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    Detective Comics #319

    Detective Comics » Detective Comics #319 - The Fantastic Dr. No-Face released by DC Comics on September 1963.

    Short summary describing this issue.

    The Fantastic Dr. No-Face last edited by pikahyper on 07/26/19 07:57AM View full history

    “THE FANTASTIC DR. NO-FACE!” Dr. Paul Dent becomes a faceless criminal after a serious accident with a machine he created in order to erase scars from skin tissue.

    The Fantastic Dr. No-Face

    While demonstrating his new skin rejuvenation ray, Doctor Paul Dent suffers an accident that literally erases his face. Traumatized by his horrific appearance, Dent runs screaming into the night. Responding to the Bat-Signal, Batman and Robin find Dent, now calling himself "Doctor No-Face", shooting at movie posters in Gotham Square. Batman attempts to reason with Doctor No-Face. When a stray rifle shot brings a live electrical cable down into the street, Batman and Robin are distracted long enough for Doctor No-Face to escape. Doctor No-Face next appears at the Gotham Museum. Knocking out the night watchman with a gas capsule, Doctor No-Face begins torching portraits.

    Alerted by a silent alarm, Batman and Robin intervene. Once again, Doctor No-Face escapes, this time by barring the Caped Crusaders' path with an enormous plaque. Doctor No-Face continues his bizarre crime spree across Gotham City, destroying the faces of clocks, statues and masks. Batman and Robin catch up to Doctor No-Face after he's already robbed the Gotham Jewel Exchange. Batman trails Doctor No-Face to a quarry, arriving just as the Faceless Fiend has thrown a valuable emerald into a rock-crusher. Though Batman upends the trough the emerald landed in, the gemstone is, nonetheless, crushed, destroying it's jeweled "face".

    An offhand comment leads the Dynamic Duo to Mount Gotham. There, they find Doctor No-Face sandblasting the Batman Face Monument. Doctor No-Face severs Batman's line with the sandblaster. With Batman dangling from the monument's lips, Robin is quick to disengage the sandblaster's hose, before Doctor No-Face can fire the kill shot. With Doctor No-Face disarmed, Batman easily binds the Faceless Fiend, and carts him off to jail. Things, though, are not as they seem. Doctor No-Face is really Bart Magan, a career criminal. Magan approached Dent to have the scars removed from his face. When Dent refused, Magan subjected himself to the skin rejuvenation ray, erasing his own face.

    Magan took the accident as an opportunity to frame Dent for his crimes. Batman, Robin and Police Commissioner Gordon expose Magan as the true face of Doctor No-Face. Magan failed to take into account Dent's extreme acrophobia. Dent could never have suspended himself at such an elevation to deface the monument. A quick fingerprint check uncovered Magan's identity. Rounding up Magan's criminal associates, Batman discovers that Doctor No-Face's destructive rampage was really a smokescreen to cover several robberies. The real emerald, as well as several valuable paintings are recovered. HIs ruse revealed, Magan faces a long sentence in Gotham Penitentiary.

    J'onn J'onzz--Wizard Of 1463

    Police detective John Jones takes a well-earned vacation to Europe. While exploring the Dolmain Caverns, Jones finds himself enveloped in mist. Jones finds the egress out of the cavern transports him to medieval Europe. Jones has arrived just in time to rescue Captain Louis Moray, who has been ridden off the edge of a ravine. Moray reveals that the Black Duke has abducted Prince Charles, and usurped the throne. Jones delivers Moray to a safe haven, then makes his way to the castle. Becoming intangible, Jones walks through the walls of the castle. Turning invisible, Jones eavesdrops on the Black Duke, to discern the prince's location.

    The Black Duke sends out two of his guardsman to force the prince to abdicate the throne. Jones surreptitiously takes out one of the guardsmen, then takes on his appearance. Jones rides with the other guardsman to the prince's location, then takes down the Black Duke's guardsmen. Jones delivers the prince to Moray. Jones takes on the appearance of the prince, then engages the Black Duke's guardsmen in the town square. Jones defeats them all, while twisting their weapons into a giant pretzel shape. When word of the "prince's" actions reach the Black Duke, he takes matters in hand personally.

    Catching the "prince" by surprise, the Black Duke clubs him into unconsciousness, then locks him in the castle dungeon. Weakened by the lit torches over the door, Jones decides to wait until morning, when the torches will be doused, to act. The real prince, along with Moray, rallies his people to rise up against the Black Duke. The Black Duke sends out his forces to meet the prince's head on. Moray sneaks into the dungeon and releases Jones. The Martian Manhunter engages the Black Duke's armies on the prince's behalf. With the Black Duke's surrender, the prince retakes the throne. Jones returns to present day Europe, then onward, back to America.

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