The future of the DC Universe is an ever-changing place. While readers don’t yet know for certain what will come in the next five to 10 years, the recently-concluded Doomsday Clock series by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank may have provided a roadmap to DC’s future thanks to Doctor Manhattan. In the limited series’ final issue, the all-powerful Watchman restored the timeline of the DCU and re-established Superman at the center of the metaverse, which itself led to the return of the Justice Society of America in the past and the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future.
Doctor Manhattan also made plenty of startling revelations about the future he just helped secure. Only time will tell how accurate these predictions are, but there is at least one that appears to be a new certainty: An event that just may give Batman his next Endgame-level story.
“It is June 17th, 2026,” Manhattan says. “Superman goes on a quest to find Bruce Wayne’s lost daughter... so she can save Bruce’s son.” At the time of the book’s release, in December 2019, readers didn’t yet know what the future had in store for Bruce Wayne. Therefore, this particular revelation from Doctor Manhattan was just another in a long line of possible events in DC’s far future, such as a massive crisis called “Time Masters” and something that sounds a lot like a new Marvel/DC crossover.
However, the Doctor’s revelations about the future also included things like the upcoming 5G continuity revamp. Following recent developments in DC’s current titles and announcements for an upcoming event in Batman’s life, it appears the “June 17th, 2026” future regarding Bruce Wayne’s children may actually come to pass.
In February, Batman/Catwoman writer Tom King revealed the happy couple will be expecting a child in the 12-issue limited series. Later, DC confirmed the news by sharing a few panels from a story by King and artist Mikel Janín that will feature in Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, where Bruce breaks the news to Selina. Therefore, it’s all but confirmed the Batman mythos will welcome a new member of the Bat-family.
For the time being, the gender of the couple's child is unknown. However, it’s largely assumed that Bruce and Selina will welcome a baby girl into their lives. In the Earth-Two Elseworlds universe, the two had a daughter named Helena Wayne that would become the crime-fighting Huntress.
What’s more, things also seem to lock into place when one considers Bruce’s son, Damian Wayne, aka the current Robin and leader of the newest iteration of the Teen Titans. In recent issues of Teen Titans, Robin has gone down a darker path in his crime-fighting career. Looking to end things more permanently than his father ever could, Damian has begun taking villains prisoner. Then, he wipes their minds and gives them an ordinary life in a secure town he is keeping under surveillance. His measures are drastic and they are bound to lead to a conflict with Batman -- not to mention other heroes of the DC Universe.
A dark future for Damian Wayne was also teased in Legion of Super-Heroes #4, where members of the titular super-team likened Damian to a genocidal mass-murderer. Could these two threads be connected? It’s certainly possible, if Damian’s decision to take villains as his prisoners are the first step towards an even darker path -- slippery slope and all that.
When taking all of these pieces into consideration, readers might see the beginning of the future Doctor Manhattan saw in Doomsday Clock #12. If Damian Wayne turns into an all-out villain, then perhaps the only hope to save him will be his sister. But if this future really is in the cards for Batman, then it means something will happen to his and Selina’s daughter. After all, Manhattan describes her as “Bruce’s lost daughter,” which means she may not stay in Gotham very long -- whether through terrible circumstances or in order to keep her safe.
It’s a big puzzle, but it sure seems like this huge event is coming in Batman’s future -- an event that will pit father against son and brother against sister. Superman might be the only hope of putting an end to it.
Doomsday Clock #12 is available now from DC. Batman/Catwoman #1 does not have an official released date yet, but the book is expected to arrive in 2020.