DC Confirms a Batman Villain Is Being Used to Make a Powerful Drug

Now that DC’s Future State event is officially in the books, the web of stories within the publisher’s present-day universe — including those within Gotham City — is proving to grow more and more complicated. Nowhere is this the case quite like in the pages of Catwoman, which have seen Selina Kyle staking her claim on Alleytown, just as new and returning faces decide to complicate things. Catwoman #29, which makes its debut this week, finally takes that conflict into an intriguing — and incredibly complicated — direction, using an incredibly familiar Batman foe at the center of its core plot. Spoilers for Catwoman #29 from Ram V, Fernando Blanco, Jordie Bellaire, and Tom Napolitano below! Only look if you want to know!

As Selina deals with the various goings-on of her life in Alleytown, things are complicated by a phone conversation between Simon Saint and an unnamed scientist, who are setting out to cover their tracks for a very specific illegal drug operation. As the scientist speaks on the phone, he stares at none other than Poison Ivy, who he and his men have encased in a giant tank. The scientist confirms that they have successfully been able to synthesize her powers into an inorganic compound, which would mean that Ivy should be properly killed and disposed of.

If it wasn’t clear by the end of the issue — after the Wight Witch chases down both Edward Nygma and Selina — Nygma himself confirms what’s going on with Ivy, revealing that her body and her powers are being used to create drugs.

The bedrock for this has been laid across the Gotham City-set books for a few months now, between Ivy fully becoming “Queen Ivy” in an oversized one-shot last year, and a tease about her captivity appearing in the pre-Future State Catwoman #28. Still, the confirmation that this is Ivy’s situation definitely complicates things — and adds a personal context to Selina’s task to save her.

Catwoman #30 will be released on April 20th wherever comics are sold.