| abstract | - Having been doused in a radioactive organism, Batman returns to the Batcave in hopes of neutralizing the reaction before it consumes him. Stumbling around, he douses himself in flames, using the heat to cause the organism to consume the flames and destroy itself. Fortunately, the last-ditch plan succeeds. Meanwhile, Dunhill Laboratories are cleared to open again by an inspector who happens to be friends with Professor Manhart. Still, despite the fact that all dangerous chemicals have been cleaned up, there will never be a way to make up for the lives lost as a result of what happened there. Suddenly, an explosion knocks both men to the floor, as Mister Toxic appears, demanding Manhart's assistance. The professor warns that entering the particle collider in his current state will cause it to self-destruct, but Mister Toxic persists, warning that the loss of life would be worth his reparation. Alfred manages to get the device that Professor Alan Smart gave Bruce earlier working, and it turns out to be a hologram projector. In the hologram, Smart explains how Hugh Marder's attempts to cure his own genetic disease have driven him insane. He has used the particle accelerator to splice his own DNA with cadavers, resulting in short-lived clones, used for testing. Given that he was already dying, Marder had no care for the potential damage that the device could do to him. The accelerator caused his body to absorb the radiation, and now he lives off of it. It may only be a matter of time before he becomes a living atomic bomb. Back at the lab, Marder and his clone, Mister Toxic, enter the particle collider together, ordering Manhart to start the device. As Manhart activates it, Batman crashes through the roof, warning him to stop. It's too late, though, and the reaction has begun. It is the same organism that he witnessed in the Batcave, absorbing both Marders into some kind of abomination. With only one chance, Batman throws a grenade into the mess. The heat from the explosion neutralizes the reaction as it did in the cave, eliminating the threat to the city. Turning to Marder, Batman passes him his helmet, and comments that he hopes not to regret having saved the man's life.
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