Theory: The Future of Gotham Girl
(Leia em português clicando aqui)
ATTENTION:
This text contains information about stories that haven’t been published in some countries yet. If you haven’t read the first 20 issues of Batman post-Rebirth, and don’t want to ruin the surprise, stop reading right now!
In DC Universe: Rebirth #1 we were briefly introduced to two new characters, who were later in the spotlight in Batman: Gotham and Gotham Girl.
Their introduction in the biweekly magazine was epic, with the two siblings saving Batman’s life after thrilling and moving pages that showed us the Bat accepting that he was going to die at that moment. All very cool, very nice, but something still bothered me: how could a pair of heroes with Superman-level powers fit in Gotham City?
Well, this is the first hint into my theory: They don’t fit.
One cannot insert characters with this kind of power in Batman’s world. That would break the character. Sure, there are crossovers with other DC characters, plus the Justice League stories, but if you pay attention, you’ll see that his attitude is a lot different in these stories. In his own stories he is in his own little world, isolated from super beings and cosmic threats. This is the reason writers have never let Zatanna really get into his world. She has appeared in a run or another, and that’s it. If Batman has an ally that, with magic, can fix all the problems, his crusade simply becomes meaningless.
But what changed? Why would writers Tom King and Geoff Johns take such a risk?
In the following stories, we find out the origin of their powers: an experimental drug that decreases the life span of the user when they use their powers. The heroes’ plan was to use it moderately to help people and die in two years. At the time, I thought: “Well, that’s it, then. At the end of this run they’ll have used their powers up to the limit, die, and there are no big consequences.”. I have underestimated the writers, who took the story to a unexpected path, to say the least.
At a certain point in the story, villain Hugo Strange uses the Psycho-Pirate to manipulate Gotham’s (hero, not city) emotions. In just one issue, he goes from All Star Superman to Zack Snyder’s movies psychopath Superman.
In the following story, Gotham goes to the center of the city with an assassin rage, heat vision striking everywhere and a mission: save the city from itself by killing THE CITY.
There is a huge fight, the Justice League shows up to help and even Alfred joins the fight dressed as Batman. In the end, Gotham Girl, who was desperate and watching everything from the monitors in the Batcave (with Duke Thomas, a young assistant that Batman has been training – we’ll talk about him another day), decides to intervene and ends up killing her own brother.
The odd thing about this story is that the ending is narrated by Gotham Girl herself… From somewhere in the future, where she is married to Duke Thomas and Bruce Wayne is dead. She talks about this moment as “where it all started”, as if it is her origin. She also says that she visits this place with Duke every year on the anniversary of her brother’s death. Which means it’s been years. Take note of this, it’s important.
In the following stories, Claire Clover (Gotham Girl) totally loses it. She is flying around, saving people and facing a bunch of Batman’s minor villains, all while talking to her dead brother (Hank Clover, Gotham) as if he was by her side watching it all.
Batman intervenes and decides that it’s his responsibility to help the girl. To do so, after talking to her, he takes her to a maximum security cell in Arkham Asylum with the Psycho-Pirate (the stories that show how this is done are spectacular, but not really important for this theory, so I won’t get into it).
Now, back to the DC Universe: Rebirth #1 to remember who else was locked up in Arkham: Imra Ardeen, Saturn Girl, from the Legion of Superheroes!
She is seen lost in the present, locked up as if she were insane, for saying that she is from the future and a friend of Superman.
The Legion of Superheroes is a team from the 31st Century that found inspiration on the original Superboy stories (Clark Kent when he was young) to form a group of young heroes in a utopian future.
In this team, we have some legacy characters, mainly from characters linked to Superman, but also characters like XS, granddaughter of Barry Allen (the Flash). As far as I remember, the team was missing a character linked to Batman’s universe.
WAS.
I can’t believe that it is a coincidence that a super powerful hero that flipped and may die for her powers would be locked up with someone from the Legion of Superheroes, with even a team ring lying around and all.
The Legion has a history of Superman-level heroes almost dying from a disease in the present and being taken to the 31st century for a cure and later joining the team. That’s the origin of Mon-El! And remember how Gotham Girl narrates the story from years in the future, showing that she overcame her disease?
Years? Why not centuries?
I think by now my theory has become clear, right? It’s all building up to send Gotham Girl to the future with the Legion of Superheroes and finally fill in the spot of a bat-verse related character on the team!
And she is not going alone. She’ll take Duke Thomas with her as the narration from the future shows. Don’t their looks fit more with the Legion than with Batman?
So, what do you guys think of this theory? Makes sense? Find any gaps or loopholes in it? Leave us a comment! 😀
