Brand Ballard

A "makeup artist and stage illu­sionist with a shady record" who, in concert with underworld elements, concocts an elaborate scheme to destroy Batman's career as a crime-fighter by persuad­ing the citizens of Gotham City that Batman is secretly an alien from outer space.

As the manufactured evidence branding Batman an alien continues to mount, wary citizens – including Police Commissioner Gordon and Vicki Vale – begin sifting through their personal recollections of Batman's countless heroic feats and wondering aloud whether those feats could actually have been performed by a crime-fighter who was merely human. "And come to think of it," muses Police Commissioner Gordon, "he has done things no ordinary man could…"

Before long, fear and suspicion have seized hold of the poputation, the city's racketeers have become increasingly brazen, and Batman has begun to find his effectiveness as a crime-fighter severely diminished. "I hate being cagey with Batman," muses one police officer, after he has refused to cooperate with Batman in an investigation, "--but he could be getting ready to climax some alien scheme, now that he's been discov­ered!"

Eventually, however, Batman learns that Brand Ballard is the man responsible for branding him an alien and tricks Ballard into making a full confession. In the process, Batman and Robin also apprehend Ballard's accomplice and a gang of protection racket­eers.

Soon afterward, Police Commissioner Gordon apolo­gizes for having ever suspected Batman of being an alien. "Yes," chimes in Vicki Vale, "--but can you blame us for thinking Batman must be superhuman?".