Batman Page #32

EXT. GOTHAM STREET - NIGHT

FRIGHTENED PEDESTRIANS race past OVERTURNED CARS. A PARADE

FLOAT, run aground on the sidewalk, begins to BURN.

Above it, a damaged BALLOON -- the cartoon character

UNDERDOG -- is losing helium, warping and buckling in on

itself, sinking down gently toward the flames. Down the

street, KNOX'S FORD ESCORT is coming up fast.

INT. FORD - MOVING - THAT MOMENT

VICKI snapping photos out the window as UNDERDOG drifts

downward. FLAMES lick up at his belly -- and the cartoon

blimp EXPLODES.

KNOX:

So much for Underdog.

THEN -- as they drive past -- A SECOND EXPLOSION. And all

at once the STREET IS FULL OF DEADLY GREENISH GAS!

VICKI:

ALLIE!! THE WINDOWS!!

EXT. STREET - A MOMENT LATER - NIGHT

The Ford Escort, windows up, swerves out of a THICK

SPREADING CLOUD of GREEN LAUGHING GAS -- threatening to

engulf the entire block!

INT. FORD - MOVING - THAT MOMENT

KNOX:

WHAT HAPPENED?!?

VICKI stares back at the green cloud. Turns. And sees, up

the street, THE JOKER'S PROCESSION: BALLOONS BY THE DOZEN!

VICKI:

Oh my God. Compressor tanks. He's

got the balloons rigged with

compressor tanks!!

KNOX:

Jesus Christ, the guy's a genius.

INT. BATWING - THAT MOMENT - NIGHT

BATMAN, at the controls, gliding over the Gotham streets.

He looks down, sees a BILLOWING HAZE of DENSE GREEN FUMES.

At its periphery: LOOTERS reeling and staggering, falling

to the pavement, LAUGHING THEMSELVES TO DEATH.

INT. FORD - MOVING - THAT MOMENT

VICKI staring through the windshield. Overhead, an AIRCRAFT

streaks past... an aircraft with SCALLOPED BLACK BAT WINGS.

VICKI:

LOOK! IT'S BRUCE!!

(frantically)

Allie -- the balloons. We've got to

find some way to tell him!

KNOX:

Great. How??

They speed up the street toward the PARADE. SPOTLIGHTS

SHINE. Suddenly KNOX's eyes bug out. He SLAMS ON THE BRAKES

and SKIDS TO A HALT.

KNOX (cont.)

COME ON!

EXT. AVENUE - A SECOND LATER - NIGHT

Before VICKI can speak, KNOX has grabbed a tire iron from

the back of the car and RACED OUT ONTO THE STREET. He

flings the TIRE IRON through a glass STOREFRONT.

It's a COSTUME SHOP. In the window, MANNEQUINS dressed in

party costumes:
Frankenstein. Ronald Reagan. And, that

current popular sensation... THE BATMAN.

As VICKI catches up with him, KNOX drags the Batman dummy

out of the store window. RIPS OFF ITS BLACK CAPE. And

DASHES MANIACALLY UP THE SIDEWALK.

Waving the cape, he VAULTS onto the back of a SPOTLIGHT

TRUCK. VICKI's face goes slack. Now she gets it.

KNOX:

GIMME A HAND UP HERE!

VICKI climbs aboard. They drape the cape over the face of

the spotlight. Then they put their shoulders to the swivel

assembly -- tilting the spotlight -- AIMING THE BEAM...

... DIRECTLY AT THE JOKER'S WHITE CLOWN BALLOON!!!

INT. BATWING - THAT MOMENT

BATMAN stares at the CLOWN BALLOON dead ahead. On its

massive distended belly... a BURNING YELLOW OVAL. And in

the center of the oval... THE BLACK SILHOUETTE OF A BAT.

BATMAN'S MOUTH drops open. He understands.

EXT. AVENUE - ON JOKER'S FLOAT - THAT MOMENT

THE JOKER reaches into a big sack and begins distributing

MINIATURE GAS MASKS, like party favors, to his cronies on

the float. Then he pulls out a radio-operated REMOTE

CONTROL DEVICE and points it up at the CLOWN BALLOON.

He hits a button. The CLOWN begins to INFLATE. Its joints

bulge. Its FACE SWELLS UP as the COMPRESSOR TANK concealed

inside it releases its noxious contents. The JOKER is

BEAMING, a look of PURE UNALLOYED JOY on his face...

... when his PARADE FLOAT BLOWS TO SMITHEREENS BENEATH HIM!

The JOKER and his men CARTWHEEL THROUGH THE AIR and TUMBLE

TO THE ASPHALT as THE BATWING WHIPS PAST OVERHEAD, soaring

through the stone canyons of Gotham at a 90-degree angle to

the ground!

JOKER:

No... NOOOOO!!!

ANGLE ON CLOWN BALLOON

as it rises, rises, swelling to grotesque proportions in

the starless night. The tallest buildings are far below it

now. Finally it BURSTS -- and the deadly GAS inside it

disperses harmlessly in the wind.

EXT. AVENUE - THAT MOMENT

THE JOKER on the edge of a tantrum as he digs amid the

rubble of his float for the remote device. At last he finds

it; aims it up at the other balloons in the procession;

hits a button repeatedly...

... and HOWLS IN FRUSTRATION. Nothing's happening. The

damned thing is broken. He heaves it to the street in a

fit of pique.

A SCREAMING COMES ACROSS THE SKY as the BATWING swings back

for another pass, BUZZING the JOKER at an altitude of

twenty feet. SIZZLING LASER FIRE sweeps the street.

CABLES SNAP and BALLOONS DRIFT UPWARD as BATMAN'S LASERS

sever their moorings. The JOKER can only look on

helplessly, in stunned disbelief.

As he's watching his plans evaporate... HIS EYES FALL ON

THE MAKESHIFT BAT-SIGNAL.

JOKER:

There. There. -- GET 'EM!!

ANGLE ON SPOTLIGHT TRUCK

A SPRAY OF MACHINE-GUN FIRE shatters the Bat-signal. KNOX

throws VICKI to the street, ducks down behind the

spotlight, and tosses her his CAR KEYS.

KNOX:

GET THE CAR!

The JOKER'S GOONS are coming up fast as VICKI reaches the

Ford, starts it, and comes ROARING UP toward KNOX. He jumps

off the truck as VICKI twists the wheel, lays a track of

rubber, and noses the car back in the opposite direction.

GUNFIRE as KNOX jumps inside and they PEEL OUT.

INT. FORD ESCORT - MOVING - A MOMENT LATER

KNOX's breathing is ragged, but he breaks out in HYSTERICAL

LAUGHTER nonetheless. The two of them are totally

exhilarated. They can't believe what they've just done.

KNOX:

HOLY SH*T!!

VICKI:

You okay?

KNOX:

Yeah. Yeah. Little winded. DID YOU

SEE THAT?!

VICKI:

(laughing wildly)

God yes, Allie. I've gotta say --

that was the ballsiest move I

ever --

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