History ComicBook / Batwoman

* BadassGay: She is stabbed in the heart in an occult ritual and then pulls out the knife and ''stabs her stabber in the back!''

An InNameOnly version of Batwoman was the focus of the ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanMysteryOfTheBatwoman Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman]]'' movie. Creator/RubyRose portrays the Kate Kane incarnation of the character in the Series/{{Arrowverse}}, beginning in the ''Series/{{Elseworlds}}'' crossover before going on to appear in the self-titled ''Series/Batwoman2019'' series. Rose departed the show after its first season, with new character Ryan Wilder, played by Creator/JaviciaLeslie, slated to take over the Batwoman identity in the show's second season.

An InNameOnly version of Batwoman was the focus of the ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanMysteryOfTheBatwoman Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman]]'' movie. Batwoman made her live-action debut in ''Series/{{Elseworlds}}'', the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s annual crossover for 2018 on Creator/TheCW, portrayed by Creator/RubyRose. Soon after, a live-action Batwoman series was ordered for the next television season, developed by Creator/GregBerlanti and Caroline Dries (''Series/TheVampireDiaries''). ''Series/Batwoman2019'' premiered on The CW in October 2019. Ruby Rose departed the show after its first season. A new character, Ryan Wilder, will put the costume on for Season 2, played by Creator/JaviciaLeslie.

A future version of Batwoman, dubbed "Batwoman Beyond", was also introduced into the ''ComicBook/BatmanBeyondRebirth'' comic, taking up the role after Terry McGinnis suffered amnesia. Despite some visual similarities (owing to both Kate and Terry's uniforms sharing black and red color schemes), she doesn't have anything to do with either of the previous incarnations of Batwoman, and is instead the daughter of Dick Grayson, Elainna Grayson.

The second Batwoman, Katherine "Kate" Kane debuted ComicBook/PostCrisis, in the 2006 series ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' 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 main feature for ''Detective Comics'' in 2009 for a handful of issues after Bruce Wayne's "death". Batwoman then received a self-titled solo series to continue her story, with an issue #0 released in November 2010, but her series suffered more than one delay and eventually launched as part of the Franchise/DCUniverse's ComicBook/{{New 52}} in September 2011, ''another'' ContinuityReboot. She also played a minor supporting role in ''Batman, Inc.''. For [[ComicBook/DCRebirth DC's Rebirth]], Kate co-headlined ''[[ComicBook/DetectiveComicsRebirth Detective Comics]]'' alongside Batman, Tim Drake, Cassandra Cain and Clayface. During this time, Kate also starred in a new ''[[ComicBook/BatwomanRebirth Batwoman]]'' ongoing title, her first since the New 52.

A future version of Batwoman, dubbed "Batwoman Beyond", was also introduced into the ''ComicBook/BatmanBeyondRebirth'' comic. Despite some visual similarities (in part because Kate's design is reminiscent of Batman Beyond's, who debuted years before her), she doesn't have anything to do with either of the previous incarnations, and is instead the daughter of Dick Grayson, Elainna Grayson.

A future version of Batwoman, dubbed "Batwoman Beyond", was also introduced into the ''Batman Beyond'' comic. Despite some visual similarities (in part because Kate's design is reminiscent of Batman Beyond's, who debuted years before her), she doesn't have anything to do with either of the previous incarnations, and is instead the daughter of Dick Grayson, Elainna Grayson.

Depending on whom you ask, Batwoman is either a DistaffCounterpart Franchise/{{Batman}} introduced to his series to counteract the apparent subtext in his [[HoYay relationship with Robin]], or an AffirmativeActionLegacy introduced to Franchise/{{the DCU}} to help bring some diversity to the cast. Both are accurate, just separated by a few decades (and ''countless'' {{Ret Con}}s).

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 Creator/EdmondHamilton, 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).

At the time DC was publishing stories set in two main [[AlternateUniverse Alternate Universes]]: Earth-One (with Silver Age characters) or Earth-Two (Golden Age characters and their heirs). Figuring that the familiar Batwoman was an Earth-One character, DC creators were still able to introduce an Earth-Two version. They did. This version of Batwoman/Kathy Kane first appeared in ''Brave and the Bold'' #182 (January, 1982). Besides a cameo appearance in #197 (April, 1983), this version was never reused. The ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths was the finale of Earth-Two and most characters associated with it.

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 main feature for ''Detective Comics'' in 2009 with ComicBook/TheQuestion serving as the second feature (starring none other than Renee herself). After starring in issues #854-863 she was replaced as the main feature by Batman (Dick Grayson). She then 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/WorldWarII 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.

For [[ComicBook/DCRebirth DC's Rebirth]], this version of the character co-headlined ''[[ComicBook/DetectiveComicsRebirth Detective Comics]]'' alongside Batman. During this time, Kate also starred in a new ''[[ComicBook/BatwomanRebirth Batwoman]]'' ongoing title, her first since the New 52. A future version of Batwoman, dubbed "Batwoman Beyond", was also introduced into the ''Batman Beyond'' comic. Despite some visual similarities (in part because Kate's design is reminiscent of Batman Beyond's), she doesn't have anything to do with either of the previous incarnations, and is instead the daughter of Dick Grayson, Elainna Grayson.

Batwoman made her live-action debut in ''Series/{{Elseworlds}}'', the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s annual crossover for 2018 on Creator/TheCW, portrayed by Creator/RubyRose. Soon after, a live-action Batwoman series was ordered for the next television season, developed by Creator/GregBerlanti and Caroline Dries (''Series/TheVampireDiaries''). ''Series/Batwoman2019'' premiered on The CW in October 2019. Ruby Rose departed the show after its first season. A new character, Ryan Wilder, will put the costume on for Season 2, played by Creator/JaviciaLeslie.

For [[ComicBook/DCRebirth DC's Rebirth]], this version of the character co-headlined ''[[ComicBook/DetectiveComicsRebirth Detective Comics]]'' alongside Batman. During this time, Kate also starred in a new ''[[ComicBook/BatwomanRebirth Batwoman]]'' ongoing title, her first since the New 52.

Batwoman made her live-action debut in ''Series/{{Elseworlds}}'', the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s annual crossover for 2018 on Creator/TheCW, portrayed by Creator/RubyRose. Soon after, a live-action Batwoman series was ordered for the next television season, developed by Creator/GregBerlanti and Caroline Dries (''Series/TheVampireDiaries''). ''Series/Batwoman2019'' premiered on The CW in October 2019. Ruby Rose departed the show after its first season. A new character will put the costume on for Season 2, Ryan Wilder, played by Creator/JaviciaLeslie.

Batwoman made her live-action debut in ''Series/{{Elseworlds}}'', the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s annual crossover for 2018 on Creator/TheCW, portrayed by Creator/RubyRose. Soon after, a live-action Batwoman series was ordered for the next television season, developed by Creator/GregBerlanti and Caroline Dries (''Series/TheVampireDiaries''). ''Series/Batwoman2019'' premiered on The CW in October 2019. Ruby Rose departed the show after its first season, with Batwoman to be recast for season 2.

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/WorldWarII 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.

For [[ComicBook/DCRebirth DC's Rebirth]], this version of the character co-headlines ''[[ComicBook/DetectiveComicsRebirth Detective Comics]]'' alongside Batman. During this time, Kate also starred in a new ''Batwoman'' ongoing title, her first since the New 52. For that series, go [[ComicBook/BatwomanRebirth here.]]

Batwoman made her live-action debut in ''Series/{{Elseworlds}}'', the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s annual crossover for 2018 on Creator/TheCW, as portrayed there by Creator/RubyRose. A [[Series/Batwoman2019 spinoff]], developed by Creator/GregBerlanti and Caroline Dries (''Series/TheVampireDiaries''), was ordered soon after ''Elseworlds'' aired, and was officially picked up to series in May 2019 for the next television season.

** When Kate is looking over the costume her father made she describes its colors as "''Gevurah''". A part of [[UsefulNotes/{{Judaism}} Kabbalistic Judaism]], ''gevurah'' is understood as God's mode of punishing the wicked and judging humanity in general. It is the foundation of stringency, absolute adherence to the letter of the law, and strict meting out of justice

* LipstickLesbian: As [[ComicBook/TheQuestion Renee Montoya]] says, "Kate Kane has the kind of beauty that leaves you ''breathless''" when she appears for the first time. Her redesign for ''Detective Comics'', as drawn by Williams, seems to deliberately play around with mixed butch and femme elements in her civilian wear, like wearing a tux with feminine hair and make-up, or a halter-necked top with a buttoned shirtfront and tie printed on the front. She eventually transitioned towards being a ButchLesbian in ''Detective Comics Rebirth'' for a short time, cropping her hair into a buzzcut and dressing in more masculine clothing. After the first arc, she reverted back to her previous look.

* MilitaryBrat: Kate's father was a [=SpecOps=] trooper, and her mother an Intel officer.

** Before she started dressing up like a bat and beating up thugs for fun, when Kate was leaving a bar she was approached by a mugger demanding her phone and wallet. Seeing as how at this point she was a recent student at West Point, top of her class, she beats him quite handily, and when Batman shows up the mugger is already unconscious.

* AntiHero: Kate decided to become a vigilante crimefighter as an outlet and expression of her depression, listlessness and refusal to accept the decision of society to refuse her help.

* ConflictBall: Though Batwoman and Batman don't see entirely eye-to-eye, they had a fairly stable relationship until issue #18 of her solo series, when Kate essentially burns her bridges with him when he shows up on one of her missions and wants the tech she's after. She ''was'' being monitored by the DEO at that moment, and there's an implication that she was posturing during the mission to look good for them, but she still went rather far with it, especially after Batman offered his help in dealing with the DEO. And then, after [[spoiler: the DEO tasks her with unmasking Batman]], she doesn't even ''try'' to seek him out, make amends, and double-cross the DEO.

** Kate also misquotes the Cadet Honor Code, both in Elegy and when the same scene is revisited in the Rebirth series.

* ShownTheirWork: Dan Choi was consulted for the story set at West Point when Kate is dismissed from the academy, and it shows.

* SocietyMarchesOn: The policy known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which required the discharge of any serving member of the US Military if they were discovered to be a homosexual and is an integral part of Kate Kane's evolution into Batwoman, was repealed by an act of the US Congress barely a year after Kate's origin was introduced in her run on ''Detective Comics''. Initial WordOfGod was that the repeal will be addressed in the story, but two creative team switches later, current writer Marc Andreyko (himself a gay man) has said that it is dated and no longer part of Kate's history.[[note]]This was not touched on or confirmed at all within Andreyko's run, and the Rebirth era reiterated Kate's prior history anyway.[[/note]]

* InformedJudaism: Averted. The Kane family itself is Jewish, and has occasional mentions of [[UsefulNotes/JewishHolidays the various holidays]] and [[BilingualBonus occasional Biblical Hebrew references]]. Plus, Kate once went out of her way to ask Alfred to make everyone ''Bat-Gelt'' with her logo on it.

'''Nocturna''': I bet you ''wish'' that were true. No, Kate. That was all you. I'm no ''rapist''. You wanted me, so I figured 'I haven't done this since college, [[SureWhyNot so why not]]? You ''are'' sexy, after all. Damaged, yes, but so much fun. You wanted something raw, a lesbian ''Sid and Nancy'' thing. Kinky, yes? But that was all ''yours''."\\

** After Maggie questions her about a suspicious bruise on her shoulder, Kate claims it's because she's recently taken up boxing.

* GreenEyes: Everyone in her close family has these, [[spoiler:and by extension, so does Alice]].

** [[spoiler: ComicBook/Grayson reveals that Kathy ''did'' exist as a Spyral agent (under the name Luka Netz), so that part still works, but retcons away her version of Batwoman and any connection to the Kane family. Because she's the daughter of the ''Nazi supervillain'', Otto Netz.]]

* DependingOnTheArtist[=/=]DependingOnTheWriter: In issue #21 of Batwoman's ongoing, Killer Croc has his inconsistencies addressed. His talk with a shape-shifter named Jered has the latter conclude he may be from an ancient were-beast blood-line. Croc dismisses him on the grounds that he isn't a shapeshifter, but Jered questions if he really is one, pointing out his changing form over the years in addition to his change into a Hydra. Croc also notes his intelligence changing, sometimes its really hard to think, sometimes thinking is clear, and sometimes he feels like just giving into his animalistic side. In the end it falls under an ambiguous MaybeMagicMaybeMundane.

* GoodStepmother: Catherine Kane is invested in being a part of her adult stepchildrens' lives, and goes out of her way to be helpful.

** After [[spoiler: Bette gets gutted and left for dead]], the DEO recovers her and tries to ID her before moving her to a hospital. One method they try is dental records, and an agent mentions that it might be difficult because her teeth are so damaged. However, the artwork doesn't reflect this supposed damage and the issue is never brought up again.

* 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 [[TheCommissionerGordon 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]].

* RockBeatsLaser: Used pretty egregiously in the FinalBattle. Granted Medusa has pretty powerful lieutenants and monsters, but her footsoldiers are mostly Tongs, armed with swords and flails, and they tear the GCPD apart. PoliceAreUseless, as despite their guns, the melee weapon Gangsters defeat all of them, Maggie and Bullock manage to kill a few (Maggie proving that they're not ImmuneToBullets). It's even worse with the DEO who have automatic weapons, but still the Tongs overwhelm and defeat them[[note]]Medusa also kills a bunch, but she's magical[[/note]] with seemingly no casualties , Bones and Chase both lose to the Hook (though he is ImmuneToBullets).

* SecretIdentity: Beneath her mask, Batwoman is Katherine "Kate" Kane, member of a socialite family [[RichIdiotWithNoDayJob and spoiled layabout]] and "first cousin" of Bruce Wayne. The first arc of her ongoing series involves the Department of Extra-normal Operations investigating Batwoman to find out who she is under the mask; [[spoiler: in issue #4 Cameron Chase discovers information that all but confirms that Kate is Batwoman]].

--> '''Colonel Kane:''' "Then you kept your honour and integrity. I'm [[SoProudOfYou proud of you]]. Your mother would have been, too."

** Cruely invoked in issue #4 of the ongoing, when [[spoiler:Cameron Chase poses as a nurse and convinces Bette that she's dying from her injuries, and asks her to give her a name so someone can be with her, and Bette gives Kate's name. This allows Chase to all but confirm that Kate is Batwoman]].

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batwoman_tvtropes.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[TheReveal That's not a Batgirl.]] That's a Bat'''''woman.''''']]

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Batwoman_8446.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250:[[TheReveal That's not a Batgirl.]] That's a Bat'''''woman.''''']]

Batwoman made her live-action debut in ''Series/{{Elseworlds}}'', the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s annual crossover for 2018 on Creator/TheCW, as portrayed there by Creator/RubyRose. A [[Series/Batwoman2019 spinoff]] is in development by Creator/GregBerlanti and Caroline Dries (''Series/TheVampireDiaries'').

* TechnicalPacifist: She has no qualms with roughing up her enemies, or even ''[[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman breaking the skull of a mutant fish-faced crocodile creature]]'', but killing is off limits.

* ThouShaltNotKill: Referred to as "The Batman Rule" in-story. Like many other heroes, a violent pummeling is okay, but Batwoman will not usually go so far as to kill a foe, and will even intervene when others are going use lethal force themselves (See TechnicalPacifist above). However, she does have limits - when she learns that Abbot [[spoiler: knew Alice was her sister the whole time]], she threatens to kill him and the rest of his group if they come near her family ever again. Also, this restraint is more out of the respect Kate has for the Bat symbol she wears, and not out of any personal moral qualms about killing.

* SocietyMarchesOn: The policy known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which required the discharge of any serving member of the US Military if they were discovered to be a homosexual and is an integral part of Kate Kane's evolution into Batwoman, was repealed by an act of the US Congress barely a year after Kate's origin was introduced in her run on ''Detective Comics''. Initial WordOfGod was that the repeal will be addressed in the story, but two creative team switches later, current writer Marc Andreyko (himself a gay man) has said that it is dated and no longer part of Kate's history.

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

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.