harmlessly.



Batman and Red Hood share a final farewell. Red Hood hopes that his counterpart will be able to repay his debt back on Batman’s Earth, but Batman doubts it. Batman returns back to his Earth through a wormhole and finds himself in an alleyway in Gotham City. However, he quickly discovers that wanted posters of him have been posted everywhere. The police spot him and move in to capture him.



(to be continued)

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