Sometimes there's a clue to the present in the past. 
- — Bruce Wayne
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #59 is an issue of the series Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1994.
Synopsis for "Knightquest: The Search - Quarry: Part One"
Bruce Wayne goes to see a British doctor for a prognosis over his back injuries. Doctor Holder tells him that the only chance to recover his mobility is for Bruce to apply immediately for a surgery with transplanted fetal tissue in the spine. Alfred suggests the idea of starting the arrangements for traveling back to Gotham but Bruce replies that they aren't going anywhere until they've captured Benedict Asp and Shondra Kinsolving.
Asp is holding Shondra against her will and she refuses to continue cooperating with him now that Asp doesn't have Jack Drake to extort her any longer. Shondra tries to escape but is stopped by one of Asp's thugs. After the escape attempt, Asp injects Shondra with a hypnotic serum he developed himself. The substance subdues the person to the will of someone else. Shondra is down and Asp sends some of his henchmen to kill Sir Hemingford Gray back in London.
Bruce disguises himself once again as Gray to stay in a hotel room in London. He calls Robin to catch up with the information Bruce required him to get over Shondra Kinsolving. Robin tells him that Shondra's real name is Sandra Asplin, she grew up in a town called Slag Lake and was adopted at the age of six by the Asplins and that Mrs. Asplin still lives there. As Bruce is about to hang the phone, he sees a man in the mirror's reflection at his back entering by the window and he throws the phone at the man tossing him out of the building but that action just causes him more pain. As he is trying to recover, two armed men break down the door but Bruce reacts quickly enough and shoots tranquilizer darts from his cane, one for each one and knocks them out. A third man, using a balaclava enters the room, Bruce uses his second cane and sprays some gas at him but the man creates a burst with a briefcase and blows the gas towards Alfred. Bruce sprays more gas at the man but he laughs at the attempt. He takes off his ski mask revealing he was wearing a gas mask so the gas was futile. The man opens the briefcase and takes a knife from inside it. Bruce blocks the man's attacks but with great pain. The man then tosses the knife at Bruce but he catches the weapon with help of the cane. The man, desperate, reaches for his gun while Bruce tosses the knife to his head knocking the man out without hurting him. After the fight concludes, Alfred and Bruce decide to go behind the clues given by Robin; they are going to search Shondra's past and visit her adoptive mother.
At his hideout, Asp is inducing Shondra into a trance. He makes her remember their past as brothers adopted both by the Asplins. He forces her to remember their evil adoptive father, Amos Asplin, who would always beat Sandra for no apparent reason. Asp puts on his psionic helmet and makes Shondra remember more about their past; how one time he was injured badly by their father and she would go to Benedict and heal his wound. It was completely cured and that healing power would only work when they both where together. Those memories are being told at the same time to Alfred and Bruce visit Mrs. Asplin. She tells them about the one time when Amos Asplin brought home a whip and threatened to use it on the kids. Sandra and Benedict were so angry at him they wanted to see him dead and so he instantly died. Asp orders Shondra to think of the hate she had for Mrs. Asplin for doing nothing to stop Mr. Asplin, with the hate thoughts of Shondra in mind and Asp's psionic helmet active, Mrs. Asplin dies in front of Bruce and Alfred. Asp rejoices the success of the plan and states that the next victim will be Sir Hemingford Gray.
Appearing in "Knightquest: The Search - Quarry: Part One"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Alfred Pennyworth
- Shondra Kinsolving (Flashback and main story) (Origin)
Antagonists:
- Benedict Asp (Flashback and main story) (Origin)
Other Characters:
- Robin (Cameo)
- Amos Asplin (Flashback only) (Dies)
- Doctor Holder (Single appearance)
- Fritz
- Minnie Asplin (Flashback and main story) (Dies)
- Jack Drake (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Notes
- Asp appeared last in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #23. He appears next in Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #60.
- This issue is part of the "Knightquest: The Search" crossover. Knightquest: The Search continues on Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #60.
- This issue is reprinted in Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 2 - Knightquest and Batman: Knightquest - The Search.
Trivia
- Despite being part of Knightquest, this issue wasn't included in the Batman: Knightfall Volume Two - Knightquest collection.
