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"Survivor Syndrome": After his wife is killed in a mob shootout, Olympic athlete Tom Dalton is consumed by grief and eventually devotes himself to vigilantism, complete with a costume mimicking Batman's. A perturbed Batman investigates the copycat,

Quote1 Dalton believes his life's over. All that's left for him is vengeance. Since he can't have that... he doesn't want to go on living. He needs something. Something to immerse himself in. Something to give his life meaning again. Quote2
Batman

Batman Adventures #27 is an issue of the series Batman Adventures (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1994.

Synopsis for "Survivor Syndrome"

After his wife is killed in a mob shootout, Olympic athlete Tom Dalton is consumed by grief and eventually devotes himself to vigilantism, complete with a costume mimicking Batman's. A perturbed Batman investigates the copycat, and eventually finds Dalton's hideaway. Dalton, badly wounded by a mugger's bullet, staggers inside shortly afterward.

Though he emphasizes deeply with Dalton, Batman also recognizes that Dalton's lack of experience may endanger civilians in the future. After nursing Dalton back to health, Batman subjects Dalton to a rigorous series of exercises, ostensibly meant to prove Dalton a worthy vigilante. Concentrating on the exercises eases Dalton's mind, and his nightmares begin to fade.

However, Dalton's peace of mind is quickly shattered when his wife's killer, Pete "The Hit" Wilson, returns to Gotham City. Upon spotting Wilson on the street, Dalton immediately attacks him, but is subdued by Wilson's gang and taken to a half-demolished building for interrogation. Batman quickly tracks Wilson down and subdues his men; in the ensuing confusion, Dalton breaks free and chases Wilson through the building.

The building's rotten timbers eventually collapse, leaving Dalton hanging onto a pipe and Wilson clinging desperately to his legs. Dalton is tempted to let go so both he and Wilson will fall to their deaths, but ultimately allows Batman to pull them both to safety. After Wilson and his gang are taken into custody, Batman and Dalton share a private conversation by the grave of Dalton's wife, each affirming what they choose to live for.

Appearing in "Survivor Syndrome"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Pete "the Hit" Wilson (Flashback and main story)
  • Rupert Thorne (Behind the scenes)

Other Characters:

  • Anne Dalton (Flashback and main story) (Dies)

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

Notes



See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

Superboy Vol 4 69
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