When Batman started his new crime fighting venture, Batman Incorporated, his first priority was to travel to Tokyo, Japan with Catwoman to recruit Japanese crime fighter, Mr. Unknown. Unbeknown to Batman, Japanese villain Lord Death Man had set out to kill all Japanese crime fighters and captured Mr. Unknown. After melting Unknown's hands off, Lord Death Man breaks a container of acid over his face, killing him. Just after the moment of Unknown's death, his "body double" a young man by the name of Jiro walks in on the murder. Escaping Lord Death Man and his henchmen, Jiro goes into hiding.
When Batman and Catwoman arrive at Unknown's hideout, they come across the body and Lord Death Man's henchmen. After fighting them off, Batman interrogates the henchmen, demanding to know who they were waiting for. Batman finds out about Jiro and goes on the hunt for him. Soon afterward, Jiro's girlfriend calls him to her apartment. There, Jiro finds her tied up with Lord Death Man behind her threatening to snap her neck. Jiro points a gun at Lord Death Man who taunts him to break his "code of honor." Jiro fires twice at Lord Death Man, hitting him and sending him out a second story window. Jiro's girlfriend cries out as Lord Death Man was the only one who knew how to stop the trap that leaves her plummeting into a pool with a giant octopus. Batman and Catwoman arrive to the scene, and with Batman busy fighting off the henchmen, Catwoman is left try and save the girl, despite her hatred of water.
After the situation at Jiro's apartment is solved, Jiro's talks to Batman and informs him that while his boss, the original Mr. Unknown only did detective work due to his age, he was his body double and did all the physical aspects of the crime fighting job. He wants to accept Batman's invitation in order to honor his master, but Batman declines, siting the fact that he used a gun.
Still wanting to prove himself to Batman, and carry on his master's legacy, Jiro dawns the Mr. Unknown costume in an attempt to try and help save Aquazon, Lord Death Man's next target. When he arrives to the scene of the fight, Jiro saves Aquazon but ends up getting shot by Lord Death Man in the process.
Japan thinks that their greatest crime fighter Mr. Unknown is dead, and mourns their loss. But little do they know, Jiro faked his own death, because he wanted a fresh start, he wanted to be reborn. Batman acknowledges Jiro's goal to join his ranks, and offers him a three month probational period in order to see what he's made of, under a new identity, the Batman of Japan.
Current Version:
Batman of Japan
Former Version:
Mister Unknown
