* "BLACK SPIDER" (Eric Needham) Appearance
STORY 1: The Black Spider, an ex-junkie costumed vigilante out to murder all pushers in Gotham City, tries to kill big-time dope dealer Hannibal Hardwicke. Batman intervenes to save Hardwicke for his trial. After the Spider makes two tries and is beaten back, Batman takes Hardwicke to Bruce Wayne's penthouse apartment at the Wayne Foundation for safekeeping and settles down as the Black Spider lays siege.

The Black Spider battles past Batman into the apartment, but Batman blocks him again and learns that the Spider survived the explosion during their last encounter by staggering to a free clinic run by an old friend. The Spider is eventually felled by the sleep-gas with which Batman has flooded the apartment, having protected himself with nose-filters. Alfred reports that Hardwicke has admitted to being the Black Spider's financier, hoping to eliminate competition through the vigilante, who turned upon his "creator" in the end.

STORY 2: Jeff Richter admits that the rest of his evidence revealing that Bruce Wayne is Batman is "buried" elsewhere to stop Batman interfering with his operations. Bruce switches to his Batman uniform to try to stop his antagonist, but a freezing gas in Richter's suit immobilizes Batman and Alfred, and Richter escapes.

---