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History
Origin
Main article: Batwoman: Go
Katherine "Kate" Kane, alias Batwoman is the daughter of a Colonel Jacob Kane and Captain Gabi Kane. Her parents were both career military and worked extensively with military intelligence services.
Katherine grew up with her parents and her twin sister Elizabeth Kane. As her parents were promoted they moved to a wide variety of towns and bases. Her father was often away from home.
The Kane family moved to Brussels in Belgium, since her parents were now serving at NATO. The family however was torn apart due to a terrorist attack. Gabi was taking her daughters for the day, they were kidnapped by heavily armed men from the Religion of Crime. Military intelligence eventually located the hostages, and Jacob was put in charge of the tactical unit that was sent to rescue them. However they were too late as Gabi had been executed along with Elizabeth. Jakob rescued Kate himself, but she was traumatized by the sight of her dead mother and sister.[1]
Kate tried to please her father by entering the Marines. At West Point, she roomed with Cadet Captain Sophie "Gimme" Moore, with whom she also entered in a lesbian relationship. Her commander got wind of it, and inquired about it. She confirmed her sexual orientation, but protected Sophie. Per the DADT policy, she was dishonorably discharged. Her father forgave her, and found it more important that she did not lie to save herself.
Jacob Kane eventually married weapons heiress Catherine Hamilton. This new wealth established Kate as a socialite in Gotham City's upper crust. She became notorious for her partying and drinking.
One night after a party, she was pulled over by officer Renee Montoya. Instead of being fined for drink driving, the two entered in a relationship. They broke up when Renee told her she had no direction in her life, no education, and no apparent goal. She found her purpose soon enough: when she was confronted by a mugger in an alleyway, she was saved by Batman.[2]
She decided to become a vigilante too. With her father's help, she traveled all over the planet for two years to learn how to fight. Her father used to family fortune and connections to come up with experimental weaponry.
52
Renee encountered her old flame again when she was researching suspicious activity at a warehouse on 520 Kane Street for the Question. Renee crashed a party at Hamilton manor, and Kate confirmed to her that her family owned the building. It was being leased by Ridge-Ferrick until six weeks earlier. Renee refused to tell Kate what was going on, saying that she didn't owe Kate anything, which shocked Kate and prompted her to tail them as Batwoman. When Renee and the Question broke into Ridge-Ferrick's Gotham offices, they were attacked by Whisper A'Daire's shapeshifting minions, and Batwoman arrived to rescue them. Making quick work of two monsters, Batwoman stopped Renee from shooting the third, instead kicking the monster out a window. Batwoman informed them the police were coming, asked that she not be mentioned, and left.
After Renee learned that the Book of Crime, a sacred text of Intergang, contained a prophecy foretelling the brutal murder of the "twice named daughter of Kane," she and the Question returned to Gotham. They contacted Kate by flashing a Bat-Signal, and the three joined forces to avert Intergang's plans. As Kate continued the case, she was joined by Nightwing, who had recently returned to Gotham and becomes infatuated with her (no doubt because of her resemblance to former Batgirl), though she assured him she wasn't his type. On Christmas Eve, he gave her an 'official' Batarang. She also celebrated Hanukkah with Renee, and the two kiss shortly before Christmas.
Intergang realized that the image of Batwoman in the Crime Bible and the cited "twice-named daughter of Cain" were one and the same, and ransacked Kate's apartment, kidnapping her with the intention to sacrifice her. Renee found her, seemingly too late to save her, as during the ensuing fight with Bruno Mannheim, Kate pulled the knife out of her own chest to stab Mannheim and then collapsed in Renee's arms. Kate survived her wounds after Renée used pseudoderm to patch up the wound and stop the bleeding, leaving Kate at the hospital in Renée's trenchcoat.
Elegy
Kate had more altercations with the Religion of Crime, especially Whisper A'Daire. They believed a prophecy in the Crime Bible, which suggested Kate Kane was the twice-named daughter of Cain, who would need to be sacrificed in order to bury Gotham in flames. Batwoman thwarted these plans, with the help of a defector named Kyle Abbot, and Whisper was deposed.
However, the thirteen covens of the Religion of Crime were revived by a new leader named Alice, whose propensity for quoting Alice in Wonderland belied a sinister and callous disregard for human life, and a persistent obsession with Batwoman herself.[3] In an attempt to get answers, Kate dangled the woman over the edge of a rooftop, but her aversion to killing was known to Alice, and rather than give up answers, she spat a poisoned razor-blade into Kate's face, causing hallucinations.[4]
She was saved by Kyle Abbott and a new sect of the Religion of Crime, who rejected the assumption that Batwoman was central to their doctrine. After recovering, rather than immediately seek revenge, Kate went to a charity ball for the Gotham City Police Department, where she met and began a relationship with Margaret Sawyer. They were interrupted by Kyle, who revealed in private that Alice intended to destroy Gotham by stealing military grade firepower. Given that her father had had to leave the party in order to investigate an emergency on base, Kate realized too late that the Religion of Crime was behind it. Alice had captured her father.[5]
With Kyle's help, Batwoman managed to board the plane from which Alice planned to unleash a toxic gas onto the city. In the fight that ensued, Alice was nearly knocked out of the plane, but Kate caught her in her hand. In a moment of uncharacteristic coherence, Alice looked up at Kate and stated "You have our father's eyes," before plunging a dagger into Kate's arm. In pain, Kate let go, and watched Alice fall to her death as the realization dawned on her that her twin sister Beth had not died, those years ago. As soon as she had regained her sister, she had lost her - and her father Jacob had betrayed her.[6]
One Year Later
Batwoman later appeared when Renée Montoya confronted Trickster and Pied Piper to question them about the murder of Bart Allen, having trailed them from Penguin's Iceberg Lounge nightclub.[7] Renée again left town, irritating Kate, though she agreed to help Renée in tracking down a copy of the Crime Bible, being sold via the Penguin. The book was actually part of the Lessons that the Order of Stone was attempting to teach Renée, and she and Kate fight over the book. In the end, as Renée claims she only wants it to protect Kate. Kate tells her that Renée never asked what Kate wanted, but lets her take the book.
Final Crisis
During the Final Crisis, Kane was one of the millions who fell under the influence of the Anti-Life Equation[8], and became a member of the Female Furies.[9]
Battle of the Cowl and Investigations
After Batman's death, Batwoman joined the Network, a group of heroes that would keep order in Gotham in Batman's absence.[10]
Batwoman is later seen investigating the arrival of a new leader of the Religion of Crime to Gotham. She briefly meets Batman 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).[11]
Batman Reborn
After the Crisis, Kane continues to act as Batwoman and, with the new Batman's blessing, investigates the 13 chapters of the Crime Syndicate in Gotham, and their new High Priestess, Alice.[12] Her father, Colonel Kane, assists Kate in her role as Batwoman, supplying her with technology and training, as do Kyle Abbot and two other shape-shifters, who themselves the True Believers. [13] When Alice kidnaps Kate's father and plans to unleash a toxic gas over Gotham, Abbot commandeers a plane to stop her. Kate manages to stop the weapon and save her father, but in the final fight, Alice falls from the plane to her death, refusing to take Kate's hand and be saved. Before she falls, Alice tells Kate "You have our father's eyes." [14]
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.[11] 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.[15]
Justice League
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.[16]
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.[17]
Later, 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.[18]
Batman, Inc.
Sometime later, Batwoman was deployed to Argentina to help Batman and El Gaucho track down an old criminal genius named Dr. Daedalus. There, she encountered the British Special Agent known as the Hood. Together, the four heroes fought against El Gaucho's nemesis, Scorpiana, who was finally defeated by Batwoman. They then found an old man dressed in Dr. Daedalus' costume, but soon discovered he was only an old man with Alzheimer's. Soon after, Batwoman returned to Gotham.[19]
Flashpoint
This section of the history takes place during Flashpoint, a massive crossover event set in an alternate timeline to the mainstream DCU. History was completely changed when Professor Zoom finally found a way to erase his nemesis the Flash without harming his own legacy.
In an effort to save his mother's life from the Reverse-Flash, Barry Allen unknowingly changes reality, creating a new world in which his friends' lives are drastically different. [20]
In this timeline Kate still serves in the US military as part of Team 7, serving alongside Cole Cash, John Stewart (who never became a Green Lantern), Lt. Reid, Sgt. Rock, Lady Blackhawk, and Gunner. The team was sent to attack jihadist strongholds in Afghanistan, but were wiped out during a raid on Sudhaar, with only Cash surviving due to the intervention of Britannia.
The DC Universe was rebooted in 2011 as part of the Flashpoint event. This was an attempt to simplify continuity, and make DC Comics more accessible to new readers. Prior to this, mainstream comics took place in New Earth continuity since the Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. The continuity established following Flashpoint is Prime Earth.
Convergence
This section of the history takes place during Convergence, a massive crossover event revisiting characters from past eras and realities. The villains Brainiac and Telos plucked them from their own timeline and stored them together, causing them to cross over into each others' reality. Its precise chronological placement and canonicity may be unclear.
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She, Reene and Helena team-up to confront Two-Face. She finds a wounded Renee and gives her CPR ad ends up kissing her.
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
- Acrobatics: She is quite skilled in gymnastics having trained in the sport since she was very young and made it to senior elite level.
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Kate received basic training at West Point, then further, more intensive training in various martial arts during her travels around the world. Nightwing mentions that she uses at least three different fighting styles.[21]
- Investigation: Kate has studied under experts in forensic science, law, behavioral science and criminology, learning methods both high-tech and old-school for tracking down criminals.
- Interrogation: While Batwoman does a lot of physical intimidation and violent interrogation work - though she wouldn't torture or deliberately maim people.
- Intimidation: She leverages her considerable presence, her excellent training in psychology and interrogation, being obviously willing and able to hit people really really hard, suddenly shifting toward protectiveness, etc. to achieve remarkable results.
- Military Protocol: A one-time soldier raised by a career soldier, Kate is quite familiar with military policy, protocol and most aspects of life in the Army.
- Gadgetry: Kate is adept in the art of tinkering with things both mechanical and electronic.
- Computer Hacking: Kate is capable of hacking and some basic programming, but more importantly, of keeping her own computers and gadgets from being hacked or traced.
- Stealth: Kate is a master of stealth, as noted by Batman, being so good that even Supergirl didn't notice her, even with her advance hearing.
Weaknesses
- Cardiac Weakness: During the year after the Infinite Crisis, Kane was stabbed in the heart by Bruno Mannheim. Since then, despite therapy and a healthy recovery, scarring remains and she is not as good as she might otherwise be.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Weapons
Notes
- This version of Batwoman was introduced in 52 #7 by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Ken Lashley; and it is an adaptation from the Original Batwoman created by Bob Kane, Edmond Hamilton and Sheldon Moldoff.
Trivia
- Kate is Jewish, and celebrates Hanukkah with her father each year.
- Kate has a tattoo of the Green Beret sleeve insignia on her right upper arm, presumably inked at some point during the two year training her father arranged for her.
- Kate has a tattoo of the Nautical Star on her upper back, which she had inked sometime after her discharge from the US Military Academy, but before she became a vigilante. Whilst being a common tattoo and having a broad range of symbolism, the Nautical Star tattoo is commonly associated with the US Navy and Marine Corps. During the 40's it was also started to be used by homosexuals (particularly lesbians) to indicate their sexuality in a discreet manner during a time when homosexuality was frowned upon. [22]
- Being the heiress of a family whose fortune is comparable to the Wayne's, Kate possesses the finances to produce an arsenal of equipment, similar to Batman.
Recommended Reading
Related
- 63 Appearances of Katherine Kane (New Earth)
- 46 Images featuring Katherine Kane (New Earth)
- 6 Quotations by or about Katherine Kane (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Katherine Kane (New Earth)
Footnotes
- ↑ Detective Comics #858
- ↑ Detective Comics #859
- ↑ Detective Comics #854
- ↑ Detective Comics #855
- ↑ Detective Comics #856
- ↑ Detective Comics #857
- ↑ Countdown #39
- ↑ Final Crisis: Revelations #2
- ↑ Final Crisis #3
- ↑ Batman: Battle of the Cowl #1
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Detective Comics #854
- ↑ Detective Comics #854
- ↑ Detective Comics #856
- ↑ Detective Comics #857
- ↑ Detective Comics #855
- ↑ Justice League: Cry for Justice #4
- ↑ Justice League: Cry for Justice #5
- ↑ Batman and Robin #7
- ↑ Batman Incorporated #5
- ↑ Flashpoint (Volume 2) #1
- ↑ 52 #11
- ↑ http://tattoos.lovetoknow.com/Nautical_Star_Tattoos
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