Catwoman is a fictional character from the DC Comics universe and one of the most popular female characters in the whole DC universe. Everybody drools over this femme fatale who catwalks across the city in her black catsuit and crimson lips. Men want her and women want to be like her.
Selina Kyle, often known as Catwoman, is a cat burglar who has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Batman. She is portrayed as a strong-willed, independent woman who is frequently morally questionable. But none of it is the subject of today’s video. Today’s topic is the origins of everyone’s favorite femme fatale and how she came to be who she is.
The genesis stories of comic books are notoriously contradictory. As new writers take on the role, minor changes to a character’s background are made. Many comic characters have a long history, and their origin myths frequently change to match current beliefs and values. Catwoman’s origin story, for example, has changed drastically over time, with Selina Kyle turning into an anti-hero and occasional villain in a variety of ways.
Since her debut in “Batman #1.” Selina has gone from villain to anti-hero, from amnesiac flight attendant to street crime, and everything in between. Selina has gone through a number of changes since Bill Finger and Bob Kane created her.
In January 1940, Catwoman first appears in Batman #1. Ruth Steel, Kane’s second cousin by marriage, served as inspiration for Bill Finger and Bob Kane when they developed her. She and the Joker were Batman’s first two opponents, despite the fact that she was not considered a Batman nemesis. She was a popular character, but due to the newly founded Comic Code Authority in 1954, she took a break from September 1954 to November 1966. Catwoman first appeared in the Silver Age as Lois Lane #70 and #71, as Superman’s Girl Friend. What are her ancestors, one could wonder?
Catwoman Backstory Explored
Catwoman is a Gotham City jewel thief and one of Batman’s most well-known foes. Selina, who is currently presented as an orphan who learned to survive on Gotham’s streets, turned to thieve to make ends meet but she was determined to do it with style, so she acquired martial arts training and put in considerable training to polish her cat burglary talents.
Her nefarious acts are frequently tempered by hesitant benevolence, making her a sporadic foe and an occasional ally to Batman. She eludes the Dark Knight on a regular basis and has a tangled connection with him that alternates between flirty and amorous. Catwoman has been portrayed as an anti-hero and one of Batman’s closest allies since the Hush storyline in 2002 and she is frequently referred to be his main love interest.
Catwoman’s origin has been variously depicted throughout the years, but facts of her possible tale suggested that Selina Kyle was born in the squalor of Gotham City parents Brian and Maria Kyle. Selina and her sister Maggie were never close to their mother, who preferred to spend time with her cats over her children. Her father was an aggressive and inebriated man who was constantly at odds with Maria, a housewife.
Things were so bad at home that Selina used to take gym lessons in her leisure time not just as an extracurricular activity, but also to get away from the domestic abuse at home. However, things were all about to change one day when Selina got home from school to find her mother lying in a bathtub full of blood.
Maria had apparently killed herself by cutting her wrists with a razor blade. The shock of her mother’s suicide remained with her but she was yet to face more grief. Selina’s father despised her because she resembled her mother; as a result, he drank too much and died of alcohol poisoning. Selina dialed 911, but as soon as she hung up, she grabbed her belongings and fled the house, leaving the place she had been imprisoned in for so long.
Maggie was immediately sent to an orphanage while Selina lived on the streets where she became a petty thief, stealing food from supermarkets. Thus, she stole out of necessity, not like other Gotham villains who were either sociopaths or simply insane and wanted to take down Batman.
Selina was eventually apprehended and transferred to an orphanage. However, things were not great and she was almost about to be taken to Juvenile Hall because she was causing so much trouble. Selina however was returned to an orphanage when she was 13 years old, but it was soon revealed that someone was stealing the money from the facility.
They falsely implicate her and then, they tried to cover it up by dumping Selina in the river and drowning her. But Selina was able to flee and then return to the orphanage, to steal documentary proof of their money embezzlement and also steal money to support herself. She then sends the documents to the police to expose them. However, life still does not go uphill for her and her struggles continue.
Selina became a prostitute as she grew older, but at night she worked as a cat burglar, and stole jewels and gems from museums and from wealthy people’s homes. She stole a priceless totem from a museum one night when she was interrupted by a hooded ninja who snatched the valuable artifact for himself.
Selina trailed the ninja inside a warehouse that turned out to be a hidden martial arts school. Kai, the ninja, told his Sensei that she was an intruder and a robber who needed to be severely punished. However, after observing her quick responses, the Sensei kindly requested that she join the academy so that she could utilize her martial arts abilities, which she gladly accepted.
After a few weeks, Selina’s combat talents had significantly improved, but her relationship with her senior Kai had deteriorated. He loathed Selina and would intentionally injure her in training. It made Kai even more upset to learn that the Sensei preferred Selina over the other students.
A few nights later, word surfaced on television that Batman had been seen the night before at Robinsons Park. Selina followed the Dark Knight to the park, where she caught a glimpse of him in action before gliding away. When she saw a trail of blood, she realized Batman was bleeding, and it immediately made her think: if someone can put on a costume and make everyone happy or afraid to see him, she can do the same.
Selina decided to become a costumed character after Batman became her good omen. She spent all of her savings on a cat costume and began her thievery career with her brand new costume and abilities. She was later caught by a group of security officers while trying a robbery at a neighborhood business, and one of them referred to her as “Catwoman.” Selina was immediately smitten with the name, and thus, the Catwoman character was born.
Catwoman Character Evolution
Catwoman’s character has evolved with time and from comic to comic. Selina Kyle was a flight attendant who was injured in the head after her plane crashed in the Golden Age of Comics; she survived but became amnesiac.
Her amnesia was caused by her decision to become a criminal. She ultimately runs into Batman, and the two get into a bit of a tussle. Selina later repented and acknowledged that the amnesia explanation was a fabrication to hide her criminal past. Selina would remain rehabilitated for a long time, even assisting Batman on his missions.
She eventually returns to a life of crime, and Detective Comics #211 was her final Golden Age appearance. When The Joker threatened to poison Robin the Boy Wonder, Catwoman’s first guise, The Cat, showed her aversion to killing in Batman #2. In Batman #3, she shows her passion for The Dark Knight by kissing the Caped Crusader. Catwoman was given the trademark purple attire with a hood and a cape in the late 1940s.
During the Silver Age, DC constructed the Earth-Two and Golden Age universes. Selina’s life continued in Earth-Two, where it was revealed that she reformed and married Bruce Wayne in the 1950s. Helena Wayne, Selina’s baby girl, was due any day now. Selina’s true motivation for turning to a life of crime was revealed later to be her previous marriage to an abusive spouse. Selina’s jewelry was kept in a vault when she divorced her husband.
Selina chose to reclaim her jewels, and after becoming addicted to the adrenaline rush from the crime, she decides to continue her criminal career. Selina would be then blackmailed into returning to a life of crime as Catwoman and finally dies while living happily with Bruce and their new daughter in the Golden Age/Earth-Two.
In the Golden Age, Selina Kyle had a reputation for being a serial killer. On some of her visits, she would murder people. This Catwoman, on the other hand, would be relocated to Earth-B, which includes the out-of-place people and storylines. This was the only way to get rid of Catwoman’s Silver Age adventures because she wasn’t a killer.
Selina’s backstory was finally revised after the Crisis on Infinite Earths in Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One story arc. When Selina Kyle first saw Batman, she was a 5 foot 7-inch cat lover who worked as a prostitute and would soon become a cat burglar. They became housemates after he took her in.
Selina’s prostitution business would later land her in serious difficulty when her previous pimp, Stan, kidnapped and abused her sister Maggie. Selina assassinates Stan in order to save her sister. Later, DC comics would object to Frank Miller’s plan to turn Selina into a prostitute after the crisis. They decided to reveal that Selina was not a real prostitute, but rather a woman who claimed to be one and stole men’s money.
Over the years, the Catwoman has touched the hearts of many people, but Batman was the first person she ever fell in love with. In fact, she was inspired to become the notorious cat burglar by the Dark Knight himself. Since then, Batman and Catwoman have enjoyed an on-again, off-again relationship.
DC Comics relaunched all publications in September 2011, dubbed “The New 52,” rebooting the DC universe. Selina’s early days as Catwoman were now the center of Catwoman’s monthly book, but not her origins. It depicted her as the femme fatale who deceives men that we are familiar with today.
What Makes Catwoman A Skilled Fighter?
Catwoman has worn a variety of outfits and looked AMAZING while fighting off her enemies over the years. She had no costume or disguise at all in her initial appearance, and it wasn’t until the second appearance that she donned a mask, which was a dramatically face-covering cat mask that looked like a real cat, rather than the more stylized face mask seen in her later appearances.
However, it is not just that she looks like a badass when she beats up foes who are twice her size, she is also a skilled fighter. Her armaments include a whip, bolas, and an American derringer type 1 pistol, which she keeps on hand as a backup. Thus, she was always armed and ready for a catfight, if one might say so.
Catwoman is a skilled fighter, as we all know and while Seline Kyle may lack superhuman abilities, she is no pushover. She has exceptional eye-hand coordination and physical memory, which means she will remember a move for the rest of her life if she sees it, making her versatile and adaptable.
Stealth, athletics, hot-wiring, lock-picking, thievery, acrobatics, and martial skills have also been skills that she has learned or picked up all throughout her young adult life. She was taught martial arts by the Armless Master, boxing and street fighting by Wildcat, and all major martial arts disciplines and the Sensei’s particular blend of martial arts forms by Sensei. She is quite truly the best cat-burglar in Gotham and excels at both low- and high-tech heists, making her a ruthless and skilled fighter.
However, while she is an absolute badass, Catwoman also has a soft spot for felines. They also frequently assist her without prompting since they recognize her as a friend. Selina was also an accomplished seductress, which she used to get herself out of dangerous circumstances. She’s also a master at deception, readily impersonating and assuming various identities.
Catwoman In Upcoming The Batman (2022) Movie
Catwoman is making her way onto the silver screens once again and this time, it is highly looked forward to. A new picture from the upcoming DC flick The Batman depicts Catwoman and Bruce Wayne meeting on a rooftop with him holding her arm – this has caused a frenzy among fans because we all know how Catwoman and Batman are and the type of relationship they share.
In fact, Matt Reeves’ The Batman is intended to give a unique take on the renowned comic-book hero, having topped IMDB’s list of most anticipated titles for 2022. Robert Pattinson will play Bruce Wayne in the film, which will be based on the iconic Batman comics Year One and The Long Halloween.
The film will follow the billionaire’s early years as Gotham’s caped crusader, as he comes face to face with Paul Dano’s psychotic serial killer The Riddler. But, it is not all about him good ol’ Catwoman is also reported to get her own time in the spotlight.
Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, and Andy Serkis will join Pattinson and Dano in a supporting ensemble cast and alongside them, Zoe Kravitz will play Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman, with Kravitz recently confirming that the film will also serve as an origin story for her anti-hero, revealing that audiences will witness her transformation into a “femme-fatale,” a term that has been associated with Catwoman in both onscreen and comic book appearances.
This stands to be of great interest and importance to all those who love Catwoman as it will give us a glimpse into what turned Catwoman from a street burglar, who stole to fend for herself. To the cat burglar, who went on to be feared and desired by many. Teasers for The Batman have suggested that Catwoman and Batman will establish an alliance to stop The Riddler from wreaking havoc on their city, in the upcoming movie.
Many people are excited to see what The Batman has in store for these two highly intertwined characters. While it appears that Catwoman and Batman will be working together in this storyline, who knows what will happen when the weight of protecting Gotham City begins to weigh on them both. Fans will not have to wait long, as The Batman will be released in theatres on March 4, 2022.
Desirable Versions Of Catwoman In Various Forms Of Media
Catwoman has never been camera shy and she has appeared in numerous DC and Batman films. One of her first film appearances was in 1996. This version of Catwoman, played by Lee Meriwether in Batman: The Movie, was a Russian woman named Ms. Kitka, rather than the conventional moniker of Selina Kyle. Kitka played a love interest for Bruce Wayne and a damsel-in-distress for the rest of the criminals in this film, which included Joker, Penguin, and Riddler. She hoped that Batman would save her and Bruce once the villains kidnapped them.
However, Michelle Pfeiffer’s portrayal as Catwoman in 1992’s Batman Returns is the most well-known. She appears as a glamorous, self-assured but insane criminal in a patchwork latex catsuit seeking revenge against her boss, Max Shreck, after a horrific incident. Pfeiffer’s Catwoman takes a more feline-like approach to the role than some of the other live-action adaptations. “Meow.”
The Dark Knight Rises, the last installment in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy, stars Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. She’s a con artist and master thief on the lookout for a method to clear her name. She steals from Bruce Wayne and later turns on Batman by betraying him to Bane. After learning that Bruce Wayne is Batman, she changes her mind and assists him when he returns to Gotham City. He provides her a program that allows her to forget about her history. She joins Batman in demolishing Talia Al Ghul’s truck convoy that protects a nuclear bomb after she defeats Bane.
She is also seen in the animated movies called DC Superhero Girls and in Lego Batman. In the film “Batman Ninja,” Catwoman also makes an appearance along with Batman, and a few other characters were transported to feudal Japan via teleportation. She assists Batman in his attempt to travel back in time.
Selina Kyle is a female suffragist and entertainment in the film “Batman: Gotham by Gaslight.” She met Bruce and fell in love with him later on. Bruce and she collaborate to bring down Jack the Ripper. Selina Kyle works as a dominatrix in Gotham’s slums in the film “Batman: Year One.” She spotted Batman one night.
He was the catalyst for her transformation into Catwoman. Paul Dini’s Catwoman in DC showcase is a short film. Catwoman is pitted against a gang of thugs in order to save her buddy Holly Robinson. It takes place following the events of Batman Year One. Another appearance is in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, where Selina Kyle is the owner of a whorehouse. After escaping, Joker paid a visit to Selina.
He may have raped her, according to the evidence. In addition, she appears in Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Batman vs. Two-Face, and Batman: Hush.
Catwoman is also no stranger to the world of television. Catwoman has been depicted by a number of women, with Julie Newmar spending the most time in the voluptuous catsuit in the campy 1960s Batman TV series, and Eartha Kitt purring her way through numerous episodes. Lee Merryweather plays Catwoman in the film adaptation of the series.
Catwoman then appears as a thief and animal philanthropist in the award-winning animated series Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995). Adrienne Barbeau provided her voice. This Catwoman appears to be based on Tim Burton’s Batman Returns film, as she wears a similar catsuit and has a seductive and often unpredictable personality.
She then appears in The New Batman Adventures (1997-1999) and The Batman (2004-2008), where she is usually shown as a thief in both arcs. Nika Futterman voiced Catwoman in the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold. This rendition of the figure is far more sinister and resembles her legendary Golden and Silver Age forms.
Despite this, she joins Huntress and Black Canary as part of the show’s version of the Birds of Prey at one point. Gotham, a live-action series, included Catwoman as well. Selina Kyle makes her debut appearance in Gotham – Show 1 “Pilot,” however she has little to say during the episode. She still dresses as a street-smart pickpocket and wears a black costume with goggles, but one of the most significant alterations for the series is that she is the only eyewitness to the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, except for Bruce.
Cristina Pucelli’s Catwoman appears in DC Super Hero Girls, primarily in the background. In Episode 7 of Season 1 of LEGO DC Super Hero Girls, “Galactic Wonder. Part 1,” Catwoman made her debut. In the Teen Titans Go series, Catwoman makes multiple appearances. She makes an appearance in the episode Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problem.
She fought the Teen Titans until being vanquished by Alfred, who used a cup of tea to defeat her. Gotham Girls is a web series about the women of Gotham City that ran from 2000 to 2002 on Warner Bros. In short stories of varying lengths concerning the characters’ daily lives, episodes starring Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Batgirl, and Catwoman. Finally, Catwoman appears in one of Cartoon Network’s many DC Nation shorts called Batman of Shanghai.
With that, we come to the end of today’s video. Catwoman might be known for being a thief but she has stolen the hearts of her fans all through the decades, ever since she graced the pages of print comics and made her way into the big screen. She has a dedicated fan base and is literally, too hot to handle and we can’t wait to see her in the new Batman movie!