The "Welcome to the Rise of the Villains" teaser trailer for Season 2 of the Batman origin tale, "Gotham," gestures toward the massive storm headed straight for the troubled city of Gotham.

While the short promo doesn't quite indicate what's to come during the sophomore season, the series headed by executive producer and writer Bruno Heller will show the rise and plummet of Gotham's greats. Also, the "The Maniax Red Band" trailer for the second episode depicts the Arkham Asylum breakout, which includes Barbara Kean and Jerome Valeska (expected to become Harley Quinn and the Joker), and the violent criminals overwhelm the city.

Heller will continue to pilot the origin story, which captures several of DC Comics' best super-villains and vigilantes as they face off with hero cop James Gordon, a young Bruce Wayne and the allies who become more apparent as the series presses on.

The corrupt city, which staggers between good and evil, is already overridden with a bevy of vigilantes and villains, but the latest chapter will focus on developing little known stories about all those involved in the birth and ascendance of Batman.

While "Gotham" creators heavily suggest that Jerome will become the Joker, they're also hesitant to confirm this, because they'd like to raise doubt in the mind of viewers.

"Damned If You Do...." will be the first episode of the season, and it will show Gordon visit the Penguin, the new king of the Gotham criminal underworld, in the hopes that he will help to resurrect his career and get rid of Commissioner Loeb.

Meanwhile, newcomer Theo Galavan will masquerade as a businessman and philanthropist, but he has more sinister plans for the city and inmates from Arkham Asylum. After the discovering the cavern beneath the Wayne Manor, Bruce and Alfred argued about how to proceed.

During the upcoming Oct. 5 episode "The Last Laugh," Gordon and Harvey Bullock will track down a nemesis from their past, which leads to a standoff between Gordon and Jerome. Also, the magic show at the Gotham Children's Hospital gala will become dangerous when the event becomes a hostage situation.

"Damned If You Do...," the season premiere of "Gotham," debuts Monday, Sept. 21 on FOX.

Related