Batman: Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma

"Blunt Trauma"

Batman: Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma
March 18, 1998
Written by	Chuck Dixon
Cover by	Eduardo Barreto
Pencilled by	Eduardo Barreto
Inked by	Bill Sienkiewicz
Colored by	Jason Wright
Lettering by	Tim Harkins
Edited by	Darren Vincenzo, Scott Peterson
Previous Issue	Robin #56
Next Issue	Robin #57

Dean: "Whatever. You think you're some kinda hero now?"
Steph: "Yeah. Maybe I am."

Spoiler and the Huntress face some of Batman's greatest foes in this "Cataclysm" one-shot! Freed from Blackgate Prison during the events of Batman Blackgate Isle of Men (1998) #1, a group of Batman's most ruthless foes comes ashore at the devastated Gotham Mall. Only Spoiler and the injured Huntress stand between them and hundreds of victims.

Summary of Stephness: Stephanie is at the mall with her deadbeat boyfriend Dean when the quake hits, and tackles him out of the way of falling debris. Dean decides to leave, but Stephanie insists on staying to help the people. She puts on her Spoiler costume and dispatches two looters, when she sees a toddler going after a Crocky doll, precariously balanced on a steel beam high up. She catches the toddler as he falls and returns him to his mother, only to fall herself when the beam breaks. She is caught by the Huntress.

Meanwhile, Arthur Brown has escaped from Blackgate due to a "sea bridge" created by the quake, along with Czonka, Ratcatcher, Firefly, and a thug called Monsoon. They are looting the mall and Czonka is shooting at the guards when Huntress and Spoiler take him down. They then also defeat Firefly, and Huntress grumbles when Spoiler decides they should drag Lynnes away from his own fiery deathtrap.

They finally meet up with the Cluemaster. Spoiler grabs Huntress's arm and tells her not to kill her father. Arthur sics Monsoon on Huntress. Spoiler saves Huntress by hitting Monsoon in the legs so Helena can kick him over her down to the story below. Ernie Chubb, a crook bent for revenge on Arthur since the Cluemaster got Monsoon to knock him out and left him at Blackgate, attacks driving an SUV in the mall, and Huntress goes after him.

Stephanie goes after her dad and the Ratcatcher sets rats upon her, but Steph vaults up and kicks her dad and the Ratcatcher in the backs of their heads. Ratcatcher falls unconscious and Steph chastises her dad, who offers her money and is rebuffed, and then begs Stephanie to let him go, saying Huntress will kill him. As Helena approaches, Steph is forced to let her dad go to save his life. She helps an injured Helena out of the mall, wondering how much of her motivation comes from shame about her father.

Behind the Scenes: The only pre-pregnancy appearance of Steph's boyfriend Dean.

The digital version of this comic, released March 9, 2017, removes the "Cataclysm" banner on the left side of the cover: