Chapter 1: VENOM
Prologue:
It has been 50 years since he sent Amanda Waller to prison. 50 years since the demise of Project Cadmus. Since that time, It has not been an easy road for Bruce Wayne-nor his alter ego, The Batman.
In the last 50 years, the death of his loved ones in Selina Kyle and Andrea Beaumont. The death of his last shred of family-Alfred Pennyworth, the near paralysis of Dick Grayson. He has seen the death of the Joker, the Near Apocalypse of '09, the Rise of Neo Gotham, the rise of the Jokerz, the Return of the Joker-and the near Death of Tim Drake.
To say Bruce Wayne is a recluse without a life is a gross, gross understatement.
It's the year 2047. Bruce Wayne has now retired to his cave-and is mentoring a new Dark Knight through the streets of Gotham.
Enter: Terry McGinnis. Enter: Batman Beyond.
Initially started by Amanda Waller-once she was released from prison after the Cadmus incident in 2012 as "Project Batman Beyond". Following her ordeal with the Dark Knight, Ms. Waller had a change of heart, and felt that despite their differences, there would be a need for a Batman in Gotham City. While they never saw eye to eye-she did respect Batman. She did respect Bruce Wayne.
Using her ties from Cadmus-she collected a sample of Bruce Wayne's DNA, found a Neo Gotham couple whose psychological profiles matched those of Thomas & Martha Wayne. That couple were Warren and Mary McGinnis. Their son, Terry McGinnis-a man with a destiny to upload.
During a routine checkup, Warren was injected with illegal nanotech cells-designed to re-write his genetic material with Bruce Wayne's. Essentially, Warren McGinnis was shooting Bruce Wayne's bullets. Then Waller waited, waited until the time was right.
Stop me if the plot sounds familiar. A taste of Deja Vu perhaps? After a rousing adventure movie-the McGinnis family left the theater-with a 10 year old Terry ecstatic about the images he had just seen. The action, the adventure-pumping through his mind like so much blood through his veins. In the shadows lurks a monster. A man sent by Amanda Waller and what was left of Project Cadmus. One mission in his mind-to slaughter Warren and Mary McGinnis in cold blood-and set young Terry on the path to assuming the role of Batman.
The man failed-being unable to pull the trigger and start the cause and effect chain of events that would lead to Terry donning the cape and cowl.
It would not be for another several years-before Amanda Waller's plans came to fruition-by pure happenstance at that.
It was a cold dark night, and the house of Terry & Warren McGinnis has been broken into while Terry was out with Dana Tan. Warren McGinnis was found dead, murdered by a gang of Jokerz working for Derek Powers. In Terry's search for vengeance, he stumbles across Wayne Manor and subsequently The Bat cave.
Throughout the course of Terry's life as Batman, things have changed,people have died-and people have suffered. Nothing will effect Terry more than what is about to transpire. A new evil is about to crash back on Earth, and instead of its usual New York setting and arachnid protagonist, the evil would consume Terry's soul, and the biggest battle of the Tomorrow Knight's life..would be fought-within him.
The rest...is future history.
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2044
On the outskirts of Neo Gotham-a thunderous roar is heard-as a space ship hurdles across the night sky.
"Terry!" Bruce Wayne yells through the commlink. "That shuttle is going to crash just outside of Gotham, get to it before someone else does!" he adds.
"What's the big deal?" he asks.
"Besides the life of 2 astronauts?" Bruce rebutts. "Promethuem X, a rare element-more powerful than anything you've ever seen." He says
"Alright Wayne, I'm on it." Terry says-speeding away in the Batmobile-chasing after the rocket like a shooting star.
"Good." he says, turning off the commlink. "I just hope something else hasn't followed them to Earth." he says-sitting back in his chair.
As The Batmobile speeds toward the rocket-a Gang of Jokerz follow on the ground below.
"Great idea to tail the Bat!" Dee Dee says-as they speed toward the impending crash site.
"This will put us in good graces with her! No doubt!" Ghoul adds-as the group speed up-trying to catch up to the rocket.
"Wayne!" Batman yells. "It's about to crash into the pond in Gotham Central Park!" he says.
"The area seems clear." Bruce responds.
"Wooooaaahhhh!" Terry yells-as the Rocket crashes in the center of a shallow pond in Gotham Central Park. Terry quickly turns the Batmobile around-having overshot the crash site-and sets her on the ground-before getting out and surverying the damage. "Doesn't look too bad Wayne." he says.
"Keep your eyes peel'd. There are alot of people who could want what's on that ship." He says sternly.
"Right." Terry responds-flying onto the top of the ship-and pulling off an escape hatch door. "Hello!? Anybody here?" he calls-as the two astronauts seem to begin to stir. "Are you okay?" they ask.
"Blackness...don't let..it...uhhh..." one of the astronauts say-as Terry lifts him up-and jets out of the ship-only to set them down on the grass.
"Terry!" Bruce exclaims. "Make sure the Promethuem X is intact, Gotham PD is on there way."
"Right." He says-going back to the ship-but not before being confronted by Ghoul and his gang.
"We'll be taking that space rock Batman." Dee Dee says-as a mysterious black sludge grabs Terry's leg-to which he doesn't seem to notice.
"Over my dead body..." he says-diving at Ghoul.
"Well Dee Dee." Dee Dee says-delivering a spin kick-knocking Batman back toward the ship.
"That can be arranged Dee Dee." the other Dee Dee says-as Batman gets up and jets toward them-throwing them both off there cycles to the ground. He lands on his feet-as Ghoul climbs out of the shuttle.
"I've got it guys! Let's bolt!" he exclaims-getting on his bike.
"No way." Batman says-firing a Bathook at Ghouls bike-as he begins to escape. Noticing the hook-Ghoul pulls out a laser pistol-and breaks the cable with a quick blast-sending Batman crashing to the ground again. "Ugghh. When did Jokerz get guns..." he says-as Bonk pulls out a plasma rifle-and fires it into the back of Batman-sending him into the pond-short circuiting.
"Come on. Let's get outta here!" Ghouls calls-as Dee Dee and Bonk escape as the Gotham PD comes.
"TERRY!" Bruce calls-as Batman begins to stir.
"Yeah...I'm here...The Joker's Got Away...they got away with the rock." he says.
"That's too bad Batman.." Commisioner Barbara Gordon says. We'll take it from here kid. She says-giving him a death stare. "I told you this bat-business was bigger than you McGinnis.." she mutters under her breath as Batman climbs back in the Batmobile-and flies off.
"Terry?"
"Yeah Wayne?"
"Did you see anything else in the ship."
"No. Why?"
"Good. Let's hope it stayed where it was." he says
"What?"
"Nevermind. Get some rest."
Terry McGinnis-the Tomorrow Knight-climbs back in his bedroom through the window-and takes off his mask. He sighs as he falls onto the bed-and pulls the cover over him.
"Sleep. That's something I haven't had in a while" he says-as he closes his eyes and begins to dream. Beneath the cover-the black sludge consumes Terry McGinnis-as a storm brews outside-Terry finds himself atop a gargoyle in downtown Gotham, wearing a black suit with a white Bat insigna-with his mask in his hand. "What?!" he exclaims. "How the...how did I get here. What...what is this suit." he says-putting the mask on and trying his commlink. "Wayne? Wayne? Are you there?" he says.
"What Terry."
"Something up. I went home, I went to bed-and suddenly, I awoke on a rooftop, wearing some suit I've never seen before."
"A black suit?"
"Yes."
"With a white emblem? An emblem that doesn't quite look right?"
"If by not right, you mean distorted and kinda wicked looking, then yeah."
"Terry. Listen to me. You have to get rid of that suit. You have to get to the Batcave-NOW!" Bruce exclaims, as an explosion is heard.
"Not right now Wayne, there's trouble! I gotta go!" he says-flying off. "Waahoooo!" he exclaims. "This suit, I don't know what it is, but it's amazing. I've never flown so fast before-even with the Batmobile!" he exclaims-as Bruce tries the failsafe paralysis control-but the symbiote blocks the reception of it.
"Damn it. Terry. Don't do anything stupid." he says.
"Don't worry about me Old Man. I've never felt better!" he says-turning off his commlink-and flies toward the scene-seeing a group of Jokerz robbing a jewelery store. "What is it with you clowns." Batman quips, "One group of you is stealing a space rock that could destroy the planet-and the other is robbing a petty jewelery shop!" he says-as two of the Jokerz run towards him. "Oh, I thought I was gonna have to ask for this dance!" he says-firing a pair of bathooks-tying up the legs of the Jokerz-and throwing one of them into a nearby truck. The other Joker looks in fear-as he gets thrown into a wall. "This is amazing!" Terry thinks to himself. "This suit, it makes its own batarangs!" he says-as he grabs onto a light post-and kicks a third Joker in the jaw-before throwing him into the lightpost-bending it in half. J-Man tries to escape-but Terry flies toward him-and grabs him by the coat and flies him onto the roof. He throws him down onto the roof of the jewelery store-about 3 stories high-as J-Man crawls away in fear.
"You...You can't be the Bat. You can't be. He'd never do this to us! He wouldn't kill." he pleads-begging for mercy as Terry grabs him-and dangles him over the ledge. The suit makes his gauntlet blades come razor sharp-as he puts them to J-Man's throat.
"WE...ARE...BATMAN!" he says-about to slit J-Man's throat.
"TERRY!" Bruce yells-finally reactivating the commlink. "PUT HIM DOWN!" he says-as Terry stops-and realizes what he's doing. He throws J-Man back to the roof-and holds his head. "Terry. Get back to the cave. NOW!" he says-as Terry looks at J-Man-as the Gotham PD break the door to the roof down. Batman flies off-as the Gotham PD arrest J-Man.
"The suit you're wearing Terry." Bruce begins. "Is an alien symbiote. When the Justice League finally destroyed Brainiac, we rounded up his knowledge of the universe, and created a new 'Brainiac-esque' program in the Metro Towers computer system. That's how we learned about this symbiote. It's a living organism-feeding off a host organism. Enhancing it, empowering it."
"So? Whats the problem with that?"
"Changing it." he adds with a snarl. "It bonds to a hosts DNA-and transmutates it into its own image, the Symbiote takes control of its hosts Terry-and it destroys them." he adds. "Unfortuantly-you're not this symbiote's first meal on Earth." Bruce says. "Using Brainiac, we learned all about the Symbiote's first travels to Earth, landing in New York, and creating one of Spiderman's most vile enemies."
"Venom..." he says-realizing the connection. "That was almost sixty years ago." he adds, "I thought the entire Spiderman story was just a New York Urban Legend..." he adds.
"Most people thought I was a Gotham urban legend." he rebutts. "The Symbiote was sent back into space by Spider-Man and the New Avengers-after being-seperated from its last Earth host, Mac Gargan." he adds-turning to Terry. "You have to get rid of it, it's going to kill you!" he exclaims-as Terry steps back.
"No! This suit gives me more power than anything in this damn cave!" he says.
"Terry! Listen to me. Think about your mother, think about your brother. Think about Dana. Think about your friends. You have to get rid of that suit!"
"NO!" he says-shoving Bruce back into the chair-and running off. Bruce sighs and gets up-walking over to his costume gallery-and looking intently at the suit biosuit he made-after having his back broken by Azrael
"Mr. McGinnis?" The teacher yells-as Terry stares outside the window. "Mr. McGinnis!" she adds-knocking Terry out of his daydream.
"Huh. Oh. I'm sorry."
"Are you with us today?" she asks.
"As if he's ever here!" a kid in the class says-as Terry clenches his fist.
"I'm sick of you always riding my ass. I'm sorry some of us have lives outside of this damn room!" he says-throwing a book across the room, before grabbing his bag and storming out of the classroom.
"Terry!" Max Gibson yells-chasing after him. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" she asks.
"Leave me alone..." he says-as he continues walking.
"Terry?" she says-grabbing his shoulder.
"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE DAMN IT!" he says-shoving her down. After realizing what he's done, he snaps back to reality. "Max...I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." he says-helping her up.
"So what the old man said is true." she says-dusting herself off. "That suit does change you Terry. It scares me. It scares Dana too." she says-staring into him.
"I don't care!" he says..walking toward the door.
"Terry! Wait!"
"For years, I've helped the little guy. Stuck up for the hopeless-and for what? Nothing. Now I have something for myself. This suit makes me feel like a new person, I'm having fun again being Batman-why the hell can't I enjoy that!?" he says-as he kicks the front doors of the school open-and walks out. The sounds of motorcycles roaring-and a pair of laser blasts cross the two and hit the school-as Terry and Max duck behind a stone sign.
"Come out come out little bat!" a voice says-as a group of six or so Jokerz show up-lead by J-Man and Ghoul.
"Stay down." he says-using the symbiote to shift into Batman.
"Time for some carrrnnaaaggggee!!" Ghoul says-firing his blaster at the school.
"Not on our watch!" Batman says-flying into Ghoul-taking him down-causing the bike to crash.
"Our watch?"
"You got this one Dee Dee?"
"I got this one Dee Dee." the twins say-firing there laser canons at Batman-knocking him into a light post. He shakes the cobwebs out-and uses the symbiote to create blades on his arms-as he flies at Dee Dee and slices the laser guns open-causing them to explode. Bonk fires a rocket at him-but Batman fires a grappling hook-and throws the rocket back at Bonk-blowing him up as well.
"Who else wants some?" he says-as he lands on the ground-and J-Man and Ghoul both run at him. He spinkicks Ghoul in the face-and then smashes his face into a nearby car window-repeatedly. He then grabs the car-and throws it at Chucko-who is sprinting toward him. He grabs J-Man and flies up into the air-before throwing back toward the rest of the Jokerz-taking them all out.
"Batman! ENOUGH!" Superman says-as the entire JLU shows up for battle. "It's time we removed the symbiote from you
"Batman? Symbiote? When are you going to learn?" he says-firing a series of exploding batarangs at
the JLU. "There is no more Batman...there is no more symbiote..there is only...Venom!" he adds-firing another set of exploding batarangs at the JLU. "Whose first?" he says-firing a green batarang at Superman-slicing his shoulder open.
"Superman!" Green Lantern says-using his ring to exhume any Kryptonite chunks. "He'll be okay. Get the symbiote!" He says-as Aquagirl runs toward him-and delivers a running kick to the jaw-sending Bat-Venom back a few. He quickly over powers her-and throws her into another nearby car-breaking the gas can open.
"Good Night." he says-firing an explosive batarang at the car-blowing it and Aquagirl away.
"AQUAGIRL!" Warhawk exclaims-flying toward-delivering a series of blows to Bat-Venom-who finally delivers a kick to the gut of Warhawk-before grabbing him by the armor-and flying up into the air-throwing Warhawk far above his head. He laughs manaically as he spawns razor blades from his gauntlets-and flies up-slicing the wings off the back of Warhawk. Barda flies up-and fires a blast of energy at them-but Bat-Venom uses Warhawk as a human shield-and the energy goes right through him-ripping Warhawk in two.
"No." she says-watching Warhawk fall to the ground. "Damn You!" she yells-flying toward Bat-Venom. She goes to fire another energy blast-but Bat-Venom turns the canon around-and she ends up shooting a beam straight through her. Superman looks in horror as Barda falls to the ground, and Bat-Venom lands on the ground over her-destroying her energy canon.
"I'll take care of this Kal." Kai-ro says-as Bat-Venom fires a yellow flash batarang at him-leaving him immobile for a short time.
"It's just you and me...Son of Krypton." he says-as he and Superman begin to exchange blows. Punch for Punch, Bat-Venom and Superman are even. Bat Venom finally gets the upperhand-delivering a series of kicks to Superman's face. He lifts Superman onto his shoulders-and drives him through a nearby building wall-the two get up-and exchange blows again, once more going punch for punch with the Man of Steel. "When we're through with you...you'll pray we were Doomsday." he says.
"Never..." Superman says-before firing a desperation blast of heat vision-sending Bat-Venom flying. "Batman! Now!" he yells-as Bruce Wayne-wearing the black and yellow suit drops from a rooftop-holding a sonic gun. He throws the other one toward Superman-who is crawling from the wreckage.
"I may not be in my prime Terry, but this suit puts me damn close." he says-firing the sonic gun at Bat-Venom. Superman fires his sonic at him-as the yellow stun wears off Kai-ro. As the sonics seperate Terry from the symbiote-Kair-ro uses his ring to capture the symbiote in a container. Bruce quickly covers up Terry-who is back to the red and black suit-and puts his mask back on him-now allowing the public to learn the identity of their Dark Knight.
"It is finished." Superman says-throwing the sonic rifle to the ground.
"But at what cost." Bruce says-surveying the carnage around him. "At what cost?" he repeats.
"Neo Gotham was a scene of tragedy yesterday, as the Justice League was involved in an epic battle with the monster known as Bat-Venom. Our reports from the JLU was that an alien entity took over the mind of Batman-and turned him into the monster that he had become. Funeral services for the fallen Leaguers, Aquagirl, Warhawk, and Big Barda were held earlier today. This is Maria Vohn for Gotham Insider, signing off."
"That alien suit made you do things no hero would do Terry." Superman says.
"But we know it wasn't you that killed Barda, Warhawk or Aquagirl." Kai-ro adds.
"No. It was Venom."
"The Symbiote takes over your mind. It turns you into a monster. It destroys the hero within."
"I'm no hero." Terry says-slamming his fitst onto the JLU's table. "I would of been able to stop it."
"Terry. Please," Superman says. "It isn't your fault. However, we are asking that you step down from your posistion in the Justice League." he adds, with a solomn look on his face as Terry stands up.
"I never was a hero." he says-walking past Bruce Wayne-through the doors, as Bruce follows.
"Terry." Bruce says-in pursuit.
"What?"
"Justice League or not, Amanda Waller did say one thing that I can agree with. Gotham City will always need Batman. I'm too old for this Terry, I can't be Batman. Tim Drake can't be Batman, Dick Grayson can't be Batman, and even a blind person could see that Barbara can't very well be BatMAN." he says. "In this day and age, only one person is primed to be Batman. Terry McGinnis, maybe more than you'll ever know- but you are Batman, now...and Beyond." he says-handing Terry his uniform. Terry smiles as he takes the uniform and shakes Bruces hand.
"Let's go home." he says as they walk out of the Metro Tower, and look up into the night sky-where a new red Batsignal crosses the sky. All we see is the outline of Batman jet through the sky-looking for his next adventure.
CONTINUED in BATMAN BEYOND: A NIGHTMARE REBORN