Draft:Spider-Man and Batman: Disordered Minds
| 'Spider-Man and Batman: Disordered Minds' | |
|---|---|
 Cover art by Mark Bagley and Mark Farmer | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics / Marvel Comics |
| Format | Crossover |
| Publication date | September 1995 |
| No. of issues | 1 |
| Main character(s) | Spider-Man Batman The Joker Carnage |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | J.M. DeMatteis |
| Penciller(s) | Mark Bagley |
| Inker(s) | Scott Hanna Mark Farmer |
| Letterer(s) | Richard Starkings |
| Editor(s) | Eric Fein Danny Fingeroth |
Spider-Man and Batman: Disordered Minds is a comic book jointly published by Marvel Comics and DC Comics in September 1995. In the story, Spider-Man and Batman must team up to face their respective enemies, Carnage and The Joker. The issue is non-canonical.
Plot Summary
Peter Parker (Spider-Man) and Bruce Wayne (Batman) suddenly wake up from a nightmare. They had both dreamt of the deaths of their loved ones: Spider-Man of the death of Uncle Ben and Batman of his parents being shot in front of him.
Spider-Man is summoned to the Ravencroft Institute to observe the implantation of a behavioral modification chip in Cletus Kasady, intended to cure his violent psychosis. Simultaneously, the Joker, recently returned to Arkham Asylum by Batman, undergoes the same experimental treatment. Initially, the procedure appears successful; however, during a transfer supervised by Dr. Cassandra Briar, Kasady transforms into Carnage. His symbiote had nullified the chip's effects and had been biding its time to orchestrate an escape. He attacks Briar, but Batman and Spider-Man appear and save her. Carnage escapes with the Joker, whose chip he subsequently helps remove.
Batman initially refuses Spider-Man's help, but after examining Carnage's data and seeing Spider-Man save a woman in a back alley, he decides to take him along.
Meanwhile, tensions rise between Carnage and the Joker due to their differing philosophies on murder. While Carnage engages in indiscriminate, chaotic killing, the Joker prefers a more theatrical and calculated approach. Frustrated by their incompatibility, the Joker escapes through a concealed passageway and detonates explosives, destroying their hideout. At that moment, Batman and Spider-Man arrive at the scene, having tracked the location using a device installed in the Batmobile. As Spider-Man suspected, Carnage survives the explosion and launches an attack on Batman. The Joker soon reappears and intervenes, asserting that only he has the right to kill Batman. In a further escalation, he threatens to release a deadly virus capable of wiping out the population of Gotham City. The prospect of mass destruction unsettles Carnage, who becomes momentarily distracted. Batman seizes the opportunity to subdue him. Simultaneously, Spider-Man confronts and captures the Joker, bringing the confrontation to an end.
At the end, the heroes shake hands on the roof of a building, say goodbye and part into the darkness.
Characters
- Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Marvel)
- Batman/Bruce Wayne (DC)
- Carnage/Cletus Kasady (Marvel)
- Joker (DC)
- Dr. Ashley Kafka (Marvel)
- Dr. Jeremiah Arkham (DC)
- Mary-Jane Parker (Marvel)
- Alfred Pennyworth (DC)
Sequel
Batman & Spider-Man: A New Age Dawning, a "sequel" to this story, was published in October 1997. In the story, Ra's al Ghul offers a cure for the terminal cancer afflicting Vanessa Fisk, the wife of the crime lord Kingpin, in exchange for his support in a plan to "purify" the planet. Batman and Spider-Man must then travel to the Himalayas to stop the pair's scheme.
References
[[Category:Marvel Comics titles]] [[Category:Spider-Man]] [[Category:Batman]]