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| Prophecy of Doom | |
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| Season 1, Episode 22 | |
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| Air date | 6 October, 1992 |
| Directed by | Frank Paur |
| Story by | Dennis Marks |
| Teleplay by | Sean Catherine Derek |
| Music by | Shirley Walker |
| Airdate Sequence | |
| Previous Vendetta |
Next The Forgotten |
| Production Sequence | |
| Previous Beware the Gray Ghost |
Next Feat of Clay Part I |
"Prophecy of Doom" is an episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series. This episode introduced the original villain Nostromos, in his only appearance on the show.
"Prophecy of Doom" was the 19th episode produced and the 22nd episode aired.
Synopsis[]
Wealthy elites across Gotham are under the spell of a mesmerizing fortune teller who calls himself Nostromos and preaches doom for those who do not donate their fortunes to his "brotherhood". The cult leader goes too far, however, when he sets his sights on Bruce Wayne-- and, when Bruce fails to fall for his tricks, attempts to have him killed. This brings down the vengeance of the Bat, leading to a daring confrontation amidst the spinning model world's of Gotham's planetarium.
Plot[]
A ritzy casino boat courses out in the middle of the sea while people gamble their money and dance their night away. However, unbeknownst to them, a bomb is in the boiler room and it goes off. The ship instantly sinks and the people flood into the lifeboats leaving the doomed ship to disappear beneath the waves.
Nostromos' flyer
Later, in Gotham City, Bruce Wayne talks with a friend, Ethan Clark, who tells him about a fortune-teller, Nostromos, who warned him not to go out to sea on the gambling cruise. Ethan's daughter, Lisa Clark, is skeptical, claiming it's a coincidence but he points out other predictions that came true, and invites Bruce to a party he is holding in Nostromos's honor. When they are alone, Lisa complains to Bruce that her father now doesn't make the smallest move without the fortuneteller's say-so.
Bruce attends the party and listens to Nostromos's ludicrous words for a while. Nostromos' seems to notice Bruce's skepticism and claims that someone there is in grave danger: Bruce himself. As soon as Bruce is singled out, his glass breaks, astonishing everyone at the party.
In the Batcave, Alfred wonders about Nostromos's powers, but Batman has them figured out as cheap gimmicks, thinking a sonic wave was used for the glass. While at the party, he managed to get some of Nostromos's fingerprints and analyzes them. They belong to an ex-con and actor, Carl Fowler. He also brings up files on his associate Lucas, a special effects man. It's now obvious how the events occurred but not what their purpose is.
The next day, Bruce goes to work as usual and enters his personal elevator. As he does, a guard tells him that the elevator's been repaired. Bruce is momentarily confused, as he wasn't aware that anything was wrong. He enters the elevator and as it goes up, an unknown saboteur throws a wrench into the gears and pours acid onto the cable. Fortunately, Batman is able to escape using his Grapple Gun. Batman chases after the saboteur but he manages to escape after a brief skirmish using the acid.
The saboteur, Lucas, returns to Nostromos and tries to excuse his failure to kill Bruce Wayne. Nostromos is unhappy, as he had planned Bruce's death to cement his followers' faith in him. However, he receives a call from Ethan and learns that Bruce has "seen the light".
Lisa defies Nostromos
In person, a shaken Bruce tells Nostromos that his brush with death has convinced him that Nostromos really does have divine power and Ethan nominates him for membership into the Brotherhood. Overhearing, Lisa is appalled, thinking that both Bruce and her father are succumbing to greed. She swears that Bruce will be the last person Nostromos swindles, but Nostromos is confident that she'll become a believer after the "Great Fall".
Ethan takes Bruce home and explains that Nostromos has predicted a massive economic collapse, and every member of the brotherhood has contributed to a trust fund to guard against the disaster. Ethan assures Bruce that it's on the level, since Nostromos can't touch the funds without Ethan's signature. Bruce now understands what's really going on but still plays along.
At a meeting of the brotherhood, Nostromos announces that the Great Fall will happen soon and that society will fall into chaos. As he tells his stories, he "levitates" (actually being lifted by a wire) into the air, further astonishing his followers. Unbeknownst to him, however, Lisa sneaks in and witnesses Lucas working the special effects for Nostromos's performance. But before she can warn her father, Lucas catches her and takes her away.
Later, Alfred is shocked to hear that Bruce has given the brotherhood ten million dollars. Batman says that it's just for appearances, and Alfred is even more shocked to hear that the fund now totals over three hundred million. Batman knows that Nostromos intends to blackmail Ethan into giving him control of the fund.
Alone with Lucas, Nostromos "predicts" that he and Lucas are about to become very rich men. Ethan arrives in response to Nostromos's summons and is told that the fund is in danger and must be converted to gold bullion. Ethan hesitates, deciding that he needs to consult the other members first. Nostromos warns him to sign because he sees "a bad moon rising" and points to the miniature solar system hung on the ceiling. Lisa is tied to Mars and gagged. Ethan is shocked that he's been betrayed but signs the papers. He is then tied up and gagged and told that the place is set to explode. However, Nostromos suddenly starts flying around erratically and realizes that someone is tampering with the controls. He and Lucas track the mysterious saboteur to the upper catwalks, and discover Batman.
The Planetarium Fight
Batman and Lucas fight for a while and Nostromos decides to flee, but first he accelerates the model planets, causing them to swing off course and crash into one another. Lisa is in grave danger and while Batman is busy with Lucas, there's no one to help her. Batman finally manages to beat Lucas and leaps to save Lisa. Taking advantage of the situation, Nostromos tries to take the signed paper giving him control of the fund but Batman unhooks the model earth from its cable and the giant globe runs him over. Batman then saves Lisa just before she's crushed by Saturn.
Lucas and Nostromos are taken to jail and Ethan is rueful at having been so gullible. Bruce admits he was just as foolish and quotes Shakespeare: "The fault lies not in the stars, but in ourselves".
Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Kevin Conroy | Batman/Bruce Wayne |
| Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. | Alfred Security Guard (uncredited) |
| Michael Des Barres | Nostromos |
| Aron Kincaid | Lucas Man (uncredited) |
| Heather Locklear | Lisa Clark Woman (uncredited) |
| William Windom | Ethan Clark |
External links[]
- "Prophecy of Doom" at IMDb
- This article uses material from the Prophecy of Doom article at the DCAU Wiki and is licensed under the CC BY-SA License.