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"Fever Break!": On Scarface's orders, William Henry "Fatman" Cherry arrives in Tijuana to smuggle the latest shipment of Fever into the United States. Unbeknownst to him, the Fever manufacturers in Tijuana have orders to kill him and use his corpse as a "mule

Quote1 What's dat Gatman playin' at, anyway, pokin' his gig nose inta my operations? Don't he know who he's messin' wit here? I ain't no two-git street corner man -- Quote2
Scarface

Detective Comics #584 is an issue of the series Detective Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 1988.

Synopsis for "Fever Break!"

On Scarface's orders, William Henry "Fatman" Cherry arrives in Tijuana to smuggle the latest shipment of Fever into the United States. Unbeknownst to him, the Fever manufacturers in Tijuana have orders to kill him and use his corpse as a "mule" to sneak the Fever past customs. Cherry realizes this far too late, and is garroted seconds later.

Back in Gotham City, Batman confronts the Ventriloquist and Scarface inside their own nightclub, and warns them that their drug-running will not last much longer. Scarface is furious, but completely helpless, as neither his attorney nor his bodyguard, Rhino, can stop a well-trained vigilante like Batman, who proceeds to leave the club, but not before secretly planting a micro-transmitter inside the puppet's head.

Batman on Fever - Detective 584

Batman high on Fever

Two nights later, Cherry's corpse is flown back to Gotham City, with the Fever packed tightly inside. From his transmitter, Batman learns that the Ventriloquist and his gang intend to visit a local funeral parlor so they can remove the Fever. Batman quickly invades the funeral parlor, but accidentally inhales a dose of Fever during the ensuing fight. Under the drug's influence, he savagely beats and almost kills the Ventriloquist, but regains control of himself just in time.

Scarface and the Ventriloquist are swiftly put behind bars, with the former still defiant and the latter seeking to turn state's evidence. Upon hearing this, the puppet begins attacking its own "master".

Appearing in "Fever Break!"

Featured Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Tony (Single appearance)
  • Rizzo (Single appearance)
  • William Henry "Fatman" Cherry (Appears only as a corpse)

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

Notes

Trivia

  • When thinking about the transmitter he'd planted inside Scarface's head, Batman compares the situation to that of a woman whose molar filling began picking up radio broadcasts. This is a decades-old urban legend dating back to actress and comedienne Lucille Ball, but its real-life possibility is dubious at best. Notably, the phenomenon was declared "busted" by the Mythbusters.


See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

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