The Cape Crusaders./TAOBR

The Cape Crusaders is the pilot episode of The Adventures of Batman & Robin. It introduces the iconic villain Joker to the show and explains his first confrontation with the Batman. This episode also marks the first appearance of several characters such as Jim Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth and most importantly, Batman, Robin and Joker. The episode is based on the second issue of the Batman Comics and the Man of Steel.

Despite being the third produced episode, it was the first to be aired.

Synopsis.
Batman and Robin follow the clue of a mysterous new gangster who calls himself the Joker as he poisons rivers, hijacks parades and tries to turn the city into pure anarchy. Commissioner Gordon investigates the mysterious Batvigilante along with Detective Renee Montoya and his partner Inspector Bullock.

Plot.
All seems quiet in Gotham City, suddenly, one of the virtual screens on the building turns off, only to turn on again to reveal a strange man in white makeup holding hostage a tied up ginger woman in her mid twenties, this woman is Kelley James, daughter of the mayor of Gotham, the Joker brutally kills her with a greenish purple gas that draws a horrific smile on her face and turns her skin palid. The Joker says that he's getting rid of all the 'puppeteers' in Gotham to set the citizens free. He laughs and the screen turns to black. Someone is watching this from a faraway rooftop, Batman. He jumps off the rooftop off to the Batmobile and drives off.

The police drive to Kelley's house and find a calling card, a Joker. Bullock and Montoya interrogate Arthur Penn, who served as a butler to Kelley and he says that he saw a bat-man hybrid flying through the streets of Gotham, nicknaming him Batman. While Gordon is out in the balcony, Batman appears behind him and steals the card, saying that "this is too dangerous for you to handle". He goes to the Batcave and takes off his mask, revealing Bruce Wayne, he meets with Alfred and analyses the card revealing an address, Henry Claridge's mansion, a famous lawyer.

Henry comes out of his bathroom and is surprised by Batman, who hides him in a safe place in the mansion. The Joker's men (A crowd in clown masks), lead by a strange girl who is called by her fellow clowns 'Harley Quinn' start breaking everything through the halls hoping to find Henry, they're attacked by a smaller Batman-like figure who is revealed to be Robin, and then finished off by Batman. Both of them hear Henry's screams and run to his room where they see the Joker, spraying him with Joker Gas. Joker says that he's excited to finally meet Batman, when the Cape Crusader tries to attack him, the Joker dissapears.

A mobster named Cyrus Gold, who is enraged that the Joker is pulling off all these jobs that he had planned to do, sends word out that he thinks that the Joker is a coward. Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson hear about this and suspect a trap. Batman goes to the mobster's caravan located in a swamp. The Joker is also there, and he shoots and kills Nelson, but he is pursued by Batman. However, the Joker gets the upper hand by knocking Batman off a bridge.

Luckily Batman survives. The Joker then resumes his work by announcing that he will kill Harvey Dent, Batman and Robin get to Harvey's house and Batman calls Harvey, using his Bruce persona since he's friends with him, Harvey escapes the house in time and Joker is trapped inside a giant mirror labyrinth in the house and defeated by the Cape Crusaders. The names of Batman and Robin are cleared and Batman meets up with Gordon and Harvey to make an alliance to protect Gotham.

Main.

 * Will Arnett as Bruce Wayne/Batman
 * Michael Cera as Dick Grayson/Robin
 * Michael Keaton as Alfred Pennyworth
 * Jemaine Clement as Commissioner Gordon
 * Jessica Lucas as Renee Montoya
 * Donald Logue as Harvey Bullock
 * Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn

Trivia.

 * This is the first appearance of the Joker in the series.
 * This is the first episode of the show.