Camren Bicondova stars in "Gotham"

The story has been told many times, each with its own flavor, but writers of Fox's “Gotham” have added a twist to the origins of the Dark Knight that's miles different from what's been told before.

With its second season well underway, “Gotham” has begun to delve into the beginnings and machinations of the Caped Crusader's greatest enemies. From the crime lord Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor, “Accepted,” 2006) to the sly and street-wise thief Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova, "Girls House," 2014), who will ultimately grow up to become Catwoman, Gotham is bursting with future villains this season. A new episode of this dark and gritty series airs Monday, Nov. 30, on Fox.

The show focuses primarily on Jim Gordon, played by Ben McKenzie (“The O.C.”), his rise through the Gotham City Police Department and his interactions with a young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz,“Touch”). Gordon must keep the city from succumbing to the evil that lurks beneath its concrete visage, a feat that's becoming increasingly difficult given the number of questionable characters in town.

Arguably one of Batman's greatest villains, the Penguin has his hands in pretty much every criminal enterprise in Gotham City by the time our hero has grown up and donned his cape. In "Gotham," we watch as Cobblepot develops into this mastermind by sleazing and sliding his way into the underbelly of the city.

Cobblepot has always had a soft spot for his mother, who was tragically murdered right in front of him. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Taylor said he believes that event changed everything about his character.

“His mother was his tether to humanity, and she offered the only love he really experienced in his life,” said Taylor. “To lose that is absolutely devastating, but in a way it's freeing. He feels tremendous guilt about his role in her death, and it'll be interesting to see what happens if he can ever come to terms with that. In a way, his shred of humanity has been ripped away from him. It's a huge transition for him.”

Also transitioning is the character of Selina Kyle, who is normally a solitary character. This season, it seems she has lost one of her only friends -- or so she thinks.

In a recent episode, Selina is told that her friend Bridgit, a.k.a. Firefly, played by Michelle Veintimilla (“Not Cool” 2014), has been killed in a fire fight with police. In a recent interview with the Washington Post, Bicondova stated that she doesn't believe Selina will stay mad forever.

“It seems like the end, but Selina is very resilient,” she said. “She knows who to have relationships with in order to help her in the future. Gordon is one of those people that you don’t really like but you need them if you’re in trouble. I think she’ll come back around. It’ll just take a little bit of time.”

Robin Lord Taylor as seen in "Gotham"

Another character who is developing into one of Gotham's more eccentric villains is Edward Nygma (Corey Michael Smith, “Camp X-Ray,” 2014), whose schizophrenia and penchant for word games eventually leads him to evolve into the Riddler. His descent into madness has recently resulted in the murder of his girlfriend by his second personality, which then left clues for his first personality to find -- a sick reminder of the character he will become.

Smith revealed in an interview with the International Business Times that he takes his inspiration for this character from the comics themselves, from his campy beginnings to his dark tendencies later on in the publications.

"He shows no remorse for what he’s done and goes onto the next person he targets,” he said. “That level of terror and how much fun he has doing it is pretty dark. A lot of the earlier versions of the Riddler are a lot of fun, games and puzzles, but the way in which he uses puzzles and words later on as the comics evolve I find to be disturbing."

Clearly, we're getting to see a much more human side of the traditional Batman baddies -- a fact that makes their dark descent even more interesting to witness -- but also a no holds barred sneak peek of just how evil they will become. As our hero, Gordon and his partner, the tenacious but battle-weary Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue, "Terriers"), fight the good fight, these villains weave interesting stories of their own.

Fans of “Gotham” and of the Batman universe have a lot to look forward to this season. While Gotham City devolves into a mess of chaos and crime, Gordon the golden boy tries to keep the city afloat as a new episode of the super series airs Monday, Nov. 30, on Fox.