Batman and Wildcat #1 is an issue of the series Batman and Wildcat (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1997.
Synopsis for "Lights, Camera, Death"
Ted Grant meets asks Flea Fitzgerald about an underground fight club called the "The Secret Ring" because a Wildcat wannabee was reported killed during a televised brawl. Bruce finds out about the Secret Ring from his golfing rival Devlin. Devlin is a spectator of the sport and has often recorded the fights through a special satellite down link.
Batman meets with Gordon at the precinct's morgue where the supposed Wildcat's corpse has been kept. The body was found near a harbor in the Tri-Corner Yards with bite marks similar to Killer Croc's. The medical examiner identified the victim as Hector Ramierez, a high school graduate who joined the Navy and became a heavyweight boxer. Ted's interest in Ramierez is because he trained Ramierez in Pugilism and Hector wanted adopted the Wildcat mantle to keep his mentor's memory alive.
Bruce poses as Matches Malone and asks Penguin about how he can gain entry into the fight club but they are interrupted by Wildcat. Wildcat's snitch Flea has gone missing and Penguin is a trafficker of information. Penguin agrees to give Wildcat the information he needs in order to prevent Ted from damaging the Iceberg Lounge any further.
In underbelly of Gotham's sewers, Ernie Chubb, the orchestrator of the Secret Ring, organizes his next fight between KGBeast and a Venom addict named Willis Danko. With Lock-Up's help, Ernie has been able to detain worthy combatants for his fight club. Chubb gained Lock-Up's loyalty by giving Bolton the opportunity to fulfill his need in exacting justice on the scum of Gotham by putting them in cages and subjecting to these death matches. Bolton values the revenues from the fights because it can fund his latest incarceration venture. Lock-Up has designed a new prison within the bowels of Gotham which he has dubbed the Sewer of Life.
Chubb reminisces about his glory days as a prized heavyweight boxer but his violent tendencies caused the deaths of numerous fighters. The boxing promoters warned Chubb to restrain his anger but when he refused to let up, they had him dismissed from the sport entirely. Chubb felt that the promoters and fighters were envious of his talents. Their frailty and lack of stamina was no match for Chubb's superior abilities, education and raw power. Chubb believes that the sport of boxing is his birthright and he intends to take it back with the "Secret Ring".
Appearing in "Lights, Camera, Death"
Featured Characters:
- Template:Apn
- Template:Apn
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Lock-Up
- Ernie Chubb (First appearance)
- Killer Croc
- Penguin
- KGBeast (Cameo)
- Trogg (Cameo)
- Willis Danko (Cameo)
Other Characters:
- Wildcat (Single appearance; dies)
- Flea Fitzgerald (First appearance)
- Matches Malone
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in Batman/Wildcat.
See Also