History WesternAnimation / BatmanMaskOfThePhantasm

* LockedOutOfTheLoop: [[spoiler:Reeves ''claims'' he didn't know what Carl Beaumont was doing with Valestra and company's money initially. He didn't find out what had happened until after Carl and Andrea had fled the country. While Joker mockingly corroborates Arthur's defense, it's still left amibugious if Reeves genuinely didn't know or if he was turning a blind eye.]]

** [[spoiler:Joker bombing Andrea's apartment in the very next scene also counts. He thinks it's Andrea he's attacking and referring to the Phantasm as ''Boopsie'' and ''Toots'' confirmes for Bruce that it ''is'' Andrea in the costume, not her father. The usage of the World of the Future plane as the 'flying bomber' also tells Bruce where Joker's hiding (as he damm well recognizes where it came from thanks to his and Andrea's visit in the flashbacks).]]

** Reeves also gets a mild one when Joker reveals Batman ''isn't'' the killer. He was so quick to launch his smear campaign that he never anticipated Bats ''might'' actually be innocent. Even with how dire his situation is (i.e. having the Joker in his office), it's not hard to imagine Reeves as a politican can't help recaluclating then and there how this affects his political fortunes (assuming he survives Joker, of course).

** This is likely the Phantasm's reaction on finding out the Joker has laid a booby trap on Sal Valvestra's body (originally intended for Batman), though we can't see the accompanying facial expression behind the mask.

* ArtisticLicenseEngineering: Apparently, the construction site Batman hides in has bombs labelled on it. However, construction crews don't use explosives when building something.

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: The GCPD try to shoot Batman when he is in a cloud of tear gas, and he is high above them. In real life, law enforcement are not allowed to shoot at a target if they can't see them, or if they don't know if there is a potential hazard (and indeed there is, as a bullet detonates all the explosives on the construction site). Though to be fair, Bullock ''does'' yell at the cop in question when he does so.

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: The GCPD try to shoot Batman when he is in a cloud of tear gas, and he is high above them. In real life, law enforcement are not allowed to shoot at a target if they can't see them, or if they don't know if there is a potential hazard (and indeed there is, as a bullet detonates all the explosives on the construction site).

* InkSuitActor: Salvatore Valestra and his gang bears some resemblances to their voice actors, Valestra is a frailer version of Abe Vigoda, Buzz is a FatBastard version of John P. Ryan, and Chuckie Sol looks a lot like Dick Miller.

The film also follows Bruce Wayne's past and present relationship with love interest Andrea Beaumont (who has her own ties to the Phantasm) and shows Bruce's first attempts at vigilantism before truly becoming The Batman.

* AntiVillain: The Phantasm murders people, but they're all really sleazy characters that nobody's exactly going to miss, and the vigilante only directly kills one of them. The Phantasm's motives, when revealed, are also pretty sympathetic.

* EasyImpersonation: The Phantasm killings are initially blamed on Batman even though their costumes are only superficially similar. Justified in that both use stealth tactics that prevent anyone from getting a good look. Indeed, while Joker initially buys into the assumption that Batman is the killer, as soon as he gets a good look at the Phantasm he immediately realizes they aren't him.

* GoryDiscretionShot: We don't see the bodies of Chuckie, Buzz[[spoiler:, and Andrea's father]] after they are killed and instead see the reactions of other characters. The expressions of Buzz's two men in particular indicates that his death was very gruesome.

* EasyImpersonation: The Phantasm killings are initially blamed on Batman even though their costumes are only superficially similar. Justified in that both use stealth tactics that prevent anyone from getting a good look.

* DeceasedFallGuyGambit: [[spoiler:Bruce realizes in the climax that this was Andrea's backup plan in case anyone figured out the connection between the Beaumonts and the dead Valestra gangsters before she could complete her mission. Andrea came back to Gotham in secret before her 'official' return to kill Chuckie Sol so she could shift the blame to her father (who nobody outside of the Valestra gang knew was long dead) if necessary.]]

* DeadlyRemoteControlToy: The model airplanes that were once part of the Gotham World's Fair's tram ride are put to much more dangerous use by Joker. Even without one being used to send a bomb to Andrea's apartment, their propeller blades are geniunely sharp and even drew blood from Batman when once sliced through his arm.

* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler: Thanks to the gangland victims, Joker knows 'Batman' is targeting members of his old gang and Valestra will almost certainly be next. So, Joker kills Valestra and stages his corpse in his own home as bait for Batman (and to confirm Bats has indeed gone bats). The trap technically works, but it's ''not'' Batman (and the Phantasm is likewise able to escape before Joker can try to kill the murderer).]]

* ContrivedCoincidence: Joker, who suspects that Arthur Reeves is either in league with the Phantasm or is the Phantasm himself, happens to stop by Reeves' office to accuse him just as Andrea Beaumont calls. This alerts Joker to the fact that Andrea is in Gotham, [[spoiler: and thus is, other than Reeves himself, the only plausible suspect of being the Phantasm.]] Joker immediately [[LampshadeHanging lampshades how unlikely this is,]] and how unfortunate it is for Reeves.

* CreateYourOwnHero: [[spoiler: An interesting variation with Sal Valestra, his Mob associates, and Batman. They obviously had no involvement in the Wayne murders -- and Bruce was already embarking upon ThePlan long before his chance meeting with Andrea. But by trying to reclaim the money Carl Beaumont stole from them and forcing him and his daughter to flee the country, Valestra and company unwittingly remove the last barrier that was preventing Bruce from fully committing to a future as Batman.]]
* CreateYourOwnVillain: [[spoiler: Andrea's transformation into the Phantasm, as Valestra's need for retribution for Carl's betrayal even after he settles his debt ensures Andrea ''will'' seek vengeance.]]

* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler: While consoling Bruce's failure to save Andrea, Alfred thinks she ''didn't'' want to be saved.Quickly subverted, though, as Bruce discovers their locket and realizes Andrea ''did'' survive.]]
* DeceasedFallGuyGambit: [[spoiler: Bruce realizes in the climax that this was Andrea's backup plan in case anyone figured out the connection between the Beaumonts and the dead Valestra gangsters before she could complete her mission. Andrea came back to Gotham in secret before her 'official' return to kill Chuckie Sol so she could shift the blame to her father (who nobody outside of the Valestra gang knew was long dead) if necessary.]]

** Sal enlists [[spoiler: the Joker]] to stop the Phantasm's murder spree. [[spoiler: The Joker actually more or less assists her in her quest for revenge, murdering Sal and then lethally attacking Arthur, a person the Phantasm might not even be aware was a part of her father's murder.]]
*** [[spoiler: Adding further irony, the only reason Sal went to the Joker is because Arthur refused to help him, since he didn't need him anymore.]]
** Batman, the world's greatest detective, is on the case to find out who's murdering these gangsters. The cops, believing Batman himself is behind it, are also investigating. Who figures out the killer first? [[spoiler: The Joker, chiefly because he knows firsthand it ''couldn't'' be Carl Beaumont]].

* EntertaininglyWrong: [[spoiler: Joker believes Batman's responsible for the murders (albeit partly out of an egoistical hope his antics have finaly driven Batsy bats). When he discovers it's ''not'' Batman, he concedes the joke's on him -- not that it stops him from being delighted he has somebody new to play with.]]

** The Joker has several. But his final laugh - [[spoiler: when facing down a massive explosion and the likelihood of being murdered by Andrea]] - is by far the most epic and chilling in the DC Animated Universe. The orchestra and chanting choir make it that much more awesome. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm_GPkOfVKI You have to hear it to believe it.]] Mark Hamill said that this movie was where he truly developed the Joker voice and laugh, and it ''shows.''

* ExactWords: [[spoiler: Carl Beaumont promises Valestra that he has the money he owes. He ''does'' indeed have it...but he left out that it's ''not'' in cash. The money's all now tied up in investments and thus ''cannot'' be liquidated within the 24 hour deadline he's been given.]]

** Salvatore Valestra is Carl Grissom from the 1989 film, who was also Joker's former boss [[spoiler: he ends up killing.]]

** Reeves having gone from one of Carl Beaumont's rising attorneys to a Gotham Councilman in the last decade. [[spoiler: Even with how lucrative a legal career can be, funding a political campaign ain't cheap. Reeves got part of the money from selling out his boss to Valestra.]]

** Played with. Batman is mistaken for the Phantasm due to their similarly shadowy looks and is blamed for the Valestra murders. [[spoiler: The reveal, however, is that Andrea was ''not'' trying to pin the blame for the murders on Batman. She was instead trying to pin the blame on her dead father as a precaution just in case somebody put together the pieces and linked the Beaumonts to the killings.]]
** An interesting variation also occurs when [[spoiler: Joker bombs Valestra's home to try and kill the Phantasm. The explosion gets Batman's attention and he deploys to find Phantasm fleeing the arson. Since Bruce has no idea Joker is involved at this point in the film, he concludes Phantasm is responsible for Valestra's murder. Then, when the GCPD sights Batman in the vicinity, Phantasm scrams and the cops (who missed the assassin) think Batman's responsible. In other words, Joker indirectly and unwittingly frames both Batman ''and'' Phantasm for Valestra's death.]]

* HeKnowsTooMuch: [[spoiler: When Joker briefly suspects that Reeves is the Phantasm, he cites this very Trope as the possible motive for the murders. Any exposure of Reeves' past connections and dealing with Valestra, Bronski, and Sol would understandably cripple, if not destroy, his political career and ambitions. So, Joker thinks Arthur's bumping off the Valestra gang to protect his secrets.]]

* HopeSpot: By the end of the Second Act, Bruce reconciles with Andrea and once the case is done, he's willing to consider giving up the mantle of Batman again to be with the woman he loves. [[spoiler: Then Bruce discovers the sole surviving member of Valestra's syndicate is the Joker and everything starts going to hell from that point through the end of the film.]]

* JokerImmunity: Joker's fate at the end of the movie is not revealed, but his appearances in later DCAU materials show that he clearly survived. [[spoiler: A comic-tie in reveals that Andrea hesitated since he's an AxCrazy MonsterClown now and not just the mobster who killed her father, and wonders if he is too insane to be held responsible for his actions. This hesitation and a lucky explosion allows the Joker to make his escape, and she doesn't bother to go after him again.]]

** [[spoiler: Andrea]] abandons Bruce to die in the climax, which he only survives by almost pure luck.

* LockedOutOfTheLoop: [[spoiler: Reeves ''claims'' he didn't know what Carl Beaumont was doing with Valestra and company's money initially. He didn't find out what had happened until after Carl and Andrea had fled the country. While Joker mockingly corroborates Arthur's defense, it's still left amibugious if Reeves genuinely didn't know or if he was turning a blind eye.]]

** Joker's gleeful monologuing after [[spoiler: killing Valestra and setting a trap for Batman, only to discover it's really the Phantasm. If he had just hit the bomb detonator instead of being vain and talkative, he could've killed the Phantasm right then and there. Instead, he gave Phantasm just (barely) enough time to get clear of the blast radius.]]
** Joker's attack on Reeves at his office. Despite Arthur's history with the Beaumonts, Bruce has no reason up to that point to suspect Reeves has any involvement in the Phantasm's murders. Having just discovered Joker was Valestra's enforcer immediately prior to the attack, however, Bruce correctly concludes that Joker thinks Arthur ''is'' involved -- and Bruce wants to know ''why''. The subsequent interrogation of Reeves at the hospital is key to cracking the case open, as Bruce learns [[spoiler: Reeves betrayed Carl Beaumont to Valestra...and knowing how the Gotham Mob operates, it means Carl's likely dead and that also means Andrea lied to Bruce again about her father.]]
** [[spoiler: Joker bombing Andrea's apartment in the very next scene also counts. He thinks it's Andrea he's attacking and referring to the Phantasm as ''Boopsie'' and ''Toots'' confirmes for Bruce that it ''is'' Andrea in the costume, not her father. The usage of the World of the Future plane as the 'flying bomber' also tells Bruce where Joker's hiding (as he damm well recognizes where it came from thanks to his and Andrea's visit in the flashbacks).]]
* NoNameGiven: Despite the film being titled "Mask of the Phantasm," the word "Phantasm" is never used and leaves the masked vigilante at the center of the plot nameless.

* NothingIsScarier: [[spoiler: We never get to see what the Joker did to Carl Beaumont, which just makes Andrea's scream of grief even more chilling. Especially since his is the ''only'' death in the movie that we don't even get a hint as to the cause of death.]]

* OutrunTheFireBall: [[spoiler: The Phantasm's escape from Valestra's home after Joker detonates the bomb he strapped to Valestra's corpse. Phantasm just ''barely'' manages to get clear of the blast radius in time.]]

** [[spoiler: The Phantasm later does this during the failed attempt to kill Valestra. Upon realizing Valestra's already dead and the Joker's now involved, Phantasm starts running (a wise precaution given Joker booby trapped Valestra's home and bombs it seconds later).]]

* SecretKeeper: Sal Valestra and the other gangsters that the Phantasm targeted are probably the only people who knew [[spoiler: the Joker's pre-transformation identity]] and interacted with him regularly back in those days. It seems that they merely found it convenient to have a rapport with him, as opposed to keeping his identity secret out of any obligation.

** [[spoiler: Carl Beaumont's inability to pay off Valestra within the 24 hour window he's given. Many wealthy people are actually cash poor and have all their money tied up in equities and investments. Liquidating these assets ''cannot'' be done overnight and takes days and weeks to legally execute.]]

** [[spoiler: The Joker. While he was already a hitman in the past, in the present he's a full-blown literal supervillain.]]

* ViewersAreGeniuses: The identity of the Phantasm is implied when the Joker says [[spoiler: “There’s no jumping out of the window this time, Toots!”]] and it isn’t until the next scene where it’s explicitly shown who the Phantasm really is.

** Whether [[spoiler: Arthur Reeves or the Joker]] survive through the end is never shown in the movie itself, though the latter does make several DCAU appearances following the movie. The former was eventually brought back in the DCAU comics, though he is eventually killed by Andrea after [[DeathBySecretIdentity learning her and Bruce's identities.]]

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Salvatore Valestra. It's essentially the most mob-bossiest mob boss name ever.

* ScreamDiscretionShot: Andrea arrives home to see a hitman sauntering out of the house. [[Spoiler:The camera pans out to show her running through the door and screaming at what is presumably her father’s body.]]

** One man against four precincts of cops, a SWAT team, and a police chopper isn’t really going to be able to evade them easily even if that one man is Batman. It’s only the timely arrival of Andrea that Bruce isn’t either captured or killed.
** The flashbacks show Sal Valestra is a heavy smoker. In the Present Day, that addiction's taken an inevitable toll on his health and Valestra now a shadow of the fearsome Mobster he used to be.

*** [[spoiler: While Carl eventually repays the money he owes to Valestra in full, it doesn't change that he stole from some of the most powerful members of the Gotham City underworld -- to say nothing of lying to them during that final meeting, missing the original deadline, and blowing town. These mobsters are ''not'' going to let such blatant defiance slide and make an example of Carl.]]

* TheGrimReaper: The Phantasm is clearly modeled after the Reaper, complete with the catchphrase "Your angel of death awaits." Also lampshaded by the Joker: When Reeves tells Joker that Batman is killing Beaumont's gang, the Joker answers, "It ain't the Bat. [...] I've seen the guy, looks more like the [[Literature/AChristmasCarol Ghost of Christmas Future]]. Nowhere near as cute as Bat-boy."

%%* CatchPhrase: "Your Angel of Death awaits."

* EvilLaugh: The Joker has several. But his final laugh - [[spoiler: when facing down a massive explosion and the likelihood of being murdered by Andrea]] - is by far the most epic and chilling in the DC Animated Universe. The orchestra and chanting choir make it that much more awesome. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm_GPkOfVKI You have to hear it to believe it.]] Mark Hamill said that this movie was where he truly developed the Joker voice and laugh, and it ''shows.''

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Despite the fact that Andrea left Gotham, and her and Bruce's breakup and separation is depicted with tragedy, she still committed two murders, tried to commit two more, and completely got away with it, as Batman does not seem interested in pursuing her, while Batman is only cleared in tie-in comic.]]

* DarthVaderClone: The Phantasm takes after Vader, complete with dark costume and a scary mask with a voice changer embedded in it. However, [[spoiler:she's a female version, and she's not just a FallenHero but a fallen LoveInterest. Grief, vengeance, and the death of her parent drives her to become a murderer and fall into the abyss as Alfred said, which is more or less the dark side]].
** The Hungarian and Swedish dubs have Joker, having found out the Phantasm is behind the deaths, commenting that the Phantasm looks like Darth Vader.

* AntiVillain: The Phantasm murders people, but they're all really sleazy characters that nobody's exactly going to miss, and the vigilante only directly kills one of them. Not to mention that the Phantasm's motives, when revealed, are also pretty sympathetic.

* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Playing up his billionaire playboy image, Bruce Wayne is at a party with the black/white/Asian version (the white girl is of course a blonde). Then a FieryRedhead who's a former paramour walks up and [[FoodSlap chucks a drink in his face]] for [[CallingOutForNotCalling not returning her calls.]]
* BloodierAndGorier: The TV cartoon, while being significantly more "adult" than just about any animated program made for American syndication before or since, still could not show any blood or show anyone being killed. This film, made as a theatrical release, had no such censorship limitations, and so we see a fair bit of blood as well as seeing the Phantasm straight-up murder people. We also see a grinning corpse used for a scare effect, the first time the DCAU Joker was allowed to explicitly kill someone onscreen.

** A younger, then-Beat Cop Bullock gets caught up in Bruce's first night out as a vigilante. The ensuing mayhem pretty much sets the tone and stage for their interactions as a Detective and Batman in the Present Day.

** Justified with World of the Future Fair, now a derelict wreck. The Joker of course has the entire place rigged to blow up.

* CrapsackWorld: To no one's surprise, Gotham is a cesspool of crime. In one scene, all Bruce and Andrea do is literally step outside and happen upon a motorcycle gang beating down a guy in broad daylight.

* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: While analyzing the residue from the Phantasm's first attack, Bruce describes it as a "dense, long-chain, macromolecular polymer." [[note]]For those playing along at home: when talking chemistry, the terms "long-chain," "macromolecule," and "polymer" all mean basically the same thing: a big complicated molecule.[[/note]]

** Valestra in his glory days. Carl, a powerful businessman, would rather flee not just the city, but the entire country than deal with him any longer.

* EvilLaugh: The Joker has several, of course. But his final laugh - [[spoiler: when facing down a massive explosion and the likelihood of being murdered by Andrea]] - is by far the most epic and chilling in the entire DC Animated Universe. The orchestra and chanting choir make it that much more awesome. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm_GPkOfVKI You have to hear it to believe it.]] Mark Hamill said that this movie was where he truly developed the Joker voice and laugh, and it ''shows.''

** Salvatore Valestra is pretty much Carl Grissom from the 1989 film, who was also Joker's former boss [[spoiler: he ends up killing.]]

* HijackedByGanon: The Joker's relevance to the plot and centrality to the climax does kind of come out of nowhere; he's not even introduced until about halfway through, and even then his connection to events is only hinted at for a while after. A case of Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad.

* HopeSpot: By the end of the Second Act, Bruce recounciles with Andrea and once the case is done, he's willing to consider giving up the mantle of Batman again to be with the woman he loves. [[spoiler: Then Bruce discovers the sole surviving member of Valestra's syndicate is the Joker and everything starts going to hell from that point throgh the end of the film.]]

* ImYourBiggestFan: The Joker, [[PungeonMaster of course]], says this line while trying to suck the Phantasm into a DeadlyRotaryFan.

* InkSuitActor: Salvatore Valestra and his gang bears some resemblances to their voice actors, Valestra is basically a frailer version of Abe Vigoda, Buzz is basically a FatBastard version of John P. Ryan, and Chuckie Sol looks a lot like Dick Miller.

*** This can be seen almost immediately at the party where Arthur goes out of his way to bring up Andrea to Bruce before she arrives and pretends like he barely remembers who she is, despite being on the phone with her literally in the previous scene.

* PayEvilUntoEvil: The Phantasm's entire modus operandi, coming back to kill the mobsters who [[spoiler:destroyed her life and threatened her father]].

** The ''World of the Future'' amusement park is a metaphor for Bruce's own future. When he and Andrea visit it, it's bright, shining, and hopeful. In the present day, however, the park has become decayed, rotted, and unforgiving--not to mention being haunted by the insane clown that dominates both of their lives. And the second Andrea refuses Batman's LastSecondChance by stating that she intends to [[ThouShaltNotKill break his one rule]], the place explodes into utter chaos.

** [[spoiler: The Phantasm later does this during the failed attempt to kill Valestra. Upon realizing Valestra's already dead and the Joker's now involved, Phantasm starts running like hell (a wise precaution given Joker booby trapped Valestra's home and bombs it seconds later).]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Despite the police believing that Batman has become a murderer and sending entire SWAT teams after him, Batman never clears his name with the authorities. Though tie-in comics reveal that Batman was cleared of the murder charges, [[spoiler:especially when Arthur's criminal past was revealed.]] The end of the film has Batman responding to the Bat-Signal, implying that somehow the cops discovered he didn't do it. (Sal's grinning corpse was probably a big clue, or would be if it hadn't been blown to pieces.)

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: The Joker has green hair, as always.

''Mask of the Phantasm'' is the first [[TheMovie movie]] of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''. Of the various films based on the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse (and DC's original animated films), it is the only one to have been given a cinematic wide release.[[note]]''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheKillingJoke The Killing Joke]]'' (released 23 years later) had a limited theatrical run, basically a one-night showing, to give it UsefulNotes/AcademyAward eligibility.[[/note]] It was released to theaters on Christmas Day 1993.

''Mask of the Phantasm'' is TheMovie of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''. Of the various films based on the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse (and DC's original animated films), it is the only one to have been given a cinematic wide release.[[note]]''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheKillingJoke The Killing Joke]]'' (released 23 years later) had a limited theatrical run, basically a one-night showing, to give it UsefulNotes/AcademyAward eligibility.[[/note]] It was released to theaters on Christmas Day 1993.

* DarthVaderClone: The Phantasm takes after Vader, complete with dark costume, scary mask, vocal distortion. A wrinkle because [[spoiler:she's a female version, and she's not just a FallenHero but a fallen LoveInterest. Grief, vengeance, and the death of her parent drives her to become a murderer and fall into the abyss as Alfred said, which is more or less the dark side. The final battle prophetically looks forward to ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'']].

* DeathByLookingUp: While fleeing from the Phantasm, Buzz Bronsky falls into an open grave. He looks around as the Phantasm taunts him, then looks up to see a massive stone angel toppling on top of him.

** The flashbacks show Bruce's epiphany that he has to become this. Batman's status as the Dreaded even gets an inadvertent level up when the gangsters start believing he's the one committing the Phantasm's murders.

* TheGrimReaper: The Phantasm's design is based on this. Lampshaded by the Phantasm's catchphrase, which includes the self-description "angel of death." Also lampshaded by the Joker: When Reeves tells Joker that Batman is killing Beaumont's gang, the Joker answers, "It ain't the Bat. [...] I've seen the guy, looks more like the [[Literature/AChristmasCarol Ghost of Christmas Future]]. Nowhere near as cute as Bat-boy."

* ImYourBiggestFan: The Joker of course has to say this line while trying to suck the Phantasm into a DeadlyRotaryFan.
* InexplicablyAwesome: The Phantasm appears to have super strength, super speed and smoke-related teleportation, and makes it pretty clear in a couple instances that the last one is a bona fide superpower[[note]]Watch the final "smokeout" just after the Joker's epic laugh toward the end. The Phantasm is holding up Joker, who has sunk to his knees and is not even attempting to stand up, he is essentially dead weight. They are both in the middle of a large, open area, yet somehow after being surrounded by the smoke, they are both almost immediately gone[[/note]]. The movie never explains how the Phantasm is able to do ''any'' of this, save the Bat-computer's analysis that the Phantasm's gas is some sort of AppliedPhlebotinum (a complex molecular polymer of some sort).

* IronicEcho: One of the mob bosses the Phantasm kills had earlier said that the Phantasm's previous victim [[JerkAss "always was a loser."]] The Phantasm says the same thing about him right before killing him.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Arthur Reeves [[spoiler:sold out Andrea and her father to the mob for refusing to fund his first election, thereby facilitating Andrea's father's death]]. As a result, the Joker initially suspects him of either being or hiring the Phantasm to get rid of loose ends and confronts him. Though the Joker quickly deduces who's really behind the Phantasm's attacks, he still doses Arthur with Joker toxin, leaving him hospitalized.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: The Phantasm's motivation is to make the mobsters who [[spoiler:ruined her life (and took her father)]] pay for what they've done.

* StarCrossedLovers: Bruce and Andrea. Just as he decides that she's worth giving up his plan of being Batman for, she has to leave Gotham and disappear thanks to the mob. When she resurfaces years later, they're still in love, but [[spoiler:she has become the murderous Phantasm, hunting down her father's killers, and is Batman's enemy]].

* TooDumbToLive: Chuckie Sol manages to shake the Phantasm off his car and leaves the vigilante kneeling on the ground behind his car. Rather than take this opportunity to escape, Sol decides to turn his car around and attempt to run over the Phantasm. This results in the Phantasm blinding him with smoke, causing him to lose control of his car and experience a deadly DestinationDefenestration.

* TheUnfought: Batman and the Phantasm only meet once, and their tussle is over almost before it begins thanks to the police.
* ViewersAreGeniuses: The identity of the Phantasm is revealed through the line [[spoiler: “There’s no jumping out of the window this time, Toots!”]] and it isn’t until the next scene where it’s explicitly shown who the Phantasm really is.

* GodzillaThreshold: Things have gotten pretty desperate when you try to hire the Joker as a hitman--even if, as it turns out, [[spoiler:that ''was'' his job for you before he went crazy]].
** Subverted when [[spoiler: Joker does the job for Phantasm instead]].
** During the climax, a jet pack clad Joker tells Batman if they continue to fight mid-air, both will die in the subsequent explosions. An unmoved Batman simply responds, “whatever it takes!”

* IdiotBall: The GCPD have a good look at Batman unmasked, even if it is just the back of his head, and surely someone must have been able to see his face, yet they don't manage to realize who Batman is. Similarly, when Andrea saves Bruce, the GCPD didn't think to try to pursue her in their cars, or try to set up roadblocks, since they know that Batman himself has a car.