Events Surrounding[]
While the Ice Princess rehearsed on the stage in front of city hall earlier that day, Bruce spotted Selina Kyle in Gotham Plaza. She accepted Bruce's invitation to watch the Relighting of the Tree on television in Wayne Manor, even though she made an arrangement with the Penguin to frame Batman for kidnapping at the ceremony.
Relighting of the Tree Ceremony[]
The Mayor's speech[]
The Ice Princess was discovered missing in her dressing room tent that evening, police only finding a bloodstained Batarang on her makeup counter. It seems with her absence, they decided to carry on with the ceremony, determined to show that the elected officials have the situation well in hand. The Mayor's podium was producing bad feedback and inference, coming from the Penguin's trailer. Commissioner Gordon was then forced to present the evidence from her tent on live news coverage of the ceremony, which he emphasized was purely circumstantial. Bruce and Selina both noticed this in throes of passion, and both made excuses to quickly end the date to Alfred separately. Selina got in her car and drove straight to the ceremony, frantically suiting up and driving at the same time. Contrastly, Bruce calmly collected his armor and suited up in the Batcave.
Tampering with the Batmobile[]
Batman arrived shortly after and parked in a nearby alleyway, security cloaking it in the cocoon-like armor plating as usual. Afterwards the Red Triangle Circus Gang emerged from the shadows, having been watching and waiting for Batman to abandon the car. The Knifethrower Dame used a device that could hack and replicate the frequency to deactivate the shields on the Batmobile, after standing in proximity with its remote. The Thin Clown installed a receiver at the bottom of the vehicle, while the Sword Swallower pulled out the turbine core to rewire it completely. The Snake Woman was seen tending to the rear of the car.
Search and rescue[]
Batman quickly scaled the rooftops overlooking the plaza, observing the buildings and ceremony down below. Almost immediately, he spotted the Ice Princess, alone in a room and plainly visible through a large row of windows. Obviously a set up, Batman decided to spring the trap and attempt to deliver her back to safety. Batman produced a zip-line from his Utility Belt, fast traveling to a door on top of the nearby building. The Dark Knight infiltrated the building through the door and entered the room where the girl was being held. Batman removed her gag and explained that he had been set up to look like the kidnapper, the Ice Princess reassured him that she would tell the cops that it was Cobblepot's doing. Before he could untie her, Catwoman attacked him from the ceiling. The pair engaged in a brief melee before Catwoman cut the girl's bounds and grabbed her chair with one arm, whipping at him like lion-tamer before hurling the chair at Batman.
Murder of the Ice Princess[]
Catwoman then dragged the the girl up to the roof, when Batman arrived she had disappeared and the Ice Princess was left standing on a ledge overlooking the ceremony. Batman cautioned the girl to be still, then Penguin appeared and threw a umbrella full of bats at her feet. The flock swarmed her, in her fright she lost her balance, plummeting directly onto the button to light up the tree. Hundreds of caged bats were released from the tree and began swam the Christmas shoppers at the ceremony.
Shot by the police[]
Commissioner Gordon had received an anonymous tip about Batman holding the girl in the building and appeared with three patrolmen immediately after.[1] Two of the officers began firing on Batman immediately, unloading several shots into his torso armor before Gordon forcibly lowered their arms, demanding them to hold their fire. Batman fell backward and slide the roof of another building where finally landed on his back. He allowed Catwoman to sit on him while he was dazed and in pain. Again stabbed with one of her claws, he shoved her off. Looking down at her unamused, he pulled it from his side and threw it down before striking a pose on the ledge. Catwoman watched as he transformed his cape into long glider wings, branching out on either side turning rigid. Batman turned and sailed off the building, taking a moment to embrace the swarm and savor the fear from the fickle public while gliding over the plaza.
Batmobile rampage[]
Batman landed in the alley where he left the Batmobile and jumped inside as an angry mob from the ceremony approached. Once inside, Cobblepot appeared on the monitor, indicating his control of the vehicle, going into ignition full throttle through the gathering crowd. Batman eventually scanned the car for the foreign object that was receiving the signal, and proceeded to punch his way through the bottom of the vehicle. Before the Batmobile crashed into an old woman, Batman quickly shut off the control device and stopped inches from her, saving the old woman. When Penguin realized Batman regained control of the vehicle, he began to struggle and thrash with his Bat O' Ride steering wheel in a tantrum. Coming upon a dead end with police in pursuit, Batman found many of the cars functions inoperable. At the last second he transformed the vehicle into the Batmissile, shedding the outer layers of the car into an emergency escapee vehicle. Essentially a jet turbine on wheels, it passed through an incredibly narrow alleyway like a bullet while the pursing cruisers crashed and piled up behind him. After turning a corner at Discount World, the vehicle rocketed across a bridge back to the outskirts of the city.
Aftermath[]
Batman retreats back to Wayne Manor to consult with Alfred. The public turns against Batman and the Mayor is defamed for letting a vigilante roam freely. The next day the duo interfered with his rally from the Batcave.
Ironically, the event ultimately sewn the seeds for Penguin's downfall. While hacking the Batmobile earlier, Penguin in overconfidence regarding his defeating Batman ends up giving strongly-worded comments that revealed his contempt for the Gothamites, which were recorded in the Batmobile's audio log. These were used by Bruce and Alfred to expose him during a political rally he was helming during the mayoral elections thus turning the crowd against him.
Behind the Scenes[]
Trivia[]
- In the script, Penguin and Shreck had a bunch of photographers waiting in the window of the building next-door that start flashbulbing when Batman approaches the bound girl. It also alternatively described him zip-lining through the window, rather using a rooftop door. This seems to have been dropped while filming.
Gallery[]
Screencaps[]
Photographs[]
Concept art[]
