"The Man Who Killed Batman" is the fifty-first episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series. It originally aired on Fox Kids in the United States on February 1, 1993.
Synopsis[]
As rain pours down on Gotham City, a man hurriedly runs through the streets. As he runs, a newspaper flies by with the headline: BATMAN SLAIN? Mysterious Crimefighter Missing. The man finally arrives at Rupert Thorne's house. He gets inside and introduces himself — but Thorne already knows who he is — Sidney Debris, "The Man Who Killed Batman". Sidney, however, doesn't appreciate the fame, because now everyone wants to kill or fight him. So, Sidney tells his story...
Sidney was an average, two-bit crook who wanted to move up in the underworld and agreed to go on a drug run as a lookout. A gangster named Eddie G. gives Sidney a nickname called Sid "The Squid". The other mobsters, however, see Sidney as bait for Batman to snap up while the rest of them flee. Unfortunately, Batman does show up and tackles Sidney. Sidney is terrified and clumsy, but the other mobsters, watching their exaggerated shadows from afar, believe that Sidney is fighting Batman.
Suddenly, Sid falls off the roof, and Batman grabs one of his hands. Beneath them, a dislodged brick punches a hole in a propane tank. In desperation, Sidney tries to climb up Batman's arm onto the building, throwing him off balance. After Sidney climbs onto the ledge, he pushes Batman toward the gas tank, and there is a tremendous explosion. Sidney emerges from the blast carrying Batman's cape and cowl, and the mobsters are stunned to see Sidney has done the impossible: He has killed Batman.
In jubilation, the rest of the underworld holds a celebration for Sidney's successful murder of Batman and toast him, but a tough fighter challenges Sidney, leading to a huge barroom fight until the police arrive. The group of criminals ends up in jail where Harvey Bullock, visibly upset, breaks the news to Renee Montoya that Batman has been killed, and asks her to check on a depressed Commissioner Gordon. Luckily for Sidney however, a blonde woman claiming to be his lawyer (who looks familiar to Bullock) announces that she has posted his bail, and the two leave. Once in the car, the lawyer reveals herself to be Harley Quinn, who got sent by the Joker to free Sidney.
At the theater which serves as his gang's hideout, the Joker is delighted to meet Sidney. He says that there isn't any solid proof that Batman is dead, he wants to pull a job in order to make sure. The Joker and Harley stage a pre-ambush museum robbery to prove it to Sidney and wait for Batman. He doesn't show up, much to Joker's dismay. A despondent Joker orders Harley to put the jewelry back saying "Without Batman, crime has no punchline."
After evading the police, a funeral for Batman is held in the chemical plant where the Joker was first created and it turns out to be fun, but not deadly. The coffin holds Batman's cape and cowl, to which Joker attaches a "Kick me" sign. As Joker delivers a eulogy describing the death of the Joker's dream to kill Batman, wishing his jokes could have outsmarted his cold, equanimous logic, he denounces Sidney for doing it first. When he is done, the two hoods place Sidney in the coffin, and the coffin is sent on a conveyor belt towards a vat of acid, while Harley plays "Amazing Grace" on a kazoo. The Joker sheds a tear, but then immediately cheers up with a happy, "Well, that was fun. Who's for Chinese?" and he and his minions depart. Without any people to save Sidney, all hope is lost and there's nothing more to do. But just as the acid seeps in, Sidney is apparently saved by getting sucked into a drainpipe. Winding up on the bank of the Gotham River, he knew he had to get out of town. Sidney calls Eddie G. who sets him up with Rupert Thorne to get him out of Gotham.
In the present, Sidney begs for a way to get out of town to avoid the Joker and other hoods. Thorne, however, doesn't buy his story, believing Sidney's trying to trick his way into his drug operation. After all, in one night he's killed Batman and outwitted the Joker, meaning he must really be a criminal genius. As Thorne points a gun at Sidney, Batman suddenly arrives, completely unharmed, alive, and well. Batman knocks Thorne unconscious and explains to Sidney that he faked his death by swinging away before the gas tank exploded and laid low for a while, observing what happened.
Sidney realizes that Batman saved him from the Joker's ambush, and attempts to walk out. Batman stops him, explaining that he's still guilty as an accomplice to the drug run, but then points out that in prison, a man like Sidney would garner high respect, which should make his sentence more bearable. As Sidney is led through the prison, the inmates cheer him on for almost killing Batman, setting up Rupert Thorne, and making a fool out of the Joker. A pleased Sidney realizes his dream of making a name for himself.
Cast[]
- Kevin Conroy as Batman
- Robert Costanzo as Detective Bullock
- Matt Frewer as Sidney
- Mark Hamill as The Joker
- Maurice LaMarche as Murphy
- Ingrid Oliu as Renee Montoya
- Robert Picardo as Eddie
- Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn
- John Vernon as Rupert Thorne
Gallery[]
External links[]
- "The Man Who Killed Batman" at Batman: The Animated Series Wiki
- "The Man Who Killed Batman" at DC Animated Universe Wiki
- "The Man Who Killed Batman" at IMDb