Line #36 Recap/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBoldS2E11ChillOfTheNight


1	Teaser: Batman gets help from Zatanna fighting Abra Kadabra.
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3	Main Plot:
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5	The episode begins with the murder of Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha, while their young son Bruce looks on in horror. That night, Bruce tearfully swears to avenge his parents' death by battling crime. As he grows up, he studies criminology and martial arts, eventually becoming Batman. In the present day, The Spectre and The Phantom Stranger debate what Batman will do once he confronts his parents' murderer, which he will do on this night. They eventually wager on it: if Batman upholds justice, he is free to live his life the way he always has. On the other hand, Spectre wages that if Batman gives in to vengeance, he himself will become like Spectre.
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7	That evening, Batman (disguised as a priest) tries to learn from Lew Moxon, a dying gangster who ordered the hit on the Waynes, the name of the killer. Moxon manages to say "some guy named... chill" before dying. Batman then heads to a bar to interrogate other criminals for further information, but they claim to know nothing. After Batman threatens to kill a man he is interrogating, the Phantom Stranger restrains him, taking him back to a charity costume party that his parents attended, revealing the reason for Batman's costume as being based on young Bruce's subconscious memory of his father's "Bat-man" costume. For a joyful moment, Batman is reunited with his parents. The gala is interrupted by thugs led by Moxon who show up to rob the party. Batman and Thomas fight together against the gang, managing to capture Moxon. One of the other thugs, who Batman recognizes as the killer, holds Martha hostage only to be rescued by Batman and Thomas. Batman races after the escaping thug, only for the Spectre to appear before him. He asks what Batman will do once he identifies his parents' killer. Batman has no easy answer. Spectre then shows Batman a meeting between Moxon and the other man at Blackgate Penitentiary. The man, who Moxon calls "Chill", offers to kill Thomas Wayne for Moxon in retaliation for his interference. Moxon casually agrees. Batman realizes that the dying Moxon had identified the killer to him - "Chill", and vows that "This ends tonight".
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9	Returned by Spectre to the Batcave, Batman uncovers that Joe Chill now sells exotic weapons to supervillains. Batman interrupts that night's sale, fighting off the assembled villains while focusing on his true target: Chill. Batman corners Chill in an office, disarming him and revealing that he is the son of Thomas Wayne. Bruce now has Chill at his mercy, and the Phantom Stranger and Spectre each appear to persuade him, respectively, to uphold justice or exact vengeance. Ultimately, Bruce spares Chill's life. Panicked, Joe Chill begs to the villains for protection against Batman, revealing that he is indirectly responsible for the hero's existence. However, before Chill can reveal Batman's true identity, the villains turn on him in a blind rage, resulting in a brawl that accidentally sets off the sonic laser Chill was trying to sell them earlier. The weapon's beam sends the ceiling crashing down on Chill, killing him. The Stranger says that Batman made the proper choice and that fate ultimately overtook Chill. He then mentions how convenient it was that Chill just happened to be under the collapsing ceiling at just the right moment. The Spectre only smiles and says "I wouldn't know anything about that".
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11	The episode ends with Bruce enshrining his father's bat costume within the Batcave and declaring "Case... closed."
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13	The episode features a number of guest appearances. Creator/KevinConroy, Creator/MarkHamill and Richard Moll all appear from ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' as Comicbook/ThePhantomStranger, Comicbook/TheSpectre and Lew Moxon (as well as briefly reprising his role as Two-Face...just for one line), and Creator/AdamWest and Julie Newmar appear as Thomas and Martha Wayne.
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15	* ActuallyPrettyFunny: The Joker openly laughs at how Joe Chill inadvertently created Batman.
16	* AdaptationalBadass: In the past, Thomas could hold his own against some thugs (including Chill himself, ironically enough). It was just that Chill took him by surprise.
17	* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Batman says he needs to know who the gunman is.
18	-->'''Spectre:''' And to what end, Dark Knight? What will you do once you find out?\
19	'''Batman:''' I... I don't know.
20	* AssholeVictim: Joe Chill is a horrible person, being a hitman and currently selling weapons to murderous supervillains, and seeming to view his murder of the Waynes as just another job. The Spectre tries to coax Batman into killing him for this very reason, and when Batman refuses, it's implied the Spectre may have finished Chill himself. It's hard to argue Chill didn't deserve it.
21	* BittersweetEnding: Although Joe Chill has died indirectly at the hands of the Spectre, the ending plays out rather somberly, as his death hasn't brought back Thomas and Martha Wayne. With his parent's killer finally paying for it, Bruce hangs up his father's party costume in a display case and solemnly says, "Case closed."
22	* BlatantLies: The Spectre's denial of killing Joe Chill.
23	* BearHug: In both a sweet and heartbreaking moment, Batman hugs Martha.
24	* ButForMeItWasTuesday: Downplayed. When Batman furiously confronts Joe Chill over the murder of his parents, Chill ''does'' remember killing the Waynes, but states, "That was a lifetime ago!" He also simply calls them 'a guy I killed on a job.'
25	* CastingGag: Adam West and Julie Newmar, who were 60s Batman and Catwoman respectively, play Thomas and Martha Wayne. To even add to it, Thomas wears a bat costume and fights criminals along with him calling Bruce "old chum". Meanwhile, Kevin Conroy plays the Phantom Stranger and Mark Hamill serves as the Spectre.
26	* ContinuityNod: The flashback to the death of the Waynes begins with Bruce changing his mind about the Zorro movie they had gone to see in "Invasion of the Secret Santas".
27	* TheCorrupter: The Spectre's goal is to deliberately egg on Batman's darker habits.
28	* DeathBySecretIdentity: Joe Chill dies shortly after discovering that Bruce Wayne is Batman. The Spectre tries to enforce the trope, telling Batman to kill Chill because HeKnowsTooMuch. Batman refuses to break [[ThouShaltNotKill his one rule]], but the Spectre ends up killing Chill anyway.
29	* DidntThinkThisThrough: Joe Chill tells the villains he created Batman. He didn't realize it until it was too late that they might be more interested in taking revenge on ''him'' than helping him. It's only Batman's intervention that saves him.
30	* DramaticIrony: In the flashback of the Waynes leaving the theatre, Martha tells Thomas that if Bruce is unable to sleep that night, he's got sole responsibility for calming him down. Of course, moments later [[DeathByOriginStory events occur]] that mean Bruce ''definitely'' won't be getting any sleep.
31	* DramaticUnmask: Batman does this to himself when explaining to Chill why he's after him. It is the first time Bruce's adult face has ever been shown on the series.
32	* DueToTheDead: At the Tiki Tavern, a group of criminals react to Moxon's passing with a toast and fondly remember him as a legendary criminal.
33	* EurekaMoment: Batman when he realizes that Moxon saying "Chill" in his last moments wasn't an example of ImColdSoCold.
34	* EvenEvilHasStandards: Lew Moxon. While he felt justified taking out a hit on Thomas Wayne, he did genuinely feel bad that Martha was also gunned down, leaving their son Bruce without a mother.
35	* FaceDeathWithDignity: A dying Chill reflects on his fate with a sense of gallows humor as Batman stands over him.
36	* FinalFirstHug: When the Spectre and Phantom Stranger allow Batman to see his parents before they died, Bruce immediately goes over and hugs his mother. She's surprised that a random stranger is doing it, but returns the hug.
37	* FreudianExcuse: In regards to his father's costume, Batman recalls seeing it once early in his life and suspects the memory of it subconsciously influenced his costume.
38	* GoodAngelBadAngel: Both Phantom Stranger and Spectre acts as this to guide Batman to either becoming a hero of Justice or an agent of Vengeance.
39	* HarmfulToMinors: As in other versions, Bruce sees his parents gunned down.
40	* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Batman is slowly becoming this, which worsens when Phantom Stranger and Spectre bring up his parents' murder. Phantom Stranger even calls the Spectre out on being little better than those he punishes.
41	* HeroicBystander: We see where Bruce gets his heroic nature from; Thomas joins Batman in stopping gangsters from robbing a charity gala, despite being a doctor. When the crooks take Martha hostage, both Bruce and Thomas dislodge the giant bat from the ceiling, distracting the group and rescuing Martha.
42	* HeroicVow: "I swear by the spirits of my parents to avenge their deaths by spending the rest of my life warring on ''all'' criminals."
43	* HopeSpot: The Phantom Stranger warns Bruce that no matter what he does, he can't save his parents. Bruce nevertheless chases after the criminal that he recognizes as his parents' killer. Just as he gains on him, Spectre pulls him out of the past.
44	* HypocriticalHeartwarming: Batman's rogues all hate him and want to kill him (to the point that they'll occasionally thwart ''each other's'' plans in an attempt to be [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou the one to kill the Bat]]). However, when they learn that Joe Chill killing Batman's parents is what led to him becoming Batman, they all start beating him up. Sure, they aren't doing it for Batman, but as Chill points out, he got justice through them.
45	* ImColdSoCold: Subverted. A dying Moxon says "Chill" right before flatlining, so Batman assumes it was a case of this. He realizes during the trip to Blackgate that Moxon was saying the name of the gunman.
46	* InksuitActor: Joe Chill, Spectre, Phantom Stranger, and Lew Moxon all in one way or another bear a resemblance to their respective voice actors (Creator/PeterOnorati, Creator/MarkHamill, Creator/KevinConroy, and Creator/RichardMoll) animated in the show's art style.
47	* InternalReveal: Bruce reveals his identity to the man who murdered his parents.
48	--> '''Batman''': I am the son of the man you murdered. I am Bruce Wayne!
49	* KarmicDeath: Joe Chill is killed when the ceiling collapse on him as he tries to escape triggered by the very weapon he was trying to sell. Justified, as it's heavily implied the Spectre may have arranged for Chill to get what he deserved.
50	* LaserGuidedKarma: After Batman reveals his identity to Joe Chill, Chill runs out and begs Batman's rogues for protection. Instead, the other villains all turn on Chill when they find out that he was indirectly responsible for creating Batman. Chill himself lampshades it before he dies, commenting that Batman got him after all.
51	* LittleNo: Joe Chill's reaction to the InternalReveal, as he realizes that he created Batman.
52	* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: Moxon ordered Chill to kill Thomas Wayne, but with the specific instruction that it look like an accident, which goes sideways when Chill also shoots Martha.
53	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After Batman reveals that he is Bruce Wayne to Joe Chill, you can hear the horror in his voice as he says "No....OH NO!" as he clearly put two and two together and realized that ''he'' incidentally created Batman!
54	* MythologyGag:
55	** The flashback at the beginning is reminiscent of ''Detective Comics'' #33.
56	** The Halloween costume Thomas Wayne wears that inspired Bruce’s Batman costume is based on an early concept art by Bob Kane.
57	* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Batman delivers one to Joe Chill.
58	* NotSoStoic: Bruce hugs his mother at the gala ball, looking like he's about to burst into tears.
59	* OhCrap: Joe Chill reacts in horror that Batman is Bruce Wayne.
60	* OmniscientMoralityLicense: Invoked by Spectre. It's implied he killed Joe Chill, and he can because he is a spirit of vengence.
61	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Bruce Wayne in this continuity is normally TheStoic DeadpanSnarker. He doesn't get mad. This is the first episode where he completely loses it. To a lesser extent, he gets to hug his mother one last time and shows a softer side to him.
62	* PragmaticAdaptation: This version doesn't have a bunch of gangsters try to murder Chill. Batman's regular rogues try to do it instead. It wouldn't make sense to introduce a large number of new villains at once.
63	* SaveTheVillain: Batman interrupts the villains' attempt to kill Joe Chill.
64	* ShamedByAMob: The many villains were ''not'' amused that Joe Chill was the very person who created Batman, their worst nightmare.
65	-->'''Joker:''' You're sayin' we owe Batman's existence to you. ''THAT'S a killer!''
66	-->'''Poison Ivy:''' So it's your fault Batman's always on our backs!?
67	* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: A [[{{Pun}} chilling]] example. When Joe Chill is killed by falling debris after Batman refused to kill him, the Phantom Stranger points out [[ThereAreNoCoincidences what a coincidence it was]] that Chill just happened to be right under where said debris could crush him. The Spectre's response?
68	-->'''Spectre:''' ''[grins deviously]'' I wouldn't know anything about that...
69	* ThatManIsDead: Bruce decides not to kill Joe Chill even though the Spectre reminds him that Batman will die once Chill tells everyone that he and Batman are one and the same, because he knows Bruce Wayne will continue to live on without him. Subverted as Chill ends up getting killed before he could mention who he was.
70	* ThouShaltNotKill: The wager between the Phantom Stranger and the Spectre hinges on whether or not Batman will uphold his number one rule.
71	-->'''Phantom Stranger''': He is beaten. Let your devotion to justice temper your rage.\
72	'''Spectre''': He took your parents. Ruined your life. Fulfill your destiny. Become what you have trained to be: an agent of vengeance. He knows who you are. If this man lives, Batman dies.\
73	'''Batman:''' Batman may die, but Bruce Wayne? ''[drops Chill]'' Never.
74	* TooDumbToLive: Even if the Spectre hadn't gotten to him, Chill signed his own death warrant the second he revealed that he killed Batman's parents to his enemies.
75	* UnexpectedlyDarkEpisode: The darkest episode of the entire series. This "love letter to Silver Age comics" is noted for being the first time in an animated series that Batman confronts Joe Chill. This is one of the few times this version of Bruce Wayne actually gets ''pissed off'', his costume is literally colored darker than usual, his behavior is more akin to recent portrayals than the throwback to UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks and [[Series/Batman1966 Adam West]] he normally is, and ComicBook/TheSpectre kills Joe Chill after Bruce refuses to do it.
76	* VillainousBreakdown: After Joe Chill basically confessed that he created Batman, the super villains are none too happy and viciously attacked him.
77	* WhamEpisode: Not only the darkest episode of an otherwise light-hearted show fueled by pure RuleOfFun, but also the first episode where we see Batman unmasked.
78	* WhamLine: "I know because I watched it happen! I know because I am the son of the man you murdered! I am Bruce Wayne!"
79	* WhamShot: Batman takes off his mask to confront Joe Chill for murdering his parents. We finally see his face. It is a fairly young Bruce Wayne, an amalgamation of BTAS and ''The Batman''.

Context Recap / BatmanTheBraveAndTheBoldS2E11ChillOfTheNight