Heros conference

Men! Look at them. Always going on about how they saved the day.

How they rescued some kitten from a tree.

How indestructable they are.

Pfft!

We'll drop this 16-ton weight on them and see how they do!

bombs away!

Ow! Hey, cut it out!
Holy brickbats, Maurice, we're being attacked!

Help me with this other one, Astrid.





I don't think we can save him this time, Batman.
Ow! Me! I can be saved! A little help with this brick?

Poor Harold. I guess I kind of believed him after all.

Um, guys? The brick?...

.

Batmen to the Rescue

Hey, rats, let's go outside and pick some apples for a nice apple crumble tonight. I'll use my superhero cape to fly up and get them.

Where's my cape? I know I put it right here, next to my lab coat and my rucksack & hat. Are you sure one of you rats didn't "borrow" it to play with?
Oh, no, Boss!
We never would.
We're good rats.
Really.

I don't see it here in the ornament box.

Not in the linen drawer.

Wherever can it be?? We've looked everywhere!

Maybe it was stolen.

Yeah, maybe The Forces of Evil have nicked it.
Oh, my. That doesn't sound good. Not good at all.

Batman! I need your help! My flying Superhero cape has been stolen.
A Superhero cape stolen! Just think what dastardly deeds the Forces of Evil might do if they get their hands on it.
We must get it back.

Hey Batman, we need your help!

What can I do for you, my fellow denizens of the dark?
Maurice's Superhero cape is missing. He thinks we lost it, but we never did!

Nu-uh!
Never touched it!
Alright. I will help you find it, to clear your good names.

Hey! Who are you?
I'm Batman. That's obvious! Who are you?
I'm the one who's Batman!
You can't be Batman, you don't have a cape.
I am too Batman. I've got those neat gloves.

And I have feet big enough to stand on. What good is a cape if you keep falling over?
Damn these tiny feet!
Enough discord. We are on the same side, and we have a mission. You can be Robin.

I am not Robin! I'm Batman!
No, I'm Batman. See, I've got the Bat Ears.

Here's the scene of the crime. Any clues?
Come on down and find out, Robin.
I tell you, I'm not Robin.

***meanwhile***

Hehehe.
Once we figure out how this thing works, we can steal all the Nutella!
All the Nutella in the Universe!
It will all be Ours!

Now, Carter, you fly off this ledge and into the kitchen.

Carter! You must learn to land!
Yeah. Sure. Landing. Let's go try from the living room, where there's carpeting.

Batman! Look!
Evildoers!
That's Maurice's cape!
I can swoop down on them thanks to my nifty Batcape. Too bad you aren't similarly equipped, Batman.

Never mind that. I will join you on my trusty blue steed. Then we'll give them some Bif! POW!

Your turn, Carlton. Just leap from this cat tree, fly into the kitchen, and grab the Nutella.

Ow!
Behind you, Carlton!
It's me: Batman. Gotcha!

You too, Fatboy.
Wha! Batman! What tiny feet you have.

Never mind that. Surrender now, or I'll turn you over to the rats.

I have vanquished the enemy and recovered the cape, thanks largely to my ability to stand.

Here you are, Maurice, not a scratch on it.
Thank you so much, Batmen!
Think nothing of it. It's our pleasure and our duty to serve Good and conquer Evil.

What happened to the thieves?
We put them away in their box. They're not getting out for a long, long time.

Thanks again. It's time for me to go apple picking now.

Oops! Missed.

Agh! Missed again.

Oww! You really need to figure out how to land that thing.

Maybe Nancy will gather some apples for us.

.

Psst! Carter! The coast is clear!

spies in the house

Psst! Carlton, I spy Nutella on high.
Yes Carter! I see it too!
We must have this fabulous treasure!
Hey, Maurice, will you use your Superhero cape to fly up and get us some apples?
Please please?
Yes, Britta, yes, Astrid. I'd be happy to.

Oof. Still gotta work on that landing.

Let's go in and sit on the nice, soft, cushions.
Nice apple you got there.

Yeah! Hee hee hee. I like how it fell off the tree when you bonked it with your head.

There lies the secret to our success!
A Superhero Magical Flying Cape
Just the object indeed.
Let us steal it once the rabbit goes away.

Here it is! Not kept under lock and key, nor watch of any kind. Silly rabbit!

How does it work?
This we must discover, Carlton.
It appears to be a simple length of cotton cloth, embellished with a large M.
Do you see an "ON" switch anywhere? Any levers or buttons or pull cords?
Nothing of the sort, Carter. Perhaps it is voice-activated.

It is large for us. Perhaps we can use it as a magic carpet.
GO!
Up and Away!
Avanti!
Hmm.

It is a cape, after all. Perhaps it is necessary to wear it. The connection of the two ends may provide an essential circuit necessary to its function.
Off we GO!
Up Sesame!
Yee-Hawww!
I have noticed the rabbit always wears it with the M hanging off the back. Perhaps orientation is important.

Let me give you a boost.

I'm going up! going up!

And I'm going down!
Aughhhh!

Oof.
It's not so good at landing.
Maybe we should try again later.
.

SuperWarren

It looks like we're having snow this winter after all.

This clearing the walk is hard work.
I wonder if my cape has Super Snow Removal powers.

At the least, it'll be warm.
Now, where did I put it?

I could have sworn I folded it neatly and put it away...

Psst!
Hey! Alien Guy!
My name is Warren, and I'm a gecko, not an alien.
Yeah whatever.
We've got this great Superhero cape for you!

A superhero cape?
Yeah! It's got all sorts of super powers, like Incredible Strength, and X-ray vision.

Try it on.

Well, it would be nice to have help getting rid of all this snow.

It can do that!
Yeah!

Instant Spring.

Hi Laars. Have you seen my Superhero cape?
Who, me? No. Never saw it.
I've just been sitting here reading The Economist.
Now, you stay here and think real hard about warm weather and chirping birds and all that spring business, and

*Presto*

Springtime!

Thanks, guys. I'll concentrate on Warm.

Hi Astrid, Hi Bjorn, have you seen my Superhero cape?
Nope. Never did. Didn't touch it.

...

Hey, what are you doing with the knitting, anyway?

We're helping!

Yeah!

You're such nice, helpful rats.

Where's Warren? Anybody seen Warren?
He's been gone all day.
Uhhhh, I think he said something about phoning home.
Oh, Okay. Let me know if you see him around.

*the next morning*

It's still out there!
Wow!
Incredible!

Brrrrrr.....

It doesn't look like this Instant Spring thing is working...

I'd go in for some coffee,
but I seem to be frozen.

Oh there you are Warren, I've been looking all over for you!
Brrrr....
I see you found my Superhero cape!
Brrrr....

Let's go in and get some hot coffee.
Good idea.
Look, Nancy swept the stairs for us,
and cleared the walk.
And she didn't even use Superpowers!
.

About those superpowers, Maurice...
.