A few weeks ago, Arrow star Stephen Amell shook the collective DCTV fandom by revealing that the next Arrowverse crossover will feature the first live-action appearance of Batwoman. This will mark the first ever appearance of an official Bat-family character on any of The CW's current superhero shows, which is in and of itself a very big deal. Even more surprising is the fact that we're getting Batwoman rather than her more famous cousin Batman, which is a great way for all four series to continue to showcase strong female characters.

Kate Kane's caped vigilante has been a fan-favorite character ever since she made her debut in the comic books a decade ago -- a small amount of time compared to the publisher's characters who have been around for 75-plus years. Since this version of Batwoman is a fairly recent addition to the mythology, she doesn't have a background as storied and convoluted as most DC characters. Hers is a simpler, more streamlined origin, and since Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow have all featured characters whose origins mix a faithfulness to the comics and a modern streamlining, we have to wonder what type of beginning the television incarnation of Batwoman will receive.

RELATED: Arrow: What the Longbow Hunters Mean For Season 7

Will Batwoman Be Established Already?

Arrow and its various sister series have featured all manner of superheroes, from The Atom and Martian Manhunter to the Elongated Man and Hawkman. Some of these characters arrived on the scene fully established, while others debuted via their origin stories. So which will be the case for Batwoman? Will she feature in the crossover episode established as an established caped crusader, or will we see her go through an adventure that will lead to her becoming the newest member of the Bat-family?

RELATED: Stephen Amell Believes Black Lightning Will Cross Over with Arrow - Eventually

In the comic books, the modern version of Batwoman debuted in DC's weekly series titled 52. She surfaced in Gotham City during a time when Batman was missing, his absence creating a void that she took upon herself to fill. We would later learn that she was a soldier, and that her father helped train her into vigilantism after losing his wife and other daughter, Kate's mother and sister. This seems like a lot of ground to cover for one crossover event, meaning it's more than likely Kate will already be established as Batwoman when we first see her.

If the character is being brought into the crossover, it must be because she has a significant role to play in the story. Considering her origin story is more of a solo affair, the character would best be served as having been established as a superhero when she arrives on screen. This then leaves the door open for her return at a later time, in episodes that could flash back to her formative period.

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Which%20Arrowverse%20Earth%20Will%20Claim%20Batwoman%3F']



Since the Arrowverse has already established the existence of the DC Multiverse, there's no telling if Batwoman will hail from Green Arrow and The Flash's Earth-1, Supergirl's Earth-38, or another Earth altogether. We know Bruce Wayne exists on Earth-1 thanks to Oliver Queen name-dropping his fellow businessman during a press conference, and we know Batman is active on Earth-38 thanks to a few mentions of Superman's dark and brooding vigilante friend. It would make perfect sense, then if we learn Kate comes from either of these Earths.

Of the two, it would make more sense to see Kate Kane become active on Earth-38. After all, this is a world that showcases its female heroes like no other, and it's also one where Maggie Sawyer, Batwoman's longtime girlfriend in the source material, exists as a major character. Batman is active on this Earth, so Batwoman being pre-established but not yet mentioned would make sense as well. And though they haven't met (to our knowledge), Kate calling on Kara Zor-El for help would be as solid a way to bring Batwoman into the next Arrowverse crossover as anything.

RELATED: The Flash: What’s the ‘Big Mistake’ of Barry & Iris’ Daughter?

"Crisis on Earth-X," the last Arrowverse crossover, was a spectacular affair that involved a third, not so pleasant Earth. Since Stephen Amell said that the upcoming crossover would be smaller in scale, we don't see yet another Earth factoring into the proceedings. Rather, we expect that Batwoman is already be kicking bad guys's butts and jumping off of rooftops on Supergirl's Earth 38. The Melissa Benoist-fronted series is the perfect place to launch the character, and for her to have a continued presence on after having her mix up with the rest of the extensive cast of all four superhero series.

The next Arrowverse crossover will once again bring characters from Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl on the screen together for one big comic book-inspired adventure. The television event is expected to air late in the fall.