GOTHAM CITY --- NIGHT!

A sinister laugh cuts through the smog-filled air above the Gotham City skyline. Thunder crashes. Lightning flashes. And atop the Ace Chemical Plant, a chaotic confrontation unfolds between the Caped Crusader and the Clown Prince of Crime!

“You’re finished, Joker!” Batman growls, his voice firm as a granite wall.

The Joker, ever the cackling madman in a violet tuxedo, pirouettes backward, a glowing device in hand. “Oh, Batsy,” he sings, “you always say the nicest things... but I’ve got a little change in mind for you!”

With a zzzZZZAP and a blinding blast of light, the device unleashes a pulse of twisted science. Batman staggers, caught in the beam, every muscle convulsing. His cape flares. His body begins to twist and warp in impossible ways --- bones shifting, muscles shrinking, mass redistributing. He falls to his knees with a gasp.

The Joker steps back, eyes gleaming. “Oooh-hoo-hoo! Looks like the Bat has become a belle --- heh heh! Get it, boys?”

Batman blinks, dazed, his body unfamiliar. His gloves hang loose on smaller hands. His utility belt slips over suddenly curvy hips. The Batsuit strains across an hourglass figure that now sways rather than stalks. He --- or rather she --- rises, stunned, dwarfed by the formerly perfect-fit costume.

“Wha... what have you...?” Her voice is sultry now, but still laced with righteous fury. Her balance falters in oversized boots.

But the Joker is already vanishing in a burst of confetti smoke, laughing all the way. “Toodles, darling Darknight Damsel! Catch me if you can --- after you figure out your new cup size! Wahahahahaha!”

The henchmen follow with hooting laughter, disappearing into the Gotham shadows.

Left alone atop the rooftop, the transformed Batman steadies herself, tugging at her sagging cowl. She grits her teeth, glaring into the night. The mission hasn’t changed.

Moments later, the Batmobile roars to life.

Inside the cabin, the newly female Batman struggles to adjust the seat, her much shorter frame barely reaching the pedals. The costume bunches awkwardly around her chest and legs, making driving an awkward battle in itself. Each curve of her body seems to mock her control --- but her resolve is steel.

“Alfred,” she calls into the comm, her voice breathy but firm, “prepare the medical scanner. Something’s... happened.”

With a groan of tires and a howl of engine, the Batmobile screams down the highway toward the Batcave, its driver transformed but unbroken. A new chapter in the legend of the Dark Knight has begun...

Chapter 1

THE BATCAVE --- MOMENTS LATER!

The great stone cavern, a cathedral of justice beneath stately Wayne Manor, glows with the soft hum of machinery and the low growl of the Batmobile as it glides to a halt. The cockpit opens, and out stumbles a very different figure than the one who left only hours before.

Batman --- or rather Bruce Wayne --- pulls at the oversized cowl, lifting it off his newly feminine features. Her --- his --- long dark hair tumbles free, sweat-slicked and clinging to cheeks flushed with residual shock.

Robin, already in his green tights and red tunic, skids to a halt from the training area. “Holy gender bender, Batman! What happened?!”

Alfred, dignified as always, takes a long look before arching an eyebrow, offering a hand to steady the transformed crusader.

“It was the Joker,” Batman explains, her voice still deeper than average but now undeniably feminine, her tone clipped and all business. “Some kind of experimental ray. He hit me with it during a struggle on the chemical plant rooftop.”

Robin, eyes wide, scratches his head. “So... are you, like... permanently a lady now?”

Batman throws him a hard glare.

Robin raises his hands defensively. “I mean, I guess we should call you BatMa’am now?”

Batman doesn’t blink. “Don’t.”

Alfred clears his throat and gestures toward the medical console. “If you would be so good as to step into the scanner, sir --- er, ma’am --- we may be able to understand the situation further.”

Under the glow of blinking lights, the sleek chrome and glass of the Batcave’s medical scanner whirs into motion. Laser lines cross Batman’s altered form. Her arms fold, the ill-fitting gloves bunched up around slender fingers. A few minutes later, the results are in.

Alfred studies the readout, then turns gravely. “It would appear, Master Bruce, that the transformation is irreversible... at least with our current technology.”

Robin leans over the monitor. “So, who can reverse it?”

Batman’s mouth draws into a thin line. “The Joker. His device did this. His mind invented it. If anyone can reverse it... it's him.”

Robin exhales. “Great. Our most insane enemy holds the key to turning you back. That’s... terrific.”

Batman walks over to the Batcomputer, punching in a few commands. “Alfred, tell Aunt Harriet that Bruce had to leave on urgent business overseas. A sudden diplomatic mission --- no details. She must not suspect anything.”

Alfred bows. “Very good, sir. And what of you?”

“I’ll remain here,” Batman replies. “I’ll sleep in the Batcave until I can operate in the field again.”

She turns toward the costuming interface. “I’ve input dimensions based on the new form. A new suit --- feminine, practical, protective --- will be delivered by courier at dawn.”

Robin squints. “Something... stylish?”

Batman shoots him another icy glare. “Functional. But if it fits properly, that’ll be a good start.”

LATER THAT NIGHT --- IN THE SHADOWED DEPTHS OF THE BATCAVE!

A cot has been set up in a quiet corner, just beyond the Batcomputer. The harsh steel of the cave feels colder than usual. Batman, now without the cowl or cape, sits on the edge of the bed --- her curvaceous frame awkwardly cloaked in Aunt Harriet’s pale pink nightgown and robe. The fabric is soft, but the fit is abysmal. The garment is sized for a much larger lady than he has become except in two areas: the chest and hips. The hem is too high, the chest clings too tightly, and the robe’s sash dwarfs her much narrower waist.

She sighs, tucking her hair behind her ear, looking at herself in the chrome reflection of a Batcave panel. She doesn’t recognize the face.

But she’s still Batman.

And tomorrow, BatMa’am will rise.

Chapter 2

GOTHAM CITY --- THE NEXT MORNING!

Fog rolls off the harbor, and above it all --- deep beneath Wayne Manor --- a shrill, unmistakable ring echoes through the Batcave.

BRRRRRRING!

Alfred, ever punctual, strides briskly to the red Batphone and lifts the receiver. “Batcave. One moment, Commissioner. She’ll take the call.”