Batman: Gotham by Gaslight

Batman intervenes during a daring robbery carried out by three orphans and their keeper, Big Bill Dust. He neutralizes the assailants and shields the couple, demonstrating his resolve to protect Gotham's vulnerable. The scene establishes Batman as a feared defender of the city’s upper class as well as its poor.

Ivy, an orphan who has become an exotic dancer, becomes one of the Ripper's targets. The brutal murder reminds Gotham's citizens of the killer's reach into the city's poorest neighborhoods. The incident compounds the sense of danger spreading through the city.

Whispers spread through Gotham that the masked vigilante and the brutal killer are one and the same. The speculation feeds fear and mistrust in the streets and among Gotham's elite. The city becomes obsessed with the paradox of Batman as a potential killer.

Selina Kyle publicly challenges Commissioner Gordon and Chief Bullock for their inability to halt the Ripper's rampage. She argues that the city needs decisive action, not excuses. Her confrontation highlights rising tension between law enforcement and Gotham's vulnerable citizens.

Bruce joins Harvey Dent for a night at the Monarch Theatre and runs into Selina again at the Dionysus Club. Their bond grows as fragments of their shared past come to light. The glamorous club scene signals a crucial shift in Bruce's investigation and personal connections.

Bruce uncovers a chilling personal link: several murdered girls were under Sister Leslie's care, and someone connected to him and Selina may be the killer. He deduces that Leslie herself could be the Ripper's next target. He rushes to warn her, but arrives too late.

A bloody clue—the Dionysus Club pin—appears to tie the killer to Gotham's affluent circles. Bruce understands the murderer is among the city's elite and not a down-and-out criminal. The clue tightens the noose around those who hide their crimes behind privilege.

At Sister Leslie's funeral, psychiatrist Hugo Strange confronts Bruce and claims to hold vital information about the killer. He seeks to meet Batman to exchange what he knows. The encounter deepens the mystery and foreshadows a direct confrontation.

Marlene is found dead, escalating fear and prompting an official crackdown on Batman's perceived misdeeds. Bruce is arrested and Harvey Dent prosecutes him, turning public opinion against the vigilante. The case intensifies the conflict between Batman's double life and Gotham's legal system.

The Ripper ambushes Hugo Strange inside Arkham Asylum and tears him apart among his own patients. The brutality frightens Gotham's institutions and raises the stakes for Batman's pursuit. The scene marks a turning point in the investigation and in Strange's arc.

Batman is briefly pursued by law enforcement but is saved by Selina, who guides him to safety at her home. The duo share a tense, intimate night as trust deepens between them. The sequence blends danger with a rare moment of vulnerability.

A coded message arrives at Bruce's manor, directing him to take action. He uses the distraction to orchestrate an escape from Blackgate Penitentiary by staging a prison brawl. The escape marks a turning point, enabling Batman to operate more freely again.

Selina confronts Gordon at the Gotham City World's Fair and discovers he is the Ripper. Gordon drugs Selina to silence her, but she signals Batman with her blood on a searchlight, drawing him into the confrontation. Batman engages Gordon on a Ferris wheel, heightening the tension of the finale.

Batman defeats Gordon on the flaming Ferris wheel as the ride bursts into flames. Gordon, haunted and cornered, chooses suicide over capture. Alfred arrives with the orphans, who become Bruce Wayne's wards, offering a glimmer of hope for Gotham's battered streets.