What does Ratboy have to do with Batman? This week's Gotham will feature Niko Nicotera as Derek Delaware — but who the Arkham is that? Is this a Batman villain in disguise? The name has enough alliteration to raise my suspicions that "Derek Delaware" appears somewhere in the DC Comics canon, especially since Dash Mihok will also make his second appearance in Monday's Gotham episode, "Welcome Back, Jim Gordon," as comic character Detective Arnold Flass. Unfortunately, my suspicions were false, and Derek Delaware is actually not in DC Comics. So who is this guy?
Let's look to FOX's official episode description for clues:
"When the key witness in a homicide ends up dead while being held for questioning by the police, Gordon suspects that it's an inside job and looks to an old friend for information. Meanwhile, Oswald Cobblepot takes control of one of Fish Mooney's prized possessions, as she gets a gets a small taste of her own medicine."
If you've ever seen Law & Order, you know how this works. The Sons of Anarchy actor is probably the murderer in question. That tends to be how the cookie crumbles on television, the biggest guest star is the one who did the deed. I would say that Nicotera's character is the "old friend," but that seems more likely to be Barbara, or even Oswald Copplepot. Delaware is probably either the homicide suspect or the corrupt cop who killed the witness. I think that's the most likely scenario, and we'll find out more about this guy when the episode airs. Gotham is trying to set the stage for the future Batman, so not every criminal needs to be a costumed villain at the end of the day. If the answer isn't as simple as that, here are a few other possibilities for the character.
A Politician
Would you vote for Delaware? With such a stately name, the man could easily be a corrupt politician. Especially if we are dealing with corrupt police. He could be an associate of the Mayor's, or any one of the many crime families in Gotham City. He then would have ordered the hit on the witness instead of pulling the trigger himself.
Across the River
According to some reports, Metropolis is located in Delaware and Gotham is located in New Jersey. The former is, of course, where Superman settles in to his working life as Clark Kent. Perhaps Derek Delaware is a visitor from Metropolis. It would be too confusing to draw from DC Comics' Arrow and Flash worlds that are being fleshed out on The CW, but crossing over with Superman would be easy as pie.
A Rogue By Any Other Name
Though it's not a direct match, there is a Batman villain named Derek Powers, also known as Blight, who's tech company merged with Wayne Industries. After having been injured by nerve gas, Powers underwent radiation treatment that gave him superpowers and ate away at his brain. He used a synthetic skin to hide his green skin and could kill with a touch. If Derek Delaware shows up as an eager geek with business to do, you'll have me to thank for the theory.
The Joker
At this point, we have to consider every possibility, right?
Images: Giphy (4)
