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Detective Comics, #494

Published: September 1980

Cover

Detective Comics #494

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Issue Contents:
The Crime Doctor Prescribes Death!
1 page superhero
Characters
  • Bruce Wayne [Batman]
  • Black Lightning [Jefferson Pierce] (head shot)
  • Robin [Dick Grayson] (head shot)
  • Batgirl [Barbara Gordon] (head shot)
Credits
Story Notes

Colors credit provided by Anthony Tollin.

The Crime Doctor Calls at Midnight!
Story 1 16 pages superhero
Storyline

Batman faces a new twist in crime, the Crime Doctor, who uses medical tools and knowledge to plan crimes and to help criminals for a percent of the take.

Characters
  • Batman [Bruce Wayne]
  • Commission James Gordon
  • The Crime Doctor [Dr. Bradford Thorne] (introduction, villain)
  • Alfred Pennyworth
  • Dr. Douglas Dundee
Credits
Story Notes

Story continues in next issue. Batman previously battled a Crime Doctor named Dr. Matthew Thorne in Detective Comics #77 (July 1943). This story appears to be the first meeting between Batman and any Crime Doctor, so presumably Bradford Thorne is the Earth 1 Crime Doctor and this is his first appearance, while Matthew Thorne is the Crime Doctor of Earth 2.

Pinball (1)
Story 2 7 pages drama

"You can hear the pulse-beat of the city..."

Characters
  • Flip (a pinball wizard)
  • Juan
Credits
Story Notes

Story title from Best of DC reprint.

The Stony-Eyed Medusa
Story 3 1 page superhero
Characters
  • Flash [Barry Allen]
  • Medusa
Credits
The Lesser Evil!!!
Story 4 10 pages superhero
Storyline

Batgirl investigates when two rival crime bosses clash over a theater that is slated to be torn down and replaced with affordable housing.

Characters
  • Batgirl [Barbara Gordon]
  • Commissioner James Gordon
  • Jeff Cotton
  • Jim Dover
  • Tracy Dover
  • Norman "Shades" Cosgrove
  • Ray Beeler
  • Boss Vance
Credits
Story Notes

Jeff's last name is given as Cotton in Detective Comics #501.

The Hazing Homicide!
Story 5 8 pages superhero
Storyline

Robin investigates when a fraternity pledge dies during a hazing incident.

Characters
  • Robin [Dick Grayson]
  • Jennifer Anne
  • Alan Proctor (deceased)
  • Chief Frank McDonald
  • Judy Simmons
  • Biff Braddock
  • Dave (fraternity president)
  • Frazer (fraternity member)
  • Robinson (fraternity member)
  • Philips (fraternity pledge)
  • Rogers (fraternity pledge)
Credits
Volume 80 Issue 21 - June,1980
Story 6 2 pages
Characters
  • Air Wave [Hal Jordan]
  • Adam Strange
  • Firestorm
  • Huntress [Helena Wayne]
  • Hourman [Rex Tyler]
  • Clark Kent [Superboy]
Story Notes

Information on expanding of story pages in DC comics, the return of Mystery in Space with issue #111, comics on sale the week of June 10th and Ask the Answer Man questions from John Camuglia, Joe David Gaspard, Abdul Razak bin Omar, Matt McKnight, Wilson Costa, Gladapple, Randy Benson, Selwyn Cambridge, R. Allen Dennis, Denis Bradervelt, Sean Turunen, Ross M. Ward, Sgt. Bennett Turk and Derick R. Harper.

#64 Dick Giordano
Story 7 0 pages biography
Credits

Featuring Planet Puzzle

Story 8 1 page
Story 9 0 pages satire-parody
Characters
  • Superman
  • Flash [Barry Allen]
  • Metamorpho (mentioned only)
Credits
Explosion of the Soul!
Story 10 10 pages superhero
Storyline

Black Lightning stops the Slime Killer, a masked vigilante killing criminals in Suicide Slum who happens to be the father of one of his students, Jonathan Davis.

Characters
  • Black Lightning [Jefferson Pierce]
  • Jonathan Davis (introduction)
  • Slime Killer [Mr. Davis] (introduction, villain)
  • Willie Carroll (introduction
  • villain)
  • "Fatboy" Carter (introduction
  • villain)
  • The Steel Warriors (introduction)
Credits
Story 11 2 pages
Credits
Story Notes

Letters of comment from Karen Wu, Michael R. Pendley, Matt Kurtz and Scott Slonaker.