Episode 9 of Batman: Caped Crusader opens on a haunting premise, portraying Harvey Dent as Gotham City's new Mayor in a twisted dreamscape. Yet, as the veil of slumber lifts, Dent awakens to a stark reality; his face half-concealed by bandages, his aspirations of leadership reduced to ashes. Confined to his desolate apartment, Dent seethes with an unquenchable thirst for retribution, targeting none other than Peter Mitchell, the interim District Attorney.
Two weeks pass, and Commissioner Gordon's frustration boils over as the police force remains stymied by the mystery of Dent's acid attack. Montoya ponders the possibility of Dent's involvement in shady dealings, a truth we already know, yet all fingers point to a politically motivated hit to silence him during the election.
Bruce Wayne steps into the fray, intent on rescuing Dent from the depths of despair. He invites Dent out for dinner, convinced that such a gesture could reignite his former ally's spirit. But Dent, consumed by paranoia and distrust, finds little appetite for camaraderie. Bruce's ulterior motive—to uncover what Dent knows about his assailant—is met with hostility as Dent's anger erupts, tearing off his bandages and terrifying an innocent waitress into tears. The encounter ends abruptly, Bruce realizing the full extent of Dent's mental shattering.
Back at the Batcave, Alfred's conscience weighs heavily, questioning the ethics of exploiting Dent's fragile state. Unbeknownst to them, Dent has embarked on a twisted path of self-justice, stalking the streets and meting out his own morality. In a chilling display, he confronts a criminal, coldly shooting him in the leg after refusing to gamble the man's life on a coin toss, a stark testament to Dent's descent into darkness.
Dent's underlying ambition is unwavering: to unmask Thorne and his sinister associates. His initial target is Tony Zito, the linchpin to this nefarious web. After extracting information from Emil through ruthless interrogation, Dent leaves him battered and bruised, then embarks on a relentless pursuit of the crime lord. Thorne, however, remains complacent, convinced that Harvey Dent's path to him is fraught with obstacles he cannot overcome.
Dent's quest proves fruitful as he locates Tony Zito with ease, securing him in a chair at the heart of a dimly lit chamber. With alcohol spilling across the floor, Dent strikes a match, igniting a firestorm of emotions before fleeing the scene, his heart pounding with disbelief at his own audacity as he speeds away. Even Batman, leaping onto Dent's vehicle, finds himself unable to halt the prosecutor's descent into darkness.
Haunted by a sense of accountability for Dent's descent, Batman remains steadfast, his resolve unshaken to prevent Harvey from slipping further into the abyss. Meanwhile, Thorne, apprised of Zito's demise and the fate of his fellow underworld figures, scrambles to shore up his defenses.
Yet, Dent proves to be a step ahead, plunging the stronghold into darkness and methodically picking off each guard, his movements silent and deadly. Confronting Zito, Dent declares himself the embodiment of justice, a judge, jury, and executioner all in one. Just as the tension reaches its boiling point, Thorne's son, Matthew, intervenes, inadvertently creating a diversion that allows Batman to burst through the rooftop, confronting the duo in a dramatic showdown.
As Dent is apprehended for his heinous deeds, a brief skirmish with Batman preceding his arrest, an unexpected figure emerges to represent him: Barbara, his lawyer, now standing by his side in a twist of fate.
