Batman gets a home-movie starring Carl Ternion, who has been cleared of wilfully murdering gang boss Anton Karoselle. In the film, Ternion taunts Batman with the knowledge that he deliberately killed Karoselle and cannot be tried twice for the same crime. Realizing a trap has been set for him, Batman reviews the facts of the case with Alfred.

Ternion had managed to enter Karoselle's mansion, accusing him of killing Dave Stevens. Karoselle had allegedly blasted away at Ternion with a rifle, but Ternion grabbed the gun and pointed it upward. A stray blast brought a chandelier down on Karoselle, killing him just as police, already on guard, burst in. Ternion was acquitted of a murder charge.

Batman alerts Mary Ann Warner, a homeless woman, to be on the lookout for information, but she is beaten up shortly after by two punks. He rushes her to the hospital, where she gasps, "Ekk...out" before collapsing. Batman captures the punks, letting one of them, Vinnie Allen, free so he may trail him to his boss, who proves to be Ternion. Ternion, guessing Batman's scheme, shoots Vinnie dead atop Gotham Dam and almost kills Batman by sending him into the dammed waters and opening the spillway.

Later, Bruce Wayne refuses Lucius Fox's resignation due to personal problems but gives him a leave of absence to work things out. Meanwhile, Ternion has been romancing Gilda Stevens, formerly the wife of Two-Face and later of Dave Stevens. Ternion consults later with plastic surgeon Albert Eckhart, who says that his work will soon fade and Ternion will be as he was before. Enraged with the surgeon, Ternion shoots Eckhart and kills him.

Moments later, Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and the GCPD recover Eckhart's body from Gotham Bay the next morning and Batman realizes that Mary Ann was trying to gasp out "Eckhart". He leaves, deducing the real identity of Ternion, who is presently comforting Gilda Stevens and silently resolving to marry her "a second time" after he kills Batman

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