The Bookworm Turns

Plot[]

By staging a fake assassination attempt on Commissioner Gordon during the dedication ceremony of the new Amergio Bridge, the villainous Bookworm lures Batman and Robin to Police Headquarters; meanwhile, his moll, Lydia Limpet, plants a book-bomb in the Batmobile. Discovering that Gordon is in fact alive, Batman is alerted to the threat by the Batmobile Bomb Detector, and manages to use the vehicle’s Radiocontrolled Ejector Button to propel the device into the air where it explodes harmlessly. Finding a literary clue in the book-bomb's cover, the Dynamic Duo deduce that the bookish crook is planning to blow up the new bridge. However, the term "blow-up" is a photographic one, as the Bookworm merely projects a huge image of the bridge onto a warehouse wall; Batman and his trusty chum trace the image to a giant projector mounted on top of a nearby bookmobile, and promptly engage the Bookworm and his henchmen, Printer's Devil, Typesetter, and Pressman, in a fight But the villains escape, leaving behind a bound and gagged Lydia inside the bookmobile; our two heroes are suspicious, and so knock out the gorgeous gal with Batgas and then take her back to the Batcave, where they use the Hypermetric Lie-Detector to try and discover the literary loon’s plot. However, the clues that Lydia gives them are lies, setting the scene for Bookworm’s deadly trap…

Trap[]

For this trap, Robin is tied up within the bell of the clock tower dedicated to Thomas Wayne. If the clock strikes midnight, Robin will be banged to death against the bell twelve times.

Appearances[]

Individuals[]

Miscellanea[]

Cliffhanger text[]

HOLY MIDNIGHT!

THE FIRST MINUTE OF A NEW DAY... THE EVERLASTING END FOR ROBIN!

STICK MERCIFUL COTTON INTO YOUR EARS...!

THE DEATH-KNELL SOUNDS TOMORROW... SAME BAT-TIME... SAME BAT-CHANNEL!

Behind the scenes[]

Jerry Lewis appears in the series' first Batclimb cameo.
Bookworms alias "A.S. Scarlett" badge # 1887 is taken from the first Sherlock Holmes Novel "A Study In Scarlett" published in 1887!
A source of anger and rage for Bookworm is that although he speed read books; and plan crimes to the last detail; at heart he is a frustrated novelist who cannot write due to writers block!

Gallery[]

Concept art[]

Trivia[]

Footage at timemark 7 minutes of an exploding book is the exact same footage as in Get Smart 1969 S4e18 I Shot 86 Today — 1 minute from the end of the episode of an exploding mortar. Even the clouds are the same.

Batman Episodes

Season 1: Hi Diddle Riddle • Smack In The Middle • Fine Feathered Finks • The Penguin's a Jinx • The Joker Is Wild • Batman Is Riled • Instant Freeze • Rats Like Cheese • Zelda the Great • A Death Worse Than Fate • A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away • When the Rat's Away the Mice Will Play • The Thirteenth Hat • Batman Stands Pat • The Joker Goes to School • He Meets His Match, The Grisly Ghoul • True or False Face • Holy Rat Race • The Purr-Fect Crime • Better Luck Next Time • The Penguin Goes Straight • Not Yet, He Ain't • The Ring of Wax • Give 'Em the Axe • The Joker Trumps An Ace • Batman Sets the Pace • The Curse of Tut • The Pharaoh's in a Rut • The Bookworm Turns • While Gotham City Burns • Death In Slow Motion • The Riddler's False Notion • Fine Finny Fiends • Batman Makes the Scenes

Season 2: Shoot A Crooked Arrow • Walk the Straight and Narrow • Hot Off the Griddle • The Cat and the Fiddle • The Minstrel's Shakedown • Barbecued Batman? • The Spell of Tut • Tut's Case is Shut • The Greatest Mother of Them All • Ma Parker • The Clock King's Crazy Crimes • The Clock King Gets Crowned • An Egg Grows In Gotham • The Yegg Foes In Gotham • The Devil's Fingers • The Dead Ringers • Hizzonner the Penguin • Dizzoner the Penguin • Green Ice • Deep Freeze • The Impractical Joker • The Joker's Provokers • Marsha, Queen Of Diamonds • Marsha's Scheme of Diamonds • Come Back, Shame • It's How You Play the Game • The Penguin's Nest • The Bird's Last Jest • The Cat's Meow • The Bat's Kow Tow • The Puzzles Are Coming • The Duo is Slumming • The Sandman Cometh • The Catwoman Goeth (A Stitch in Time) • The Contaminated Cowl • The Mad Hatter Runs Afoul • The Zodiac Crimes • The Joker's Hard Times • The Penguin Declines • That Darn Catwoman • Scat! Darn Catwoman • Penguin is a Girl's Best Friend • Penguin Sets A Trend • Penguin's Disastrous End • Batman's Anniversary • A Riddling Controversy • The Joker's Last Laugh • The Joker's Epitaph • Catwoman Goes to College • Batman Displays His Knowledge • A Piece of the Action • Batman's Satisfaction • King Tut's Coup • Batman's Waterloo • Black Widow Strikes Again • Caught In The Spider's Den • Pop Goes the Joker • Flop Goes the Joker • Ice Spy • The Duo Defy

Season 3: Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin • Ring Around the Riddler • The Wail of the Siren • The Sport of Penguins • A Horse of Another Color • The Unkindest Tut Of All • Louie, the Lilac • The Ogg and I • How To Hatch A Dinosaur • Surf's Up! Joker's Under! • The Londinium Larcenies • The Foggiest Notion • The Bloody Tower • Catwoman's Dressed to Kill • The Ogg Couple • The Funny Feline Felonies • The Joke's on Catwoman • Louie's Lethal Lilac Time • Nora Clavicle And The Ladies' Crime Club • Penguin's Clean Sweep • The Great Escape • The Great Train Robbery • I'll Be a Mummy's Uncle • The Joker's Flying Saucer • The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra • Minerva, Mayhem And Millionaires

Other/Tie-In Media: Batman: The Movie • Batman '66 • Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders • Batman vs. Two-Face