World's Finest #197 is an issue of the series World's Finest (Volume 1) with a cover date of November, 1970.
Synopsis for Superman and Batman: "The Capture of Superman"
This story is reprinted from World's Finest #122.
An alien named Klor comes to the planet Earth and shows Batman and Robin evidence showing Superman attacking his world and tells the Dynamic Duo that he is a wanted criminal. Shocked at this revelation, Batman and Robin agree to do their duty and capture Superman -- even if he is their best friend.
The Dynamic Duo at first attempt to capture Superman with tricks that involve Kryptonite: Pretending to be terrorized by a Robot; Tricking him in approaching a statue loaded with Kryptonite; Batman even disguises himself as a photographer and attempts to expose the Man of Steel to Kryptonite hidden in a prop camera. Superman sees through all these ploys and evades capture. When Superman demands answers, Batman will not confide in him. The Dynamic Duo finally outsmart Superman when they hide out in a statue erected in honor of the hero Green Arrow and fire arrows at passing ships. When Superman arrives to investigate, he fails to notice that the statue has been painted in Kryptonite paint until it's too late.
When in custody, Batman and Robin tell him why they are bringing him to Klor's world. Superman recalls flying out of Earth's atmosphere to intercept an asteroid, but doesn't recall attacking Klor's planet. He supposes that perhaps he blacked out in space and thus cannot refute Klor's claims. When Superman is brought to trial, the evidence is viewed again and Superman is found guilty. This all turns out to be a ploy by Klor, who projected an image of an asteroid into space, and used Superman's response as an aid to then pose as the Man of Steel and terrorize his homeworld. With his mission to frame Superman a success he returns to Earth and disguises himself as Superman. He then convinces a jeweler to turn over some gems to him for "safe keeping", but as Klor returns to his ship he is attacked by Superman.
Upon his defeat, Klor is told that Batman found a number of logical errors in the evidence provided that cleared Superman's name and revealed Klor as the true criminal. With the true crook defeated, they return Klor to his homeworld to face punishment.
Appearing in Superman and Batman: "The Capture of Superman"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Klor (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Aliens from Belvos (Single appearance)
- Joker (In a photograph only)
Locations:
- Planet Belvos (Single appearance)
- Earth
Items:
- Batrope
- Giant Penny
- Giant Joker Card
- Green Kryptonite
- Robot
- Green Arrow Statue
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Superman and Batman: "The Feud Between Batman and Superman"
This story is reprinted from World's Finest #143.
While out on a case with Superman and Robin, Batman is wounded by a bullet that bounces off Superman's invulnerable body. After a successful operation the near death experience makes Batman decide that it's too dangerous for both he and Robin to continue to work with Superman. Realizing that Batman's morale has been shaken, Superman decides to try and end Batman's doubts and works with Jimmy to come up with a way to do it. Contacting his ally Than-Ar in the Bottle City of Kandor, the men conspire to create a fake threat to the bottle city using an old Kryponian weapon known as the Metalloids. Although Than-Ar warns Superman that this plan is too dangerous, he agrees to use the weapon to stage Superman's hoax.
When Superman arrives at the Batcave, he finds that Batman is even more listless about working with Superman than before, but convinces him to come to the Fortress of Solitude under the pretense that he needs Batman's help in overhauling security by examining the Fortress's door locks. However, when they arrive, Superman's fake hoax goes into full gear and they get an "emergency call" from Kandor. Superman convinces Batman to join him, Jimmy and Robin in shrinking down in size and traveling into the bottle city.
When they arrive they are attacked by what Superman secretly believes is Than-Ar disguised as a Metalloid, and Batman helps facilitate their escape. They arrive at the home of Superman's old family friend Nor-Kan who watches over the Nightcave. When Superman and Jimmy go out on patrol with their pet Nighthound, they get captured by the Metalloid. When Nighthound returns alone, Nor-Kan provides Batman and Robin with rocket belts and send them out to try and find Superman and Jimmy. They find Superman being strangled by a Metalloid and save him, but when Jimmy reveals Superman's scheming, Batman is angry at the Man of Steel for manipulating him and calls off their friendship, not realizing that the creature was actually trying to kill Superman.
Duel of the Fates
When Superman attempts to talk sense into Batman, the Dark Knight takes a swing at Superman. Soon the fight is broken up and they are ordered to deal with things in a fair duel per Kandorian tradition. The two agree and in single combat, and Superman lets Batman win. Superman and Jimmy then decide to try and find out what made Than-Ar go evil and end his menace. When Superman goes against the Metalloids alone he is easily defeated and taken captive.
Jimmy rushes back to base where he finds Batman and Robin about to leave Kandor and convinces Batman to stay to help save Superman; showing him footage of different crime fighters throughout Krypton's history who did so without powers. Tracking the Metalloids to their base after they robbed a science vault, Batman uses his ingenuity and natural fighting ability to knock out one of the Metalloids and steal his armor. With Robin's help he easily defeats the remaining Metalloids and saves Superman. Unmasking the Metalloid's leader, they learn that he is really Jhan-Ar, Than-Ar's brother. Jhan-Ar reveals that he overheard Superman's plan to hoax a menace and tried to capitalize on it.
With Batman's faith in his abilities restored he forgives Superman for the hoax, and the heroes return to the Fortress of Solitude; agreeing to work together as a team again in the future.
Appearing in Superman and Batman: "The Feud Between Batman and Superman"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Robin
- Flamebird (Jimmy Olsen)
- Ace the Bat-Hound (Final appearance)
- Nighthound
Antagonists:
- Jhan-Ar
- Lars-Eden (Flashback only) (On a TV or computer screen)
- Brenn-Bir (Flashback only) (On a TV or computer screen)
Other Characters:
- Nor-Kann
- Than Ar
- Kandorian Detectives
- Ab-Zorna (Flashback only) (On a TV or computer screen)
- Van-Varo (Flashback only) (On a TV or computer screen)
- Tec-Aben (Flashback only) (On a TV or computer screen)
Locations:
- Earth
- Fortress of Solitude
- Kandor
- Nightcave
- Weird Jungle
- Kandor
- Gotham City
- Metropolis
- Fortress of Solitude
- Krypton (On a TV or computer screen)
Items:
Vehicles:
- Batplane
- Nightmobile
- Winged Ones
Synopsis for Green Arrow: "The Unmasked Archers"
This story is reprinted from World's Finest #98.
When Oliver Queen's membership into an exclusive club involves an initiation prank featuring a fake newspaper revealing (albeit unintentionally) that Oliver Queen and Roy Harper are really Green Arrow and Speedy, the two heroes believe it's a real newspaper. Revealing their identities to the chief of police is met with laughter, at the chief believes it's just Oliver playing a practical joke.
When robbers make a getaway, the chief calls Oliver and invites him to watch the real Green Arrow in person. Having to show up as Oliver in a Green Arrow costume, Oliver and Roy use a series of gimmicked arrows to make it appear as though Green Arrow is ambushing the crooks and leaves just as they are rounded up, protecting Oliver's secret identity by verifying to everyone that Oliver is just playing a joke.
Appearing in Green Arrow: "The Unmasked Archers"
Featured Characters:
- Green Arrow (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Speedy (Flashback and main story)
Antagonists:
- thugs
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Superman and Batman: "Prison For Heroes"
This story is reprinted from World's Finest #145.
Alone in his mansion one day, Bruce Wayne hears a strange noise coming from the Batcave below. Going to investigate as Batman he finds a strange glowing sphere that calls him forward. Walking into the sphere, Batman is transported to an alien world where he is hypnotized into being a hard-case warden of an intergalactic prison for super-heroes. Under the control of alien forces, Batman tricks Superman into coming to the planet. When the Man of Steel arrives the aliens that are in charge place a filter over the sun that this world orbits around making it red, stripping Superman of most of his powers.
Forced into a prison cell, Superman finds that he is not alone as it is populated by other heroes from other worlds: Electric Man, Balloon Man, The Freezer and The Flame. They are only given rations of bread and water and forced by Batman to go out and toil in intensive labor. As Superman's powers completely fade, he grows to hate the cruel warden that Batman has become. With what little powers he has left, Superman helps free himself and his fellow prisoners, and helps his comrades secretly use their powers to make it look as though Superman has somehow regained his powers. In this they overpower Batman and force him to go out and toil.
All this is being watched by the two masterminds of this plot: two Vorians, aliens of criminal intent. Seeing their plan to imprison the universe's heroes going to pot decide to go to the planet and investigate. While they are on their way, Superman finds the device that hypnotized Batman and reverse conditions him. With the Dark Knight restored to normal, he sends him on a mission to destroy the sun filter. When the Vorians arrive to see how Superman cheated their device they confront him just as Batman succeeds in his mission. With is powers fully restored, Superman captures the Vorians, leaves them stranded on their prison world, and goes to Vor to stop the planet's cataclysmic plans to overthrow multiple worlds.
With the other heroes free and Vor's plans thwarted, Superman and Batman return home to Earth.
Appearing in Superman and Batman: "Prison For Heroes"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- The Vorians (Single appearance)
- Waraj (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Robin (Mentioned only)
- Electric Man (Single appearance)
- Balloon Man (Single appearance)
- The Freezer (Single appearance)
- The Flame (Single appearance)
Locations:
See Also