"Tests" is the third episode of Beware the Batman.
Plot[]
In the night of Gotham, Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog, two street vandals, are defacing a hardware store. They are abruptly stopped by the Batman and are left handcuffed for Gotham City Police. Once the Batman has departed, a mysterious figure called Anarky reveals him, and sets the two vandals free. Showing unusual enthusiasm for the duo’s career vandalism, Anarky, portraying himself as a somewhat a patron, donates to the duo advanced weaponry for their art.
At Wayne Manor, Tatsu Yamashiro undergoes a rigorous physical testing regime. An impressed Alfred watches proudly as Tatsu successfully completes the test; however Bruce Wayne shows little interest as he is too busy playing chess with Alfred. After besting Alfred again, Wayne believes it is going to take more than an agility test to impress him as when he was abroad training himself for his career as the Batman in Asia, he was tested on many feats and skills before being accepted.
In her room, Tatsu is looking at the mysterious Soultaker sword, before being summoned by Wayne to the trophy room for her next test. As she waits in the trophy room, Tatsu notices something strange about the wall surrounding the fireplace. As she passes her finger along what seems to be sweep mark on the wall, she accidentally presses a hidden button. Revealing a hidden door behind the fireplace, Tatsu is unable to gain access to the room as it requires Wayne’s handprint signature.
After being directed to the outside of the Queen Street Gallery by Anarky, Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog begin wreaking destruction on the street with the weapons provided by Anarky as the latter watches from afar. The duo catches the attention of the Batman, who swiftly ends their rampage. Back at the Batcave, Alfred and Batman both agree that Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog are working for someone. Batman notices a footprint left on the hood of the Batmobile by Junkyard Dog and has Alfred run an analysis to see if anything interesting might come up. On his way up, Wayne encounters Tatsu who advises Wayne to keep an open mind to hiring her. They trade a handshake and after Wayne leaves, Tatsu reveals that she has managed to acquire a copy of Wayne’s handprint.
Later, Anarky quietly breaks Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog out of prison. Reasoning that the Batman stands for order whereas he himself stands for chaos and destruction, Anarky provides Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog with even more weaponry and armor.
In his private library, Wayne is reading Gotham’s Mass Transit Revolution when Alfred arrives with a background check on Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog. Noted for a serious lack of talent, this only provides further evidence that Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog are working for someone else. The footprint that Alfred analyzed contained traces of the Fritillaria meleagris plant, also known as the chess flower. Wayne believes that the mysterious employer is playing a game of chess. Using GCPD surveillance cameras, they track down Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog; this time wearing advanced suits. This time however, Alfred is instructed to drive the Batmobile to stop Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog, whilst Batman goes after their secret employer.
In the heart of Gotham, Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog are wreaking destruction. They are quickly defeated and driven off by Alfred, who is remotely-controlling the Batmobile. At the same time, the Batman tracks down a surprised Anarky to the Gotham Wheelhouse. Anarky surprises the Batman by demonstrating that he is a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, and two enemies engage in an intense duel.
Meanwhile, having acquired Wayne’s handprint, Tatsu makes her way to the trophy room. There, she successfully gains access to a secret elevator behind the fireplace using Wayne’s stolen handprint. As she makes her way down the elevator she is shocked to find a hidden private library and notices the book, Gotham’s Mass Transit Revolution, on a shelf left ajar. She opens to a specific page and finds an image of the Gotham Wheelhouse; the same one where Anarky is.
As they fight, Anarky expresses his gratitude to the Batman for understanding his game; implying that he had intentionally left a clue in Junkyard Dog’s sneaker. Batman berates Anarky for giving advanced weaponry to Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog, pointing out that it could have resulted in deaths of innocent civilians. Likening himself and Batman to opposite chess pieces, the Anarky and Batman continue their battle; until they are abruptly cut off by an explosion coming from a terminal station connecting Gotham’s aerial tramway. Nobody is injured, but Anarky reveals that there are bombs attached to each of the two gondola lifts, that will set off when the two cable cars pass each other. Anarky also has a remote detonator, preventing the Batman from stopping the gondola lifts from moving using the control panel.
After fighting his way through Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog, Batman makes his way to Gotham harbour using the Batcycle which was parked outside the Gotham Wheelhouse. The Batcycle transforms into the Bat-Glider that Batman uses to transport himself to scout the gondola lifts. Realising that the bombs on each gondola lift will explode once the two cable cars are in magnetic range, Batman attempts to divert the magnetic pull, preventing the circuits in the bombs from closing thus preventing the bombs from exploding. As the Batman attempts to divert the magnetism away from the cable cars using a terminal station, he is attacked by Anarky. Batman takes advantage of Anarky’s ego; distracting him long enough for the Batman to disable the detonator by jamming its frequency. Anarky is then knocked off of the terminal station by the Batman. The Batman is then able to successfully divert the magnetism away from the gondola lifts, which prevents the bombs from exploding. In the ensuing distraction however, Anarky has escaped.
Following the battle, Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog are taken away by Lieutenant James Gordon and the Gotham City Police Department. Batman is impressed to see Tatsu at the Gotham Wheelhouse as well, noting that she has passed another test but that there will be more to come. As Batman drives off into the night on the Batcycle, Tatsu looks on with curiosity.
Voice Cast[]
- Anthony Ruivivar as Bruce Wayne/Batman
- J.B. Blanc as Alfred Pennyworth
- Sumalee Montano as Tatsu Yamashiro
- Wallace Langham as Anarky
- Arif S. Kinchen as Daedalus Boch
- Carlos Alazraqui as Junkyard Dog
Trivia[]
- This episode marks the first official appearance of the Soultaker Sword in Beware the Batman. It also marks the debut of Anarky.
- This incarnation of Anarky takes traits from the Nolanverse version of the Joker (Batman's arch-enemy who sees himself as a worthy opponent and styles himself as an agent of chaos) and the Riddler (egotistical planner who's not as mature as he presents himself). His costume is reminiscent of Moon Knight and The Spectre.
- Daedalus Boch and Junkyard Dog made a brief appearance in the previous episode "Secrets" as the vandals that the Batman stops. They are given a larger role as the secondary antagonists in this episode.
- Daedalus Boch aka "Doodlebug" and Tucker Long aka "Junkyard Dog" are from Arkham Asylum: Living Hell.
Links[]
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