Original subtitles

A woman?

Of course.

But is she human?

Well, that's another story.

The Gotham Gaiety Girls presents...

Ivy, the Plant Lady.

But be warned, fellas.

This Ivy is poison.

Dare you taste her forbidden fruit?

It's autumn already. Let's see those leaves fall.

You gave me a start. I thought for a minute...

Well, you're clearly a real gentleman.

You lonely? I hate to see a man lonely.

I got a generous nature.

And I'm sure you're generous, too.

Ain't ya, mister?

My room's not far.

Or maybe you don't want to wait.

No. No!

No!

You took the shortcut through Outsiders territory.

You gotta pay the tariff. Ain't that right, Dickie?

Name's Jason. 'Member?

We don't say our names.

Oh, let's go back to the flop, fellas.

It's getting awful late.

Don't go yellow on me, boy,

or you know what you'll get.

Don't you worry, Bill. We're on the job.

What are you, scared of the dark, Little Tim?

Nah, it's just...

- After what happened to Johnny Gobs, I... - The Bat ain't real, Timmy.

He's like Santa Claus.

Just a story they tell to keep young turks like us from making an honest living.

Oh, he's real, all right. That's why you gotta pay us.

For protecting you from monsters.

Now pay up.

I think we might have broke him, boys.

Bat!

Holy shit!

Stick him, boys.

You're the gollumpus been making a nuisance of yourself

all over Gotham, ain't ya?

Well, now you're in Big Bill Dust's territory,

interfering with my amiable Cock Robins.

You're bad for business.

Bad all 'round.

Too bad for you.

Aah!

Go home.

Am home.

Home to Mommy.

He ain't got one. None of us do.

Or we run off from something even worse than this.

This is our family now.

Making something here.

Taking something back from Gotham.

Make something else. Something better.

We got no choice.

He'll just chase us down, find us again.

He won't be chasing anyone for a long time.

Go to Saint Caedwalla's, ask for Sister Leslie.

She'll help you.

Get off the street, now!

Blood, sweat and tears.

That's what turned this dream into a magnificent reality, gentlemen.

That and Bruce Wayne's money.

Spoken like a true, county prosecutor, Mr. Dent.

Money always helps.

But it is the ingenuity of this city's captains of industry

that provided these marvels.

And may you select few truly enjoy this special preview

of the Gotham World's Fair.

The Stairway to Heaven.

A fully electronical lantern, bright enough to illuminate

the very celestial firmament above.

Higher even than the police department's new lighter-than-air patrol craft.

Let's see it.

The light tends to show off a bit better in the nighttime, Ambrose.

But here's a sight you needn't wait to marvel at.

Gotham's own answer to the Eiffel Tower.

The Fox Wheel will elevate you

250 feet into the sky,

at the astonishing rate of 15 miles an hour.

Heavens! Can the human body even survive that kind of motion?

Most certainly, ma'am.

I refer you to medical expert and Gotham's premier alienist,

Dr. Hugo Strange.

The human organs can withstand velocities up to 35 miles per hour.

Ride the wheel,

and I give you my guarantee as a physician and surgeon,

you will live.

It's a shame you won't provide the same assurance

to the ladies of Gotham, Mr. Mayor.

Women are being gutted in the streets like wild game,

and the Gotham police stand twiddling their thumbs.

I'm sure Miss Kyle's lovely voice is better suited to the stage

of the Monarch Theatre than a city council meeting.

Mr. Dent...

Sure, and no ladies have been killed, Miss Kyle.

Some gin-soaked women of the street have met their fate,

as is common to their kind.

Belay that, Chief.

Miss Kyle, I assure you, visitors to this fair, men and women alike,

will be safe from... Jack.

Jack the Ripper.

That's what he calls himself in the letter he sent the Gotham Gazette, isn't it?

Now, Sister Leslie, that letter's likely just another hoax.

Really, Bulldog?

Strange it would arrive with a human kidney in the envelope.

There's a butcher in this town preying on poor women.

And if you don't stop him, so help me, I'll raise holy hell.

Sister, your selfless dedication to Gotham's poor is...

Poor's the word.

If these murdered ladies were from Crest Hill instead of Skinner's End,

you'd have the killer by now.

My men are working triple shifts

combing every inch of the city for this madman.

You know I've pledged to clean up Gotham, and I mean all of it.

It's that bat creature we've been reading about.

That's who it is.

That could very well be.

He's a devil, that one. My men just can't seem to...

To do anything, Chief Bullock, but sit on their fat arses and...

Just a damn minute.

Your charity house is what draws these pests in in the first...

Goodness gracious! - Whoa!

Well, as I live and breathe. If it isn't himself.

Welcome! A hearty welcome to Gotham's favorite native son,

Bruce Wayne.

Thank you. Thank you, Mayor Tolliver.

Please, don't stop on my account.

You know I like to keep a low profile.

I heard about this little city council meeting,

and thought it was a good opportunity to see how my money was being spent,

and all I see is sour faces.

Think nothing of that, my boy.

There are just a few disruptive females in attendance.

Don't worry, sir. I was just about to have them escorted away.

Leslie!

You were saying, Chief?

There were newspapers in Europe, James.

Is it as bad as I read?

Worse. Despite your best efforts with this World's Fair,

the city seems to be getting more deplorable every day.

First, this masked Batman vigilante,

then this Jack the Ripper lunatic.

- They're not the same man? - Rubbish.

The parish home is full of unfortunates

who swear the Batman saved them from the gangs.

He's on the side of the angels.

This Ripper, however, is not.

I've seen the bodies, Bruce. Cut to pieces, like an autopsy.

Just absolutely appalling.

Strange, the top man at Arkham, tells us he's never seen

this kind of controlled savagery before.

Bruce, the latest victim was one of our orphanage girls.

It was Pamela.

What? No. You wrote me.

You said she was working.

Dancing, then the opium.

And now...

We can't save them all.

I'm sorry, Bruce. I know those orphans are close to your heart.

If I didn't have Sister Leslie when my parents...

Funding the orphanage is the least I could do.

And now you're back. In the Manor?

Too remote. I've a townhouse on Bell Avenue.

I look forward to showing it to you.

Unfortunately, tonight I have to...

Don't say another word. I'll not hear you lie.

And a rich bachelor is always up to no good.

I'm afraid it's unavoidable.

Isn't that right, Alfred?

Your evening attire has already been laid out, sir.

Well, duty calls, I'm afraid.

Do you suppose his pressing business is blonde, brunette, or redhead?

James Gordon, you've got a dirty mind, you do.

My money's on blonde.

- I hope you're unharmed, miss. - Damn you!

You're a fool. I'll never have a better chance

of stopping that butcher and you squandered it,

playing the knight in shining armor.

I can take care of myself.

Don't be so sure.

He's more skilled than I would have thought.

I don't need or want your help.

And before you gallantly offer to escort me home,

let me assure you, I am quite capable of...

Hmm. Well, thank you for that at least.

Barbara!

Barbara!

Hush! The children don't have to be up for hours.

What is it, James? What's wrong?

Dream. Just a dream.

And then, you were gone.

I'm all right, dear.

James, these hours, you're working too hard.

And that's not likely to change.

I can't very well sit at home while Gotham goes straight to hell.

No, you couldn't, could you?

I'll make your eggs.

Damnation!

Don't be alarmed.

So says the man dressed up like a bat.

I'm on your side, Commissioner.

- I mean to rid Gotham of the Ripper. - Really?

And who'll help me rid Gotham of you?

Your men don't search too hard for me.

I'm betting that comes from the top down.

Back in the Union camp at Culpeper,

soldiers would sometimes ignore a feral cat

just to keep the rat population in check.

Other times, we'd eat them.

I know a vigilante from a maniac.

This Ripper is far worse than the lunatic you're searching for.

He's a skilled hunter,

and he's just getting started.

You ought to have breakfast with Hugo Strange up at Arkham Asylum.

You can compare useless theories.

I prefer facts.

I ran into your Ripper earlier this evening.

Approximately 6'3", 250 pounds, left-handed.

Good fighter.

Trained, not just a brawler.

Hmm, you didn't happen to see his face, did you?

I need your files on the Ripper.

Detailed descriptions of the crime scene,

photo plates, even profiles from your alienist.

Would you prefer them alphabetized or in chronological order?

James?

Stay inside, Barbara. I'll be in directly.

Every woman in Gotham is in danger, Commissioner.

A letter from Jack to the Gotham Gazette.

We've convinced them to refrain from publishing it.

Makes poor bedtime reading, I assure you.

Perhaps you'll find something of use in there.

Thank you.

I'll leave a copy of the Ripper file on the roof of the police station.

I know you fancy rooftops.

But understand that this uninvited visit to my home will not be repeated.

This house is my refuge, set apart from all the corruption of Got...

James, your eggs are ready.

Are you sure you won't come inside?

Yes. Yes, I'm coming.

"Dear Boss, Gotham has become a den of filth and scum.

"I'm down on whores and I shan't quit ripping them

"till I do get buckled.

"Grand work, the last job was.

"I hardly gave the lady no time to squeal.

"How can they catch me now?

"I love my work, cutting whores

"and them degenerates what would defend them. "

A little light reading, Master Bruce?

"Them cusses of coppers nor the false God you hide behind

"won't spoil the game for me. I will be on the job soon

"and will send you another bit of innards. "

It goes on like that in some detail about his dissection plans.

Mrs. Cooper has sent up a potage.

Bon appetit.

And what do you deduce from this magnum opus?

Very little.

Cheap paper with no watermark.

The hand is that of a man with some education

disguised to look like a man with none.

I'm certain your displays of graphology

will duly impress any young ladies you encounter.

Women are a distraction from the mission, Alfred.

So you've said. Your evening attire, sir.

I believe you know that was not the suit I was referring to

when I said I'd be going out tonight, Alfred.

I've taken the liberty of placing your other suit

in the seat compartment of the carriage, sir.

Before the Batman can prowl,

I'm afraid Bruce Wayne must needs make an appearance.

Tongues will wag.

What engagement have I accepted?

You are carousing with the lively man-about-town

and rake, your oldest school chum, Master Harvey Dent, Gotham solicitor.

I'm certain you shall have a pleasant and elegant evening's entertainment, sir.

When the circus came to town Jay Augustus Henpeck Brown

Bought himself a ticket for the show

Passed by all the acrobats All the clowns in funny hats

Went to see the animals below

Saw a tamer put his head into a lion's mouth

Waited till the tamer man was through

Shook his hand and said, "At taming wild ones, you're a bird

"But just one thing I'd like to ask of you"

Can you tame Wild Wimmen?

Can you tame Wild Wimmen?

You made a tiger stand And eat out of your hand

You made the hippo do the flippo Honest, it was grand

But can you tame Wild Wimmen

So they'll always lead a sweet and simple life?

Bruce, I'm in love.

Well, that's great news, Harvey.

I'm sure your wife will be glad to hear it.

Oh, please, Bruce. This is the 19th century.

Don't be such a dinosaur.

Marriage is more like a business arrangement.

Besides, what Gilda doesn't know won't hurt her.

Selina's the most amazing gal, Bruce. You'll see.

I think I already do.

Just make yourselves at home, gentlemen.

I'll make myself decent.

I certainly hope not.

Did you enjoy my performance, Mr. Wayne?

Bruce.

And I'm told you also gave quite

an impassioned performance at the World's Fair preview.

I'm passionate in everything I do, Bruce.

And Boss Tolliver needed to get the message.

Come on, my pet.

Let's see if we can't make our way to a more comfortable establishment

before Gordon's killjoy curfew takes effect.

Listen carefully, kitten.

I'm many things, but I'm nobody's pet.

And you can't doubt for one minute that if men were being slaughtered,

Tolliver would hire an army of policemen to find this Ripper.

But I don't agree.

If it were affluent women, society ladies, the outcry might be deafening.

Jack targets destitute women.

When the voiceless cry out, no one hears.

I think you're ignoring the real tragedy here.

Every establishment in town is closing down.

What a shame.

I was starting to suspect that there was more to your friend

than a good family name and prep school manners.

Well, there's the Wayne fortune.

But I'm sure you didn't forget that, did you, Selina?

Steady, old man.

You'll have to excuse Harvey.

Oh, I know.

When he drinks, he's an entirely different person.

A regular Jekyll and Hyde.

This is my club. We can catch a hansom here.

I'd invite you in for a drink but, unfortunately, men only.

At least we still have something.

I didn't take you for an anti-suffragist.

I don't think the doorman was quite convinced that I'm a man.

If he was, I'd have to have him dismissed.

The Dionysus Club cannot tolerate a doorman who is blind.

You'd never do that. Have someone fired.

You're too kind. I've heard.

You don't know me.

I know most other men would have abandoned Harvey hours ago.

Well, we've all had a few.

You haven't.

You've been pouring your drinks in potted plants all night.

A mutual friend told me you liked to solve mysteries ever since you were a boy.

You're studying me.

You're a fascinating subject.

And what have you learned?

Only that you were raised in a small, regional circus,

probably in a family of performers.

That some traumatic event possibly connected

to the scar on your left arm that you try to conceal,

led you to the Continent,

where you reinvented yourself as a night club performer.

Nothing else?

That you take it upon yourself

to act as champion of the voiceless.

Which you no doubt learned from our mutual friend,

Sister Leslie Thompkins,

one of the few people who knew me as a boy.

Yes. She was the one who told me you were kind.

And she should know. She took me in, too.

She takes in all of the helpless, the hopeless,

feeds them, protects them.

I've been a fool.

Bruce, what?

Fetch me a hansom, quickly.

Oh, Sister! You gave me a fright.

Marlene, what are you doing here?

A warm cot is waiting for you and you're out here in the cold?

You've been at the bottle.

I'm sorry, Sister, but I was having trouble sleeping.

I needed my medicine.

Well, I don't know where you're hiding it,

but your sort of medicine will kill you for sure.

Back to bed with you.

Keep it, don't wait.

So, this is it, then.

Well, I won't beg

and I won't go hysterical.

I won't give you the satisfaction.

Know this.

I forgive you.

Master Bruce, I took the liberty of...

- Bruce, I know how much Sister Leslie... - What, Alfred? What did you say?

Nothing at all, sir.

I presumed, and I presumed incorrectly.

What have you there?

It's a membership pin from the Dionysus Club.

It was at the scene.

The Batman will return it to Gordon after my analysis.

Yours? You were there, you might've dropped it.

No.

There's blood spattered on the pin.

It was there when the murder happened.

Mine wasn't.

This does, however, narrow the field considerably.

Including the Mayor, Harvey, even Hugo Strange.

Virtually every wealthy man in Gotham.

Testing your fingerprints theory again?

You know, they'll never admit that sort of thing as evidence.

There are no prints, just a few fibers in the fastener.

If I could match these...

It will have to wait.

I've laid out your mourning clothes.

I have my own manner of mourning.

Revenge.

Her blood cries out for it.

Does it, sir?

Beloved, avenge not yourselves... Vengeance is mine,

I will repay, saith the Lord.

She wouldn't want you to be alone right now.

It's how I work best, Alfred.

But I can pay my respects.

"For as much as it hath pleased Almighty God

"of his great mercy

"to take unto himself the soul of our dear sister here departed,

"we therefore commit her body to the ground.

"Earth to earth,

"ashes to ashes,

"dust to dust,

"in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life

"through our Lord, Jesus Christ...

"... who shall change the body of our low estate,

"that it may be like unto His glorious body. "

Amen.

Amen.

Mr. Wayne?

Dr. Hugo Strange, isn't it?

Ah, you know me.

I read your monograph on the habits of clinically degenerate lunatics.

You believe their cure lies in surgery.

Ablation of the frontal cortex.

The scalpel solves everything.

You knew Sister Leslie?

No, I came for professional reasons.

He is here.

I am certain of it.

Jack.

His sick mind burns with a hatred of all that he sees as evil and wicked.

Hatred of women.

A hunger that never dies.

It is strong.

Overpowering.

You know who he is?

Pardon me, Mr. Wayne.

The Commissioner was wondering if you'll be coming to the memorial.

Yes, Chief. I'll be right there.

Well?

I should very much like to tell this Batman I've heard so much about

all that I know.

- Then why come to... - You know everyone in town, Mr. Wayne.

I'm sure you could find a way to tell the Batman to come to my office.

Tonight. Midnight.

Strange, I don't know who...

Gotcha.

Let me go, geezer.

I'm afraid you lack the subtlety

to be an effective cutpurse, young fellow, my lad.

And so near a bevy of policeman, too.

He didn't mean nothing, mister.

You idiot.

You think that's how Sister Leslie would want you to act at her own funeral?

But I'm hungry.

Mister, Jason here is not worth the trouble.

Cut him loose, huh?

Orphans.

Sister Leslie did what she could for us.

Fed us, tried to teach us right.

Look, knock Jason around a little if you want,

but please don't get the cops.

I occasionally have odd jobs that need doing.

Call upon me here. You'll not go away hungry.

Shoo!

Not so hasty, if you please.

- What? - I know I'm too old now

to catch the eye of a gent like you.

But my eyes are still good, yeah?

They see everything.

I don't quite follow.

Of course, my memory ain't so great.

I forget things all the time for the right price.

Follow me, Mr. Bruce Wayne?

I recognized you sneaking around the churchyard.

I'm afraid you've made a mistake.

"Afraid"?

Oh, you'll be afraid all right, Mr. High-and-Mighty Bruce Wayne,

when I tell the coppers what I know.

Now, let's just settle down.

Get your hands off me.

If you think you can do me like you did Sister Leslie,

you're dead wrong, fella!

Now, what's all the commotion, granny? Why don't we just quiet down a bit?

Arrest me, will ya?

I'm not the one you should be talking to. Am I, Mr. Bruce Wayne?

Find me at Skinner's End! Everybody knows me!

You'll pay up if you know what's good for you.

Or mark me,

you'll hang!

Ah, here you are.

How punctual.

Even a bit early, Batman.

You should feel at home here with my collection.

Usually, it's on our own face that is the mask.

These masks, the ones you choose to wear,

they show the true self.

Of course, you understand why I couldn't say more at the...

Now, we both know you cannot do your work on me.

I'm not a streetwalker.

It's antithetical to your neurosis.

I'd stake my professional reputation on it.

You can't!

Help me!

Stop!

Please, no. My God, no!

Arkham to police headquarters.

The Batman has murdered Dr. Strange and escaped in the police airship.

He's heading right for you.

This way, fellas.

Fire!

No.

There he is!

Keep firing, boys! Shoot to kill!

Belay that order!

Nice of you to join us, Commissioner.

Do you mind telling me exactly why we shouldn't shoot the murdering lunatic

who's gutting whores all over town?

Watch your tone, Chief.

We have witnesses who saw the Batman at the time of the Isley murder.

And what about the two men he just killed at Arkham?

We don't know what happened for certain, Bulldog.

There'll be no lynch mob on my watch, do you understand?

We catch him and if he's guilty, he hangs.

But I want him alive.

Now fan out! Find him!

Pick up everyone.

He could be anyone on the street.

Get in.

As you surmised, I get tired of Crest Hill.

I amuse myself by slumming with the unwashed.

Do your downtown escapades usually end with excessive bleeding?

The belt and gloves must go immediately.

Any of the bat accoutrements.

They'll have the entire area cordoned off.

Homes, carriages searched.

It wouldn't do to have them find your... stagewear.

Hold! Hold, I say!

Open up. Open up in the name of the law.

Is there a problem, Officer?

Um, no, Mr. Wayne. We've just been, uh...

You should head home.

Dangerous characters on the streets tonight.

Duly noted.

Anything else, gentlemen?

Uh, no. Excuse me, sir.

And madam.

Have a wonderful night.

Lucky bugger.

You were very convincing.

I'm an actress, darling. Didn't you know?

I'm the toast of Gotham.

You, on the other hand, would never make it out of the chorus.

You must commit completely to the role.

And how exactly do I do that, Miss Kyle?

Repetition. You must practice, practice, practice.

I want another squad moving into Cape Carmine.

And then... Commissioner!

We found something, sir.

The boys just found her.

Show me.

Mmm.

Well, I guess it's true what they say.

Practice makes perf...

I had these brought up.

I have a rather large wardrobe.

The entire production is mine, you know?

I'm not just another pretty face.

I feel a perfect fool for not realizing your secret earlier.

When you first kissed my hand backstage,

I felt the callus on your palm and thought,

"This man's got the hands of a trapeze artist. "

I saw the circus in the acrobatic dismount you used in your show.

And then, of course, in your fighting style and the whip.

Expert. Lion tamer.

I grew up with those cats.

Looked after them, loved them.

Papa hated them.

He wasn't a kind man to them or to me.

He was always threatening to shoot them.

And I believed him.

One day he tried to,

but someone had taken the bullets out of his gun.

And now, you look after all the strays in Skinner's End.

Someone has to.

They don't have anyone else to protect them.

Until now.

Until the Batman.

Does he have a story?

Selina...

Oh, your parents.

Are you making them pay? The criminals?

I was but... It'd never be enough.

They couldn't ever pay enough, could they?

They're here.

Police! Put your hands in the air.

What's the meaning of this?

Oh, a thousand pardons, Miss Kyle,

for disturbing the sanctity of a lady's bedchamber.

What do you want, Bullock?

Bruce Wayne, you're under arrest for the murder of one Marlene Mahoney.

- Who? - Oh, is that how it is now?

You've killed so many, you don't even know their names.

Think hard, Wayne.

Maybe you'll remember.

You'll have a long time to think about it.

Bruce, it'll be all right.

I'll contact Harvey. He'll clear this all up.

I wouldn't be countin' on Mr. Dent being too helpful, lassie.

He's the one who suggested we look for Mr. Wayne in your hotel.

Commissioner, James, this is absurd.

You can't imagine I'm actually the Ripper.

Get him out of my sight.

The county of Gotham has abundant evidence

linking the accused to at least three of these vicious murders.

Physical evidence, a lapel pin of the Dionysus Club,

to which Mr. Wayne is a member,

was discovered at the site of Sister Leslie's murder.

Also, an eyewitness

who was overheard placing Mr. Wayne at the scene of the crime.

That witness, Marlene Mahoney, was subsequently discovered

mutilated in the same barbaric manner as the other victims,

after reportedly attempting to extort cash from the accused.

Furthermore, the prisoner was also acquainted

with Ripper victim Miss Pamela Isley.

One wonders how many other lovely young wards...

Enough! Enough!

You've made your point, Mr. Prosecutor.

The accused will be remanded to the custody of Blackgate Penitentiary

until such time as a trial by jury can be arranged by the county.

If it please the court,

as the nature of these crimes is so detestable,

and Mr. Wayne has ample financial resources to escape justice,

I request the court not set bail.

Granted.

Bailiff will remove the prisoner to Blackgate Prison.

Court adjourned.

Hey, Jack, you're not the only one who can cut.

Let's see if Wayne blood really is blue.

You tell him.

Blackgate's real progressive.

Warden likes to encourage physical exercise.

You'll see.

The deluxe suite.

Please enjoy your stay at the Hotel Blackgate.

Yeah, we're looking forward to seeing you check out.

I love what you've done with the place.

Selina, what are you doing here? This is no place for a lady.

You should see some of the houses I've played to.

They make this seem like a command performance.

- You need to get out of here. - No, you need to get out of here.

When my friend has gone to all the trouble

of building this well-constructed gilded frame for me?

Your friend?

You think one of your friends is framing you?

One of my mentors says that when you eliminate the impossible,

whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

That's a lot of eyewash.

You must liberate yourself immediately.

Unfortunately, my nocturnal habits preclude me

from providing an adequate account of my whereabouts.

Well, you'll just have to explain to Gordon that you're the Batman.

- What? I think not. - You must.

Batman has an ironclad alibi for the first murder.

You'll be released.

Gotham needs the Batman to help rid the streets of this killer.

I'm sorry, Selina. I can't.

The Batman's effectiveness depends upon...

Every moment you're in here puts women in danger.

If you won't tell Gordon, then I will, immediately.

He'll never believe you.

He'll believe this.

I'll be damned if I'll let another girl be murdered

so you can keep your precious secret.

I'm sorry, Bruce, but I think, ultimately, you'll find this was all for the best.

Chow time, Your Highness.

Listen to me. Bring this to my townhouse on Bell Avenue

and my man there will give you $100.

If you think I can be bought...

Get it there within 30 minutes, he'll give you $200.

Yes! Yes!

Give it to him! Come on!

Lay him out!

Ah, come on, put up a fight for Christ's sake!

Who is next?

Who will face Cyrus Gold?

I'll give it a whirl.

No weaklings.

Can't get good enough odds against you.

I'll beat you in private, later.

No time like the present.

Why you sittin' on your asses? It's a damn donnybrook in there!

Shore up the west gate! Fetch the riot gear from the arsenal!

May I help you, miss?

Yes, I need to see Commissioner Gordon immediately.

- I'm afraid that's impossible. - I must insist. It's quite urgent.

You never slow down, do you?

As soon as one lover boy is unavailable, you're on to the next chump.

I can't imagine what I ever saw in a whore like you.

Better sheath those claws, kitten.

Someone is liable to get hurt.

And sooner or later, you will.

James isn't here.

He's down at the fairgrounds, making sure everything's shipshape.

Tomorrow is the big day.

You'll have to scratch up some business elsewhere.

The fairgrounds. Hurry.

This is it.

You're off your nut. We're in the middle of nothin'.

This is where that geezer told us to go.

I can read, can't I?

So you keep tellin' us.

Come on, he said to unload it here.

I still say we take the wagon, the horse, and whatever this is and skedaddle.

Serve him right for being so trusting.

But he fed us.

We're gonna do the job, Jason.

Now shut your bone box and push.

Good job. Now, go.

Yah!

What are you doing here?

You're Miss Kyle, the actress, aren't you?

Yes, Commissioner. We met before, at the preview.

I thought I was all alone.

Embarrassing as it sounds, you gave me quite a start.

Commissioner? Selina?

Mrs. Gordon, don't be alarmed.

What do you want?

I need to talk to your husband. Is he home?

You mustn't harm him.

He's a good man.

The best man in this horrible city.

Did a woman come here looking for him?

A woman? Walk in here, off the streets?

I should hope not.

No! You're not allowed in there!

Where is he?

Doing what he needs to do.

His holy work.

Cleaning the scum from Gotham.

He needs to be severe.

But not with us.

No.

No, he's gentle as a lamb with us.

He simply burns the sin out of us.

We need him to.

Good Lord.

It's the women's sins that are the worst,

because they're hidden inside.

James brings them out into the light.

Where is he?

I suspected, of course.

Who else but Bruce Wayne has either the time

or resources to create the Batman?

We'll see to this immediately. Let me fetch my things.

I suppose it's a dreadful betrayal of confidence,

but I simply see no other way.

No, no, Miss Kyle, I understand completely.

It's in your very nature to play false with your illicit lover.

An action ideal to expose your absolute internal corruption.

A 7% solution of laudanum,

3% heroin in alcohol.

Barbara's physician prescribes it for acute insomnia.

Effective, is it not?

But it is hardly a cure for harlotry.

Only I, only Jack has the remedy for that vile ill.

Aah!

Damnation! You'll pay for that, slut!

You can't get far.

The oversweet fragrance you use

to cover your putrefying stench nearly burns my eyes.

Come to Jack, you little...

Nice try.

Wayne promised this World's Fair

would be a paradise of cleanliness and light.

But what does a light in the darkness do?

It draws flies.

Vile, unclean, like you.

But for every one of you I eradicate, two more arrive.

I promised the people of Gotham to clean the scum off the streets.

Thieves, murderers, confidence men, immigrants, illiterates, anarchists.

This city seems to spawn them.

But it's whores, you painted whores that are the worst.

All rosy-cheeked, soft and round on the outside,

but on the inside...

My death prove... Innocent.

Yes. Sadly, your death will exonerate Wayne.

But it will be worth it.

Your blood shall christen this fair, woman.

Your corruption and decay will spill down

over this carnival as a warning to all your kind.

Shall we begin?

This may take quite some time.

Left-handed.

Oh, the nuns beat that wickedness out of me.

Always use my right.

Except for Jack's work.

Can you speak?

Have you any other injuries?

No, I'm... Bruce!

You were right. I'm a trained fighter.

Bareknuckle champion at Culpeper.

London Prize Ring rules.

There were no rules at Antietam, though, were there, James?

There are no rules in hell.

The things I saw during the war,

the entirety of humanity's evil was there for all to see,

on the inside of every man.

But nothing compared to the corruption

of every painted camp follower.

The vile diseases they spread destroyed good men,

destroyed them in both body and mind.

I saw your work on your wife.

Wives? They're the worst prostitutes of all.

Sell themselves too cheap.

Wives, mothers, that slut nun of yours.

Look, Bruce! The world of tomorrow is burning,

exposing the ashes of degradation hiding beneath.

This is where we belong!

No.

I paid Houdini $300 for that trick.

Fight's over. Time to go.

Gordon!

You should've run when you had the chance.

Well, I was fairly doped up.

My actions were quite questionable.

Help them in, lads. Lively now.

Where there's smoke, there's fire.

And there you'll always be, sir.

Yah!

Do these belong to you, Alfred?

Ha! Good Lord. No, sir.

They belong to you.

Gone. All gone.

And the hope of Gotham with it.

It was all phony, anyway.

We'll make something new.

Something better.