| Kathy Kane | |
|---|---|
Kate Kane as Batwoman on the cover of Detective Comics #854. Art by J. H. Williams III. |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Detective Comics #233 (July 1956) 52 #7 (July 2006, cameo) 52 #11 (July 2006, full-app.) |
| Created by | Bob Kane, Sheldon Moldoff, Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Keith Giffen, Ken Lashley |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Katherine "Kathy" Webb Kane Katherine "Kate" Rebecca Kane |
| Team affiliations | Batman Family |
| Notable aliases | Batwoman, Kate Kane |
| Abilities | Exceptional athlete and martial artist; highly-skilled detective; has access to bat-themed weapons and equipment. |
Katherine Kane is the name of two fictional characters that both appeared as Batwoman in comic books published by DC Comics. The first character, known as Kathy Kane, appeared in Detective Comics #233 (1956) and was created by Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff. In 52 #7 (2006), a new version of Katherine Kane (known as Kate Kane) is introduced.
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Kathy Kane is primarily associated with the Silver Age of Comic Books. In the aftermath of the attacks on comics in the early 1950s, the Batwoman was the first of several characters that would make up the 'Batman Family'. Since the family formula had proven very successful for the Superman franchise, editor Jack Schiff suggested to Batman creator, Bob Kane, that he create one for the Batman. A female was chosen first, to offset the charges made by Fredric Wertham that Batman and the original Robin, Dick Grayson, were homosexual.[1] Kathy Kane and alter ego Batwoman first appeared in Detective Comics #233 (July 1956).[2] In the character's debut issue, Batwoman is introduced as a female rival to the crime-fighting prowess of Batman.
There's only one Batman! That's been said many times and has been true for no other man has ever rivaled Batman as a champion of the law, nor matched his superb acrobatic skill, his scientific keenness, his mastery of disguise and detective skill! But now, in one suspenseful surprise after another, Batman finds he has a great rival in the mysterious and glamorous girl... The Batwoman![2]
She was a costumed crime-fighter like Batman, yet in many ways not an exact counterpart. For example, the contents of her utility purse were actually weapons disguised as stereotypical feminine products such as lipstick, cosmetic compacts, charm bracelets, and hair nets.[1] Batwoman appeared regularly in the pages of Batman and Detective Comics through the early 1960s. Although letters from fans indicated Batwoman had become popular with readers,[3] editor Julius Schwartz considered the heroine, as well as other Batman-related characters, to be inappropriate for the new direction he planned to take the Batman universe. Following the revamp to Detective Comics in 1964, Batwoman was removed from the series. The 'new' Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, not only replaced Batwoman as Batman's female counterpart, she surpassed the original heroine in popularity. Batgirl also proved to be more appropriate for her time period and the realistic approach DC Comics began taking with its characters. Unlike Batwoman, Gordon's Batgirl used a utility belt and various gadgets similar to Batman's, in addition to being a skilled martial artist and possessing a doctorate in her civilian identity.[4] Despite requests from readers to revive Batwoman, DC's editorial staff initially declined to bring the character out of retirement, considering the fact that she was specifically created to be a love interest for Batman.
...Batwoman and Bat-Girl were there because romance seemed to be needed in Batman [and Robin]'s life. But thanks to the big change and a foresighted editor, these hapless females are gone for good. In their place stands a girl who is a capable crime-fighter, a far cry from Batwoman who constantly had to be rescued from [sic] Batman.[3]
However, with the launch of the Batman Family comic book series in 1975, readers continued to request for Batwoman to appear in new stories. One reader states:
it is totally beyond me why you ignored Batwoman in your first two issues... I can understand your reluctance to go back to the days where everybody in Gotham had a Bat-identity, but you can't wipe out Batwoman that easily... I was counting on her making the scene in a new story, perhaps coming out of retirement to offer assistance to your Dynamite Duo [Batgirl and Robin].[3]
Batwoman was brought back in Batman Family #10 (1979) as "Batgirl's guest heroine" when she comes out of retirement to assist Batgirl in defeating Killer Moth and Cavalier.[5] However, in Detective Comics #485 (August–September 1979), Batwoman is killed by the League of Assassins (assisted by the Bronze Tiger).[3] Editor Dennis O'Neil later stated in an interview, "we already had Batgirl, we didn't need Batwoman."[3] The issue marked the final appearance of the Earth-1 Kathy Kane. An Earth-2 version appeared in Brave and The Bold #182 (January 1982). This Kathy Kane retired from crime-fighting when that world's Batman married Catwoman. She comes out of retirement to help a grown-up Robin and Earth-1 Batman battle Hugo Strange. The Kathy Kane version of Batwoman was restored to modern continuity by writer Grant Morrison in flashback sequences in various issues of his run on the Batman-related titles, most explicitly in Batman Inc. #4 (2011). This issue reveals the origin of the original Batwoman in current DC Universe continuity.
The limited series Infinite Crisis (2005), written as a sequel to the 1985 maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths, altered DC Comics continuity. Subsequently, all comic book titles published by DC Comics skip forward one year and a new maxi-series entitled 52 retroactively chronicles the 52 weeks which directly followed Infinite Crisis. When DC editors called for a redesign of Batwoman, comic book artist Alex Ross drew inspiration from the modified Batgirl costume he designed for Barbara Gordon, seven years prior to Kate Kane's debut in the limited comic book series 52. Ross and comic book author Paul Dini initially planned to revive the former Batgirl Barbara Gordon using an updated version of the character's original costume, with red accents in place of the traditional yellow. However, since Gordon serves as one of a very small number of disabled superheroes of DC Comics as Oracle, DC's editorial staff decided to revitalize the original Batwoman instead. In an interview with Newsarama, Ross states:
| “ | They had me change the mask and hair to make it a bit more Batwoman, rather than Batgirl...I pointed out to them that the mask makes her look like the Huntress a little overall—but there weren't many options. The original mask that I had in there when it was to be a Batgirl design was the complete head cover that we've seen, so they did need something different from that.[6] | ” |
Unlike the Silver Age Kathy Kane, who was romantically attracted to Batman, the new version of Kane is a lesbian.[7] Her sexual orientation was announced at the same time the character was revealed in the spring of 2006.[8] Stories appeared on television news outlets such as CNN,[9] general news magazines such as USA Today, and gay culture magazines such as Out.[8] The modern Katherine "Kate" Kane made her first comic book appearance in issue #7 of the maxi-series 52 (2006),[10] where Kane is revealed to have been romantically involved with Renee Montoya, a former Gotham City Police detective (who later takes up the mantle of the Question after the original hero dies). When questioned about the editorial decision to make Batwoman a gay character in an interview with Wizard Entertainment, DC Comics Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Dan DiDio stated:
| “ | It was from conversations we’ve had for expanding the DC Universe, for looking at levels of diversity. We wanted to have a cast that is much more reflective of today’s society and even today’s fanbase. One of the reasons we made her gay is that, again when you have the Batman Family—a series of characters that aren’t super-powered and inhabit the same circle and the same city—you really want to have a point of difference. It was really important to me to make sure every character felt unique.[11] | ” |
Batwoman's sexual orientation has gathered mixed reviews, ranging from acceptance to outrage.[12] While a reviewer at Out asserts "Batwoman will be the highest profile gay superhero to ever grace the pages of DC Comics,"[8] according to the Associated Press, another online observer asked "[w]ouldn't ugly people as heroes be more groundbreaking?"[13] Although several GLBT organizations such as GLAAD have praised DC Comics for attempting to diversify their characters, some have observed that Batwoman is not the first gay or lesbian character to appear in comic books, nor is she the only lesbian to be associated with the Batman series.[14] In the character's civilian identity as a socialite, Katherine Kane is acquainted with Bruce Wayne and is friends with a doctor named Mallory. She is presented as having porcelain white skin, several tattoos, and a clothing style defined as punk-psychobilly-goth in her civilian persona.[15] The character is also Jewish, and celebrates Hanukkah with Renee Montoya during the events of 52. Her father is an ex-colonel and in Detective Comics #854, it is stated she is the cousin of Bette "Flamebird" Kane. The younger Kate also has a stepmother named Catherine Kane,[16] making Catherine the aunt of Bette. At the 2008 New York Comic Con, it was announced that Batwoman would be among the characters appearing in a new Justice League comic book written by James Robinson. Batwoman briefly took over as the lead character in Detective Comics, starting with #854.[17] It was revealed at the 2009 New York Comic Con that she would be DC Comics' highest profile gay superhero.[18]
In the original pre-Crisis continuity, Kathy Kane, a wealthy Gotham City heiress and former circus performer, decides to use her skills and resources to become a costumed crime-fighter. This is partly out of altruism and partly to attract the romantic attentions of Batman. During the Silver Age of Comics, Batwoman guest-starred occasionally in Batman stories published from 1956 to 1964. While Batman wished for Kane to retire from crime-fighting due to the danger, she remained his ally, even when she temporarily became a new version of Catwoman. In 1961, Batwoman was joined by her niece Betty Kane, the Bat-Girl.[19] Kathy and Betty were romantically interested in Batman and Robin, respectively. Robin seemed to return Bat-Girl's affection, while Batman remained aloof.
In 1964, DC dropped Batwoman, as well as Bat-Girl, Ace the Bat-Hound, and Bat-Mite from the Batman titles, which were undergoing a revamp under editor Julius Schwartz that eliminated many of the sci-fi elements that were introduced in the 1950s. However, Batwoman continues to make appearances in stories published during the next few years in the Batman-Superman team-up book World's Finest. The pre-Crisis Earth-Two Batwoman's last major appearance is in Brave and the Bold #182 in a story titled Interlude on Earth-2. In this story, which features pre-Crisis Earth-One Batman accidentally arriving on Earth-Two to battle the Earth-Two Hugo Strange alongside the adult Earth-Two Dick Grayson (Robin), Batwoman is portrayed as middle-aged and still in love with the now-deceased Commissioner Bruce Wayne of Earth-Two.
Earth-Two ceases to exist following the events of the 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths series; however, at the conclusion of the 52 series in 2007, a new Earth-2 is created.
In the late 1970s, an Earth-One Batwoman[20] made guest appearances in the Batman Family and Freedom Fighters comic book series, often fighting crime alongside Barbara Gordon, who had become the new Batgirl.[5] During her retirement, she becomes the owner of a circus, which she keeps until killed by the League of Assassins and the brainwashed Bronze Tiger.[21]
The conclusion of the 1985 maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths[22] altered DC Universe continuity, subsequently changing the character histories of Batwoman and Bat-Girl. In the new continuity, Kathy Kane did exist, though her persona as Batwoman had been erased. Bat-Girl never existed either, but a superheroine named Flamebird was introduced who had a somewhat similar costume and similar name, "Bette Kane".
Despite the erasure of both Kathy Kane as Batwoman and Betty Kane as Bat-Girl, there were references to both heroines in post-Crisis publications. In Alan Moore's Batman: The Killing Joke, Batman stares at a photograph that portrays Bat-Girl, Batwoman, Ace the Bat-Hound, and Bat-Mite—characters that did not exist in continuity at the time.[23] In Planet Krypton #1, which was part of The Kingdom storyline, a Hypertime ghost of Batwoman haunts the Planet Krypton restaurant. Batman briefly recognizes her as "Kathy", but then quickly denies knowing her.
Kathy, sans her Batwoman identity, was also referenced in a few post-Crisis publications. According to The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to The Characters of the DC Universe (2004), Kathy was described as a wealthy former circus stuntwoman that had inherited her father's fortune and later became acquainted with Bruce Wayne as a Gotham socialite. She eventually became a crime fighting ally to Batman, although she never used the Batwoman name. The encyclopedia entry explains that she eventually purchased a circus and was murdered by a member of the League of Assassins; however, Bronze Tiger was not her killer. Her murder was again recalled in Suicide Squad #38. During the Beast Boy miniseries, Flamebird tried to post bail for Beast Boy with money "borrowed from Aunt Kathy." Flamebird further mentioned that "Aunty Kathy's in Gotham" in Teen Titans #39.
Kathy Kane's history is rewritten and her role as the original Batwoman is reinstated follow the continuity-altering events of Infinite Crisis. Note that Infinite Crisis restored some pre-Crisis elements to the modern continuity and that Grant Morrison has made efforts to treat Batman's entire publication history as his backstory.[24] In Detective Comics #824, the Penguin refers to Kate Kane as the new Batwoman (which is the first post-Infinite Crisis implication that there was an earlier Batwoman). Kathy, as Batwoman, appears in a flashback story in Batman #682 (which provides a brief look back throughout Batman's career and features a scene of Batman and the original Batwoman kissing, with Robin showing his distrust of her and Bat-Girl). In this story, Kathy is referred to as "Katy" Kane. In Batman #686, Alfred mentions that Bruce Wayne was once romantically involved with Kathy.
A heavily modified origin for Kathy Kane is later provided in Grant Morrison's 2011 Batman Inc. series. It is established that Kathy Kane was born Katherine Webb, and that she had been an aspiring independent film director prior to marrying a millionaire named Nathan Kane, the son of Roderick and Elizabeth Kane and brother of Martha (Kane) Wayne (mother of Bruce Wayne). The two were madly in love with one another, and it was Nathan who ended up buying Kathy her circus as a birthday present. After Nathan's untimely death, Kathy was approached by a young man known only as Agent-33, who recruited her into a covert spy organization called Spyral. As part of her first and only assignment, Kathy was tasked with tracking down Batman and discovering his true identity. Donning a female variation of Batman's costume in order to gain his attention, Kathy embarked on a career as a costumed crime-fighter, all the while attempting to get close to Batman. Though her plan succeeded, the two eventually fell in love with one another, and as a result Kathy refused to reveal his identity to her superiors at Spyral. Eventually, Kathy was confronted by the head of Spyral, a Nazi supervillain named Dr. Dedalus. Dedalus claimed to be Kathy's real father, and threatened to expose Kathy to Batman unless she continued her mission. Heartbroken, Kathy broke off her relationship with Bruce in order to save him from Dedalus' plan. In the present, Batman and the South American vigilante El Gaucho are told by the villainess Scorpiana that El Gaucho was responsible for Kathy's murder, as he had originally been Agent-33 prior to becoming a superhero. Batman tells Gaucho that Scorpiana must be lying since Kathy had been killed by the League of Assassins, but Gaucho claims that there is some truth in her accusations, and that Batman wouldn't understand.[25]
The Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes one-shot introduces St. Hadrian's Finishing School For Girls, an English academy where female assassins are trained. The members of the school's elite class are shown wearing variations of Kathy's Batwoman costume, with the original masks replaced by skulls.
In 52 #7, Kate Kane is introduced (although she is referred to as Kathy on several occasions). No Origins titles have been presented for Kate Kane; her fictional backstory is presented in Detective Comics through the use of exposition and flashbacks. In their early childhood, Katherine "Kate" Rebecca Kane and her sister Elizabeth "Beth" Kane were identical twins and were very close to each other. On their twelfth birthday, Kate and Beth were taken by their mother, Gabrielle "Gabi" Kane, to an expensive restaurant for chocolate and waffles, their favorite dish. On the way to the restaurant, a group of gunmen attacked the family and took them hostage, killing their bodyguard in the process. After learning of her family's kidnapping, Kate's father Colonel Jacob "Jake" Kane led a rescue mission to save his captured family, which ended with Kate's mother executed and Beth apparently killed after being caught in the crossfire between the kidnappers and soldiers.[26] Years later, Jake marries Catherine Hamilton Kane. Kate is attending the United States Military Academy, where she receives excellent grades and ranks at the top of her class. However, when it is alleged that she is in a lesbian relationship with another student, Kate's commanding officer asks her to disavow the allegation. Telling the officer that she refuses to lie and violate the code of the Academy, Kate admits to being gay and is forced to leave the school. When she confronts her father with the news, he supports her and affirms that she upheld her honour and integrity. She then moves back to Gotham City where she attends college and pursues a wild social lifestyle. Kate is eventually pulled over for speeding by a young Renee Montoya, who was just a traffic cop at this point. The two date for several months and break up following a fight where Kate berates Renee for keeping her sexuality hidden from her colleages and family; after Renee expresses concern about Kate's lack of direction, when it's revealed she's not been attending college. While attempting to call Renee and apologize for her behavior, Kate is attacked by a mugger who wants her wallet and cell phone. Using her military training, Kate easily defeats the criminal just as Batman arrives and helps her off the ground. She is then shown fixated by the Bat Signal as Batman flees the scene.[27]
Inspired by her encounter with the caped crusader, Kate begins fighting crime using stolen military body armor and weaponry. After being confronted by Jake, Kate accepts his offer for assistance and begins an intense two years of training across the globe. Upon returning to Gotham, Kate discovers that her father has created a Batsuit for her, along with an arsenal of experimental weaponry and a bunker hidden in the Kane home. The first reference to the modern Batwoman is made by the Penguin in Detective Comics #824 who suggests Batman bring a date to the opening of his club, asking, "Why don't you bring that new Batwoman? I hear she's kind of hot."[28] In 52 #7 (2006) the new Batwoman is introduced.[10] Kane is revealed to have been intimately involved with former Gotham City police detective Renee Montoya and is heiress to one of the wealthiest families in Gotham, owning that which the Wayne family does not. In her third appearance in issue #11 of 52 entitled "Batwoman Begins,"[29] Kane assists Montoya and her partner the Question in a mystery revolving around a warehouse owned by Kane's family. When Montoya and the Question are attacked sometime later by Whisper A'Daire's shapeshifting minions, Kane intervenes as Batwoman and rescues them.[30]
In 52 #28 (2006),[31] after Montoya learns that the "Book of Crime," a sacred text of Intergang, contains a prophecy foretelling the brutal murder of the "twice named daughter of Kane," she and the Question return to Gotham, joining forces with Batwoman in issue #30 in order to avert Intergang's plans.[32] Batwoman later appears in a story written by Greg Rucka for the DC Infinite Holiday Special (2006).[33] As Batwoman continues the case, she is joined by Nightwing, who has recently returned to Gotham and becomes infatuated with her. On Christmas Eve, he gives her an 'official' Batarang. She also celebrates Hanukkah with Renee, and the two kiss shortly before Christmas. This story introduced some of Kane's background, including the fact that she is Jewish. In issue #48 of 52 (2007),[34] when Intergang realizes that the image of Batwoman in the Crime Bible and the cited "twice-named daughter of Cain" were one and the same, they ransack Kane's apartment, kidnapping her with the intention to sacrifice her. Montoya arrives too late to stop the ritual, finding Kate bound and gagged to an altar as prophet Bruno Mannheim plunges a knife through her heart. In the ensuing confrontation, the freed Batwoman pulls the knife out of her own chest to stab Mannheim, and then collapses in Renee's arms. She survives her wounds after Renee stops the bleeding in time, however, and as she recuperates in her penthouse, Renee, disguised in her new alter ego as the Question, shines the Bat-Signal into her apartment and asks, "Are you ready?"[34]
Batwoman subsequently appears in the fifty-two issue weekly series Countdown, intended to act as a prelude to DC's summer crossover event the following year. Batwoman appears in Countdown #39 (2007),[35] after the Question confronts Trickster and Pied Piper, having trailed them from the Penguin's Iceburg Lounge nightclub. Batwoman also makes an appearance in the miniseries Crime Bible: The Five Lessons of Blood (2007)[36] alongside the Question. Batwoman is seen again on the final page of Grant Morrison's Final Crisis #3 (2008), one month after the Anti-Life Equation was released, as a new Female Fury along with Wonder Woman, Catwoman, and Giganta. Her costume bears resemblance to the dead Fury Mad Harriet. She is also seen in Final Crisis: Revelations #3 attacking the Question after having just been infected with the Anti-Life Equation.
Following the events of Final Crisis and Battle for the Cowl, in which Bruce Wayne has supposedly died and is replaced by Dick Grayson, Kate becomes the lead of Detective Comics from issue 854 to 863. In the first story, entitled "Elegy," Batwoman's seen investigating the arrival of a new leader of the Religion of Crime to Gotham. She briefly meets Batman (it is intentionally left ambiguous whether or not it is Dick Grayson or Bruce Wayne)[37] to discuss her findings. Kate demonstrates greater knowledge of the Religion of Crime, and even corrects Batman by saying there's 13 and not 12 covens of the religion in Gotham. Batman concedes the case to her, and comments on the length of her hair (though panels on the same page reveal the long red wig hides her actual hair, styled short).[38]
Aspects of her personal life are also revealed, including her relationship with her ex-colonel father; serving as Batwoman's ally, whom she addresses as "sir." The strain of her late night vigilante activity has also taken a toll on her romantic relationships. Her lateness and night time absences are interpreted by her girlfriend as an on the side liaison with another woman. She breaks the relationship off as she believes Kate is not ready to commit to an exclusive relationship. A past traumatic incident is also alluded to which she claims still haunts her. As she vaguely describes the experience, her face is shown superimposed on the page over a restrained girl with a bag over her head. She later tracks down the new leader of the Religion of Crime: an elaborately costumed woman named Alice.[38] Over the course of the conflict that ensues, Batwoman observes that Alice only speaks in quotations from Lewis Carroll, believing herself to be Alice Liddell. Alice denies a connection to the Mad Hatter.[39]
While attending a party thrown for the Gotham Police Department, Kate meets and flirts with detective Maggie Sawyer, and runs into her cousin Bette Kane (better known as the Teen Titans member Flamebird). Kate is apparently unaware of her cousin's vigilante activities, and inadvertently hurts her feelings when she cuts her off in the middle of a conversation to answer her cell phone. While dancing with Maggie, Kate discovers that Alice has kidnapped her father and plans to destroy Gotham by spreading a deadly airborne chemical from a hijacked airplane, thus succeeding where Mannheim failed.[40] Batwoman boards the plane and defeats Alice's subordinates, eventually stopping the plot and rescuing her father in the process. However, Alice is accidentally thrown from the plane, only to be caught by Batwoman. Alice then shocks her by saying that Batwoman has "Our father's eyes," apparently revealing that she is in fact Kate's sister Beth (who was believed to have been killed years ago). With Batwoman stunned by the revelation, Alice stabs her in the wrist with a knife. Batwoman is forced to release her grip, sending Alice to her apparent demise in the river below.[41]
In the aftermath of this discovery, Kate locks herself in her crime lab and tries to come to terms with what just happened, while the police struggle in vain to find any sign of Alice's corpse. These scenes are depicted amongst numerous flashback sequences that comprise most of the issue. Throughout them, back story is provided from her childhood that depicts Kate, her twin sister Beth, and their mother being kidnapped. While Kate's father is able to rescue her, it appears as though both her sister and mother have been killed by the time he arrives.[42]
Batwoman appears in the miniseries Cry for Justice, a set-up for a new ongoing Justice League title. When the Justice League of America splits up following Bruce Wayne's death and a disastrous confrontation with the Shadow Cabinet, Green Lantern Hal Jordan leads a group of superheroes to Gotham in order to track down the supervillain known as Prometheus. Kate is shown stalking the heroes from the rooftops after they encounter Clayface.[43] Batwoman later contacts both Leagues at the JLA Watchtower, informing them she encountered and engaged supervillain Delores Winters, who mysteriously collapsed and died right as she was about to be taken into custody. The heroes request that Kate bring the body up to them, but she declines, telling them that she is much too busy due to a rash of criminal uprisings going on in Gotham. Firestorm is then sent to retrieve the corpse from Kate and bring it to the team, who discover that Dolores was forced into fighting by means of a mind control device.[44] In a text piece included in Justice League: Cry for Justice #6, writer James Robinson revealed that Batwoman was initially intended to be part of his new Justice League line-up, but this plan fell apart after Cry For Justice was shortened into a miniseries rather than an ongoing title.[45] This explains why Batwoman is present on the cover of the first issue, and why she was initially said to be a member of the team when the book was first announced.[46]
Later, Kate appears as part of Batman and Robin: Blackest Knight. Batwoman is kidnapped by cultists and taken to London in order for her to once again be sacrificed. She is sealed within a coffin and taken underground to the last remaining Lazarus Pit in order for the ritual to begin. She is saved by the timely intervention of Dick Grayson and British superheroes Knight and Squire. After learning that Grayson plans on placing Bruce Wayne's corpse into the pit in order to revive him, Kate strongly protests, but he simply ignores her.[47] True to Kate's warnings, Bruce (in reality an insane clone created by Darkseid) emerges from the Pit and attacks the heroes. As the battle takes place, the cultists who kidnapped Kate detonate explosives surrounding the Pit, causing a massive cave-in. Grayson discovers Kate, buried alive and with extensive injury to her spine and legs, and tries to help her.[48] Kate is healed after being placed inside the Pit, and she returns to Gotham with the others. Before leaving to return to her home, Grayson flirts with Kate by telling her that he has a thing for red-haired crime-fighters (a reference to his previous love interests, Barbara Gordon and Starfire), apparently unaware of Kate's sexuality.[49]
Batwoman also begins hunting down a crazed serial killer known as the Cutter, who has been abducting young women and cutting off parts of their face in order to create the perfect woman. He eventually kidnaps Bette, but Kate tracks the killer to his lair and attacks him. During the fight, Batwoman reveals her identity to Bette when she mentions her tennis career, and in the aftermath Bette is seen in her Flamebird outfit, saying that she wants to be Kate's new partner.[50]
| Batwoman | |
|---|---|
Promotional art for Batwoman #1 (September 2011). Art by J. H. Williams III. |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly. |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Publication date | September 2011 – Present |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | J. H. Williams III W. Haden Blackman |
| Artist(s) | J. H. Williams III |
DC announced that Batwoman will star in a series with art by J. H. Williams III who will also co-write the series with writer W. Haden Blackman and artist Amy Reeder Hadley for later art duties.[51][52] The series' introductory "zero issue" was released on November 24, 2010. The launch of Batwoman #1 was originally scheduled for February 2011, then delayed until spring; in early March it was announced that Batwoman #1 will be released sometime in Fall 2011.[53][54]
Batwoman appears as a member of an all-female team of heroes created by Wonder Woman to repel a faux-alien invasion of Washington DC masterminded by Professor Ivo. After the battle is over, Kate asks Wonder Woman if she'd like to accompany Kate and the other heroines to a bar in order to celebrate, but Wonder Woman politely turns them down in order to attend the college graduation ceremony of her old friend, Vanessa Kapatelis.[55]
In Batman Inc. Batwoman later appears while tracking down a gangster named Johnny Valentine, who is wanted for his connection to the murders of three marines. She tracks him to a local circus, the same one once owned by her predecessor, Kathy Kane. While chasing Valentine through a haunted house, Batwoman is attacked by a ghost of Kathy. Batwoman struggles with and eventually defeats the "ghost", who is revealed to be nothing more than a blonde-haired female assassin clad in a wig and a replica of Kathy's costume. Kate realizes that she recognizes the assassin, and asks her father to run a facial-recognition scan. While Kate restrains her attacker, her father reveals that Valentine is connected to a supervillain operating out of South America, and tells Kate that she needs to get down there to find out what is going on.[56]
As Batwoman, Kane lacks any superpowers, and instead relies on her martial artistry and Batman-inspired equipment when fighting crime. Although the original Kathy Kane did not display any martial art skill during the Silver Age, the Modern Age Kane is depicted as a skilled martial artist and detective.[29] Subsequently, Kane possesses the finances to produce an arsenal of equipment similar to Batman's. Kathy also used weaponry disguised as feminine items like lipstick and a compact. Kane's arsenal includes a baton-like device which can extend from the center in length that has Bat-shaped attachments at each end, Batarangs, and a Batman-inspired grappling hook.[29] Kate's equipment is given to her by her father, a colonel in the U.S. Army, and is usually adapted models from military equipment. Her gloves are specially designed to climb and their bracer points are throwing weapons. Many of the gadgets that Kate uses are similar to the more realistic weaponry Batman is shown using in the film Batman Begins and its sequel, The Dark Knight. The most obvious examples are Kate's bladed gauntlets[57] and her glider-cape.[58]
In Mark Waid and Alex Ross's Kingdom Come limited series, a Batwoman character is portrayed as a Batman admirer from Jack Kirby's Fourth World. Her costume mixed Kirby-esque elements with those of the original costume. The character rode a giant bat-winged dog named Ace.[59] Batwoman is later referenced in Planet Krypton, an issue within the The Kingdom miniseries. This series introduces the concept of Hypertime, in which characters who had been removed from continuity still exist in alternate timelines. A Planet Krypton theme restaurant (modeled after Planet Hollywood) finds itself "haunted" by silent "Hypertime ghosts" of characters who are no longer part of DC continuity. Batman comes face to face with Batwoman and says, "Kathy?" Later, Batman says there is no possible way he could know her. This series is connected to the same continuity as Kingdom Come.
In the Flashpoint universe, Kate Kane was a member of Team 7, an elite unit of soldiers lead by Grifter. Kate and most of her teammates were ultimately killed during a botched attack on a Jihadist training camp.[60]
Batwoman (Kate Kane) appears in DC Universe Online video game, voiced by Christina J. Moore.[61]
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