In the JLA story arc Crisis of Conscience, Catwoman fights alongside Batman and the League against the old Secret Society, of which she had once briefly been a member. After the interrogation is over, Selina sees Harley with Bruce Wayne on TV. However, when Ed Brubaker reintroduces her into the comic, he implies that Maggie may have directly entered an orphanage and promptly been adopted. Still, the undeniable magnetism between Bat and Cat is one of Gotham's most reliable constants: wherever Catwoman goes, Batman is sure to follow, if only to take her down. "Hot Off the Griddle" / "The Cat and the Fiddle". Best Batman villains | GamesRadar+ In an attempt to cover up her crime, the administrator puts Selina in a bag and drops her in a river to drown (like a cat). Catwoman has also appeared in various Batman media, beginning from the 1960s Batman series and including a theatrical film that loosely adapted her. In this story, Holly Robinson is introduced as Selina's roommate, a young runaway and prostitute Kyle has taken in. Later, in Detective Comics, Selina is quite uncertain about pursuing a romantic relationship with Batman. 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. According to this storyline, Selina trained under the Armless Master of Gotham, receiving education in martial arts and culture. 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. Still thinking that Selina adheres to a strict no-kill rule, Black Mask is caught by surprise when Selina shoots him in the head. Catwoman, in her first appearance, wore no costume or disguise at all. She next appears in Batman #2 in a story also involving the Joker but escapes Batman in the end. 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. However, the two had difficulty surviving on their own, and in desperation tried to support themselves by working as child prostitutes. She later aides Batman, with whom she already has a romantic relationship, to spy on the Joker. Batman Annual (vol. Michelle Pfeiffer portrayed the character in 1992's popular film Batman Returns. After he tells her that he plans on getting an emotional response before killing her, Selina steals a car and heads to the mental institution where Maggie is held, believing Black Mask is coming for her. [26] Now calling herself Sister Zero, Maggie attempts to kill Selina, but ultimately flees after being defeated by the Sirens. At the end, he breaks off their relationship when he suspects it has been manipulated by the Riddler and Hush. Soon afterwards she disappears and is believed to have been killed by the assassin Deathstroke, ending her series at #94. Using the trust she regained in Luthor's eyes, she earns a passage to the 'real' Earth, in a jerry-rigged teleport machine built by Luthor for letting the villains escape. Selina is helped to her feet by her friends, who tell her that Maggie has fled the scene. For other uses, see Catwoman (Disambiguation). You always need to keep women at arm's length. Catwoman Actresses in Order | Pictures | POPSUGAR Entertainment Though the story adds more circumstantial evidence to the theory of Selina's Falcone heritage, establishing that the Falcones' second-born daughter was put up for adoption in America, it also supplies no definitive proof. The Catwoman (1960s Batman) | Batman Wiki | Fandom While they were fighting, Catwoman says that she saw good in them and only wanted to help them. It's never mentioned again. She then asks Selina to reveal the identity of the original Batman. Catwoman 1940-1946 - Batman - DC Comics - Character profile 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. She became Catwoman's sidekick, after befriending Selina Kyle. In the Pre-Crisis version, Catwoman was supported by different henchmen. Her criminal activities are often tempered by a reluctant altruism, making her an inconstant villain and occasional ally to Batman. The character has been one of Batman's most enduring love interests. In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Selina Kyle becomes the Oracle, having been apparently paralyzed under unspecified circumstances.[77]. Bruce proposes to Selina at the end of Batman (vol. As they fight together, Batman finds that Selina's selfless love for him allows him to control his thirst for blood that had begun to consume him. [37], Shortly afterwards, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn have escaped and set off to pursue revenge on Catwoman for leaving them behind. 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. However, characters associated with Catwoman's past as a prostitute have remained a part of her supporting cast. At the same time, this character was meant to be different from other Batman villains like the Joker in that she was never a killer or evil. Zatanna refuses, judging that such an act would be cruel to both mother and daughter. 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. Thankfully, Bane is revealed to be responsible for Selina's misgivings, and Batman and Catwoman renew . 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.Debuting as "the Cat" in Batman #1 (spring 1940), she is one of the Dark Knight's most enduring enemies and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues' gallery. In the Catwoman: Year One story (Catwoman Annual #2, 1988), Selina (now an adult) achieved some success as a thief. In February 2015, a storyline by writer Genevieve Valentine shows Selina kissing fellow Catwoman Eiko Hasigawa.[53]. In 2011, The New 52 revised and relaunched DC Comics superhero titles, including revisions to the alternate-universe stories and characters of "Earth-Two"renamed "Earth-2". Written by Stanley Ralph Ross. In the comics, Holly Robinson and Eiko Hasigawa have both adopted the Catwoman identity, apart from Selina Kyle.[5][6]. Posing as a criminal, Selina gains the Bana's trust and thwarts a terror attack aimed at causing mass casualties in Gotham City. She reforms for several years, helping out Batman in Batman #65 (June 1951) and 69 (February 1952), until she decides to return to a life of crime in Detective Comics #203 (January 1954), after a newspaper publishes stories of Batman's past adventures and some crooks mock her about it. Batman receives word of her situation, and while he goes in search of Hush, he leaves Selina in the care of Doctor Mid-Nite, who is considered the superhero community's chief doctor. Setting out to learn as much about Batman and his enemies as she can, Gata becomes the new 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. Freeze. [76] She is later revealed to be intimately involved with Dick Grayson. 4 / 8 The stills from the film are used to blackmail her into stealing information from Wayne Enterprises. In Frank Miller's All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, Catwoman expresses interest when the Joker's invites her to join him in "some mischief". [20] Selina eventually finds herself in "Alleytown a network of cobblestone streets that form a small borough between the East End and Old Gotham. Every relationship has its obstacles. [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 escapes and returns to the orphanage, where she steals documents exposing the administrator's corruption. 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. Devastated by her sister's statement, Selina fails to realize they have both been heading for a trap. Ed Brubaker, the writer behind the 2001 revamp of the character, has stated that Selina's current costume was inspired by Emma Peel's iconic leather catsuit in The Avengers television series. General Information Several characters have also taken up the role in addition to Kyle, including Holly Robinson and Eiko Hasigawa. It is revealed in issue #0 of Worlds' Finest that this Selina was killed while trying to stop what she believed was a human trade ring. The villain had also previously tortured Selina's sister Maggie by drilling out her husband's eyeballs and feeding them to Maggie, which drove her insane. In Howard Chaykin's Dark Allegiances, Selina Kyle becomes a film star under the stage name of Kitty Grimalkin. Batman reluctantly arrests Catwoman after all 237 of them are killed, despite Catwoman's insistence on her guilt. 3 #2. Hush eavesdrops on the conversation, targeting both women as a way to hurt his enemy, Bruce Wayne. There have been many versions of Catwoman's origins and back story seen in the comic books over the decades. 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]. This is often considered to be one of Pfeiffer's finest performances, even though she regarded . Directed by Don Weis. First appearing in Batman #1 in Spring 1940 as "The Cat", Catwoman has appeared frequently in comics since her debut. Batman was about to arrest them, but Catwoman helped the two of them escape.[39]. Rather than be charged, Selina was instead inducted into a second chance program that helped those growing up in poverty. Catwoman is later confronted by Steve Trevor, who offers her a spot on Amanda Waller's new Justice League of America. 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. After Superman's defeat, she rejoins Batman's side and acts as his mole for Gorilla Grodd's new supervillain team, the Society. She is portrayed by American actress Michelle Pfeiffer. She was voiced by Zo Kravitz in the 2017 animated film the Lego Batman Movie, and in 2022, she portrayed the character in Matt Reeves' live-action film The Batman. After enlisting Batman's help in faking the death of both herself and her daughter, Selina puts Helena up for adoption. While on the run, Maggie angrily tells Selina that she ruined both of their lives the day she decided to become Catwoman. [43] During this time she stops wearing the Catwoman costume, prompting Eiko Hasigawa, heir to the rival Hasigawa family, to replace her in the role.[6]. Still unbalanced and uncertain of herself in issue #52, Selina is forced to decide whether to kill a supervillain. Selina Kyle is also briefly mentioned in the TV show that inspired the comic series, when Bruce Wayne begins to tell Terry about her after Terry has a short-lived relationship with a member of the Royal Flush Gang. In the 1960s, Catwoman's catsuit was green, which was typical of villains of that era. [48] They subsequently go back to Gotham and defeat all of Batman's enemies who had sided with Bane before taking on and defeating Bane himself, at which point the two are taken by Thomas who, in an attempt to finally break Bruce's spirit, shows him the corpse of the recently murdered Alfred. She helps nurse him back to health and recovers their relationship. During this time, a client gives her a cat o' nine tails, which Selina keeps as a trophy. Maria then dies in Sheila's arms. [60] Both books feature a Batman: Year One-influenced Catwoman who wears a gray cat costume and was once a prostitute. Maria Kyle was a distant parent who preferred to spend her time with cats, and committed suicide when Selina was very young. Kitrina Falcone | Batman Wiki | Fandom Talia tries to kill Selina before vanishing, but she survives and ultimately reunites with Bruce, who had recently returned to the present. Her real name is Selina Kyle, and she made her debut as the Cat in Batman's first issue in 1940. Selina Kyle appears as an aging and somewhat overweight madam in Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns four times; all are brief. 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. 5) #1). Despite this, Catwoman is able to recover the funds with the help of Penguin and Riddler, though transfers it to Lucius Fox's accounts at Batman's request. Who Is Catwoman? | Batman 101 | @dckids - YouTube The Actresses Who Have Played Catwoman | Den of Geek Debuting as "the Cat" in Batman #1 (spring 1940), she is one of the Dark Knight's most enduring enemies and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues' gallery. Selina Kyle is reintroduced as a cat-loving prostitute/dominatrix who is inspired to become a costumed cat burglar when she sees Batman in action. The Brave and the Bold #197 (April 1983) elaborates upon the Golden Age origin of Catwoman given in Batman #62, after Selina reveals that she never suffered from amnesia. Ted Grant informs Selina that Holly has been arrested for the murder of Black Mask; Selina infiltrates the police station and frees Holly. When the two meet at an opera many years later, during the events of the 12-issue story arc called Batman: Hush, Bruce comments that the two no longer have a relationship as Bruce and Selina. Although later cleared, she displays increasingly erratic behavior throughout the story. Batman catches criminals, and Catwoman is a criminal. In this instance, Lola tips Selina off to an unoccupied penthouse where Selina can lay low for a few weeks, as well as a job stealing a painting from Russian mobsters. Batman also knew that getting Catwoman off the death row would buy him time to investigate her case as well. Since this name was just a gimmick for a single story, we're going to downplay it in this article. This version of Catwoman was later assigned to the alternate world of Earth-B, an alternate Earth that included stories that could not be considered canonical on Earth-One or Earth-Two.[17][18][19]. 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In the Catwoman: Year One story,[23] Selina, who is now an adult, achieves some success as a thief. After the DC Universe's history was rewritten by the Flash and Doctor Manhattan, Catwoman's past was changed. After flitting from rooftop to rooftop, Selina looks back just in time to see her apartment blown apart by explosives. Together the girls manage to stop the faux Joker and move in together. Selina then offered the idea that all three of them stay together to better survive in the new Gotham City. Still thinking that Selina adheres to a strict no-kill rule, Black Mask is caught by surprise when Selina shoots him in the head. In Batman: Dark Victory, he stands her up on two holidays, causing her to leave him for good and to leave Gotham City for a while. She also discovered that Ivy had similarly taken Harley Quinn into her new sanctuary. As Catwoman, she assists Batman against Lex Luthor in the reconstruction of the city. Having gained a few pounds, Selina finds that her costume is now tighter. Batman and Catwoman are shown having a sexual encounter on top of a building in Catwoman (vol. Yes, she's a thief, but . Catwoman has also appeared in the television series Gotham (20142019), in which she was portrayed by Camren Bicondova and Lili Simmons (adult). Most of this is revealed in the former series, but is expanded upon in "Her Sister's Keeper". Batman and Catwoman married on Earth Two, as shown in Superman Family #211, in the Bethlehem Alternate Universe in Batman vol.1 #666, and in Batman Annual vol. We don't want anyone taking over our souls, and women have a habit of doing that. She can also be seen using a pistol against people if her whip is taken from her. Catwoman, comic character, a wily and agile professional thief and sometime love interest of superhero Batman. Her Sister's Keeper explores Selina's early life as a prostitute and the start of her career as Catwoman. Though she takes her role as a new mother quite seriously, Selina dons the costume for a run through the East End some days after Helena's birth. Catwoman appears again as a criminal in Batman #84 (June 1954) and Detective Comics #211 (September 1954), which were her two final appearances until 1966. Historically a supervillain, the character first appeared as The Cat in Batman #1, which means she shares her status as the second-oldest of Batman's long-term Rogue's Gallery with The Joker, who was introduced that same issue.The code name Cat-Woman (sic) and the first of her cat-suits were introduced in issue #2. As the story progresses, Selina decides to leave prostitution and takes Holly with her. She tells Selina that she was so happy about her relationship with Bruce that she ignored the other warnings in the cards. The criminal had learned Selina's identity through his earlier alliance with Selina's childhood friend Sylvia, who still harbored a grudge against Selina. Holly Robinson uses the same costume Selina used prior to Infinite Crisis. But with Bruce's return, it could tease a Flashpoint twist to another iconic character. During the events of Batman R.I.P., Selina and Bruce's romance lasts only for a night because Bruce must continue to pose as Jezebel's lover to bring down the Black Glove. RT @CatwomanNation: It's so frustrating how DC keep saying "Catwoman murdered Valmont." WHERE? 10 Things You Didn't Know About Batman & Catwoman's Romantic History - CBR When the two meet at an opera many years later, during the events of Batman: Hush, Bruce comments that the two no longer have a relationship as Bruce and Selina. She allies herself with Lex Luthor in an attempt to return to Earth, and mistakenly ends up on an alternate universe-Earth where Catwoman is a notorious villain. Kane's inspiration for Catwoman was drawn from multiple sources to include actresses Jean Harlow, Hedy Lamarr, and his cousin, Ruth Steele. 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. Following a disastrous burglary, however, she accepted an offer to "lay low" by posing as a dominatrix in the employ of a pimp named Stan. [21] Maggie's fate at this point in the timeline is not alluded to. Damian is truly his father's son! Portions of Her Sister's Keeper and the Year One origin conceived by Frank Miller remain canonical to Catwomans origin, while other portions have been dropped over the years. Catwoman is a fictional character from the DC Comics universe. [30] Talia tries to kill Selina before vanishing, but she survives and ultimately reunites with Bruce, who had recently returned to the present. Catwoman appears to be completely reformed, and her love for Batman true (although brash and unpredictable). Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. She quickly quit however and was replaced by Batgirl. The original and most widely known Catwoman, Selina Kyle, first appeared in Batman #1 (Spring 1940) in which she was known as The Cat. "Selina Kyle" redirects here. Back in reality, Talia reveals to the Sirens that just a few hours prior, an unknown benefactor had offered up a massive reward to whoever could kidnap and deliver Catwoman to him, with the hopes that he could penetrate her mind and learn Batman's secret identity. A solo Catwoman film was released in 2004 in which she was portrayed by Halle Berry. Mario abused Kitrina mentally and physically due to her uniqueness. 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 being dragged underneath the soil by the creature, Catwoman awakens tied up and gagged on the floor of a dark room, and is quickly forced into an illusion by her unseen captors. Lee Meriwether and Eartha Kitt replaced when she was unavailable for the movie and season three. Her real name Selina Kyle is never mentioned in the series. Sylvia attracted at least one client; Selina apparently never did. 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. He couldn't finish a bag of popcorn! (DC Comics) Mr. In addition, she is easily distracted by a common criminal. Catwoman | Comic, Origin, Actress, & Films | Britannica Devastated by her sister's statement, Selina fails to realize they have both been heading into a trap. This is a dark and tragic period which culminates with Selina's former pimp Stan abducting and violently abusing her sister Maggie. Ivy agrees under one condition: using home-grown drugs to weaken Selina's resistance, Ivy demands the identity of the true Batman.