DETECTIVE COMICS - #406 1ST APP OF DOCTOR DARKK / 2ND APP OF LEAGUE OF ASSASSINS / NEAL ADAMS COVER (1970 - VG/FN)

💥 NEAL ADAMS COVER! CLASSIC BOOK! GREAT CONDITION!

When Count Orsoni, another shipping magnate, is attacked and almost killed, Bruce Wayne decides to visit the man, who is an old friend. Upon arriving at the Count's castle in the foreign country he resides, Bruce is welcomed by Mara Thursday, the Count's cousin and Dr. Darrk, one of Orsoni's friends. However, Bruce is not allowed to see the Count, although he is invited to stay in the place.

Having previously stopped the League of Assassins from murdering another shipping magnate, Bruce decides to investigate the case as Batman and he starts prowling the castle, looking for the Count. He is distracted when Mara Thursday screams in her room and when Batman enters, she makes up a story about an attacker that left without harming her. Batman deduces that this was all a distraction and he rushes to the Count's chambers, but he finds nothing but an empty and disturbed room.

Batman deduces that the Count was kidnapped recently and he starts looking in the castle, when he is suddenly attacked by another member of the League of Assassins. Batman manages to defeat the assassin and he proceeds to look on the hidden places of the castle. Batman finally reaches the cellar, where he finds the Count but falls for a trap and is forced to lay on top of an execution altar. Batman deduces the identity of the killer as Dr. Darrk and he reveals himself as the president of the League of Assassins and prepares Batman for his execution.

 Batman is shackled to the altar and he is forced to hold a rope that keeps an axe from beheading him. Dr. Darrk leaves with the certainty that Batman's grip will surely fail and he forgets about the Count. As Batman in fact starts losing his strength, the Count recovers and, crawling aimlessly, he pushes the statue of a saint on top of the altar, which falls near Batman's head at the same time as he lets go of the rope. The axe falls on the statue, saving Batman's life and the shackles are broken by the impact.

Batman takes the Count to safety, but by the time he goes to the main rooms of the castle, he finds only the assassin he previously defeated and Mara Thursday. Darrk had left the place long ago and Batman arrests Mara and the assassin, who confess all they know about the League, which is not much.

💥 CONDITION: VG/FN