'Gotham' Reveals How Bruce Will Become Batman

The entire story of Gotham has been building toward one thing: Young Bruce Wayne growing into the role of Batman and becoming Gotham City's vigilante protector. Over the last four years, we've seen some serious glimpses of this transition, but no massive changes for the teenage Bruce.

However, as Season Four draws to a close, it seems as though the series has made official the path that will take Bruce from a young man seeking justice, to a fully grown Batman, and it all starts with "No Man's Land".

As we know by now, Gotham is headed toward a cataclysmic event in the season finale, which will set into motion the story arc from the Batman: No Man's Land comic series. If you aren't familiar, this story essentially sees an Earthquake level Gotham to the ground, releasing criminals and sending the city into madness in the process.

In this past Thursday's episode, Ra's al Ghul returned from the dead and appeared to Bruce and Selina at Wayne Manor. The villain then warned Bruce that he had received a vision of the danger set to befall Gotham City, and said that he was going to use that event to mold the young man into its protector.

"I saw a vision of a cataclysmic event soon to befall this city," Ra's told Bruce. "A cleansing fire that will destroy, purify, create - create you, Bruce. Because I will use it as a mighty forge, molding you into a Dark Knight of Gotham. If it doesn't kill you, that is."

In the comics, Ra's al Ghul is known for the mentor role he plays in Bruce's life, teaching him how to be a true warrior. Ra's essentially helped create Batman.

Ra's appeared on Gotham at the end of Season Three, and his first major arc made it seem as though the show was going in a different direction with Bruce's teachings. The only thing the presence, and subsequent death of Ra's accomplished was the turning of Bruce into a young, bar-hopping jerk. This new story however, confirms that Ra's will have a hand in the birth of Batman after all.

Last week, ComicBook.com had the chance to speak exclusively with Gotham EP Danny Cannon, who told us that some big changes were in store for Bruce, and they would come with the introduction of "No Man's Land" this spring. His words lined up perfectly with the ominous message left by Ra's al Ghul.

"The end of the season, we're heading towards a cataclysmic event which will change Gotham forever, and will change the way everybody interacts," Cannon told us. "We're heading towards something that is so catastrophic that nobody will be the same afterwards. Bruce Wayne's path towards that man just becomes clearer and clearer. That's as much as I can say about that."

Does this mean we could see Bruce become Batman in the fifth season of Gotham? Only time will tell, but the odds seem increasingly likely.

Gotham returns for its final three episodes on Thursday, May 3rd at 8pm ET on FOX. The series is taking the week off in lieu of the network airing the NFL draft.