Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for the latest episode of Batwoman.
There’s going to be one more Bat in Gotham City.
New set pics reveal how upcoming episodes of Batwoman will have Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson) going from just tech helper to suiting up on his own to become the supporting hero Batwing.
It’s a big shift for the character that’s driven by recent events.
Who is Luke Fox?
In the comics, Lucius Fox is a longtime executive at Wayne Enterprises who’s also the tech guy helping Bruce in his work as Batman. While they played a game of not knowing the secret, Lucius suspected from the start who Batman was and later joined him as an ally.
The character gained fame being played by Morgan Freeman in the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy.
When Batwoman began, Luke Fox was Lucius’ son who also knew Bruce’s secret. When Kate Kane began her journey as Batwoman, Luke was at her side to prove support.
Luke also struggled with one case of Kate’s proving the man he believed killed his father was innocent and still wants justice. He’s now shifted to helping the new Batwoman, Ryan Wilder.
In the most recent episode, “And Justice For All,” Luke was aiding Ryan in tracking down a white burglar attacking homes. This had them clashing with the Crows, the private police force who often go too far trying to “protect” Gotham.
In the episode’s final scene, Luke was confronted by Tavaroff, a brutal Crows commander who had taken over when leader Jacob Kane stepped down from being addicted to a drug.
Tavaroff was convinced that Luke was the crook, and when Luke reached for his phone to produce evidence he wasn’t, Tavaroff shot him.
Now, newly released set pics show that not only will Luke survive, but he will suit up himself as Batwing.
Who is Batwing?
Debuting in 2011 as part of the “New 52,” Batwing was originally David Zavimbe, a police officer in the Congo who was inspired to join Batman’s new international Batman Incorporated program to become his nation’s defender.
Using a high-tech suit that could even fly, David would battle the internal corruption of his police force as well as several super-villains.
After barely surviving a harsh battle, David decided to retire as Batwing to focus on changing things as a cop.
Luke Fox took on the role, redesigning the suit and using it to aid Batman.
Fox has remained a staunch ally of the Bat-Family, including a brief relationship with Barbara Gordon.
What this means for the show
It appears that the next few episodes will have Luke trying to recover from his wounds, with Ryan perhaps using the special healing flower discovered earlier in the season to help him.
This will obviously shake Luke, who grew up in wealth and avoided some race issues. Having it being brought and center like this will be a major impetus to him taking up his own costumed identity.
Luke follows several supporting Arrowverse characters who became costumed heroes on their own. Thea Queen started Arrow as a selfish party girl and became the heroine Speedy.
Supergirl saw Jimmy Olsen become the armored Guardian, and his sister, Kelly, is set to take up the mantle while Alex has become the costumed Sentinel.
Notably, the series just introduced Stephanie Brown, who in the comics becomes the costumed Spoiler, and she and Luke showing a clear attraction to each other.
Batwoman has never shied from using real-world events for its storylines, and the next episodes will deal with the fallout of the Crows acting this way.
Of course, with such threats as Black Mask and others out there, it’s probably a good thing that a new Bat takes to the skies to defend the city, and Luke is ready to prove his worth.
Batwoman airs Sundays at 9 pm EST on the CW.