Catwoman | |
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Art by Adam Hughes
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Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
First appearance | Batman #1 |
Created by |
Bob Kane Bill Finger |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Selina Kyle |
Team affiliations |
Batman Family Outsiders Injustice League Justice League of America |
Partnerships |
Batman Harley Quinn Poison Ivy Holly Robinson |
Notable aliases | The Cat, Irena Dubrovna |
Abilities |
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Catwoman is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, and she made her debut as "the Cat" in Batman #1 (Spring 1940).
Catwoman, whose secret identity is Selina Kyle, has been Batman's most enduring love interest and is known for her complex love-hate relationship with him. As a Gotham City burglar, Catwoman typically wears a tight, one-piece outfit and uses a bullwhip for a weapon. The character was originally a supervillain and adversary of Batman, but since the 1990s, she has been featured in an eponymous series portraying her as an antiheroine, often doing the wrong things for the right reasons.
The character thrived since her earliest appearances, but from September 1954 to November 1966 Catwoman took an extended hiatus due to the newly developing Comics Code Authority in 1954. These issues involved the rules regarding the development and portrayal of female characters that were in violation of the Comics Code, a code which is no longer in use. In the comics, Holly Robinson and Eiko Hasigawa both have adopted the Catwoman identity, apart from Selina.
A popular figure, Catwoman has been featured in many media adaptations related to Batman. Actresses Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, and Eartha Kitt introduced her to a large audience on the 1960s Batman television series and the 1966 Batman film. Michelle Pfeiffer portrayed the character in 1992's Batman Returns. Halle Berry starred in a stand-alone Catwoman film, 2004's Catwoman, which was a critical and commercial flop, and bears little to no resemblance to the Batman character. Anne Hathaway portrayed Selina Kyle in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises and, most recently, a young version of Kyle is played by Camren Bicondova on the 2014 television series Gotham.