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"Terminus": An unidentified narrator observes Studs, a young junkie, meeting his dealer underneath a bridge to buy drugs. When the dealer insists on payment first Studs stabs him to death, only to discover too late that Batman was following the dealer and has witnessed the murder. Studs flees th

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #64 is an issue of the series Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1994.

Synopsis for "Terminus"

An unidentified narrator observes Studs, a young junkie, meeting his dealer underneath a bridge to buy drugs. When the dealer insists on payment first Studs stabs him to death, only to discover too late that Batman was following the dealer and has witnessed the murder. Studs flees through the streets to the Terminus Hotel, a crumbling and seemingly abandoned dive hotel. In an empty room, Studs shoots up the drugs and begins to hallucinate fire, which somehow "feeds" the narrator.

Studs sees Batman's silhouette outside his window and, terrified, begins to flee through the hotel, still hallucinating fire. As he does so, the noise he makes disturbs other residents who appear to be within the hotel, each with their own reasons for hiding there: Eddie, a recently-fired drink-driver who killed a baby with his car; Clyde, a gambling addict who murdered his boss while trying to rob the safe to pay his mob debts, only to find a pittance inside; Joan, an abused wife hiding from her husband, who murdered her lover and threatened to murder her; and Sal, a serial killer convinced a mobster, whose sister Sal murdered before realising who she was, is hunting him for revenge. Each individual eventually returns to sleep, though not before briefly reflecting on what brought them to the hotel and expressing a dread that the person they are hiding from will one day find them.

As Batman pursues Studs through the hotel, the narrator, which seems to sense and enjoy Studs' fear, implies that it is a demonic presence within the hotel feeding off those sheltering within it. It comes to respect Batman, viewing him as a "hunter" like itself. Enjoying Batman's anger, strength and determination, it begins to hope that Batman will remain in the hotel. As Batman eventually catches Studs, however, Studs' hallucinations of fire consume him in the form of a demonic, fiery entity. Simultaneously, the narrator reveals that the gangster who had been hunting Sal actually did find him, dousing him in kerosene and setting him on fire in vengeance for his sister. Sal is already dead, and it is implied that the other residents of the hotel are as well.

Studs seems to suddenly awaken, apparently having dreamt the entire evening's events. Realising that Batman and a crew of paramedics are outside, he decides to hide in the hotel and shoot up again -- not realising that the paramedics are in fact carting away Studs' corpse. Having apparently died from a result of the toxic combination of the drugs he took, coupled with his fear and exertion, Studs' spirit is now trapped within the walls of the Terminus along with the other residents, doomed to unwittingly remain prisoner there forever. After seeing Studs' body removed, Batman, having vaguely sensed the supernatural presence within the Terminus, takes one last look at the hotel before leaving; the narrator expresses disappointment that Batman must hunt through "a wider hell", but hopes that Batman will return one day.

Appearing in "Terminus"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Studs
  • Narrator/The Terminus

Antagonists:


Other Characters:

  • Studs' Dealer
  • Eddie
  • Gil
  • Joan
  • Rick
  • Joan's Husband
  • Sal
  • Crazy Victor
  • Paramedic

Locations:

  • The Terminus Hotel

Items:


Vehicles:






See Also


Links and References

Superboy Vol 4 69
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