You May Know Theo's Team Of 'Gotham' Villains

Anyone who caught the Season 2 premiere of Gotham on FOX knows that things are about to go bananas in the titular city. While we still may not understand what exactly the series' latest big bad is up to, we do know that Theo Galavan is creating a team of Gotham villains to bring forth a new age in the city and help settle a centuries-old vendetta. I'm not quite sure what that vendetta is, but I do know that this new team is definitely beyond anything we've seen on the show before. So what team is Theo making? For us to properly answer that question, we probably need to know his real identity and any DC Comics connection. But in the meantime, Gotham has provided enough clues to make a few predictions.

Many fans have referenced Ra's al Ghul while discussing Theo Galavan and ComicBook.com pointed out that there are some similarities between the two. If Theo is actually Ra's al Ghul, that would mean that the team he's making could be the first rumblings of the League of Assassins right there in Gotham. No need to go all the way to Nanda Parbat to get some League action anymore! Though of course, the show isn't calling the team "The League" — at least not yet. Instead, this group now goes by "The Maniax," according to the preview below.

Name aside, here's my beef with this theory: If Theo is Ra's al Ghul and trying to make a League of Assassins hub in Gotham, why would he let his team to go out and commit heinous acts with chaos and no semblance of training or discipline? Throughout the DC universe, the League operates on a strict code of rules. When Richard Sionis turned down the chance to be in Theo's team on Gotham, he was killed for deserting or "not following orders." During the DC villain Sensei's rule of the League, there is less order and more brutality, which could be what this League would be based on, but that would clash with the theory that Theo is Ra's.

Another theory about Theo and his team's true names once again is an intriguing idea that has its faults. Theo could be the villainous Sebastian Clark, the man who at one point ran the Court of Owls, a clandestine crime organization that has existed for centuries and features bloody, ruthless killers. Considering we know that Theo has a centuries-old vendetta, it seems likely that he could be Sebastian Clark and could be back in town to set up the Court of Owls once again after its possible end several years ago. The only downside to this theory is the "clandestine" part. As shown by the insane (and totally awesome) promo above, Theo's group doesn't do anything clandestine. It's possible that the group is working this way at the moment because of Jerome, but maybe Theo will rectify this loud trait at some point.

I'm more partial to the Court of Owls theory than the League of Assassins, but there are hundreds of villainous organizations in the DC universe that the Maniax could be emulating. My working theory until we get a little more information is that the Maniax are actually a combination of several teams, including the League of Assassins and the Court of Owls, as well as the Secret Society of Super Villains, the Injustice League, and yes, maybe even the Suicide Squad.

Whatever the Maniax end up becoming, they're definitely a force to be reckoned with on Gotham Season 2.

Images: Nicole Rivelli/FOX (2)