Scooby in the Booby Hatch! is the first of two stories in Scooby-Doo #1, by DC Comics. It was followed by Scooby Snooze.
Premise[]
Daphne is committed to a rest home by her Aunt Mildred for believing in a talking dog, and when the gang comes to get her out they are, too. Plus, there's a ghost haunting the place.
Synopsis[]
Mystery Inc. sneak into Catwell Rest Home and Spa to visit Daphne, who was sent there by her aunt Mildred. The doctors, Kreitzer and Faraday, believe that her experiences with supernatural monsters and Scooby, a talking dog, are mere hallucinations. When Fred, Shaggy, and Velma insist that Scooby is a real talking dog, Kreitzer believes they are also hallucinating and institutionalizes them as well. During a consultation with Kreitzer, Velma notes his magnet collection.
Fred learns that one of the patients, Mrs. Voorhees, has been terrorized by the ghost of Nathaniel Catwell, the rest home's founder who purportedly went insane. The doctors insist that Voorhees is merely hallucinating. Fred notes that the ghost appeared with a bright throbbing light. While Faraday interviews Shaggy with a Rorschach test, Mystery Inc. finds a large flashlight in the hallway. Upon hearing a scream from Voorhees' room, they find that the furniture in Voorhees' room is moving. After the items stop moving, they note that only the metallic objects moved.
Gathering sufficient evidence, they decide to capture the ghost. When the ghost attacks Voorhees at night, Mystery Inc. works to capture the monster. Shaggy and Scooby get the ghost's attention, then Velma and Daphne incapacitate the ghost with the bright flashlight. Finally, Fred captures the ghost with a magnet on a rope, binding the ghost with its costume's chains.
The ghost turned out to be Kreitzer. A corrupt man, he posed as the ghost and attacked the wealthy patients so they would stay in the rest home, believing they are hallucinating. He moved the metal furniture using magnets in the floor, and used the flashlight to create the throbbing light effect. After Kreitzer is handed over to authorities, Mystery Inc. proves they are not hallucinating by showing Scooby, a real talking dog. Baffled, Faraday releases Mystery Inc. as well as all his patients.
Characters[]
Main characters:
Supporting characters:
- Dr. Faraday (only appearance)
- Mrs. Voorhees (only appearance)(main story and flashback)
Villains:
- Dr. Kreitzer (only appearance)
- Ghost of Dr. Nathaniel Catwell (only appearance)(main story and flashback)(Dr. Krietzer's disguise)
Other characters:
- Aunt Mildred (only time mentioned)
- Agatha Crispie (only time mentioned)
- Nathaniel Catwell (only appearance)(photograph)(deceased)
- Nurse (only appearance)
Locations[]
- Catwell Rest Home and Spa
- Cafeteria
- Daphne's room
- Dr. Kreitzer's office
- Day room
- Mrs. Voorhees's room (main story and flashback)
- Dr. Faraday's office
Objects[]
- Daphne's bed
- Cyanide in the Cereal
- Dr. Kreitzer's magnet collection
- Dr. Krietzer's pencil
- Mrs. Voorhees's bed (main story and flashback)
- Ghost of Dr. Catwell's chains (main story and flashback)
- Food cart
- Spotlight
- Mrs. Voorhees's lamp
- Mrs. Voorhees's television
- Mrs. Voorhees's cabinet
- Fred's rope
Vehicles[]
- None
Suspects[]
| Suspect | Motive/reason |
|---|---|
| Dr. Faraday | He thought that the ghost of Dr. Nathaniel Catwell was just a hallucination of the rich patients and said that they simply need more rest. |
| Dr. Kreitzer | He also thought that the ghost of Dr. Nathaniel Catwell was just a hallucination of the rich patients and said that they simply need more rest. |
Culprits[]
| Culprit | Motive/reason |
|---|---|
| Dr. Kreitzer as the Ghost of Dr. Nathaniel Catwell | To get rich patients to stay longer, so the rest home will get more money. |
Full credits[]
The following credits try to match how they are displayed in the comic as much as possible:
- Terrance Griep ("For Tiffany and Tara") - Writer
- Ned Sonntag - Penciler
- Gary Fields - Inker
- Patricia Mulvihill - Colorist
- Gasper - Letterer
- Bronwyn Taggart - Editor
- Cover By: Glenn Barr
Notes/trivia[]
- The Mystery Machine is absent.
Miscellaneous[]
- Disguises: Scooby as Mrs. Voorhees.
- Clues: Kreitzer's magnet collection and a flashlight.
- Traps: Shaggy and Scooby get the ghost's attention, then Daphne and Velma blind the ghost with a bright light, and finally Fred captures him.
- Scooby Snacks bribe: 0.
- "Ruh-roh" count: 1.
- "Zoinks" count: 1.
- "Jeepers" count: 0.
- "Jinkies" count: 1.
Cultural references[]
- Daphne has a book by Agatha Crispie, a parody of Agatha Cristie.
- On page 9, panel 1, there's a square in the background (which may be a TV), which has the Warner Bros.' logo.
Reprints[]
Coloring mistakes[]
- None known.
Inconsistencies/continuity errors and/or oddities[]
- None known.
Quotes[]
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