David Cain, one of Batgirl's most dangerous foes and the father of protagonist Cassandra Cain, is officially returning to DC Comics after a decade-long absence, according to a solicitation for the upcoming Batgirl #25. The reveal is notable because it lands just as the ongoing Batgirl series reaches a milestone issue, threatening to complicate its momentum, and because Cain's history with Cassandra is uniquely fraught, making his return a significant narrative development for the character.

Cassandra Cain, introduced by Kelley Puckett and Damion Scott in 1999's Batman #567, went on to become Batgirl and later the Black Bat, and is the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva. Cain, also known as the Orphan, trained a young Bruce Wayne and raised Cassandra to be a lethal assassin, rendering her mute and illiterate before she rejected his methods to fight alongside Batman. He has not appeared since apparently dying in Batman and Robin: Eternal roughly ten years ago, and while the new solicitation is deliberately vague, his reunion with Cassandra is expected to be hostile rather than sentimental.