At a bowling alley, the greatest bowlers gather to compete for the golden trophy. The villainous Sportsmaster arrives to inform everyone that bowling isn't a sport... and to steal the prize money. His sports-themed henchmen capture the bowlers and put them in giant bowling pins, set them up on an alley, and Sportsmaster throws an exploding bowling ball. Batman arrives and deflects the ball, and Blue Beetle arrives to provide an assist. Blue Beetle argues with his sentient armor and fights the henchman, while Batman fights his way to Sportsmaster as the villain attacks with bowling balls and cleats. When Sportsmaster tries to run, Batman trips him with a thrown bowling ball. Blue Beetle invites Batman to join him and his family for Christmas Eve dinner, but Batman tells him that crime doesn't take a holiday... and neither does he.
Later at a university in a small town, Red Tornado is giving an archaeology lecture disguised as Professor Ulthoom. When a truck outside goes out of control, Red Tornado slips out and stops the truck before it can hit two children. He turns the children to their father, Mr. Jones, and advises him to give them a lecture on traffic safety. Mr. Jones says that his rescue has filled them with Christmas spirit, and Red Tornado admits that he's never been filled with Christmas spirit. The children point out that he's just a robot and wouldn't understand.
That night, Red Tornado goes to his house and reads a book on getting the Christmas spirit. He then decorates his house for Christmas, puts on a Christmas sweater, decorates the inside of his house, and then goes over to the Jones house and sings a Christmas carol. He doesn't sing very well and they slam the door in his voice.
Back at home, Red Tornado tries to work out what he's missing. The TV is running a movie about the Christmas spirit, but a newscaster interrupts it to announce that flying saucers have invaded the town and the Neptunians have demanded that Earthlings hand over Santa so they can take him back to Neptune.
Batman is the only one on the scene and is fighting the saucers. Red Tornado joins him to lend a hand and wishes him a Merry Christmas. Batman tells him that it's not the time and they fight the remaining saucers. Red Tornado points out that Neptune is uninhabited, and Batman points out that the whole attack is based on a 1954 movie about Neptunians attacking on Christmas . Together the heroes destroy the remaining saucers and discover that they're made out of plastic. The stamp on one piece isn't on any listed manufacturer, but Batman figures that the villain responsible--Fun Haus--signed his work.
Fun Haus flies down in a saucer and says that he was just playing with his "toys". He says that the game have just begun and throws them a talking doll. Fun Haus flies off and Batman realizes that the doll is a bomb. Red Tornado lifts it up into the atmosphere so it can explode safely, and admits that he's lacking Christmas spirit. Batman says that it's overrated, and Red Tornado figures that he's not the only one who lacks it. The android gives Batman a present.
Batman remembers his childhood on Christmas Eve, opening a present from his parents.
Red Tornado says he still doesn't feel the Christmas spirit,. They go to find Fun Haus, while the townspeople clean up the destruction and put out Christmas decorations. The Jones kids go to a Santa who doesn't respond to them. Flying overhead, Red Tornado asks Batman why he dislikes Christmas, and Batman says that he dislikes Christmas. The Santa runs down the street, shoving people, and attacks the heroes when they approach him. Batman takes out the robot with a batarang, and dozens of other robot Santas attack them. Fun Haus appears on a monitor built into one robot, boasting of his triumph, while the Santas attack the townspeople.
The robot Santa attacks the two Jones children, and the reindeer on his sled panic and run off. They go past Batman, who severs the lines with a batarang, leaps aboard a reindeer, and runs after the sled. Meanwhile, Red Tornado smashes the robots, causing them to blow up. Batman knocks the head off of the robot, and the children scream as the reindeer run off a cliff with the sled behind them. Red Tornado lifts the sled to safety and flies it back to town.
Batman and Red Tornado walk through the debris, and one child complains that his Playpal action figure was destroyed.
Batman remembers getting an old wooden toy soldier, and Thomas saying that his grandfather gave it to him and now it's Bruce's. Angry that he didn't get what he asked for, Bruce smashes the toy against the wall and runs off.
Fun Haus appears on the robot monitor and tells the heroes that he has one more game for them. He's hidden a bomb and they have to find it. The heroes split up to search the town for the bomb but find nothing. When they get back together, Red Tornado figures that it was a wild goose chase. He hopes that they both get what they want and looks over at a theater.
Thomas and Martha take Bruce to a swashbuckler movie to make up for the swashbuckler toy that they didn't get him. Bruce says nothing, and the trio go into an alley. A minute later, two gunshots ring out.
Batman tells Red Tornado that the one thing they wish for is often the one thing they can't have. He notices the Fun Haus logo on the Playpal poster and figures that's what Fun Haus is up to.
As the children open their presents and find Playpals, the toys come to live, grab every valuable they can find, and run out. They load the loot into a truck that Fun Haus is standing on. Batman and Red Tornado arrive, and Fun Haus has the Playpal dolls assemble into one giant-sized robot with Fun Haus in the control cabin. The villain tries to crush the townspeople, and Batman and Red Tornado get them out of the way. Fun Haus blasts the water tower, and Red Tornado attacks the robot directly, blowing it back. When the robot walks forward against the winds, Red Tornado summons all of his power and blows the robot apart. Batman warns Red Tornado that he's putting too much stress on his body, but Red Tornado ignores him and blasts the robot apart.
As Red Tornado glows with energy, he says that he's feeling the Christmas spirit... and blows up. As the police take Fun Haus away, STAR Lab technicians take Red Tornado to repair him. Batman assures his friend that they'll have him put together and wishes him a Merry Christmas. As Batman gets into the Batmobile, he finds a present waiting for him from Alfred: the toy soldier he destroyed as a child. The Caped Crusader then drives off to fight crime.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 23, 2018