Beware the Creeper (The New Batman Adventures)

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“Beware the Creeper”
The New Batman Adventures episode
Episode no.	Season 04 Episode 022
Written by	Steve Gerber
Directed by	Dan Riba
Original airdate	Nov. 7, 1998
Episode chronology
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"Chemistry"	"Judgement Day"
List of Batman: The Animated Series episodes

Beware the Creeper is an episode from season four of the animated television series The New Batman Adventures. It marks the first filmed appearance of The Creeper, created by Steve Ditko.

[edit] Plot

Jack Ryder, anchoring a live TV special on the career of the Joker from the very factory where the Joker had his life-changing encounter with a vat of chemicals, is interrupted by the Joker himself, who doesn't appreciate the attention. The Joker doses Ryder with his trademark lethal laughing gas and then, to distract the newly arrived Batman and Robin, pushes him into the same vat of chemicals. The gas and the chemicals react strangely; Ryder survives, but is transformed into an extraordinarily strong and agile maniac with yellow skin, green hair, and a rictus grin, who helps Batman and Robin apprehend the Joker and his gang, both in revenge for what Joker did, and also because he develops an intense attraction to Harley Quinn. Although his mania is benign, his methods are so extremely wild and frantic that even The Joker begs to be arrested to escape them, saying, about the Creeper: "He's a lunatic!".

At the end of the episode, Ryder is returned to his normal self by a treatment that counteracts the chemicals, in the form of a skin patch; but it is suggested that the treatment is only temporary, and that if Ryder takes the patch off he will soon become the Creeper again. In the final seconds he stares at the patch, saying "A little piece of cotton — hard to believe." The view then changes to outside his apartment with a silhouette of him at the window. There is the sound of paper being torn, followed by the silhouette of Ryder laughing in the manner of the Creeper — the obvious implication being that Ryder was at least willing to return to the form of the Creeper at some point. This is a common sort of ending for a one-off villain in the series; not only is it elusive and thought-provoking, but it is also in the best interests of the writers, as an ambiguous ending leaves the character available for return appearances in future episodes.

[edit] Cast

Actor	Role
Kevin Conroy	Batman/Bruce Wayne
Mathew Valencia	Robin/Tim Drake
Efrem Zimbalist Jr.	Alfred Pennyworth
Jeff Bennett	The Creeper / Jack Ryder
Mark Hamill	The Joker
Arleen Sorkin	Harley Quinn
E.G. Daily	Thrift Store Manager
Billy West	Cur, Lar & Mo