Since Batwoman introduced the character of Tommy Doyle back in its third episode “Down Down Down,” fans have been eager for the appearance of his villainous alter ego Hush. After being teased in last week’s episode, the bandage-faced maniac made his true debut last night in “A Secret Kept from All the Rest.”
When the character was shipped off to Arkham at the end of his debut appearance when it came to light that he murdered his mother, it was inevitable that he would eventually return as the single-minded maniac. He resurfaced in scenes set in the asylum, forming a tentative alliance with Alice, and managed to escape due to the security in that place being about as tight as a revolving door. As expected, fans had some excited thoughts on his rampage and made sure to let them be known over on social media.
https://twitter.com/MickensJordan/status/1259634948417425408
https://twitter.com/Pagmyst/status/1257106228813033472
Hush is here! Yes! #Batwoman
— TSR (@TheSeriesRegs) May 11, 2020
https://twitter.com/GothamTokuRider/status/1259643416847228928
Shit Hush looks really good!! He may actually end up being our main villain of the season!! 🤯🤯 #Batwoman pic.twitter.com/ETmdZ6B6zS
— Daren 🏳️🌈⚡️🎉 (@Daren_Mcclimans) May 4, 2020
Okay. I'm actually starting to like Hush. #Batwoman
— CanadianGeek (@CraigRMacD) May 11, 2020
Hush is fantastic and I love it#Batwoman
— Zach Wierschke (@zachaaron28) May 11, 2020
Hush, Mouse, and Alice are such a fun trio. The bad guy energy makes for great villain energy. #Batwoman
— John Wickham BlackLivesMatter (@jtwickham88) May 11, 2020
look at Hush looking like Hush #Batwoman
— Matthew Smith (@Ky71Matt) May 11, 2020
Sophie: “Apparently the press has already given him a nickname. Hush.”
Cisco: “wait, what?”#Batwoman #TheFlash
— Ser Smythe Barleycube ⚫️🔴 (@cloneposter) May 11, 2020
You're just a freak who made out with a radiator.
Ouch, Hush.@CWBatwoman #Batwoman
— elzy (@the_el_zy) May 11, 2020
Every time they say "Hush" I have a Buffy flashback. #Batwoman pic.twitter.com/V5fmL1fGO7
— Gay Gals Watch… (@GayGalsWatch) May 11, 2020
Hush was originally a foe of Batman’s and is a comparatively recent addition to the canon, debuting in 2003. He bore an irrational grudge against Bruce Wayne for years, jealous of his being orphaned and inheriting a vast fortune. After discovering Batman’s identity, he goes about systematically destroying the Dark Knight’s life, manipulating both foes and allies in his scheming.
Tommy was brought in to Batwoman as a business rival of Bruce Wayne’s but became more focused on Kate after she foiled his initial scheme that led to his incarceration. The character’s trademark look of a head swathed in bandages came about by his escape from Arkham, which involved cutting his face off to disguise a corpse and fake his death. Although this is the villain’s first real live live-action appearance, Tommy made some insignificant appearances in Gotham, while an animated adaptation of the initial comic arc recast him as a disguise of the Riddler.
Although Tommy’s transformation into Hush is markedly different from that of his comic counterpart, by and large fans seem happy with his portrayal in the series, and with Batwoman’s debut season noticeably wavering in quality, drafting in a villain more focused than Alice’s inconsistent motivations and a litany of forgettable one-shots has the potential to finally make things a little more interesting.