The Batmen (comic story)

The Batmen
Main character(s):	Steve Zodiac
Featuring:	Matic, Venus, Robert, Zero
Main enemy:	Leader of the Batmen
Main setting:	An asteroid in hyperspace, 2065
Key crew
Publisher:	City Magazines
Editor:	Alan Fennell
Writer:	Tod Sullivan
Artist:	Graham Coton
Release details
Printed in:	TV21 1-5
Release date:	23 January - 20 February 1965
Reprinted in:	Fireball XL5 60th Anniversary Comic Anthology
Format:	5 parts - 10 pages
Fireball XL5 crossover stories
Next →	Space Border Battle

The Batmen was a Fireball XL5 comic printed in TV Century 21 in 1965. It was reprinted as Danger in Hyper-Space in the Fireball XL5 60th Anniversary Comic Anthology.

The story crossed over with the Doctor Who universe by marking the appearance of an unknown asteroid in hyperspace, which had been earlier introduced to readers in the Dalek short story Stingray Attacked!.

Summary

to be added

Characters

• Steve Zodiac
• Matthew Matic
• Venus
• Robert the Robot
• Commander Zero
• Lieutenant Ninety
• Leader of the Batmen
• Valeen

Worldbuilding

• Fireball XL5 patrols Sector 25. Commander Zero asks that Steve Zodiac and his crew investigate the mayday in Area 4.
• Steve uses oxygen pills instead of a space suit.
• After being exposed in space, Steve falls into a "strange coma" which Venus diagnoses as a form of suspended animation.
• Steve and the crew use jetmobiles to easily traverse the asteroid.
• Steve claims that "every ship in the universe" would be in deadly danger if the Batmen had Fireball.
• The leader of the Batmen was the only survivor from the prison ship Black Maria 9 after it was partly destroyed by a meteorite shower.

Story notes

• Like most of TV Century 21's The Daleks comic stories from the same era, this comic serial was not given a title in the pages of TV Century 21 during its original printing; the title instead comes from later reference sources.

Continuity

• While Steve is reported dead, Commander Zero has to answer questions about his condition from a TV 21 reporter. (COMIC: Genesis of Evil)
• A press conference was held in Space City after Fireball XL5 discovered the unknown asteroid. (PROSE: Stingray Attacked!)
• The news of Steve surrendering Fireball to the Batmen reached Space City via Neutroni Tele-Radar Satellite and caused some alarm. (PROSE: Fireball Surrenders!)
• Concern for the safety of the Fireball crew grew at Space City following Robert the Robot's attack on the leader of the Batmen. (COMIC: Power Play)