- "Cross that line... you'll become just like him. Listen to me. Don't throw your life away."
"Don't worry, honey. I got nine of 'em." - ―Batman and Catwoman[src]
Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman, is a mysterious cat burglar and drug dealer who worked as a waitress at the Iceberg Lounge. She is the illegitimate daughter of notorious Mafia crime figure Carmine Falcone, and is an on-and-off ally/enemy and love interest of Batman.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Selina Kyle was born in 1997 to Carmine Falcone and Maria Kyle. Falcone never played a part in Selina's upbringing, and she was mainly raised by her mother. As Selina grew up, Maria would take her to work at the 44 Below, an underground nightclub located within the Iceberg Lounge, with her staying in the dressing room while her mother worked. She would see her father at the club, and he always looked at her curiously, with his presence scaring her. Maria would eventually tell her the truth about who her father was.
When Selina was seven, Maria was killed, having been strangled to death in the club which, unbeknownst to her at the time, was done by her father. Selina was then taken away by Social Services, with her father not saying a thing, or even looking at her. [2]
Becoming Catwoman[]
Years later, Selina became the mysterious and acrobatic cat burglar "Catwoman",[1] adopting several stray cats. She would also occasionally deal drugs to make a living. She also met a woman named Annika Kosolov, who became her best friend and roommate. [1]
Infiltrating the Iceberg Lounge[]
By 2022, Selina and Annika got jobs as waitresses at the Iceberg Lounge, occasionally working at the 44 Below, and she earned money from purchasing and selling Drops from Oz Cobb, also known as the Penguin, the manager of the club, and a lieutenant for her father, Carmine. [2] Selina also became acquainted with her father, however, he remained unaware that she was his daughter.
Secretly, Selina really got the job at the club so that she could steal money from Falcone and Penguin's drops operation they were running in the city. Afterwards, she planned on leaving Gotham with Annika.
Encountering the Batman[]
In 2022, Annika became caught in the Riddler's conspiracy to expose the corruption in Gotham's elite. Photos were later sent to the press showing Annika was in a relationship with deceased mayor Don Mitchell, Jr., and the Batman began seeking out Annika for questioning.
One night while working at the Iceberg Room, Selina went to the Penguin's office where she found him being interrogated by Batman. After a slight shock she handed Penguin's drink to him and received some Drops from him that she sure was meant to pass on to the people at the club, but while the exchange was taking place Selina saw the pictures of Annika with Mitchell and realized that her friend was in trouble.
Selina left Penguin's office but stayed nearby to listen to the rest of the conversation between him and Batman. When it was over she left the Iceberg Room. Once outside she took a taxi home. While on her way she tried to call Annika, without know that Batman was following her. Back home, Selina tried to talk to a distressed Annika, who told her that Mitchell stole her passport and without it she wouldn't be able to leave Gotham. Determined to get it back, Selian put on her Catwoman suit and headed to Mitchell's mansion.
Selina snuck into the mansion through the roof, located Mitchell's safe and forced it open, but as she was picking up the passport, she was surprised by Batman who had followed her there. The pair had a brief standoff until Batman managed to subdue her, though they had to stop fighting to avoid being discovered by one of the police officers guarding the crime scene.
Alone, Batman looked at Annika's passport and asked Selina if she killed him, when Selina denied it, Batman wanted to know what was wrong with Annika and if he could talk to her. Selina denied knowing what was going on, but agreed to let Batman talk with Annika.
Unfortunately, upon returning to their apartment, they discover that someone has been there before and has taken Annika by force. Selina worries about what whoever did this might do to her when a message from Riddle to Gotham is broadcast on television, showing him killing Police Commissioner Pete Savage, whom Selina recognizes from seeing him at 44 Below, which she calls "the real club" inside the Iceberg Lounge, where the mob meets.
Batman asks her for help on the Riddler's Case, which Selina agrees to do, but only to find her friend. Before leaving, Batman asks her to be careful; Selina says that she knows how to take care of herself.[2]
Working with Batman[]
- "Wait. Who was that?"
"Oh, I saw him."
"Look back."
"If I look back, it's gonna be a whole can of worms."
"I need to see his face."
"Jesus."
"That's the DA. Gil Colson." - ―Batman and Selina[src]
Seila meets Batman in an abandoned apartment across from the Iceberg Lounge, where Selina is given advanced contact lenses to aid Batman in his investigation; the goal is for her to infiltrate 44 Below to tax people who walk around with the lenses, so that Batman can identify potential future targets for the Riddler.
Selina goes to Penguin's office, where he is counting his money; when Penguin asks if she is okay, she tells him that she wants to go to 44 Below to work there that night. Penguin claims that she doesn't want that since the clientele would be too unpleasant. Selina lies, saying that she needs some money, refusing a raise from Penguin, who has more money than she could earn from 44 Below.
Penguin hands her a keycard to 44 Below, however, before giving it to her, he promises Selina that, although no one can see her yet, Carmine will die eventually and the Falcone Crime Family will collapse with him, insisting that when this happens, Gotham's underworld will be his.
Without paying much attention to him, Selina picks up the keycard and goes to the elevator that will take her to 44 Below. She bumps into William Kenzie along the way, an off-duty cop that Batman had a run-in with the night he met him. As she rides down the elevator, Selina wants to make sure no one sees the contact lenses she's wearing, which Batman confirms.
Already at 44 Below, Selina's beauty begins to attract attention. She looks at everyone present, whose identities are confirmed by the lens' recognition circuitry, until she passes one too quickly and Batman tells her to turn around to look at him, which she reluctantly does, as she correctly predicts that this will make the stranger think she is interested in him.
Upon seeing each other, the stranger is revealed to be Gotham's Attorney General, Gil Colson. Batman recognized him and told Selina to question him. Colson approaches Selina to talk to her and invites her to sit with him and a few other officials, whom Batman recognizes as assistants to the DA, all of whom are likely on Falcone's payroll.
Gil lets slip that he is afraid that Riddler knows something about the Maroni case, and reveals that there was an informant, whom he called a "rat." Batman asks Selina to weigh in on him, which she does, and Gil explains that they had an anonymous informant against Salvatore Maroni; that is why they were able to lock him up. However, at that moment, a woman sitting there, Carla Diaz, advises her not to talk about it, since a Russian woman did it and is now missing.
Recognizing that "Russian woman" as her friend Annika, Selina abandons the mission that Batman gave her and tries to get information from Carla, but she does not want to talk. At that moment, Penguin and Falcone appear.
Her father approaches her and says that he has not seen her for a long time, and advises her to show up more.
After that, Selina goes to the bathroom, where she receives a lecture from Batman, for having hidden the fact that she knew Falcone. When Selina is pressured to reveal her connection with the mob boss, she cuts off the communications.
Capturing and Interrogating Kenzie[]
Selina would later go after William Kenzie for abducting her roommate, Annika Kosolov. She successfully captured him and brought him to the Bat Signal, which she lit to get Batman and Jim Gordon's attention. They came, and interrogated Kenzie about the rat and the Gotham Renewal Corporation. Kenzie told them that the Renewal Fund was used by criminals to launder money, as well as bribe city officials. Selina then kicked Kenzie off the building and decided to go after Falcone.
Going after Falcone[]
- "Hey, Dad."
"What?"
"I'm Maria Kyle's kid. Do you remember her?"
"Yeah. Just.. just put the gun down, honey." - ―Selina and Falcone[src]
Selina once again infiltrated the Iceberg Lounge and was able to get to Carmine Falcone. She told him he was her daughter and tried to kill him. He ran for it, but Selina gave chase. Eventually, Falcone got Selina down and attempted to strangle her with a pool cue like he did Annika Kosolov. However, Batman came in and defeated him.
Falcone was taken outside to Gordon and other honest cops of the Gotham City Police Department. Selina watched as Falcone was shot by the Riddler and fell dead. She looked at his body with no emotion, secretly happy he was dead.
Battle at Gotham Square Garden[]
After Falcone's death, Selina attempted to leave Gotham City but was stopped by an officer due to the flooding. She was told to go inside Gotham Square Garden, and inside, saw Batman fighting Riddler's Cult. She saw Batman get shot in the chest and dangle from the walkway and went to help him. She was able to stop the goon and saved Batman. However, she was dragged away by the goon and attempted to fight him off. Batman took a shot of adrenaline and began to beat up the goon, to Selina's horror. Luckily, Jim Gordon came and stopped Batman from doing more harm. She then saw Batman go and selflessly cut an electrical wire dangling over the water, and saw him fall, but he managed to survive.
Leaving Gotham[]
Catwoman and Batman leaving the gravesite
Following Riddler's flooding of Gotham City, Selina paid a visit to her mother's grave where she met with Batman one last time where she begged him to come with her. Unfortunately, she knew that his heart lied with Gotham and trying to protect it. The two would leave together on their own respective motorcycles before going their separate ways. [2]
A Letter to her Sister[]
A month after leaving Gotham, Selina sent a letter to her half-sister Sofia Gigante, who was incarcerated in Arkham State Hospital for her role in the Bombing of Crown Point. The letter was delivered to Sofia by Dr. Julian Rush. It’s unknown what she wrote, but it made Sofia happy.
Personality[]
Selina Kyle is a mysterious figure who is quietly infiltrating Gotham’s seedy underbelly to further her own agenda. She is a flirtatious thrill-seeker who loves danger and evading capture. Her fierce attitude and tenacious agility are the perfect tools to excel as a cat burglar, but hidden underneath the array of identities and the motorcycle leathers is a protective soul who’s more at home with the city’s strays than its citizens.[3] Like the Batman, Selina also isn't afraid to explore the darkest corners of Gotham City in the pursuit of justice—or if she feels that that's not a realistically possible outcome—coldblooded revenge.[4]
Selina carries a personal vendetta against her father Carmine Falcone due to him allowing her to go into the foster care system after her mother was murdered via strangulation despite them both knowing that she was his illegitimate daughter. This grudge would eventually lead to her plotting to steal his money believing that it's owed to her for years of neglect. It's not until later, when it's revealed that he was the one who had Selina's roommate Annika Kosolov kidnapped and personally strangled that she connected the dots and realized that Carmine had also likely murdered her mother. Consumed with rage over Carmine repeatedly ruining her life, she snaps and tries to take justice into her own hands by attempting to kill him.
Due to her neglected childhood, Selina has a strong hatred for the rich people of Gotham. She even says the Riddler is not entirely wrong in killing all the corrupt political and millionaire people and believes that he's actually doing the city a favor by uncovering all of their dirty secrets.
Abilities[]
- Peak Human Condition: Selina appears to be in top physical aspects for a woman of her size. Being able to take on fully grown men larger than she, even come to defeating them using her agility, speed, and reflexes to get her out of physical confrontation.
- Peak Human Speed: To be added
- Peak Human Agility: To be added
- Peak Human Reflexes: To be added
- Expert Martial Artist: While not clear if she has received formal training, Selina appears to be a very skilled fighter, able to contend with the Batman himself in a fight. Her fighting style incorporates Capoeira, Taekwondo and Hapkido.[5][6] She has demonstrated marksmanship and proficiency with her improvised whip. She demonstrated her skills when she attempted to assassinate Carmine Falcone but was being slowed down by a mobster, who she defeated in seconds. She does so once more when saving Batman from being killed by Riddler's Cult.
- Master Acrobat: Selina being an agile thief has given her excellent skills in acrobatics, even incorporating maneuvers into fighting styles.
- Gifted Intellect: Selina is a smart woman. She was able to deduce that the Batman had a wealthy upbringing.
- Master Thief: Selina is highly skilled at cracking safes.
Equipment[]
Weapons[]
- Glock 17: Selina attempted to kill her father with this gun.
- Bike Lock: Selina used a bike lock as a whip when she crashed the Penguin's meetup. [3]
Other Equipment[]
- Catwoman Suit: To be added
- Lockpick: To be added
- Wigs: To be added
- Advanced Contact Lens: Contact lens with a built-in camera and possible microphone designed by Bruce Wayne which allows him to take photographs of evidence and sightings of interest without being confronted by police for taking pictures. The lens can be connected to the Batcomputer in order for him to review footage. Bruce gave a pair of these to Selina after they agreed to temporarily work together.
Vehicles[]
- Motorcycle: Selina used a motorcycle to traverse places. [2]
Relationships[]
Family[]
Allies[]
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Enemies[]
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Appearances[]
| Appearances for Catwoman |
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In chronological order:
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Trivia[]
- In DC Comics, Catwoman is a Gotham City burglar who typically wears a tight, one-piece outfit and uses a bullwhip for a weapon. She was originally characterized as a supervillain and adversary of Batman but has since transitioned into more of an antiheroine, often doing the wrong things for the right reasons. She is also a regular love interest for both Batman and Bruce Wayne, even going so far as to almost get married to him and, on another Earth, have a daughter with him named Helena Wayne.
- Selina Kyle is the second known love interest to Bruce Wayne after Dex Starling.
- Due to her mother's death in 2004 (also the year the Catwoman film was released), Selina was most likely born around 1997 as she was seven years old when Maria died.
- Selina formerly lived at 13 Queen Street, Apartment 1A.[2]
- She is very affectionate and tender with both Annika and Batman and calls them both baby (notably, she calls no one else in the film baby), but she only kisses Batman.
Behind the Scenes[]
- Catwoman in The Batman is the tenth live-action incarnation of the character, following incarnations portrayed by Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, Casey Elizabeth Easlick, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, Camren Bicondova, and Lili Simmons.
- Lupita Nyong’o, Tessa Thompson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alexandra Shipp, Logan Browning, Zazie Beetz, Ana de Armas, Ella Balinska, Eiza Gonzalez, and Alicia Vikander all auditioned for the role of Catwoman.
- Zoë Kravitz was previously considered to play the character in The Dark Knight Rises, before the role ultimately went to Anne Hathaway.[8]
- Zoë Kravitz voiced a version of Catwoman in The Lego Batman Movie.
- Tara Macken and Ellette Craddock were stunt doubles for Zoë Kravitz in the role of Catwoman.
References[]
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This is a gallery of images and media for |
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Knight Moves: Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz take flight in The Batman" - Entertainment Weekly
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Reeves, Matt & Craig, Peter (writers); Reeves, Matt & Clark, Dylan (producers); & Reeves, Matt (director) (March 4, 2022). The Batman.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "CATWOMAN – THE BATMAN (MOVIE)" - McFarlane
- ↑ Before The Batman: An Original Movie Novel
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ The Batman: Zoë Kravitz Studied Cats And Lions Fighting To Become Catwoman – Exclusive Image
- ↑ "Zoë Kravitz says she 'interpreted' Catwoman as bisexual in 'The Batman'" - NBC News
- ↑ Zoë Kravitz Says She Was Turned Down for Batman: Dark Knight Rises Due to the Color of Her Skin
External Links[]
Catwoman on DC Database- Catwoman on Wikipedia
