History Recap / BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE31TheCapeAndCowlConspiracy

* BaitAndSwitch: Between the HumiliationConga Batman puts "the Baron" Wacklaw Joersk through while sweeping him off for questioning and the circumstances of said questioning, it's easy to assume the Baron hired Wormwood to [[EvilIsPetty humiliate the caped crusader in kind]]. As it turns out, the person who hired Wormwood was Batman himself, disguised as the Baron in order to trick Wormwood into confessing to an earlier crime. The real Baron heeded Batman's suggestion to take a long "vacation" far away from Gotham.

* ChallengeSeeker: When he learns what the Baron wants, Wormwood is immediately intrigued by the challenge of humbling ''Batman''.

* ConMan: "The Baron" Wacklaw Joersk is described by Gordon as being "a two-bit con man" willing to do anything for a free meal.

* {{Expy}}: Josiah Wormwood is essentially a prototype Riddler for the show--a deathtrap specialist who uses riddles in his crimes and has an obsession with knowing secrets and matching wits. A few episodes later, the legit Riddler makes his debut. As a matter of fact, the Venezuelan dub actually calls him "El Acertijo, el interrogador" (The riddler, the Interrogator).

* OhCrap: Wormwood, when he realizes his current employer is none other than Batman...and that he's just confessed to stealing nearly a million dollars' worth of bonds and given away the name of his employer for ''that'' job to boot.

* OutGambitted: Batman pulls the rug out on Wormwood by disguising himself as his client, Wacklaw Joserk, who Wormwood was trying to steal Batman's cowl for in the first place.

* RudelyHangingUp: Wacklaw Joserk (or rather Batman) hangs up on Wormwood just as he was reminding Joserk to explain why he wants Batman's cape and cowl.

* SmugSnake: Wormwood boasts a great deal about the flawlessness of his traps and getting one over Batman...only to find out the detective was one step ahead of him the entire time.

* RudelyHangingUp: The mob boss (or rather Batman) hangs up on Wormwood when he reminds him to explain why he wants Batman's cape and cowl.

* RudelyHangingUp: The mob boss (or rather Batman) hangs up on Wormwood when he reminds him to reveal why he wants Batman's cape and cowl.

* CanonForeigner: Josiah Wormwood. Although he's actually based off Jeremy Wormwood, the villain in the comic the story was based on.

* MythologyGag: Wormwood says that Batman "is only human after all," which is what one of the Joker's henchmen said in the Creator/TimBurton [[Film/{{Batman}} film]].

!!Tropes:

* CastAsAMask
* ChainedToARailway: Wormwood used a woman tied to the tracks as bait for Batman. The woman turns out to be a hologram. Wormwood laughs at Batman for thinking he would have really done it.

* CheapCostume: Upon finding himself in a death trap with no means of escape handy, Batman relents and throws off his mask, revealing... [[CrazyPrepared that he's wearing a black hankerchief tied over the top of his head with eye-slits cut into it.]] Which was actually nifty {{foreshadowing}}, Batman hired the villain under a different identity as part of a BatmanGambit. He ''had'' to lose his cowl to succeed in the plan and came prepared.
* DeathTrap
* EngineeredPublicConfession
* {{Expy}}: Josiah Wormwood is essentially a prototype Riddler for the show -- a deathtrap specialist who uses riddles in his crimes and has an obsession with knowing secrets and matching wits. A few episodes later, the legit Riddler made his debut. As a matter of fact, the Venezuelan dub actually called him "El Acertijo, el interrogador" (The riddler, the Interrogator).

* MythologyGag: Wormwood said that Batman "is only human after all", which is what one of the Joker's henchmen said in the Creator/TimBurton film.

* RudelyHangingUp: The mob boss (or rather Batman) hung up on Wormwood when he reminds him to reveal why he wants Batman's cape and cowl.

* SoftGlass: Like most times, Batman can send a grappling hook through a glass window like it was nothing. Then it was subverted when Batman was unable to break a large light-bulb by just throwing his utility belt at it, and had to throw a pole at it like a spear. Then, two minutes later, he throws the belt at a glass wall, and it goes straight through it.
* TheUnreveal: An in-universe example; Wormwood uses various deathtraps to force Batman to relinquish his cape and cowl. At last, Batman does so... only to reveal that he was wearing a smaller cowl under his main cowl. Wormwood didn't care; his client hired him to retrieve Batman's cape and cowl, not to reveal his secret identity. The client turned out to be Batman himself, who "hired" Wormwood in order to goad him into a confession for a previous crime.

* ScreamsLikeAGirl: Just listen to Wormwood when he crashes out of the penthouse window.

* {{Expy}}: Josiah Wormwood is essentially a prototype Riddler for the show -- a deathtrap specialist who uses riddles in his crimes and has an obsession with knowing secrets and matching wits. A few episodes later, the legit Riddler made his debut.

* SoftGlass: Like most times, Batman can send a grappling hook through a glass window like it was nothing. Then it was subverted this when Batman was unable to break a large light-bulb by just throwing his utility belt at it, and had to throw a pole at it like a spear. Then, two minutes later, he throws the belt at a glass wall, and it goes straight through it.

* MythologyGag: Wormwood said that Batman "is only human after all", which is what one of the Joker's henchmen said in the Tim Burton film.

* WhamLine: "I'm going... to wear them!"

* XanatosGambit: Batman, in disguise, hires Wormwood to go after himself is a can't-lose proposition. If Wormwood fails, Batman captures him; if Wormwood succeeds, Batman will get Wormwood to make an EngineeredPublicConfession and capture him anyway.

* XanatosGambit: Batman, in disguise, hires Wormwood to go after himself, so that Wormwood fails, Batman captures him; if Wormwood succeeds, Batman will get Wormwood to make an EngineeredPublicConfession.

* BatmanGambit: Batman hired Wormwood to go after himself, just so he could get Wormwood to make an EngineeredPublicConfession.

* AnimatedAdaptation: This episode is actually an adaptation of the story "The Cape & Cowl Deathtrap!" in ''Detective Comics'' #450. ElliotSMaggin wrote the story for both the original comic and this episode.