Batman Vol 1 114



 The Secret of Mechanical City 

Summary
Volume: 1 Issue: 114 Month: March Year: 1958

Credits
Head Writer: Bill Finger Cover Artists: Sheldon Moldoff Pencilers: Dick Sprang Inkers: Charles Paris Colourists: Pat Gordon Editors: Whitney Ellsworth and Jack Schiff

Synopsis
Cast of Characters:
 * Batman (Bruce Wayne)
 * Harry "Lightfingers" Hale
 * Professor Dodge
 * Robin (Dick Grayson)

Locations:
 * Gotham City
 * Science Hall
 * Mechanical City

Items:
 * Batmobile

First Appearances: Harry Hale (a criminal); Professor Dodge (a criminal) Final Appearances: Harry Hale; Professor Dodge

Synopsis: A criminal named Harry "Lightfingers" Hale breaks into Science Hall in Gotham City, and steals a microfilm containing the blueprint of a secret formula compound from a criminal scientist named Professor Dodge. Dodge labors to recover the formula and runs across Batman. Initially, Batman suspects Dodge of stealing the microfilm, but soon learns the truth concerning Lightfingers. He pursues Lightfingers to a futuristic community known as Mechanical City – a town run by robots. Professor Dodge and his cronies take control of the city's automated command center but are unable to capture Harry Hale. Harry manages to hide the stolen microfilm inside one of the robots. Batman deduces the microfilm’s secret location and manages to apprehend members of both Dodge and Harry's gang.

Credits
Pencilers: Sheldon Moldoff Inkers: Charles Paris Editors: Jack Schiff

Synopsis
Cast of Characters:
 * Batman (Bruce Wayne)
 * James Gordon
 * Mirage Maker
 * Robin (Dick Grayson)

Locations:
 * Gotham City
 * Gotham Harbor

Items:
 * Batmobile

First Appearances: Mirage Maker (a villain) Final Appearances: Mirage Maker

Synopsis: A criminal known as the Mirage Maker plagues Gotham City by casting elaborate illusions with which to conceal his crimes. He raids a passenger ship off of the Gotham City Harbor, making off with a fortune of gold bullion. Batman and Robin discover the crime and give chase, but the Mirage Maker fools them into driving across an illusionary bridge. The Batmobile plummets into the sea and the villain escapes. Batman and Robin use radar technology to keep abreast of the Mirage Maker's future crimes. This helps them to see around the criminal's illusions, and they ultimately capture him.

Credits
Pencilers: Sheldon Moldoff Inkers: Charles Paris Colourists: Pat Gordon Editors: Jack Schiff

Synopsis
Cast of Characters:
 * Batman (Bruce Wayne)
 * Alfred Pennyworth
 * Arthur Harris
 * Bat-Ape (Mogo)
 * Ralph Roder
 * Robin (Dick Grayson)
 * Vanning Brothers

Locations:
 * Gotham City
 * Gotham City Circus
 * Gotham Globe
 * Wayne Manor
 * Batcave

Items:
 * Batmobile

First Appearances: Arthur Harris (an animal trainer); Bat-Ape (a circus ape); Ralph Roder (an animal handler); Vanning Brothers (a gang of thieves) Final Appearances: Arthur Harris; Bat-Ape; Ralph Roder; Vanning Brothers

Synopsis: Batman and Robin volunteer to perform for an acrobatics expedition at the Gotham City Charity Circus. During their performance, an animal handler named Ralph Roder steals the box office receipts from the circus's cash box. While the crime is taking place, a trained ape named Mogo runs amok, and inadvertently distracts people away from Roder's crime. When everything calms down, the staff discovers that the money has been stolen and blames Mogo's trainer, Arthur Harris. They suspect that Harris deliberately incited Mogo into a frenzy in order to distract people from his crime.

Batman and Robin investigate further, and discover that Mogo's training platform had been fitted with electrical wires, which caused the ape to run amok. Mogo befriends Batman and even follows him back to the Batcave. He dons a mask and cowl and becomes Batman's new partner – Bat-Ape! Working together, they track down the true thief, Ralph Roder to the Gotham Globe and apprehend him. Roder confesses to the crime, and he is taken to prison.

Trivia

 * This issue contains a one-paeg Warden Willis gag strip.


 * This issue contains a public service announcement entitled, Do You Know What's Behind a Law?


 * This issue contains a one-page Casey the Cop humor strip by Henry Boltinoff.

Reprints

 * None

Recommended Readings

 * Batman
 * Batman Family (Volume 1)
 * Detective Comics
 * World's Finest (Volume 1)

Related Articles

 * Gotham City Police Department