Batman #19 - Story 4

August 11, 1943

"Collector of Millionaires"

For the fourth and final story of this anthology collection, we get quite the surprising opening as Bruce returns home from a vacation at a health club to a warm welcome from Dick surprising him by popping a balloon in his face. This angers Bruce who punches Dick! He later kicks Dick out of the room when the lad tries to get an explanation.

We quickly learn that the man is an imposter and Bruce is being held prisoner. He went to the health club after learning from the two adult children of a fellow millionaire that their father had kicked them out suddenly after returning from the health club. There, the owner, Ali, spiked Bruce's drink and knocked him out. He replaces the men with duplicates who, while they cannot wipe out the bank accounts of the millionaires, they can do enough damage for Ali to keep a profit.

And he has plans for his captured millionaires. But Bruce has another concern. Dick, not realizing the fake, may reveal the secret of Batman to him. Fortunately, Bruce has his radio with him and manages to stop Robin before he was about to reveal all to the imposter in a futile attempt to bring him around. Bruce tells Robin where the health club is and he sneaks inside via a shipment and frees Bruce.

Bruce quickly changes to Batman and the two divide themselves in stopping the imposters, including a judge who frees Ali's men when they are caught stealing. Eventually, Batman confronts his double at a museum exhibit where for a moment it looks like the fake Bruce convinces the police Batman might be the fake, but apparently a diamond-studded Bat-symbol convinces them otherwise? The fake revealed, he tells Batman that Ali is back at the health club and he knows his plan has failed. He plans to hold the millionaires for ransom.

Batman and Robin get to the health club and lock Ali's henchmen in a sauna. They then put Ali through the various health devices he has until he loses all his weight. In the end, the millionaires are freed and each, not exactly the most upstanding of people, resolve to change their own ways which leads to an overall happy ending.

It's a very simplistic story, but it works. We move on to the next chapter of the 1943 serial, Citizens! Stay tuned!