Batman Issue 683

"What the Butler Saw"
In a strange dreamworld, Bruce Wayne's life unfolds as if his parents had never died. As Alfred drives Bruce and his father to visit Martha Wayne in the hospital, conversation turns to a young man who tried to fight crime on his own, and how he was killed by a grinning maniac who was later convicted for the murder. Time moves on. Doctor Bruce Wayne treats a young woman whom he gives his number to, only to discover that she is the con artist Selina Kyle, and he has brought shame to his father's practice. A plague comes to Gotham. Thousands die, including Bruce's mother. There was no-one there to stop it.

Bruce fights his way back to his life as Batman. "Alfred" tries to stop him, but Bruce persists - as his memories are spooled out into the army of clones by the Lump, Bruce speeds up the process, highlighting the traumatic memories: the attack of Bane, the crippling of Barbara Gordon, the death of Jason Todd, the earthquake that destroyed Gotham, threatening a crippled Deathstroke with a gun... the clones go mad and begin killing themselves. In desperation, Simyon and Mokkari try to break the process by killing the Lump. In the dream-world, Batman asks "Alfred" to help him, on the grounds that otherwise, they will both die. In the real world, the Lump sits up and tries to attack the doctors before dying.

Individuals

 * Ace the Bat-Hound
 * Batman
 * Barbara Gordon
 * Cassandra Cain
 * Damian Wayne
 * Deadshot
 * Hush
 * Talia al Ghul
 * Jack Drake
 * Jason Todd
 * Mad Hatter
 * Jean Paul Valley
 * Man-Bat
 * Ra's al Ghul
 * Scarecrow
 * Alfred Pennyworth
 * Robin
 * Dick Grayson
 * James Gordon
 * Bane
 * Catwoman
 * The Joker
 * Simyan
 * Mokkari
 * Lump

Locations

 * Gotham City
 * Arkham Asylum
 * Wayne Manor
 * Batcave

Vehicles

 * Batmobile