Aunt Harriet Cooper
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harriet Cooper, best known simply as Aunt Harriet from the Batman television series, is a fictional character that first appeared in the comic book Detective Comics #328 (June 1964).[1] Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Sheldon Moldoff, the character is the maternal aunt of Bruce Wayne (Batman)'s ward, Dick Grayson (Robin).
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[edit] Fictional character biography
When Batman's butler Alfred Pennyworth dies, Aunt Harriet comes to live at Wayne Manor to oversee the household and help raise her nephew.
The character is depicted as intelligent with growing suspicions that Wayne and Grayson might be Batman and Robin, often noting odd things that occur at Wayne Manor (as shown in Detective Comics #340, Batman #184, World's Finest Comics #168), culminating in her discovery of the Batcave under Wayne Manor in Detective Comics #351. Wayne seems successful in throwing her off by using trick photography to create a picture of Wayne and Grayson talking to Batman and Robin.[2] Harriet's involvement during that issue also helps Batman defeat the Cluemaster.
After Alfred returns from the dead in Detective Comics #356,[3] Harriet stays at Wayne Manor at Alfred's insistence. A recurring health problem first mentioned in Detective Comics #371 grows into a crisis and, in #373, she is rushed to Gotham General for emergency cryosurgery, which ultimately requires parts from Mister Freeze's cold gun.
Harriet makes her final appearance as an ongoing series character in Detective Comics #380 (1968) some time after Alfred's return from the dead, although she stays in contact as when she sends Wayne an Oriental gong as a housewarming gift for his new penthouse apartment (Batman #226). Her last appearance comes in a holiday story in 1975's Batman Family #4.
[edit] Development
Despite the longstanding legend that the character was created for the television series to reduce the potential for homosexual interpretations of the Wayne/Grayson relationship, the character had actually been created two years earlier for the comic book in order to reduce the potential for homosexual interpretations of the Wayne/Grayson relationship. Some details from the television series (her last name, her status as a widow) were added to the comic stories in Detective Comics #373.
[edit] Television character
Unlike the comics which had traded Alfred for Aunt Harriet, the Batman television series and associated 1966 movie featured both Alfred and Aunt Harriet as regular characters, although Harriet's participation reduced over time due to actress Madge Blake's health. During the show's third season (1966-1968), she appeared in only two episodes.[4]
