- There! I'm all alone now... shunned... like a shameful thing... a criminal! Wouldn't take much to make one of me now... A trick of fate perhaps... a flip of a coin...
- — Two-Face
Detective Comics #66 is an issue of the series Detective Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1942. It was published on June 20, 1942.
Synopsis for Batman: "The Crimes of Two-Face"
At the Gotham City Courthouse, the young and handsome District Attorney Harvey Kent is prosecuting the criminal "Boss" Moroni for murder and the first witness is Batman. After Batman's testimony, Kent pulls a double-headed coin, which belongs to Moroni and was found at the crime scene, proving that Moroni is indeed guilty of the crime. Knowing that he is losing the case, Moroni throws some sulfuric acid at Kent's face. Batman tries to pull Moroni's aim away, but the acid reaches the left side of Kent's face. Kent is taken to a doctor, and he puts some bandages on his face for a week. When the time comes to take the bandages off, the horrible truth is revealed and Kent realizes that the left side of his face has been left hideously scarred. Batman tries to help his friend, but they learn that the only plastic surgeon who could have restored Kent's face travelled to Germany, where he was captured by the Nazis and taken away.
Kent's life starts to decline and he only hopes that his fiancée could understand his situation. Kent walks to Gilda's home and the people on the streets can't stand the sight of his face. Upon arriving at her home, Harvey realizes that she is just as horrified as the rest of the people and his sanity finally gives in. After destroying some of Gilda's art pieces, Harvey returns home and in a fit of rage, he breaks all the mirrors. Then, Harvey takes Moroni's double-headed coin and scratches one side of it, leaving the other side clean. This action gives Kent an idea. Understanding that life just depends on fate alone, Kent flips the double-faced coin. If the clean side comes up, he would wait until the plastic surgeon is freed and return to his normal life, but if the scarred side comes up, he would dedicate his life to crime. The coin lands on the scarred side up and Kent adopts the moniker of master criminal "Two-Face".
Two-Face gets a new hideout, a place divided in half, just like Kent's own personality. Using the coin to decide between good or evil, Two-Face commits baffling crimes across the city and also, he makes good acts for the needed, causing the people's opinion about him to be divided. Two-Face and his newfound gang decide their next move and after the toss of the coin, they prepare to hijack a double-decker bus and steal from the people inside. Their plan is almost successful, but they are spotted by Batman and Robin, who jump to the bus and start fighting the criminals. During the struggle, the driver of the bus is shot and the dynamic duo has to focus on stopping the bus before anyone is hurt. Using the handbrake, Robin stops the bus, but by then, Two-Face and his gang are gone.
After this failure, Two-Face kills one of his thugs after the bad side of the coin landed up. Two-Face then starts planning their next hit on the double feature movie theater. Two-Face's schemes involve the number two everytime, and he believes himself too clever for coming up with the idea, but Batman and Robin deduce where is Two-Face going to attack next.
At the double feature theater, the audience is thrilled watching Superman on the big screen when suddenly, the image turns into that of Two-Face and his gang take control of the room. Two-Face tells the people to surrender their valuables and the people comply. Robin walks to the projector room and takes out the henchmen in charge of the image while Batman jumps to the stage and takes out the rest of the thugs. Two-Face appears and he starts fighting Batman once again until he realizes that the police might already be on their way to capture him. Two-Face runs out of the theater and steals a car for his getaway. However, a police officer tries to stop him, but Two-Face doesn't comply, forcing the officer to shoot the car's tires. Two-Face gets out of the vehicle and runs towards his hideout.
When Two-Face reaches his hideout, he learns that Batman has followed him to the place, but instead of capturing him, Batman tries to convince Two-Face to leave the life of crime behind and work on the side of the law. Two-Face thinks that the offer is tempting, but he leaves that decision to the coin. However, the coin doesn't land on any of the sides, but instead it stands on its edge. Batman suggests to flip it again, but Two-Face can't break his own rules.
Appearing in Batman: "The Crimes of Two-Face"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Two-Face (First appearance) (Origin)
- Joe (Single appearance; dies)
- Boss Maroni (First appearance)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
- Double-Headed Coin (First appearance)
- Batrope
Synopsis for Boy Commandos: "The Sphinx Speaks"
Appearing in Boy Commandos: "The Sphinx Speaks"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Major Von Bruhte (Single appearance)
- Fritz
- General Rommel (Mentioned only)
Other Characters:
- Casey 39 (Single appearance)
- Ramses (Single appearance)
- Radcliffe (Single appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for Crimson Avenger: "Murder Will Out"
Appearing in Crimson Avenger: "Murder Will Out"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Wing
- Joe Hederson (reporter)
Antagonists:'
- Big Mike Carstairs (bootlegger)
- Killer (thug)
Other Characters:
- Maretti (witness)
Locations:
Synopsis for Bart Regan, Spy: "Little Discs of Death"
Appearing in Bart Regan, Spy: "Little Discs of Death"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Charlie (spy)
- Misak (slot machine king)
- Unnamed German spymaster
Other Characters:
- Clancey (cop)
Synopsis for Air Wave: "The Adventure of the Shooting Spooks"
Appearing in Air Wave: "The Adventure of the Shooting Spooks"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- A Gang of Crooks (Single appearance)
- Grump (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- D. A. Cole (Final appearance; dies)
- Inspector Morton (Single appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for Slam Bradley: "Case of the Dripping Drum"
Appearing in Slam Bradley: "Case of the Dripping Drum"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Foxy Louie (gangster)
- Max (smuggler)
Other Characters:
- Boris Sergei (conductor)
- Merinski (drummer)
Locations:
Notes
- Published by Detective Comics, Inc.
- Batman: "The Crimes of Two-Face" is reprinted in:
- "The Crimes of Two-Face" continues in Detective Comics #68.
- Boy Commandos: "The Sphinx Speaks" is reprinted in Boy Commandos #1.
- Air Wave: "The Adventure of the Shooting Spooks" is reprinted in Superman #245 (also known as 100-Page Super Spectacular DC-7).
- Larry Jordan is promoted to District Attorney to replace the murdered Cole.
See Also
Links and References
Look at how sad this is making Batman. You did this.