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"Cataclysm, Part Five: The First and the Last": There's a massive earthquake that's hit Gotham City and it's completely destroying everything. It's hit midtown, and has completely devastated the cultural arts center... sending tall buildings toppling down into each othe

Quote1 Robin told me I was on probation with Batman. I had to be a good girl if I wanted to fit in. If that means saving the life of scum like that, I don't want in their little club. Hell, I think I'm the kind of hero Gotham deserves. I may be the only hero Gotham has left. Quote2
Huntress

Detective Comics #720 is an issue of the series Detective Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1998.

Synopsis for "Cataclysm, Part Five: The First and the Last"

There's a massive earthquake that's hit Gotham City and it's completely destroying everything.[1] It's hit midtown, and has completely devastated the cultural arts center... sending tall buildings toppling down into each other, killing hundreds of people instantly. There are fires all over the place from exploded gas mains. It's complete chaos.

Huntress is riding the subway when they feel the tremors, and their train is derailed. There's a psychotic criminal on board who believes this is an elaborate attempt to take him down for a robbery he recently committed, and he takes control of the group after shooting Huntress in the arm and one man who stands up to him in the chest. They begin traveling back through the subway tunnels. Huntress escapes, then waits until her time is right and strikes against the man before he can do anymore damage. There's an aftershock, and the killer is trapped underneath rubble. Despite the fact that he had been trying to kill her seconds ago, the man insists that she save him. Ironically he's shot the two people who would be capable of saving his life. Huntress refuses to help him, and leaves him to die alone in the wreckage.

Renee Montoya stops some looters. She is extra pissed because this was her first day off in six months.

Batman is trying to get back to Gotham City after the destruction of the Batcave and Wayne Manor. He is forced to use his scuba gear and swim downstream through subterranean tunnels until he can make it back to the city... it is a long and difficult trip with barely enough air, and he is almost dashed to bits by the current many times. He realizes that with the cave and his manor destroyed, he's going to have no choice but to finally call in construction workers and his identity will be compromised. Reaching the surface in Gotham Harbor he looks up to see his city in rubble and flames... and screams a big no.

Appearing in "Cataclysm, Part Five: The First and the Last"

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Other Characters:

  • Jason (Single appearance)

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See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

Batman Shadow of the Bat Vol 1 73
Batman: Cataclysm Crossover
DC Bullet 2024

This issue is a part of the Cataclysm crossover that swept through all Batman Family Titles during 1998. Gotham City was almost completely destroyed by a massive earthquake. This story led into the events that would eventually create No Man's Land.

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