'Gotham' Could Turn Kristen Kringle Into A DC Fave

Kristen Kringle hasn't been heavily featured on Gotham Season 2 just yet, but after the first season went to the trouble of establishing that her character has a slight dark side, there has to be a payoff coming. And since the whole premise of Gotham is that the characters will eventually become recognizable villains and heroes, could Kristen Kringle be based on a DC Comics character? Throughout Season 1, she seemed like a minor character designed to push Edward Nygma towards becoming the Riddler. But now that Barbara has moved past her status as Jim's love interest and become something so much more complex — and in her case, terrifying — it's time for Kristen to do the same and become a bigger presence on Gotham.

The Batman canon is filled with well-known and lesser-known characters. Many of them are already featured on Gotham, since obviously the premise is to meet younger versions of characters like James Gordon and Bruce Wayne. And the unknown comic characters are well represented too, like Doctor Leslie Thompkins or Aaron Helzinger, minor characters who would only be known to savvy readers. But there are also plenty of new characters for Kristen Kringle to evolve into, that would let her become a bigger part of Gotham. And that might mean that she's inspired by someone from the comics, like these six characters.

1. Actuary

Even though it's never been made clear if Kristen is a genius, something about Actuary, a mathematical whiz who helps Penguin with his books, seems like it might be a good fit for the facts and figures nerd. And since Penguin is already a character on the show, he might need someone to help him with his finances.

2. Someone Connected To Christmas

As Comic Book Resources explains, there are a lot of Batman comics that have to do with Christmas. And since Kristen's name is so clearly similar to "Kris Kringle," a nickname for Santa, maybe that's meant to be a hint. For example, one of CBR's finds is a Batman '66 episode where a riddle-dropping villain called "The Puzzler" co-stars with Santa Claus. Could be a coincidence, could be one of the deepest hints ever planted in a TV series.

3. Baffler/Cluemaster

These two villains are very similar to the Riddler, and since Kristen has been growing closer to Ed, I could see Gotham making her into a fellow riddle-master.

4. Batwoman

While it's easy to see how Kristen could be a bad guy, it's also possible that her discomfort with Ed hints she'll become a minor hero from DC Comics. Kristen only has one similarity with Batwoman, one of Bruce Wayne's allies, but it's a big one: her initials. Kristen Kringle and Kathy Kane are unmistakably similar names.

5. Stacy

Since she works in a police precinct, Kristen could just as easily be inspired by a character who's traditionally written as a cop (even though she's not one so far). For example, Kristen's glasses and attire makes her resemble Gotham Central character Stacy, an administrator who works in the GCPD.

6. Spoiler

A New 52 hero and eventual Batgirl, Spoiler (real name Stephanie Brown) is actually the daughter of the Cluemaster. While that wouldn't make very much sense with the chronology of Gotham, maybe Kristen will turn out to have a history of riddle-lovers in her own family, or develop a crush on a good guy, just like Spoiler has a crush on Tim Drake's Robin.

Whether Gotham is planning to make Kristen Kringle a hero, a villain, or just keep her in her job in the GCPD, there are plenty of possibilities for the character to be inspired by someone from DC Comics.

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