What Is Reality?

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“What Is Reality?”
Batman: The Animated Series episode

Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 48
Written by	Marty Isenberg & Rober N. Skir
Directed by	Dick Sebast
Original airdate	November 24th, 1992
Episode chronology
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"Birds Of A Feather"	"I Am The Night"

What is Reality? is the title of an episode of Batman: The Animated Series.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

1 Plot
2 Cast
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Plot

On recent occasions, several Gotham City citizens have fallen victom to a mysterious computer hacker. And whats more, a strange riddle is left at every scene. First, a late night jogger trys to make a withdrawal from an ATM, only to have his account wiped clean. With it came the message "Where does a 500 pound gorilla sleep?". Later, the Stock Market is attacked along with the queston "What's worse than a millipede with flat feet?" Finally, the Department of Motor Vehicles is attacked, with the riddle, "How do you fit 5 elephants into a compact car?"

Batman and Commissioner Gordon deduce that The Riddler is behind this, and also discover that Edward Nygma (Riddler's true name) is erasing all of his records from existence (or as Riddler puts it, "deleting Nygma"). Later, Batman and Alfred try to decipher the clues, and eventually realize that the clues aren't in the answers, but the questions. More specifically, the numbers in the questions (500, 1000, 5). Batman then converts the numbers to D, M & V, obviously naming the Department of Motor Vehicles is once again his target.

While this is happening, Robin is at police headquarters, examining a mysterious computer left there. He then deduces that it is a virtual reality world. Meanwhile, Batman unsuccsessfully attempts to stop Riddler's men from stealing Nigma's information. Riddler later contacts Batman on a payphone, leaving him a riddle that told him to go to "police headquarters, room 101."

When he gets there, it seems that Riddler "kidnapped" Gordon, inside the machine, and placed him in a fast moving "swing carousel" type ride. Because his mind is technically inside the machine, if the computer is turned off, it would have same effect of Gordon "hitting a brick wall at 400 miles an hour." Batman goes "inside" the machine to go get him.

After answering the Riddler's clues, Batman finds Gordon inside a "Baxter's Puzzle Box." (a generic version of the Rubik's Cube). However, instead off trying to solve the puzzle, he takes advantage of the world's "virtual reality" aspect and manipulates his hands into sledgehammers, trying to break apart the box.

However, the Riddler responds by duplicating himself, putting the box back together and stopping Batman. Unfortunately for Riddler, his consciousness ultimately spread across thirty-two bodies, he no longer has the concentration to keep his world together.

Batman then gets Gordon out, and realizes that Riddler left a clue as to where he is. They find him inside the "World's Fair Exposition" ("If the planet were equitable, I'd still have my old job".) Unfortunateley, Riddler did not escape in time, and is found a mind-wiped vegetable.

[edit] Cast

Actor	Role
Kevin Conroy	Batman
Bob Hastings	Commissioner Gordon
Efrem Zimbalist Jr.	Alfred Pennyworth
Bever-Leigh Banfield	Clerk
John Glover	Riddler
Loren Lester	Robin
Hal Rayle	Broker