The Phantom (Limb) Detective
April 8th, 2008
scene from Detective Comics #41 (Finger, Kane, et. al.)
Apparently Bruce Wayne has never heard of a “Phantom Limb” — a term in use since the late 19th century. Most people (50-80%) who have had amputated limbs will still feel the occasional sensation — pain usually, but itching is also common — in the missing limb. So it’s not really that surprising that the Colonel would unconsciously scratch his missing leg.
A more telling sign that it was not the real Colonel would be the limp, or lack thereof. Prosthetic limbs were notoriously bad in the 1930s and ’40s, so the Colonel should have a limp that would be very recognizable to his old friend Bruce Wayne.
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April 9th, 2008 at 8:52 am
It is also quite possible that the poor gentleman simply had carpenter ants.
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