Detective Comics #301

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE CONDEMMED BATMAN Batman's body is altered by a scientific accident that makes him radiate heat uncontrollably. The accident also transforms his physiology to the point where he can no longer tolerate regular air and must breathe methane gas. Local hood Brains Beldon hears of Batman's condition, and plans to take advantage. Batman is forced to work from a special flying capsule against the crooks. During the last encounter, Batman tries to stop the criminals when he is struck by the electricity from a high tension cable. The effects of his transformation begin to recede and Batman is finally able to confront and capture the criminals in his normal state. THE MYSTERY OF THE MARTIAN MARAUDERS After scientist Alvin Reeves suffers amnesia and disappears, John Jones is assigned to find him. But shorty afterward, a gang of Martian criminals appears on Earth and begins pulling spectacular robberies. Investigating, Jones discovers that Reeves has completely rebuilt Prof. Erdel's robot brain and added a radio for communication with Mars. Jones becomes his Martian self and, after adding a timer device to the machine, has himself teleported back to Mars. There he has a heartfelt reunion with his mother and father. He learns that Reeves, still amnesiac, is leading the group of Martian thieves there, using matches stolen from Earth to produce fire, which he uses to ward off Martian lawmen. J'onn J'onzz discovers Reeves's matches cache and secretly douses it with nectar from flowers, rendering the matches useless. Then he captures Reeves and the Martian police take care of the gang. After he says goodbye to his parents and tells them he can come back to Mars from time to time, he takes himself and Reeves to the spot at which Erdel's machine, controlled by the timing mechanism, hits them with a teleport ray and takes them back to Earth. While Reeves remains groggy from the experience, J'onzz changes back to John Jones. He learns that Reeves has regained his memory and his law-abiding personality, but that he thinks the Martian episode was only a nightmare. Jones returns to Captain Harding, the recovered Reeves in tow.