Warning SPOILERS for Batman and the Outsiders #7
Being one of Batman's sidekicks comes with a lot of emotional baggage and immediate danger. We've seen proteges become genuinely messed up from the experience both physically and emotionally, while some have even been killed on the job. Sure, working with the caped crusader is an honor and has its positives, but it's unquestionably a tough, dangerous gig. In Batman and the Outsiders #7, Duke Thomas, aka The Signal, is the latest of Batman's trainees to suffer.
In the book, Ra's Al Gul is one step ahead of the Outsiders. He's messed with Batman's trainees (and Black Lightning) and managed to split them apart. With Katana and Black Lightning preoccupied by Sofia Ramos and Kaliber, The Signal (who was teamed-up with Orphan) has been captured by the treacherous Ishmael. Ishmael reveals he was reborn in the Lazarus Pit and has the power to evolve and change metahumans. With Duke chained and beaten, Ishmael tells him he intends on giving him a true purpose, by turning the light into the dark.
Ishmael changes Duke's metahuman abilities. The Signal has the ability to manipulate light and is able to process light faster than the average human. He can see beyond the normal light spectrum and can predict his enemy's next moves because of it. Ishmael sees the value in Duke's ability and uses his own powers to flip his over to the dark. Overcome with darkness, Duke screams with pain as his eyes turn black. When Cain later takes down Ishmael and recovers her partner, Duke tells her he is no longer able to see the light and all he can see is darkness. Duke seems shaken, confused and unsure where to go or what to do next. If Ishmael's goal was to further fracture Batman and the Outsiders, he's seemed to succeed in turning Duke into something entirely different than the hero he was before.
Hill has made Ishmael a potentially game-changing story device for metahuman characters. Duke is small fish compared to some other superpowered heroes. What happens if he gets to Black Lightning and changes his powers? He can cause some serious damage. At the very least, Ishmael's powers set up some intriguing potential future storylines. What remains unclear is how the change is going to affect Duke. Is he now under control of Ra's and Ishmael? Is he brainwashed? With the darkness overcoming him, is he still a good guy? How is it affecting his mindset? If he can navigate through the darkness instead of the light, what exactly does that mean?
What is clear is that Duke is in an un-envious situation that doesn't have an easy solution. Batman can't simply flip a switch and turn his protege's old powers back on. Unless Ishmael somehow agrees to change him back, Duke might be stuck with the darkness for good. If he still is in control, he will have to learn how to adapt his powers to the darkness. While Duke didn't meet the ultimate fate and was killed off like some Batman sidekicks of the past, the darkness being embedded in him is one of the worst things to happen to a trainee in a long time. The light of The Signal is off. Its highly unlikely good things are coming up next for Duke and the Outsiders.
Batman and the Outsiders #7 is available now.