Here’s a Spoiler: A major Batman supporting character is arriving on the CW.
Batwoman has shared the first look at Morgan Kohan as Stephanie Brown, who Batman comics fans know better as the Spoiler who also becomes both Robin and Batgirl.
While she’s not in any costume yet, she may suit up soon.
Who is Spoiler?
Debuting in Detective Comics #647 in 1992, Stephanie Brown is the daughter of Arthur Brown aka the Cluemaster, a failed game show host who became a second-rate Riddler.
Hating her father’s criminal lifestyle, Stephanie hit back by creating her own costume and becoming the crime-fighting Spoiler. She would meet with Tim Drake’s Robin, and sparks instantly flew between them.
When Tim briefly quit as Robin, Stephanie (by now discovering who he and Bruce Wayne were) was overjoyed when Batman selected her to be the new Robin. She did well for a time, but after disobeying him in the field, Batman fired her.
Stephanie realized Batman only gave her the Robin costume to guilt Tim into taking back the role himself. Trying to prove herself, she inadvertently set off a gang war and was seemingly killed during it.
It turned out Stephanie had survived and gone into hiding to recover from her injuries. After graduating high school, she took on the role of Batgirl and did well with it.
When DC rewrote their history in the New 52, Stephanie was returned to being the Spoiler and would aid Batman and Robin. She’s recently joined Tim in a quest to discover the reason why DC’s history seems to keep altering.
Stephanie on Batwoman
The upcoming Batwoman episode 13, entitled “I’ll Give You A Clue,” has Ryan (Javica Leslie) having a “girl’s night” with friends Mary (Nicole Kang) and Sophie (Meagan Tandy), who recently figured out Ryan is Batwoman.
The night is spoiled by the Cluemaster, escaping from prison and threatening to unleash destruction on Gotham unless Batwoman can solve his games.
This leads the Bat-team to meet Stephanie, who’s been hiding from her father, but her insight is needed to help stop him. This includes a fun bond with tech helper Luke (Camrus Johnson).
Showrunner Caroline Dries explained to Entertainment Weekly that the story grew from the attempt to build on Sophie trying to get Ryan to open up about her secret identity and trust her.
“Our starting point to this Cluemaster story was: What sort of story can we tell wherein Sophie is pressed to reveal to Ryan that she knows her identity? [Episode 12] was a really dark episode and we wanted something more fun, so girls’ night became our high concept, and then to give it conflict we thought, ‘Well, they can’t have fun for too long, so let’s spoil it,’ and the Stephanie-Arthur storyline popped out of [writer Natalie Abrams’] head and we wove it together.”
While Stephanie may not suit up here, Dries is hopeful that the character can return in a third season.
“We’d love to bring them back in season 3, as they are rich, interesting characters. And from the looks of things, Luke and Stephanie have some unresolved business!”
The new Kate
Missing from this “girl’s night” is psychotic Alice (Rachel Skarsten), who’s been abducted by ruthless crime boss Black Mask (Peter Outerbridge) and currently tortured by his masked daughter Circe.
Alice doesn’t know that “Circe” is really her presumed-dead sister, Kate Kane, the first Batwoman. Captured by Roman, Kate has been brainwashed by the hypnotic Enigma (Laura Mennell) to believe she’s Roman’s late daughter as part of his twisted plan for revenge.
The storyline was caused by Ruby Rose’s shocking decision to leave the show after its first season, with Kate believed killed in a plane crash and Ryan becoming Batwoman.
Wallis Day is now playing the role with the explanation of Kate’s features altered by the crash and surgery to fit the role of Circe. They’re first out to torture Alice for information before going after Batwoman.
While the entrance of the Spoiler is exciting to fans, it’s just one component of the clash when the new Batwoman unwittingly faces her predecessor as the show ramps up the excitement.
Batwoman airs new episodes Sundays at 9 pm CT on the CW.