Batman Issue 271

The Corpse Came C.O.D.!
When Alfred buys an antique rug from the Chambray Gallery for Bruce Wayne's birthday, the van delivering it is overtaken by another van, shaken to pieces by a vibro-gun that kills the van's drivers, and relieved of its rug, which is eventually delivered to Alfred with a corpse inside. Shortly afterwards, the rug disintegrates into dust. Bruce Wayne suspects foul play. Batman and Commissioner Gordon begin investigating the case, with Batman's steps dogged by Carol Ames. Ames is a photographer from Newsday magazine, whom Gordon promised to allow to photograph one of Batman's cases. Chambray himself confirms that the rug in question was one of a pair bought at an auction, and Carol snaps a picture of its mate. It proves to be a prayer rug of a Vedic sect, depicting Agni, god of the altar fire. The rugs were stolen from a secret temple of the Vedic worshippers, who consider the theft blasphemous. They also consider taking photographs of the rugs a blasphemy. When the cult makes another attack upon them, Batman captures one of the cultists, confiscates his sonic weapon, and fashions an amulet to counter its effects. In time, Batman, Carol Ames, and the second of the two rug thieves are captured by the cult and sentenced to die by sound-wave battering. But Batman's amulet wards off the sonic devices' beams, and protects all of them by holding hands with Carol and the thief. Batman fights his way out, pitches the highly-charged amulet over his shoulder, and watches the temple go up in an explosion. Commissioner Gordon and his men come to retrieve the cultists, who are hiding in the basement of the temple.

Individuals

 * Batman
 * James Gordon
 * Alfred Pennyworth
 * Carol Ames

Locations

 * Gotham City