Batman #3 is an issue of the series Batman (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1940. It was published on October 18, 1940.
Synopsis for "The Strange Case of the Diabolical Puppet Master"
Batman is doing his patrol and sees a man bumping into another man on purpose. He interferes and the thug is driven away, but the other man, Dr. Craig, has a little scratch on his hand. Batman and Robin start investigating and find out something is wrong, so they go to Dr. Craigs house, where they find him hypnotized and handing over a secret formula to the thugs. Batman defeats the thugs and Dr. Craig comes to his senses.
The next day there is a scuffle on a train and the Batman is scratched on his cheek. That night, Robin finds out the Batman isn't in his bed and start investigating. Meanwhile, the police are trying to stop the Batman, who is robbing a jewelry store. Robin finds Batman with a bag full of stolen jewels outside the Puppet Master's house and gets slapped by the Batman. He hits back and the hypnosis is stopped. Batman enters the Puppet Master's house, still pretending to be hypnotized and surprised him by hitting him with a knock-out punch. The Puppet Master is then captured and delivered to the police, clearing Batman's name.
Appearing in "The Strange Case of the Diabolical Puppet Master"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Puppet Master (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Gotham City Police Department
- Doctor Craig (Single appearance)
Locations:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Ugliest Man in the World"
Batman saves Detective McGonigle from a gang that was attacking him and after they are gone, McGonigle tries to capture Batman, to no avail.
The next day, Bruce Wayne meets with Harry Dodge and Larry Larrimore for a business. However, Dodge's face starts changing abruptly and soon his face is hideously disfigured. After a doctor checks him, he can't find a reasonable explanation and soon, many people in the city start changing in the same way.
Elsewhere in the city, a large group of people with ugly, disfigured faces are gathered, expecting their leader, the ugliest man in the world. When he appears, he commands them to bring destruction to everything that is considered beautiful as vengeance against society.
Knowing about a precious art piece in the city, Batman and Robin soon go to stop the ugly horde from destroying it at the pier. The duo manage to overcome almost all their enemies and before Batman can be attacked from behind, Detective McGonigle saves Batman. McGonigle tries to capture the duo, but he is fooled again.
Batman and Robin learn that a man named Ekhart has found a cure for the face deformities and they rush to the place, knowing that his life might be in danger. When they arrive, they stop the ugly men from attacking Ekhart and when they try to escape, Batman follows them on his car.
Batman arrives at the secret lair of the ugly men, but he is outnumbered and captured. They take Batman to a basement, where they tie him next to other prisoners and the leader appears: it was Larry Larrimore all along! Taking of his mask, he reveals his true identity as Carlson, the ugliest man in the world. He explains that he caused the face deformations as a way of getting revenge for a past tragedy that caused him to lose his once handsome face and ruined his life.
Meanwhile, knowing that Batman might be in danger, Robin starts following the trail of the Batmobile and finds the secret lair of the ugly men. Robin breaks in, rescues Batman and the duo stop the horde from terrorizing the city. Carlson tries to stab Batman, but he is shot from behind by Detective McGonigle, who once again tries to capture Batman and is yet again fooled.
With Carlson dead, Ekhart is able to deliver his cure and the ugly people's faces change back to normal.
Appearing in "The Ugliest Man in the World"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Robin
- Gotham City Police Department
- James Gordon
- McGonigle (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Carlson a.k.a Larry Larrimore (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Ekhart (Single appearance)
- Harvey Dodge (Single appearance)
- John Tyler (Single appearance)
- Mrs. Tyler (Single appearance)
Locations:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Crime School for Boys"
Batman spots some criminals on a rooftop and a hot chase begins. Batman manages to catch up with them and he knocks them all out until there's only one man left. However, when Batman realizes that the last thug is in fact a boy, he lets him go and follows him to a warehouse where he learns that a school for criminals is operating there.
Batman gets the idea of building a gym near the warehouse to get the youngsters into sports and fair play. With some help from Dick Grayson, the kids of the crime school start practicing sports and fair play. However, they are still going to the crime school and Batman sends Dick as an undercover agent. Dick informs about the next hit of the gang and Batman foils the criminals' plan.
Back at the school, the mastermind behind the school believes that the main teacher has ratted them out to Batman and kills him. Batman arrives and fights the big man in front of the kids, who start admiring Batman instead of the criminals. With help from the kids, Batman manages to defeat the leader and his gang and the kids start living a straight life.
Appearing in "The Crime School for Boys"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Big Boy Daniels (Single appearance)
- Pockets (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Tommy (Single appearance)
- Butch (Single appearance)
- Eddie (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Synopsis for "The Batman vs. the Cat-Woman"
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The Cat-Woman
A new criminal has appeared in the city and she is Cat-Woman. Now, wearing a cat mask, she steals some of the most valuable gems from the city's wealthy people and the police are baffled by her amazing feats. Commissioner Gordon demands that she is captured and for that purpose, he assigns Detective McGonigle to the case.
Meanwhile, Batman goes out on his daily patrol and he witness a murder on the streets. He fights the attackers away from the victim and he tries to get the dying man to talk the reason why he was attacked. After Batman learns of the Diamond Sindicate, one of the thugs knocks him unconscious and Batman is saved by the timely arrival of Detective McGonigle, who proceeds to handcuff Batman while he is unconscious. However, upon waking up, Batman knocks the detective unconscious and he escapes.
The next day, Bruce Wayne goes to see his friend James Gordon and together they go to investigate the murder of the man at the Diamond Sindicate Headquarters. The members of this organization are baffled to know about last night's murder and they inform Gordon that they fear something will happen at the jewels exposing gala that night. The ceremony was organized by the sindicate to showcase their best jewels worn by models and Gordon takes action.
That night, Bruce Wayne attends at the gala and he witness how one of the models throws a blinding powder to the audience and escapes with the jewels. The model turns out to be Cat-Woman, but on her way out of the building, she is abducted by some gangsters and placed inside a car. As the car takes her and the jewels away, Robin follows them on his small roadster.
Meanwhile, Bruce changes into Batman and goes to the home of one of the Diamond Sindicate's members and he is surprised to be attacked by the man. Batman knocks him unconscious and after a brief update of events with Robin, Batman takes the man to he Sindicate's main headquarters, where the other members have kidnapped Cat-woman and finally the ultimate plot is revealed. The second member of the Sindicare hired Catwoman's services as a thief to steal some of the jewels as well as the man who was killed the night before and the ultimate goal was to take away all the revenue for himself. However, when he realized that Catwoman and others involved would take a piece of his take, he decided to eliminate them all and be the sole owner of the Diamond Sindicate. Batman and Robin fight off all the gangsters and soon they are all captured. When Batman rescues Catwoman, he tells her that she is going to jail as well, but with a grateful kiss, Catwoman distracts Batman long enough to make her escape effective and but Batman doesn't seem bothered by that.
Later, Batman delivers the stolen jewels to Detective McGonigel, who is still sour because Batman keeps escaping from him.
Elsewhere, Catwoman drives a car away from the city, wishing that Batman was with her.
Appearing in "The Batman vs. the Cat-Woman"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Robin
- Gotham City Police Department
- James Gordon
- McGonigle
Antagonists:
- Catwoman
- Darrell (Single appearance)
- Hoffer (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Blake (Single appearance)
- Calvert (Single appearance; dies)
- Jerry (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
- None
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in:
- The Batman vs. the Cat-Woman is reprinted in:
- Batman appeared last in Detective Comics #45. He appears next in Detective Comics #46.
- James Gordon appeared last in Batman #2. He chronologically appears next in DC Special #29.
- Robin appeared last in Detective Comics #45. He appears next in Detective Comics #46.
- The Cat-Woman chronologically appears next in All-Star Squadron Annual #3.
Trivia
- This is the first time that Cat-woman appears with the Cat mask.
- The cover is homaged during the opening of Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders.