Gotham: 19 Easter Eggs, In-Jokes And References You Totally Missed
14. Tommy Elliot Is Destined To Be A Bad Guy
Gotham's eighth episode, The Mask, actually has the origin stories for a couple of infamous modern Batman villains hidden amongst its main plot of an investment banker who holds a fight club to decide who can join his company. Richard Sionis, the banker in question, is investigated and turns out to be a criminal who wears a kabuki mask. Richard's son, Roman Sionis, makes a brief appearance in the episode as well. In the comics the influence of his terrible parents leads him to becoming the Black Mask, a brutal crime boss who also wears a mask. Then there's the small role for Tommy Elliot in the episode, as a student at Bruce's school who makes fun of his parents being dead. Even for a kid, that's pretty cold. Having asked Alfred for self-defence advice, Bruce kicks the kid's ass. Bully for you, Bruce; when they're both grown up, Tommy will become Hush, a bandaged bad guy who has surgery to make him look like Wayne, in order to try and ruin Batman's life for humiliating him like that. At least, that's what happens in the comics.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
