Opening Remarks
"I'm a historian. I specialize in deductive historical reconstruction. In laymen's terms, I'm a time detective."
Nate Heywood (L2x01: "Out of Time")
That's right. The time has come for me to put on my deductive historical reconstruction hat and turn my inquiring gaze to the mysteries of Gotham City. In other words, let's make some wildly improbable predictions about Batwoman!
Up until this year, Bat-references had been pretty few and far between in the Arrowverse--but that only ever made the ones that did sneak through all the more exciting! Of course, Year 7 has given us far more than all of that combined, but we're gonna have to look at every clue if we are to reconstruct the Bat-lore of the Arrowverse, Earth-1.
The most direct information came in "Elseworlds, Part 2," of course, wherein Kate Kane gave us a rundown of the current Bat-situation. Apparently, Batman (and Bruce Wayne) disappeared 3 years ago (so 2015-ish). Kate claims she still doesn't know why Bruce left, but that he didn't leave without a fight. Without Batman, Gotham City went to "five kinds of hell," and without Bruce, Wayne Enterprises' Board of Directors drove the company into bankruptcy.
But let's not forget about the trickle of Bat-Easter eggs of the last 7 years. Maybe--just maybe--we can put all the facts together and come to some fascinating conclusion. Eh, probably not, but let's give it a shot anyways.
Minor Clues
In "Elseworlds," Oliver implies that the Batman "legend" predates Oliver's return to Starling City in 2012 and emergence as the Hood.
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The Flash's very first episode debuted the most persistent Bat-reference of the last few years. It took the form of a minor headline on Eobard Thawne's future copy of the Central City Citizen. Of course, the infamous red-skies crisis and disappearance of the Flash were the foremost topics of Iris West-Allen's attention on February 24, 2042, but a merger between Wayne Tech and Queen Inc. was also deemed newsworthy.
(By the way, besides its Bat-significance, this Easter egg's reference to a "Queen Inc." is also noteworthy. That company name has never been used on Arrow, and Oliver's life is now at a point where founding a tech company would seem pretty unlikely. Perhaps Queen Inc. could eventually be explained away as some sort of holding company for Felicity's Smoak Technologies?)
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Wayne Tech is responsible for creating cutting-edge military technology, including the super-suit stolen by Chimera and the super-car stolen from A.R.G.U.S. by Silver Ghost. They should really keep a closer guard on this stuff.
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Kane refers to one of Bruce's old R&D guys who still works in the building. This is likely a reference to Lucius Fox--a character that I would not at all be surprised to see on Batwoman.
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The WiFi password at Wayne Tower is "Alfred." Of course, that doesn't really tell us much about Alfred's current situation. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say that where Bruce Wayne goes, Alfred follows. When the time comes on Batwoman, they'll probably pop up together.
Batgirl / Oracle
During Arrow's earlier seasons, there was a compelling theory that Felicity Smoak would turn out to be a version of Oracle. It was nearly confirmed in 2014, when the title of episode 3x05 was announced as "Oracle." Eventually the title was changed to "The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak." Is it possible that Greg Berlanti was already hopeful about eventually introducing the real Bat-family?
The Felicity-Oracle connection came up again when Felicity got paralyzed from the waist down in season 4. Honestly, this time I was sure that they would start calling her Oracle. But no--the exact opposite happened. They actually went out of their way to refute that theory by having Oliver consider "Oracle" as a codename for Felicity before declaring that it was "taken."
That's a tiny Easter egg, but also pretty direct confirmation that Barbara Gordon is out there somewhere in the Arrowverse. Perhaps "Oracle" is her moniker in hacker community, much as in the comics. Also, I don't believe at all that Barbara has to be in a wheelchair to be Oracle. She could quite possibly be Batgirl and Oracle at the same time (which I think would be awesome!).
Anyways, time to extrapolate these meaningless facts into a crazy long-shot prediction: Barbara Gordon will be a recurring character on Batwoman. They can establish that she was Batgirl back when Bruce was around, then after he left she shifted toward e-superheroism via her Oracle identity.
Nightwing
Where Barbara Gordon is, soulmate Dick Grayson can't be far behind. And there have actually been a couple noteworthy clues to Dick's existence over the years.
First of all, the city of Bludhaven has been mentioned in the Arrowverse since very early on (A1x02!). It's even appeared a few times (most substantially in A6x19 "The Dragon"). In the comics, Bludhaven is known primarily as the city where Dick sets up shop after retiring as Robin and becoming Nightwing. So does Nightwing exist in the Arrowverse?
Maybe! Our main clue is an obscure Arrowverse tie-in book published in 2016 called "Arrow -- Oliver Queen's Dossier." It contains information on Arrow baddies from seasons 1 through 3, including the quite minor Guillermo Barrera. In the comics, Barrera is a Nightwing villain called Brutale, and the author of the tie-in book chose to reference that relationship. Barrera's "file" in the book includes an A.R.G.U.S. memo noting his ties to Nightwing and The Hood. Of course, the canonicity of this source is extremely questionable, but hey--it's something!
If that source is to be accepted as canon, it would mean that Dick Grayson was already Nightwing as early as 2013 (Arrow season 1), when Oliver killed Barrera. That would suggest that the Arrowverse is already at a very advanced point in the Bat-chronology, which probably actually checks out, considering how many Bat-rogues were referenced in Arkham Asylum.
The other Nightwing reference came quite recently in A7x13, when Captain Singh and Dinah discussed the time that she stopped Blockbuster's Bludhaven-based gang from moving into Central City. In the comics, Blockbuster is pretty much Nightwing's arch-nemesis, or at least his most persistent foe. Dinah was undercover in Sean Sonus' gang from 2010 until the particle accelerator explosion in 2013, so the events mentioned must have taken place before 2010. Granted, Blockbuster's existence doesn't necessarily imply Nightwing's, but if it does, that would push back his timeline even further.
In any case, Dick Grayson would undoubtedly be another cool character to see eventually, though I don't foresee him having a permanent role on Batwoman like Barbara could. He has his own superhero life in Bludhaven which is probably more-or-less separate from the happenings with Bruce and Kate in Gotham City, so he would probably just be someone to pop up for visits once in a while.
Bat-Characters Who Have Already Appeared or Been Referenced
The Green Arrow doesn't really have the most prolific stable of supporting characters in the comics, so Arrow has gone to the well of Bat-characters more than a few times over the years. Until quite recently, that seemed like a pretty good idea. Now that we know Batman and friends also exist in the Arrowverse, though, we have to accept that certain villains (*cough*ra'salghul*cough*) have already been used up. It's not all bad news, though! Some Bat-folks who have already appeared in the Arrowverse may still be workable for Batwoman without breaking continuity. In fact, they may present an excellent opportunity for Batwoman to carry on the legacy of Arrow after its imminent end.
Here is every Bat-character I could think of who has already appeared or been referenced in the Arrowverse (in order of first appearance), along with my notes on their continuity positioning.
Lester Buchinsky / Electrocutioner
Referenced way back in Arrow's pilot as a name on Oliver's List. That simply implies that he was an associate/contact of Malcolm Merlyn's criminal cabal as of 2007. He is most definitely still available to appear on Batwoman. (It would be a repeat of Hannibal Bates' situation, which was not at all a continuity issue.)
Floyd Lawton / Deadshot
Deceased. Sadly, I don't see a way out. He's not coming back.
Helena Bertinelli / Huntress
Though she hasn't appeared since way back in A2x17, both A6x10 and A7x12 confirmed that Helena has since broken out of prison and is active again as a vigilante. So, continuity-wise, there's nothing that would preclude a Huntress appearance on Batwoman. After all these years of teasing and disappointment, though, only a real fool would let himself hope that there's actually a chance of that happening (...so I guess I am a real fool).
Garfield Lynns / Firefly
Deceased. But since Arrow did such a loose adaptation of the character, there would definitely be no problem using another version of Firefly (like Ted Carson or Bridgit Pike) on Batwoman.
Anatoly Knyazev / KGBeast
Arrow's version of Anatoly is very different from the comics, so it's hard to imagine Anatoly fulfilling his usual Bat-role as the KGBeast in the Arrowverse. That's probably for the best, though--the comics' KGBeast is a rather dated character. And perhaps there will be an opportunity for mobster Anatoly to appear on Batwoman, anyways. I'll never complain about more Anatoly.
Cyrus Gold / Solomon Grundy
Arrow season 2's use of Cyrus Gold is a rather large deviation from the comics, but if the Batwoman writers ever find themselves in need of a giant zombie for Kate to tangle with, Gold's apparent demise in A2x09 did leave the door open for that possibility.
William Tockman / Clock King
Where we last left the Arrowverse's William Tockman he was on his way back to Iron Heights to live out the rest of his days as he slowly succumbs to MacGregor's Syndrome. Is it possible that he has miraculously survived for all these years? Could MacGregor's provide a connection to Nora Fries and thereby to Batwoman? Eh, probably not.
Harley Quinn
Single appearance in A2x16 (unnamed and in silhouette) as a member of Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad. Harley's existence that early pushes the Bat-lore timeline quite a ways back, and also indirectly implies the existence of the Joker in the Arrowverse. In A3x07, Diggle quips that Cupid is even nuttier than the last woman on the Suicide Squad, implying that, by that point, Harley is no longer on the Squad. What she's been up to since then is anyone's guess, but I'd say she's a plausible candidate for a Batwoman appearance.
Brother Eye
In the comics, Brother Eye has been a couple different things, and one of those is an A.I. created by Batman which turns evil. In the Arrowverse, Brother Eye is the name of the evil hacker organization led by Felicity's old boyfriend Cooper Seldon. Does that preclude the possibility of an evil Brother Eye A.I. in the Arrowverse's future? Eh... not necessarily, I guess.
Ra's al Ghul, Nyssa al Ghul, and Talia al Ghul
This is really the biggest element of the Bat-lore that's off the table for Batwoman. In the Arrowverse, not only is Ra's dead, but the League is disbanded. However, that certainly does not rule out Ra's' daughters from continuing to appear. In fact, out of all of Arrow's recurring characters, they both seem like pretty strong candidates for making the migration over to Batwoman. And Talia's dialogue in A7x05 even (sorta) implies that she has already had dealings with the Bat-family!
Lyle Bolton / Lock-Up
This one only half-counts, because Bolton's only Arrowverse appearance was in the Arrow: Season 2.5 tie-in comics (which are semi-canonical, in my opinion). In those comics, he is depicted as a mercenary in the employ of the Church of Blood. It's pretty hard to reconcile that with his traditional characterization, but it really doesn't matter, because (a) Batwoman can ignore Arrow: Season 2.5 if necessary and (b) let's be real--Batwoman doesn't want to use Bolton anyways. But while we're on the subject: (c) Flashpoint! The ultimate continuity carte blanche!
Lonnie Machin / Anarky
Incarcerated. Also, Arrow's Lonnie Machin is a pretty far cry from his comics version who is associated with the Bat-family. That Anarky is more political scholar than raving lunatic.
Onyx Adams
Incarcerated. In the comics, Onyx is a former member of the League of Assassins who reforms and becomes a Bat-ally. On Arrow, she was a CIA operator-turned-criminal who crossed paths with Green Arrow John Diggle. Fun fact: her name also appeared on the Shadow Record in L1x09, which suggests that her Arrowverse version is also a former assassin. The continuity gets messy when you consider that the Record lists her League start-date as 1743, though. In any case, it's not too important--this is a really minor character.
Bruce Wayne / Red Death
This was a pretty surprising name-drop in F5x12! Was it just a fun Easter egg, or is it an early seed for some kind of Dark Nights: Metal event that's being planned way in advance? Maybe even the next crossover after Crisis on Infinite Earths! What if Bruce Wayne has been missing for the last 3 years because he was abducted by Barbatos and is being tortured in the Dark Multiverse?!? That's a lot of crazy ifs... but, hey--maybe!
Arkham Inmates
"Elseworlds, Part 2" gave us a truckload of Bat-Easter eggs as our heroes walked the halls of Arkham Asylum. None of them tell us much, except that most Bat-rogues already exist as supervillains in the Arrowverse. Honestly, it's a huge relief that we won't have to suffer through all their origin stories (Batwoman is shaping up to be the anti-Gotham in that respect).
Some of the namedrops come from cell nameplates, indicating that the characters are current Arkham inmates. Others come from the evidence room, merely implying that the characters were at one time held at the Asylum. Here's the rundown:
- O. Cobblepot - Oswald Cobblepot aka the Penguin (cell nameplate)
- P. Isely - Pamela Isely aka Poison Ivy (cell nameplate)
- B. Karlo - Basil Karlo aka Clayface (cell nameplate)
- E. Nigma - Edward Nigma aka the Riddler (cell nameplate)
- S. Kyle - Selina Kyle aka Catwoman (evidence room)
- J. Crane - Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow (evidence room) -- His fear toxin made a feature appearance!
- Victor Fries - Mr. Freeze (evidence room)
- Nora Fries - Victor's wife -- Quite possibly escaped during the Elseworld ruckus.
- Bane -- Not mentioned by name, but his mask appears in the evidence room.
- Hugo Strange -- Not mentioned by name, but his signature glasses appear in the evidence room.
- Captain Boomerang??? -- Not mentioned by name, but there are conspicuous boomerangs in the evidence room. That doesn't make much sense for the Arrowverse's Captain Boomerang (deceased)... nor the comics' one actually, so this is pretty weird.
One character in particular is conspicuously absent: the Joker. As I mentioned above, Harley Quinn's cameo in Arrow season 2 would seem to imply the Joker's existence, but it remains to be seen whether that character is on the table for Batwoman.
Closing Remarks
There you have it: the complete picture of the Arrowverse's Bat-lore pre-Batwoman. Of course, I'm fully expecting more Bat-references as Batwoman gets closer. I'll try to update this file with whatever I catch.
So what are your crazy Batwoman theories? I think the big mystery at this point is the disappearance of Bruce Wayne. Personally, I've got some pretty wild ideas involving everything from Hush to Leviathan to Barbatos. Maybe I'll write them up at some point.
And another question: will all these Bat-rogues referenced in "Elseworlds" actually be appearing on Batwoman? That seems like way too much to hope for, right? But who knows! Maybe, with Gotham ending, Warner Bros is okay with Berlanti taking over those characters for a while. We'll have to cross our fingers and wait to see.
Hope you enjoyed!
Phillip