American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

36. The Villain’s Relics (Part 2)

It was a seemingly ordinary umbrella, just like the ones people commonly use. However, it had some differences. The craftsmanship was exquisite, making it resemble a collectible piece of art.

When Alex picked up the umbrella, it felt solid in his hand. Clearly, the umbrella's canopy was not made of ordinary material but was instead composed of bulletproof technology similar to Batman's cape. Additionally, the umbrella's frame was sturdy and heavy, heavier than Alex had anticipated.

At the center of the umbrella was a sophisticated control device that extended to the handle, equipped with several buttons. Alex didn't dare to touch them casually, as using such a finely tuned and complex mechanism without understanding it could be dangerous.

Alex was thrilled as he looked at the umbrella, unable to contain his smile. Who could resist a technologically advanced umbrella like this?

Next to the umbrella, he found a small notebook. Opening it, he saw it was filled with detailed instructions on how to use the umbrella and descriptions of its various intricate mechanisms. Clearly, this notebook was left by Batman, who had thoroughly studied the umbrella's gadgets.

It was hard to imagine that this umbrella originated in the 1970s or 80s. Such a sophisticated device was beyond the capabilities of ordinary people and was an extremely complex piece of high-tech equipment.

"The first one, Penguin's umbrella."

Alex's hand trembled slightly as he gripped the umbrella. According to Batman's notes, the umbrella was equipped with various powerful technologies, far more practical than his previous Iron Man suit that only had palm repulsors.

With a quick glance, Alex noticed the umbrella could shoot bullets, launch small missiles, fire lasers from its top, and release poison gas from its tip, though the bullets were not yet loaded.

In addition, the umbrella handle could be pulled out to reveal a sword. When opened, the umbrella could act as a shield. Furthermore, the umbrella could spin rapidly when opened, functioning as a small helicopter. It was a multi-functional weapon.

This was a Bulgarian umbrella, clearly inspired by a real-life assassination. In 1978, Bulgarian writer Markov, who had defected to London, was pricked on the leg with an umbrella on Waterloo Bridge and died four days later from poisoning.

In this universe, the umbrella became Penguin's signature weapon, with its various gadgets even giving Batman a headache. After finding the umbrella, Alex quickly located his next target.

It was a bottle placed next to a worn-out mask, containing some bright green liquid with a label reading "Do Not Open" in red paint. The bottle's label identified it as "Fear Toxin."

"The second one, Scarecrow's Fear Toxin."

Alex smiled as he noticed Batman had 'helpfully' left the formula for the fear toxin next to the bottle, showing that Batman had thoroughly understood his old foes' weapons. Fear toxin was the hallmark of Gotham villain Scarecrow. Once released, it was colorless and odorless, causing those affected to experience terrifying hallucinations, seeing their deepest fears.

Most notably, the fear toxin was extremely potent, with few creatures immune to it. Even Superman had been affected by it, demonstrating its fearsome power. Perhaps the only thing that could surpass the fear toxin was Joker's laughing gas. Unfortunately, Alex couldn't find any laughing gas or its formula here. The only Joker-related items were a laughing pouch and a Joker belt containing many non-lethal weapons.

"Maybe I can put this fear toxin into Penguin's umbrella. After all, it has a poison gas mechanism," Alex thought and quickly decided to combine the two weapons.

Batman had many enemies, most of whom were intellectual adversaries. Whether it was the Mad Hatter, Penguin, Scarecrow, or Joker, their high-tech weapons were secondary to their cunning.

So, when Alex was looking for equipment, he focused on practicality rather than the villains' reputations. No matter how famous the villains were, their equipment needed to be useful to him.

Soon, Alex found another useful item, though it wasn't for himself but specifically for Pietro. It was a staff, similar to Riddler's cane but more flamboyant, designed to resemble lightning. The staff could release powerful electric currents for attacks.

At full power, it could generate a lightning strike, capable of instantly reducing a person to a charred corpse.

"Pietro, try this. A speedster who can release lightning—you could be an alternative 'Flash'," Alex said, handing the lightning staff to Pietro, who was visibly excited.

"Alex, this thing looks awesome! Is it powerful?"

"It's decent. It can't compare to the lightning of the real Thor or Zeus, but it's still a formidable weapon," Alex explained.

The staff's previous owner was a wealthy man named Maxie Zeus, who idolized the ancient Greek gods and aimed to conquer the world using ancient Greek rule. He established one of Gotham's largest gangs, claiming to be Zeus incarnate and believing the Olympian gods supported him.

In short, he was a complete lunatic. Yet, he was one of Gotham's most feared gang leaders. During his heyday, Penguin was just a minor thug.

Apart from these items, the remaining ones held little interest for Alex. Whether it was Ventriloquist's puppet, Kite Man's kites, or Talon's weapons, they were ordinary and wouldn't offer any effective assistance.

Alex did see items belonging to Bane, KGBeast, and Deathstroke, but he couldn't find the mysterious serums that granted superhuman abilities. It seemed Batman had likely destroyed those.

Knowing Batman, he would never keep such things around. Unlike fear toxins, these serums, like Captain America's, could instantly turn someone into a super soldier, also amplifying their inner darkness. Batman, who fought against the darkness in people's hearts all his life, wouldn't use such things and wouldn't keep them either.

However, Alex was surprised to see that the display room also contained the heads of Man-Bat and Killer Croc, preserved as specimens. It seemed the Wayne family, known for their hunting heritage, had turned these villains into trophies. If these villains weren't so excessive, Batman might have been Gotham's biggest 'villain.'

...

20 advanced chapters on p@treaon
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37. Misunderstanding.
38. Teaming Up with Batman.
39. The Terrifying Invasion.
40. Eerie Arrival!
41. Finding Superman.

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