Rebirth
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| Batman Beyond episode | |
|---|---|
| |
| "Rebirth" | |
| Airdate: | January 10, 1999 (USA) |
| Production Number: | 01, 02 |
| Airdate Order: | 1, 2 |
| Animation Services by: | Koko / Dong Yang |
| Written by: | Part I Alan Burnett Paul Dini Part II Stan Berkowitz |
| Directed by: | Curt Geda |
| Episode images (21) | |
"Rebirth" is the two-parter premiere of Batman Beyond. It depicts the retirement of Bruce Wayne as Batman and the later rebirth of Batman as Terry McGinnis. Suffering from heart disease, Bruce Wayne discovers that he can no longer be Batman, and for twenty years Gotham City is without its protector. However, teenager Terry McGinnis discovers Bruce's secret and after the murder of his father, takes the Batsuit and adopts the identity to avenge his father's death, and Batman is once again reborn in Gotham.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
[edit] Part I
In an airplane hangar just outside of Gotham City, a group of kidnappers watch a news report about a failed attempt by Derek Powers to take over Wayne Enterprises. The news also states that the kidnappers have failed to release their hostage, Bunny Vreeland, in spite of being paid five million dollars in ransom. As it turns out, they plan to execute Bunny and make a getaway with the money. Fortunately for her, Batman arrives, wearing a new suit that lacks the cape but increases the wearer's strength and also gives him flying abilities.
He manages to beat most of the kidnappers, but is suddenly struck down by a crippling chest pain. The last remaining thug beats him around, commenting that Batman has been around since he was a kid. Unable to defend himself, Batman desperately snatches up a gun and points it at his attacker, who runs away in fear and is captured by the police.
Batman limps outside the hangar, and removes his mask, revealing a gray-haired, much older Bruce Wayne. He looks in horror at the gun in his hand, and leaves. Back at the Batcave Bruce Wayne puts the costume away and vows, "Never again." With that, he shuts off the lights and seals the Batcave, leaving his past behind in the dark.
Twenty years pass and Gotham has changed much in this time, according to a current newscast. Derek Powers has managed to take control of Wayne Enterprises (now Wayne-Powers), and has been increasing his power and wealth by gobbling up smaller businesses.
A teenager dressed as a clown climbs onto a public elevator and starts making trouble. Just then, Terry McGinnis deals with the clown and grumbles, "Jokerz."
Back at Terry's house, his father, Warren, gets a desperate message from Harry Tully, a co-worker. He meets with Tully, who has several dark patches on his skin. Tully gives Warren a disk and is dragged off by a large man who works for Derek Powers.
Powers summons Warren to "clear up" any misunderstanding. He explains that Tully simply had an accident, but he's going to be fine. Powers also asks if Warren has anything Tully gave to him, which Warren denies.
Upon returning home, Warren reviews the data on the disk and becomes distressed. Terry tells him that he's leaving but Warren forbids it. After a brief argument Terry leaves in anger. As he leaves, Powers' hit man watches and grins, seeing that Warren is now alone.
Terry heads out to a nightclub and meets up with his girlfriend, Dana. While he talks to her, his rival, Nelson, arrives but before any trouble can start, a whole gang of clowns calling themselves "the Jokerz" arrive and start wreaking havoc. Terry starts fighting them but more come and he is forced to flee on one of their motorcycles.
The gang chases Terry down a seldom-used road and Terry swerves to avoid hitting an old man, which causes him to fall. The Jokerz catch up with him. Just then, the old man reveals himself as Bruce Wayne, and demands that the Jokerz leave. The Jokerz attack. Together, Wayne and Terry manage to fight off the gang but Bruce suffers from his weak heart. Terry takes him inside and gives him his medicine but the old man falls asleep and his dog, Ace, prevents Terry from leaving. While trying to call his father, Terry notices a bat trapped in Wayne's clock and frees it. However, as he does so, he discovers a secret passage that leads into the Batcave. Upon seeing the costumes, Terry learns Bruce's secret but Bruce attacks him from behind and throws him out. Terry leaves in anger.
Upon returning home, Terry finds his house in shambles and the words "ha, ha, ha" written in graffiti all over the house. The police are there as is his mother. They inform Terry that Warren has been killed, and the Jokerz are apparently responsible.
After the funeral, a grief-stricken Terry moves into his mother's house and discovers the disk among his stuff. After reviewing the data Terry runs off, but Powers' people are watching and see that they have found the disk they're looking for. Terry goes to Wayne Manor and tells Wayne what's happening over the gate intercom. Wayne pretends to ignore him, but eventually lets Terry in to investigate.
[edit] Part II
Bruce reviews the data on the disk and discovers that Wayne-Powers is making a nerve gas that can completely destroy healthy cells. As he fumes over this information Terry assesses Bruce's last Batsuit: "synaptic controls, flight capability, and neural muscular strength amplification." Bruce insists that Terry leave the suit alone and tells him to take the disk to Commissioner Barbara Gordon. Terry wants Bruce to do something about it himself but Bruce refuses. ("You have to do something! You're Batman!" "I was Batman.") Terry angrily leaves.
As Terry walks away, Powers and his henchman nearly run him down with their limo and demand the disk back. Terry gives back the disk and manages to escape with his life, knowing now that Powers will be looking for him.
Later that day, Kaznian Minister of Commerce Vilmos Egans arrives in Gotham and is greeted by Powers. At Wayne Manor, Bruce is watching this on TV, when he hears Ace barking and finds that he's been tied up. Bruce releases Ace, then follows him to the Batcave, revealing that the power suit has been stolen.
Terry clumsily flies towards the Wayne-Powers tower and eavesdrops on a conversation between Powers and Egans. As evidence of the gas's lethality, Powers shows Egans footage of the gas being tested on plants, then on a calf, and then photographs of Tully after his accident. Egans is impressed, and Powers assures him that the gas will be shipped out that very night; his assistant, Mr. Fixx, will personally see to it. After Egans leaves, however, Derek is concerned that Terry is still alive. Mr. Fixx tells him not to worry, revealing that he is the one who killed Warren.
Security guards discover Terry and attack. With the power of the suit Terry is able to evade them with ease but he receives a call from Bruce. Bruce demands the suit to be returned but Terry refuses. Angered, Bruce activates a kill switch on the suit, paralyzing Terry. The guards now find that he can no longer fight back and pummel him. One of them then aims a gun. Bruce shows mercy on Terry and reactivates the suit. With his power back, Terry manages to fight off and evade the guards again.
Bruce tells Terry of an escape route he had built into the building, allowing him to evade the guards. But Bruce still demands the return of his suit, while Terry wants to go to the transport pad to stop the shipment. Bruce threatens to shut off the suit again. Terry pleads, reminding Bruce of his parents' death, and saying that this is his one chance to catch
Terry makes his way to the hover docks and discovers Powers and Fixx supervising the loading of the gas. He is attacked by more security guards. On Powers's orders, Fixx gets into the hovercraft and takes off, while Powers stays behind to deal with Batman. Terry throws a Batarang, and Powers shoots it out of the air with ease. Terry throws a gas canister, which Powers shoots without thinking, exposing himself to the gas. Terry flies after the hovercraft.
That morning, Terry's mother wakes him and tells him that Bruce is there to see him. Bruce offers Terry a job as a part-time assistant, which Terry accepts, knowing that the offer is really to become the new Batman.
Back at Wayne-Powers, Powers is exposed to intense radiation to eliminate the gas. The good news is, the radiation succeeds in saving his life. The bad news is, the radiation has combined with the gas's mutagenic properties and altered Powers's body. He is now emitting radiation so powerful that his skin is now translucent, and he appears as a glowing green skeleton. Seeing himself in the mirror, Powers begins laughing maniacally.
[edit] Continuity
- The abducted girl in the teaser, Bunny Vreeland, is the daughter of Veronica Vreeland, from the Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures series.
- Though it is not stated in the show, Batman's final fight takes place twenty years after The New Batman Adventures.
- It appears that the United States and Kaznia never settled on peaceful relations.
[edit] Background Information
[edit] Production Inconsistencies
- Harry Tully gives Warren a mini-disc containing incriminatory evidence. However, in the end of Part I, when Terry is at Wayne Manor's gate, the disc is a full size one. In Part II the disc changes back to its original size.
[edit] Trivia
- Part I was nominated for a Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television Production.[1]
- The kidnapper who beats up the elderly Bruce is voiced by Rino Romano, who went on to voice the title character in the non-DCAU series The Batman.
- The club that Terry and Dana are waiting in line for is called "Club 54 Level". This is possibly an allusion to Studio 54, Manhattan's famous '70s nightclub.
- The motorcycle chase in Part I is reminiscent of that featured in the anime film Akira.
- This two parter along with "Golem", "Meltdown", "The Winning Edge", and "Dead Man's Hand". was released on DVD as Batman Beyond – The Movie (DVD).
- The uniforms worn by Powers's security guards are similar to the battlesuits worn by Kryptonian soldiers in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "Blasts From the Past, Part I."
- In the Justice League Unlimited episode "Destroyer," Batman (Bruce Wayne) employs a set of electrified knuckle dusters against Parademons similar to those worn by Mr. Fixx.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Will Friedle | Terry McGinnis / Batman Weasel (uncredited) |
| Kevin Conroy | Bruce Wayne |
| Lauren Tom | Dana Tan Kim (uncredited) Dottie (uncredited) |
| Sherman Howard | Derek Powers |
| Ryan O'Donohue | Matt McGinnis |
| Michael Gross | Warren McGinnis |
| Teri Garr | Mary McGinnis |
| Seth Green | Nelson Nash |
| Bruce Timm | J-Man |
| George Takei | Mr. Fixx |
| Rino Romano | Kidnapper |
| Yvette Lowenthal | Chelsea Cunningham |
| Sam McMurray | Harry Tully |
| Jack Roth | Virtual Newsman |
| CCH Pounder | Anchor Woman |
| Clyde Kusatsu | Coach |
| Marc Worden | Scab |
| Corey Burton | Vilmos Egans |
| John Rubano | Reporter |
| Phil Hayes | Guard |
[edit] Uncredited Appearances
[edit] Quotes
Matt: (After Terry drops a suitcase) I guess that's my fault too. |
Terry: Back off, Scooby, it's me. |
Terry: Something happened to you, didn't it? And wasn't just that you got old. |
Mr. Fixx: You're pretty strong, for some clown who thinks he's Batman. |
Bruce Wayne: I find in my old age, I could use a part-time assistant. You know, a gofer. Go-for-this, go-for-that... an ally, as it were. Would you be interested? |
| Previously produced episode: None | Episodes of Batman Beyond | Next produced episode: "Black Out" |
| Previously aired episode: None | Next aired episode: "Black Out" |
