Batwoman: Who Is Batwing?

As Batwoman‘s second season winds to a close, it is sure to leave its ensemble of characters at some pretty interesting footing. That appears to especially be the case for Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson), who has been reeling from being shot by The Crows and briefly placed into a coma. That event has already had a profound impact on Luke — and, as was revealed on Tuesday, it will soon introduce viewers to the Arrowverse’s take on Batwing. But, who exactly is Batwing, and what is his DC Comics history? Here’s what you need to know.

Originally created by Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham, the Batwing mantle was initially held by David Zavimbe, who operated as the “Batman of Africa” within the Democratic Republic of Congo. Following the death of their parents at an early age, David and his brother were drafted into a child army, and were ultimately promoted within the organization. Eventually, the pair escaped, and David became a police officer in the city of Tinasha. After Bruce Wayne formed the Batman Incorporated initiative, David enlisted in the group, and was given a technologically advanced, Batman-like suit. David operated as Batwing for quite some time, going up against an evil brainwashed version of his brother, and briefly joining the Justice League International and the Dead Heroes Club.

David then retired from the Batwing mantle for personal reasons — which was a blessing in disguise for Luke, who had been hoping to be recruited by Bruce into Batman Incorporated. Bruce soon offered the mantle to Luke, assuring that he was his “first choice” for the job, and Luke proceeded to take a yearlong trip to Africa to operate as Batwing. Luke was then brought back into the fold of Gotham, helping Jim Corrigan investigate what happened at Arkham Asylum in the pages of Batman Eternal, and often partnering up with Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, both romantically and as vigilantes. In the DC Rebirth continuity, Luke decided to suit up as Batwing alongside the larger Batman family, and eventually built an entirely new, AI-powered suit, which he gave to a friend who was possessed by Azrael’s Suit of Sorrows.

While we haven’t even officially begun to see the beginning of Luke Fox’s TV journey as Batwing, the idea of him suiting up has definitely appealed to fans for a while. And with so much comic canon tied to the Batwing mantle to go off of, there’s definitely a lot of room for exploration in Season 2 and Season 3.

“Honestly, it’s hard to explain how much it means to me to wear the Batwing suit and officially play my first superhero,” Johnson said in a statement when the costume was first revealed. “The main reason I wanted to be in Batwoman was for this opportunity – to give kids like me another black hero to look up to and relate to. It’s hard not to smile when I catch myself in the mirror with the bat symbol on my chest, and I’ll keep smiling through every fight scene, every awesome stunt, and every Gotham night where Batwing is finally in the field!”

Batwoman airs Sundays at 9/8c on The CW.