The Brave & The Bold #238 - Batman and Wildcat - homage to Ghost Rider #55

Latest Golden Age Team-Up Project commission - The Brave & The Bold issue #238, teaming Batman with Wildcat, adapted from the Bob Budiansky / Frank Giacoia cover to Ghost Rider #55, as reimagined by Bambos Georgiou.

1947 - and with the war over, Gotham City prepares to celebrate the first Gotham Festival Of Speed for several years, with all proceeds being donated to charities helping injured servicemen and their families. This year will also mark the first running of the Gotham 200 motorcycle race since before the war, which will include a celebrity entrant - JSA and All-Star Squadron member Wildcat, racing his famous cat-o-cycle!

With Batman acting as honorary Marshall of the festival, all is going well, until a gang of crooks attempt to steal the day's takings - an attempt which is quickly foiled by the intervention of the two heroes, who defeat the thieves with a well-placed series of martial arts blows (from Batman) and knockout punches (from Wildcat). However, if the heroes hope that this will be the only time they'll need to confront villains at the Festival, they'll be mistaken...

... because the crowd who assemble to watch the Gotham 200 includes Priscilla Rich, society figure and secretly Wonder Woman's foe the Cheetah! As she takes her seat to view the race, she sees Wildcat pulling up to the startline, and memories of her evil alter ego resurface - and the Cheetah is horrified that another person has adopted the persona of a cat, particularly when they fight crime rather than being a criminal! Leaving her seat, she finds a secluded spot, dons the cheetah-skin costume she keeps in her bag, and her transformation back to the villainess is complete!

As the race unfolds, Wildcat puts up a good show, but is - inevitably - outclassed by the professional motorcyclists. As he drops back through the field, Batman - joining the commentators - encourages his team-mate to pick up the pace, but is stunned when a female figure leaps from the crowd, landing on the back of Wildcat's cat-o-cycle, and begins to strangle the Feline Fighter! Attempting to defend himself while still keeping control of his bike, Wildcat begins to swerve cross the racetrack, endangering the other riders - until Batman launches himself from the podium, landing on the back of the cat-o-cycle and tackling the Cheetah, freeing Ted Grant from her clutches.

With Batman and the Cheetah still battling, precariously balanced on the back of his machine, Wildcat steers the cat-o-cycle to a halt in the pits and joins in the fight - but the claws of the villainess swipe at both heroes, allowing the Cheetah to escape from them. Batman and Wildcat give chase as the Cheetah flees, and start to catch her as she diverts to snatch a bagful of money from the gate - but she then leaps astride a motorcycle and zooms off, with both heroes left behind. By the time they are able to find bikes of their own, the villainess seems to have an almost-uncatchable lead as she makes her escape!

... only for another bike-riding figure to appear, racing alongside the Cheetah and leaping from the motorcycle to tackle the villainess. The mysterious figure quickly binds the fallen Cheetah, leaps back astride the motorcycle, and is back on the road before Batman and Wildcat arrive, to see the vanishing form of the Black Canary disappear into the distance! Although the press have claimed she is a villain, Batman has had his doubts, and the fact that the Black Canary has left the stolen money behind reinforces his intuition - but the Cheetah (definitely a villain) is handed over to the Gotham police by the two heroes, before they return to the festival for the end of the race.

A new story - next issue!