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For the film of the same name, see Catwoman (film).

Catwoman
Cover to Catwoman: Nine Lives of a Feline Fatale. Art by Brian Bolland. Nine versions of Catwoman's costume are seen, from the following eras (clockwise from bottom left) — 1990s, early 1990s, 1940 (first appearance), Batman: The Animated Series, late 1960s, 1966, 1967, 1940s-1950s and 1970s-1980s, and current.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Batman #1 (Spring 1940)
Created by	Bill Finger Bob Kane
In-story information
Alter ego	Selina Kyle
Team affiliations	Injustice League, JLA
Notable aliases	The Cat
Abilities	Above-average agility and dexterity; expertise in cat burglar training; steel spring-loaded climbing pitons and razor-sharp retractable nails allow her to scale vertical surfaces; wields an assortment of bullwhips and cat-o'-nine tails as gymnastic equipment

Catwoman (real name Selina Kyle) is a DC Comics character, associated with the Batman franchise. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she first appeared in Batman #1 (Spring, 1940), where she was initially known as "The Cat". Her real name "Selina" derives from the ancient lunar deity Selene. Catwoman and Batman are two of DC Comics' most popular and recognizable characters.

Although originally introduced as an opponent for Batman, Catwoman's status as hero or villain is ambiguous; she has her own moral code (she abhors killing, though has resorted to it at times) and has occasionally teamed up with Batman and other heroes against greater threats, even saving the lives of the entire Justice League on one occasion.

Catwoman, in her first appearance, wore no costume or disguise at all, and 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. Later, she wore a dress with a hood that came with ears, and still later, a bodysuit with attached boots and either a domino or glasses-mask. In the 1960s, Catwoman's bodysuit was green in color, which was typical of villains of that era. In the 1990s, she usually wore a skintight purple bodysuit, before switching to a black leather outfit that recalls Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman costume in Batman Returns. In recent years, she has usually alternated between these two costumes.

Comic Book History

There have been many versions of Catwoman's origins and backstory seen in the comic books over the decades.

Golden and Silver Age versions

In Batman #62, it was revealed that Catwoman (after a blow to the head jogged her memory) was an amnesiac flight attendant who had turned to crime after suffering a prior blow to the head during a plane crash she survived. She wound up reforming and stayed on the straight and narrow for several years, helping out Batman in Batman #65 and #69, until Selina decided to return to a life of crime in Detective Comics #203. Selina appeared again as a criminal in Batman #84 and Detective Comics #211, her final appearance for many years (until 1966).

In the 1970s comics, a series of stories taking place on Earth-Two (the parallel Earth that was retroactively declared as the home of DC's Golden Age characters) revealed that on that world, Selina reformed in the 1950s (presumably after the events of Batman #69) and had married Bruce Wayne; soon afterwards, the couple gave birth to their only child, Helena Wayne (the Huntress). In Brave and the Bold #197, the Golden Age origin of Catwoman given in Batman #62 was elaborated on, after Selina revealed that she never actually had amnesia. It was revealed that Selina Kyle had been the wife of an abusive man, and eventually decided to leave her husband. However, her husband had kept her jewelry in his private vault, and she had to break into it to retrieve the jewelry. Selina enjoyed this experience so much she decided to become a professional costumed cat burglar, and thus began a career that would repeatedly lead to her encountering the Batman.

The Earth-Two/Golden Age Selena Kyle eventually died in the late 1970s after being blackmailed by a criminal into going into action again as Catwoman (as shown in DC Super-Stars #17).

Catwoman's first Silver Age appearance was in Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #70 (November 1966); afterwards, she continued to make appearances across the various Batman comics.

Several stories in the 1970s featured Catwoman committing murder, something that neither the Earth-One or 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.

Modern Age version

A revision in Catwoman's origin, and the introduction of the modern version of her, came in 1986 when writer Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli produced Batman: Year One, a revision of Batman’s origin. In the course of the story, the origin of Catwoman was also re-envisioned, as 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.

This origin was expanded on in the 1989 Catwoman limited series (collected in trade paperback form as Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper) by writer Mindy Newell and artist JJ Birch. This series showed how Catwoman’s early career was tinged with tragedy as her former pimp Stan abducts Selina's sister Maggie and violently abuses her. This led Selina to kill Stan, leaving Selina in an unbalanced mental state.

Further, Batman: Dark Victory, the sequel to The Long Halloween, implied that Catwoman suspected she was the long-lost illegitimate daughter of Carmine Falcone, although she says that she found no definitive proof of this.

It is currently unclear how much of these stories remain canonical to Catwoman’s current origin, as various stories and editors' statements over the years since then have stated that Selina was never a prostitute and that other events depicted in those stories never happened. However, characters introduced in these stories (such as Selina’s young friend Hollie from Batman: Year One and her sister Maggie from the 1989 miniseries) continue to appear regularly in the Catwoman series, and aspects of those plots are occasionally referenced, including recent issues that show Hollie remembering her days as a prostitute with Catwoman.

In 1993, following the success of Batman Returns and Selina Kyle’s prominent role in that film, Catwoman was given her first ongoing series. This series, written by an assortment of writers but primarily penciled by Jim Balent, generally depicted the character as an international thief with an ambiguous moral code.

Storylines included her adoption of a teenage runaway named Arizona, whom she briefly took on as a sidekick; aiding the criminal Bane, followed by helping Azrael to defeat him; and Selina Kyle as a reluctant government operative. The series also fleshed out more of her origin, revealing her beginnings as an underage thief, her difficult period in juvenile incarceration, and the training she received from superhero Ted (Wildcat) Grant).

As the series neared its end, Selina moved to New York and through blackmail became first corporate vice president, then CEO of Randolf Industries, a mafia-influenced company. She intended to use this position to run for mayor. However, her plans were ruined when the supervillain the Trickster inadvertently connected Kyle to her Catwoman alter ego.

Selina then returned to Gotham, which at this time was in the midst of the No Man's Land storyline. As Catwoman, Kyle assisted Batman against Lex Luthor in the reconstruction of the city. However immediately following that, she was arrested by Commissioner Gordon and put on trial, followed by being sentenced to imprisonment. While in prison she escaped, and under the influence of Dr. Harleen Quinzel (the supervillain Harley Quinn), became mentally unbalanced.

When later that year during the Officer Down storyline in the Batman titles, Catwoman was initially the chief suspect. Although later cleared, she displayed increasingly erratic behaviour throughout the story. Soon afterwards she disappeared and was thought killed by the assassin Deathstroke the Terminator, ending her series at #94.

Catwoman then appeared in a series of backup stories in Detective Comics #759 to #762. In a backup storyline Trail of the Catwoman, by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Darwyn Cooke, the reader followed private detective Slam Bradley's attempts to find out what really happened to Selina Kyle.

This storyline led in to the newest Catwoman series in late 2001 (written by Brubaker initially with Cooke, later joined by artist Cameron Stewart). In this series, Selina Kyle, joined by new supporting cast members Holly and Slam Bradley (a character from the early Golden Age DC Comics), became protector of the residents of Gotham’s East End, while still carrying out an ambitious career as a cat burglar. This series met with critical and fan acclaim, especially for its first 25 issues.

During the Hush storyline in Batman #608-#619, Batman and Catwoman briefly worked together and had a short affair, during the course of which Batman revealed his true identity to her. At the end Catwoman broke off their relationship when Batman believed that it had been influenced by the villains Hush.

Template:Spoiler

Recently in the JLA story arc Crisis of Conscience, Catwoman further proved herself an ally when she fought alongside Batman and the League against the old Secret Society, of which she had once briefly been a member. Wounded, she was taken to the Batcave to recover. When Despero and a faction of brainwashed League members infiltrated the cave and succeeded in brainwashing Batman, Catwoman was able to send a distress call out to the unaffected League members. After a fierce struggle, Despero was subdued. However, this was something of a hollow victory, since all recognized that Despero was able to pit the JLA members against one another by drawing upon pre-existing animosities and distrust. In response to Batman's inquiry about her wounds, Selina departed the batcave after curtly informing Batman that he had already "done enough."

Catwoman has appeared to be completely reformed, and her love for Batman profound and true (although her brash personality made her unpredictable even in her sentimental life). However, it is now unclear if 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. Selina had no inkling that any villains had been mindwiped until Batman informed her of the events of Identity Crisis, and he now worries that she has not reformed by choice but due to mental manipulation. (JLA #119)

At the start of the recent storyline ("The One You Love"), an influx of supervillains exerted control of the East End, leaving Selina with no choice but to join the new incarnation of the Secret Society. While her initial intentions were unclear, Selina recently shared her plans to infiltrate and destroy the cadre of East End villains to a concerned Batman. Facing impossible odds, Selina's cover was blown and she was ambushed by several supervillains, cornered in an alley and grieviously wounded. (Catwoman #47-#48) It is later revealed that it was not Selina herself who was wounded and dismembered by the villains, but rather the shape-shifter whom she inadvertently released from captivity at the start of this story arc, (who agreed to help her in exchange for his freedom). Capitalizing upon the advantage which her "resurrection" provided her, Catwoman dismantled the new East End cadre of criminals, one villain at time. However, at the close of the issue Zatanna appeared at her side, informing Selina that she had some "bad news", hinting at an important revelation about her past.

Adaptations in other media

1966 Batman series

Catwoman was at various times played by Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether and Eartha Kitt in the live-action Batman television series of the 1960s, her first other-media portrayal.

Animated series

Catwoman has been a major character in almost all of Batman's animated series. She was voiced by Adrienne Barbeau in 1992's Batman: The Animated Series, and its revamp in The New Batman Adventures. Barbeau]] also voiced Catwoman in the 2000s online animated series Gotham Girls.

Catwoman was voiced by a different actress, Gina Gershon, in the 2000s series The Batman.

Movies

Catwoman was played by Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1992 movie Batman Returns. As recreated by Daniel Waters and Tim Burton, Selina Kyle is a beautiful but shy and clumsy young woman who always says the wrong thing, thinks aloud, frequently insults herself and works as the harrassed secretary of evil tycoon Max Shreck. Behind this cartoonish and rather stereotypical character, however, lies a shattered soul filled with frustration and self-loathing who only needs - and quite literally gets - a little push to break into insanity.

Mysteriously given new life by alley cats (in a memorable Burton-esque scene) after her corrupt boss apparently kills her, her repressed rage and sexuality - and, as one could argue, some sort of mystic feline influence as well - create Catwoman, an extreme version of everything she was never allowed - by both society and herself - to be: a loveable rogue, a sexual predator and a powerful woman. She is at the same time a feminist version of Batman, defending meek damsels in distress - exactly what she was at the beggining of the film, and probably during most of her life - but insulting them for being so, and a terrorist of sorts, blowing up an entire floor of Shreck's department store and ultimately seeking to kill him. Accordingly with the film's interest in the schizophrenic aspects of its characters, Catwoman finds a reflection of herself in Batman ("Who are you?", she asks him, "Who's the man behind the Bat? Maybe you can help me find... the woman... behind the Cat"), just as Bruce Wayne finds a reflection of himself in Selina ("You... you've kind of a dark side, don't you?", to which she answers, "Not darker than yours, Bruce"), and this relationship seems to be Selina's only grip on sanity as her mental state seems to deteriorate (along with her costume, which is actually a metaphor of her) throughout the movie - now unrepressed thanks to her nightly alter-ego, the rage and resentment of her dark side are actually starting to destroy her. While many viewers and critics enjoyed the richness and complexity of the character, not to mention the way Pfeiffer looked and acted in the heavy makeup and the shiny black costume, fans of the original comic books disliked the notorious alterations and considered not only the character but the entire film to be more Tim Burton than Batman.

In 2004, Catwoman, a movie, was produced, based more on the character shown in Batman Returns than in the comics version of Catwoman. Catwoman was played by Halle Berry. This film's Catwoman bore nearly no resemblance to the comic version, besides sharing the name "Catwoman." In the film, Berry played Patience Phillips, a woman who eventually became Catwoman, a hero with supernatural cat-like powers, after a near death experience. Patience had gained the powers from the goddess Bastet, through a gathering of cats lead by an Egyptian Mau. The movie alludes to other women in the past who have been granted such cat like abilities. Though Phillips has the same skills as the villain version of Catwoman, the film's story has nothing to do with Batman (who isn't mentioned during the film). The film was heavily criticized by both film critics and fans of the comic book character and was a failure in the box office, losing the producers far more money than it earned.

In the scene where Patience is told of the history of the Catwomen, she is pushed off the balcony and lands in the living room floor. Ophelia Powers then throws photos of previous catwomen down to her, and one can clearly see a picture of Michelle Pfeiffer's "Batman Returns" version of the character, which hints that either there is some link between Patience Phillips and Selina Kyle, or that it was done as a means of paying homage to the original character.

Birds of Prey

Selina Kyle appeared very briefly (and was killed off) in the first episode of the short-lived 2000s television series Birds of Prey, which featured Catwoman's daughter, the Huntress. Catwoman was portrayed by Maggie Baird.

Cultural references

One of the recurring villains in the cartoon Xiaolin Showdown was called "Kat-nappe," and was similar to Catwoman in appearance.

Marvel Comics' Black Cat, as initially seen in The Amazing Spider-Man, was originally intended to be a homage to Catwoman, although she eventually developed in a much different direction. The Black Cat is also a feline-themed thief, although she eventually reformed (but still commits the occasional theft) and became Spider-Man's partner and lover for a time.

See also

• Gotham Girls
• Poison Ivy, sometimes partner-in-crime (Gotham Girls)
• Harley Quinn, sometimes partner-in-crime (Gotham Girls)
• Batgirl, arch-rival (Gotham Girls)

External links

• Catwoman: Copycat, and upcoming live-action full-length motion picture intending to outshine the dismal failure of 2004's Catwoman film
• The Gallery of Catwoman covers by Adam Hughes
• Catwoman on the Open Directory Project, DMoz (mirrored on Google Directory )
• Catwoman fan fiction
• Catwoman/Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) femmeslash
• Catwoman/Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) femmeslash
• Hell Here, Catwoman fan-listing
• Catwoman comic fan-listing
• BatmanTAS.com on the animated series version of Catwoman
• Catwoman's Nine Lives on UGO.com
• DC Comics' official site for the current version of the comic

• Anti-heroes
• Batman supporting characters
• Batman villains
• Fictional feminists
• Fictional thieves
• DC Comics titles
• Fictional courtesans and prostitutes