Copyright DC Entertainment Inc.

Solomon Grundy first appeared as a Green Lantern foe in All-American Comics #61 in 1944.

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

Most of the comics-based TV shows on The CW and Fox have reached their season finales, and teases abound for their fall returns. All of them are worth noting, but Fox’s Gotham takes the “Holy #@$%!!” award.

Gotham has gotten crazier and crazier with each succeeding episode, and is worth watching for that reason alone. But even this season – accurately subtitled “Mad City” – outdid itself with the two-hour Season 3 finale June 5.

With Spoiler Warnings in place, let’s take a look:

GOTHAM

The most obvious place to begin is the revelation that Butch Gilzean (Drew Powell) is really named Cyrus Gold. Since Butch was shot in the forehead (by Barbara Kean) and is in a coma, that might seem irrelevant. But Butch’s brain-dead condition is precisely why his real name is important – because Cyrus Gold is the comic book character who becomes Solomon Grundy.

In DC Comics, Solomon Grundy arose when 19th century murder victim Cyrus Gold was disposed of in Slaughter Swamp (near Gotham City) and, decades later, was mysteriously (perhaps mystically) restored to undead life. The near-mindless, super-strong creature that resulted (think Hulk Lite) took the name Solomon Grundy from the nursery rhyme, as he was “born” on a Monday. Beginning in 1944, he was the arch-foe of the original Green Lantern, whose power ring didn’t work against wood (and Grundy was primarily plant matter). This weird combination of zombie, Frankenstein’s monster and Swamp Thing has been a presence in the DC Universe ever since.

Appropriately, the “Cyrus Gold” revelation happened on a Monday. Expect “Butch” to start shambling around as Solomon Grundy soon after the new season premieres this fall

Credit: Giovanni Rufino/FOX

Butch Gilzean (Drew Powell) will likely return in the fall on Gotham, despite being shot in the head. It’s very likely he will return as another character: zombie-ish supervillain Solomon Grundy.

Speaking of Barbara Kean (Erin Richards), she also seemed to meet her end on the season finale, electrocuted by former lover Tabitha Galavan (Jessica Lucas). On any other show, that would mean this popular character was gone for good. But revenants are not only possible on Gotham, they are almost commonplace, thanks to the machinations of Prof. Hugo Strange (BD Wong).

Why would Barbara come back? Well, David Mazouz (who plays Bruce Wayne) told moviepilot.com May 30 that Harley Quinn would appear in the season finale, and nobody else seems to be a candidate. If nothing else, Kean could return as a Harley Quinn prototype, just as Jerome Valeska (Cameron Monaghan) was a Joker prototype.

As Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) said earlier this season, “Doesn't anyone die in Gotham any more?

Credit: Giovanni Rufino/FOX

Barbara Kean (Erin Richards) was electrocuted on the season finale of Gotham, but death has never stopped a good character on the show before.

STRAY NOTES

* Ben McKenzie (James Gordon) told DCTV.com that “There are some villains that I’m a fan of that are in Season 4. I’ve always been keen on the Scarecrow. It would be nice if the Scarecrow showed up.” Hmmm.

* Ra’s al Ghul – who also appeared as a character on Arrow on a different network – has joined the cast. He’s played by Alexander Siddig, familiar to genre fans from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Game of Thrones.

* Jada Pinkett Smith’s Fish Mooney died (again), and I don’t expect her back, as she’s not in the comics. Morena Baccarin’s Leslie Thompkins left town (again), but I do expect her back, as she is.

* Bruce Wayne pulled on a mask and beat up a criminal. Since everyone expects that will lead to Batman in Season 4, I bet the show will throw us a curve. My guess? Well, former Court of Owls leader Ra’s al Ghul is directing him, so could he instead be … Owlman? (Google it!)

* The Riddler (Cory Michael Smith) took a step back, by getting frozen by Mr. Freeze. The Penguin (Robin Lord Tyler) took a waddle forward, by introducing the Iceberg Lounge, his headquarters in the comics. Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) checked a box on her inevitable evolution into Catwoman by aligning with leather-wearing, whip-slinging, Catwoman-esque Tabitha.

SUPERGIRL

* Despite Kara’s sister Alex (Chyler Leigh) proposal to girlfriend Maggie (Floriana Lima), Hollywoodreporter.com says Lima will only be a guest star when Season 3 premieres Oct. 9. So I’m guessing her answer to the proposal won’t be “yes.”

* TVLine.com reports that Calista Flockhart, who plays Cat Grant, will also remain a guest star for Season 3.

* The finale showed us yet another survivor rocketed from Krypton in the planet’s final moments. References to “blood” and “reign” assure us that this Season 3’s big bad will be a Supergirl antagonist named Reign (Odette Anabelle). In the comics, she is a human weapon deemed a “Worldkiller,” and was developed by Kara’s father, Zor-El.

Credit: Robert Falconer/The CW

Supergirl (Melissa Benoist, left) has always relied on the counsel of Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart), and the season finale has revealed what we all suspected, that Grant has always known the Maid of Steel’s secret identity, but just doesn’t blab about it.

THE FLASH

* Multiple references to “Devoe” indicate the Season 4 villain will be Clifford “The Thinker” Devoe, who has been a bad guy in DC Comics since fighting the original Flash (Jay Garrick) in 1943. The Thinker has had several distinct iterations, so it will be interesting to see which version (or parts of versions) will appear when the show returns Oct. 10. At least he’s not another speedster!

LEGENDS OF TOMORROW

* Legends will add a character named Zari Adrianna Tomaz (Tala Ashe) when Season 3 premieres Oct. 10, a Muslim-American “grey hat” hacker from 2030. She’s better known to comics fans as the superheroine Isis – although I’ll bet good money that code name won’t be used, due to current events in the Mideast. “Adrianna Tomaz” is an homage to “Andrea Thomas,” the secret identity of the character on the live-action Isis that aired on Saturday mornings in the 1970s.

RIVERDALE

* Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has teased the possible addition of Sabrina the Teenage Witch when Season 2 premieres Oct. 11, according to TVLine.com.

ARROW

* John Barrowman announced on Instagram that he is finished playing dark archer Malcolm Merlyn, even though Arrow Season 6 returns Oct. 12. Of course, he could be lying.

LUCIFER

* All we know about Season 3 of this show, very loosely based on Neil Gaiman concepts, is that it premieres Oct. 10. The finale showed Lucifer getting his wings back, which – if nothing else – will make it hard for him to get a suit that fits.

iZOMBIE

* iZombie has been renewed for a Season 4, but Season 3 isn’t over yet. The finale is scheduled for June 27.

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  • Supergirl (Melissa Benoist, left) has always relied on the counsel of Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart), and the season finale has revealed what we all suspected, that Grant has always known the Maid of Steel’s secret identity, but just doesn’t blab about it.

    I really enjoyed this revelation. 

    I was (slightly) disappointed that after finally pronouncing her name correctly in her previous appearance Cat went back to mispronouncing it again.

  • Richard Willis said:

    Supergirl (Melissa Benoist, left) has always relied on the counsel of Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart), and the season finale has revealed what we all suspected, that Grant has always known the Maid of Steel’s secret identity, but just doesn’t blab about it.

    I really enjoyed this revelation. 

    I was (slightly) disappointed that after finally pronouncing her name correctly in her previous appearance Cat went back to mispronouncing it again.

    I take the mispronouncing as a term of endearment.

This reply was deleted.