CATWOMAN
Catwoman is a DC Comics’ fictional character created by Bill finger and Bob
Kane. The first and most popular Catwoman was Selina Kyle, first appeared in the
first issue of Batman #1, spring 1940. In the first issue of the comic book, she
was "The Cat," a jewel thief without a costume. By the second issue, she was
referred to as "Catwoman," making her the first villainess to ever appear in a
comic book. By the third issue, she was in full costume, making her the first
costumed villainess to ever appear in comics.
Catwoman tends to steal jewelry and other forms of art, but in all incarnations,
she has shown a marked preference for feline icons and imagery and has used them
as accomplices now and then. She always lands on her feet in any situation
because she has to, it is how she survives, and one had to be good to survive in
Gotham City. She is the very spirit of a feline trapped in a human body and she
uses that fact to her advantage very well while most would screw up, especially
in the real world.
Catwoman is a pioneer, and has always remained intriguing throughout her long
career, not only because of her sexy costume and acrobatic skills, but also for
her constant tightrope act between good and evil and her love-hate relationship
with the Dark Knight, Batman. She is one of the very few villains in DC history
to have her own successful regular comic.
Different Catwoman Versions
There have been many versions of Catwoman's origins and backstory seen in the
comic books over the decades.
SELINA KYLE
Golden Age Catwoman
The first appearance of Catwoman in the Batman Universe was called “The Cat” and
she cannot be recognized at all for the fact that she was not the Catwoman yet.
The first issue also marked the debut of the freaky clown the Joker, where he
was all for the killing and The Cat was against all that, which made her set
quite apart from Batman’s other certain nemesis. The First issue set-up the
love-hate relationship between her and the Dark night.
In Batman #62, “The Secret Life of Catwoman”, she already had her alter-ego as
Selina Kyle. She was a jewel thief and after each robbery she made, she found
out that she was being followed and chased by Batman, which she liked and made
them looked like the chasing cat-and-mouse.
In this series her origin was revealed; after yet another of her burglaries, she
was being pursued by Batman as she led him on a run past a demolished building.
As they ran, Catwoman noticed a wall that was about to collapse onto Batman, who
was unaware of his peril. She had to save him, but she got smacked on the head
by a brick, and gets rendered unconscious. Batman was still concerned with
Catwoman so she brought her to his Batcave. When she awoke, disoriented and
confused, she did not even respond to the name "Catwoman". Batman slowly
extracted from her that she was a stewardess for Speed Airways when the plane
she was on went down, and the last thing she remembered was being hit on the
head as she tried to escape the crashed plane. She was horrified when Batman
told her of her exploits as the Catwoman, and declared that she wanted nothing
to do with a life of crime. So she wound up reforming and renounced her life of
crime helping out Batman. Police Commissioner Gordon of Gotham, also allowed her
a pardon from all her crimes on an agreement to help capture her crime partner
at that time, Mister X. Batman and Commissioner Gordon took the amnesia story at
face value, and considered it a mitigating circumstance, allowing her to avoid
going to jail for her crimes. She opened up a pet shop, and apparently went
straight for several years.
In Detective comics #203, “Crimes of the Catwoman”, Selina decided to return to
a life of crime as a law abiding citizen of Gotham City. Enraged with a
newspaper article which printed a story about Batman’s arrest connoting that
Catwoman was just a simple-minded woman. The local hoods and crooks sneered at
her reputation, so she again donned the tights and returned to a life of crime.
Her first act was to sneak up onto the roof of Gotham Police Headquarters, and
alter the big bright Bat-Signal to show a giant cat on the clouds, announcing
quite publicly that Catwoman was back in business.
Earth Two Origin
The second origin was published in the Brave and Bold #197, “The Autobiography
of Bruce Wayne”, 1983. This was an Earth Two story and in this tale, Selina Kyle
had married Bruce Wayne, Batman; soon afterwards, the couple gave birth to their
only child, Helena Wayne. Their daughter would go on to be the original Huntress
and continue the fight against crime when her father retired. This version of
Catwoman’s origin concentrates on her marriage and death.
In this tale, Selina admits that the amnesia was a lie, and tells Batman her
true origin while dressing a wound he suffered during their battle with Jonathan
Crane, The Scarecrow. She had been married once, when she was very young, to a
rich and handsome young man, who turned out to be extremely abusive. When she
divorced him, he took away all of the jewelry he had given her, and had taken
measure, in bitterness, to see that she remained penniless for the rest of her
life. Seeking revenge as she dawned the Catwoman persona, she broke into his
safe and stole back all of her jewelry. Enraptured by the power and strength she
got from the act, she continued the role of Catwoman. Stealing her way into
Gotham’s rich circles and enjoyed wealth once again, with personal independence.
After several years, she began to regret her actions, turned herself in to the
police, and went to jail. She was released from prison temporarily to help
Batman capture the Scarecrow, which is where this story started. After the
battle and mutual confessions, the two of them got married, and retired.
Soon after, the couple gave birth to their only child, a daughter they named
Helena Wayne. But fate dealt a cruel card in the late 1970s, a former henchman
of Catwoman, Silky Cernak, appeared and claimed to have proof that Catwoman had
committed a murder. He would provide this information to the police unless she
helped him commit one last crime. Selina acquiesced and Batman came of
retirement to stop her. During the course of events that followed, the former
criminal shot and killed Selina Wayne. Subsequent to this, her daughter Helena
became the Huntress and avenged her mother by capturing Cernak (DC Super-Stars
#17).
Frank Miller’s Year One Catwoman
A revision in Catwoman's origin, and the introduction of the modern version of
the character, came in 1986 when writer Frank Miller and artist David
Mazzucchelli published “Batman: Year One”, a revision of Batman’s origin. In the
course of the story, the origin of Catwoman was also re-envisioned. Selina Kyle
was reintroduced as a cat-loving prostitute/dominatrix who was inspired to
become a costumed cat burglar when she saw Batman in action. Year One deals with
corrupt police officers rough pimps and underage prostitutes.
In Batman #404, February 1987, Selina Kyle lived in a run down apartment, along
with a young adoptive sister, Holly Robinson, whom Selina befriended and watched
over like the little sister she believed she no longer had. Both of them were
prostitutes working for a lowlife thug named Stan. She wore a black leather
dominatrix suit for her clients. After a particularly severe beating by Stan,
Selina was sent to a hospital, where she met a police inspector named Flannery.
Understanding the predicament she was in, Flannery sent Selina to Ted Grant, a
retired superhero known as Wildcat. Ted taught her some martial arts, so that
she could defend herself, and she proved to be a particularly apt pupil. Some
time later, she witnessed a disguised Bruce Wayne who was not yet Batman,
beating up on Stan. Wayne was stabbed by Holly and Selina joined the attack on
Wayne. She was not able to defeat him, but managed to run him off. Wayne, sorely
injured, decided that he needed a costume to strike fear in the hearts of
evildoers, and became Batman. The next time Stan tried to beat Selina, she
knocked him out cold, and retired from prostitution, taking Holly with her. She
decided to take up a life of burglary, and made up a costume like batman who she
saw on TV lately, but reminiscent of the cats she loves so much. Selina would
have continued to rob with impunity if not for the Batman. Spying the Caped
Crusader from her window on one of his first outings, Selina watched him in
action and was suitably inspired to take up her own costume when prowling the
Gotham night. In a tight leather cat suit, Catwoman marked the city as her
territory. However, she never killed, and she only stole from the wealthiest or
the well-insured. At this time, Selina took Holly at the convent under the
watchful eye of her sister, Maggie
Catwoman’s Zero Hour
Unsatisfied after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC pulled another retcon stunt
several years later, called Zero Hour. This one was more successful in
simplifying continuity issues, and had some effects on Catwoman's origin,
changed and retold in “Catwoman #0”.
Now, she had never been a prostitute, and was never trained by Ted Grant.
Instead, she was orphaned as a little girl at age 12, where her brutalized
mother committed suicide and her violent father drank himself to death not long
after. She found her mother dead in the bathroom and had sadly committed
suicide. She was an independent woman with dreams of living a life of luxury.
After reporting his father’s death to 911, little Selina took to the streets and
survived on petty theft for a time. She was eventually picked up by the police
and sent to a child detention centre where corruption was very much alive,
especially when left to the director. Selina did not liked or wanted to be
there. While there she met Cassandra Cartland, later the Alley Cat, who took a
slight attraction to Selina.
Selina discovered the corruption at the child detention centre, and revealed her
knowledge to the director, who then tried to kill her. Naturally Selina
survived, and made the director remove records making Selina never been at the
detention centre. As she went out of it, she soon decided that theft was the
fastest and easiest way to get the life of luxury she so desperately craved.
After some close calls, she came to the realization that she needed some
training in personal defense in order to survive on the streets, and was soon
taken in by an armless sensei who taught her a great deal about close combat,
and also instilled in her the sophistication and charm that are some of the true
hallmarks of Catwoman.
As Catwoman, Selina's deeds have not escaped Batman's notice, though she has
continually eluded the capture by remaining one step ahead of the Dark Knight
and Gotham's law enforcement. She had many run-ins with Batman as they both have
a mutual attraction to each other. Recently Selina faked her death, and has also
ended up in prison.
HOLLY ROBINSON
Following the events of Infinite Crisis, the DC Universe jumped forward in time.
In "One Year Later", Selina Kyle is no longer Catwoman, has left the East End,
and has given birth to a child. Holly Robinson takes over as the new Catwoman
while Selina, living under the alias Irena Dubrovna, turns her attention to
caring for her daughter, Helena.
History
Holly first appeared in Frank Miller's “Batman: Year One”, as a young prostitute
together with Selina as she was rescued from a cop who was trying to hustle her.
However, she was left with Selina’s sister, Maggie, at her convent when Selina
at that time became Catwoman. A few years afterwards, Holly left the convent
parting ways with Maggie as she returned to the streets and went back to drugs
and prostitution. When she returned to the original apartment that she and
Selina had once shared, and finding that Selina had returned, they finally
reunited. Holly became good and started as Selina’s sidekick for a while,
working as her eyes and ears and ferreting out what was happening on the streets
of the East End for her. She met up again with an old friend Karon, and the two
of them have been dating.
Selina decided that Holly needed some training if she was to be involved in her
crime-fighting, and took her on a road trip to train with Ted Grant. After the
events of Infinite Crisis, DC Comics jumped forward in time. One year later,
Holly Robinson has taken over as the new Catwoman, replacing Selina Kyle, who
has retired.
In “Catwoman #53”, Holly Robinson made her first appearance as Catwoman; at the
close of the issue she is ambushed by Angle Man. Although Holly manages to
escape, her brutal beating of Angle Man is caught on film. Reluctant to ask
Selina for help, Holly turns instead to Ted Grant. Not long after, Holly is
arrested for Selina's murder of Black Mask.
Costumes used by Catwoman over the years
Catwoman has a lot of revamped in her costumes. When she first debuted in Batman
comics, she was wearing a simple green dress, exactly like the one's worn by
many women at the time because she has no costume yet. Then she kept her green
dress and went on to dawn a yellow hooded cape like of the 1930s fashion. She
even chose to wear a real cat mask, which looked horrible and furry.
Selina Kyle finally makes it to a real Catwoman costume as she chose a purple
dress and short boots and got the traditional mask with the long flowing hair
along with her whip. However, she then returned with her old costume but now
modified for the silver age; a full length skirt, knee length boots and shapely
legs.
When Selina died and resurrected, her next costume appearance became darker and
more gothic, a real cat suit with whiskers, tail and claws. It was the first
modern Catwoman look. Then after a new retcon under Frank Miller’s Year One,
Catwoman wore a dark purple spandex costume with her tall pair of boots. It was
perfect for slinking around at night.
Until another costume was made for her, a crop top, leather bottoms and domino
mask. She did not use a whip anymore, just a gun. She also lost the claws.
Catwoman’s skills, abilities and other resources
A master thief with an almost encyclopedic knowledge of security systems and
their flaws, Selena Kyle rules the night with confidence. A formidable fighter
with expertise in boxing and various martial arts disciplines and an incredible
athlete, she has no super powers so must rely that much more on pure skill,
which she has in spades.
Catwoman’s skintight cat costume features retractable razor-sharp claws in
gloves and spring-action steel climbing pitons in boots; wields a variety of
bullwhips and cat-o’-nine tails as offensive weapons and gymnastic
accoutrements. A consummate professional, she may spend days observing the
target for weaknesses before moving in.
With Holly Robinson as the new Catwoman, she has no meta-abilities, however, she
has been training to be Catwoman for at least the length of Selina's pregnancy.
She received training from both Selina and Ted Grant.
Catwoman in other media
Television
Animation
Catwoman has been a major character in almost all of Batman's animated series.
Superman/Aquaman Hour, 1960s
The New Adventures of Batman cartoon, 1970s
Batman: The Animated Series
Gotham Girls
The Batman
Television Batman series, 1966
Catwoman was at various times played by Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt in the
live-action Batman television series of the 1960s, her first other-media
portrayal.
Movies
Batman Returns, 1992
Catwoman was played by Michelle Pfeiffer in the movie Batman Returns, as
recreated by Daniel Waters and Tim Burton.
Catwoman, 2004
Catwoman, a movie starring Halle Berry, was released. This film's Catwoman bore
nearly no resemblance to the comic version, other than sharing the name.
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