WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batwoman Season 3, Episode 4, "Antifreeze," which aired Wednesday, November 3rd on The CW.
Over the years, Gotham City has had its fair share of sinister organizations, and the latest episode of Batwoman introduces the Arrowverse's take on one of them. In "Antifreeze," Ryan Wilder and her team race to track down someone who is using Mr. Freeze's cryogenic technology to freeze innocent people. The mysterious man evades the Bat Team, and it is revealed at the end of the episode that he represents a group called the Black Glove Society.
In the comic book source material, Black Glove is a secretive criminal organization led by Dr. Simon Hurt. Hurt is actually an ancestor of Bruce Wayne's who gained immortality in the 1700s thanks to a demonic ritual. He is able to gather immense influence and power over the course of his lengthened lifespan, forming the Black Glove to aid in his attempts to summon more supernatural forces. The group presents itself publicly as a group of party-obsessed rich idiots, with Gotham's citizens remaining none the wiser about what really happens at those parties.
At one point, Simon Hurt discovers that his descendant Bruce Wayne is Batman, and sets out to break down and utterly destroy the Caped Crusader. As a part of this plan, Hurt has several actors waiting and ready to replace Batman, should Black Glove actually be able to kill him. Batman manages to defeat Hurt, but Black Glove remains an active problem, with members such as Professor Pyg posing serious threats to Gotham.
"Antifreeze" confirms that the Black Glove Society is operating in Gotham City and ultimately raises the stakes for Season 3 of Batwoman, especially considering that the episode ends with the reveal that Jada Jet is working with them. In the comics, there is a high-ranking member of Black Glove named Jezebel Jet, who seduces Bruce Wayne to weaken Batman further. The similarities between their names, as well as the fact that both are affiliated with Black Glove, suggests that Jada Jet is meant to be a loose adaptation of Jezebel.
A major conflict of Batwoman Season 3 has been Jada attempting to ignore Ryan Wilder despite Ryan learning that Jada is her birth mother, so the reveal that Jada's working with Black Glove puts her in a prime position to hurt Ryan. In a way, a potential betrayal by her would hurt more than Jezebel's betrayal of Bruce Wayne, considering how badly Ryan wants a relationship with her mother. However, it seems that Jada's current focus is Ryan's brother, as the Black Glove agent is revealed to have been testing Mr. Freeze's technology to find a way for Jada to freeze Marquis.
With the reveal of the Black Glove Society, "Antifreeze" finally gives Batwoman Season 3 a primary antagonistic force. Given their connection in the comics, it seems likely that the group will have something to do with Professor Pyg's upcoming debut. In addition, considering they were able to acquire Mr. Freeze's technology, it stands to reason that Black Glove may have scooped up some of the other missing Bat-trophies as well. No matter what happens, between the missing trophies, Poison Ivy and now the Black Glove Society, Ryan Wilder's certainly going to have her hands full this season.
To see what the Black Glove Society has in store for Gotham City, new episodes of Batwoman air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
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