COMICBOOK SUPERHERO DATABASE: CATWOMAN

First Comicbook Appearance: (pre-crisis version) Batman #1(1940); (post-crisis version) Batman #404

Selina Kyle worked for a guy named Stan as a prostitute in the East End of Gotham. She used to share the apartment with a very young girl, Holly, who also worked for Stan, and loved Holly as a younger sister. She used to have the house full of cats, feeding them as they came and went. Stan, however, used to beat Selina, and after being in the hospital for a time, she met a police inspector, Flannery, who sent her to a former hero named Ted (probably Ted Grant, aka Wildcat). Ted showed her how to fight and defend herself, teaching her boxing and karate. By then, Bruce Wayne hadn't still turned into Batman, and she met him one night, while he was walking the East End in disguise looking for crime. Bruce got into trouble with Stan, and after beating him up, was stabbed by Holly. Seeing Bruce push Holly away, Selina attacked him with the knowledge she had acquired, but Bruce decked her anyway, thinking "she's trained -- knows karate. But only karate ..." Anyway, Bruce got beaten up, almost died, and began to think about a disguise to scare the evildoers (uh-oh)

Next time Stan tried to beat her, Selina knocked him out, retiring from the business and taking Holly with her. She decided to be a thief instead, using a disguise like that bat guy she had seen on TV lately. And a successful thief she was, but her sister Maggie, who was about to enter a convent, got caught and hurt by a man, so at last, she had to kill him in order to rescue Margaret.

Selina then completely assumed the personality of Catwoman, leaving Holly in the convent to be raised as an ordinary kid. However, she felt attracted by Batman, and renounced to her criminal life for him, who even revealed to her his identity. The bad news was that the Joker didn't like that, so he had Dr. Moon brainwash her, turning her into his willing pawn. Unfortunately for him, something went wrong and she turned against him, but she had nevertheless been redirected onto a criminal path. Where she stands right now remains unrevealed.

Before the last renovation, Selina Kyle was the unfortunate wife of a very violent man, who used to confuse her with a punching ball. After some time and contusions, she eventually got tired and, wearing a disguise, stole her own jewels and her husband's safe and abandoned him. She apparently liked the experience, for she turned into a jewel thief, meeting Batman on the way and becoming attracted to him.

They had a good friendship and even worked together until the Scarecrow designed a plan to destroy Batman by freeing his hidden phobias. He tried to make Batman afraid of cats and Catwoman afraid of bats, but they resisted and defeated their fears. Then they married and had a daughter, retiring. Unfortunately, Selina would be killed by some gangsters, turning young Helena Wayne into the Huntress, but of course, all this was pre-Crisis stuff, so don't try to match it with current information.

since 5/1/98.

"CATWOMAN" and all related images TM and © DC Comics 1998. These references are not for profit and are for entertainment purposes only.