History Comicbook / Catwoman

''[[ComicBook/JimBalentsCatwoman Catwoman]]'' Vol 2 (1993-2001) was a series primarily known for long-running artist Jim Balent, who drew the book from 1993 to 2000, for over 75 issues. Over the years, the book had writers such as Jo Duffy, Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, devin Grayson, John Ostrander, and Balent himself. The series continued the story of Selina Kyle, but this time in the present day and it intersected with the rest of the Bat-books and the wider DC Universe, having tie-ins to ''Knightquest'', ''ComicBook/ZeroHour'', ''ComicBook/UnderworldUnleashed'', ''Cataclysm'', ''ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand'', and more. It lasted a total of 94 issues and four annuals. For more information, see its own page.

* TheBusCameBack: After ten years and a literal reboot, Magdalene "Maggie" Kyle returns. It turns out that Selina has been keeping her in a menteal health facility in Villa Hermosa.
* EvilMakesYouUgly: Raina Creel is a complete sociopath who will do anything for more wealth. She is also, after years of drug abuse and plastic surgery, has a body that has completely deterioted. In public, she wears a blonde wig, facial prosthetics, blue contact lenses, and dentures.

''[[ComicBook/JimBalentsCatwoman Catwoman]]'' Vol 2 (1993-2001) was a series primarily known for long-running artist Creator/JimBalent, who drew the book from 1993 to 2000, for over 75 issues. Over the years, the book had writers such as Jo Duffy, Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, devin Grayson, John Ostrander, and Balent himself. The series continued the story of Selina Kyle, but this time in the present day and it intersected with the rest of the Bat-books and the wider DC Universe, having tie-ins to ''Knightquest'', ''ComicBook/ZeroHour'', ''ComicBook/UnderworldUnleashed'', ''Cataclysm'', ''ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand'', and more. It lasted a total of 94 issues and four annuals. For more information, see its own page.

''[[ComicBook/JimBalentsCatwoman Catwoman]]'' Vol 2 (1993-2001) was a series primarily known for long-running artist Creator/JimBalent, who drew the book from 1993 to 2000, for over 75 issues. Over the years, the book had writers such as Jo Duffy, Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, devin Grayson, John Ostrander, and Balent himself. The series continued the story of Selina Kyle, but this time in the present day and it intersected with the rest of the Bat-books and the wider DC Universe, having tie-ins to ''Knightquest'', ''ComicBook/ZeroHour'', ''ComicBook/UnderworldUnleashed'', ''Cataclysm'', ''ComicBook/NoMansLand'', and more. It lasted a total of 94 issues and four annuals. For more information, see its own page.

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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ba2738f9_641e_4a60_af43_444bbd791354.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Catwoman by Stanley 'Artgerm' Lau]]

-> ''"Well. What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen a pretty girl before?"''
-->-- Her response, after Batman catches her for the first time, in ''Batman #1'' (1940) written by Creator/BillFinger.


Catwoman is a fictional character associated with Creator/DCComics' ''{{Franchise/Batman}}'' franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character first appeared as '''The Cat''' in ''[[ComicBook/BatmanNumberOne Batman #1]]'' (Spring, 1940), which means she shares her status as the second-oldest of Batman's long-term RoguesGallery with ComicBook/TheJoker, who was introduced that same issue. The code name Cat-Woman (sic) and the first of her cat-suits were introduced in issue #2. Her civilian identity of Selina Kyle wasn't introduced until Batman #62 (December 1950).

The character had regular appearances in the Batman titles for much of the Golden Age, both as a villain, and as a reformed criminal (or at least attempting to reform.) She disappeared from the franchise for over a decade in ''"Detective Comics''" #211 (September, 1954), for fears that her depiction violated the recently introduced [[UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode Comics Code]]. In 1966, over a decade later, the character was revived for the ''Series/{{Batman|1966}}'' television series.

The character turned popular again and revival in the comic books soon followed. Starting with ''"Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane''" #70 (November, 1966). Where she uses magic to turn ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' into a cat. ComicBook/LoisLane then gets to fight Catwoman to rescue her love interest. Regular adventures of this version continued to the [[TheEighties 1980s]]. With an Earth-One version of Catwoman firmly established, the DC staff then reintroduced the original as part of the Earth-Two AlternateUniverse. Or at least its backstory. According to ''"DC Super-Stars''" #17 (November, 1977), the Golden Age Catwoman eventually married Batman. She was killed while performing OneLastJob. Her daughter Helena Wayne, donned the cape of the ComicBook/{{Huntress}} to avenge her death.

ComicBook/PostCrisis, Catwoman got a revamp in the ''ComicBook/BatmanYearOne'' storyline (1987), which established a new background for Selina as a former prostitute who learned martial arts and the art of burglary to improve her life. She got a mini-series of her own in 1989. Then a regular Catwoman series started in September, 1993. From the [[TheNineties 1990s]] until 2008 (with a brief gap around the turn of the century), Catwoman featured in an eponymous series that cast her as an anti-hero rather than a supervillain. In 2009 this was replaced with a ''ComicBook/GothamCitySirens'' title that put her in a morally-ambiguous team with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. In 2011 this was dropped and a new ongoing ''Catwoman'' title (again casting her as more of an anti-hero than a villain) began as part of the ComicBook/{{New 52}} universe-wide revamp. She did not get a solo title in the initial ComicBook/DCRebirth set of series, but her latest series then began in 2018.

Outside of the comics, the character has featured in a multitude of Batman-related media. She was a recurring villain in the iconic Adam West ''Series/{{Batman|1966}}'' series, famously portrayed by several different actresses including Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt. She was a major character in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' and appeared as a villain in both ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''. The character was featured in ''Bat Man of Shanghai'', a series of {{Wuxia}}-inspired AlternateUniverse shorts on the WesternAnimation/DCNation block that [[RaceLift reimagined Catwoman as a Chinese thief]] in the [[TheGreatDepression 1930s]]. For the AnimatedAdaptation of ''Batman: Year One'', she was voiced by Creator/ElizaDushku. Camren Bicondova plays a young Selina, a street kid mostly known by the nickname "Cat", in the series Series/{{Gotham}}.

On the film front, the character was played by Lee Meriwether in TheMovie [[Film/BatmanTheMovie of the Adam West series]], then in a more supernatural interpretation by Creator/MichellePfeiffer in the 1992 film ''Film/BatmanReturns''. In 2004, a standalone ''Film/{{Catwoman|2004}}'' movie starring Creator/HalleBerry was released, but the movie was a flop that had [[InNameOnly little in common]] with the comic character. She's been played by Creator/AnneHathaway in 2012's ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', although she's only ever named on screen as "Selina Kyle" and "The Cat", with the name "Catwoman" only being used in merchandise and other supplemental materials - perhaps to [[OldShame sever ties from the aforementioned Halle Berry flop]] or possibly just because of the trend in both the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse and ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' that ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames. She will be portrayed by Creator/ZoeKravitz in Creator/MattReeves' 2022 ''Film/{{The Batman|2022}}'', opposite Creator/RobertPattinson's Bruce Wayne; she previosly voiced the character in ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOBatmanMovie''.

She has also appeared in numerous video games, specifically featuring as a playable character in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse'', both ''VideoGame/LegoBatman'' games, The ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries'', and ''Franchise/{{Injustice}}''.

The character has been one of Batman's most enduring love interests, and is seen as [[OneTruePairing the most natural one to him]] to the point that she and Batman are now engaged as of DC Rebirth.

Many modern writers have also interpreted her activities and costumed identity as a response to a history of abuse.
----
!!Works that she has appeared in:

[[AC:Anime]]
* ''Anime/BatmanNinja''

[[AC:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns''
* ''ComicBook/BatmanDetectiveNo27''
* ''ComicBook/BatmanYearOne''
* ''ComicBook/CatwomanGuardianOfGotham''
* ''ComicBook/CatwomanWhenInRome''
* ''ComicBook/GothamCitySirens''
* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}''
** ''ComicBook/BatmanHush''
** ''ComicBook/BlackestNight''
** ''ComicBook/RobinSeries''
* ''ComicBook/{{New 52}}''
** ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily''
* ''ComicBook/BatmanRebirth''

[[AC:Film - Live-Action]]
* ''Film/BatmanReturns''
* ''Film/Catwoman2004''
* ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''
* ''Film/TheBatman2022''

[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Batman|1966}}''
* ''Series/BirdsOfPrey2002''
* ''Series/{{Gotham}}''

[[AC:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/Catwoman2004''
* ''VideoGame/LEGOBatman''
** ''VideoGame/LegoDCSuperVillains''
* ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse''
* ''VideoGame/DCUniverseOnline''
* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries''
** ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity''
** ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamOriginsBlackgate''
** ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight''
** ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamUnderworld''
* ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs''
** ''VideoGame/Injustice2''
* ''VideoGame/InfiniteCrisis''
* ''VideoGame/BatmanTheTelltaleSeries''

[[AC:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''
* ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman''
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''
** ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooAndBatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanYearOne''
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns''
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanReturnOfTheCapedCrusaders''
** ''WesternAnimation/BatmanVsTwoFace''
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOBatmanMovie''
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanGothamByGaslight''
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanHush''
* ''WesternAnimation/DCSuperHeroGirls''
----
!!The character provides examples of:

* AbsoluteCleavage: Some versions (including her ''Videogame/BatmanArkhamCity'' incarnation).
* AbsurdlySharpClaws: She wears gloves with diamond-tipped claws.
* AbusiveParents: Her mother Maria Kyle was preferred to spend her time with cats and committed suicide when Selina and Magdalene were very young. Her father, Brian, was an alcoholic who openly doubted Selina's paternity and drank himself to death.
* ActionGirl: One of the first examples in Batman if not all of comics.
* ActionMom: In the both the pre-Crisis and ''ComicBook/New52'' ''Earth-2'' universes, Selina is married to Bruce with a daughter named Helena, who becomes the Huntress of her world. In the post-Crisis continuity of the main DC Universe, Selina ''also'' gave birth to a daughter named Helena, who it turned out was ''[[DecompositeCharacter not]]'' fathered by Bruce, but by Sam Bradley, Jr.. This version of Helena was eventually given up for adoption because Selina felt she deserved a better life. ''ComicBook/BatmanRebirth'' has given the possibility of the original Helena Wayne making her way to the DC Universe, with its second annual showing a potential future where an adult Helena becomes Batwoman.
* AffablyEvil: She's the ''least evil'' villain in most stories.
* AllWomenAreLustful: Selina's first run-in with Superman [[http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n152/Runespoor7/BraveBold016-06precut.jpg has pretty humorous results.]]
* AnimalThemedSuperbeing: Except for the ''super'' part. She's skilled enough for {{Roofhopping}}, sure, but she has no superpowers.
* AmbiguouslyEvil: Considering that she has both AntiHero ''and'' AntiVillain entries here she definitely qualifies.
* AmnesiacDissonance: Earth-2 Catwoman had been suffering from amnesia during her criminal career. When she recovered, she was willing to go to prison for her crimes. Later, during a story where Batman sprang her from jail to help him, she revealed that she had made up the amnesia to make her HeelFaceTurn plausible; in reality, she had wanted to quit.
* {{Anti Villain}}ess: One of the earliest examples thereof. We can never figure out which side she's on. She's typically portrayed as just a thief: skilled and dangerous if you get in her way, but not one to [[ComicBook/TheJoker gas the city for a good chuckle]], and she'd as soon help Batman as oppose him if it served her goals. She has settled down since the 90s as an ally, but nonetheless retains her career as a professional thief, which is why she's still a criminal. She also isn't as merciful as Batman when it comes to fighting villains, if they should die, oh well.
* ArbitrarySkepticism: Catwoman has difficulty believing her sister Maggie is possessed by a demon.
* ArchEnemy: Black Mask became this to her in her 2000s solo series.
* BadassInDistress: She frequently gets captured and Batman has to rescue her. Her ''only'' fear, in fact, is a world where she has to be rescued by Batman at every turn. She's scared of dependency. That's why she tries to be a DamselOutOfDistress.
* BastardBastard: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. Post-Crisis, it was suggested that Selina is the illegitimate daughter of mafia don Carmine Falcone. She grows up with no knowledge of her parentage since Falcone cut ties with her mother before she was born, condemning them to live in poverty. Catwoman, even at her lowest points, is more moral than the most honorable version of her possible father.
* TheBeastmaster: Limited to felines. She has been shown to have a knack for dealing with not only house cats, but also [[PantheraAwesome big cats]], such as lions. Her empathy is so great it extends to ''hyenas''.
--> '''Catwoman''': Funny thing about hyenas, Ivy -- They're a lot closer to '''''cats''''' than most people realize.
* BelligerentSexualTension: With Batman. And the new Catwoman. And, DependingOnTheWriter, occasionally with Comicbook/{{Nightwing}}.
* BerserkButton: It's best not to hurt any cats around her, but especially not the ones she personally owns. Also best to avoid hurting women and children especially her sister Maggie. She has a [[BigBrotherInstinct big-sister instinct]] that you do ''not'' want to get on the wrong side of.
* BettyAndVeronica: The (relative) Betty to [[TheVamp Talia al Ghul]]'s (relative) Veronica. Selina at least tends to be less conflicted about her morals most of the time compared with Talia. ''Gotham City Sirens'' states that they are the only two women that hold a place in Batman's heart.
* BigBad: She became this to Batman during ''[[ComicBook/BatmanEternal Batman Eternal]]'', having single-handedly taken over the entire criminal underworld of Gotham, from grifters to supervillains.
* BigEgoHiddenDepths: That "World's best thief" boast isn't for nothing; She really is that good.
* BikerBabe: If Catwoman gets a "signature" set of wheels, it will most likely be a motorcycle.
* BlackAndGrayMorality: Even as an AntiHero she tends to do some ethically questionable things, but she's got nothing on some of the villains she goes up against.
* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Brunette to Ivy's Redhead and Harley's Blonde in ''Gotham City Sirens''.
* BornLucky: The New 52 version seems to get out of dangerous situations with skill, quick-thinking, but most importantly jaw-dropping '''''luck'''''!.
* BreakoutVillain: A DC Comics famous case and one of the early occurrences in the Batman RoguesGallery along with ComicBook/TheJoker to become an EnsembleDarkhorse, coming out of it as one of the most iconic characters in popular culture (and arguably Batman's most iconic [[LoveInterests Love Interest]] in turn). She's gotten a variety of action, animated, and video game portrayals, along with an array of merchandise and inspired costumes galore, has given birth to some tropes, and managed to get her own series, elevating her to {{Anti Hero}}ine status (even seen as part of the extended Bat-Family, if inconsistently). You'll be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't heard of Catwoman. Considering she was introduced as an [[EvilIsSexy off the mill villain]] with barely any depth to her and who disappeared for over a decade at one point, she's definitely made her mark.
* TheBusCameBack: A 2020 storyline saw Selina cross paths with [[ComicBook/TheNewGuardians Snowflame]] of all people.
* [[ByronicHero Byronic Heroine]]: A very RareFemaleExample.
* CarnivalOfKillers: In the "Run Like Hell" arc, the Penguin puts out a $1 million contract on Selina's head. This attracts a large number of Gotham's costumed criminals out of the woodwork to take a shot at her.
* CatFight: Her own series is filled with these. Then again, what did you expect?
* CatGirl: Kind of. She's purely human in biological terms, though. Though in "Fables of the Bat-Man," one of the ''ComicBook/LegendsOfTheDeadEarth'' Annuals DC did in 1996 (long story short, stories of how people on other planets post-Earth view Earth's heroes and villains) [[CompositeCharacter combined]] her with Poison Ivy and made her an actual CatGirl.
* CatsAreMean: Her pet Isis usually helps her steal valuables.
* CharacterNameAlias: In the One Year Later story arc, she uses the assumed name of Irena Dubrovna to hide her identity, which in turn provides a ShoutOut to the character in the 1942 film ''Film/CatPeople''.
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Quick combatant, has the ability to [[LeParkour roof hop]] (which ignites hers and Batman's iconic roof chasing), took lessons in martial arts and acrobatics (with some self-training involved), and overall has come to be able to fend for herself incredibly well, expertise resembling that of the Bat-Family members.
* ChronicVillainy: She's tried to quit the criminal lifestyle before, but something about it always drags her back in.
* ClassyCatBurglar: The most literal and ultimate incarnation of this trope.
* ColourCodedEyes: Has green eyes. And fits the character description, being mysterious and associated with cats.
* CombatPragmatist: Comes as no surprise being a CharlesAtlasSuperpower in the Batman mythos. This was also actually why she chose something as difficult to properly wield as a whip; if disarmed, she wanted something as unintuitive and difficult to use as possible so as to actually put her opponent at a disadvantage if they tried to use it against her.
* CombatStilettos: Had a penchant for these in some incarnations, though they got sensible through the ages. She even wore combat boots for a while.
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Adam Hughes draws her as Creator/AudreyHepburn ([[http://adamhughes.deviantart.com/art/Catwoman-83-Detail-144639873 example]]).
** Bob Kane claimed that Catwoman was based on Creator/HedyLamarr which is likely since Creator/BillFinger, the writer, was a movie buff.
* ContinuitySnarl: No one is quite sure what Catwoman's backstory really is. Is she an orphan turned thief, an amnesiac air stewardess, a sex worker, a socialite, a wife fleeing an abusive marriage, the daughter of Carmine Falcone, or some combination thereof? Does she have a sibling or not, and if so, is it a brother or sister?
* CostumeEvolution: In her early appearances in the 1940s, [[NotWearingTights she didn't actually have a standard costume]], instead relying on [[MasterOfDisguise disguises]]. The SpyCatsuit was [[CanonImmigrant popularized]] by the [[Series/Batman1966 1960s TV series]]. Modern depictions have drawn influence from [[UsefulNotes/NavySeals Navy SEAL]] amphibious "frogsuits", adding some tactical gear to make it look more high-tech. CyberPunk influences are [[DependingOnTheArtist occasionally]] worked in.
* CriminalAmnesiac: In UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks, she was a CriminalAmnesiac, without even a villain talking her into it. A later {{Retcon}} said she'd made this up to facilitate her HeelFaceTurn.
* CutLexLuthorACheck: Subverted, really. In most incarnations, she knows about this, and steals for thrills more than anything else.
* TheCynic: She has no hope for things to get better in the world.
* DatingCatwoman: The TropeNamer. Though from her side of the relationship, shouldn't it be "Dating Batman"?
** Her Golden Age appearances always had her flirting with Batman or else giving him an easy means to escape her death-traps. Subsequent appearances retained that flirtation to where she either becomes a reliable ally and SecretKeeper, or at least a WorthyOpponent who'll give Batman a kiss on the lips on the way out the museum door with a priceless cat statue.
* DeadpanSnarker: Selina has ''sass'', and most of her dialogue can drip of snarkiness in basically all adaptations of her one way or another. The VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries in particular has gradually taken this trait UpToEleven.
* DeathSeeker: Controversially introduced as an element of her personality for the ComicBook/{{New 52}} version.
* DependingOnTheWriter:
** Her relationship with Batman is this, especially now that they're together. Her and Bruce have been depicted as star-crossed soul mates, each other's booty call, and everywhere in between.
** Selina herself has been re-interpreted by multiple writers, with her backstories changing in each instance. She's been seen through prostitution in the grim and gritty streets of Gotham, an orphaned (and problem) child whose parents committed suicide, a high socialite to sharing low apartments with others, an amnesiac airplane stewardess, a beaten wife who stole from her husband to gain control of her life, and more. Even her ethnicity has been retconned back and forth, with Selina either being Cuban, Italian, or a mix of the two. Currently, writers seem to be sticking with the story that she was orphaned after the deaths of her parents, and grew up in an orphanage in the Narrows before turning to a life of crime.
* {{Dominatrix}}: In at least one version of her backstory, she worked as one before becoming a thief, and supposedly picked up [[WhipItGood her preference for whips]] after using them on her "customers". Though not all writers like to acknowledge that bit of her backstory, her current costume design (skintight black latex, with a whip for a weapon) still pretty clearly invokes a {{Dominatrix}} vibe.
* TheDon: The aftermath of ComicBook/BatmanEternal sees her becoming a mob boss. while on one side she has to make some ruthless decisions, she manages to do a lot of good for Gotham and helps rebuild it.
* DressedLikeADominatrix: Surprisingly, the famed villainess-turned-antiheroine Catwoman's appearances in comics didn't fit this trope until after the ''Series/{{Batman|1966}}'' TV series. In the late 1960s she first got a weird green scaled catsuit with gloves and high-heeled boots, and then a campy black leather leotard with light blue tights, high-heeled buccaneer boots, and opera gloves. After some time spent wearing her original costume, and a gray fursuit (thanks, Creator/FrankMiller), she got a new variation on this trope -- a purple catsuit with black leather thigh-high boots and black opera gloves. Only in 2002 she got a black leather catsuit that first appeared in the TV series. In most of her appearances she wields a whip. Ironically, during the Miller run she was retconned into working as an ''actual'' {{Dominatrix}} -- but her costume at the time was the aforementioned fursuit, which didn't fit this trope.
* DubNameChange: Catwoman is known as Gatúbela in Latin-America. Unlike many questionable translated names fom Dc Comics, this one stuck in the region as it had a good ring to it, even being used in Film/TheDarkKnightRises and Film/Catwoman2004, although there is no source for this translation origin.
* DuctTapeForEverything: In the Pfeifer run, she carried a roll of duct tape on her person. It proved to be handy during her fight with ComicBook/{{Zatanna}}; [[https://i.imgur.com/Gnh04O9.jpg Selina subdued Zatanna by gagging her with duct tape and then pushed her out of a window]].
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In her first appearance, she was billed as "the Cat" but didn't wear a cat-themed costume, just a green dress, although she did disguise herself as a much older woman for a few panels. She also shot a guy, which was {{retcon}}ned out as she had a stated [[ThouShaltNotKill no-kill]] policy basically through the Bronze Age.
* EasilyForgiven: Averted with ComicBook/{{Zatanna}}. Selina still hates her for the events of ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis'' (or more precisely, her actions thereafter).
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: Is this in ''DC vs. Mortal Combat'' and in ''Videogame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' thanks to [[AppliedPhlebotinum enhancement pills]]. Gameplaywise [[UpToEleven she's able to go toe to toe with]] the likes of Franchise/{{Superman}} and Franchise/WonderWoman.
* {{Everyone has Standards}}: Despite being AmbiguouslyEvil, she's completely disgusted with most of Batman's other foes with the exception of ComicBook/{{Harley Quinn}} and ComicBook/{{Poison Ivy}}.
* EvilFeelsGood: She commits crime because she gets a rush out of stealing valuable artifacts.
* EvilIsSexy: [[InvokedTrope Invokes]] this every chance she gets. She's certainly one of the most famous examples, too.
* TheFagin: According to [[DependingOnTheWriter one version of Selina's childhood]], she mastered picking pockets under one called Mama Fortuna, a stereotypical fortune telling crone. Unfortunately, children under her "care" who weren't great at stealing were sold, and those with natural talent, like Selina, had their fingerprints burned off to make them better thieves. Fortuna's kids eventually rose up and dealt out some street justice on her, and Selina's friend Sylvia took her place as a more benevolent version of the trope.
* FemmeFatale: One of the more classic examples, though the influence has decreased a bit over the years.
* {{Foil}}:
** Catwoman is an obvious one to Batman. They are both dark, mysterious figures who dress as a night animal and use stealth as their greatest weapon, and both are motivated by the trauma of being orphaned. Selina and Bruce, on the other hand, are from different worlds: Bruce's late parents were loving and Selina's were neglectful and/or abusive. After losing them, Bruce had Alfred and his inheritance to fall back on, while Selina had no one (if anything, she failed as her sister's support,) and spent her adolescence as a StreetUrchin. Bruce is self-sacrificing to a fault and fights to spare others his tragedy, but Selina is guided by self-preservation, kleptomania, and an adrenaline addiction. The most heroic memories of being alone and penniless drive her to be is limiting her thieving to Gotham's abundance of wealthy and corrupt.
** To Talia al Ghul, Batman's other most prevalent love interest. They are both dark-haired, green-eyed women on the wrong side of the law who gleefully use their sex appeal as a weapon. Beneath the surface, however, they're perfect opposites; Selina, an AntiHero, is a thief who won't take a life unless there is no alternative, and has been known to play [[JustLikeRobinHood Robin Hood]] for the downtrodden of Gotham with her loot, and Talia, an AntiVillain, is an international terrorist who has been instrumental in many plots of mass-murder. Selina had only herself to answer to as an orphan trying to survive day-to-day on the streets, while Talia grew up in luxury as the daughter of Ra's al Ghul but spent her life being indoctrinated into his extreme philosophies. Selina revels in freedom and chaos, Talia preaches destiny and her father's grand plans. This also extends to their relationships with their sisters: Selina loves Maggie unconditionally and is never hesitant to drop everything if she needs her help, but Talia and Nyssa are usually [[CainAndAbel at each others' throats]].
* FormFittingWardrobe: Always as Catwoman.
* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: Selina Kyle's childhood friend Sylvia Sinclair betrays her by allying with Black Mask and telling him her identity. Because of this, Black Mask kidnaps Selina's sister Maggie and her husband Simon Burton. Simon is tortured to death, while Maggie is tortured to insanity. When Selina confronts Sylvia, she thinks that Sylvia betrayed her because, during a heist gone bad, Selina was forced to leave Sylvia to be arrested. However, the true reason she betrayed Selina was that when they were teenagers working the streets together as prostitutes, Sylvia took Selina's place during their first time so Selina wouldn't have to go through with it. Selina didn't know how to handle Sylvia after the incident, which led to Sylvia's hatred of Selina because she felt Selina abandoned her. Selina points out that she was a kid and was afraid. She also says that she was not the only one who had a hard time on the streets and asks Sylvia if she really thinks that justifies what she has done.
* AFriendInNeed: One of Selina's most commendable traits is her loyalty to her friends. She may not give her trust freely, but once you earn it, she'll fight tooth and nail to protect you.
* FriendlyEnemy: Simply put, she's not ''evil'', she's just an unapologetic criminal.
* FriendToAllChildren: [[HiddenHeartOfGold She'll deny it]], but Selina has a soft spot for kids. In her more down-to-earth incarnations, she's an unofficial big sister to any little ones in Gotham's gutters, and has been ever since she was a homeless orphan herself. As a socialite, several charity foundations Selina heads (and steals for) are dedicated to disadvantaged children.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: All cats, at least. [[ComicBook/KryptoTheSuperdog Krypto]] seems to have taken a liking to her as well.
* FriendsWithBenefits: Her relationship with Batman in the ''ComicBook/New52''. She isn't aware of his identity, but they still have a sex life together, though it is hinted Selina does want more than what they have. This aspect of their relationship eventually disappears when Selina becomes a crime lord.''ComicBook/DCRebirth'' removes the entire notion altogether, with Selina being aware of Batman's identity for years and the two all-but being an OfficialCouple (and that's without taking into account their engagement).
* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: She is one of the few able to call Bruce out and bring him back to his senses when he's gone over the edge. Bruce returns the favor on occasion, most notably during "No Easy Way Down."
* GiveHerANormalLife: This is most of the reason why Selina gave up her daughter Helena for adoption. Alternative, writers got rid of Helena upon realizing that a baby would be inconvenient for a fast-and-loose thief. She also left her sister Maggie at the orphanage in the Narrows so that Maggie would have a normal life.
* GoKartingWithBowser: The entire ''ComicBook/GothamCitySirens'' series is this. Prior to that series, Selina did ''not'' have a good relationship with either Harley or Ivy as both of them had tried to kill her repeatedly in the past, Harley at one point tortured her and Ivy subjected her to MindRape. After the series, they're commonly depicted as friends and allies.
* GogglesDoNothing: Subverted. Her latest costume has goggles that appear to be there for no reason other than making her look more like a cat. Look at the trope right below this one for the subversion.
* GogglesDoSomethingUnusual: They give her night vision. And general eye protection, since her line of work tends to involve crashing through skylights and other potentially eye-unfriendly things.
* TheHedonist: As expected for a woman whose life creed is basically, "Do whatever the hell you want." Whether it's food, fashion, jewelry, sex, or thrills, Selina loves to treat herself!
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: An established part of her personality that seems to work for her.
* HellBentForLeather: Her costume is made of leather and very skintight.
* HiddenDepths: This born and bred rabble from the wrong side of Gotham loves reading classical literature in her downtime. She also has impressive proficiency with the tech and gadgets she uses for heists for someone who had no higher education and needed to be her own teacher.
* HiddenHeartOfGold: While no-one who knows anything about her is unaware she's got a kind side there are still things she'd prefer to keep hidden, especially from Batman. Over in the ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'' Tim offered to put in a good word for her with Bruce after she found him sleeping on a rooftop while recovering from the Apocalypse Virus and then stuck around and helped him out, she responded with ''"Don’t you '''dare'''. I've got my reputation to think of."''
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Selina's love of cats and shiny things was once used against her by the GCPD; at the scene of one of her robberies, they planted a fancy old cat statue that caught her eye. Catwoman didn't realize that the statue had a tracking device planted on it until she was nearly back at her hideout and getting swarmed by cops.
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: An element of her past that has been in and out of continuity since Frank Miller added it.
* IconicSequelOutfit: Before settling on the black SpyCatsuit that she is well known for today, Catwoman had a variety of outfits from the Golden to Bronze Ages. The most memorable of these was a purple dress, purple mask and green cape ensemble.
* IdiotBall: PlayedForDrama, as her trust in her childhood friend Sylvia Sinclair had tragic consequences. Despite Selina being forced to leave Sylvia to be arrested in the past, with Sylvia spending 10 years in jail, Selina trusts Sylvia, thinking of her as her closest childhood friend. When Sylvia betrays Selina, she admits she did not think Sylvia would have a grudge against her. Her stupidity costs Selina her brother-in-law's life and her sister's sanity.
* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim: Gives such a speech to Batman during the ''Hush'' arc regarding his attempt to kill The Joker after the latter had seemingly murdered a life-long friend of his. It doesn't work, in part because Bruce fears the day when Joker might target her and succeed [[note]]Joker survives anyway thanks to Jim Gordon stopping him[[/note]].
* IHaveBoobsYouMustObey: She's well known for using her looks to get her way.
* IHaveManyNames: Before her secret identity was finally revealed in Batman #62, Catwoman went by the names Miss Pegg, Marguerite Tone, Elva Barr, Belinda, and Madame Moderne. In the One Year Later story arc, she uses the assumed name of [[CharacterNameAlias Irena Dubrovna]] to hide her identity, which in turn provides a ShoutOut to the character in the 1942 film ''Film/CatPeople''.
* IJustWantToBeSpecial: The main reason why she acts as a criminal.
* IWasQuiteALooker: Only in ''The Dark Knight Returns''. She has ''not aged well'' for some reason or other there.
* IndyPloy: The New 52 version of Selina uses these a lot. In fact she straight out admits she doesn't plan but handles most things by the seat of her pants.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: {{Deconstruction}}. When Selina and Sylvia were teenagers working the streets together as prostitutes, Sylvia took Selina's place during their first time so Selina wouldn't have to go through with it. Selina didn't know how to handle Sylvia after the incident or attempt to comfort her, causing Sylvia to develop a deep hatred of Selina because she felt Selina abandoned her. Sylvia's hatred of her was unknown to Selina, who still trusted her and considered Sylvia her closest childhood friend. This allowed Sylvia to betray Selina in the worst way possible.
* InterclassRomance: She is the only one of Bruce's significant love interests to come from a poor background, which creates a lot of tension between them. Their romance in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' is especially tinged with this.
* JanitorImpersonationInfiltration: Selina poses as a maid in ''The Dark Knight Rises'' to steal Bruce's fingerprints and his mother's necklace.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Her defining characteristic has her act as a villain, but with some care for those who're helpless.
-->'''Catwoman:''' I'm no altruist, but I'm still a member of the human race.
* JustLikeRobinHood: The more heroic incarnations of Catwoman indulge in this. Already rich enough from her career as a cat burglar to live in comfort, Selina will donate heist spoils to charities for the welfare of [[FriendToAllLivingThings animals]] or [[FriendToAllChildren children]].
* KarmaHoudini: In her very first appearance (when she was still '''The Cat'''), Batman straight out allowed her to escape his custody, even foiling Robin's attempt to stop her... solely because he had the hots for her. Once Catwoman became an antihero, Batman started looking the other way when she does her thing, since she protects Gotham in her own way.
* KindheartedCatLover: The "kindhearted" part may not be obvious, but she has at least a dozen cats, all of which she loves. She frequently donates money she obtains from her heist to animal shelters.
** The 90's animated series is one of the few that bothered to name one of her pets; in that version she's the owner of a Siamese cat named Isis who's she's very protective of.
* KissKissSlap: Her relationship with Batman involves a lot of fighting and kissing; she in particular seems to have an affinity for it by making it happen all the time.
* LastGirlWins: In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', she's the last love interest introduced in the series and ends up finally starting a relationship with Batman.
* LeParkour: An accomplished freerunner.
* LegacyCharacter: [[MoralityPet Holly Robinson]] briefly took over as Catwoman, and as a lesbian, Holly counts as an AffirmativeActionLegacy.
** A new Catwoman appears in the ''ComicBook/BatmanBeyond'' ongoing series. She's the daughter of Multiplex, an unrelated enemy of ComicBook/{{Firestorm}}.
* LickedByTheDog: In "Hush", and by Superman's dog, no less.
* LovableRogue: No pun intended, but this has become her standard characterization in modern comics. She's a thief, heartbreaker, double-crosser, and will break the law out of boredom as much as necessity, but she has a conscience and won't lay a hand on the defenceless. Plus she's so damn charming.
* LoveInterest: To Bruce/Batman.
* LovesMyAlterEgo: Played with for quite a while. Even before Selina learned who he was, she and Bruce Wayne were sometimes depicted as close friends and even, at times, romantically involved, even though Selina always ultimately gravitated towards Batman. What she thought about Bruce in contrast to Batman [[DependingOnTheWriter ranging from seeing him as a good guy but not a serious boyfriend to legitimately making a try at a relationship with him despite her attraction to Batman]].
* MafiaPrincess: In some versions, she's the daughter of Carmine Falcone. In others, she's the daughter of Rex Calabrese.
* MamaBear: If you hurt women, kids, or animals around her, good luck making it to the end of the day.
* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: In flashbacks, Selina's father Brian expresses doubts that she's his biological child. ''The Long Halloween'' trilogy suggests he was right and Selina's biological father is Carmine Falcone.
* MasterOfDisguise: Each of her solo series have shown Selina to be extremely good with disguises and infiltration jobs. This was actually part of her character ''before'' she became Catwoman, as her original identity as "the Cat".
* MayDecemberRomance: With several men including Wildcat and Slam Bradley Sr.
* MeaningfulName: "Selina" is a modern form of "Selene," the name of the Greek goddess of the moon, which is fitting for a cat burglar.
* MoralityPet: Several, but most famously and consistently is Holly Robinson.
* MostCommonSuperpower: DependingOnTheArtist. She was one of the ''most'' exaggerated examples at one point, under Jim Balent, the artist on her 90s solo title, but has since gone back to something more realistic. Her appearance in ''The Long Halloween'' and its spinoff, ''Catwoman: When In Rome'' was pretty bad as well as a side effect of the exaggerated art style used by Tim Sale.
* MsFanservice: She is a woman who goes around in tight leather and spends a lot of her time flirting with everyone around her. Even before she wore her now trademark catsuit, she was still quite sexualized (especially considering that she first appeared in the 1940's when sexual content was nearly nonexistent). As if to spell it out to readers, in ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'' she escapes a death trap that ripped up her outfit...and shows off an insane amount of skin!
* MuggedForDisguise: Often done by Selina when she needs to go undercover as part of a heist.
* NewerThanTheyThink: She’s only known Batman’s secret identity in the main universe since about 2002. Previously, he knew hers only. They’ve only also really become an OfficialCouple since then as before it was mostly just flirting.
* NotMyDriver: In #50 of the ComicBook/New52 series, Killer Croc pulls this on Penguin to take revenge on him for having called a CarnivalOfKillers on Selina.
* ObliviousToHatred: {{Deconstruction}}. Selina's childhood friend Sylvia Sinclair had a deep hatred for her because when they were teenagers working the streets together as prostitutes, Sylvia took Selina's place during their first time so Selina wouldn't have to go through with it. Selina didn't know how to handle Sylvia after the incident or attempt to comfort her, causing Sylvia to develop a deep hatred of Selina because she felt Selina abandoned her. Despite their shaky history - and also that in the past during a heist gone bad, Selina was forced to leave Sylvia to be arrested - Selina was in the dark about Sylvia's hatred for her and trusted her, even considering Sylvia her closest childhood friend. Sylvia abuses that trust by revealing her identity to her enemy Black Mask, who kidnaps Selina's little sister Maggie and her husband Simon Burton. Simon is tortured to death, while Maggie is tortured to insanity.
* OddFriendship: With Alfred Pennyworth. He's a loyal butler and she's a morally ambiguous thief. Yet the two get along surprisingly well, with Alfred covering for her more benign crimes, [[spoiler:like stealing her wedding dress]] and Selina helping Alfred keep Bruce from becoming completely consumed by his cape crusading. In the latter case two will happily collaborate to occasionally messing with Bruce to remind him of his humility.
-->'''Alfred:''' You took that rather far, Ms. Kyle. You're lucky cats have...
-->'''Catwoman:''' [[NoJustNoReaction No, Alfred. Just no.]] You're better than cat jokes.
-->'''Alfred:''' Heh, I've always liked you, Ms. Kyle.
** She also develops one with Lois Lane, as they both prod their respective significant others into being closer friends with each other [[spoiler:(especially since Selina and Bruce are close to tying the knot)]], they end up becoming friends themselves.
* OnlySaneWoman: Her obsession with cats aside, Selina is regarded as the only Batman Rogue who doesn't have serious psychotic issues (if Penguin's bird and umbrella themes count toward this). Lampshaded frequently even in the Bronze Age.
* OneTrueLove: ''Gotham City Sirens'' states that she is one of the only two women Batman has ever truly loved (the other being Talia al Ghul), and Batman's AnguishedDeclarationOfLove in the ''Hush'' arc confirms that she is the love of his life. This concept is explored further in ComicBook/DCRebirth, where her relationship with Batman is stronger than ever before and the two are [[spoiler: engaged]].
* ParentalSubstitute: Selina mothers her friend Holly, her sister Maggie, the Alleytown Kids, Kitrina Falcone, and even the younger members of the Batfamily on occasion.
* ParentWithNewParamour: The Batkids' reactions to her relationship with Bruce varies ''greatly.'' Dick encourages the relationship, Tim and Cass are civil but don't really care, Jason is initially suspicious and hostile but warms to her over time, and Damian... calls her "the tramp."
* PetTheDog: Her main {{Morality Pet}}s are children and cats, and sometimes members of the Bat family.
* PirateGirl: Capitana Felina, the {{Elseworlds}} version of Catwoman in ''Batman: Leatherwing''.
* PrivateDetective: Slam Bradley, a legacy character from the earliest issues of Detective Comics. He's pretty much straight out of the 1930s (heck, he predates ''Batman'').
* RapeAsBackstory: Several Post-Crisis origins.
%% * RavenHairIvorySkin: Her visual depiction in the comics along with her green eyes with little to no changes to the status quo, except the [[AdaptationDyeJob few times she's been blonde]]. How pale she is can also sometimes vary.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Not her actual eyes, but the infrared goggles in some versions of her mask can create this effect.
* RightThroughTheWall: An issue of the ComicBook/{{New 52}} Catwoman series has Selina fighting a cop in his apartment. In order to avoid arousing suspicion, she covers the cop's mouth and begins making [[TheImmodestOrgasm loud, sexual noises]] so that the neighbors think there is simply some rough sex going on, rather than a brutal fist fight.
* TheRival: She's had more than her fair share of encounters with Comicbook/WonderWoman's enemy, the Cheetah.
-->'''Cheetah:''' Mine are real, Catwoman.
-->'''Catwoman:''' [[LampshadedDoubleEntendre We better be talking about claws.]]
%% * {{Roofhopping}}: Especially when being chased by Batman.
* SadClown: Her overtly snarky personality is a very obvious defense mechanism to hide the fact Selina’s a deeply traumatized and broken woman, who’s desperate to survive in a city like Gotham and find meaning in a life that was defined by tragedy.
* SatisfiedStreetRat: When her backstory involves being TheRunaway or an orphan, Catwoman considers the fact she carved out a life for herself on the rough streets of Gotham, and came out a ClassyCatBurglar, something to be regarded with awe rather than pity. In fact, some flashbacks show Selina ''choosing'' homelessness over the chance for a stable home just because the latter would be too boring to her.
* SaveTheVillain: Parodied at the end of the "Relentless" arc. Black Mask has [[spoiler:blown up the community centre Selina funded, tortured her brother-in-law to death and driven her sister permanently insane, had one of her best friends run over with a car, and announced his desire to torture her to death]]. After a brutal fight, Selina kicks him off the balcony of his penthouse, but he manages to grab hold of the parapet with one hand.
-->'''Black Mask:''' Help... Help me. C'mon, you won, OK. Help me up.
-->'''Catwoman:''' God, you're even crazier than I thought. ''(stands and watches as he loses his grip and falls)''
* SecretKeeper: Bruce eventually revealed his identity to her in the mainstream DC Universe and it marked the turning point of a major RelationshipUpgrade for them. The ''ComicBook/New52'' [[CosmicRetcon retconned]] their status into Selina being ignorant of Batman's identity but still being FriendsWithBenefits. Then ''ComicBook/DCRebirth'' came about and restored Selina's status of knowing Bruce's identity as Batman as well as explicitly making her his OneTrueLove who has known since the earliest days of him being Batman.
* SensualSpandex: Her 90s outfit more than anything, as well as her animated ones.
* SeriesContinuityError: Ed Brubaker's run reintroduced Holly Robinson, Selina's roommate and protegee from ''Batman: Year One'' and ''Her Sister's Keeper'', as her new sidekick. Unfortunately, Holly had previously been killed off, after being given completely different CharacterDevelopment as a mob wife, in a story from the ''Action Comics Weekly'' anthology series. Rather than make any attempt at {{Retcon}}, Brubaker simply acknowledged the error in a short LeaningOnTheFourthWall comedy piece included in the ''Catwoman: Secret Files and Origins'' one-shot. He admitted both in the piece and in interviews that he simply hadn't known about Holly's death, given the relative obscurity of the comic where it happened. The intervening ''ComicBook/ZeroHour'' CosmicRetcon provides an easy in-universe explanation for fans who really want one.
* SexyCatPerson: She is arguably the TropeCodifier in Anglophone culture, being cat-themed and hugely associated with fanservice.
* ShadowArchetype: Of Batman. Animal-themed motif costumed prowlers of the night with double identities? Yes.
-->'''Catwoman:''' You are part of the night, just like me. We’re not afraid of the dark–-we come alive in it...we're thrilled by it.
* ShamelessFanserviceGirl: She's always using her sexuality as a weapon.
* SheFu: Being trained in acrobatics, it's no surprise that it's her most common and standard fighting style in majority of her representations, she even provides the page picture as of now.
* ShesGotLegs: Legs, meet miles.
* ShipperOnDeck: For Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, she often tries to get the two to admit their feelings for one another or voice jealousy.
* ShrinkingViolet: ''Only'' the "Batman Returns" and "Catwoman" film depictions show that Catwoman was a shy office worker before becoming her true self.
* SiblingYinYang: Selina and her sister Maggie are alarmingly different. Selina is a flirtatious, wild thief whose primary concern is survival, while Maggie is (depending on the material) a nun or a housewife who is modest, law-abiding, and will give until it hurts. The sisters also react differently to their individual {{Trauma Conga Line}}s. Selina fights back and gets by with raw determination, but Maggie lacks the spirit to cope, and winds up in a mental institution.
* SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids: She's very cynical and frequently calls out Batman and his sidekicks on their optimism.
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: She's attracted to Batman because he is a genuinely good person who risks his life to help others, including herself.
* SmugSmiler: Every time we see her face she usually sports one of these to show how smart she is. It's mostly because she knows she's a KarmaHoudini.
%% * SpyCatsuit: ''Both'' the {{Trope Maker|s}} and TropeNamer.
* StickyFingers: She's got a pretty bad case of Kleptomania. This is why Catwoman has never fully reformed. She doesn't just steal things she needs or even things she wants; she steals to show off her skills at stealing, she steals things for her next job that involves stealing something that could be acquired much more easily through legal means, she can be hired to steal things, and she's even Batman's go-to-person when he needs something stolen for him.
* {{Stripperiffic}}: Especially since she began wearing black leather catsuits. Treated literally in the DC Showcase animated short in which Catwoman impersonates a stripper - and all she has to do is go on stage in her regular costume and take it off.
* StuffedIntoTheFridge: Both invoked and subverted during the same story arc. [[spoiler:Hush cuts out her heart and hooks her up to life support in a deliberate attempt to hurt Batman in the worst way possible. However, when she gets her heart back and recovers, ''she's'' the one who goes after Hush and hurts him in the worst way possible: by financially ruining him so utterly that he no longer has two cents to his name]].
** According to ''ComicBook/GothamCitySirens'' (which has [[ContinuityNod Continuity Nods]] to the ''Hush'' arc), the whole experience left her with an apparent ''psychological'' scar, where, despite the physical wound being healed, she still feels weak.
* TheTease: Catwoman is well-known for using her sexuality as a weapon. The most obvious case is her flirting with Batman.
* ThouShaltNotKill: For most of her career, Catwoman has tried to avoid killing anyone (one of the reasons the creators were able to make her into more of a sympathetic villain and it was easy for her to cross into hero territory, even being accepted by the moralistic likes of Franchise/{{Superman}}). But when it comes to really reprehensible people like [[spoiler: Black Mask]], she will do so (although not without regret, as the spoiler-protected example continues to haunt her for many issues afterwards).
* TokenEvilTeammate: Sometimes fills this role for the Batfamily.
** Also in the New 52 JLA. Because of her criminal record, her membership is hidden from the public.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Selina is the Tomboy to Maggie and Talia al Ghul's Girly Girl.
* TragicMistake: While Selina is the protector of the residents of Gotham's East End and carrying out an ambitious career as a cat burglar, her little sister Maggie and childhood friend Sylvia Sinclair move into the area. Despite their shaky history, Selina still trusts Sylvia, even telling Sylvia her sister is living there too. Sylvia ends up betraying her by allying with Black Mask and telling him her identity. Because of this, Black Mask kidnaps Selina's sister and her husband Simon Burton. Simon is tortured to death, while Maggie is tortured to insanity.
* TricksterGirlfriend: Tends to be this for Batman, which is natural given that they are on the opposite sides of the law.
* TrueLoveIsBoring: Why Selina and Bruce have not been happy together in most of adaptations (barring possibly ''The Dark Knight'', and just possibly). And why Selina possibly can't find someone else.
* {{Tsundere}}: She can be very harsh towards Batman, but she'll usually be the first to open up emotionally to him.
* UngratefulBastard: If anyone ''but'' Batman rescues her, she won't return the favor.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: She usually ''never'' ends up with Batman.
* UnstoppableRage: Black Mask found out just how bad an idea it was to piss off Catwoman.
%%* TheVamp: Before Ivy came along, that is...
* VaporWear: Certain artists draw her costume in such a way that there's no way she's wearing anything under it. [[ComicBook/GothamCitySirens Guillem March]] is a big offender. Paul Gulacy did several panels in his period as artist that outright showed her naked before putting the catsuit on.
* VictoryIsBoring: It's just not fun if Batman is never there to give chase.
* VillainousCrush: Her lust for Batman. And ''Superman'', but that's PlayedForLaughs.
* VillainousFriendship: Sometimes she's friends with Poison Ivy.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Takes over the mob in order to clean up the streets of Gotham.
* WhipItGood: She's specifically mentioned on more than one occasion that she picked it because she didn't want a weapon that would be easy to turn against her if she was disarmed.
* WildCard: She's on her own side and moral standards, and in any given appearance may side with or against Batman.
* WildChild: A one issue story ''implied'' there were periods in Selina's childhood on the streets where she was one. Of course, it's unclear whether the following monologue and the surreal images of her as a kid, growling and pouncing on a man like an animal, were to be taken literally or metaphorically.
-->'''Catwoman:''' Little girls are so fragile. Their skin, their bones, and their hearts break under the slightest pressure. You can't be a little girl when it's predator or prey, and your heart is the jungle drums. Sometimes it's better to have claws instead of small, soft hands. Better to...just be an animal.
* WireDilemma: [[spoiler:In issue #61 of her own series, she winds up having to defuse one of Film Freak's bombs. As it turns out, cutting ANY of the wires would shut it down, making this a subversion.]]
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Batman knows there's good in her, but it's really hard to see.
----

-> ''Well. What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen a pretty girl before?''

* AbusiveParents: Her mother Maria Kyle was preferred to spend her time with cats and committed suicide when Selina and Magdalene were very young. Her father, Brian, was an alcoholic openly doubted Selina's paternity and drank himself to death.

* DependingOnTheWriter: Her relationship with Batman is this, especially now that they're together. Her and Bruce have been depicted as star-crossed soul mates, each other's booty call, and everywhere in between.
** Sometimes, Selina Kyle/Catwoman ''herself''. Along with her backstories. She's been seen through prostitution in the grim and gritty streets of Gotham, an orphaned (and problem) child whose parents committed suicide, a high socialite to sharing low apartments with others, an amnesiac airplane stewardess, a beaten wife who stole from her husband to gain control of her life, and more. Even her ethnicity has been retconned back and forth, with Selina either being Cuban, Italian, or a mix of the two. Currently, writers seem to be sticking with the story that she was orphaned after the deaths of her parents, and grew up in an orphanage in the Narrows before turning to a life of crime.

* GiveHerANormalLife: This is most of the reason why Selina gave up her daughter Helena for adoption. Alternative, writers got rid of Helena upon realizing that a baby would be inconvenient for a fast-and-loose thief.
She also left her sister Maggie at the orphanage in the Narrows so that Maggie would have a normal life.

* OddFriendship: With Alfred Pennyworth. He's an loyal butler and she's a morally ambiguous thief. Yet the two get along surprisingly well, with Alfred covering for her more benign crimes, [[spoiler:like stealing her wedding dress]] and Selina helping Alfred keep Bruce from becoming completely consumed by his cape crusading. In the latter case two will happily collaborate to occasionally messing with Bruce to remind him of his humility.

* BigBad: [[spoiler:Surprisingly, she's shown to have become this to Batman by the time of ''[[ComicBook/BatmanEternal Batman Eternal]]'', having single-handedly taken over the entire criminal underworld of Gotham, from grifters to supervillains.]]

Catwoman is a fictional character associated with Creator/DCComics' ''{{Franchise/Batman}}'' franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character first appeared as '''The Cat''' in ''[[ComicBook/BatmanNumberOne Batman #1]]'' (Spring, 1940), which means she shares her status as the second-oldest of Batman's long-term Rogue's Gallery with ComicBook/TheJoker, who was introduced that same issue. The code name Cat-Woman (sic) and the first of her cat-suits were introduced in issue #2. Her civilian identity of Selina Kyle wasn't introduced until Batman #62 (December 1950).

* {{Everyone has Standards}}: Despite being AmbiguouslyEvil, she's completely disgusted with most of Batman's other foes.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Despite being AmbiguouslyEvil, she's completely disgusted with most of Batman's other foes.

[[caption-width-right:350:Catwoman by Stanley 'Artgem' Lau]]

%% * DatingCatwoman: The TropeNamer. Though from her side of the relationship, shouldn't it be "Dating Batman"?

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dc_catwoman_8961.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Catwoman -- in Action! As drawn by [[http://www.justsayah.com/ Adam Hughes]].]]

* TheBusCameBack: A 2020 storyline saw Selina cross paths with [[ComicBookTheNewGuardians Snowflame]] of all people.

On the film front, the character was portrayed by Creator/MichellePfeiffer in the 1992 film ''Film/BatmanReturns''. In 2004, a standalone Film/Catwoman2004 movie starring Creator/HalleBerry was released, but the movie was a flop that had [[InNameOnly little in common]] with the comic character. She's been played by Creator/AnneHathaway in 2012's ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', although she's only ever named on screen as "Selina Kyle" and "The Cat", with the name "Catwoman" only being used in merchandise and other supplemental materials - perhaps to [[OldShame sever ties from the aforementioned Halle Berry flop]] or possibly just because of the trend in both the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse and ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' that ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames. She will be portrayed by Creator/ZoeKravitz in Creator/MattReeves' 2022 ''Film/{{The Batman|2022}}'', opposite Creator/RobertPattinson's Bruce Wayne; she previosly voiced the character in ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOBatmanMovie''.

* ParentalSubstitute: Selina mothers her friend Holly, her sister Maggie, the Alleytown Kids, and Kitrina Falcone, among others.

* ''Series/BirdsOfPrey''

* CostumeEvolution: In her early appearances in the 1940s, [[NotWearingTights she didn't actually have a standard costume]], instead relying on [[MasterOfDisguise disguises]]. The SpyCatsuit was [[CanonImmigrant popularized by the 1960s TV series]]. Modern depictions have drawn influence from [[UsefulNotes/NavySeals Navy SEAL]] wetsuits, adding some tactical gear to make it look more high-tech. CyberPunk influences are [[DependingOnTheArtist occasionally]] worked in.

* ParentalSubstitute: Selina mothers her friend Holly, her sister Maggie, the Alleytown Kids, and Kitrina Falcone, among others, and not content with that, she at one point tells Dick Grayson that he is not being subtle encouraging her to hook up with Bruce and become his stepmom.
* ParentWithNewParamour: The Batkids' reactions to her relationship with Bruce varies ''greatly.'' Dick encourages the relationship, Tim and Cass are civil but don't really care, Jason is initially suspicious and hostile but warms to her over time, and Damian... calls her "the harlot."

* IdiotBall: [[PlayedForDrama Played For Drama]], as her trust in her childhood friend Sylvia Sinclair had tragic consequences. Despite Selina being forced to leave Sylvia to be arrested in the past, with Sylvia spending 10 years in jail, Selina trusts Sylvia, thinking of her as her closest childhood friend. When Sylvia betrays Selina, she admits she did not think Sylvia would have a grudge against her. Her stupidity costs Selina her brother-in-law's life and her sister's sanity.

* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: She is one of the few able to call Bruce out and bring him back to his senses when he's gone over the edge. Bruce returns the favor on occasion, most notably during "The Long Way Down."

* AbusiveParents: Her mother Maria Kyle was a distant parent who preferred to spend her time with cats and commits suicide when Selina and Magdalene were very young. Her alcoholic father, Brian, was cold to Selina for resembling her mother (whom he resents for dying) and eventually drinks himself to death.

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Selena's preferences in men are usually tall, dark and angsty. Bruce is her number one object of attraction as he's a badass a man as they come. But there have been others including Slam Bradly a grizzled PI among others.
** [[AvertedTrope Averted]] with one exception. Selena finds Clark(A.K.A '''Superman''') to be a close second to Bruce in terms of hotness and attraction. But this is more of a case of OppositesAttract as Clark is so good and [[IncorruptiblePurePureness pure]] that this quality make her lust after him more. The great looks, killer physique, and amazing smile certainly helps. Also that Clark is TheNiceGuy and since Selena has had it hard most of her adult life with very few personal connections and seeing the world with JadeColoredGlasses, his optimism and good nature are a welcome change a pace for her.

* BastardBastard: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]; Some incarnations of Catwoman are the illegitimate daughter of Gotham-based mafia don Carmine Falcone and his mistress. She grows up with no knowledge of her parentage since Falcone cut ties with her mother before she was born, condemning them to live in poverty. Catwoman, even at her worse, has stronger morals than the most honorable version of her possible father.

* ContinuitySnarl: No one is quite sure what Catwoman's backstory really is. Is she an orphan turned thief, an amnesiac air stewardess, a prostitute, a socialite, a product of an abusive marriage, the daughter of Carmine Falcone, or some combination thereof, does she have a sister or not?

** Sometimes, Selina Kyle/Catwoman ''herself''. Along with her backstories. She's been seen through prostitution in the grim and gritty streets of Gotham, an orphaned (and problem) child whose parents committed suicide, a high socialite to sharing low apartments with others, an amnesiac airplane stewardess, a beaten wife who stole from her husband to gain control of her life, and more. Even her ethnicity has been retconned back and forth, with Selina either being Cuban, Italian, or a mix of the two. Currently, writers seem to be sticking with the story that she was orphaned after the deaths of her parents, and grew up in an orphanage in Gotham's narrows before turning to a life of crime.

* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Next to Dick, she's probably the one most able to call Bruce out and bring him back to his senses when he's gone over the edge. Most of the time, anyways. Conversely the same tends to be true for her as well, as Bruce is one of the few people capable of getting through to her when she goes too far.

* GoKartingWithBowser: The entire ''ComicBook/GothamCitySirens'' series is this. Prior to that series, Selina did ''not'' have a good relationship with either Harley or Ivy as both of them had tried to kill her repeatedly in the past, Harley at one point tortured her and Ivy subjected her to MindRape. After the series, and they're commonly depicted as friends and allies.

* InterclassRomance: In the Post-crisis era (pre-crisis at times suggested she was a wealthy socialite who was stealing for the thrill), her and Bruce's romance sparkles with this. She's the only one of his girlfriends and long time lovers to come from a poor background, which creates a lot of tension between them. Their romance in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' is especially tinged with this.

* LegacyCharacter: [[MoralityPet Holly Robinson]] briefly took over as Catwoman.
** As a lesbian, Holly also counts as an AffirmativeActionLegacy.

* LovesMyAlterEgo: Played with for quite a while. Even before Selina learned who he was, she and Bruce Wayne were sometimes depicted as close friends and even, at times, romantically involved, even though Selina always ultimately gravitated towards Batman. What she thought about Bruce in contrast to Batman [[DependingOnTheWriter depends on the writer]] ranging from seeing him as a good guy but not a lasting fling to legitimately making a try at a relationship with him despite the attraction to Batman.

* MayDecemberRomance: With several men including Wildcat, and Slam Bradley Sr.
* MeaningfulName: "Selina" sounds like a portmanteau of "Selene" (Greek goddess of the moon) and "Felina" (catlike).
* MoralityPet: Several depending on the specific material, but a constant one is Holly Robinson.
* MostCommonSuperpower: DependingOnTheArtist. She was one of the ''most'' exaggerated examples at one point, but has since gone back to something more realistic. Jim Balent's tenure as the artist on her 90s solo title stands out as the most ridiculous example. Her appearance in ''The Long Halloween'' and it's spinoff, ''Catwoman: When In Rome'', was pretty bad as well as a side effect of the exagerated art style used by Tim Sale.
* MsFanservice: She is a woman who goes around in tight leather and spends a lot of her time flirting with everyone around her. Even before she wore her now trademark catsuit, she was still quite sexualized (especially considering that she first appeared in the 1940's when sexual content was nearly nonexistant). As if to spell it out to readers, in ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'' she escapes a death trap that ripped up her outfit...and shows off an insane amount of skin!

* ParentalSubstitute: In major continuities, Dick Grayson sees Catwoman as a mother figure, which is why he's a ShipperOnDeck for her and Batman. This is, naturally, disregarding media with love affairs between them.

* RapeAsBackstory: Several Post-crisis origins.

* SadClown: Her overtly snarky personality is a very obvious defense mechanism to hide the fact Selina’s a deeply traumatized and broken woman, who’s so desperate to survive in a city like Gotham and have meaning in a life that was defined by tragedy.

* SeriesContinuityError: Ed Brubaker's run reintroduced Holly Robinson, Selina's room-mate and sex-work protegee from ''Batman: Year One'' and ''Her Sister's Keeper'', as her new sidekick. Unfortunately, Holly had previously been killed off, after being given completely different CharacterDevelopment as a mob wife, in a story from the ''Action Comics Weekly'' anthology series. Rather than make any attempt at {{Retcon}}, Brubaker simply acknowledged the error in a short LeaningOnTheFourthWall comedy piece included in the ''Catwoman: Secret Files and Origins'' one-shot. He admitted both in the piece and in interviews that he simply hadn't known about Holly's death, given the relative obscurity of the comic where it happened. The intervening ''ComicBook/ZeroHour'' CosmicRetcon provides an easy in-universe explanation for fans who really want one.

* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: She's attracted to Batman because of the good inside of him and how he risks his life to save others, including her, out of selflessness.