With Arkham Knight now exactly 40 days away, I decided to do another Arkham Knight related blog (and yes, I really can't wait for the game).

With one of the parts of Arkham Knight's Season Pass making mention of, and I quote: "legendary supervillains invading Gotham City", I thought it only right to take the time to speculate on what possible villains might be showing up in both that, and also the other DLC in the Season Pass. But let's start with the candidates for "The Season of Infamy":

Calendar Man:

This one is a possibility simply because of the title of the DLC: The season of infamy. As we know, Calendar Man is all about doing crimes on specific dates and holidays, so it's possible that the title is a twisted reference to the phrase "Tis the season". Of course, Arkham Origins took place on Christmas, but Rocksteady's been distancing themselves from that prequel. It's quite possible that Calendar Man could still take center-stage in a DLC side-story. Especially since the Arkham re-imagining of one of the most universally mocked and panned Batman villains ever was fairly well-received by players. Having him be the main villain of a story would give Rocksteady the chance to really show us just how much of a monster he is without relying on him just telling us of his misdeeds. Here, we would get showing instead of telling.

Lex Luthor:

The three reasons I think Luthor is a possibility are as follows:

1. Lex Luthor has actually antagonized Batman before. In the New Earth continuity he framed Batman for murder and cost him a whole year of his life by forcing him to be on the run until he could clear his name. Luthor also at one point tried to renovate Gotham City following the "No Man's Land" disaster, which also put him at odds with Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego.
2. The Season Pass details specify that Gotham is "invaded". This would suggest that it's someone who's from "out of town" because after all, bad as they are, Batman's Rogues Gallery are not really "invaders", because they live in Gotham. So the description of the DLC suggests it is a villain not native to Gotham that is attacking it from the outside rather from within. Furthermore, the DLC also says "legendary supervillains" and it's hard to get more legendary then Superman's arch-nemesis. This also leads me to reason number 3...
3. Superman is rumored to make a brief appearance in Arkham Knight, which would establish that he exists in the Arkhamverse. If he can show up, why can't Lex?

Deadshot:

I could be wrong, but I think Deadshot's appearing in Arkham Knight has already been confirmed. Nevertheless, his getting a more substantial role in a DLC side-story is possible. And he does kind of fit the "invade" bit because Deadshot is not as rooted in Gotham City as many of Batman's other main foes, instead being a bit more "mobile", per his status as an Assassin-For-Hire. Of course at the same time, Deadshot doesn't exactly have the manpower with which to stage "an invasion", and that's not really his MO anyway. So this one is a slight possibility, but not as much of one in my mind.

The League of Assassins:

They've already shown up in Arkham City along with their leaders, and given that for that world's Ras al Ghul death is really just a minor and temporary inconvenience, I don't see why he can't be brought back again and then have a full-blown League invasion of Gotham City as a DLC story. It would make for a pretty epic DLC story too, which is not something you often see. And again, the fact that the League are not native to Gotham would fit the "invaded" bit of the description, and Ras al Ghul fits the "legendary" part pretty neatly as one of Batman's top foes. This could also be a great opportunity to bring in other League-affiliated villains, such as David Cain, Bronze Tiger, Lady Shiva (even if she already appeared in Origins), and (though they're not exclusively Batman villains) Cheshire and Merlyn. And of course, Talia could conceivably come back too the same way Ras could: via that ever-pesky Lazarus Pit.

The Court of Owls:

I'm not gonna lie, this one's mostly wishful thinking. Given how recently they came out and how much of an involved backstory they've got, it's unlikely the Court will show up as even villains in a DLC. But I would also argue it's not entirely out of the question, and let's be honest: it would be really, really awesome to see. With the excellent graphics being what they are, the Talons in particular would look awesome, and it would be interesting to see how Rocksteady would handle the twisted Labyrinth concept. As for the "invaded" part, while the Court is also native to Gotham City, they have the manpower and resources to launch a greater kind of offensive on Gotham as a whole then what Batman's villains are usually able to bring to bear. Not to mention that waging war on Gotham City is exactly what the Court did in both the comic story they first appeared in and also an animated movie featuring them (Batman Vs. Robin). So again, it's unlikely, but not impossible. And as I've already said, I would love to see it. Maybe even have some extra Challenge Maps that show off Court of Owls environments like the aforementioned Labyrinth to go along with it.

Owlman

Either alone, or with the Court of Owls, I feel that Owlman is a possibility. Maybe not a strong one, but still a possibility in the end. Consider that with Arkham Knight there seems to be a recurring motif of family, with Barbara and Jim, Batman and his proteges, and also Batman and his late father, with the first Arkham Knight trailer released featuring the reading of Thomas Wayne's will and some parting words to his son. So having Owlman as a sort of villainous twist on that family motif is a possibility, especially when he shares a name with Bruce's father. The presence of Arkham Knight as a deliberate Anti-Batman makes this one and the below one perhaps less likely as candidates, but I still feel like either or both of them has a shot. On that note...

Prometheus

Prometheus was confirmed to exist in the Arkhamverse as early as the very first game in the series, so including him in the final chapter would not only be possible, it would be fitting. And, as another Batman villain who's not really native or exclusive to Gotham City, he could conceivably fit the "invaded" part of Season of Infamy's description. I'd also argue he makes sense for the title too, considering how much of a twisted mirror image of Batman he is. Hopefully, any invasion Prometheus cooks up won't involve anything akin to what he did in the disastrous Cry for Justice story, but at the same time, I wouldn't put it past Prometheus to try and cause his share of chaos in the name of tearing down the "justice" he so despises. He would also likely try and target the GCPD due to his psychotic hatred of the police. In all, I think Prometheus has got as good a shot as any of appearing in the Season of Infamy DLC, and I know I for one would like to see him. He's a cool villain, and a fight between him and Batman in the Arkham games would be awesome. Not to mention that including him could also allow for a possible reference to the Justice League, who Prometheus is as much an enemy of as a collective as he is to Batman specifically.

So, we've got the candidates for the "Season of Infamy" DLC out of the way. But who might be taking center stage in other parts of the DLC? For the Batgirl DLC, I'm thinking it actually won't be the Joker, since despite all the conspiracy theories and denial out there, Rocksteady has made it pretty clear that the Joker in the Arkhamverse is well and truly gone, and I doubt they would even want to bring him back for a "Killing Joke" type flashback story. So who else could conceivably show up as the main foe in Batgirl's DLC? Well...

James Gordon Jr.

The absolutely twisted son of James Gordon who is basically Barbara's personal Joker (or Cain and Abel if you want another analogy), James Gordon Jr. would also make sense because of the title: "A Matter of Family". James Gordon Jr. is Barbara's brother after all, so that would count. And again, in lieu of the Joker and a reference to "The Killing Joke", this seems like the most likely choice due to how he is both 1) A primary enemy for his sister and 2) Because it fits the title of the DLC. So for me, this is the one I feel very strongly is the main villain. Though there are some other possibilities, such as...

Firefly

One of Firefly's first appearances in the Post-Crisis continuity was in "Batgirl: Year One", so having him be the main villain of a Batgirl-centric DLC is certainly possible. Not to mention that Firefly's already been confirmed for the game's main story, but whether that hurts or helps his chances I can't say. What I can say is that the boss fight with Firefly in Origins was a good one, and either with Batgirl or Batman, I hope his boss fight in Arkham Knight is similarly well done.

So those are my two main ideas for who the main villain of the Batgirl DLC is. And it's always possible that they'd just throw a curveball and have her fight Great White Shark or something. But as for the Gotham City Stories DLC, I think that there will be multiple villains there, and that it will differ for each of the heroes. For Robin, I'm thinking...

Lynx

Lynx was an enemy of Tim Drake in the comics, so it's only right that she be the main villain of a Tim Drake-centric DLC story. And you can't say she's too minor a character to include either, because Rocksteady has shown multiple times that they know their Batman lore. The "All who follow you" trailer actually has very early on a brief visual reference to Doctor Phosphorus. If they know who Doctor Phosphorus is and are willing to make reference to him, then I think they should be willing to at least consider using Lynx.

And then for Catwoman, I'm putting my money on...

Black Mask

He did appear in Arkham Origins, but again, Rocksteady's really distancing themselves from that game. He also made basically a cameo in Arkham City, but nothing substantial there. Arkham Knight is really where Black Mask can take center-stage in some of the DLC as the terrifying gangster and psychopath that he is in the comics. We all know what Catwoman did to him in the comics, and even if Rocksteady doesn't choose to adapt from that story directly, there could still be some allusions to it. But having Catwoman be put through the ringer by Black Mask to the point that she maybe goes too far to take him down (or else have it be an option like the one Catwoman is given at one point in Arkham City) could make for a good, dark story that fits well with the overall grimness of the game.

And lastly, with Nightwing I'm thinking it might be...

Blockbuster

No real surprises here. Blockbuster is one of Nightwing's main enemies after all, so if Nightwing was going to get a specific foe to take on in a DLC side story, it might as well be him. Not to mention that, as Blockbuster is actually from Bludhaven and not Gotham, he could also fit the "Season of Infamy" description regarding how Gotham is being "invaded by legendary supervillains". Granted, I wouldn't exactly describe Blockbuster as "legendary", but still. This is a character who could conceivably fit as either a villain for that part of the DLC, or for the "Gotham City Stories" part.

Azrael:

Azrael's confirmed to appear in the primary story, but his exact role's not clear. Going by what the folks at Rocksteady say in their first "Insider" video however, it seems that Azrael is getting the feeling that he needs to step up and succeed Batman as Gotham's protector on the grounds that the city needs a new, "better" one. Whether this means Azrael will become an enemy during the main story or not I can't say, but I will say that Azrael's trying to succeed Batman as Gotham's protector might come to a head not in the primary story, but in the "Gotham City Stories" DLC. Assuming that Batman does indeed die during the main story, and Gotham City Stories is at least partly about the members of his family trying to pick up where he left off, Azrael may then step in as "competition", forcing the Batman Family to work together to take him down and show that they are the worthy successors and not him. This could also mean that after Robin, Catwoman, and Nightwing's individual side-stories are concluded, they could all converge on Azrael as they work together to beat him. Just an idea. However, I think another possibility to this effect is...

Red Hood (Jason Todd)

Yes, yes, I know, he's playable via a Pre-Order bonus (one that I got, I might add), but that does not mean that Jason can't also appear as a villain in the Gotham City Stories DLC. After all, Joker was playable in Arkham Asylum's Challenge Maps on the Playstation, that didn't make him any less an enemy to Batman in the game's main story. So it is to me feasible that, if not Azrael trying to step in and forcefully take the mantle of Gotham's protector for himself, then Jason Todd is also a viable candidate. It could also mean we might get a Nightwing and/or Robin Vs. Red Hood matchup, and that would be pretty fun to see. It would also be interesting to see if Rocksteady has Red Hood use the same moves he uses as a playable character against the good guys, allowing players to know what it's like to both fight as Red Hood and also against him.

And who knows? Maybe Azrael and Red Hood will team up as a sort of dark mirror image of the Batman Family, especially since Azrael's also got a Red Hood (I'm here all week). Joking aside though, I think that could also (maybe) happen, and if it does, they might add a third person to their group so as to match the trio of Robin, Catwoman, and Nightwing, and that third person would be...

Huntress (Helena Bertinelli)

Her existence in the Arkhamverse was confirmed in Batman Arkham City during dialogue between Viki Vale and Quincy Sharp, but we've yet to see her. Since Arkham Knight's supposed to be the grand finale, you have to figure that, if it's going to end soon, now's as good a time as any to finally show us Huntress. And given her reputation for brutality and the fact that she has blood on her hands, I wouldn't find it entirely implausible that she choose Red Hood and Azrael over Batman's more morally upright disciples. And again, that would make it a nice 3 Vs. 3 fight. And that would be something to see.

And that's all of my ideas for what villains might be appearing in the various Arkham Knight DLC that the Season Pass will include. Do you think my predictions are at all on point, or do you think I'm missing some big ones? Share your thoughts.

Some characters which i wanna, even i know that will not happen !!!

@valdemocnij: Actually, some of those characters could very well show up in the game. In fact, in a supposed plot leak for Arkham Knight, Man-Bat does indeed show up, both as Man-Bat and as Kirk Langstrom, Orca is also going to be referenced, according to the same leak.

I can see The Royal Flush Gang (52) show up because your exploring the whole city.

Professor Pyg at the circus.

Roxy Rocket riding a missle at an army base.

Maxie Zeus calling himself the new god of Gotham

@valdemocnij: That picture that you have for Owlman is Lincoln March, not Owlman.

@jayc1324: Lincoln March IS Owlman. At least, the Prime Earth version of Owlman anyway.

I really want Deathstroke to return and be formidable.

@jayc1324:

Owlman ? where you saw that i post Owlman picture ? If u think about eighth picture that's Wrath !!! New 52 Wrath !!!

Lex Luthor is a definite no-no. He may have faced Batman a few times in the comics, but he's Superman's definitive arch-nemesis, and I doubt they'd be permitted to steal him just for a DLC. The most likely possibility, as brought up by OP himself, is The League Of Assassins. Though I'm not sure how they're going to fix the plot hole in Batman: Arkham City of Ra's al Ghul's motivation changing halfway through the game to justify the game's stupid plot tumor at the end with Strange.

@ultrastarkiller said:

I found Deathstroke to be formidable in Arkham Origins. And, according to the same apparent plot leak that claims that Man-Bat will be in it, it also claims that Deathstroke will be in it too.

Not necessarily. Juggernaut's chiefly an X-Men villain, and that didn't stop him from showing up in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. Nor were Wolverine and Black Widow kept out of Web of Shadows just because they're not primarily Spider-Man allies. So I don't see that as being able to prevent Luthor from showing up. Going by the description of "Season of Infamy" he seems like the most likely candidate.

I don't see any change in his motivation. He had two motives: he wanted Batman to succeed him, but he also wanted the criminals in Arkham City killed. Those two goals are not mutually exclusive, and the fact that Hugo Strange shares one of them means there is no inconsistency. So I'm not really seeing what you're getting at here. There was no Plot Tumor.

@shroudofsorrow said:

Ra's al Ghul's motivation in both Arkham Asylum's and Arkham City's bios for him describes him as a reduce-human-population-at-all-costs kind of villain. The same is reinforced in Arkham City with Ra's' voice-overs in Wonder City basically cementing him as the genocidal villain we all know and love. The same is once again reinforced during Batman's confrontation with Ra's and Talia in Wonder City where Ra's and Talia say virtually nothing contrary to his characterization. Then, at the top of Wonder Tower, Batman suddenly blurts out "you've become what you've always fought against", suddenly shifting Ra's characterization from genocidal maniac to an extremist vigilante like in Batman Begins.

Still waiting for Hush to make his appearance.

I think it's more a case of how Ras was once a hero in the vein of Batman, but that he has since devolved into the genocidal villain his bios and Batman and Talia's statements describe him as. So really, there's no inconsistency.

That will likely happen as a side-quest in the main game rather than DLC.

@shroudofsorrow said:

The issue is that Ra's was never really a hero in the form of Batman, nor ever really shared anything close to Batman's goals (his origin is basically physician turned warlord/criminal mastermind). He's always been some variation of guy who views mass depopulation, if not outright extermination of the human race, as a necessity, whereas Batman just wants to reduce crime. Ra's plans are usually something along the lines of dropping a nuke in central Gotham, not enacting a long, complicated, multi-year-long plans to imprison Gotham's criminals in one place then kill them, which seems kind of counter-productive.

Heck, even the Arkham Wiki is pretty firm on the notion that Ra's was trying to exterminate crime with his plans in Arkham City.