Gotham Gazette November 21st, 2008
The Iceman Cometh By Summer Gleason
Above, Top: The awe-inspiring rear entrance of the amphitheatre.
Above, Bottom: A lonely bench frozen amidst the frigid miles of Robinson Park
The frontal penetrating assault of winter came chillingly upon Gotham City when we least expected it.
Dr. Melvin Taransky, recently canonized by the press, had promised to unveil miraculous breakthroughs in his advanced cryogenics research, funded partially by Phoenix Pharmaceuticals and Wayne Enterprises. Having recently made significant headway in reducing initially harmful side effects of his treatments, and having cured tuberculosis through the specimin of his late wife, Norah Taransky, it was to be a historic day. And so it was, in a fashion far more terrifying than anyone could have expected.
"Horrible... it blotted out the sky," said Robinson University student Ellen Harbinger. "Just this big blue flash."
This was the one thing eyewitnesses were able to recall in unison in the moment that shut down GCN's live coverage of Dr. Taransky's press conference. The final news footage broadcasted displayed what seemed to be an unearthly attack, as crystalline metal dropped from the sky. The Batman swooped in, and that was the last we knew of the inicident.
Until now.
Further investigation has revealed that the perpetrator was, in fact, Dr. Melvin Taransky. It is a very trying day for Gotham City, to see this hero of the people don the infamous persona of "Mr. Freeze" again, and yet what else could he be called? As the explosion covered every foot of the park in thick, frigid ice, Taransky and several accomplices managed to thaw themselves quickly. What happened here is speculative at best, but it was clear that certain people -- including Ronald Phoenix himself -- were being kidnapped, sent up winches leading to helicopters in the heavens. Current sources seem to suggest that District Attorney John Scott and Major Crimes Unit Captain Harvey Bullock were among those captured.
Though Batman managed to break free of his icy shackles, Taransky managed to match and ferret away the Batman, as he rocketed about via a functional jetpack and blasted his freezing chemicals in every direction. Batman's hasty retreat clearly underlines the horrors Dr. Taransky's research can cause in the wrong hands and with the wrong intentions?
But why? Contacted for a profiling, Arkham Asylum psychiatrist Dr. Alan Parkman suggested that the murder of his wife at the hands of the Joker, and the later attack by the Chinese Triads, could have dislodged the good doctor's faith in the City, or the people within it. He noted, however, that this is entirely speculative, and that the only thing that is clear is that Dr. Taransky could not be stable if he would doom his thousands of adoring supporters to a cold death to advance his new, apparently nefarious agenda.
Unexpectedly, shortly after Taransky fled the scene to escape G.C.P.D. air support, some kind of explosives seemed to rain in on the scene. Detonating in empty patches, an apparent mix of thermite and other highly flammable and oxidizing chemicals washed across the open field, coordinating in a manner just sufficient to melt the ice from many of the suffocating supporters. Although the efforts of this unusual event, currently assumed to be a contingency established by the Batman, and emergency services saved untold thousands of lives, the death toll in his harrowing incident is currently estimated at upwards of five hundred, and rising.
The excitement did not stop there, however. Dr. Taransky apparently fled farther north to Essex County, in the Adirondack Mountains near Lake Placid. This story can be confirmed because most of Taransky's hostages were allegedly rescued by none other than the Batman, returning for a rematch to behold.
"They had all kinds of, like, [expletive deleted] man, it was like an alien abduction or something, God." said one brave survivor. "Taransky, he was just like, dunking people in this... pool. And oh god, man, there were all these people in pods. I dunno, man, it was just surreal."
"A hole in the wall just... just exploded," offered another jittery hostage. "I didn't know what was going on... it was just this flurry of gunshots and ... and that freezing fluid. Batman and Taransky, they were just all over each other. I was so scared."
"Something hit the wall, man, and then like, all the lights were out and everything," offered another. "Then BOOM, just fire
everywhere, man, and then it just, that's when it started. It was just, just insane."
Correspondence with the media in the Lake Placid area confirmed that the compound was a former hunting and skiing lodge, being leased out as warehouse or personal space. The name of the leaser could not be pulled up for press time.
Commissioner Jim Gordon, when questioned, stated that he received a call with the D.A.'s location and worked with local authorities, but because of the location, didn't get there until after Batman. On the incident, he had this to say: "We mobilized as fast as we could, but Batman got there first. He came at Taransky like a bat out of hell."
When inquired to as to the status of John Scott and Harvey Bullock, Gordon responded calmly: "The DA and Harvey Bullock are safe. We'll release details as to their condition once we have them."
Of a purported seventeen hostages, thirteen were recovered. Fifteen accomplices to Taransky's actions were also turned over to the G.C.P.D. and Essex County Sheriff's Department, unconscious.
Firefighters are battling the blaze ensuing from the explosive fight, and the compound is still completely unapproachable. A mess of metal and the occasional explosion can be seen fron the compound's gate of police tape.
Dr. Taransky's current whereabouts are unknown.
Homefield Advantage? By Stanton Kiel
The aftermath at Falcone's palatial estate
At night the mansion belonging to Salvatore Maroni, formerly belonging to the deceased "Italian entrepreneur" Carmine Falcone was rocked by a major explosion. Upon hearing the explosion, which opened up one wall on the second storey of the house, curious and not altogether surprised neighbours watched from their windows at the fire.
About two minutes after the explosion, witnesses report that a cable supporting some sort of flashing red device fired into the air from the opposite side of the home from the explosion. This device connected with some kind of black jet-plane as it was flying past overhead. Shortly thereafter a man in a black cloak, holding another person, was then lifted by a cable into the air and vanished into the night sky. No witnesses could provide a detailed description of either of the men as it was too dark. The fire was put out by the occupants of the house and repairs began immediately.
While occupants of the house refuse to make any comment besides "we're fine" it's clear that there is more to this story. Salvatore Maroni, being the most prominent member of the household, was most likely the man taken by the mysterious kidnapper, currently hypothesized by this publication as being the vigilante known as Batman. A jet-propelled capture does not fit the modus operandi of the next most likely event, a gang-related kidnapping, though anything seems to be possible in this crime wave.
MCU and all other police departments are uniformly quiet on this incident, meaning they probably know exactly what happened. However, if this is the case, it means that Commissioner Gordon has made a judgment call and wants to keep the information from certain no-doubt unscrupulous individuals. Pressed for detail, Gordon relented: "We think it's the Batman." On further questioning, he noted that MCU and G.C.P.D. were able to secure a search warrant to enter the premises, where they found a multitude of illegal weapons and will be pressing charges.
And even more questions remain. If Maroni is indeed incapacitated, then that [allegedly] leaves the leadership of Gotham's prominent mafia family unspoken for, and in a time of extreme gang violence it could lead to a crisis. Or perhaps what people saw tonight has been the entirety of a bloodless coup. We may be seeing more violence in the days to come as opposing gangs try to take advantage of an opening, or as the mafia tries to intimidate its enemies out of trying anything.
A Show of Hope By Tom Tucker
Simon Webbe hopes to show a better side of Gotham
When we needed it most, one resident of Gotham City decided we need a ray of hope.
It is unlikely, of course, that local artist Simon Webbe could have predicted the horrors that would unfold at Dr. Melvin Taransky's press conference (see cover story). However, perhaps just this once, the stars have alligned in a positive manner for the citizens of Gotham. Webbe certainly seems to think so, as he has taken it upon himself to spread a message of courage in these dark times.
A renowned artist and significant contributor to local culture, Simon Webbe has been practicing his craft for almost his entire life as a resident of Gotham City. Graduating from Robinson University with honors and a degree in Art and Art History, he tackled the canvas, quickly becoming known for vivid cityscapes and hope amidst chaos. His art resonates more with us now than ever, and that may explain why one of his pieces,
Smile, recently sold for a personal best of one hundred and eighty thousand dollars.
Contacting the curators of Bryce Square Garden, in the black district, Webbe worked with the popular Square's exhibition committee to set up an art expo of the pieces he has been working on just before the vicious crime wave and up until now. Questioned by the Gazette as to what he would unveil, Webbe simply offered: "Deconstructions of the monsters pervading our city for what they are -- cowards and monsters. I want to show the good of Gotham City, and the strength of the good. Evil is weak, because principles are what create true durability. Gotham needs to stand on its own two feet again, and refuse to give in to the demons and villains."
The date is still to be determined, but exhibition head Martin Belka said citizens can expect it to be well-advertised, and expressed Bryce Square's support of Webbe's message.
For such a truly pioneering artist, Webbe has the Gotham Gazette's support as well.
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