The Batwoman series could secretly set the CW’s massive Arrowverse crossover, “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” The Arrowverse is headed for its biggest event yet, “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” inspired by a classic comic book story of the same name that put the entire DC Multiverse in peril. The story has been teased since 2014, in the season 1 premiere of The Flash, which promised that Barry Allen was destined to disappear in a Crisis that turned the skies blood-red.
After years of hints, the Arrowverse is moving towards the Crisis at speed, with the Monitor testing entire dimensions ahead of the Crisis. Both Oliver Queen and Barry Allen have not been carefully positioned for the event, with Oliver striking a mysterious deal with the Monitor, while a grieving Barry doesn’t yet know that the Crisis has moved forward to 2019.
But “Crisis on Infinite Earths” isn’t the only major Arrowverse development over the next year. The CW has signed off on a full Batwoman series, starring Ruby Rose and airing on Sundays back-to-back with Supergirl. It’s been reported that the plot will be set before the “Elseworlds” crossover, serving as an origin story for Rose’s Caped Crusader. That seems like a strange decision, but it could actually be important setup for “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”
Psycho-Pirate Is Destined To Be A Key Player In “Crisis on Infinite Earths”
Psycho-Pirate was a key player in the comic book version of “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” Psycho-Pirate was a crook who discovered the ancient Medusa Masks, golden masks that allow the wearer to manipulate the emotions of others. He became a low-level enemy for Batman, the Justice Society of America, and occasionally the Justice League; ultimately, Psycho-Pirate was recruited by the Anti-Monitor as a pawn to help him ravage the Multiverse. He was one of the few to survive the saga with his memories intact, and the event ended with a panel of him in a straightjacket, driven insane by the experience.
Psycho-Pirate’s existence was foreshadowed in The Flash season 5 premiere, “Nora.” In one scene set in the future, Flash’s daughter Nora read confused accounts of the Crisis, including a quote attributed to Psycho-Pirate himself. “Worlds lived, worlds died,” he said, “Nothing will ever be the same.” The character was finally introduced in the “Elseworlds” crossover, where he was already an inmate at Arkham Asylum - and even had the Medusa Mask. At the end, he became a friend with Doctor Deegan, and made a chilling comment that suggested he already knew the Crisis was coming. “Don’t worry, Doctor,” he assured Deegan. “Everything is as it should be. The stage is set. Worlds will live. Worlds will die. And the universe will never be the same.” This mantra, incidentally, was the tagline for the comic book event.
How Batwoman Could Set Up Psycho-Pirate
It’s important to remember that the Psycho-Pirate is a pawn in the Anti-Monitor’s game, albeit one who gradually attempts to move up the Chess board over the course of the story. That means “Crisis on Infinite Earths” shouldn’t really focus in too much on the character, and is likely to leave key questions unanswered; who is he, how did he gain his powers, how did he become aware of the Multiverse, and why is he an inmate at Arkham Asylum?
Psycho-Pirate’s story is better told elsewhere - and the Batwoman TV series may be the perfect place. The first Batwoman trailer clearly confirmed that this is an origin story, and it’s reasonable to assume Alice will be only one of the super-villains Batwoman clashes with. “Elseworlds” established that Arkham Asylum was filled with classic Batman villains, ranging from the Penguin to Bane; in Batman’s absence, Batwoman could be the one who put any of these classic rogues behind bars. She could also cross paths with Psycho-Pirate, helping explore his backstory, define his powers ahead of the crossover, and explain just how he wound up in Arkham Asylum. That approach would help incorporate this new Batwoman series into the overarching Arrowverse story, and means Batwoman is as much setup for “Crisis on Infinite Earths” as Arrow and The Flash.
