History ComicBook / Batwoman

--> '''Kate Kane:''' "That [[BatSignal bat they shine in the sky]]...civilians think it's a call for ''help''. The bad guys think it's a ''warning''...but it's ''more'' than that. It's something ''higher''. It's a call to arms...I've found my way to serve....[[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife I finally found a way to serve]]."

--> "Katherine Rebecca Kane, you open this door right now...or so help me, this really ''will'' turn into your worst birthday ''ever''!"

* HonorBeforeReason: When confronted by her commanding officer over accusations that she is gay, Kate is given the option of denying the charge and having the entire affair swept under the rug. However, she admits to the charge and resigns from the United States Military Academy at West Point, quoting the Cadet Honor Code as she does: "A cadet shall not lie, cheat or steal, nor suffer others to do so...I'm gay." Her father, when she tells him what happened and why, says he [[SoProudOfYou is proud that she "kept [her] honor and [her] integrity."]]

* OddShapedPanel: Williams uses these to make the distinction between Kate scenes and Batwoman scenes. The former are relatively normal, the latter...hoo boy.

'''Cadet Kate Kane:''' "A cadet shall not lie, cheat or steal, nor suffer others to do so. I'm sorry, sir, I can't...I'm gay."

* GoodLookingPrivates: Kate herself, back when she was at West Point, and see HotDad for Jacob Kane.

* GreenEyedRedhead

* BackForTheDead / StuffedInTheFridge: The original Batwoman, after years of barely appearing, was brought back for a 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).

'''Batwoman:''' "BringIt."\\

* DistractedByTheSexy: When Kate was just getting involved in crimefighting, before she first donned the Batwoman costume, she was eavesdroping on several criminals in a bar as they were discssing their upcoming operation. During the conversation one of the men questions the other, Jackson, on if he was paying attention or not. Jackson explains that he was "admiring the view" and is seen openly staring at Kate, then turns to the other man and dares him to say he was not having the exact same thoughts.

--> "Katherine Rebecca Kane, you open this door right now...or so help me, this really ''will'' turn into your worst birthdays ''ever''!"

* HonorBeforeReason: When confronted by her commanding officer over accusations that she is gay, Kate is given the option of denying the charge and having the entire affair swept under the rug. However, she admits to the charge and resigns from the United States Military Academy at West Point, quoting the Cadet Honor Code as she does: "A cadet shall not lie, cheat or steal, nor suffer others to do so...I'm Gay." Her father, when she tells him what happened and why, says he [[SoProudOfYou is proud that she "kept [her] honor and [her] integrity."]]

* {{Revenge}}: When Kate's father [[SecretKeeper discovers what she is doing]] and agrees to help her, he makes it very clear that she has to be doing this for the right reasons. If she is out for revenge then she has aleady lost, as nothing she does now will ''ever'' make up for what happened or bring anybody back. He emphasises that the plan has to be help, to save even ''one'' life, or he will shut it down.

* DoesntLikeGuns: Played straight.

* TechnicalPacifist: She has no qualms with roughing up her enemies, or even ''[[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman breaking the skull of a mutant fish-faced crocodile creature]]'', but guns are right out. It is lampshaded in one of her earlier appearances, when she has come to the [[BigDamnHeroes sudden rescue]] of Renee Montoya, who has a very nice [[FrickinLaserBeams energy weapon]] that proves to be very effective against her current foes. "I've got the shot, and just like the Batman, she doesn't let me take it."

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 TheInterregnum. There was a half-hearted attempt to revive the character during the BronzeAge, 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).

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 [[Characters/{{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 TheInterregnum. There was a half-hearted attempt to revive the character during the BronzeAge, 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).

-->-- Renee Montoya, ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'', Week 7

-->-- Renee Montoya, ''FiftyTwo'', Week 7

PostCrisis continuity denied that Kathy Kane had ever been Batwoman. Apart from an InNameOnly inclusion in ''[[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 ''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 ''DetectiveComics'' in 2009 with 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 oneshot issue #0 in November 2010, but her series suffered more than one delay and eventually launched as part of the DCUniverse's {{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.

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

* DestinationDefenestration: In her re-introduction in ''FiftyTwo'', after she [[ThouShaltNotKill stops Renee Montoya from shooting an enemy]] she throws the enemy out of the window.

* RetCon: Kate Kane's conversation with Renee Montoya during her introduction in ''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 ''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.

* AliceAllusion: The Religion of Crime's second High Madame, who speaks entirely in LewisCarroll quotes.

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 really 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 [[Characters/{{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 TheInterregnum. There was a half-hearted attempt to revive the character during the BronzeAge, 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).

PostCrisis continuity denied that Kathy Kane had ever been Batwoman. Apart from an InNameOnly inclusion in ''[[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 ''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 ''DetectiveComics'' in 2009 with 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 oneshot issue #0 in November 2010, but her series suffered more than one delay and eventually launched as part of the DCUniverse's {{New 52}} series of #1s in September 2011.

Things got even more complicated in GrantMorrison's (pre-New 52) ''Batman Incorporated'' series, which retrospectively reintroduced the original Kathy Kane version of Batwoman into continuity while also featuring a guest appearance from the Kate Kane version. Although the Kathy Kane version is still dead. So far.

* AdaptationalBadass: The current Kate Kane, and the [[BatmanMysteryOfTheBatwoman DCAU incarnation]], are both far tougher than the original Kathy Kane.

* ContinuityNod: When Batwoman recognizes that Alice is speaking in quotes from ''[[Literature/AliceInWonderland Alice's Adventures In Wonderland]]'' and ''[[Literature/AliceInWonderland Through the Looking Glass]]'', she points out that there is already an Alice-themed villain in Gotham. The Mad Hatter, an established Batman villain, bases his crimes and theme around the same-titled character from ''[[Literature/AliceInWonderland Alice's Adventures In Wonderland]]''.

* DeathByOriginStory: Kate, her twin sister and her mother were kidnapped and held hostage when kate was ten years old. When her father managed to rescue her, she left her cell and saw their bullet-ridden corpses.

* LesYay: She is gay in her latest incarnation.

* PaintingTheFourthWall: Alice speaks with black speech bubbles and white text, except for [[spoiler: when she reveals who she is to Kate just before falling into the river.]]

** The ''Detective Comics'' run even lampshaded the use of high heels in the original ''52'' design for Kate, as when she first has the costume shown to her, she remarks about them. Her father comments they were the only pair he could find in that red, and justifies it with the colour not 'popping' during night-ops.

* ContinuityReboot: The Batwoman character introduced in ''52'', though still identified as Katherine Kane, bears little thematic resemblance to the original 1956 incarnation. Information from ''Batman, Inc.'' reveals that she is related to the SilverAge Batwoman and is, presumably, her niece, but the continued accuracy of this information is unknwon after the 2011 DC Relaunch.

-> "It's a '''good''' hit. I feel the blood filling my mouth. Somewhere along the line, someone taught her to '''throw''' a '''punch.'''"

* CommissionerGordon: As the step-daughter of a wealthy Gotham socialite, Kate actually knows the real James Gordon, but her own personal contact on the force is shaping up to be Captain Maggie Sawyer, head of the Major Crimes Unit. Maggie, however, is looking to ''arrest'' Batwoman because she is interfering in Maggie's work, even though she accepts Gotham vigilantes in general.

* RelationshipUpgrade: Kate Kane and Maggie Sawyer had some light flirting at a fundraiser during the ''Detective Comics'' run; as Batwoman she approached Captain Sawyer to feel out [[CommissionerGordon a professional relationship]]. In issue #1 of the ongoing, Kate arrives at Maggie's office to ask her on a date, which is seen in issue #2. In issue #4 [[spoiler:they sleep together]].

* {{Foreshadowing}}: In ''Detective Comics'' #856, [[spoiler:the alternating panels of Kate and Alice foreshadow the eventual reveal that they are twins]].
** In the next issue there's a CallForward, as one flashback of Kate [[spoiler:has her and Beth dressed in red and black and white and pink respectively, mirroring what they would wear as adults, as well as the copy of ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'' on the floor of their room]].

* {{Foreshadowing}}: In ''Detective Comics'' #856, [[spoiler:the alternating panels of Kate and Alice foreshadow the eventual reveal that they are twins]]. In the next issue there is some recursive foreshadowing, as one flashback of Kate [[spoiler:has her and Beth dressed in red and black and white and pink respectively, mirroring what they would wear as adults, as well as the copy of ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'' on the floor of their room]].

* ByTheHair: Averting this trope is why Kate's long hair in her Batwoman costume is actually a detachable wig, and when Alice tries to enact this trope she's distracted by the wig coming off long enough for Kate to escape. Batman himself tells Kate that long hair is a liability, and she replies with a smirk that she'll "take it under advisement."

* ByTheHair: Averting this trope is why Kate's long hair in her Batwoman costume is actually a detachable wig, and when Alice tries to enact this trope she's distracted by the wigging coming off long enough for Kate to escape. Batman himself tells Kate that long hair is a liability, and she replies with a smirk that she'll "take it under advisement."

* AngstySurvivingTwin: Kate has mourned the death of her twin sister Beth since she was a child [[spoiler: and learns of Beth's actual survival only moments before she kills her herself.]]