The father of her new daughter is initially unrevealed; however, Batman demonstrates great concern for the child and at one point asks to have Helena stay at his mansion. Before the knowledge can be ripped from her mind, Selina's captors (revealed to be Shrike and a new villain named Senpai), are eventually defeated by the other Sirens. According to the timeline, Selina was the daughter of Rex Calabrese who was placed into foster care after his arrest. We don't want anyone taking over our souls, and women have a habit of doing that. Selina initially refuses, but accepts the offer after Trevor promises to help her track down a woman who has apparently been posing as Selina. This was the second time that Batman's true identity was shown to be known to her. Batman approaches . [4] Since 1993, Catwoman has had her own ongoing series, Catwoman. She next appears in the KnightQuest saga. A month after Helena is placed with a new family, Catwoman asks Zatanna to erase her memories of Helena and change her mind back to a criminal mentality. Batman asks Catwoman to infiltrate the violent tribe of Bana Amazons during The Amazons Attack! Though they attempt to stop it through the Underbroker, she is tricked into sending the money into the Joker's accounts. Following a massive battle with Black Mask and his henchmen (which ends with neither woman being able to claim the bounty), Selina agrees to take on Kitrina as her new sidekick, Catgirl. However, this relationship appears to end on the Fourth of July when Bruce rejects her advances twice; once as Bruce and once as Batman. These issues involved the rules regarding the development and portrayal of female characters that were in violation of the Comics Code, a code which is no longer in use. Momoa's next appearance as Aquaman will be for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom , which is set to hit theaters on . Catwoman then appears in a series of back-up stories in Detective Comics #759762 (AugustNovember 2001). [8] Conversely, she was ranked 20th on IGN's "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time" list.[9]. As an adversary of Batman, she was a whip-carrying burglar with a taste for high stake thefts. Though more circumstantial evidence is added to the theory of Selina's Falcone heritage, no definitive proof is provided. Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Catwoman during Knightfall. (DC Comics) Mr. Selina later reformed in the 1950s (after the events of Batman #69) and had married Bruce Wayne; soon afterward, she gave birth to the couple's only child, Helena Wayne (the Huntress). On rare occasions, she has also sported a cat's tail. Real name: While they were fighting, Catwoman says that she saw good in them and only wanted to help them. First Appearance: "One Year Later" Selina Kyle is no longer Catwoman, has left the East End, and has given birth to a daughter named Helena (whose father is initially unknown). Ivy and Harley move in, but before Ivy makes a final acceptance of Selina's offer, she surprises Selina and drugs her with truth serum-like spores. Catwoman assumes a prominent role in the third volume of Batman. She attacks and subdues Kitrina, who tells Selina that she had unknowingly stolen a map that details the location of the new Black Mask's underground bunker. Still unbalanced and uncertain of herself in issue #52 (the last issue before the jump to One Year Later), Selina is forced to decide whether to kill a supervillain. Created by: In an early 1980s storyline, Selina and Bruce develop a relationship. Shortly after defeating Bane and at the behest of Claire Clover, Bruce proposes to Selina, convincing her to accept by recalling the War of Jokes and Riddles. Batman investigates the murders of the terrorists that she has been charged with, and deduces that it was in fact Holly Robinson who committed the murders after the terrorists burned down the orphanage she and Selina were raised in. They have a daughter named Helena Wayne, who, as the Huntress, becomes (along with Dick Grayson, the Earth-Two Robin) Gotham's protector once Wayne retires from the position to become police commissioner, a position he occupies until he is killed during one final adventure as Batman. When Catwoman appeared again, no mention whatsoever was ever made of the notion that she had apparently figured out who Batman actually is. During the Hush storyline (Batman #608-#619), Batman and Catwoman briefly work together and had a romantic relationship, during which he reveals his true identity to her. 4 / 8 A change in editorial team at that point, however, brought a swift end to that story line and, apparently, all that transpired during the arc. Prior to becoming a star, she was an alcoholic whose actions during one of her "blackouts" were recorded into an underground porn film. This storyline, known as "Her Sister's Keeper", explores Selina's early life as a dominatrix and the start of her career as Catwoman. Or his most dangerous foe? I felt that women were feline creatures and men were more like dogs. There, she recognizes a man who murdered a friend of hers, and she takes her revenge. Catwoman made her live-action debut in the 1966 Batman television series, portrayed by Julie Newmar; she was also portrayed by Lee Meriwether in the film adaptation and Eartha Kitt in the third season. After stealing the contents of a safe belonging to the Falcone crime family, Selina returns home to find Kitrina Falcone, a teenaged escape artist and Carmine Falcone's long lost daughter, breaking into her room. According to this storyline, Selina trains under the Armless Master of Gotham City, receiving education in martial arts and culture. In the second and final sequel, Batman: Crimson Mist, the corrupted Batman reflects grimly that he can no longer understand Selina's noble sacrifice after his psyche has become increasingly corrupted by his surrender to his vampire side. [40], Following the DC Rebirth continuity reboot, the two once again have a sexual encounter on a rooftop in Batman (vol. After the members of Mystery, Inc. unravel her scam, Catwoman tries to flee with the opal. At their very cores, they're in direct opposition of one another, and yet the flames of romance between the . Catwoman's response to this revelation is unequivocal: she gags Zatanna with duct tape, rendering her powerless, and pushes her out a window. This series, written by an assortment of writers but primarily penciled by Jim Balent, generally depicted the character as an international thief (and occasional bounty hunter) with an ambiguous moral code. She is shocked to see a Harlequin doll at the table, its head stabbed through with a knife. Maggie is then shown in the depths of the Gotham City sewers clad in the bloodied nun robes, muttering about her plan to kill Catwoman in order to free Selina's soul. Setting out to learn as much about Batman and his enemies as she can, Gata becomes the new Catwoman. Her plans to use this position to run for mayor are ruined when the Trickster inadvertently connected Kyle to her Catwoman alter ego. The Joker attacks and paralyzes her, much like he does to Barbara Gordon in Batman: The Killing Joke. Catwoman has also appeared in various Batman media, beginning from the 1960s Batman series and including a theatrical film that loosely adapted her. Warner Bros. 1 #10) clearly establishes Catwoman as being one Marguerite Tone. Their plan was to trick men into divulging information that might be used in future crimes. With women, once the romance is over, somehow they never remain my friends. In Howard Chaykin's Thrillkiller, Selina Kyle is a stripper in a cat-themed strip club. Together the girls manage to stop the faux Joker and move in together. This version of Batman partners with and marries the reformed Earth-Two Catwoman, Selina Kyle (as shown in Superman Family #211). In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Selina Kyle becomes the Oracle, having been apparently paralyzed under unspecified circumstances.[77]. [28] Before the knowledge can be ripped from her mind, Selina's captors (revealed to be the Shrike and a new villain named the Sempai), are eventually defeated by the other Sirens. Selina enjoyed this experience so much she decided to become a professional costumed cat burglar, and thus began a career that repeatedly led to her encountering Batman. In Batman: Bloodstorm, the first of two sequels to Batman & Dracula: Red Rain, where Batman was forced to become a vampire to save Gotham from an attack by Dracula, Selina is turned into a werecat after being bitten by one of the remaining vampires. Selina was able to escape (Catwoman v.1 #0) and return to the orphanage where she stole documents exposing the administrator's corruption and sent them to the authorities. This is later revealed to be due to the manipulations of Holly under the instructions of Bane as to finally break Batman of both spirit and will. Zatanna refuses, judging that such an act would be cruel to both mother and daughter. Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Actresses Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, and Eartha Kitt introduced her to a large audience on the 1960s Batman television series. Still thinking that Selina adheres to a strict no-kill rule, Black Mask is caught by surprise when Selina shoots him in the head. Selina during her early days as Catwoman. However, a change in the editorial team brought a swift end to that storyline and, apparently, all that transpired during that story arc. Selina then offered the idea that all three of them stay together to better survive in the new Gotham City. Her criminal activities are often tempered by a reluctant altruism, making her an inconstant villain and occasional ally to Batman. In June 2016, the DC Rebirth event again relaunched DC Comics' entire line of superhero comic book titles with partial revisions of their characters' fictional histories. In this series, Selina Kyle, joined by new supporting cast members Holly and Slam Bradley (a character from the early Golden Age DC Comics), becomes protector of the residents of Gotham's East End, while still carrying out an ambitious career as a cat burglar. Story-lines include her adoption of teenage runaway and former sidekick, Arizona; aiding Bane, whom she later betrays to Azrael; and a stint as a reluctant government operative. This usage also appeared in the 1960s Batman television series. Catwoman's first Silver Age appearance was in Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane #70 (November 1966); afterwards, she continued to make appearances across the various Batman comics. Selina Kyle, commonly known as Catwoman, is a fictional character who appears in Tim Burton 's Batman film series and is based on the DC Comics character of the same name. [54] It has a more high tech look, with domino-shaped infrared goggles on her cowl. Just as Black Mask is about to gouge Maggie's eyes out and shove them down Selina's throat, Harley and Ivy arrive and defeat the Black Lantern by trapping him in the stomach of a man-eating plant. [52] In the third volume of Batman, Selina and Bruce are in a romantic relationship, and flashbacks to the past reveal their history together. She tells Selina that she could never reverse Selina's mindset, since she was on the path to becoming a hero on her own. After defeating Harley and the Joker, Catwoman tells Poison Ivy that they are no longer friends, this after Ivy drugged her in an attempt to uncover Batman's secret identity. Having gained a few pounds, Selina finds that her costume is now tighter. She is shot from a window, but is unharmed. This was mostly due to her possible violation of the developing Comics Code Authority's rules for portrayal of female characters that started in 1954. The character later appeared in Tim Burton's Batman Returns, portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer. She quickly quit however and was replaced by Batgirl. Catwoman is later confronted by Steve Trevor, who offers her a spot on Amanda Waller's new Justice League of America. Alongside the Dark Knight, this is one of Batman's oldest nicknames and is also a reference to his very nature and his outfit. Brian Kyle, a drunken layabout angry at his wife for killing herself, disliked Selina for resembling her mother and eventually drank himself to death. Catwoman, in her first appearance, wore no costume or disguise at all. At the end, he breaks off their relationship when he suspects that it has been manipulated by the villain Hush. It was not until her next appearance that she donned a mask, which was a theatrically face-covering cat-mask that had the appearance of a real cat, rather than a more stylized face mask seen in her later incarnations. Clad in a skintight bodysuit and stylized mask and carrying a whip, Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman, has frequently crossed and recrossed the line between villain and antiheroine. Holly Robinson takes over as the new Catwoman while Selina, living under the alias Irena Dubrovna, turns her attention to caring for her daughter (Selina's alias was inspired by the name of the main character in the 1942 film Cat People). Catwoman is a cat-themed criminal from Gotham City and one of Batman's most-well known enemies. This week's Top Five List is the Top Five Nicknames for Batman!! Selina's parents died when she was young, and she hardly remembers them. At some point in the future, her childhood orphanage is bombed by a terrorist group called the Dogs of War. Selina discovered that Ivy had apparently seduced and drugged the Riddler with her plant pheromones, keeping him in a vegetative state. Selina got into a fight with a disguised Bruce after he grabbed Holly, who had stabbed him during a fight with Stan, but was knocked out. Selina kills Stan to save her sister, and is able to do so with impunity. She tells Selina that she could never reverse Selina's mindset, since she was on the path to becoming a hero on her own. Many of her costumes have incorporated retractable metal claws on the fingertips of her gloves and sometimes on the toes of her boots. Julie Newmar was already well versed in unusual roles when she took on the mantle of Catwoman alongside Adam West and Burt Ward in Batman '66, having played a humanoid robot on the . Zombie, The Londinium Larcenies/The Foggiest Notion/The Bloody Tower, Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catwoman&oldid=1150954254, Supervillains with their own comic book titles, Fictional Hispanic and Latino American people, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Wikipedia articles that are excessively detailed from April 2023, All articles that are excessively detailed, Wikipedia articles with style issues from April 2023, Articles with fictioncruft from April 2023, Articles needing additional references from April 2023, All articles needing additional references, Articles that may be too long from April 2023, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention from May 2015, All Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Utilizing whips, sharp retractable claws, and climbing pitons, This page was last edited on 21 April 2023, at 00:56. However, when Ed Brubaker reintroduces her into the comic, he implies that Maggie may have directly entered an orphanage and promptly been adopted. However, the two have difficulty surviving on their own, and in desperation try to support themselves by working as prostitutes. Selina, using a mental discipline taught to her by Talia al Ghul, avoids the interrogation and gives Ivy and Harley a fabricated story about there being multiple Batmen over the years, and that she's had a personal relationship with more than one of them. From the 1990s, she has also starred in her own comic series, with other works also featuring her as a central character. Yes, she's a thief, but . Catwoman's new monthly title now focused on Selina's earlier days as Catwoman, though not the identity's origins. Catwoman appears to be completely reformed, and her love for Batman true (although brash and unpredictable). and I think some of the bat family has done it to. In addition, she is easily distracted by a common criminal. Batman: Dark Victory, the sequel to The Long Halloween, implies that Catwoman suspects she is the long-lost illegitimate daughter of Carmine Falcone, although she finds no definitive proof of this. While still recuperating, she pulls off one more heist and exacts her revenge on Hush. To clear her name, they track down Holly, bringing Catwoman into a duel with Talia al Ghul. One of Batman's enemies and lovers, the two experience a grappling love-hate relationship, as Catwoman is a burglar who oftens does the wrong thing for the right reasons. Catwoman (Selina Kyle) appears as Catwoman (Prime) a playable character in the Infinite Crisis video game. She escapes and returns to the orphanage, where she steals documents exposing the administrator's corruption. Zatanna refuses, judging for herself that such an act would be cruel to both mother and daughter. She plans to use this position to run for Mayor of New York City, but her hopes are dashed when the Trickster inadvertently connects her to her criminal alter ego. After being attacked by Holly Robinson, Batman is rescued by Catwoman. Talia tries to kill Selina before vanishing, but she survives and ultimately reunites with Bruce, who had recently returned to the present. Scratch out their eyes. Golden Age first appearance of "The Cat". In an attempt to harmonize the various versions, some writers have posited that Catwoman, early in her career, pretended to be a prostitute in order to scam lonely men and rob them. Helena later came to her father's aid and found that soldiers from another world killed Catwoman as Batman mourns her death. Although Catwoman has been historically portrayed as a supervillain, Batman and Catwoman have worked together in achieving common goals and are frequently depicted as having a romantic relationship. The following henchmen are the only ones that were named. She is hired by Anarky to steal information, but she gets caught and is tortured by Jonathan Crane, whom she calls a "demented scarecrow". Ted Grant informs Selina that Holly has been arrested for the murder of Black Mask; Selina infiltrates the police station and frees Holly. According to the novelization by Elliot S. Maggin, she runs a multibillion-dollar cosmetics company. The two women initially restrain Selina and attempt to remove the knowledge from her, but Zatanna refuses at the last moment and ends up fighting Talia in order to protect Selina. Determined to prove her innocence, Batman recruited her to a team of criminals he was putting together to retrieve the Pyscho-Pirate from Bane in Santa Prisca to save the girl who was struck under the spell of the pirate's mask. It is implied Batman may have deliberately let her get away by blocking Robin as he tried to leap after her. 4/17/2013 5:12 PM Anonymous said . 4) #1 (Nov. 2011), and the same issue implies that the two have an ongoing sexual relationship. The Joker : I'll incapacitate the beast with my trick confetti! During the Batman: Hush storyline, Batman and Catwoman briefly work together and have a romantic relationship, during which he reveals his true identity to her. This series, written by an assortment of writers, but primarily penciled by Jim Balent,[24] generally depicted the character as an international thief (and occasional bounty hunter) with an ambiguous moral code. An armored, metahuman successor called "Catwoman II" is also featured in the story as one of the "new heroes" who follow the new "man of tomorrow" Magog's anti-heroic, violent example.[61]. During Batman: The Long Halloween, Selina (out of costume) develops a relationship with Bruce Wayne, even leading her to save Bruce from Poison Ivy. (Image credit: DC) Batman is known as the Caped Crusader, thanks to his fanatical one-man-war on crime. Batman reluctantly arrests Catwoman after all 237 of them are killed, despite Catwoman's insistence on her guilt. In the build-up to The Return of Bruce Wayne, the Sirens help Zatanna put out a massive fire at a local park near their home, only for them to be ambushed by a creature made of mud. This incident led to Helena Wayne becoming Huntress and bringing Cernak to justice.[57]. She helps nurse him back to health and recovers their relationship. Just as Black Mask is about to gouge Maggie's eyes out and shove them down Selina's throat, Harley and Ivy arrive and defeat the Black Lantern by trapping him in the stomach of a man-eating plant. The 1989 Catwoman limited series, written by Mindy Newell and with art by J.J. Birch, expanded upon Miller's Year One origin. She also took the opportunity to steal enough money to live on before going back to the streets. In live-action, Catwoman has been portrayed by Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, Casey Elizabeth Easlick Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, Camren Bicondova, Lili Simmons and Zo Kravitz. Zatanna gives her a little bottle supposedly containing aloe vera for her post-op scars. Selina's connection to the Falcone family is further explored in the miniseries Catwoman: When in Rome. As Catwoman, she assists Batman against Lex Luthor in the reconstruction of the city. Afterwards, she is seen covering her bed with past versions of her Catwoman costume. After being arrested by Commissioner Gordon, she escapes from prison. Catwoman often pictures a possible marriage between Batman and herself, such as in this scene (Nightwing #52), shown in one of Catwoman's romantic daydreams. As the story progresses, Selina decides to leave prostitution and takes Holly with her. On May 21, 2018, DC Comics unveiled Selina's revamped Catwoman costume designed by comic book writer and artist Jolle Jones. Several stories in the 1970s featured Catwoman committing murder, something that neither the Earth-One nor Earth-Two versions of her would ever do; this version of Catwoman was assigned to the alternate world of Earth-B, an alternate Earth that included stories that couldn't be considered canonical on Earth-One or Earth-Two. Catwoman also appears in the Knightfall saga, where she is approached by Bane's henchmen while robbing a house. However, she has learned her reformation was the result of a mindwipe by Zatanna, a procedure known to deeply affect and, in at least one case, physically incapacitate its victims. Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle (out of costume) develop a relationship during Batman: The Long Halloween. She may be involved in sadomasochism, as she first advises the Joker who has just murdered his latest loverthat "I've heard rumors on how you handle women and even I don't play it that rough". Since the 1990s, Catwoman has been featured in an eponymous series that cast her as an anti-heroine rather than a supervillainess. [58] She does not appear in Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Miller's follow-up story, although she is referred to in the prologue written for the trade paperback version, but in the book, Carrie Kelley's moniker of "Catgirl" is an homage to Catwoman. Once Selina is freed, Talia orders Zatanna to wipe Bruce's identity from her memory, reasoning that her kidnapping has proved that the knowledge is too dangerous for her to handle. Mr. She is not dressed in costume, but appears in the very dress she first wore in Batman #1 as the Cat. Their relationship is also strained by the fact that they sometimes find themselves on opposite sides of the law. Kane's inspiration for Catwoman was drawn from multiple sources to include actresses Jean Harlow, Hedy Lamarr, and his cousin, Ruth Steele. Julie Newmar. 3) #32 (December 2017), to which she says, "Yes".[45]. Directed by Don Weis. I felt much warmer with dogs around mecats are as hard to understand as women are. Finally defeating Film Freak, Selina returns home to find that Slam Bradley has deduced that Helena is the daughter of his son Sam Bradley Jr., and therefore his granddaughter. Now calling herself Sister Zero, Maggie attempts to kill Selina, but ultimately flees after being defeated by the Sirens. [5] She quickly quits, however, and is replaced by Batgirl. Maria Kyle is a distant parent who preferred to spend her time with cats, and commits suicide when Selina is very young. Who is Catwoman? Selina accompanies Batman on a mission to break into Doctor Sivana's armory, and later travels with him to Tokyo in order to recruit a Japanese representative for Batman Inc.[36] Catwoman teams up with Batman to stop Harley Quinn from breaking the Joker out of Arkham Asylum.