FADE IN

GOTHAM CITY-NIGHT

An aerial view of Gotham. As usual, we can hear sirens. It is, after all, Gotham.

PAN OVER

ANGLE ON:

A PENTHOUSE APARTMENT

CUT TO:

INT. APARTMENT

An overweight, middle-aged man is sleeping in a huge four poster bed.

CLOSE ON:

The man.

He stirs and pulls his covers tighter.

SFX: A click, and a soft creak of floorboards.

CLOSE ON:

The man.

A shadow falls across him.

ANGLE ON:

THE OPPOSITE WALL.

The man's glass sliding door is open, and a figure is silhouetted there.

He wears a long coat that moves in the wind from outside.

The figure moves forward into the apartment, toward the sleeping man.

ANGLE ON:

The man.

Frowning in his sleep.

VOICE (Whisper)
Ohhh. This wont do. This won't do at all.

A black gloved hand falls over the sleeping man's mouth, and he opens his eyes.

ANGLE ON:

The man's face.

Whatever he sees, he's shocked. Terrified.

FADE TO BLACK
CUE THEME

From the dark...a cold voice, like crushed glass.

"I made a promise to my parents...that I would rid Gotham of the evil that took their lives."

Something is winging toward us through the darkness. Leather wings against the darkness.

SUPER TITLE:

B A T M A N

"The Joker's Wild"

FADE IN

THE PENTHOUSE-DAY

It's become a crime scene. Detectives and police officers are poring over objects, dusting for fingerprints, and just standing around.

PAN OVER

Harvey Bullock enters the room and immediately recoils.

BULLOCK
Oh, geez! What is that smell? Can we get some air freshener in here?

CUT TO:

THE BEDROOM

ANGLE ON:

A CSU officer, crouching over a sheet-covered corpse on the bed.

Bullock looks around at the crime scene itself.

BULLOCK
Whew! I thought it was bad out there!

CSU OFFICER
No kidding. I don't envy the medical examiner.

BULLOCK
Who is this guy?

CSU OFFICER
Hank Claridge. He's got a medical license in his wallet.

Bullock looks up and sees a framed degree hanging on the wall.

BULLOCK
Yeah. I uh...noticed the degree on the wall as I came in the room. Why do I recognize that name, though?

CSU OFFICER
I've seen commercials for his practice on latenight TV. He specializes in rhinoplasty and other reconstructive surgery.

Bullock scowls.

BULLOCK
A face doctor.

The CSU officer looks at Bullock.

CSU
Did you look at his face?

BULLOCK
No, what-

He moves over.

PAN OVER

ANGLE ON:

Bullock's view of Claridge's face.

The man's eyes are wide open, staring. The cheek muscles are stretched upward, pulling his mouth open and exposing his teeth and gums.

A hideous grin.

Bullock straightens, speechless for a moment.

BULLOCK
What the hell?

The officer raises his hand. He's holding a small white, 2 X 3 card.

CSU OFFICER
Look at this.

Bullock takes the card and looks at it. It's a playing card. A Joker.

BULLOCK
A self-portrait?

SARAH (Offscreen)
Or a calling card.

Bullock spins around to see Sarah Essen coming through the door.

SARAH
Sorry I'm late. I just left another scene just like this one.

Her nose wrinkles.

SARAH
Smell and all.

She smiles at the CSU officer.

SARAH
Lemme guess. Tight grin on his face, eyes bugging out of his head, Joker card in his hand?

BULLOCK
You got it. Who was the vic?

SARAH
Homeless man. Yours?

BULLOCK
Plastic surgeon.

Essen peers over Bullock's shoulder.

CLOSE ON:

Her face.

She winces.

SARAH
He could use one.

FADE TO:

THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

Harvey Dent sits in a high-backed leather chair, his feet resting on the desk, talking on a cordless phone.

DENT
He had a smile on his face?

CUT TO:

THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE.

James Gordon, in a similair chair, leans back as he speaks.

ANGLE ON:

Gordon.

GORDON
That's what I said. I still haven't seen it for myself yet. I was planning on going down there later, once the autopsy is finished.

Gordon pauses for a moment.

GORDON
I'm scared, Harv.

ANGLE ON:

Dent.

DENT
C'mon Jim. What's to worry about?

ANGLE ON:

Gordon.

GORDON
It's this town. As bad as it's been in the past, things just seem like they're getting progressively worse...you know?

ANGLE ON:

Dent.

DENT
I hear ya. I've had three weird trials in the last two weeks. You know who the perps were? A guy who commits crimes based on the calendar, an old lady who calls herself "Ma Parker" and runs a gang of runaways, and a little guy who uses mind control on his victims, makes them do whatever he wants them to. Whatever happened to your regular, everyday murderer or bank robber?

ANGLE ON:

Gordon.

GORDON
They're still out there. They're just…different now. You know what I blame?

DENT (Over the phone)
George Lucas?

Gordon smiles.

GORDON
Honestly, though. I blame The Batman.

ANGLE ON:

Dent.

DENT
You can't be serious.

He sighs.

DENT
Jim, he's helped this city more than anyone can imagine. In a way I kinda envy him.

ANGLE ON:

Gordon.

GORDON
Me too. And it scares me.

There is an uneasy silence.

ANGLE ON:

Dent.

DENT
Batman is a necessary evil, Jim. You know it...and I know it.

ANGLE ON:

Gordon.

GORDON
But does Batman know it?

ANGLE ON:

Dent.
DENT
I think...more than anyone, he knows it.

There is a knock on the door.

Bullock and Sarah walk into Gordon's office. Sarah has a manila folder in her hand, which she hands to Gordon.

GORDON
I'll talk to you later, Harvey.

He hangs up the phone and stands up, folder in hand.

SARAH
The Medical Examiner is waiting, Commissioner.

Gordon walks over to a coat rack, and pulls his tan trenchcoat off it, pulls it on.

CUT TO:

THE CAVE

Alfred is dusting the computer. He scowls.

ALFRED
Master Bruce?

BRUCE (From the costume vault)
Yes?

ALFRED
Something wrong, sir?

BRUCE
Is that a joke?

Alfred smiles.

ALFRED
No, sir. Simple concern. You haven't spoken for hours.

BRUCE
I was thinking.

ALFRED
About?

Silence.

ALFRED
I see.

ALFRED
And what will Batman be doing tonight?

BRUCE
The Penguin's moving.

Bruce comes out of the costume vault, clad in the Batsuit, the cowl hanging over his back.

He tightens his left gauntlet.

Then he reaches behind him and pulls the cowl over his face. He lowers his hands.

ANGLE ON:

Alfred looks worried.

ALFRED
Be careful.

Bruce looks up.

His voice is deeper.

BATMAN (Reassuring)
I'll be back.

He puts his hand on Alfred's shoulder, then lets it slip off. He turns, heading for the Batmobile.

He vaults in. The cockpit slides shut.

ANGLE ON:

Alfred.

He looks even more worried.

SFX: The Batmobile roaring to life and leaving.

Alfred turns, heads up the stairs to the manor, and opens the door there. He swings the clock shut.

He sighs, the heads for the kitchen.

ALFRED
Forgive me, Master Bruce.

He reaches for a phone on the wall and dials.

ALFED
Dr. Thompkins, please.

CUT TO:

GOTHAM CENTRAL PARK

Trees, Shrubs. Flowers. A haven for plants in Gotham.

An older woman is walking along, picking up litter.

PAN AROUND

Two men follow her, watching.

She reaches down to grab a potato chip bag...

And they race up, and yank on her purse.

The woman shrieks and falls, landing hard on the ground.

The two men rip the purse from her.

ANGLE ON:

One of the men. He looks at the purse, and races off.

The other man is behind.

ANGLE ON:

His feet.

Something snakes around his feet, and he trips.

The other man looks back, and freezes.

His partner is down, tangled in a Batbola, and a black-clad demon is advancing.

ANGLE ON:

His view.

Batman whips something through the air toward him.

The screen goes dark.

ANGLE ON:

The second, man, toppling to the ground, out cold.

Batman walks past the downed man, and his unconscious friend, and retrieves the purse.

He picks it up, and turns, heading back toward the woman. He hands it to her.

ANGLE ON:

Her face.

Silent awe and gratitude.

CUT TO:

INT. RESTAURANT.

Seven people sit at a table.

A waiter walks over, and starts to hand out food. The people dig in.

ANGLE ON:

A man takes a bite of steak. He gasps and looks up. Then...

He starts to laugh.

Chuckling at first, then breaking into uncontrolled, maniacal cackling.

The others at the table watch as his face turns blue, and he collapses onto his plate...

CLOSE ON:

The man's face.

He is smiling.

ANGLE ON:

The other six people.

Horrified. They drop their utensils.

MAN
Dear lord...

The diners stare.

CUT TO:

GCPD FORENSICS LAB

James Gordon enters. A tall black woman is standing over a stretcher.

GORDON (Dejected)
Give me some good news, Lisa.

The woman turns, pulling a pair of latex gloves off and rolling them into a ball.

MEDICAL EXAMINER
I don't know if it's good news, but it's a cause of death. This man choked to death.

GORDON
He choked?

MEDICAL EXAMINER
One of his lungs was fully ruptured. Internal bleeding did the rest.

GORDON
When you say fully ruptured, you mean -

MEDICAL EXAMINER (Blunt)
It blew up like an over-inflated balloon. I couldn't find anything in there through all the blood. However, I did scan material from several of the air sacs in the victim's lung. Found lingering traces of Nitrous Oxide, more commonly known as-

GORDON
Laughing gas. He laughed himself to death?

MEDICAL EXAMINER
He literally "busted a gut".

Gordon looks down at the devilish grin on the man's face.

GORDON
And the face?

MEDICAL EXAMINER
Some sort of nerve toxin that causes the muscles to tighten up around the cheeks. It didn't have anything to do with his death.

Gordon nods.

GORDON
All right. Thanks.

Gordon walks over to a cordless wall phone, picks up the receiver, and punches in a number.

GORDON
Essen? Gordon. You and Bullock check current police reports for any stolen chemicals, specifically Nitrous Oxide. I'll be right up, let me know if you come up with anything.

HE PAUSES

Three more? Where?

He sighs.

GORDON
All right, get over there, but as soon as you're finished, get back here.

He hangs up the phone. Lisa is pulling the sheet back over the dead man.

Gordon looks at her.

GORDON
I hope you're planning on working late tonight.

ANGLE ON:

A TV screen.

A blonde reporter is reading a report.

VIKKI VALE
Reports are coming in from all over Gotham of mysterious fatalities. The death toll has reached six, and there is no trail. No rhyme, or reason to these brutal murders. Who is responsible for these deaths? Commissioner Gordon declined to comment earlier, but-

CUT TO:

Another TV screen.

A man with close-cropped black hair.

JACK RYDER
-a ghoulish grin on the bodies, leaving Gotham's Finest helpless until the next victim is found...

CUT TO:

A third TV screen.

A redheaded woman.

WOMAN
I'm standing here in Robert's Resteraunt, where just hours ago, a horrible scene was-

PULL BACK.

This TV monitor is on the wall in the GCPD Main offices. The sound fades into the sounds of a bustling office area.

It's like a newspaper. Cops and detectives hurry back and forth.

PAN OVER

Bullock is on the phone with someone, and Sarah is walking back towards her desk across from
Bullock's.

CLOSE ON:

Bullock.

BULLOCK
That's a great help, sir. Thanks.

He hangs up the phone.

BULLOCK
I think we got somethin', Sarah.

SARAH
Yeah?

BULLOCK
That was Axis Chemicals. They haven't had a break-in, but they did report being shorted ten five-gallon tanks of nitrous oxide just three weeks ago. Turns out the guy who was working in shipping that day? It was his last day on the job. He was fired for showing up late to work everyday.

SARAH
Sounds like a real winner. What's his name?

Bullock picks up his notebook and reads off the name.

BULLOCK
Napier, Jack.

SARAH
Napier? I busted him for possession of a concealed weapon a few years back. Funny lookin' guy, tried to hit on me while I was reading him his rights.

BULLOCK
Let's pay Mr. Napier a vis -

SFX: A door slams.

PAN OVER

Gordon busts out of his office.

GORDON
Bullock! Essen! Get in here!

The cops in the room look at the two detectives and smirk. The two look at each other, puzzled, then stand, and head into Gordon's office.

CUT TO:

THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE

Gordon closes the door. A TV/VCR is set up next to Gordon's desk. He slides a video tape into the VCR.

GORDON
Hill received this not half an hour ago.

He turns on the TV, and presses PLAY.

ANGLE ON:

The screen.

An image appears. A darkened room. A man sits in front of the camera, in a large armchair. He is wearing what appears to be a dark suit, and a strange bowtie.

VOICE
Good evening, citizens of Gotham. I'm The Joker. You may not know me, but you probably know what I do. I make people smile. Now, I'm a simple man. I have simple needs.

The man leans forward.

VOICE
And what I need from you, Gotham, is one billion dollars. Cash. And if I don't receive that one billion dollars by, oh, say, Midnight tonight?

BEAT

VOICE
Well, there's going to be a lot of smiling people in Gotham. Remember:

BEAT

VOICE
In this game, The Joker…is wild.

The man leans forward, just a little, and we catch a glimpse of his face.

Pale skin, red lips.

The man starts to chuckle. Then the laughter grows, in pitch and volume. It becomes a maniacal laugh.

ANGLE ON:

Sarah.

SARAH
That's not Jack Napier, I'll tell you that much for sure.

ANGLE ON:

Bullock.

He's squinting. He frowns.

BULLOCK
Is that lipstick?

SFX: The tape ends. We hear "snow".

ANGLE ON:

Gordon. He reaches into his pocket.

GORDON
This was sent to all the local networks as well. I can only keep them from showing it for so long.

He looks at them, then shakes a cigarette from pack that has materialized in his hand.

GORDON
You two have leads?

BULLOCK
One or two.

GORDON
Get on them now. And be ready for when this thing gets out.

BEAT

He looks at the snow onscreen.

GORDON
It's gonna be messy.

Sarah nods.

FADE TO:

ANGLE ON:

A door.

A hand reaches up and knocks on the door.

It opens. A short man with a pronounced chin and angled features stands there.

NAPIER
I thought I said-oh. Detective Essen, it's been a while.

Sarah smirks.

SARAH
Wasn't sure if you'd remember me or not, Mr. Napier.

NAPIER
How could I forget that face of yours?

BULLOCK
If you don't mind, sir…we've got a few questions for you.

NAPIER
I'd be happy to answer them for you.

SARAH
you were recently employed at Axis Chemicals, isn't that right?

NAPIER
Yes, sir.

BULLOCK
So where's the Nitrous Oxide you stole, Jack?

Napier looks at them, puzzled.

NAPIER
Excuse me?

SARAH
Don't act so surprised. It was your last day, you were mad, so you skimmed a few tanks off the truck, right? No blood, no foul, right?

NAPIER
Look-

BULLOCK
That's not what we're here for, though. Frankly, my partner and I here could care less about a few missing tubs of laughing gas. What we do care about, though, is when that gas is used to kill people.

NAPIER
I can explain that-

BULLOCK
You can? Didja hear that Sarah, he can explain it. All right Jack. We're all ears.

Napier swallows hard. He's beginning to sweat.

NAPIER
This one day, after work, I'm walkin' out to my car and this guy comes up to me, asks me if I want to make some money.

BULLOCK
What'd he look like?

NAPIER
I dunno. It was dark, he was wearin' a hat and a coat, it hid his face. Anyways, he asks me if I want to make some money. And c'mon, I've just been laid off, right? So I says "yeah". He tells me he needs ten canisters of nitrous oxide. I tell him we got a shipment comin' in on Friday. He tells me to snag the gas and bring it to him after I get off work for the day.

SARAH
Where'd he have you take it?

NAPIER
Some place on the lower east side…an old Jack-in-the-Box restaurant, I think. You remember those places?

BULLOCK
Yeah. One too many health code violations.

SARAH
Is that all you remember?

NAPIER
The guy giggled a lot. Didn't seem like natural laughin' either. I screwed up, didn't I?

BULLOCK
You have no idea. Don't even think about goin' anywhere.

Bullock and Essen turn and leave. Jack just stands at his door, nervous.

SARAH
We'll start with the Jack-in-the-Boxes and see where that takes us.

BULLOCK
Good call. Just wish they were still open. They had great cheese fries…

Sarah smiles.

CUT TO:

A WAREHOUSE

ANGLE ON:

The view from the rafters. Five men below stand around a tabl, looking at an open attache case.

GUNMAN
Christ. You said it would be a lot, but...

A second man laughs.

GUNMAN 2
Told ya. Penguin never steers us wrong. Now all we have to do-

SFX: A whistling.

A batarang thuds into the wall behind them.

The men freeze, then all draw their weapons.

ANGLE ON:

Their point of view.

A shadow drops from the darkness above, and lands on the floor, snapping it's wings down.

The shadow stands there.

The men look at him. Whatever it is, it's crazy.

They level their weapons.

At the last minute, Batman races straight for them.

Angle on:

The men.

GUNS BLAZE

Batman leaps into the men like a demon possed.

ANGLE ON:

A booted foot snakes out and slams into one man's midsection, cracking his ribs.

ANGLE ON:

A gloved fist slams into another man.

ANGLE ON:

Batman.

He walks toward a gunman. The man levels the weapon.

GUNMAN 3
Get the hell away from me, freak!

Batman walks toward him, not breaking stride.

BATMAN
You dare?

He grabs the man's wrist.

SFX: Bone cracking. The man howls.

ANGLE ON:

The gun.

It goes spinning off along the floor.

ANGLE ON:

Batman. He reaches out and grabs the gunman, lifts him off the ground.

BATMAN
You dare point a gun at me?

The man shakes his head.

MAN 3
No! I thought...thought you were someone else!

ANGLE ON:

Batman's face.

He scowls. Teeth grinding together.

CUT TO:

WIDE SHOT

Batman hurls the gunman into a pile of boxes.

He whirls, grabbing the remaining two men by their heads.

He slams their heads together and they fall to the floor.

He looks around. Breathing hard. He's lost control.

He looks down, shocked.

He kneels, and checks for a pulse on the men on the floor. Then he rises, satisfied that they are alive.

He turns and strides toward the entrance.

CUT TO:

GCDP-MAIN OFFICES

Gordon is standing at Bullock's desk and he and Sarah approach.

GORDON
Well? Anything?

Sarah shrugs.

SARAH
Bullock's got heartburn.

BULLOCK (Annoyed)
Shut up, Sarah.

He looks at Gordon

BULLOCK
Napier directed us towards an old Jack-in-the-Box downtown. There was nothing there, but Sarah here got it in her head that maybe The Joker would go for that gimmick.

SARAH
A jack in the box for The Joker. It made sense to me.

BULLOCK
Whatever. So we went out, driving to every place we could think of. The LaffCo toy factory, Clown Works Computers, Jolly Jester's Gymnasium.

He winces.

BULLOCK
What'd we find, Sarah?

SARAH
Nothing.

BULLOCK
That's right. Nothing. Let me just say, once again, it wasn't my idea.

GORDON
Don't worry about it, Sarah. Everybody makes mistakes. The mayor's going nuts about the billion dollars. Gotham can't afford it.

He looks at his watch.

GORDON
It's 10:30.

He looks at them.

GORDON
I want every cop we can find out on the street and looking for this guy. All of them. Got it? Start making calls.

PAN OVER

ANGLE ON:

A desk near Gordon's office.

Commissioner Gordon's receptionist stands up from her desk, holding the phone in her hand.

BONNIE
Commissioner?

GORDON
Yes, Bonnie?

BONNIE
Harvey-Mr. Dent...is on Line 2 for you, sir.

GORDON
Thanks.

He walks over. She hands him the phone.

GORDON
Harvey?

He listens for a second.

GORDON
Ok.

He slams the phone down, and as he's rushing out of the office he turns.

GORDON
Hold all my calls, Bonnie!

CUT TO:

THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

The blinds are drawn. Dent sits on his desk, waiting.

The door opens and Gordon comes in, out of breath. He looks at Dent.

GORDON
Where is he?

DENT
Close the door.

Jim closes the door. He turns back towards Harvey.

GORDON
All right, where is he?

BATMAN
Here.

Gordon starts.

He spins around to see where the voice came from. Harvey flicks on his desk lamp, illuminating the corner. Batman stands next to the window.

BATMAN
The Joker.

GORDON
Do you know something?

DENT
He knows what we know, Jim.

Gordon sighs.

GORDON
All our leads have come up short. We know where he got his laughing gas, but that didn't take us anywhere.

DENT
Didn't he leave something at each crime scene?

Gordon reaches into his pocket and pulls out a Joker card in a plastic bag.

GORDON
He's left one of these with all of his victims. It's his calling card.

Batman's hand comes out from under his cape. He takes the bag from Gordon. He moves around to the other side of the desk and looks at it under the light of Dent's desk lamp.

Batman takes the bag, tucks it into a belt pouch, and turns, heading for the window.

DENT
What is it?

BATMAN
I'll be in touch.

GORDON
What?

Gordon and Dent look at each other.

ANGLE ON:

Gordon.

He shoots Dent a look.

ANGLE ON:

Dent.

He shrugs.

There is a rustle of cape and Gordon looks up.

GORDON
An hour and a half till Midnight.

ANGLE ON:

Dent.

DENT
If anyone can do it, he can.

Gordon sighs again and plops down in a chair.

GORDON
I'll buy you a drink at 12:01 if you're right.

CUT TO:

THE STREETS OF GOTHAM

The Batmobile speeds along the streets. It roars over a hill.

CUT TO:

INT. BATMOBILE

Batman looks at the Joker card. He presses a button to the right of his dash.

A small tray slides open. He places the card on the tray.

BATMAN
Initiate chemical analysis. Transfer to crime lab.

CUT TO:

EXT. BATMOBILE

The car rockets through the Gotham night, and out of sight.

CUT TO

THE BATCAVE

ANGLE ON:

The access tunnel.

A roar fills the air. The Batmobile shoots from the access tunnel and stops on a dime.

The cockpit slides forward and Batman leaps out.

The Batmobile starts to rotate toward the access tunnel as Batman walks into the cave.

Alfred is standing there holding a tray of food.

ALFRED
You've returned just in time for-

Batman walks past him.

BATMAN
Not now.

Batman heads for the crime lab.

Alfred follows.

ALFRED
And what threat is Batman combatting now?

Batman is fiddling with a machine.

BATMAN
There's going to be a massacre at Midnight.


Alfred looks at his watch.

ALFRED
Which gives you precisely-

Batman holds up a hand.

BATMAN
Not now.

He adjusts a dial and looks up at a screen. A list of trace elements appears.

BATMAN (Whisper)
Magnesium...Iron...Chloride.

He pauses.

BATMAN
Alfred. How could someone kill millions of people?

Alfred looks at him.

ALFRED
An infectious agent? A chemical weapon?

Batman nods.

He looks at the element readout.

BATMAN
Yes. And this card contains minute traces of processed chlorine and aluminum.

He looks at Alfred.

BATMAN
Elements used in water purification.

Alfred's eyes widen slightly.

ALFRED
All of Gotham uses the same water, sir.

Batman nods.

BATMAN
The reservoir. Outside the city.

Alfred looks at him.

ALFRED
Shall I alert the police?

Batman looks at him.

BATMAN
Call them. But it might be too late. Use the voice modifier.

ALFRED
Of course, sir.

Batman whirls and races from the crime lab.

Alfred exits the crime lab in time to see The Batmobile roaring into the access tunnel.

CUT TO:

EXT. CAVE ACCESS TUNNEL

Bushes peel back, and The Batmobile roars from a cave mouth, and shoots onto a dirt road, vanishing into the forest.

CUT TO:

DOWN THE ROAD

The Batmobile accelerates.

CUT TO:

INT. BATMOBILE.

Batman's hand reaches down and flips open a safety hatch on a red button.

He presses it.

The Batmobile roars the nitrous ignites. He is thrown back into his seat as:

CUT TO

EXT. BATMOBILE

Flame whooshes from The Batmobile's exhaust and it rockets along the road.

CUT TO:

EXT. GOTHAM RESERVOIR

A dam and several control houses.

CUT TO:

INT. RESERVOIR CONTROL BOOTH

A guard is watching a small black and white TV.

TV
Who.
The guy on first base!
Who.
Who's on first?
Right.
The man on first!
Who's on first!
What?

The guard laughs.

VOICE
"Do you like to laugh?"

The guard whirls, and sees a figure in the dark. The man wears a purple trenchcoat. His pale skin glistens under the moonlight.

VOICE
"I said...do you like to laugh?"

GUARD
Who the hell are you?

The man starts to enter.

The guard reaches for a phone. The man enters the booth.

ANGLE ON:

His hand.

There is a gun in it.

The guard looks up as a small dart shoots from the gun and lodges in his shoulder.

GUARD
Ahh!

He puts his hand to his arm, to pull the dart out.

GUARD
Ahh...heh...heh...heh-heh...

The guard starts to laugh. Uncontrollably.

The man in the purple pulls a purple fedora off his head and sets it over the guard's face.

SFX: Insane laughter fills the booth.

CUT TO:

EXT. GOTHAM RESERVIOR

The Batmobile pulls to a stop below the reservoir.

The cockpit slides open and a pair of boots hit the ground.

A cape swishes down to cover them.

PAN UP

ANGLE ON:

Behind Batman.

He approaches a tall cement wall.

Batman whips his cape to one side and raises a compressed-air Batgrapple upward.

He fires and a piton shoots upward, lodging in the top of the cement wall.

Batman pulls the line tight, wrapping it around his glove.

ANGLE ON:

Looking down from the railing.

In the dark, Batman scales the wall quickly, hand over hand. Relentess. Determined.

CUT TO:

A MOTORBOAT ON THE RESERVOIR

The man in purple stands at the controls, piloting the boat out into the water.

CUT TO:

THE RAILING

The piton is still attached. A line hangs down over the wall.

PAN OVER

RESERVOIR CONTROL BOOTH

A horned shadow enters, looking around.

Batman stops, and looks down.

ANGLE ON:

The floor.

The guard is crumpled there.

ANGLE ON:

Batman.

He kneels and turns the man over. The man's face comes into view.

CLOSE ON:

The man's face.

A ghoulish grin.

Batman checks for a pulse. He rises, and his eyes narrow.

Then he looks out over the water.

SFX: Click.

Batman raises a small pair of binoculars to his eyes from beneath his cape.

A small motorboat can be seen in the distance.

ZOOM IN

The man is at the controls. He seems to be singing and...dancing?

Batman lowers the binoculars, considereing his next move.

Then he moves, running from the control booth and outside. He reaches the railing and looks down at the boat dock.

ANGLE ON:

The dock.

There are no more boats.

CUT TO:

THE BOAT

The man in purple is still at the helm. A few drums with a smiling skull and crossbones logo are
sitting on the boat's deck.

A shadow falls over the boat.

ANGLE ON:

The back of the man in purple.

He looks up.

VOICE
Eh?

Above, the silouhette of a giant bat fills the sky. The man on the boat watches as the Batglider dips, heading for his boat.

ANGLE ON:

Above the Batglider.

Batman pulls the Batglider near the boat and swoops low, about 20 feet over the boat.

ANGLE ON:

The man in purple's POV.

Batman detaches from the glider, cape spread, blotting out the moon.

ANGLE ON:

The Batglider.

The Batglider keeps it's course, swoops low over the boat, and hits the water.

ANGLE ON:

The boat.

Batman lands on the boat's deck, snapping his cape down. The boat jerks.

ANGLE ON:

The man in purple.

He staggers, and recovers.

WIDE SHOT

Batman strides across the deck. The man tries to back away, but Batman grabs him and pulls him close.

ANGLE ON:

The Joker's face.

A shock of bright green hair. Pale white skin. Red lips.

The Joker smiles.

THE JOKER
Can we talk about this?

Batman sends a palm into The Joker's chest, driving him back into the boat's steering wheel.

The Joker catches himself and smiles.

Batman looks at the drums on the deck, then back at The Joker.

THE JOKER
You don't wanna know.

Batman clenches his teeth. The Joker smiles wickedly

THE JOKER
Life's a joke. Gotham's gonna get the punchline.

Batman advances. Joker smiles.

Then he reaches into his coat.

ANGLE ON:

The Joker's flower.

His flower spurts a stream of liquid toward Batman.

ANGLE ON:

Batman.

Batman jerks out of the way as acid splashes on the deck, fizzing.

BATMAN
You're insane.

The Joker laughs.

THE JOKER
You're the one dressed up as a bat.

The Joker reaches into his coat and pulls a gun.

CLOSE ON:

Batman's hand goes beneath his cape.

SFX: A click.

ANGLE ON:

The Joker.

He raises the gun.

Something black whistles through the air.

The Joker grunts as the batarang slams into his hand, knocking the gun free. The batarang continues out into the water.

SFX: Soft splash.

CLOSE ON:

The Joker.

He grabs his hand and smiles broadly.

Batman advances on him, and The Joker's swings his right hand toward Batman's face.

Baman grabs The Joker's wrist before he can connect.

CLOSE ON:

Batman's face.

He looks down. He glares at The Joker.

CLOSE ON:

The Joker's hand.

An electric buzzer on his middle finger.

CLOSE ON:

The Joker's face. He smiles.

THE JOKER
You're no fun.

Batman glares at him and drops his hand.

BATMAN
It's over.

The Joker smiles.

THE JOKER
Is it?

He smiles, then turns to the boat's controls, pulling a lever down.

The boat lurches forward.

Joker falls over, landing on his bottom.

PAN OVER

ANGLE ON:

Batman.

He just stands there, arms folded, with perfect balance.

CLOSE ON:

The Joker's face.

THE JOKER
Hmm...wrong lever.

ANGLE ON:

The Joker

He looks up.

ANGLE ON:

His view. Looking over the edge of the boat.

A cement wall rushes toward them at fantastic speed.

CLOSE ON:

The Joker.

Puzzled.

JOKER
Umm...

The Joker scrambles to his knees.

Batman steps up onto the edge of the boat, his hand outstretched.

BATMAN
Your hand!

The Joker reaches out.

Batman takes his hand, and pulls.

The Joker's hand POPS OFF. Batman topples off the boat and into the water with a splash.

The Joker stands on the boat, his real hand emerging from his sleeve.

He starts laughing.

The Joker's laugh increases in volume as the boat speeds toward the cement wall.

Then he turns.

ANGLE ON:

The Joker's face. His smile evaporates.

THE JOKER
Oh, sh-

ZOOM OUT

The boat hit's the wall and explodes into a giant fireball.

Batman pulls his cape over his face as debris rains across the water. He floats there for a minute, scanning the water where the boat exploded. The water is on fire not too far off.

Batman starts to swim toward the fire.

FADE TO:

THE SHORE

Batman emerges from the water, soaked. He looks out at the fire on the lake.

CLOSE ON:

His face.

He scowls.

FADE TO:

THE ROOF OF GOTHAM POLICE HEADQUARTERS

Batman stands near the edge of the roof. Commissioner Gordon stands behind him.

GORDON
We dragged the reservoir. Didn't find him.

He looks at Batman.

GORDON
Could he have survived?

Batman looks out at the lights of Gotham.

BATMAN
I doubt it.

He walks to the edge of the roof. Gordon steps forward.

GORDON
Wait!

Batman turns to look at Gordon. Jim stands there.

GORDON
Thank you. If you hadn't stopped him, I don't know what would've happened.

Batman nods a fraction of an inch and turns again.

BATMAN
If he did survive...

He steps up onto the ledge of the roof.

BATMAN
I'll be here.

He spreads his cape and drops out of sight.

Gordon relaxes, breathing a sigh of relief. He turns, and walks towards the roof access door.

PAN OUT

FADE TO BLACK

WRITTEN BY
Dave and Joe

EDITED BY
Misfitman and Leigh

THANKS TO
Jenn and Katie

BASED ON CHARACTERS APPEARING IN DC COMICS

BATMAN CREATED BY BOB KANE