"Shadow of the Bat: Part II" is the sixty-first episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series, and the second of a two-part episode. It originally aired on Fox Kids in the United States on September 14, 1993. The episode features the first appearance of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl and concludes the story that started in "Shadow of the Bat: Part I".
Synopsis[]
Batgirl and Robin run into each other on a rooftop outside Mason's apartment. Robin tells her that she's an amateur and should stay out, but she refuses. Just then, Mason receives a phone call summoning him to a meeting. Each spy in their own way, learning where to go, but they don't share the information with each other.
They follow him to an old subway entrance, where Two-Face shows Bruce, still disguised as Matches, to Mason, asking if he's an undercover cop. Mason says no, and complains about being called out for such a trivial thing. Two-Face reminds him who's boss, revealing his plan to the eavesdropping heroes: Harvey Dent, he had Mason instated as Gordon's assistant, but after his transformation into Two-Face, he has been the one giving Mason tips, eliminating his gang rivals while boosting Mason's popularity. Soon, Mason will replace Commissioner Gordon while Two-Face himself becomes the biggest mob boss in the city. However, due to the recent snooping, Two-Face has decided to break Gordon out of jail that night and then do away with him.
Batgirl is tripped by the trussed-up guard, revealing their presence. Two-Face and his thugs open fire, then flee with Mason, using explosives to collapse the building entrance. To make doubly sure, Two-Face detonates a bomb left on the wall of the abandoned line, letting in the river to flood the tunnel.
Bruce is reunited with Robin, who returns his costume to him. Batman speaks severely to Batgirl and, despite not knowing who she really is or why she's involved, warns her to stay out of their way. In the ensuing flood, however, Batgirl manages to save Robin from being swept away, proving her worth. With the tunnel rapidly flooding, Batman blasts a hole in the roof of the tunnel, then sends Batgirl up with his grapple gun. Before she can lower it down again, another surge of water sweeps both of them away. When she pulls up the grapple rope, she pulls up no one.
Batgirl calls the police station, but it is too late: Commissioner Gordon has already been broken out, and the damage to the phone lines caused by the explosion makes it impossible for them to understand her warnings, leaving it up to her now. In the tunnel, Batman & Robin manage to escape by throwing the brake of an old subway car, which skids to the end of the abandoned track and smashes a hole in the wall, emerging above the river, and heading for the wharf.
At Bayshore Wharf, Gordon is being held prisoner by Two-Face and his gang, and Mason is preparing to execute him personally while gloating about how he will become the next Commissioner and likely eventually Mayor. But as Mason is confident that Batman & Robin will never return, Batgirl appears and distracts them with a gas grenade, letting Gordon escape. Batman & Robin arrive and quickly subdue Two-Face and his gang. Mad Dog grabs a gun and opens fire until Robin throws him overboard. When Mason jumps into a boat and speeds away, Batgirl runs after him and grabs one of the mooring ropes.
As Batgirl is dragged along, Mason empties his gun at her but misses. Catching up to him, there is a struggle in the boat, and he rips off her mask. Momentarily shocked to see it is Barbara, Mason lets go, and she delivers a kick that knocks him back and he hits his head on the transom so hard that he loses consciousness. As the boat careens toward the Statue of Freedom, she reluctantly pulls him free before it crashes.
At a press conference, an exonerated Gordon reports that Mason is still in a coma, but has been indicted nonetheless. In response to questions about Batgirl, Gordon gives his blessing for her to operate in Gotham. Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson are also in attendance. Dick asks Bruce what he thinks Batman would have to say about all this. Bruce says he supposes there's always room for one more and muses that they will see her again someday. Barbara, standing nearby, beams and says "I wouldn't be at all surprised" as her father hugs her.
Cast[]
- Kevin Conroy as Batman
- Robert Costanzo as Detective Bullock
- Bob Hastings as Commissioner Gordon
- Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred
- Greg Burson as Mad Dog
- Mari Devon as Summer Gleeson
- Melissa Gilbert as Batgirl
- Loren Lester as Robin
- Tim Matheson as Gil Mason
- Richard Moll as Two-Face
Gallery[]
See also[]
External links[]
- "Shadow of the Bat: Part II" at Batman: The Animated Series Wiki
- "Shadow of the Bat: Part II" at DC Animated Universe Wiki
- Template:IMDb