Little is known of the lives of the Tweed cousins on Earth-Two prior to their appearance in Gotham in 1943.  In April of that year, Dumfrey Tweed was robbing Ermine, Sable & Company furriers when he was intercepted by Batman and Robin.  After dispatching the Tweed henchmen, The Dynamic Duo find Tweed seated in the back of van, surveying the loot acquired thus far.  Goaded by Tweed, the heroes charge in, only to be snagged by steel traps and left with taunts as Tweed and his gang escape.

Freeing themselves, Batman is perplexed when a APB matching Tweed’s description is picked up in the Batmobile, even though their assailant could not have traveled so far, so fast.  Racing to the seen they interrupt a massive jewel heist and again, defeating the henchmen, are confronted with another corpulent criminal.  Batman assumes this must be Dumfrey’s twin but unknown to them, this is Deever Tweed, Dumfrey’s cousin with a near identical appearance.  Using an electrical device, Tweed shocks the heroes unconscious and makes off with his loot.

Realizing that such obese individuals could not use normal clothiers, Batman visits a specialty shop as Bruce Wayne inquiring about twin customers.  There he learns of the Tweed cousins and acquires their address, which he investigates as Batman with Robin that evening.  To their dismay, they learn that the wily Tweeds have set up a series of traps, snaring the heroes in an net where they are kicked and abused.  Emerging from hiding, the Tweeds reveal they have crafted costumes for themselves based on Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland and present as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, with their lackeys disguised as the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter (Note: this is not Jervis Tetch).

They announce their intention to rob a costume ball being used to raise money for war bonds and in a taunt, allow Batman and Robin to be freed.  This is a ruse however as they quick land on a charged plate, immobilizing them while the Tweeds depart.

Using his utility belt, Batman manages to short circuit the plate and calls the manager of the gala.  He arranges for the Tweeds to win a costume contest to lure them in close and when they pull weapons on the crowd, the prize box is found to contain Batman and Robin, who quickly overcome the men and overwhelm the hapless Tweeds.  The two cousins are carted off to prison, swearing revenge (Detective Comics #74).

Six months later, the Tweeds had escaped prison and had slipped away into the countryside of upstate New York.  Reports were reaching Gotham of a series of robberies targeting wealthy patrons at the Hunter’s Inn, a high-end lodge in the country.  Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson and Alfred Beagle make reservations to facilitate an investigation and check in right behind millionaire John Gottrox.  As the evening goes on, the Gothamites are struck that the Inn does not live up to its reputation.  Food service is poor and guests seem few.