Batman's Daughter Joins The DC Universe - But The Dark Knight Isn't Having It

Contains spoilers for "Justice Society of America" #5

Batman's daughter from the future, Huntress, has officially found herself part of the main DC Universe, and she deserves to stick around for a while.

In DC Comics' ongoing "Justice Society of America" series, Helena Wayne has traveled back in time to chase down Per Degaton, a villain with Nazi ties who murdered her world's version of the Justice Society and her mother, Catwoman. Over the course of four issues, she has bounced across different timelines, all then way back to the 1940s where she interacted with the original JSA and saw the destruction Per Degaton has wreaked across different timelines. After being sent to the present-day DC Universe, Huntress continued to search for the villain. And though she initially planned not to confront her father, upon encountering Batman, Helena informed the hero she is his daughter from an alternate, future timeline.

In "Justice Society of America" #5, Helena informs Bruce Wayne about her connection to him and how she came to the timeline to warn the JSA about the threat that's coming. While one might expect Batman to tell Huntress to stop messing with time travel, he surprisingly understands her mission, as he's also been recently forced to make difficult, reality-changing decisions in order to save an alternate version of his own father.

In "Justice Society of America" #5 (by Geoff Johns, Mikel Janin, Jerry Ordway, Jordie Bellaire, John Kalisz, and Rob Leigh), Huntress follows up on meeting Batman by telling him about her life, the death of Catwoman, what happened to her Justice Society, and how he'll be murdered in 20 years. The Caped Crusader struggles to find the words to respond to Helena, and before he can fully utter a response, she gives him an emotional hug.

Batman eventually collects himself and tells his daughter that she shouldn't have told him about his future, saying saving him shouldn't be her priority. In response, Helena tells him she had no choice but to warn him and that she'd risk the universe for him, despite the possible effect on the timeline. At that moment, Batman begins to understand Helena's actions, revealing to her that he'd risk the universe for his father, too. In fact, he recently did that exact thing in "Flashpoint Beyond," where he saved his father, Thomas Wayne, the Batman in the Flashpoint timeline. Considering his dark history, Batman understands what it's like to lose someone close to him and what you would do if you had the chance to save them long after it seemed like it was impossible to do so.

The heart-to-heart between the father and his future daughter is cut short when Madame Xanadu and heroes from the Justice Society of America arrive on the scene. She tells Batman that he will still face the consequences of trying to save his father. But that's a problem for another day, as the interaction between JSA, Helena, and Batman is interrupted by Per Degaton, who once again shows off his incredible powers in a violent attack on the team.

As Per Degaton attacks, Madame Xanadu shows the Justice Society of America visions of the past, present, and future, where the villain has completely overwhelmed the mightiest heroes of Earth and taken control of the world. Those who opposed Degaton have been killed, as his future rule results in blood being spilled across the DC Universe.

Instead of fearing the potential future, seeing the dark timeline inspires the JSA to fight harder than ever before. Doctor Fate summons the original Justice Society from the past to fight alongside the JSA of the present, while also calling in versions of the team from the future. As a result, multiple groups of heroes combine their incredible powers to ensure Per Degaton is unable to kill them in any timeline. After three Doctor Fates use their magic to subdue their time-traveling foe, Khalid Nassour, the current Fate, grabs the snowglobe containing the Flashpoint Universe and manages to trap Per Degaton inside. Since they can't kill him, the JSA sends Per Degaton to a world featuring some of the darkest versions of DC's heroes and villains.

Per Degaton's defeat leads to each hero being returned to their original world and timeline. However, while the past and future Justice Society of America teams are sent back to the realities they usually come from, Helena Wayne isn't sent to the future or the past. Instead, she's recognized as a paradox who shouldn't, but does, exist. Like Power Girl, Eobard Thawne, and Thomas Wayne, Huntress is stuck in the present day since she has no world to return to since, following the fight with Per Degaton, her reality no longer exists.

The issue ends on an interesting note, with the current Justice Society of America left to figure out what to do with Huntress now that the living paradox is in their timeline. But, as Mister Terrific suggests the team go to the Time Masters for help, another surprise visitor shows up on their doorsteps: Judy Garrick, the lost daughter of The Flash. We don't know who they are, but the description for "Justice Society of America" #6 teases some details about them:

The Huntress and the JSA collide with Stargirl and the lost children! As this new team tries to find its footing, how will they handle coming face-to-face with a group of sidekicks they didn't realize existed?! And what does this mean for Jay Garrick as he meets his daughter Judy for the first time?! Be sure to pick up this tie-in to The Dawn of DC!

Despite Batman telling Madame Xanadu that "she can't stay" in their timeline, it doesn't appear Huntress is going anywhere. After helping defeat Per Degaton, Helena has established herself in her new reality as an important figure in dealing with the timeline becoming increasingly disrupted. She deserves a chance to stay in the present now that her future timeline has been erased, as she truly has nowhere to turn. Leading the new, lost heroes seems like a perfect fit for Helena, especially if Batman wants to avoid her for the time being. It will be fascinating to see how Huntress continues to fit into DC's main reality and whether her relationship with Batman evolves while she's here.

"Justice Society of America" #5, from DC Comics, is in comic book stores and available at online retailers now.