The cold open: A time-traveling Batman saves the life of Jonah Hex from the Royal Flush Gang.
The main story: Batman and the prickly Bronze Tiger must work together to protect a magical artifact at the monastery where they both trained in martial arts from being taken by a cult led by the Terrible Trio.
Tropes
- Adaptational Badass: The Terrible Trio (Fox, Vulture and Tiger) are usually three members of the Idle Rich playing at supervillainy just for the thrills. Here they're a group of ass-kicking martial arts masters.
- Adaptation Origin Connection: While Batman doesn't have a connection with Bronze Tiger or the Terrible Trio, it's established here they were students at the same monastery when Batman was training to be Gotham's protector.
- Any Last Words?: When King asks Jonah if he has any, he says they're not really appropriate for the lady there.
- Chekhov's Skill: Batman is taught to fight blindfolded like the bat he chose his mask for, and these skills help him win a battle after he's turned into a real bat.
- Combat Pragmatist:
- After Wong Fei beats the opponents besieging the monastery in fair fights night after night, Fox shoots him in the back with a poison dart.
- Wong Fei taught his students to be willing to cheat in a hopeless battle, which Batman uses against Bronze Tiger while recruiting him, and Bronze Tiger later uses against Fox.
- Rival Turned Evil: Bronze Tiger and Fox were the monastery's best students when Batman studied there, and never got along. Fox, now an evil cultist, doesn't spare Batman much attention throughout the episode, but still has bad blood with Bronze Tiger and delights at the idea of subjecting him to a Cruel Mercy or making him Kneel Before Zod (although he does at least agree to spare Bronze Tiger's village in exchange for his rival's apparent submission).
- Weakened by the Light: The magic rituals of the cultists force them to flee whenever the sun comes up, which limits their ability to attack the monastery.
