Michael Baffle

A debonair "international thief" and wily "society burglar" who, after being sentenced to the firing squad for jewel theft "somewhere in dictator-trodden Europe," bribes his executioners into loading their rifles with blanks and then flees to Gotham City, where he matches wits with Batman and Robin in May 1942.

"Look how she wears those lights, like a beautiful, dazzling necklace!" exclaims Baffle, as he stands atop the observation deck of Gotham City's State Building and gazes out over the glistening nighttime skyline. "This is a rich city. A huge melting pot… of jewels and wealth! I'm going to dip my arms into it… right up to the elbows!"

Linda Page has described Michael Baffle as "tall, handsome, [and] debonair," and Detective Comics No. 63 says that he is "clever as a fox, romantic as some buccaneer of old… [and a] gallant desperado."

With the aid of two henchmen named Fish-eye and Egg-head whom he acquires in Gotham City, Bame compiles a list of "extremely rich people whose safes need opening" and then proceeds to rob them, sometimes outright, and sometimes by assuming the role of a newspaper society reporter, gaining access to the homes of the wealthy and surreptitiously photograph­ing the layouts with a tiny camera concealed inside his boutonniere and then robbing them at a later date. Curiously, Baffle feels little real malice toward Batman – "I respect him!" exclaims Bame at one point. "He has an uncanny knack for putting people in jail--­- and I detest jails!" – and, similarly, Baffle's agile mind, quick wit, and gallant manner soon earn him the grudging respect and reluctant admiration of Batman.

Together, Batman and Robin thwart most of Baffle's crimes, recover Baffle's stolen loot, and apprehend Baffle's two accomplices, but Baffle himself escapes from Batman and is never apprehended. "So long, fella!" cries Batman, as Baffle executes a final, spectac­ular escape. "I would have wanted you for my friend---­ but we're on opposite sides, so next time we meet, you've got a fight on your hands, Mr. Baffle!"

"Good-bye for now," calls out Baffle cheerfully, "…see you again sometime, Batman!".