New Theory Says Gotham Might Be About Owlman And Not Batman

The whole appeal to Gotham is that fans get the opportunity to see a young Bruce Wayne, just after [...]

By Charlie Ridgely

The whole appeal to Gotham is that fans get the opportunity to see a young Bruce Wayne, just after his parents were murdered, grow into the hero that we've all known from the comics. The show also delivers the backstory for the city itself, showing how the rise of crime affected Bruce's role later on.

But, what if the show isn't actually about Batman at all?

That sounds ridiculous, but it could totally be true. A new theory has pointed out that Gotham could actually be leading up to an alternate version of Bruce Wayne. This show could be telling the story of Owlman, not Batman.

Before you turn away, just give this theory a little bit of though. It isn't a conclusion that many would come to, but it makes more sense the more you think about it.

Let's break this down.

Who Is Owlman?

Only the biggest of DC fans will know about this character, as he's not featured in many major storylines. But, if you do know who he is, this theory is easy to grasp.

Owlman sometimes Bruce Wayne, sometimes Thomas Wayne Jr, depending on what you're reading. However, this Wayne resides in the alternate world of Earth-3. There's an entire multiverse out there, supporting an endless number of worlds, and this character is just one version of the beloved hero.

In this version of Bruce, he grew up to become a villain. In fact, on his world, most every hero is actually a villain. Everything got extremely dark and many turned to villainy instead of heroism.

Owlman rules Gotham City in the shadow of the night, just like Batman. However, they differ in terms of who they target. While Batman only looks to instill fear in criminals, Owlman targets everyone in sight.

The biggest difference between the two characters is perhaps one of the biggest pieces of evidence working for this theory. Owlman was raised by the Court of Owls, designed to be a killing machine.

Owlman Thomas Wayne 009
(Photo: DC Comics)
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How Owlman Ties To Gotham

As everyone witnessed in last week's penultimate episode, Bruce has been heavily influenced by the court. Even though they're all dead now, the shaman has really worked Bruce's mind over, and he's gained the young man's loyalty.

As the episode ended, Bruce set off the bomb that sent the Tetch virus into the streets of Gotham. He truly believed that the entire city needed to be cleansed.

Throughout this entire season, Bruce has been acting more and more like Owlman, rather than Batman. He doesn't want to listen to what anyone has to say. He's more selfish than Batman has ever been.

When you look at the bigger picture, Bruce isn't the only one who's acting a little bit different than you'd expect.

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The City Itself

Throughout all of comics, and any other Batman property, Gotham has been a very dark town. We all know that. However, the depiction of the city in this series takes things to a whole new level.

In Gotham the villains are out in full force. Riddler and Penguin battle for control of the entire city, Barbara rules the underground - there's nothing that isn't corrupted.

Even Jim Gordon, the shining example of everything good and moral, finds himself riding the crime wave time and again. Same story with Leslie Thompkins. Instead of advising Bruce in his endeavors, she's injecting herself with the Tetch virus.

This isn't the Gotham City that Batman rules in the night. This is something much different. It's likely that this could be the home of the Owlman.

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More Gotham

MORE: Gotham: [SPOILER] Injected With The Alice Tetch Virus/ Gotham: Barnes Kills [SPOILER] In Shocking Twist / Villains Unite In New Gotham Photos

"With the deadly virus spreading throughout the city, the search for the antidote continues, as Fish Mooney (guest star Jada Pinkett Smith), The Riddler and Penguin reveal plans of their own. Bruce meets Ra's Al Ghul (guest star Alexander Siddig) and completes his last task in order to fulfill his destiny, but realizes he can't let go of his past. Meanwhile, Gordon tries to win back Lee, and past alliances within Gotham City are broken, while new alliances are formed in the all-new, special two-hour "Heroes Rise: Destiny Calling/ Heroes Rise: Heavydirtysoul.""

Cast: Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, Morena Baccarin as Leslie Thompkins, Sean Pertwee as Alfred, Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, Erin Richards as Barbara Kean, Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle/the future Catwoman, Cory Michael Smith as Edward Nygma/the future Riddler, Jessica Lucas as Tabitha Galavan, Chris Chalk as Lucius Fox, Drew Powell as Butch Gilzean, Maggie Geha as the future Poison Ivy, Michael Chiklis as Detective Nathaniel Barnes, Benedict Samuel as Mad Hatter.

Guest Cast: Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney, Alexander Siddig as Ra's Al Ghul, Camila Perez as Firefly, Nathan Darrow as Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze, BD Wong as Hugo Strange."

[H/T] CBR

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