On Leather Wings (Batman The Animated Series Episode)

Infobox Television episode
Title=On Leather Wings


Series=
Season= 1
Episode= 1
Airdate= September 6 1992
Writer= Mitch Brian
Director= Kevin Altieri
Episode list =
Prev= n/a
Next=

On Leather Wings is the first episode of the american animated television series , first aired on September 6, 1992, written by Mitch Brian and directed by Kevin Altieri. This was the first episode of the series to feature the villain Man-Bat and was also Man-Bat's first screen appearance. In comics, Man-Bat first appeared in 1970.

Plot Summary

Gotham's main chemical lab is broken into and robbed by, what the only guard who saw the incident claimed, Batman. The next day, the newspapers claim that the Gotham police force are now at war with Batman. Both Detective Harvey Bullock tells and Comissioner James Gordon tell the mayor they can seperately capture Batman, which leads to them both work on divided cases. The following night, Batman visits the heavily guarded crime scene, but is spotted and the police arrive soon afterwards. He collects a sample of hair from the scene and also finds an audio tape made by the guard who saw the incident. Bullock has the building surrounded and sends in a SWAT team to take down Batman. Gordon then arrives on the scene where he tells Bullock that Batman has also been sighted robbing a pharmacy on the other side of town, and that it may not be Batman who is the thief of the chemical lab. Batman escapes the building without detection.

The next day, Bruce Wayne visits Gotham Zoo to meet with head Zoologist Dr. March, he also meets with Kirk and Francine Langstrom. He tells March that he has a bat problem and asks him to analyse the hair sample and audio tape he recovered. March tells him that the sound on the audio tape is of brown bats and starlings, however Batman's computer says different. Suspecting March may be up to something, Batman heads back to Gotham Zoo to confront him. Batman however confronts Kirk Langstrom, who tells him March is not there. Langstrom also reveals to Batman that March and Francine had been testing a medicine on Bats that they were afraid to test on humans, but Kirk tried it on himself anyway, it cause him to become a large bat-like creature. The chemicals he stole from the chemical plant and pharmacy where the ones he needed to make the change permanent, he swallows the two chemicals infront of Batman and becomes Man-Bat once more.

Man-Bat and Batman grapple in the air and are spotted by a police chopper. Gordon and Bullock head to the scene, Batman forces Man-Bat to fly head first into a wall, he then carries Man-Bat off to the Batcave. Having analysed the list of stolen chemicals, Batman concots an antidote. He returns Langstrom in his human form to Gotham Zoo, where Francine is waiting for him. Batman tells her that the chemical is out of his system and he won't change to Man-Bat ever again.

Cast

Production

Bruce Timm states he wanted this series to focus on "mystery, mood, drama as well as super hero action sequences [Batman:The Animated Series The Legend Begins DVD] and that Man-Bat fit into those categories perfectly. This is also the only episode of the series where a character (Batman) was seen bleeding. It was never done again as parents thought it disturbing for young children to see. This is also the only episode where Efrem Zimbalist Jr. did not play Alfred, as he had not yet been hired. [cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/batman-the-animated-series/on-leather-wings/episode/68558/trivia.html?tag=overview;notes;see_all_link#notes]

References

External links