Catwoman

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Catwoman

Catwoman is a DC Comics character, associated with the Batman franchise and created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.

The original and most widely known Catwoman, Selina Kyle, first appeared in Batman #1 (Spring 1940), where she was initially known as The Cat. She was an adversary of Batman, a whip-carrying burglar with a taste for high stake thefts. Modern writers have attributed her activities and costumed identity as a response to a history of abuse.

Since the 1990s, Catwoman has been featured in an eponymous series that cast her as an anti-hero rather than a villain. The character has also been written as one of Batman's possible love-interests.

Recently, Selina Kyle has stepped out of the role of Catwoman, and her confidante, aide and protégé Holly Robinson has taken up the mantle.

One of the most popular Batman characters, Catwoman has been featured in most other media adaptations of the character. Actresses Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt introduced her to a large audience on the 1960s Batman television series. Michelle Pfeiffer's rage and sexuality-driven portrayal of the character in 1992's Batman Returns was both popular and controversial.

In 2004, Halle Berry starred in a critically panned and financially disastrous Catwoman film, featuring a character resembling her comic book counterpart only in name.

Selina Kyle

Her name "Selina" derives from the ancient lunar deity Selene.

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 (although in the final issue of The Brave and the Bold, she later admitted that she made up the amnesia story because she wanted a way out of the past life of crime). 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

Tangled origins

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 Year One, a revision of Batman’s origin. In the course of the story, the origin of Catwoman was also re-envisioned. A 5'7" 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.

Miller's Year One origin was expanded on in the 1989 Catwoman limited series (collected in trade paperback form as Her Sister's Keeper) by writer Mindy Newell and artist J.J. Birch. This series explored Catwoman’s early career, a period that was tinged with tragedy as her former pimp Stan abducted her sister Maggie and violently abused her. Selina killed Stan to save her sister, and was able to do so with impunity.

Dark Victory, the sequel to The Long Halloween, implied that Catwoman suspected she was the long-lost illegitimate daughter of Carmine Falcone, although she found no definitive proof of this. Selina's connection to the Falcone family was further explored in the recent miniseries When in Rome (September 2004-June 2005). Though more circumstantial evidence was added to the theory of Selina's Falcone heritage, no definitive proof was provided.

It is currently unclear what portions of these stories remain canonical to Catwoman’s current origin, as various stories (and editors) over the years have posited that Selina was never a prostitute, and that other events depicted in those stories never happened. Zero Hour was used to retcon her history as a prostitute; in the Catwoman: Year One story (Catwoman Annual #2, 1998), Selina accepted an offer to "lay low" by posing as a prostitute following a disastrous burglary, and adopted the guise of a dominatrix in order to trick men into giving up information for use in future crimes. According to this revision, she also became a student of the Armless Master of Gotham, receiving education in martial arts and culture. This version of her story was tailored to fit in with her appearance in Batman: Year One while rendering the 1989 Catwoman limited series noncanonical. Batman editor Dennis O'Neil later stated that in the post-Zero Hour continuity, Catwoman had never been a prostitute. However, characters introduced in those stories (such as Selina’s young friend Holly from 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 Holly recalling her days as a prostitute with Catwoman.

Catwoman, the series

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 (and occasional bounty hunter) 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.

Moving to New York, Selina became corporate vice president then CEO of Randolf Industries, a mafia-influenced company, through blackmail. Her plans to use this position to run for mayor were ruined when the Trickster inadvertently connected Kyle to her Catwoman alter ego.

Selina then returned to Gotham City, which at this time was in the midst of the No Man's Land storyline. As Catwoman, she assisted Batman against Lex Luthor in the reconstruction of the city. After getting arrested by Commissioner Gordon, she escaped from prison. 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 behavior 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 (Batman #608-#619), Batman and Catwoman briefly worked together and had a romantic relationship, during which he revealed his true identity to her. At the end, he broke off their relationship when he suspected it had been manipulated by the villain Hush. In the JLA story arc Crisis of Conscience, Catwoman fought alongside Batman and the League against the old Secret Society, of which she had once briefly been a member.

Mindwiping revelations

Catwoman appeared to be completely reformed, and her love for Batman true (although brash and unpredictable). 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. Zatanna gave no reason for her actions, but in flashback it was shown that she had acted with the consent and aid of five of the seven JLA members who had helped her mindwipe Dr. Light and Batman. Catwoman's response to this revelation was unequivocal: she pitched Zatanna out a window. (Zatanna survived the fall.) Afterwards, she was seen covering her bed with past versions of her Catwoman costume.

Still unbalanced and uncertain of herself in issue #52 (the last issue before the jump to One Year Later), Selina was forced (like Wonder Woman and Aquaman) to decide whether to kill a supervillain. The Black Mask, in an attempt to "improve himself," threatened the most important people in Selina's life, from Slam Bradley to Holly. Still thinking that Selina adhered to a strict no-kill rule, Black Mask was caught by surprise when Selina shot him in the head. The issue's "teaser" for #53 implied that this may have been Selina Kyle's last act as Catwoman.

One Year Later: Retired

Following the events of Infinite Crisis, the DC Universe jumped forward in time. One Year Later Selina Kyle is no longer Catwoman, has left the East End, and has given birth to a child. Holly takes over as the new Catwoman while Selina, living under the alias Irena Dubrovna, turns her attention to caring for her daughter, Helena.

Selina's alias was inspired by the name of the main character in the 1942 film Cat People. Although the identity of Helena's father has not been revealed, the child's name alludes to Helena Wayne, the Earth-2 Huntress, (who was the daughter of that world's Bruce Wayne and his wife, ex-Catwoman Selina). Though she takes her role as new mother quite seriously, Selina dons the costume for a run through the East End some days after Helena's birth. Having understandably gained a few pounds, Selina finds that her costume is now a tighter fit. In addition, she is easily distracted by a common criminal. Although the situation is defused through Holly's opportune arrival, the fact that there are two Catwomen active in the city is caught on video. Selina returns home from her adventure to find that the mysterious movie aficionado Edison has deduced her alias, joined with Angle Man, and grabbed Helena.

Holly Robinson

During the One Year Later storyline, Holly Robinson was trained by Wildcat and Selina Kyle and became the new Catwoman.

Skills, resources and abilities

Selina is an accomplished and gifted athlete. She was trained by the Armless Master in martial arts.

Costume

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 costume in Batman Returns.

In recent years, she has usually alternated between these two costumes. 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 catsuit ^*. It has a more high tech look, with domino-shaped infrared goggles on her cowl.

Holly currently uses the same costume that Selina used, prior to Infinite Crisis.

Non-canon appearances

Selina Kyle appears in Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns four times; all are brief. First, in a phone message to Bruce ("Selina. Bruce I'm lonely"). Next, she was attacked by the Joker, who used a mind control drug to convince her to send one of her prostitutes to use the same substance on the Governor. (It should be noted that her profession in DKR is similar to her profession in Batman: Year One, also written by Frank Miller). The Joker then beats her, ties her up, gags her and dresses her in a Wonder Woman outfit, leaving her for Batman to find (with a clear clue as to where he intends to go). Selina's final appearance in the book is at Batman's funeral, where she yells at Superman, telling him that she knows who killed Batman. She does not appear in The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Miller's follow-up story, although she is referred to in the prologue written for the trade paperback version.

Two 1990s prose novels feature Catwoman: The Further Adventures of Batman: Voume 3, Featuring Catwoman, a short story collection by various authors (publs. 1993, edited by Martin H. Greenberg), and Catwoman: Tiger Hunt, by Lynn Abbey and Robert Asprin, publs. date 1992. Both novels portray a Batman:Year One- influenced Catwoman who wears a gray cat costume and was once a prostitute.

Catwoman also made a small cameo in Kingdom Come, mostly accompanying the Riddler; she is predominantly seen, but not heard in the series. She is not dressed in costume, but appears in the very dress she first wore in Batman #1 as 'The Cat'.

Adaptations in other media

Television: 1966 Batman series

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. Lee Meriwether portrayed her in the 1966 "Batman" motion picture, based on the television series, when Newmar was unavailable. An uncredited fourth woman played Catwoman as part of a villain team-up in "The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra," the next to last episode of the series.

Television: animated

Catwoman has been a major character in almost all of Batman's animated series.

She appeared in the Batman cartoon of the 1960s (on the Superman/Aquaman Hour) wearing the green costume she wore during that time. She also appeared on The Adventures of Batman cartoon of the 1970s.

She entered The Animated Series wearing an all-new gray outfit that has never been seen outside that series, possibly due to the fact that she was a jewel thief as well as a part time crime fighter who fought alongside Batman on numerous occasions. She was voiced by Adrienne Barbeau in 1992's The Animated Series, and its revamp in The New Batman Adventures. Barbeau also voiced Catwoman in the 2000s online animated series Gotham Girls. In the first animated series Selina/Catwoman had blonde hair, coinciding with the release of Batman Returns, in which she was played by blonde actress Michelle Pfeiffer. In the second series, however, she appears to have shorter black hair much to the resentment of many numerous fans. Whether her hair was dyed or her natural color was never made clear in the series itself, but the comic book based on the animated series established that she had been dying her hair blonde and had abandoned the products after she discovered they were tested on animals. Many debate this explanation, however, because in the episode "Tyger, Tyger", in which Selina became a cat/woman hybrid, her hair (or rather fur) was blonde and could not have possibly dyed her fur. Some have combined the two, stating that her original color was blonde, that she dyed it black, and abandoned the regular products she used (due to animal testing) until she found some that didn't use animal testing.

Catwoman was voiced by Gina Gershon in the 2000s series The Batman.

Movie: Batman Returns

Catwoman was played by Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1992 movie Batman Returns. As recreated by Daniel Waters and Tim Burton, Selina Kyle is portrayed as a lonely, frustrated woman who is (literally) pushed over the edge into obsession and crime after her boss, tycoon Max Shreck, tries to kill her by defenestrating her to keep her from revealing his plot to build a power plant that would steal Gotham's electricity.

Mysteriously revived by alley cats (in a memorable Burton-esque scene) after her corrupt boss apparently kills her, her repressed rage and sexuality 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," but looking down on them for being helpless. She is also 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. This relationship seems to be Selina's only grip on sanity as her mental state seems to deteriorate (along with her costume) throughout the movie.

While many viewers and critics enjoyed the richness and complexity of the character, not to mention Pfeiffer's sex appeal in heavy makeup and the shiny black costume, fans of the original comic books disliked the alterations and considered not only the character but the entire film to be more Tim Burton than Batman.

Either way, the "look" of this Catwoman was so popular that Warner Bros. had to constantly submit new Catwoman posters for various cities as many of the bus stop ads were being stolen. It soon got so bad that police officers had to patrol bus stops in order to catch perpetrators before they could break the Plexiglas containers. Today the large scale Catwoman bus ads are worth a great deal of money.

Movie: Catwoman

In 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. 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 led 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, or Gotham City (neither of which are mentioned in the film). The film was heavily criticized by both film critics and fans of the comic book character and was a failure at 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 on the living room floor. Ophelia Powers then throws photos of previous catwomen down to her, and one can clearly see a picture of 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. In addition, the original "Catwoman" outfit that Patience wears when she robs a jewelry store is patterned after the "Catwoman" outfit worn by Eartha Kitt in the 1960s Batman TV series.

Berry won the 2005 Razzie award for worst actress in a film for her role as Catwoman, and collected it in person. She was only the third Razzie winner (following director Paul Verhoeven, director of Showgirls; and Tom Green, star of Freddy Got Fingered) ever to do so. In her speech, she apologized to the fans of the character, calling the film a "piece of shit. God-awful movie," though later she stated she would have liked to do another "Catwoman."

Television: Return to the Batcave

In the TV movie The Misadventures of Adam and Burt, Julia Rose appeared as Catwoman and the young Julie Newmar. Both Julie Newmar and Lee Meriwether appeared in the TV movie as well.

Television: Birds of Prey

Selina Kyle appeared briefly (and was killed off) in the first episode of the short-lived 2002 television series Birds of Prey, which featured Catwoman's daughter by Batman, the Huntress. Catwoman was portrayed by Maggie Baird. Another blond Catwoman, her costume and history appeared to be based on the Batman Returns version of the character. However, in contrast to the Batman Returns version and every Catwoman preceding her, this version was stated to be a superpowered metahuman, not entirely unlike the unpopular Halle Berry incarnation that followed.

Video Games

Catwoman has starred in a few video games as a playable character. First she starred in 1999's Catwoman for the Game Boy Color and later in the video game adaptation of Halle Berry's Catwoman movie. Catwoman has also appeared as a boss in the video game adaptations of Batman Returns, Batman: The Animated Series and The Adventures of Batman & Robin for the Super NES.

Catwoman parodies and homages

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, is also a feline-themed thief initially seen in The Amazing Spider-Man, and is often mistaken to be a homage or knock off of DC's Catwoman. However, comics writer Marv Wolfman originally created the character to be a female villain for the Spider-Woman series and based the character on a 1949 Tex Avery cartoon called "Bad Luck Blackie" in which a bull dog is hampered by a black cat's bad luck. The Black Cat eventually reformed (but still commits the occasional theft) and became Spider-Man's partner and lover for a time.

Mink, appearing as a member of Marvel Comics Squadron Supreme, appears to be based loosely on Catwoman. She is a part of Nighthawk's America Redeemers. She was an heiress who turned to life of crime for excitement.

Trivia

After the events in 52, Selina gave birth to a daughter named Helena. That name is the same as Catwoman and Batman's daughter on Earth 2 (that universe's Huntress). The name is also the same as Catwoman and Batman's daughter in the Birds of Prey live-action television series as Huntress.

In the 60s Batman television series it is revealed that Catwoman's favorite car is a catillac (Cadillac), and that she is allergic to dogwood.

In 2006, Danish arch-toymakers Lego, released Batman Lego-sets featuring Catwoman (7779 The Batman™ Dragster: Catwoman™ Pursuit).

External links

BatmanTAS.com on the animated series version of Catwoman
The World Finest contains more information on the animated versions of Catwoman
Catwoman's Nine Lives at UGO.com
Girls With Gauntlets - influence of Catwoman upon female action heroes of the 1990s
Ultimate Holly Robinson Chronology

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