The Laughing Bat
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| “The Laughing Bat” | |
|---|---|
| The Batman episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 25 |
| Guest stars | Mayor Grange voiced by Adam West |
| Written by | Michael Jelenic |
| Directed by | Seung Eun-Kim |
| Production no. | 212 |
| Original airdate | June 4, 2005 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Grundy's Night" | "Night and the City" |
| List of The Batman episodes | |
"The Laughing Bat" is the twenty fifth episode of the television series The Batman. It originally aired in Saturday June 4, 2005 on The WB Television Network in the US and on Monday October 3, 2005 in the UK .
Contents |
[edit] Plot Synopsis
The Joker decides to take on the role of "Batman" and doses him with Joker venom to create an arch-rival of his own.
[edit] Plot Summary
A jaywalker flees through the Gotham alleys when bat-like figure closes in on him. Batman arrives to find he’s been decorated with a Joker’s face ... while overhead, the Joker in a Batman costume lurks.
At Wayne Manor, Bruce is listening to reports of the Joker “enforcing” the law and mocking the true Batman. The Joker pays a visit on Mayor Granger after going after three policemen for “speeding,” then charges the Mayor a million dollars for his “services.” He uses his Joker venom on her, then goes after two kids for “graffiti” (with their hopscotch drawing). Batman intervenes and the two spar. They are evenly matched but the Joker manages to get the upper hand and injects him with Joker venom via a toy snake to create a “rival.”
In the Batcave, Bruce is dismissive of Alfred’s concerns and claims he’s fine. He goes to visit Mayor Granger to get a blood sample from his wife, but Bruce is soon overcome by laughter and inappropriate humor. He flees and returns to the Batcave to do an analysis of the venom, and discovers the venom forces its victim into increasing bursts of laughter before dying. Bruce has an antidote but needs a dose of the original Venom to complete it. At the Museum of Art, the Penguin breaks in with an explosive bird-clock to steal some Faberge Eggs.
Bruce is growing increasingly and uncontrollably hysterical when he gets word of the Penguin’s break in and concludes Joker will go after him. The Joker gets there first and the Penguin flees but soon figures out who he’s up against. The Joker insists on fighting it out to collect the bounty on Gotham’s “second biggest criminal” but before they can resolve their fight, a laughing Batman arrives. Joker and Batman end up inadvertently teaming up to take out the Penguin and recover the eggs, but they’re broken in the fight. The Penguin takes the venom to make up for his loss and departs but both “Batmen” bring him down.
Joker grabs the venom and they fight again - Batman grabs the venom but the Penguin grabs it from him. However it contains another toy snake with Joker venom and Penguin is infected. Joker grabs the snake with the venom but realizes Batman has grabbed the envenomed teeth. Batman administers the antidote and easily takes his rival down. The Joker gives in to his “true” nature and gives up his “Batman” persona, then he and Penguin begin to laugh uncontrollably.
[edit] Characters
- Bruce Wayne/The Batman voiced by Rino Romano
- The Joker voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson
- Penguin appears
- Alfred Pennyworth voiced by Alastair Duncan
- Mayor Grange voiced by Adam West
[edit] Trivia
- Detective Yin is absent in this episode.
- Joker Venom, a new toxin that attacks the nervous system and creates frequent and increasingly deadly bouts of laughter, is introduced.
[edit] Quotes
- Penguin: Joker?
Joker: I'm the Batman!
Penguin: You see the thing is... you're NOT!
Joker: The eggs, Penguin. Or I scramble you.
Penguin: Are you outta your gourd? I'm in a middle of a heist! You don't see me barging on your "Gas of all Gotham" schemes, do you? It is called professional courtesy!
Joker: Sorry, Pengy, but bringing down Gotham's second biggest criminal means my biggest bounty yet.
Penguin: Second biggest?! Says who?!
- Joker: I'm the Batman.
- Mayor Grange: The Joker?
Joker: Where?
Mayor Grange: I don't know what you're after but you will be stopped.
Joker: The only thing I've been after, mayor are the bad guys.
Mayor Grange: Then, how do you justify what did you do to three Gotham PDs Finest today? And for what? Speeding? It was a police chase.
Joker: No one's above the law.
(Joker hands Mayor Grange a pink slip of paper)
Mayor Grange: "Billed for services rendered, one million dollars?" What?
Joker: Crime fighting ain't charity work, you know.
Mayor Grange: And if the city doesn't comply?
Joker: Then Gotham pays dearly! (laughs and clears his throat) Sorry. I must say, mayor of all the scum I've taken down so far. It was your wife who disappointed me the most.
Mayor Grange: My wife? Shiela? What have you done to Shiela?
Joker: 11 items at a 10 item grocery check out. Shiela had it coming. (leaves and laughs)
- Joker: (to Batman) Joker Venom, just the thing to inject a little of humor into you.
- Bruce: If Joker's playing Batman, he'll be there to take down Penguin. I can hit two birds with one stone. Get it! Birds! (laughs)
Alfred: (uneasy) Good one, sir.
- Joker: (to two girls who are playing) Well, well, well. Graffitti, that's a pretty serious offense girls. That's why I became a crime fighter to take down garbage like you.
(Batman intervines)
Batman: The costume party is over, Joker.
Joker: Joker? Didn't you hear? The Clown Prince of Crime is checked out. He couldn't just take it anymore. Couldn't take the Batman. Always there to forth his latest scheme. Well, it was really starting to drive him mad! (Batman attacks him) But the Joker thought he couldn't beat the Batman, he be the Bat.
Batman: Then Gotham has one Batman too many.
Joker: Which means one of us has gotta go.
Batman: My thoughts exactly.
- Joker: The Joker!
Penguin: Batman?!
Batman: Well, if it isn't dumb and dumber. (laughs uncontrollably)
Penguin: Ok, now you two are starting to creep me out!
