Batman Chronicles #4 is an issue of the series Batman Chronicles (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 1996.
Synopsis for "Hitman"
Thrax has escaped from a biological weapons facility on Long Island, and Hitman has been hired to kill him. Thrax is able to pass on a plague if he wills himself to do so, and if he dies, his body will expel massive amounts of the plague. Hitman tracks Thrax, but is caught by both Batman and Martin Eckstein. Batman wants to stop the hit, and Eckstein has been hired to kill Hitman in retaliation for killing Joe Dubelz and Robert Dubelz. Hitman trains his guns on both, and convinces Eckstein to aim his gun on Batman so that he can finish the hit on Thrax. Hitman kills Thrax, and is about to destroy the body, when Batman intervenes, claiming he can use a sample of Thrax's blood to create an antidote of the plague. Hitman convinces Batman that there isn't enough time and destroys Thrax's body with a phosphorous grenade. Hitman escapes, and Batman vows to meet up with him again.
Appearing in "Hitman"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Martin Eckstein (First appearance)
- Thrax (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Huntress: Exposure"
The Huntress is looking for Eric Palmoy, a student of hers whose entire family has died from the Clench after his father Kip, a helicopter pilot to the rich, brought the disease home from Babylon Towers. She thinks back to how she saw her entire family dead too, and she realizes she knows where Eric has gone. She fights her way through Babylon Towers and finds Eric in his father's helicopter. He begs her for help, but as Batman reminds her when he arrives, there is nothing they can do until there is a cure.
Appearing in "Huntress: Exposure"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Batman
- Eric Palmoy (Single appearance; dies)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Kip Palmoy (Deceased)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Beggar's Banquet"
Alfred nurses Tim, who hallucinates his father in the Batcave with them. Jack Drake says Bruce told him about Tim's secret life as Robin, which is a relief to Tim who hated lying to his father, and he beat the Clench. They go upstairs to Wayne Manor, where Bruce and Jack agree that Tim should moderate his time as Robin to focus on growing up. Outside of the manor, Tim meets Ariana, who also knows, and the three of them walk home to Drake Manor where an alive Janet Drake is cooking dinner for them. Tim wakes up back in the Batcave, still dying.
Appearing in "Beggar's Banquet"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Ariana Dzerchenko (In dream sequence only)
- Batman (In dream sequence only)
- Jack Drake (In dream sequence only)
- Janet Drake (In dream sequence only)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- The issue's reading order is not labeled on the cover as the rest of the Contagion issues. The events of this issue should be considered to happen between Detective Comics #696 and Catwoman #32.
- "Huntress: Exposure" and "Beggar's Banquet" are reprinted in the Batman: Contagion collected edition, as well as the 2016 edition.
- "Hitman" is reprinted in Batman: Contagion.
Trivia
- Hitman refers to Batman as Lord Vader. Hitman then said that he was watching Sudden Impact, a Clint Eastwood movie.
See Also
Recommended Reading
Links and References
Contagion Crossover The events from this issue are related to the Contagion crossover that went through the Batman Family Titles in 1996, in which Gotham City had an epidemic of a mutant strand of the Ebola virus. The events of Contagion lead into Batman: Legacy, Batman: Cataclysm, and ultimately No Man's Land. Crossovers
Shadow of the Bat #48 • Detective Comics #695 • Robin #27 • Azrael #15 • Catwoman #31 • Batman #529 • Shadow of the Bat #49 • Detective Comics #696 • Batman Chronicles #4 • Catwoman #32 • Azrael #16 • Robin #28 |