(Detective Comics I #471) - Bruce Wayne and Silver St. Clair spent a passionate night together. Boss Thorne called a meeting of his political allies, telling them they were facing a financial crisis and would have to be creative about conserving government money, so he’d feel safer having Batman off the streets. Several of his allies objected, saying that no one had been able to take down Batman before, and he gave Gotham the semblance of safety. Thorne said his mind was already made up. Batman was eavesdropping from the chimney, but his grip weakened, sending a stone falling down the fireplace. Thorne’s security went to investigate, and Batman was forced to make a hasty exit. He had to admit to himself that he wasn’t operating at full strength because he was still suffering from the radiation burn Dr. Phosphorus gave him. Returning to the Batcave he told Alfred Pennyworth about Thorne’s schemes against him, and said his ability to act as his own doctor had its’ limits, so he needed to seek out a trustworthy doctor. His friend Jerry Robinson had told him about Graytowers, a clinic that catered to the rich and famous and didn’t ask many questions. He called Silver to tell her he had to cancel their date, and when he told her he was going to see a doctor she said she hoped he was suffering from exhaustion after their night together. Alfred noted that he didn’t talk to Silver like the socialites he casually dated to keep up his playboy image, and suspected she meant something to him. Silver went to surprise Bruce at Graytowers, but was told he couldn’t take visitors. Graytowers was actually run by Professor Hugo Strange under the alias of Dr. Todhunter. He turned his clients into Monster Men, forcing them to obey his whims in exchange for receiving a temporary antidote. Each of his patients was ordered to bring one new wealthy Gothamite to his clinic. Bruce confronted him as Batman, but a green mamba hidden in Strange’s office bit him, rendering him comatose. When Strange revived him Batman was horrified to realize Strange had removed his mask and knew he was Bruce Wayne.

(Detective Comics I #472) - Strange and his Monster Men abducted Alfred from the Wayne Foundation, and kept him in the same cell as Bruce. Strange’s nurse Magda kept Bruce sedated while Strange took up the identities of both Bruce Wayne and Batman, excited at the thrill of occupying his life. He planned on raiding Wayne Industries and selling Batman’s secret identity. “Bruce” sold off millions in stocks, causing a stock market panic, but no one dared question him, especially since Strange had a number of Bruce’s financier’s under his sway after their time in Graytowers. Silver St. Cloud visited “Bruce” saying his recent business moves made him look erratic, and asking why he hadn’t called her lately. “Bruce” said he was breaking up with her, so she slapped him and stormed out of his office. She had a suspicion something happened to Bruce in Graytowers, and visited the clinic, but Magda slammed the door on her and alerted Strange that she was raising suspicions and needed to be taken care of. Silver heard Bruce talk extensively about his ward Dick Grayson, and called him up at Hudson University, telling him her suspicions that something was wrong with Bruce. Dick knew she was right, but had to blow her off to safeguard his secret identity as Robin. He changed into Robin and rode his motorcycle to Gotham to investigate Graytowers, while Magda sicced Hugo Strange’s Monster Men on Silver. Strange arranged an auction for Batman’s secret identity, with a $10,000 buy-in. Joker, Penguin and Boss Thorne responded, and Strange planned to hold the auction the next night. Strange intended to kill Bruce Wayne before the auction, knowing that keeping him alive was too dangerous to his plans. Boss Thorne’s men shot the Monster Men that were escorting Strange with tranquilizer darts, and brought him to city hall, demanding to know Batman’s identity and saying he didn’t intend on paying for it. Robin broke into Graytowers and fought off the Monster Men. Magda tried to inject Bruce with Monster Man serum and Alfred protected his master. During the struggle Magda injected herself, transforming into a Monster Man. Robin incapacitated her and swore revenge on Strange for what he’d done to Bruce. Thorne’s men savagely beat Strange, but he’d made up his mind not to reveal Batman’s secret. He said he’d earned that knowledge and would never give it away because Batman was the one man he saw as a worthy foe. Strange said Thorne would have to defeat Batman himself, as he had, to learn his identity. Thorne did not understand Strange’s loyalty to his nemesis, and his men beat strange until he was seemingly dead.

(Detective Comics I #473) - Bruce and Dick visited Silver St. Clair in the hospital, where she was recovering after her abduction by the Monster Men. Dick apologized for blowing her off when they talked, and Bruce thanked her profusely for saving his life.

(Detective Comics I #474) - Bruce met Silver for a date, and she said she suspected he had more depth than the playboy persona he presented. Bruce wished he knew how to be closer to Silver, remembering he’d had the same problem with his ex-fiance Julie Madison, who never knew Bruce Wayne was just a mask that Batman wore. Silver wanted to show off her successful business to Bruce. She ran a convention hall, saying conventions were a growth industry and she took great pride in her work. Commissioner Gordon was at the convention hall, saying he was canvassing the area because it was the last known hideout of Deadshot. Bruce and Silver had lunch, and she said she remembered he used to be interested in stopping crime in Gotham and it was rumored he knew Batman. Bruce said he’d worked with Batman on a handful of occasions, and got the impression that Silver suspected his secret. That night Deadshot, now wearing body armor and wrist-mounted firearms, spotted Batman on patrol and fired a warning shot. He raged that Batman had ended his life as a wealthy socialite, making him another common crook. He bragged that prison had hardened him, and said he’d learned that if he wanted something, in this case Batman’s life, he had to take it by force. Their fight carried on across Gotham’s rooftops and they crashed into Silver’s convention hall. Silver told her security guard not to call the police, saying she wasn’t going to see Batman turned over to the authorities. Deadshot warned he had no qualms about shooting civilians, but before he could act Batman knocked him into a giant typewriter prop, trapping him. Silver and Batman locked eyes, and Silver knew in her heart that she was looking at Bruce Wayne.

 (Detective Comics I #475, 476) - Bruce Wayne had always kept his affairs short to protect his secret identity, but decided he wanted to indulge himself and continue things with Silver. As Batman he surprised her in her apartment, and asked if she had something to tell him. He was confused when she said she didn’t know what he was talking about and asked him to be on his way, saying she had a date with her boyfriend. Silver tried to convince herself that Bruce might not be Batman, and worried that if he knew she’d figured out his secret that would be the end of their relationship. Bruce phoned Silver and they decided to postpone their date. Silver decided she needed tome time to think and needed to get out of Gotham City. She drove to the west coast when her car broke down. Boss Thorne, haunted by the ghost of Hugo Strange, was also fleeing Gotham, and saw Silver on the side of the road. Silver asked him for a ride and jumped in. Silver kept waffling about confronting Bruce as she had confronted every other difficult situation in her life, and wondered if Bruce had a good reason for not sharing his secrets with her. A news report about Batman came on the radio, and Thorne bashed the Caped Crusader, saying he was responsible for all Gotham’s problems. Silver shot back that Batman kept the city safe from corrupt people like Thorne, who’d been grafting off the city for years. Thorne said he demanded respect, and when Silver refused to back down he ordered her out of his car. Silver chartered a plane back to Gotham and witnessed Batman fighting Joker across the city’s rooftops. Joker plunged into Gotham’s river and Silver called out to Batman. Silver told Batman she loved him, but after seeing him fight with the Joker she realized she’d never be able to cope with the madness in his life and never knowing when his luck would run out. She shared a kiss with Batman before breaking down in tears and breaking up with him, asking Batman not to try and contact her.

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