History ComicBook / Batwoman

* FiveBadBand: Medusa's agents shift around in their positions, but here's their listing.

* ISurrenderSuckers: Wolf Spider pulls this on Batwoman to get her to stop pummeling him. When she pauses, [[TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty he tosses a pair of fear-toxin darts into her face, socks her in the jaw, and kicks her out a window.]]

Batwoman will make her live-action debut during the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s annual crossover in 2018 on Creator/TheCW, portrayed by Creator/RubyRose. A {{spinoff}} is reportedly in development by Creator/GregBerlanti and Caroline Dries (''Series/TheVampireDiaries'').

Batwoman will make her live-action debut during the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s annual crossover in 2018 on Creator/TheCW, portrayed by Ruby Rose. A {{spinoff}} is reportedly in development by Creator/GregBerlanti and Caroline Dries (''Series/TheVampireDiaries'').

Batwoman will make her live-action debut during the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s annual crossover in 2018 on Creator/TheCW, with a {{spinoff}} reportedly in development by Creator/GregBerlanti and Caroline Dries (''Series/TheVampireDiaries'').

Batwoman will make her live-action debut during the Franchise/{{Arrowverse}}'s annual crossover in 2018, with a {{spinoff} reportedly in development by Creator/GregBerlanti and Caroline Dries (''Series/TheVampireDiaries'').

In [[ComicBook/DCRebirth DC's Rebirth]], this version of the character co-headlines ''[[ComicBook/DetectiveComicsRebirth Detective Comics]]'' along with Batman. In October of 2016, DC announced that Kate Kane would be getting another solo series in February 2017, starting with a Rebirth one-shot issue.

For Kate Kane's Rebirth series, go [[ComicBook/BatwomanRebirth here.]]

The character was originbally going her first ever live action appearance in the 2018 crossover event of the Series/{{Arrowverse}}, as Kate Kane. In addition,there is a plan for a full Batwoman TV Series set in the Series/{{Arrowverse}} for 2019, which may replace the original cameo plan.

The character will be making her first ever live action appearance in the 2018 crossover event of the Series/{{Arrowverse}}, as Kate Kane.

* HeroicAlbino: Kate at least ''looks'' like an example, though it's more of an artistic choice than an actual character trait. Her skin is colored an extremely pale white (bordering on vampiric) that looks particularly striking and unusual on the page, but isn't treated as especially unusual or strange-looking InUniverse.

Both versions of the character are unrelated to the ''[[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]]'' fodder ''Film/WildWorldOfBatwoman''.

Both versions of the character are unrelated to the ''[[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]]'' fodder ''WildWorldOfBatwoman''.

The original Batwoman, Kathy Kane, was a character introduced to the DCU in 1956 to serve as a love interest for Bruce Wayne, [[GayPanic who was being accused by some people of being gay]]. The character first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #233 (July, 1956). She was created by writer {{Edmond Hamilton}}, and artist Sheldon Moldoff. She lasted for about a decade, but was dropped (Along with the first [[Comicbook/{{Batgirl}} Bat-Girl]], her niece Betty Kane) in 1964 in an attempt to prune down the Bat-Family, which was overly crowded with characters and had acquired a bit too much camp during UsefulNotes/TheInterregnum. There was a half-hearted attempt to revive the character during UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}}, but this came to an abrupt end when Kathy Kane was KilledOffForReal by Ra's Al Ghul's League of Assassins in ''Detective Comics'' #485 (August, 1979).

* BackForTheDead / StuffedInTheFridge: The original Batwoman, after years of barely appearing, was brought back for a Post-Crisis story in which she was murdered by the League of Assassins to further motivate Batman to oppose that group, and give [[Comicbook/SuicideSquad Bronze Tiger]] something to [[TheAtoner atone]] for. [[spoiler: It was later revealed she'd survived]].

* {{Elseworld}} / WhatIf: Several of the Batwoman stories of the 1960s were imaginary stories written by Alfred, in which Batman and Batwoman had gotten married and had a son, Bruce Jr. Dick Grayson and Junior took over after their elders retired, fighting under the names Batman II" and "Robin II".

* StayInTheKitchen: Kathy's very first appearance plays like an aversion at first, but Batman convinces her to give up the cape and cowl. This didn't stick and she appeared in more stories, but was then played straight again after Barbara Gordon became Batgirl and she and Bette disappeared from the comics.

%%* ActionGirl
* BackForTheDead / StuffedInTheFridge: The original Batwoman, after years of barely appearing, was brought back for a Post-Crisis story in which she was murdered by the League of Assassins to a) further motivate Batman to oppose that group, and b) give [[Comicbook/SuicideSquad Bronze Tiger]] something to [[TheAtoner atone]] for (He did not kill Batwoman himself, but kept Batman busy long enough for the other assassins to succeed). [[spoiler: ''ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman'' implies she is still alive]]
** NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler: Confirmed in the final issue of Batman Incorporated. Kathy is not only alive, but she's the leader of a major spy organization which was leading a sting operation against Talia al Ghul for years, which Kathy concludes by killing her.]]

* TheChick: The original Batwoman, who used weapons based on women's cosmetics, often relied on "feminine intuition" instead of deductive reasoning and frequently turned into a DistressedDamsel for Batman to rescue.

* CousinOliver: Her original incarnation during the Silver Age. In recent flashbacks to this period, even Dick was shown thinking the idea was stupid.

** To Franchise/{{Batman}}, obviously.

* {{Elseworld}} / WhatIf: Several of the Batwoman stories of the 1960s were imaginary stories written by Alfred, in which Batman and Batwoman had gotten married and had a son, Bruce Jr. Dick Grayson and Junior took over after their elders retired, fighting under the supranyms "Batman II" and "Robin II". (They even had "II" symbols on their chests.) There was a "Son of the Joker", Batgirl became the new Batwoman, and almost inevitably Bruce would have to come out of retirement in each story...

* LegacyCharacter: The first that start the Batwoman legacy.
* MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter: Possibly the daughter of the villainous [[spoiler: Dr. Daedalus]]

* NotBloodSiblings: a variant. She's has something of a romantic relationship with Bruce, and she's his aunt- but only by marriage (to Martha Wayne's brother).

* StayInTheKitchen: The original Batwoman's very first appearance plays like an aversion at first - sure, Kathy had feminine tools like a Utility Handbag, but she was still kind of [[ActionGirl badass]], what with her sexist tools being pretty awesome (tear gas perfume?!), her Robin-esque circus background, and the fact that she saves Batman and Robin's butts roughly once every two pages. Then it switches to being played horrifically straight when Batman, [[IWasBeatenByAGirl despite said life-saving]], treats her like a joke and then tracks her down to learn her secret identity so he can "convince her" that she can not be Batwoman because crime fighting is "too dangerous" for a girl, even the one who just saved his life five times. Then she listens to him and gives up her cape straight away, because, apparently women aren't cut out for the job?
** This was eventually dropped with a healthy dose of SuperDickery involving none other than the TropeNamer himself; after a crook accidentally transferred Superman's powers to Batwoman, Kathy proceeded to spend the story trying to unearth Superman's ''and'' Batman's secret identities so they'd stop bossing her around (in-between helping them save people and fight crime because hey, she ''is'' still a hero). While she [[StatusQuoIsGod lost her powers by the end of the story]], this somehow convinced the two to let her keep operating as Batwoman.

* BackForTheDead / StuffedInTheFridge: The original Batwoman, after years of barely appearing, was brought back for a Post-Crisis story in which she was murdered by the League of Assassins to a) further motivate Batman to oppose that group, and b) give [[SuicideSquad Bronze Tiger]] something to [[TheAtoner atone]] for (He did not kill Batwoman himself, but kept Batman busy long enough for the other assassins to succeed). [[spoiler: ''ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman'' implies she is still alive]]

* BowTiesAreCool: She wears a feminine-tailored tuxedo, complete with bow-tie, to a Gotham socialite's ball.

ComicBook/PostCrisis continuity denied that Kathy Kane had ever been Batwoman. Apart from an InNameOnly inclusion in ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanMysteryOfTheBatwoman Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman]]'' and a few other cameos over the years, Batwoman was largely absent for several decades and only returned to the comics themselves in ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'', a weekly series started in 2006. The character had a cameo in issue #7 (June, 2006) and was fully introduced in subsequent issues. This Batwoman, Katherine "Kate" Kane, [[ContinuityReboot was introduced as a love interest and past girlfriend of Renee Montoya]], one of the main characters of the series. [[HollywoodHypeMachine Touted as the highest-profile gay superhero in the DCU]], she drifted from comic to comic after her original appearance until being cast as the frontrunner for ''Detective Comics'' in 2009 with ComicBook/TheQuestion (none other than Renee herself by this point) serving as the second feature. She was replaced as the frontrunner by Batman at the conclusion of her arc and received a self-titled solo series to continue her story, with a one-shot issue #0 in November 2010, but her series suffered more than one delay and eventually launched as part of the Franchise/DCUniverse's ComicBook/{{New 52}} series of #1s in September 2011. During the delay, she appeared in a minor supporting role in ''Batman, Inc.'' which also featured the original Kathy Kane character, ostensibly as an aunt to the current Batwoman. Additionally, she appears as a protagonist in the UsefulNotes/{{WWII}}-set ''ComicBook/DCComicsBombshells'' {{elseworld}} series, and as a supporting character in the ''ComicBook/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' prequel comic (also an elseworld series) as a member of Batman's Insurgency.

In [[ComicBook/DCRebirth DC's Rebirth]], this version of the character co-headlines ''[[ComicBook/DetectiveComicsRebirth Detective Comics]]'' along with Batman. In October of 2016, it was announced that Kate Kane would be getting [[ComicBook/BatwomanRebirth another solo series]] in February 2017, starting with a Rebirth one-shot issue.

As with Batman himself, her portrayal has varied over the years, reaching varying points on the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism depending on the time of her writing (the campy [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] vs. the darker [[UsefulNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks Modern Age]]) and the medium of the story (The Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse film, though pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable, remained [[AnimationAgeGhetto restricted in what it could show]]).

And of course, the irony of having a character introduced out of a fear of homosexuality becoming gay herself has been lost on no one.

ComicBook/PostCrisis continuity denied that Kathy Kane had ever been Batwoman. Apart from an InNameOnly inclusion in ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanMysteryOfTheBatwoman Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman]]'' and a few other cameos over the years, Batwoman was largely absent for several decades and only returned to the comics themselves in ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'', a weekly series started in 2006. The character had a cameo in issue #7 (June, 2006) and was fully introduced in subsequent issues. This Batwoman, Katherine "Kate" Kane, [[ContinuityReboot was introduced as a love interest and past girlfriend of Renee Montoya]], one of the main characters of the series. [[HollywoodHypeMachine Touted as the highest-profile gay superhero in the DCU]], she drifted from comic to comic after her original appearance until being cast as the frontrunner for ''Creator/DetectiveComics'' in 2009 with ComicBook/TheQuestion (none other than Renee herself by this point) serving as the second feature. She was replaced as the frontrunner by Batman at the conclusion of her arc and received a self-titled solo series to continue her story, with a one-shot issue #0 in November 2010, but her series suffered more than one delay and eventually launched as part of the Franchise/DCUniverse's ComicBook/{{New 52}} series of #1s in September 2011. During the delay, she appeared in a minor supporting role in ''Batman, Inc.'' which also featured the original Kathy Kane character, ostensibly as an aunt to the current Batwoman. Additionally, she appears as a protagonist in the UsefulNotes/{{WWII}}-set ''ComicBook/DCComicsBombshells'' {{elseworld}} series, and as a supporting character in the ''ComicBook/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' prequel comic (also an elseworld series) as a member of Batman's Insurgency.

* AuthorAppeal: Creator/GregRucka, the author who wrote her ComicBook/PostCrisis reintroduction in ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' and her run on ''Creator/DetectiveComics'', is fond of writing [[ComicBook/QueenAndCountry strong, female characters]] and has worked on several comics that take a deep and mature look at [[ComicBook/GothamCentral homosexuality]] and [[ComicBook/{{Whiteout}} femininity]] in confrontational and dramatic situations. Kate Kane combines all into one.

** Kate Kane's conversation with Renee Montoya during her introduction in ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' revealed that she had been in the closet when she and Renee had dated, with the implication that she was ''still'' in the closet as part of her SecretIdentity. However, her origin story as revealed in ''Creator/DetectiveComics'' shows that she had come out before meeting Renee, and she tried to convince Renee to come out of the closet as well. Her appearance was also redesigned with the addition of several tattoos that were not present in her earlier appearance.

* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: BadAss AntiHero type costume colors of choice.

As with Batman himself, her portrayal has varied over the years, reaching varying points on the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism depending on the time of her writing (the campy [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] vs. the darker [[UsefulNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks Modern Age]]) and the medium of the story (The [[{{DCAU}} DCAU film]], though pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable, remained [[AnimationAgeGhetto restricted in what it could show]]).

Proves that being a BadAss [[AnimalThemedSuperbeing Bat-themed]] AntiHero is not just a man's job.

* InformedJudaism: Averted. The Kane family itself is Jewish, and has occasional mentions of [[UsefulNotes/JewishHolidays the various holidays]] and [[BilingualBonus occasional Biblical Hebrew references]]