Planet
DC Annual 2000 - Batgirl - Introducing: ARUNA!
August, 2000.
Scott Peterson, Mike Deodato, John Stanisci, Pablo Raimondi, and
Walden Wong
Price: $3.50 US, $5.50 CAN
Note: This comic has two stories. The first is about Batgirl
meeting Aruna, and the second is about Aruna’s history. The synopsis is
only for the first story.
Synopsis: The comic opens with a beautiful full-page picture
of an extremely sexy-looking Batgirl. The next page is a two-page spread
of Batgirl beating up several thugs at the same time while Batman looks
on. Batgirl continues to batter the thugs until Batman finally asks one
of them “Where is he?” One of the thugs mentions a kidnapped boy by the
name of Ashok Ramanan, and that is who Batman is now looking for. Ashok,
a very popular Indian movie star, had disappeared the day before from the
set of his latest movie, which is in Madras, India. At the set, Bruce and
Cassandra, in disguise as reporters, meet the director of the movie. He
is very busy, and gets his assistant to help the couple. After a conversation
that leads to nowhere at all, the assistant asks them to join her while
she views the film they had shot the last few days. While they are watching
the film, Cassandra is shocked by the realistic monster on the screen.
After four viewings, Bruce asks the assistant about the special effects,
and we find that they are done by a woman named Aruna Shende, who doesn’t
reveal her secrets. Later, Bruce and Cassandra change into their costumes
and go to Aruna’s apartment. When they meet her, she jumps out the window
and attempts to run away. (Note that Batman calls her “Aruna Ramanan.”)
As the chase continues, Batman and Batgirl ask an old man if he saw Aruna.
When he answers that he didn’t, Batman starts to leave. But, Batgirl was
not fooled, and knew the old man was Aruna. Batman concludes that Aruna
is a shapeshifter, and the old man changes into Aruna. While Batman is
asking her about Ashok, some cries are heard, and some thugs are seen hurting
a woman. With lighting (and almost Flash-like) speed, Batgirl takes care
of the thugs, and then Batman attends to the woman. Aruna explains to Batgirl
that the woman will receive no help since she is one of the untouchables,
a class below the lowest class. Batgirl asks Aruna if she is an untouchable,
and she admits she is. Batgirl touches Aruna. Later, at Ashok’s parents’
home, Aruna and Batgirl interrogate Ashok’s parents. It is discovered that
the parents are untouchables too, and that the only people who knew where
the parents lived were Ashok’s agent, the accountant, and their neighbour,
Mister Lahiri. At the Lahiri residence, Batgirl believes that Mister Lahiri
knows something about Ashok. Aruna uses her abilities to scare the old
man, and he admits that Ashok is out back. While Batgirl is looking for
the boy, Mister Lahiri explains that he kidnapped Ashok since the boy is
an untouchable. When Batgirl returns, we discover that Ashok is dead. The
untouchables... “Who is there for them?”
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