Line #20 Recap/TheBatmanS3E13GothamsUltimateCriminalMastermind


1	A new crime-fighting tool - D.A.V.E. (the Digitally Advanced Villain Emulator), a computer program designed to think like a supervillain - causes trouble when it escapes and starts to act out on its knowledge.
2
3	!!Tropes in this episode include:
4	* ActorAllusion: In this episode Creator/JeffBennett voices D.A.V.E., he had also voiced a rogue ArtificialIntelligence in [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries the previous Batman cartoon]].
5	* AIIsACrapshoot: Guess. Subverted. Hugo Strange programmed him to be evil in the first place.
6	* ArmorPiercingQuestion: Batman does this to D.A.V.E. by asking him what his origin story is.
7	-->'''Batman:''' Every great Supervillain has an origin, too... What's ''yours''?
8	** BreakThemByTalking: He follows it up by informing him that he’s a computer program.
9	* AwesomenessByAnalysis: D.A.V.E uses this to figure out [[SecretIdentity who Batman really is]]. First he narrows down the pool by the amount of people in Gotham who have both the fitness and the wealth to be Batman. Then he narrows it down to Bruce by asking "Who would have the motive [to become Batman]?".
10	* BadassLongcoat: The only article of clothing D.A.V.E. ever wears, stolen from a tech at the lab where his robotic body is built.
11	* CardCarryingVillain:
12	** D.A.V.E. was ''literally'' programmed to be the ultimate villain.
13	** Hugo Strange proudly admits that he programmed his obsession of Batman into D.A.V.E., and considers himself to be the true ultimate criminal mastermind.
14	* TheChessmaster: D.A.V.E. is never surprised by anything Batman says or does - until the end.
15	* DeducingTheSecretIdentity: D.A.V.E. deduces Batman's identity by cross-referencing everyone in Gotham City against Batman's gender, approximate age, build, resources, and motivation to fight crime, and attempts to use this to manipulate him.
16	* DidntThinkThisThrough: Professor Strange didn't consider that Batman would find out that D.A.V.E. escaping was an engineered accident, and get the doctor incarcerated.
17	* DoAndroidsDream: Neither Alfred nor Bruce seem to think of it, but not recognizing that he was a computer program could be a sign that D.A.V.E. was sentient.
18	* DoubleMeaningTitle: "Gotham's Ultimate Criminal Mastermind" can either refer to D.A.V.E., a rogue A.I. programmed to be the ultimate Batman villain, or Hugo Strange, the man responsible for creating and releasing D.A.V.E. for the sole purpose of defeating the Batman. Strange even claims himself to be the real "ultimate criminal mastermind" at the end of the episode.
19	* EvilIsHammy: D.A.V.E. also came packaged with a flair for the dramatic.
20	* GilliganCut: After Strange comments that D.A.V.E will proceed to carry out his preprogrammed supervillain impulses, Commissioner Gordon asks how he'll do that without a body. It the cuts to a factory where D.A.V.E. proceeds to ''build'' himself a body.
21	* GoneHorriblyWrong: What D.A.V.E. appears to be, at first. Turns out, [[GoneHorriblyRight everything it does was completely intentional]] on Strange's part.
22	* GracefulLoser: Professor Strange takes his incarceration in stride. After all, he'll always have another opportunity to destroy Batman.
23	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: D.A.V.E. is killed by the giant penny that he had positioned above Alfred to fall at the right time.
24	* IronicEcho: "Every superhero has an origin." So should every supervillain.
25	** Later, after failing the "Ultimate Crime", Alfred quips that D.A.V.E. will make the "Ultimate addition to the trophy room."
26	* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: Hugo Strange is finally arrested after all of the illegal and villainous acts he'd been getting away scot-free from.
27	* LogicBomb: Batman is finally able to stop D.A.V.E. by asking him a question; what is his origin? The robot can only rattle off other villain's stories, making it realize it has no real identity.
28	* MightAsWellNotBeInPrisonAtAll: Strange doesn't see his incarceration in Arkham to be anything more than just an office transfer. In fact, he patiently plots his next scheme to destroy the Batman from the comfort of his cell.
29	* MultipleChoicePast: When D.A.V.E. is asked by Batman what his origin is, he discovers he just has a lot of contradicting backstories taken from previous supervillains.
30	* TheNeedsOfTheMany: Alfred while tied to a chair urges Batman that the city needs Batman more than Bruce needs his Butler. Batman doesn't listen.
31	* SadisticChoice: Employed and {{Lampshaded}} by D.A.V.E - Batman must either [[FriendOrIdolDecision save Alfred or save his secret identity.]]
32	* ShoutOut: D.A.V.E is in many ways this to ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey''.
33	** D.A.V.E. commandeers his new clothing in a manner reminiscent of another evil robot:
34	---> [[Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines "I like your coat."]]
35	* TakeAThirdOption: Bruce attempts to do this instead. Unfortunately, D.A.V.E. anticipated it.
36	* TemptingFate: When being informed that Strange's computer believes it's a villain, Commissioner Gordon asks how it could it enact its plan if it doesn't have a body. Turns out getting a body ''is'' its first plan.
37	* TitleDrop: Numerous times by D.A.V.E., since he fancies himself as this, plus one by Professor Strange at the end of the episode.
38	* VerbalTic: Did you know that D.A.V.E. is smarter than you? Did you know that D.A.V.E. knows every move you'll make before you do? Did you know D.A.V.E. figured out your secret identity from publicly available information? If not, don't worry; D.A.V.E. will tell you, at length, whether you want him to or not.
39	* VillainousBSOD: D.A.V.E., when Batman tells him he's a computer and he realizes he never considered the possibility.

Context Recap / TheBatmanS3E13GothamsUltimateCriminalMastermind