Theory: Batman Beyond Origin Story is Secretly Playing Out in DC Comics
Warning! Spoilers for Batgirls #3 ahead!
A new villain causing trouble in the pages of Batgirls may turn out to be a new version of the Spellbinder, an old Batman enemy who received new life in the Neo-Gotham of Batman Beyond. Calling themself the «Tutor,» they've been making sure the Batgirls team hasn't had an easy time of it in Gotham's Hill neighborhood. While Tutor has been whipping up a frenzy of anti-Bat sentiment with their street art during a time when trust in the Bat-Family is at an all-time low, clues seem to indicate that they are more than just a two-bit villain.
Hailing from the Silver Age of comics, the Spellbinder first appeared in Detective Comics #358 when artist Delbert Billings began using optical illusions to commit crimes. The mantle of «Spellbinder» would change hands throughout the years, but as a minor DC villain, the character seemed to be killed off for good during the Infinite Crisis event. In the DC Animated Universe, however, a very different version of the character gained prominence as a foe of Terry McGinnis, the Batman of the future. In Batman Beyond season 1, episode 10, «Spellbound,» disgruntled school psychologist Ira Billings takes advantage of his high-school patients and hypnotizes them into committing crimes on his behalf. Although swiftly defeated, he continues to expand his criminal reach and uses the superior technology of the future to become one of the most unpredictable foes of Batman Beyond.
Related: Batman Beyond: Neo-Year Pits Terry Against the AI That Killed Bruce Wayne
Now there is evidence to suggest that through the Tutor, a new Spellbinder is being seeded into modern-day Gotham. While the Tutor uses the tricks of the past Spellbinder, visual references point to them
Read more on screenrant.com
