Detective Comics #584

On Scarface's orders, William Henry "Fatman" Cherry arrives in Tijuana to smuggle the latest shipment of Fever into the United States. Unbeknownst to him, the Fever manufacturers in Tijuana have orders to kill him, and use his corpse as a "mule" to sneak the Fever past customs. Cherry realizes this far too late, and is garroted seconds later.

Back in Gotham City, Batman confronts the Ventriloquist and Scarface inside their own nightclub, and warns them that their drug-running will not last much longer. Scarface is furious, but completely helpless, as neither his attorney nor his bodyguard, Rhino, can stop a well-trained vigilante like Batman, who proceeds to leave the club, but not before secretly planting a micro-transmitter inside the puppet's head.

Two nights later, Cherry's corpse is flown back to Gotham City, with the Fever packed tightly inside. From his transmitter, Batman learns that the Ventriloquist and his gang intend to visit a local funeral parlor so they can remove the Fever. Batman quickly invades the funeral parlor, but accidentally inhales a dose of Fever during the ensuing fight. Under the drug's influence, he savagely beats and almost kills the Ventriloquist, but regains control of himself just in time.

Scarface and the Ventriloquist are swiftly put behind bars, with the former still defiant and the latter seeking to turn state's evidence. Upon hearing this, the puppet begins attacking its own "master".