Well? I'm feeling succulent. How 'bout you? 
Batman Annual #17 is an issue of the series Batman Annual (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1993.
Synopsis for "Ballistic"
Jean-Paul Valley, still relatively new in his role as the Batman since Bruce Wayne's back was broken, struggles with how to stop an alien serial killer in Gotham City ("Angon"). Although he knows he must figure out how to solve the problem himself, he knows the Beast is to dangerous for others, and warns Commissioner Gordon to tell his men not to directly engage it if they encounter it.
Despite Batman's warnings, a tactical S.W.A.T. team still engages the hostile, and finds themselves cut to threads when they fail to perceive its real threat until too late. The full squad is massacred by Angon, with the exception of one Kelvin Mao, who barely survives despite being bitten, and is taken to the hospital in a full body cast. When Mao wakes up, he finds himself with a strange invulnerable carapace covering his entire body, which he is unable to dent despite many weapons he tries on himself to test his limits. He escapes from the hospital and travels home along the rooftops, finding himself also possessing superhuman strength and agility. Immediately recognizing his superhuman powers, he decides to suit up in full high-tech S.W.A.T. gear (with some additions), and goes out to find Angon and slay her for killing his entire team.
He travels to Gotham City Police Headquarters, and activates the Bat-Signal to introduce himself to Batman under his new adopted alias, "Ballistic". He also meets Commissioner Gordon in this way, and he and Batman set off to take Angon for themselves.
They find the Parasite down by the docks, and through a complex and snappily thought of series of events, manage to bait her away from the innocent civilians carrying her away on the top of their car. The three of them arrive at a warehouse, where they begin to really fight Angon. After a lengthy battle, in which Ballistic saves Batman's life at least once, they manage to escape just before blowing the warehouse up with Angon inside of it.
Afterwards, Ballistic speaks to Batman about possibly taking up his own career as a vigilante, although he would have to find methods of payment for it, as his high-tech equipment is expensive. Batman leaves wordlessly and Ballistic ponders how he'll be getting back home. Elsewhere, Angon, in her human form, washes up on a beach winded, but definitely still alive.
Appearing in "Ballistic"
Featured Characters:
- Batman (Jean-Paul Valley)
- Ballistic (Kelvin Mao) (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- Each of the Bloodlines annuals for 1993 introduces a new super-hero character. This issue introduces the character "Ballistic".
- Jean-Paul Valley is taking the place of Bruce Wayne as Batman in this issue as Wayne's back was brutally broken by Bane during the events of "Knightfall".
- Valley also makes reference to a time earlier in which Bruce Wayne had fought similar alien Parasites while he was Batman, and defeated them. This occured in Batman: Shadow of the Bat Annual #1, when Bruce fought Gemir.
- Cover artist Alamy was named in DC's promotional publication Direct Currents #65.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Bloodlines Spin-offs
Links and References
  The events from this issue are related to Bloodlines, during which an alien race of Parasites invaded Earth and inadvertently activated the metagene in a number of individuals, creating many "New Blood" superheroes in their attempts to feed on human spinal fluid. This template will categorize articles that include it into the Bloodlines Crossovers category. Outbreak
Earthplague
Deathstorm
Bloodbath
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