The Brave and the Bold: Batman and Doctor Mid-Nite

Times Past, 1953

“Bring Me Myra Mason!”

by Libbylawrence

“BRING ME MYRA MASON!”: Part 1

The year: 1953. The place: A penthouse in New York.

The gruff, brutal voice seemed oddly out of place next to the luxurious surroundings. The men listening were equally ill-suited to the elegant furnishings. Their clothes, their language, their very body language marked them as criminals; men outside of the law and in direct opposition to society’s laws. They were mobsters, and they lived by a more primitive set of rules like those of the jungle beasts. Appropriately enough, their leader was a jungle beast.

A large, furry, black gorilla sat at a 15th century French desk and barked orders to his followers. “Now see here, you mugs, I told youse where to find the dame. I got ya the super weapons from the egghead. Now, bring me Myra Mason! She’ll be my bride tonight, or I’m not the Gorilla Boss of Gotham!”

“BRING ME MYRA MASON!”: Part 2

Myra Mason, a very pretty, demure young woman of 34, made a beautiful nurse. Her long blonde hair, delicate features and trim figure seemed equally appropriate for a model. Her caring nature and sympathetic voice endeared her to all of her patients. Unfortunately, that would soon be her problem. Her employer, Dr. Charles McNider, was all too aware of her good traits.

“BRING ME MYRA MASON!”: Part 3

Dr. Charles McNider was bored. His research work had been rewarding, as had his medical consulting fees; however, nothing seemed quite so pleasing to the spirit as his mystery-man career as the JSA hero Dr. Mid-Nite. He seldom now ventured out in the famous red and black costume. Since the JSA disbanded in 1951, he had only had around a dozen adventures on his own, and with certain All-Star Squadron pals.

His nurse Myra had been faithful and supportive to his every deed as a doctor. In fact, when he finally told her about his secret life, he was shocked to learn that the same woman who had followed him east during his brief military work had already discovered his double identity years before.

“I’m a trained nurse. I know your unique body language in that mask or out of it,” she had replied. McNider often wondered about Myra’s feelings for him. She had a crush on him, at the very least, but he had never felt comfortable about involving her in his private life, since he could never shake an element of doubt about whether she loved him or merely retained some protective instinct, or even mere hero worship toward him. In any case, she was his best friend, except for Hooty the owl.

Myra’s loud scream brought the nearly dozing McNider to his feet and into the outer office quickly. He was not prepared for what he found inside. His special lens allowed him to see clearly, but he could scarcely believe the sight before him.

She was being carried out over the shoulder of a large gorilla in a 1930s-style gangster’s pinstripe suit. Gunmen of a more human variety aimed futuristic weapons at him when he stepped out. “Don’t youse move, sawbones, and nobody gets hurt,” grunted the gorilla.

Myra kicked and flailed desperately as he leaped off with her tucked beneath one massive arm. McNider knew he could handle the gunmen, but he could not do anything without risking his identity. Blind men did not fight crooks. He watched helplessly as they made good their escape. As soon as they cleared out he decided his next move.

“BRING ME MYRA MASON!”: Part 4

Myra found herself a prisoner in the palatial penthouse used as the base for the Gorilla Boss and his gang. She was horrified as anyone would be; however, her years of seeing adventures around Dr. Mid-Nite when he faced foes like the madness plague of Dr. Elba or the murders of the Crime Surgeon had left her with a bit of an immunity to shock at the bizarre. Still, she had never seen anything like the monstrous and passionate talking gorilla who had held her on his lap and caressed her tenderly after securing her door.

“Myra, honey, don’t you know me? Look at my eyes. I’m George Dyke, from Gotham. You nursed me at the old prison years ago.”

She shuddered, since this bizarre “man-ape” did retain that cold stare that marked “Boss” Dyke as a killer and a danger even during his time at Gotham Pen. “I… remember you, but not like this… not like you are now,” she stammered.

“I ended up really bad off after my escape from jail. I got a sawbones to put my mind in this here gorilla body. It saved my life and made me the strongest kingpin around. I was almost done for again by the Batman, but I survived and I’ve come back for you, lover!” he grunted.

“I was just your nurse. I could not love a brutal thug like you. You were just a patient,” Myra replied.

The Gorilla Boss roared his disapproval. “You’ll see things different, sister, when I rule this city. I got Flash Gordon style weapons from another real costumed type and I’ll keep you here until you agree to be mine,” said Dyke.

Myra shuddered and silently prayed that Charles would track her down soon… before she became a bride to the Gorilla Boss of Gotham.

“BRING ME MYRA MASON!”: Part 5

“Bruce, I need your help. Myra was abducted by some ape-man who talked and wore clothes. His gang included Jake Frizzel from Gotham. I recognized him from Dr. Light’s old gang. In fact, they had special guns that could have been Light’s too,” said Dr. Mid-Nite to his friend, Bruce Wayne, alias Batman.

“Forget Frizzel. I can tell you who or what that Gorilla was. He used to be a strong-arm type in the local mobs. His name is George Dyke, and his mind ended up in a gorilla’s body earlier this year after he took sanctuary with a doctor for the mob after a jail break. Robin and I stopped his rampage, and we assumed that he was no longer a problem. Guess they all come back sooner or later. I can trace Dyke and Frizzel through a combination of sources. I know you’ll want to be part of this, so meet me at the JSA’s old Gotham base.”

Dr. Mid-Nite felt better now. He knew Batman could handle any danger and solve any mystery. Medical mysteries were his specialty; however, the Caped Crusader seemed able to resolve any enigma. Poor Myra. If only they would be in time.

Soon, on a dark brownstone building, the two night stalkers met. Somehow Batman’s sudden appearance out of the dark managed to escape even Dr. Mid-Nite’s keen night vision.

“I’m here, Mid-Nite. Don’t worry, I’ve traced the property deeds to a penthouse rented by another old associate of George Dyke. Robin has the place staked out now, and from what he can tell from long range observation, they do have a gorilla-like figure inside. Now, let’s go get your girl.”

Dr. Mid-Nite smiled. Bruce was always so supportive and friendly to his costumed allies or indeed anyone in trouble. Only criminals found him to be a grim avenger. Batman was a smiling guardian to anyone on the right side of the law. He could not imagine a cold and distant Batman. It seemed so out of character for the warm-hearted hero.

“BRING ME MYRA MASON!”: Part 6

Myra Mason reached into the pocket of her crisp white nurse’s uniform. She had nothing to defend herself with if that monster Dyke came back in to “romance” her again. She’d had convicts fall for her before; it happened to prison nurses all the time, but she could hardly imagine such a mockery of mankind wanting to make her his bride.

“Make you my bride” was the exact phrase Dyke had used to her as he whispered in her ear. He literally expected to force her into marrying him. He even had a corrupt minister at his beck and call.

Before Myra could collect her thoughts, she was roughly ordered to slip on an ornate wedding gown. She put the gown on reluctantly and desperately sought some way to escape.

“Bring out my bride. Get ready, Padre,” said the Gorilla Boss as his men lined up to witness this weird ceremony. Myra stumbled out to stand shivering beside the now-formally-attired gorilla.

At that moment, a voice yelled, “I object on the grounds that you’re a big ugly ape!” and a colorful laughing daredevil crashed through the patio window. It was Robin, the now-grown-up Boy Wonder, and before the thugs could react, he had snatched a startled Myra and swung back over the deck to the floor below, with the beautiful blonde bride in his arm.

“After him! That punk is due to get a beating for the last time we met,” said the now-enraged Gorilla Boss.

“Lights out!” yelled Dr. Mid-Nite as he entered from the outside hallway. The second the thug named Frizzel had opened the door to chase after Myra and Robin, a sphere-shaped object had sailed inside the room and plunged the penthouse into total darkness. It was one of Mid-Nite’s patented blackout bombs, and they truly lived up to their creator’s name.

The inky blackness filled the room and blocked out the lights from the neighboring skyscrapers. The gang could not see to aim their odd guns, but they fired anyway. Intensely packed beams of solid light pulsed out around the room. The rays did damage to the furnishings, but not to Mid-Nite, who dodged effortlessly and event had time to confirm his earlier guess that the weapons came from Hourman’s old enemy Dr. Light.

“This is for Myra,” said the grim crime-buster as his skilled combat prowess made short work of Frizzel and the gang. Dr. Mid-Nite delivered devastating blows and never missed his foes. To his special goggles the room was brightly lighted and the frightening thugs and their deadly guns were moving in futile slow motion.

“BRING ME MYRA MASON!”: Conclusion

Myra clung to Robin as he swung her to safety. “Going down, furniture, hardware, mafia bosses turned gorillas above you, safety and your hero below,” he quipped. It was lame, but it served to reassure the frightened woman, and public service was always first. That was the rule Batman lived by, and his partner never let his ideals down.

While Dr. Mid-Nite disarmed and subdued the gang, Batman stood on the roof above the penthouse. As he suspected, Gorilla Boss reverted to more basic instincts and climbed out on the patio to follow Robin and Myra in animal style.

Before Dyke could even reach the next floor, Batman dropped quickly and confidently down on his rope and deliberately attracted his attention. “Your ‘wedding’ is over. You are going back to jail or the zoo where you belong.”

Dyke looked up as his foe appeared and quickly found a precarious perch on the deck bannister. “You’ll never take me alive!” he roared in his best Cagney.

“I’ve seen that movie, and I gave it a bad review. Crime should never be glorified.” Batman landed on the rail, and the two began a lethal struggle above the city. Batman knew he couldn’t overpower the gorilla, but he could out-think anyone. “That whole beauty and the beast cliche doesn’t work in real life. Remember, you’re more Kong than Cagney!” replied Batman.

The remark had the desired effect, and Dyke lost his temper, forgetting everything, and dove towards Batman. Quickly, Batman turned and let the momentum of the Gorilla Boss work to his advantage. Dyke sailed off the rail into mid-air before Batman snared him with his rope and delivered a judo blow to his neck that sent the former George Dyke to a stunned stupor.

Robin gave a welcome thumbs up sign from below and Dr. Mid-Nite embraced Myra. “It’s all right! I’m here,” he whispered.

Batman smiled appreciatively and made a mental note to consult his one-time All-Star Squadron ally Robotman on how Dyke could be returned to a more normal condition someday.

Dr. Mid-Nite said, “Thank you for everything.”

Batman glanced at a now-soothed Myra and replied, “That’s what we are here for, you know. Not just to shed darkness over evil, but to bring light to their victims too.”