World's Finest #248 is an issue of the series World's Finest (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1978.
Synopsis for Superman & Batman: "...the Lurkers"
After a series of acts of unexplicable behaviour by some notorious public figures on Earth, Batman and Superman investigate the case in order to discover why are these people acting in such destructive ways. However, before they could get information on the case, they learn that Princess Portia of Moldacia has declared war to a neighboring nation. Portia, who was once Julie Madison and Bruce Wayne's fiancée, is visiting Gotham City and Bruce is asked to act as her escort.
During their reunion, Bruce tries to talk some sense to her and convince her to stop the war in her nation. However, Portia instead uses a special drug to knock Bruce unconscious and replace him with an evil clone.
Later, Superman continues his investigations with Batman, but he notices something strange with his friend, as he has started acting irrationally, as the rest of the world. Using his special vision, Superman learns that Batman is in fact a clone and he deduces that all the people who are acting strange are also clones. In order to learn the location of the real people, Superman allows the evil ones to capture him in his civilian identity as Clark Kent.
Kent is subsequently taken to a hidden place in the Middle East, where he learns that a secret tribe called Dalsidi are behind the evil clones and that their ultimate goal is to destroy a large part of humanity in order to seize control of Earth. While Kent is locked in a cell, he is told by the other prisoners that Bruce Wayne had managed to escape and using his x-ray vision, Superman learns that the real Batman is fighting the enemy just outside. Superman breaks his cell and joins Batman against the bad guys and the superheroes manage to defeat the clones and thwart the plans of the evil cult.
After every prisoner is released, they correct the problems created by their evil clones and peace returns to the world.
Appearing in Superman & Batman: "...the Lurkers"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Dalsidi Tribe (Single appearance)
- Grand Mutka (Single appearance)
- Clones (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Princess Portia (Cameo)
- Dulac (Cameo) (Single appearance)
- Professor Klaus Bergman (Cameo) (Single appearance)
- Esteban (Cameo) (Single appearance)
- Senator Jack Clayton (Cameo) (Single appearance)
- Marcel Vlad (Cameo) (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Arctic Circle
- Dalsidi, in North Africa (Single appearance)
- France
- Moldacia (First appearance)
- United States of America
- San Carlos (Mentioned only)
Synopsis for Green Arrow & Black Canary: "Hellgrammite is His Name, Rebirth is His Game"
While Dinah Lance is trying out for a fashion designer's job, the clothes factory at which she is applying is raided by Hellgrammite and his gang, who are stealing large spools of fiber. Dinah switches to her Black Canary identity and tries to battle him, but is wound up in a large cocoon by the villain and only released after the crooks have completed their robbery. Oliver Queen refuses to help her track down Hellgrammite, citing the needs of poor Star City residents as his first priority, and Black Canary storms out, determined to find the super-villain on her own. Later, Mack Morgan asks Green Arrow to donate a spare costume to the police museum's super-hero detectives section, which already contains uniforms and memorabilia of several other heroes, and Green Arrow agrees. He also learns of missing Star City millionaires from Morgan, who points him in the direction of a group called Rebirth, Inc. This is secretly a front for Hellgrammite, whose "rebirth cocoons", for a $100,000 fee, appear to turn older men into younger ones, with a new cover identity. Deleon, the man who stole Oliver Queen's fortune, had wanted to participate, but gets cold feet. At that moment, Black Canary intervenes, but is beaten and captured. Deleon gets away in the confusion. He later calls Green Arrow and demands protection, saying that he has taken over the Queen mansion and now knows Oliver Queen's secret identity. Green Arrow grudgingly goes to his old mansion, fights his way through Hellgrammite's men, and loses his weapons, mask, and shirt in the process. When GA finally encounters Deleon, the crooked financier presents him with the uniform he had stolen from the police museum, which he believes is that of Oliver Queen's secret identity...the Batman.
Appearing in Green Arrow & Black Canary: "Hellgrammite is His Name, Rebirth is His Game"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- John Deleon
- Batman (Cameo)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Vigilante: "All the Dummy's Men"
The Vigilante has managed to convince Lt. Det. Philkar that he didn’t kill Jolyon Kingston, showing him there’s a ninja star in his back. They quickly find that Kingston couldn’t get a single shot off and that they’ll soon meet their “weapons expert,” twisting suddenly around to find the killer… a boy who looks just like Stuff the Chinatown Kid! Even the Dummy falls out of his seat, having not planned to kill Kingston (who was armed) and the boy says that he’s the son of the original Stuff. The Vigilante decides to take Stuff, Jr. with him. The Dummy sets up numerous top-hatted guards and attack dogs around his mansion perimeter, since he has a date with a ghost coming at them. What’s more, they have killercycles and even laser cannons to hold him back. Lt. Det. Philkar realizes the anonymous note connecting Kingston and the Dummy was from Stuff, Jr. and he was able to bluff his way into his office, posing as a messenger boy. Stuff, Jr. points out that Kingston pulled a gun on him, so throwing a shuriken into his head was pretty deserved, though Vigilante says he’s just sore to have thought that Stuff, Sr. was with them still was all. Lt. Det. Philkar realizes he hasn’t called for any backup or called anyone about this raid, including (and especially) Comm. Gordon. He radios them all to get to Forest Gardens and fast as Vigilante ramps over the gate and Lt. Det. Philkar runs over two goons while crashing through the gate. He then again defeats all of the goons running at them by throwing the Vig-Cycle at them and letting it explode, killing them all, then get to work on the remaining twenty in a quick fistfight. Slug tells Miss Katz that the Dummy has been going crazier since they ran into the new Stuff, prompting the mad Dummy to shoot Slug in the chest. The cops soon rush in to arrest the remaining living goons as the Dummy tries to escape through a secret passageway, only to find the Vigilante is already there waiting for him and blasts him in the shoulder with his derringer and the Manikin of Menace is soon arrested by the cops. Stuff, Jr. tells him he’s trained under Richard Dragon, the world’s greatest martial artist, and from his father, Stuff, Sr. Stuff, Jr. asks how Greg Sanders is still just as old as he was when he met his father and he says he’s going to tell him the very long story… since they’re partners now...
Appearing in Vigilante: "All the Dummy's Men"
Featured Characters:
- The Vigilante (Final appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Lt. Detective Philkar
- Stuff, Jr. (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- The Dummy (Final appearance)
- Slug (Dies)
- Miss Katz
Other Characters:
- Stuff (Flashback only)
Locations:
- Earth-One
- Gotham City
- The Forest Gardens
- The Dummy's Hideout
- The Forest Gardens
- Gotham City
Items:
Vehicles:
- Vig-Cycle (Destroyed)
Synopsis for Wonder Woman: "The Amazon and the Rock"
Appearing in Wonder Woman: "The Amazon and the Rock"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Doctor Psycho
- Joan White
- Nazi Party
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- The Batman and Superman story is presented in three parts:
- Part I - Day of Madness!
- Part II - Night of Wrath
- Part III - Dawn of Destiny
- Batman gets another bullet wound in this story.
Trivia
- Oddly, Julie Madison is now known as Princess Portia (her later stage name) instead of as the Queen. The story does not remark on that.
See Also