Bruce Wayne is leaving Gotham. Or at least, that’s what he wants the whole world to believe.
During a live interview with GNN host Sophie Silvaire, Bruce says he’ll be stepping away from Gotham City for a full year. His cover story? A wild new reality TV show hosted by Wayne Capital and the St. Cloud Modeling Agency called B.I.L.F. Mountain (“Billionaire I’m Looking for Financing”).
The premise is as ridiculous as it sounds. Twelve brilliant women in STEM are flown out to a remote Swiss chalet to compete for startup funding and a first date with Gotham’s favorite playboy. Since this is coming right after the chaotic Bad Seeds event where Poison Ivy unleashed a massive “plantpocalypse” that nearly choked the city in vines, an absurd distraction like this is believable enough for the public to swallow. Bruce claims his grand farewell party will happen at this week’s Gran Gala Enmascarada at the Vauxhall Center.
Before news gets out, Bruce meets with Superman and Wonder Woman on a desert cliff, warning them that anything they hear about him isn’t true. When Superman asks what crazy scheme he has gotten himself into this time, Bruce gives a very classic response. “Gotham stuff.”
Batman’s Master Plan
So, why stage a fake reality show and a public exit?
Batman discovered that a shadow cabal sent six top-tier assassins to Gotham to take out Bruce Wayne. Instead of hunting them down individually across a city that’s still recovering from Ivy’s plantpocalypse, Batman decides to control the game. He will give the killers exactly what they want: a public, unavoidable shot at Bruce Wayne in front of all of Gotham.
To pull off a stunt this big, Bruce isn’t even in the city. He is tucked safely away in a Justice League safe house on the moon. Down on the ground, his operation is being run by a tight crew. His son Robin (Damian Wayne) is handling field surveillance. Plastic Man (Eel O’Brian) has agreed to act as Bruce’s body double. Verity Pennyworth is offering field support and undercover ops. And Commissioner Jim Gordon is being brought in to handle the aftermath once the dust settles.
Down in the depths of Arkham Towers, Batman shows Gordon two assassins he has already bagged, held under medical sedation by Dr. Annika Zeller. Gordon is uneasy about holding prisoners off the books, but Batman points out that local law enforcement is too compromised to trust. However, with immortal warlord Vandal Savage now dead, the corrupt grip on City Hall and the GCPD is finally loosening. Gordon’s role in rebuilding the department is essential.
Later, Gordon meets with Zeller in her lab while she’s treating a reformed Joker. Joker can’t make out what they’re saying since he’s inside a tank. But whatever they said, it leads to Zeller placing some kind of headpiece with cybernetic implants on top of Joker’s head.
Flushing Out the Hitmen
With two assassins already locked in tanks, Batman and Robin spend the night before the Gala taking out or distracting the rest.
Durand (The Mad Bomber): Knowing Bruce’s pending departure creates a tight deadline, Durand tries to plant a bomb early. Plastic Man (disguised as Bruce Wayne in a flashy red tuxedo) drives a bright yellow sports car outside a nightclub as bait with Verity at his side. While influencers cluster around the car, Robin spots the one person inspecting the chassis instead of taking selfies and shuts down the bomb threat.
Sr. Sueño: This theatrical, masked lucha libre wrestler loves preying on easy targets. He marches down the street surrounded by his motorcycle-riding stunt crew (his “gazelles”). Batman and Robin block his path, but the real surprise comes when lucha legend King Panther steps out of the shadows. King Panther challenges Sueño (who turns out to be his disgraced brother) to settle their grudge in the ring tomorrow night instead of on the streets, taking Sueño off the board for the evening.
That leaves The Ojo, the elite sniper in the wide-brimmed hat, and Deathstalker as the final threats heading toward the Gala.
The Trap Springs
The night of the Gran Gala Enmascarada is here. The Vauxhall Center is packed to the brim, blending high-end fashion, charity fundraising, and lucha libre wrestling into one wild spectacle to help Gotham rebuild after the recent plant disaster.
High up in a surrounding dark high-rise, The Ojo settles into position with her sniper rifle, tracking the red carpet through her scope.
Down below, the crowd erupts as a yellow sports car pulls up. Out steps “Bruce Wayne” (Plastic Man in his red tux) alongside Verity Pennyworth in a stunning black gown. Camera flashes go off like fireworks, fans scream his name, and “Bruce” smiles and waves for the crowd.
Up in the tower, the sniper lines up the crosshairs right on Bruce’s chest and head.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
Heavy rifle shots ring out across the plaza. High-caliber rounds tear through “Bruce Wayne,” spraying blood as he collapses onto the red carpet in front of live news cameras and horrified onlookers. Meanwhile, the real hunt for the masterminds who hired the assassins has just begun.
