Warning! Contains spoilers for Task Force Z #9!,While elements of Batman Beyond have been referenced before in the main DC Comics continuity, the introduction of a new character has now given the current timeline a direct link to the futuristic Batman series. In Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s seminal run on Batman, they introduced Powers International into present-day Gotham, a direct reference to a company that exists in Neo Gotham. But while this could be viewed as just an Easter Egg, another series, Task Force Z has finally introduced a direct connection in Derek Powers, a very important character from Batman Beyond.,Derek Powers is the CEO of Wayne-Powers, the company created after a merger between Wayne Enterprises and Powers International. He is a corrupt businessman, willing to engage in shady and immoral business practices to get what he wants. He is responsible for the murder of Terry McGinnis’s father, which gave Terry the motivation to become the new Batman. After being infected by experimental nerve gas, his body became extremely radioactive and he transformed into the villain Blight. Blight is one of Batman Beyond’s most iconic villains, which makes Derek’s cameo in Task Force Z incredibly exciting.,Related: Batman Beyond Finally Expands on the Cartoon’s Best Line,In Task Force Z #9 by Matthew Rosenberg and Eddy Barrows, the villainous Mr. Bloom is searching through some of Powers International classified files when he encounters a young boy named Derek Powers. Derek is the son of CEO Geri Powers and apparently someone that Mr. Bloom has desperately wanted to meet. Bloom states that he is eager to plant his seeds of wisdom in Derek’s head, a statement that confuses the child. But for readers familiar with Mr. Bloom, this statement is an incredibly ominous sign of things to come.,Mr. Bloom is an enigmatic villain also from Snyder and Capullo’s Batman run, who uses items called “seeds” to grant superpowers to whoever uses them. Given his choice of words when talking to Derek, he is very likely planning on granting Derek some form of superpowers as well. Based on Derek’s future identity as Blight, these powers could be radioactive in nature so as to resemble his future abilities. This would be a major retcon to the way Derek obtains his superpowers, but such a change wouldn’t be unprecedented. After all, certain story elements are bound to change when a character from one story and medium is adapted into another. In fact, the name of Powers International is itself a slight retcon from Batman Beyond, as in the show it is named Powers Technology.,It is exciting to see such an iconic villain from Terry’s underappreciated rogues gallery finally appear in DC Comics’ main timeline. And if Mr. Bloom gives him radioactive powers and transforms Derek fully into Blight, then he may play an even bigger role in the immediate future. Thus Blight’s cameo in Task Force Z may have broader ramifications beyond simply providing a direct link between the worlds of the main DC Comics continuity and Batman Beyond.,More: Joker Would Give Up Now If He Saw His Legacy in DC’s Future,Task Force Z #9 is now available from DC Comics.