EPISODE NUMBERS: 43, Production Code 404

PLOT SUMMARY:

At his penthouse apartment, John Marlowe is using the money made from his genius to finance the presentation. His old friend Bruce is talking with the museum curator, Clea, about how the money seems to have gone to John’s head and how he was originally a shy geek. They’re interrupted when a man dressed in orange and white with an E on his featureless mask walks in. Bruce backs out as the intruder goes for the picture, tossing John aside. The Batman arrives and attacks the man, who runs into a broom closet. The Batman and Marlowe go in after him but… he’s disappeared.

Batman is at the Batcave going over the museum plans with Robin when they get a report of a silent alarm at the art museum. They arrive as the same man departs with a painting but when confronted with the two-to-one odds, he runs around a corner and then appears as two different men. Robin and Batman split up to go after them. Batman ropes one but another one hits him, while Robin finds himself equally outnumbered. The two crime fighters chase their opponents into a hallway where there’s a flash of light… and all their opponents have disappeared.

Clea tells the Commissioner that nothing seems to be missing, and Bruce goes over a hair sample, which is a match for John Marlowe. However Marlowe has a perfect alibi since he was present at the first robbery and Batman refuses to rule him out. Bruce goes to visit Marlowe and check out the closet again. Bruce covertly transmits video footage and Alfred reports they’re finding radiation, and Robin reports finding the same radiation at the museum. Bruce wonders why John is acting different and Marlowe snaps at him while Bruce gets footage of Marlowe… with the same radiation.

Later Batman and Robin return to Marlowe’s penthouse apartment and Batman reveals Marlowe has been doing work on quantum theory for the government. There are two radiation hotspots in the building and they split up to investigate them. The Batman finds the masked figure in a lab, a figure who attacks him. He unmasks the man revealing Marlowe, but Marlowe just laughs and another man in the same costume attacks. Batman knocks him down, but the man unmasks to reveal Marlowe. Using a wrist device, Marlowe multiples himself several times over.

Another Marlowe arrives and escorts Batman into the elevator with his four duplicates. They go up to the penthouse level where yet another Marlowe is waiting for him--the seeming original, who introduces himself as the Everywhere Man. Other Everywhere Men are searching the building for Robin, who is hiding in the vents. They also talk about making sure a prisoner is secured. Marlowe explains he has created a Quantex generator that charges his body’s quantum particles and creates energy duplicates. He can also recall them at will from a distance, explaining how the other ones have disappeared. Marlowe can also duplicate other objects, including copies of the art which he left behind as he stole the originals.

Robin finds the room where the prisoner is hidden, and knocks out a group of Everywhere Men guarding it. Robin breaks in and finds… Marlowe. Batman has come to a similar conclusion, based on the quantum radiation on the “original” he’s confronting (actually the first copy). Copy #1 gained free will and decided to do what was “necessary” to achieve it. Another Everywhere Men are more interested in copying the world and Batman notes each duplicate is darker then the original. Copy #1 disbands the one confronting him and boasts that he kept Marlowe as part of his collection. Batman realizes the original Marlowe is in the building and uses a smoke grenade to make his escape. Copy #1 alerts the others who create ever more multiples to search the entire building. Hundreds of them fill the building as Robin hides with the original Marlowe.

Copy #1 sends his Everywhere Men to the atrium where they’ve spotted Batman. He confronts dozens of them using all the weaponry in his utility belt but they soon begin to overwhelm him. Robin attacks copy #1 but he creates another small army and Robin reveals he’s wearing the prototype Quantex unit to create an army of his own. The two armies crash into each other. Copy #1 spots the original and reveals that the prototype was prone to overload and the duplicates disappear after a sold contact. The other Robins start to disappear while Batman and the original Robin continue to fight. Two other duplicates take the original Marlowe prisoner while Batman runs out of weapon.

Batman points out that the other Everywhere Men are disposable when Copy #1 doesn’t need them any more. The Everywhere Men start fighting among each other to be the one to survive, while some support their “creator.” The original Marlowe points out that even he can’t know which ones to trust, and he’s forced to recall all of the duplicates. Batman and Robin confront Marlowe and point out that he can’t win. The original takes advances of his copy’s distraction, grabs the Quantex generator unit, and recalls the last copy.

Later Marlow donates all of his art and apologizes to Bruce, who is okay with it. Clea shows up and is willing to accept him despite his lack of confidence, while Bruce leaves them to it.

WRITTEN BY: Greg Weisman

DIRECTED BY: Brandon Vietti

CAST:
Rino Romano (Bruce Wayne / Batman)
Evan Sabara (Dick Grayson / Robin)
Brandon Routh (John Marlowe / Everywhere Man)
Allison Mack (Clea)

QUOTES:
Everywhere Man: The Batman. Here for another glimpse of my disappearing act?
Robin: Ooh ooh ooh. And then we want to see you saw a lady in half.

INTERESTING NOTES:
- Allison Mack, who voices Clea the museum curator, also plays the part of Chloe Sullivan in Smallville, based on the DC Universe. Not only is the character modeled after Mack, but "Clea" sounds quite similar to "Chloe".

Also, John dresses very similar to Jimmy Olsen, Superman's pal, on Superman: TAS (brown jacket and trousers, dark-colored shirt, red hair). At the end, Clea and John become an item; on Smallville, Chloe and Jimmy are currently lovers.

- Brandon Routh (who voices Everywhere Man) is no stranger to the DC universe. He played Superman in the latest film Superman Returns.

SCREEN GRABS: