Catman (comics)
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Catman is a fictional character in the DC Comics Rogues Gallery. He is primarily a supervillain and foe of Batman. He first appeared in Detective Comics #311. He may be a revamp of the Holyoke Publications superhero Cat-Man, which had fallen into the public domain by the time of the DC character's first appearance.
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[edit] History
[edit] Origins
Catman was originally Tom Blake, a world-famous trapper of jungle cats who turned to crime because he had grown bored with hunting and had squandered most of his fortune. He became a burglar who committed his crimes in a catsuit made out of an ancient African cloth he believed gave him a cat's nine lives. His costume was modeled after Catwoman's disguise. (Catwoman was none too pleased to have her modus operandi copied, and initially helped Batman apprehend him. The two costumed criminals would have a competitive, love/hate relationship for many years afterward which included Selina Kyle (Catwoman) being wrongly implicated for Catman's crimes at least once.) As with many Batman villains in their first appearances, Catman was originally a gimmicked villain who stole items along a "cat" theme, such as cat statues, "cat's eyes" emeralds, etc. His weapon of choice was (of course) a cat-o-nine-tails.
During one story, Catman saves the life of Batwoman, and convinces her to become his partner, the new Catwoman. By the end of the story, she gives up the Catwoman role and returns to her Batwoman identity.
In the late 1980s, Catman was revived in the pages of Detective Comics, once again named Tom Blake and this time, working alongside Catwoman in battle against Batman. This alliance wouldn't last, however, as Catwoman became tired of Catman's abusive attitude towards women, and turned against her former partner.
[edit] Outcast
In 1993, Catman appeared in Batman: Shadow of the Bat as a member of a team called "the Misfits", led by Killer Moth. The Misfits were portrayed as third-rate villains trying to prove themselves, anticipating Brad Meltzer's treatment of the character in Green Arrow. Catman reappeared in a 1995 crossover between Shadow of the Bat and Catwoman. In this story the cloth Catman's costume was made from was retconned as belonging to a South Sea cat cult. Catwoman was hired by the cult to return the cloth, but gave them a fake.
Catman remained in limbo until 2003, when he resurfaced as a foe of Green Arrow. Written by Brad Meltzer, Catman was portrayed as a pathetic, overweight loser who was looked down upon by other villains and who is easily defeated by Green Arrow.
[edit] Secret Six
In the 2005 mini-series Villains United, Catman resurfaced in Africa, where, after a failed attempt at suicide, he attempted to resalvage his life and began living with a pride of lions. He used this time to lose weight and regain his sense of self-worth and fighting skills. This 'perfect existence' would be shattered by the arrival of the Secret Society of Super-Villains, however. Seeking to unite all of Earth's super-villains under his control, Lex Luthor (secretly Alexander Luthor, Jr. in disguise) sought to recruit Catman into the fold as a minion, only to be rejected. It was initially believed that an angry Lex Luthor had Deathstroke the Terminator kill the lions Catman was living with in retaliation for being rejected by a "nobody" but this was later revealed to have been misdirection.
Catman vowed revenge against Luthor, and was subsequently recruited into a criminal syndicate known as the Secret Six. Together, the Secret Six waged war against the Secret Society of Super-Villains under the direction of an individual known only as Mockingbird. During that time he found out that it was in fact fellow Secret Six member Deadshot who had killed his lions, so that he would join the organization. Deadshot would later apologise, and Catman forgave him. Although the two were reluctant allies at first, the two soon bonded and became what one could loosely call friends.
Under Villains United writer Gail Simone, Catman has achieved a new level of fame. Portrayed as a cunning warrior with a sense of honor and a habit of walking around bare-chested, the character is now a potent anti-heroic character. His time in Africa seems to have helped him regain his physical abilities allowing him to fight the formidable super-ape Mallah to a stand still and blind Captain Nazi. He is different from most other villains in the sense that he has noble and heroic qualities (Cheshire notes that Blake behaves more like a hero than a villain), yet he sees heroes such as the Justice League as being arrogant and abusive of their power, as seen when he confronts Green Arrow about the Doctor Light incident. It seems he would rather be associated with people such as Deadshot who at least recognize their moral failings than a group of 'holier-than-thou' heroes. It has been revealed that during his time with the society he impregnated Cheshire and that the two now have a son, whose name is currently unknown.
In Birds of Prey #104, the Secret Six run into Barbara Gordon's team. Huntress (Helena Bertinelli) and Catman - out of disguise, dance together, with hints of an attraction. Thomas goes so far as to lick Helena.
[edit] Alternate versions
Over the years, Catman would be reinterpreted by a series of different writers, growing darker along with most other Batman villains.
A character similar to Catman debuted in the 1950s named King of the Cats. In reality, he was Karl Kyle, brother of Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman. This version of the character was also a burglar who was motivated to steal by an intense sibling rivalry with his sister. His crimes tormented Catwoman, as she had loyalties to both her brother and her nemesis/love interest, Batman.
Batman: Legend of the Dark Knight #46-49 would reinvent Catman yet again, this time as a leather catsuit-wearing serial killer who used knife-like claws to slash young women to death because they reminded him of his abusive mother. Batman and Catwoman formed a shaky alliance to stop him, although they had different agendas; Batman wanted to apprehend him, while Catwoman wanted him dead. They eventually caught him and, between the two of them, beat him to a bloody pulp, although Batman was able to restrain Catwoman from committing murder. This story is apparently set outside of canon.
Catman could agurably make an appearance yet again as a completely different character from the Batman universe (this time an Egyptian man named Landros Bey, calling himself The Lord of the Cats); similar to the Thomas Blake cat-worshipping cult version, as he appeared in B:TAS (see below). In the short story Catacombs, by Robert Weinberg (from the 1993 novel The Further Adventures of Batman: Volume 3 - Featuring Catwoman), he is once again portrayed as an insane murderer, obsessed with Selina Kyle (Catwoman). He has made his lair in the abandoned tunnels beneath Gotham City, surrounded by stolen jewels (meant to attract her) as well as all shapes and sizes of felines, which he controls by a sacred emerald he wears about his neck. Batman is, of course, in hot pursuit - and before the story ends, things don't go so well for Landros when his "magic amulet" gets smashed by Catwomans' whip. Memorable Quote: ...No longer passive, she raised her whip and pointed it at him. Catwoman [to Catman] "You're not playing with a full deck, Bey. If you think a few tricks with kitties and a roomful of diamonds are gonna persuade me to call you sweetie, then you're really crazy."
[edit] Other Media
Thomas Blake appeared in a 1998 episode of Batman: The Animated Series ("Cult Of The Cat") not as an archcriminal, but as the leader of a cat-worshipping cult. As in previous incarnations, he wore gloves equipped with knives as claws. He was voiced by Scott Cleverdon.
A version of Catman previously appeared in the Batman Adventures comic series prior to Blake's appearance on the actual series. This version was closer to the comic book version of Thomas Blake, calling himself Catman and wearing a Catman suit with colors similar to the Batman: The Animated Series version of Catwoman.
Also, an entirely different character named Catman from an alternate reality was featured in Justice League the two-part episode "Legends," a pastiche of the Golden Age Batman and Golden Age Wildcat.
Adam West appears in a few episodes of The Fairly OddParents as himself and plays a superhero named Catman. In this version he had the colors of the original Catman and was a lot like the Batman of the 1960s television series (in which West played Batman).
A character resembling Catman appears fighting Shatterfist at the beginning of Justice League: Unlimited episode 'Grudge Match'
