Batman #218 is an issue of the series Batman (Volume 1) with a cover date of February, 1970. It was published on November 11, 1969.
Synopsis for "Batman and Robin's Greatest Mystery"
This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #234.
Criminal scientist Jay Caird robs Batman and Robin of their memories using a sonic beam machine, and they must use their detective skills to learn who they really are.
With assistance from Commissioner Gordon, Batman and Robin investigate their past cases and they are able to deduce their secret identities, and then they capture Caird and confiscate the sonic ray that stole their memories.
Appearing in "Batman and Robin's Greatest Mystery"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Commissioner Gordon (Flashback and main story)
- Alfred Pennyworth
Antagonists:
- Jay Caird (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Unnamed Scientist (Single appearance)
- Melden (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story)
Locations:
Items:
- Bat-Signal
- Utility Belt
- Batrope
- Sonic Beam
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Hand from Nowhere"
This story is reprinted from Batman #130.
Batman and Robin, called in on an apparent crank call, discover that a giant green hand controlled by two green-faced figures who appear to be aliens is actually ripping the roof off the Gotham Zinc Works so they may loot it. The aliens, who let drop the information that they are wearing translators that can interpret correctly any language used to them, easily fend off Batman and Robin with the giant hand and appear to return with it to another dimension. The hand and the aliens commit two more robberies, ostensibly for materials they need to open an even large inter-dimensional portal.
When Batman shouts a warning to them in Eskimo language and they fail to respond, he deduces the whole thing to be a hoax. He and Robin, following a huge truck which bears the hand, trace it back to the hideout of Superman's foe Luthor, who has set up the robberies of relatively cheap material in order to cover for his real objective, the theft of a fortune in platinum. Batman and Robin burst into Luthor's hideout, make quick work of the gang, and take Luthor to jail in his own giant hand.
Appearing in "The Hand from Nowhere"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Bobby (Single appearance)
Locations:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Man Who Couldn't Be Tried Twice!"
This story is reprinted from Batman #118.
James Lee, a circus acrobat, is standing trial for the crime of murdering his ex-partner, Wyler. Lee had been discovered by Willy Keyes, a clown, and a policeman in Wyler's trailer, fallen amidst Wyler's many paintings which he had done as a hobby; Lee clutched both the murder gun and Wyler, but claimed innocence, saying he had heard a struggle, come in, and picked up the gun. Paraffin tests indicate that Wyler had fired a gun. But Batman takes the stand, testifies that Wyler had called him in fear for his life and begged for protection in return for important information. Moreover, he reveals having seen Lee fire a pistol at a carnival shooting range some time before the killing. Finally, he demonstrates that if Wyler and Lee--who was recently dumped from their double-act when Wyler went solo--had struggled, then Lee's hat would have fallen off and been trampled, but it was in perfect condition. The jury pronounces Lee not guilty. Lee, laughing wildly at the verdict, publicly reveals to Batman and the court that he did kill Wyler and fired the carnival gun as a paraffin test alibi, and since Lee cannot be tried twice for the same crime, he must now go free.
In days to come, the public and even Commissioner Gordon criticize Batman for slipping. But Batman himself feels his instincts were right, and, returning to the scene, finds a painting of Wyler's with a "Minus Q" painted on the bottom. Since a telephone dial has no "Q", Batman realizes the real murderer must be circus owner David Dial. He captures Dial minutes later, and at police headquarters the circus owner confesses he had been smuggling wanted crooks out of various states and had been found out by Wyler. Lee was bribed for his false testimony. Commissioner Gordon tells Batman that Lee will be picked up and tried on conspiracy charges, and shakes Batman's hand.
Appearing in "The Man Who Couldn't Be Tried Twice!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- David Dial (Single appearance)
- James Lee (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story)
Other Characters:
- Willy Keyes (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story)
- Dr. Forbes (Single appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for "The Body in the Bat-Cave"
This story is reprinted from Batman #121.
While heading through the Batcave en route to the Batmobile, Batman and Robin discover a dead body in the Bat-Cave's depths. Batman determines the cause of death as a blow to the head, and Robin, identifying him as Alec Wyre, a criminal electronics genius, blurts out that whoever killed him must know their secret identities. A notebook Wyre carried gives them the names of three of his criminal "customers" who brought inventions from him: Jigger Mulane, Don Dolson, and Hank Purdy. Batman and Robin apprehend each of them in turn, and accuse each of Wyre's murder, but each claims ignorance of Wyre's death. Since a guilty man would have tried to bargain with the threat of disclosing Batman's identity, they realize they have drawn three blanks.
But the manner they used to track down Hank Purdy, a high frequency transmitter, gives them an important clue; they discover similar signals coming from the Bat-Cave, and trace it to a banded Bat--the same bat Batman had earlier sent to Hank Prudy, with a message to get out of town. Batman reconstructs what must have occurred: Purdy was entertaining Wyre in his room when he received the bat-package, and Wyre, realizing it came from Batman, banded the leg with a high-frequency transmitter. Then, unknown to Purdy, Wyre sent it back home and trailed it to the Bat-Cave, but once within it, his flashlight disturbed the Bats and they fluttered against him en masse, causing him to strike his head on a stalactite--the one which, even now, has a chip out of it--and killed himself. Batman reflects on how a bat gave away his secret identity, and another bat, or mass of bats, saved it.
Appearing in "The Body in the Bat-Cave"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Wilson (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- Duds Dekker (Single appearance)
- Duds Decker's Gang (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Horses
Locations:
- Gotham City
- Gotham Central Terminal
Items:
Synopsis for "Complete Sunday Newspaper Syndicated Story"
A convicted murderer on death row agrees to confess to his crime, but only to the Batman. The convicted criminal tells Batman that he was framed and that the needs his help to find the truth before he is executed. Batman starts investigating and the convicted criminal only has only a few hours to live. After following the leads that the convicted man told him, Batman deduces that it was all a ruse to frame an innocent man and fool the Dynamic Duo into releasing the real criminal. As Batman learns the truth behind everything, the criminal is taken to the electric chair and pays his debt to society.
Appearing in "Complete Sunday Newspaper Syndicated Story"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Bower (Single appearance; dies)
- Mr. Hawkins (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Warden Doyle
- Gotham City Police Department
- Clancy (Single appearance)
- Mr. Dorian (Appears only as a corpse)(Flashback only)
- Frederick Steele (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The League Against Batman!"
This story is reprinted from Detective Comics #197.
A new criminal appears in Gotham City and he calls himself The Wrecker. This criminal claims to hate Batman for sending three of his brothers to the electric chair and he is determined to destroy everything that has any relation with the Dark Knight. When Batman and Robin investigate the case, they discover that the Wrecker's campaign against Batman was just a smokescreen so he could profit from an insurance scam, and they capture the criminal.
Appearing in "The League Against Batman!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Wrecker (First appearance)
- Doug Forrow (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Skip Denton (Single appearance)
- Rolf Baglund (Single appearance)
- Mr. Burke (Single appearance)
- Mr. Thomson (Single appearance)
- Ben Mosser (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- The fifth story are reprinted pages from the Sunday newspaper strips by the McClure Syndicate (6/11/1944 - 7/30/1944).