Thunder

"**Thunder**" is the eleventh episode of the third season of *The Batman* and the thirty-seventh episode overall.

## "Thunder"

### Episode

11 (production order)10 (airing order)
37 (overall)

## Synopsis

No one could have anticipated that Maxie Zeus, a technology entrepreneur, billionaire, and Greek and Roman history fanatic, would seek to take control of Gotham, but it does when he looks set to lose to Mayor Grange during a mayoral election. Using a giant aircraft called New Olympus that is equipped with a powerful weapon and crewed by his personal security force of "Gladiators", he soon threatens the city leaving Batman to stop him. But he soon discovers that Batgirl is far more resourceful, as she finally proves that she deserves to be his sidekick.

## Plot

In the elections, Maxie Zeus and the Marion Grange are the candidates. Despite his popularity, Zeus loses support when he introduces weird ideals such as the new police force being his Gladiators. Bruce then steps in and introduces Gotham's mayor: Mayor Grange,who won against Zeus. As Marion starts his speech, so does Zeus from the big screens. He brings forth his airship, the New Olympus that he will use to rule Gotham. He proceeds to destroy City Hall.

Barbara suits up, then Zeus announces that in order to avoid further destruction, Gotham must oblige to the following decrees. First, should any cops be sighted, he will incinerate a populated building. Second, all air traffic is to cease. Just as then, Batman approaches the airship with his jetpack, so Zeus shoots it down, and Batman grapples away. Batgirl gets close enough and grapples onboard the ship. Zeus announces his third and last decree, they should build a temple in his honor, as he wants to be worshipped. Mayor Grange asks Gordon on what to do, and he tells him to wait for Batman. At the Batcave, Batman goes into a different suit and rides the Batwing. As Batgirl is sneaking in the vents, she spots the power core and thinks of a way to shut it down. She then spots the all the ship's cables and wires. Meanwhile, the ship locks on the Gotham Bay Bridge and prepares to fire, but Batgirl cuts the cables, and they lose power. However, they only lose power to the countdown mechanism; the shot itself is still ready.

Right before Zeus fires at the bridge, Batgirl cuts the power to the Thunderstorm. The Batwing approaches the airship and attacks, but Zeus activates defensive mechanisms, although Batman proceeds to take them out. Zeus then unleashes planes of his own, the Harpies. A fight occurs, then Zeus blasts the Batwing, and manages to hit one of its wings. Before Zeus strikes another hit, Batgirl cuts the power from the weapon. Batman, left with no solution, lands on the hull of New Olympus. As he gets out, he is met by the Gladiators, who shock him to unconsciousness.

The Gladiators bring Batman over to Zeus, who is prepared to kill him. Before he does so, Batgirl announces that she has the key that powers the weapons, the master bolt transducer, which angers him. He leaves Batman and goes to find Batgirl with a party of Gladiators. Zeus declares that he already picked up the frequency of Batgirl's phone and has triangulated her location. Meanwhile, Batman breaks free and escapes. Batgirl sneaks into the core room, and is met by Zeus. She breaks the transducer, infurating him. They fight, then Batman aids a helping hand. During the fight, Zeus accidentally shoots the power core. The Gladiators enter the escape pods and abandon the ship. The duo then realise that nobody is piloting the ship right now, and that the airship will fall into the middle of Gotham. Batman tells Batgirl to find an escape pod, but she heads to the cockpit. As Batman and Zeus fight, Batgirl steers the ship. As a result of the fighting, Batman and Zeus fall out of the ship, leading Batman to activate his parachute. Batgirl directs the ship towards water. Later, Batgirl is seen heading to the Batsignal which Batman activated. She looks around, and only finds a briefcase. She finds gadgets and a Batwave device sent from Batman. She equips them and then stands triumphantly next to Batman, as she has officialy become his sidekick.

## Cast/Characters

* Rino Romano as Bruce Wayne/The Batman
* Danielle Judovits as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl
* Alastair Duncan as Alfred Pennyworth
* Mitch Pileggi as Comissioner Gordon
* Phil LaMarr as Maximillian Zeus
* Adam West as Marion Grange
* Michael Bell as Reporter and Guard
* Gladiators

## Events

- Character debuts:

* Maximillian Zeus
* Gladiators

- Batgirl becomes Batman's official sidekick and gains proper gadgets from him.

- The Batwing is built and eventually (partially) destroyed.

## Trivia

* The silent version of the bat-transition that was featured in *RPM* is used again in this episode.
* The pose at the end is reminiscent of the iconic pose at the end of *BTAS*' theme song.

## Errors

* As Zeus announces his decrees, Grange's pupils are gone.Pupils error.