CATWOMAN CHARACTER PROFILE
Catwoman, an iconic character in the DC Comics universe, has captivated readers for decades with her complex personality and intriguing relationship with Batman. This fascinating character, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, has evolved from a cunning cat burglar to a morally ambiguous antiheroine, and even an occasional ally to the Dark Knight.
| REAL NAME | Selina Kyle |
| CREATED BY | Bill Finger (Writer) Bob Kane (Artist) |
| FIRST APPEARANCE | Batman #1 – 1940 |
| ABILITIES | Expert burglar Master martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant Skilled acrobat and gymnast |
| PUBLISHER | DC Comics |
THE ORIGINS OF CATWOMAN
The inspiration for the Catwoman character came after both Bob Kane and Bill Finger wanted to create a character with sex appeal. One that would also interest both male and female readers. Some of this inspiration came from other actresses such as Jean Harlow, Hedy Lamarr, and even Kane’s cousin, Ruth Steele.
Furthermore the character would also be one with a neutral interest. She was neither good or evil. She would commit crimes but would also have a personal love interest with Batman.
The inspiration for making the character have a ‘cat-like’ personality also came from the impression that women are more like feline creatures
 Catwoman (Collectors Edition) Prime 1 Studios |  Lonely City DC Comics Featuring Catwoman |  The Catwoman – Hot Toys Collectible Figure |
THE MYSTERIOIS BURGLAR
”I felt that women were feline creatures and men were more like dogs. While dogs are faithful and friendly, cats are cool, detached, and unreliable. I felt much warmer with dogs around me—cats are as hard to understand as women are. Men feel more sure of themselves with a male friend than a woman. You always need to keep women at arm’s length. We don’t want anyone taking over our souls, and women have a habit of doing that. So there’s a love-resentment thing with women. I guess women will feel that I’m being chauvinistic to speak this way, but I do feel that I’ve had better relationships with male friends than women. With women, once the romance is over, somehow they never remain my friends” – Bob Kane.
Selina Kyle started life as a mysterious burglar, who was not known for wearing black leather. Instead she was regarded as more of a young and attractive lady with a femme fatale personality. Her actual cat-like costume did not appear until much later.
THE LIFE OF A DOMINATRIX
Her origin was then revised several years later, in 1987, by writer Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli. Here she would be portrayed as a dominatrix in order to try and earn a living. In doing so she also befriended a child prostitute known as Holly Robinson. Who was also working at the same club.
As the story continued Selina left the dominatrix life behind, taking Holly with her. Instead she would revert to burglary and stealing from the rich as a new way of making a living.
Her origin story is further expanded on in the 1989 Catwoman limited series by Mindy Newell and J. J. Birch. Here Selina would abandon her dominatrix life after she sees her sister, Maggie, being abducted and beaten by her employer. Stan. She then rescues her sister and becomes the Catwoman.
In the Catwoman (vol. 2) comics Maggie does not exist. Instead Selina ends up having a distant parent known as Maria Kyle. Who preferred to spend time with her cats. One day she ends up committing suicide. At this time Selina is still very young. This heavily impacts the rather abusive father, Brian. Who blames Selina for the death of her mother. Eventually the guilt and sorrow gets to him and he drinks himself to death.
A SUSPICIOUS ADMIN
Selina, now on her own, takes to the streets. before then getting caught and sent to an orphanage. Followed by a juvenile detention center. It is during this section of the story when comic book writer, Ed Brubaker, mentions that Maggie, Selina’s sister, had been in an orphanage and had since been adopted. Up until this point, during the timeline, she had yet to be mentioned.
Selina manages to learn that the administrator of the orphanage had been embezzling funds. As punishment for discovering this incident, Miss. Kyle was then thrown into a bag and dropped into a river, like a cat.
She manages to escape and returns to the orphanage. Where she steals documents to further uncover the truth about the administrator. She then uses these documents as blackmail to erase the name Selina Kyle from the city records. Kyle then steals a diamond necklace from the admin and leaves the orphanage.
In the Justice League story arc, Selina sides with the Dark Knight to fight against the old Secret Society of Supervillains. A team that she was once a member of.
GOLDEN AGE
During the Golden Age of comic books, Catwoman’s character thrived, but she experienced a hiatus from September 1954 to November 1966 due to the implementation of the Comics Code Authority, which imposed strict rules on the portrayal of female characters.
A MOTHERS LIFE
After the events of Infinite Crisis and ‘One Year Later’, Selina Kyle decides to retire as Catwoman in order to bring up her young child, Helena. The role of being Catwoman was then given to Holly Robinson.
Whilst being a full time mother and parent to Helena, Selina also decided to change her name to Irena Dubrovna. Which took inspiration from the 1942 film, Cat People.
Selina eventually resists the urge to head out in her catwoman costume, it is here when video footage manages to capture two Catwoman in action. Much to the delight of Film Freak, who had now managed to deduce her alias. Who then, with the help of Angle Man, manages to kidnap daughter Helena.
Selina manages to rescue Helena and an attempt to brain wash both Film Freak and Angle Man was put in motion. In order to preserve her secret identity. It works and Angle Man is jailed, whilst Film Freak goes on a murderous rampage.
In this story, Holly is said to have been arrested for the murder of Black Mask. To which Selina then attempts to rescue her from jail and, in doing so, defeats Film Freak.
Eventually life catches up with Selina and she finds it too much to bring up a daughter and run the risk of playing Catwoman. So she places Helena in an orphanage.
During this story it is strongly hinted that the Dark Knight, Batman, is the father to Helena. Though, a lot of the time it is also somewhat vague.
BATMAN ARKHAM ORIGINS
In the Arkham Origins Blackgate game, Catwoman makes her first appearance as a thief who has caught the attention of Batman. After engaging in a thrilling chase, she is eventually captured and sent to Blackgate Prison. However, the prison is soon overrun by villains, and Catwoman finds herself caught in the crossfire. She ultimately assists Batman in navigating the chaos, providing him with valuable information along the way.
BATMAN ARKHAM CITY
Whilst trapped inside Arkham City, which was heavily under control by Professor Hugo Strange and his band of mercenaries, the TYGER. Catwoman decided to try and test her luck in breaking into Strange’s Office, and retrieve her loot that was confiscated during her arrest that saw her thrown into the city in the first place.
However, her attempts fail after she ends up getting caught by the TYGER guards. She is then taken to Hugo Strange who questions her motives and her relationship with Batman.
At first, Catwoman refuses to tell him anything. However, Hugo was smart and thus he decided to use a bit of blackmail. Threatening her that if she refused to comply then he will order his TYGER guards to kill Holly Robinson.
Selina was now left with very little choice. So she accepted and answered his questions. In return Miss. Kyle was able to locate her goods, which was actually inside Two-Face‘s vault. Over at an old campaigning office.
MISSION FAILED
Kyle managed to infiltrate the office and had even got as far as locating the vault. Until she was stopped by a gun now pointing towards her head. Harvey Dent, the ex-DA, had caught her in the act.
Selina was then knocked out and eventually found herself tied and hanging above a pool of chemical liquid. She was in the Solomon Courthouse and Harvey and his goons were watching. He was now threatening a state of execution.
Thankfully for her, the Batman caught wind of the incident and managed to rescue her. Two-Face was now seen as the one hanging above the deadly pool of chemicals. Switching places with the Cat. Much to his displeasure
In a sense of distrust with Hugo Strange and how he managed to gain full control of Arkham City after years of being absent. She knew that he was up to something suspicious and so she planned to seek out more of his involvement.
THE CASE OF A FEW DEAD PLANTS
Catwoman then attempts to break into Strange’s vault once again. However, getting inside was not going to be easy. So she attempted to ask Poison Ivy for help. At first she was greeted with hostility. Reason being, Selina had apparently forgotten to water Ivy’s plants. They died as a result.
A deal between the two was finally made when Catwoman accepted to retrieve a plant that was inside Strange’s vault. In exchange Ivy would help her get inside.
Once inside Selina successfully managed to steal several cards from the TYGER guards that patrolled the area. These cards would then unlock the vault.
Miss. Kyle was then successful in getting her stash back but as she tried to exit the city she noticed that Batman needed her help. The Steel Mill had been attacked due to the missile attack from Protocol 10, which was part of Hugo Strange‘s plans. This resulted in fallen rubble and a vigilante being stuck under some of it. So, she abandoned her current objective to go and rescue him.
EVERYONE LOVES TO STEAL
After the death of the Joker and Hugo Strange, Selina then visited her apartment only to notice that it had been destroyed. The attack was from Two-Face and his goons. They were not happy about what happened back at the courthouse. In retaliation they ended up stealing some of Miss. Kyle’s gear and destroying her apartment.
Selina then decided to try and locate Two-Face and get her stuff back. This meant a confrontation over at the Museum. Due to Harvey’s obsession with duality, she only managed to get half of her stuff back. The rest he gave away.
Before leaving Arkham City, Catwoman went and told Ivy that Hugo Strange was behind the death of her plant. To which she responded and demanded to get revenge. At this point, Strange was already dead.
BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT
Selina had no interest in Scarecrow‘s plans with Gotham. Instead she ended up risking her life in an attempt to eavesdrop and get information regarding Batman. She knew he would come and demand questions regarding her recent crimes. However, this plan eventually fails when she is spotted by a security drone and is forced to make a quick retreat.
Whilst wondering what to do next, she eventually gets contacted by the Riddler. Who had a job for her. He wanted to hire her to steal a special power core for his newly-built robots. In exchange for information regarding Scarecrow’s plan.
She didn’t really question or suspect his intentions, so she complies. Upon doing so she becomes alarmed when one of his robots suddenly awakens. She was now caught in his trap. As bait to lure the Dark Knight and force him to take part in his new game.
EXPLOSIVE COLLAR
This new game involved her having to wear an explosive collar. Forcing her to remain within the Pinkney Orphanage. A location within Miagani Island. Her life was in the hands of the Dark Knight. He had no other choice but to fulfil the tasks and challenges that had been created by Nigma. It was the only way to rescue the Cat. These challenges mostly consisted of finding various Riddler related trophies and solving riddles.
Once the challenges had been completed and all of the tasks had been dealt with, Edward Nygma would then appear and fight both vigilantes. All within a super-sized mechanical machine.
After having been defeated Edward was then forced to endure a ride to the GCPD holding cells. Whilst Selina Kyle was now free to roam as she pleased. More importantly, she was also free of the explosive collar too. One that she couldn’t help but describe as being cheap and tacky
Whilst the Riddler was locked up inside the GCPD holding cells Selina managed to track down the location to his robot facility. Where he had created his robot and ‘Riddlerbot’ army. Her plan was to destroy this facility and steal all of his money, which was a total of $2 million worth.
INTRUDER ALERT
Now a prisoner, Edward tried to contact his AI and robotic companion via a communications link. His plan was to shut down the facility, before it could be compromised, but it was too late. Catwoman had already successfully managed to gain entry and was about to initiate her plan to destroy everything that Edward had worked so hard to achieve.
Thanks to this communications link, Nygma was now also aware of Catwoman and her devious plans. He was so helpless. Trapped inside the GCPD prison cells. Unable to escape. His ‘Riddlerbots’ tried to intervene, as ordered. However, they were ultimately no match for the Cat.
Edward pleaded for her to stop. To leave the facility and to not steal from him. Though, she was known for stealing. It was part of who she was. She ignored his desperate pleas and continued to hack into his bank account and detonate the facility.
Within minutes the facility was destroyed and so too was the ‘Riddlerbot’ army. She had also managed to steal his money too. All $2 million worth of it. She took everything and he was left with nothing. Revenge for having been tricked into his plans back at the Pinkney Orphanage had been a success.
NOTES
In her first initial appearance in the DC comics, Catwoman did not wear a costume. It was not until her second appearance, within the 1940’s Batman series comics, where she found herself wearing a mask. A theatrical face-covering cat-mask. To be more precise.
In the 1960s her catsuit was green and as the years continued it changed colour once again. By the time the 1990s rolled around her suit was more of a purple colour. Before then becoming a black skintight catsuit. This became her modern era look, which took inspiration from the character Emma Peel and The Avengers television series.
The original actress to play the role of Catwoman was Julie Newmar. Since then other actresses have taken up the role including Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry.
In the 2015 DC’s ‘Catwoman’ comics and more specifically comic #39, Selina is seen kissing Eiko Hasigaway, who is the one wearing the Catwoman costume at the time. This brought up new speculation regarding the character being bisexual. To which, series writer Genevieve Valentine later confirmed.
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