Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
Publisher	DC Comics
Debut	''Batman'' #1
Debutmo	Spring
Debutyr	1940
Creators	Bill FingerBob Kane
Alter ego	Selina Kyle
Alliances	Batman FamilyOutsidersBirds of PreySecret Society of Super VillainsInjustice League
Aliases	The Cat, Irena Dubrovna
Powers	*Peak Athlete and Extremely Skilled Gymnast Extremely skilled hand-to-hand combatant Expert burglar Possesses costumes with steel spring-loaded climbing pitons and razor-sharp retractable claws Wields an assortment of bullwhips and cat o' nine tails as gymnastic equipment Empathic relationship ability with all types of cats
Schedule	Monthly
Format	(vol. 1)Limited series(vols. 2 & 3)Ongoing series
Limited	Y
Ongoing	Y
Supervillain	y
Pub series	DC Comics
1stishhead	vol. 1
1stishyr	1989
1stishmo	February
Endishyr	1989
Endishmo	May
1stishhead1	vol. 2
1stishyr1	1993
1stishmo1	September
Endishyr1	2001
Endishmo1	July
1stishhead2	vol. 3
1stishyr2	2002
1stishmo2	January
Endishyr2	2008
Endishmo2	October
Issues	(vol. 1)4(vol. 2)96 (including issues numbered 0 and 1000000), 4 Annuals(vol. 3)82
Main char team	(vols. 1 & 2)Selina Kyle(vol. 3)Selina KyleHolly Robinson
Writers	Mindy NewellJo DuffyChuck DixonDoug MoenchDevin GraysonJohn OstranderBronwyn CarltonJohn Francis MooreEd BrubakerWill PfeiferTony Bedard
Artists	J.J. BirchJim BalentStaz JohnsonDarwyn CookeBrad RaderCameron StewartJavier PulidoPaul GulacyPete WoodsDavid Lopez
Cat	super
Subcat	DC Comics
Hero	y
Villain	y
Sortkey	Catwoman
Sort title	Catwoman }}

Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel. Kane, a frequent movie goer, also mentioned that Jean Harlow was a model for the design.

The original and most widely known Catwoman, Selina Kyle, first appears in ''Batman'' #1 (Spring 1940) in which she is known as The Cat. She is a sometimes-adversary of Batman, known for having a complex love-hate (often romantic) relationship with him. In her first appearance, she was a whip-carrying burglar with a taste for high-stake thefts. For many years Catwoman thrived, but from September 1954 to November 1966 she 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 with the Comics Code.

Since the 1990s, Catwoman has been featured in an eponymous series that cast her as an antihero rather than a supervillain. The character has been one of Batman's most enduring love interests. Many modern writers have also interpreted her activities and costumed identity as a response to a history of abuse.

A popular figure, Catwoman has been featured in most 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'' motion picture. Michelle Pfeiffer portrayed the character in 1992's ''Batman Returns''. Halle Berry starred in a stand-alone ''Catwoman'' film in 2004, which was a box-office flop, only loosely based on the ''Batman'' character. Anne Hathaway will portray Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan's upcoming Batman film, ''The Dark Knight Rises''.

Catwoman was ranked #11 on IGN's "Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time" list. She was also ranked #51 on ''Wizard'' magazine's "100 Greatest Villains of All Time" list. Catwoman was also ranked #20 on IGN's "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes".

Character and publication history

Creation

Batman's creator, Bob Kane, was a great movie fan and his love for film provided the impetus for several Batman characters, among them, Catwoman. She was primarily inspired by Hedy Lamarr and partially inspired by 1930's film star Jean Harlow who at Kane's then-early and "impressionable age... seemed to personify feminine pulchritude at its most sensuous." Wanting to give his ''Batman'' comic books sex appeal and someone who could appeal to female readers as a female Batman, Kane and writer Bill Finger created a "friendly foe who committed crimes but was also a romantic interest in Batman's rather sterile life." She was meant to be a love interest and to engage Batman in a chess game with him trying to reform her. At the same time, this character was meant to be different from other Batman villains like the Joker in that she was never a killer or evil.

As for using cat imagery with their Catwoman, Kane states he and Finger saw cats as "kind of the antithesis of bats."

Golden and Silver Age versions

Catwoman, then called "the Cat", first appeared in ''Batman'' #1 as a mysterious burglar and jewel thief, revealed at the end of the story to be a young, attractive woman (unnamed in the first story), having disguised herself as an old woman during the story and been hired to commit a robbery. Although the story does not have her wearing her iconic cat-suit, it establishes her core personality as a femme fatale who both antagonizes and attracts Batman. It is implied Batman may have deliberately let her get away, by blocking Robin as he tried to leap after her. She next appears in ''Batman'' #2 in a story also involving the Joker, during which she wears a fur mask and again succeeds in escaping Batman.

''Batman'' #62 (December/January 1950) revealed that Catwoman is an amnesiac flight attendant who had turned to crime after suffering a prior blow to the head during a plane crash she survived. She reveals this after being hit on the head by a piece of rubble while saving Batman while he was chasing her. Although, in one of the last issues of ''The Brave and the Bold'', she admits that she made up the amnesia story because she wanted a way out of the past life of crime. She reforms for several years, helping out Batman in ''Batman'' #65 (June/July 1951) and #69 (February/March 1952), until she decides to return to a life of crime in ''Detective Comics'' #203 (January 1954), after a newspaper decides to publish stories of Batman's past adventures, and some crooks mock her about it. However in this story when Batman prevents a robbery and is knocked out by sleeping gas, Catwoman prevents her thugs from murdering him, though quickly claims she wants him as a hostage. Catwoman appears again as a criminal in ''Batman'' #84 (June 1954) and ''Detective Comics'' #211 (September 1954) for her final appearance until 1966. This was mostly due to her possible violation of the developing Comics Code Authority's rules for portrayal of female characters that started in 1954.

In the 1970s comics, a series of stories taking place on Earth-Two (the parallel Earth that was retroactively declared as the home of DC's Golden Age characters) reveal that on that world, Selina reformed in the 1950s (after the events of ''Batman'' #69) and had married Bruce Wayne; soon afterward, she gave birth to the couple's only child, Helena Wayne (the Huntress). ''The Brave and the Bold'' #197 (April 1983) elaborates upon the Golden Age origin of Catwoman given in ''Batman'' #62, after Selina reveals that she never actually had amnesia. It is revealed that Selina Kyle had been in an abusive marriage, and eventually decides to leave her husband. However, her husband keeps her jewelry in his private vault, and she has to break into it to retrieve it. Selina enjoys this experience so much she decides to become a professional costumed cat burglar, and thus begins a career that repeatedly leads to her encountering Batman.

The Earth-Two/Golden Age Selina Kyle eventually dies in the late 1970s after being blackmailed by a criminal into going into action again as Catwoman, as shown in ''DC Super-Stars'' #17 (November/December 1977).

Catwoman made her first Silver Age appearance in ''Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane'' #70 (November 1966); afterward, she continued to make appearances across the various ''Batman'' comics.

Several stories in the 1970s featured Catwoman committing murder, something that neither the Earth-One nor Earth-Two versions of her would ever do. This version of Catwoman was assigned to the alternate world of Earth-B, an alternate Earth that included stories that could not be considered canonical on Earth-One or Earth-Two.

Modern Age version

Tangled origins

Catwoman's origin—and, to an extent, her character—was revised in 1986 when writer Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli published ''Batman: Year One'', a revision of Batman's origin. She works as a prostitute in order to survive and wants to break away from her abusive pimp (and former boyfriend). She witnesses his crimes and, because of an event that occurs to her sister, fears for her sister's life and begins to study self-defense and martial arts. Her teacher inspires Selina to become more than what she has been and she realizes that prostitution is no life for her, or for "Holly".

Holly Robinson is a young runaway who idolizes Selina, but is much too young to be on the streets as far as Selina is concerned. Selina shares her home with Holly after she takes her in. As the story progresses Selina is led to a bit of burglary, she dons a catsuit costume that her now former pimp gave to her the day that she told him she was out of the business. After costuming herself so as not to be revealed, she gets a taste for burglary and begins to do it in more of a Robin Hood way than an actual thief. This is, however, how she runs into Batman. After a small confrontation, she begins to be inspired to stay in her costume and become the "Catwoman" after seeing Batman in action with others. Selina gets the idea that, if there is a "bat", why can there not be a "cat"?

The 1989 ''Catwoman'' limited series, written by Mindy Newell and with art by J.J. Birch, expanded upon Miller's ''Year One'' origin. This storyline, known as "Her Sister's Keeper", explores Selina's early life as a prostitute and the start of her career as Catwoman. The story culminates with Selina's former pimp, Stan, abducting and violently abusing her sister Maggie, who, in contrast to Selina, is a nun. Selina kills Stan to save her sister, and gets away with it. Most of this is revealed in the former series, but is expanded upon in "Her Sister's Keeper".

''Catwoman'' (vol. 2) #69, which provides details about Selina's childhood, neglects Maggie's existence. Maria Kyle is a distant parent who preferred to spend her time with cats, and commits suicide when Selina is very young. Her alcoholic father, Brian, is cold to Selina for resembling her mother (whom he resents for dying), and eventually drinks himself to death. To survive, Selina takes to the streets for a time before getting caught and sent first to an orphanage, then juvenile hall, "where Selina began to see how hard the world could really be." Maggie's fate at this point in the time-line is not alluded to. However, when Ed Brubaker reintroduces her into the comic, he implies that Maggie may have directly entered an orphanage and promptly been adopted.

When she is 13, Selina discovers that the hall's administrator has been embezzling funds, and she confronts him. In an attempt to cover up his crime, the administrator puts Selina in a bag and drops her in a river to drown (like a cat). She escapes and returns to the orphanage, where she steals documents exposing the administrator's corruption. She uses these to blackmail the administrator into erasing "Selina Kyle" from the city's records, then steals the administrator's diamond necklace and escapes the orphanage. Selina eventually finds herself in "Alleytown - a network of cobblestone streets that form a small borough between the East End and Old Gotham." Selina is taken in by Mama Fortuna, the elderly leader of a gang of young thieves, and is taught how to steal. Fortuna treats her students like slaves, keeping their earnings for herself. Selina eventually runs away, accompanied by her friend Sylvia. However, the two have difficulty surviving on their own, and in desperation try to support themselves by working as prostitutes. The two drift apart afterward, with Sylvia coming to resent Selina for not inquiring about what had happened to her at the hands of her abusive first client.

In the ''Catwoman: Year One'' story, Selina (now an adult) achieves some success as a thief. Following a disastrous burglary, however, she accepts an offer to "lie low" as a dominatrix in the employ of a pimp named Stan. They plan to trick men into divulging information that might be used in future crimes. According to this storyline, Selina trains under the Armless Master of Gotham City, receiving education in martial arts and culture. During this time, a client gives her a cat o' nine tails, which Selina kept as a trophy.

''Batman: Dark Victory'', the sequel to ''The Long Halloween'', implies that Catwoman suspects she is the illegitimate daughter of mafia boss Carmine Falcone, although she finds no definitive proof. Selina's connection to the Falcone family is further explored in the miniseries ''Catwoman: When in Rome''. Though the story adds more circumstantial evidence to the theory of Selina's Falcone heritage, it also supplies no definitive proof. During ''The Long Halloween'', Selina (out of costume) develops a relationship with Bruce Wayne, even leading her to save Bruce from Poison Ivy. However, this relationship appears to end on the Fourth of July when Bruce rejects her advances twice—once as Bruce, and once as Batman. She leaves him for good and also leaves Gotham for a while in ''Batman: Dark Victory'', after he stands her up on two holidays. When the two meet at an opera many years later, during the events of ''Hush'', Bruce comments that the two no longer have a relationship as Bruce and Selina.

Catwoman also appears in the ''Batman: Knightfall'' saga, where she is approached by Bane's henchmen while robbing a house. Bane asks her to work for him, but she refuses, as she is repulsed by the criminal who "broke" Batman. Later in the story, she boards a plane with Bruce Wayne to fly to Santa Prisca. She next appears in the ''Batman: Knightquest'' saga, where Azrael is masquerading as Batman. She is one of the few to recognize that Batman is an impostor, later being present when the true Batman returns to the fold as he struggles against his successor, his willingness to save even criminals confirming his true identity for Selina.

''Catwoman'', the series

In 1993, Catwoman was given her first ongoing comic book series. This series, written by an assortment of writers, but primarily penciled by Jim Balent, generally depicted the character as an international thief (and occasional bounty hunter) with an ambiguous moral code.

Story-lines include her adoption of teenage runaway, and erstwhile sidekick, Arizona; aiding Bane, whom she later betrays to Azrael; and a stint as a reluctant government operative. The series also fleshes out more of her origin, revealing her beginnings as a young thief, her difficult period in juvenile incarceration, and her training with Ted "Wildcat" Grant.

Moving to New York, Selina becomes corporate vice president then CEO of Randolf Industries, a mafia-influenced company, through blackmail. She plans to use this position to run for Mayor of New York City, but her hopes are dashed when the Trickster inadvertently connects her to her criminal alter ego.

Selina then returns to Gotham City, which at this time is in the midst of the ''No Man's Land'' storyline. As Catwoman, she assists Batman against Lex Luthor in the reconstruction of the city. After being arrested by Commissioner Gordon, she escapes from prison. Later that year, during the "Officer Down" storyline in the ''Batman'' titles, Catwoman is initially the chief suspect. Although later cleared, she displays increasingly erratic behavior throughout the story. Soon afterward, she disappears and is believed to have been killed by the assassin Deathstroke the Terminator, ending her series at issue #94.

Catwoman then appears in a series of backup stories in ''Detective Comics'' #759-762 (August – November 2001). In the backup storyline "Trail of the Catwoman", by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Darwyn Cooke, private detective Slam Bradley attempts to find out what really happened to Selina Kyle. This storyline leads in to the newest ''Catwoman'' series in late 2001 (written by Brubaker initially with Cooke, later joined by artist Cameron Stewart). In this series, Selina Kyle, joined by new supporting cast members Holly and Slam Bradley (a character from the early Golden Age DC Comics), becomes protector of the residents of Gotham's East End, while still carrying out an ambitious career as a cat burglar.

During the ''Batman: Hush'' storyline, Batman and Catwoman briefly work together and have a romantic relationship, during which he reveals his true identity to her. At the end, he breaks off their relationship when he suspects it has been manipulated by the Riddler and Hush. This is the second story to establish that she knows Batman's true identity. In an early 1980s storyline, Selina and Bruce develop a relationship. The concluding story features a closing panel in which she refers to Batman as "Bruce". A change in the editorial team at that point, however, brought a swift end to that storyline and, apparently, all that transpired during the story arc.

In the ''Justice League'' story arc "Crisis of Conscience", Catwoman fights alongside Batman and the Justice League against the old Secret Society, of which she had once briefly been a member.

Mindwiping revelations

Catwoman appears to be completely reformed, and her love for Batman true (although brash and unpredictable). However, she has learned her reformation was the result of a mindwipe by Zatanna, a procedure known to deeply affect and, in at least one case, physically incapacitate its victims. Zatanna gives no reason for her actions, but in a flashback, it is shown that she had acted with the consent and aid of five of the seven JLA members who had helped her mindwipe Dr. Light and Batman. Catwoman's response to this revelation is unequivocal: she duct-tapes Zatanna's mouth shut and pitches her out a window (Zatanna survives the fall). Afterward, she is seen covering her bed with past versions of her Catwoman costume.

Still unbalanced and uncertain of herself in issue #52, Selina is forced to decide whether to kill a supervillain. The Black Mask, in an attempt to "improve himself," threatens the most important people in Selina's life, from Slam Bradley to Holly. The villain had also previously tortured Selina's sister Maggie by drilling out her husband's eyeballs and feeding them to Maggie, which drove her insane. Black Mask learns Selina's identity through his earlier alliance with Selina's childhood friend Sylvia, who still harbors a grudge against Selina. Still thinking that Selina adheres to a strict no-kill rule, Black Mask is caught by surprise when Selina shoots him in the head. This action continues to haunt her throughout the ''One Year Later'' storyline, and it is suggested that this might have been the first time she had ever directly taken a life.

As a mother

Following the events of ''Infinite Crisis'', the DC Universe jumps forward in time. After ''One Year Later'', Selina Kyle is no longer Catwoman, has left the East End, and has given birth to a daughter named Helena. The father of her new daughter is initially unrevealed; however, Batman demonstrates great concern for the child and at one point asks to have Helena stay at his mansion. Selina attempts to live a safe and somewhat normal life, and gives up her more dangerous ways of living as Catwoman. Holly Robinson takes over as the new Catwoman while Selina, living under the alias Irena Dubrovna, turns her attention to caring for her daughter (Selina's alias was inspired by the name of the main character in the 1942 film ''Cat People'').

Though she takes her role as a new mother quite seriously, Selina dons the costume for a run through the East End some days after Helena's birth. Having understandably gained a few pounds, Selina finds that her costume is now tighter. In addition, she is easily distracted by a common criminal. Although the situation is defused through Holly's opportune arrival, the sight of two Catwomen active simultaneously in the city is caught on video. Selina returns home from her adventure to find that the mysterious movie aficionado Film Freak has deduced her alias, joined with Angle Man, and grabbed Helena. After rescuing her daughter, Selina convinces Zatanna to mind-wipe Film Freak and Angle Man in order to preserve her secret identity. Following the procedure, Angle Man turns himself in to the authorities; Film Freak, however, embarks upon a murderous rampage.

A twist occurs when Wildcat informs Selina that Holly has been arrested for the murder of Black Mask. Selina infiltrates the police station and frees Holly. Finally defeating Film Freak, Selina returns home to find that Bradley has deduced that Helena is the daughter of his son Sam Bradley, Jr., and therefore his granddaughter.

Batman asks Catwoman to infiltrate the violent tribe of the Bana Amazons during the ''Amazons Attack!'' crossover. Posing as a criminal, Selina gains the Bana's trust and thwarts a terror attack aimed at causing mass casualties in Gotham City.

Selina questions whether she should be raising a daughter when her life as Catwoman has already proven to be such a danger to the child. After enlisting Batman's help in faking the death of both herself and her daughter, Selina puts Helena up for adoption. A month after Helena is placed with a new family, Catwoman asks Zatanna to erase her memories of Helena and change her mind back to a criminal mentality. Zatanna refuses, judging that such an act would be cruel to both mother and daughter. She tells Selina that she could never reverse Selina's mindset, since she was on the path to becoming a hero on her own. Believing she can no longer function as a criminal, Selina decided to become one of Batman's Outsiders. She quickly quits, however, and was replaced by Batgirl.

''Salvation Run''

In ''Salvation Run'' #2, Catwoman is sent to the Prison Planet. She allies herself with Lex Luthor in an attempt to return to Earth, and mistakenly ends up on an alternate universe-Earth where Catwoman is a notorious villain. It is later revealed that this Earth is a creation of her own mind, and she has not left Prison Planet. When accused of being a traitor by Luthor, she reveals Martian Manhunter is posing as Blockbuster, which would soon lead to the hero's death.

Using the trust she regained in Luthor's eyes, she earns a passage to the "real" Earth, in a jury-rigged teleport machine built by Luthor for letting the villains escape. On Earth, she resumes being a hero, with occasional lapses into thievery by commission, simply for the thrill of it.

The current volume of ''Catwoman'' concluded with issue #82, and details a cat-and-mouse chase between Batman and Catwoman across Gotham City rooftops, ending with Selina stealing the Batmobile.

Heart of Hush

Later, in ''Detective Comics'', uncertain if she should pursue her "relationship" with Batman, Selina talks with Bruce about Jezebel Jet, his current girlfriend, and then has a pep talk with Zatanna, whom she believes is also courting Bruce. Zatanna confirms and admits her feelings, adding that she has since chosen to forget them, but encourages Selina to open her heart to Bruce before Jet is able to "seal the deal." Hush eavesdrops on the conversation, targeting both women as a way to hurt his enemy, Bruce Wayne.

In ''Detective Comics'' #848 (November 2008), Hush attacks Selina, surgically removing her heart. She is delivered anonymously to a Gotham hospital. Batman receives word of her situation, and while he goes in search of Hush, he leaves Selina in the care of Doctor Mid-Nite, who is considered the superhero community's chief doctor.

Batman recovers her heart, and Dr. Mid-Nite restores it to her body; however, the doctor also makes a prognosis on whether she can still return to her former life swinging through rooftops. While Selina is still in a coma, she encounters Zatanna, who apologizes for not warning her about Hush. She tells Selina that she was so happy about her relationship with Bruce that she ignored the other warnings in the cards. Zatanna gives her a little bottle supposedly containing aloe vera for her post-op scars. It is hinted that there is a little magic in there to help Selina with her recovery. Selina is sad that she might end up alone again. In the meantime, Bruce enters the recovery room and, believing her unconscious, launches into a soliloquy. He ends by telling Selina that he will always love her, when she opens her eyes and reveals to him that she was awake all the time and heard his confession.

''Batman R.I.P.''

During the events of ''Batman R.I.P.'', Selina and Bruce's romance lasts only for a night because Bruce must continue to pose as Jezebel's lover to bring down the Black Glove. While still recuperating, she pulls off one more heist and exacts her revenge on Hush. With the help of a few allies on both sides; Oracle, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Penguin, and Slam Bradley, Selina taps into Hush's assets, leaving him penniless and suffering from wounds inflicted by Batman.

''Battle for the Cowl''

In ''Batman: Battle for the Cowl'', Selina is seen as one of the members of Nightwing and Robin's contingency team known as "The Network", where she is seen taking down a gang of thugs before seeing Tim Drake dressed in a Batman uniform and is initially taken by surprise.

''Batman: Reborn'' and ''Gotham City Sirens''

In the first issue of ''Gotham City Sirens'', Selina runs into Bonebuster, a new villain trying to make a name for himself, and is saved by Poison Ivy. Selina, fearing the many dangers of a post-Batman Gotham, proposes that she, Ivy, and Harley Quinn team up, living together at a single base in an abandoned animal shelter. Ivy agrees under one condition: using home-grown drugs to weaken Selina's resistance, Ivy demands the identity of the true Batman. Selina flashes back three years to when Talia al Ghul requested her presence in Tibet. There, Talia made it so that Selina would not relinquish the true identity of Batman under any circumstances. After the interrogation is over, Selina sees Harley with Bruce Wayne on TV. Selina tells Ivy that she knows it is Hush in disguise.

''Blackest Night''

During the events of ''Blackest Night'', Selina is attacked by Black Mask after he has been reborn as a member of the Black Lantern Corps. After he tells her that he plans on getting an emotional response before killing her, Selina steals a car and heads to the mental institution where Maggie is held, believing Black Mask is coming for her. Black Mask attacks the institution, and somehow awakens Maggie from her coma. Selina arrives in time to help her sister flee into the sewers. While on the run, Maggie angrily tells Selina that she ruined both of their lives the day she decided to become Catwoman. Devastated by her sister's statement, Selina fails to realize they have both been heading for a trap. Just as Black Mask is about to gouge Maggie's eyes out and shove them down Selina's throat, Harley and Ivy arrive and defeat the Black Lantern by trapping him in the stomach of a man-eating plant. Selina is helped to her feet by her friends, who tell her that Maggie has fled the scene. The next day, the staff members of the mental institution are shown discussing Maggie's escape, also mentioning that a nun that works at the hospital had been found beaten and stripped of her uniform. Maggie is then shown in the depths of the Gotham City sewers clad in the bloodied nun robes, muttering about her plan to kill Catwoman in order to free Selina's soul. Now calling herself Sister Zero, Maggie attempts to kill Selina, but ultimately flees after being defeated by the Sirens. She is last seen going over her options, now realizing that she cannot murder her own sister, and therefore must personally exorcise the "cat demon" from within Selina's body.

''The Return of Bruce Wayne''

In the build-up to ''The Return of Bruce Wayne'', the Sirens help Zatanna put out a massive fire at a local park near their home, only for them to be ambushed by a creature made of mud. After being dragged underneath the soil by the creature, Catwoman awakens tied up and gagged on the floor of a dark room, and is quickly forced into an illusion by her unseen captors. Back in reality, Talia reveals to the Sirens that just a few hours prior, an unknown benefactor had offered up a massive reward to whoever could kidnap and deliver Catwoman to him, with the hopes that he could penetrate her mind and learn Batman's secret identity. Before the knowledge can be ripped from her mind, Selina's captors (revealed to be Shrike and a new villain named Sempai), are eventually defeated by the other Sirens. Once Selina is freed, Talia orders Zatanna to wipe Bruce's identity from her memory, reasoning that her kidnapping has proved that the knowledge is too dangerous for her to handle. The two women initially restrain Selina and attempt to remove the knowledge from her, but Zatanna refuses at the last moment and ends up fighting Talia in order to protect Selina. Talia tries to kill Selina before vanishing, but she survives and ultimately reunites with Bruce, who had recently returned to the present.

After stealing the contents of a safe belonging to the Falcone crime family, Selina returns home to find Kitrina, a teenaged escape artist and Carmine Falcone's long lost daughter, breaking into her room. She attacks and subdues Kirtrina, who tells Selina that she had unknowingly stolen a map that details the location of the new Black Mask's underground bunker. Realizing that she could use the map to capture Black Mask and claim the 50 million dollar bounty on his head, Selina leaves Kitrina bound in a locked room so that she can keep the map for herself. She later calls Batman to her house in order to turn the would-be thief over to the police, but discovers that Kitrina had managed to free herself and steal back the map. This impresses Selina, who mentions that she had tied up the child using an "inescapable" knot that Bruce had shown her years earlier. Following a massive battle with Black Mask and his henchmen (which ends with neither woman being able to claim the bounty), Selina agrees to take on Kitrina as her new sidekick, Catgirl. Once Bruce Wayne returns from his time in the past, he establishes Batman Incorporated, a global team of Batmen. Selina accompanies him on a mission to break into Doctor Sivana's armory, and later travels with him to Tokyo in order to recruit a Japanese representative for Batman Inc. Catwoman teams up with Batman to stop Harley Quinn from breaking the Joker out of Arkham Asylum. After defeating Harley and the Joker, Catwoman tells Poison Ivy that they are no longer friends, this after Ivy drugged her in an attempt to uncover Batman's identity.

Relaunch

DC Comics is planning to relaunch ''Catwoman'' with issue #1 in Fall 2011.

Equipment

Weapons

During the Silver Age, Catwoman, like most ''Batman'' villains, used a variety of themed weapons, vehicles, and equipment, such as a custom cat-themed car called the "Cat-illac". This usage also appeared in the 1960s ''Batman'' television series. In her post-''Crisis'' appearances, Catwoman's favored weapon is a whip. She wields both a standard bullwhip and the cat o' nine tails with expert proficiency. She uses the whip because it is a weapon that the user must be trained to use, and therefore it can not be taken from her and used against her in a confrontation. She can also be seen using a pistol against people if her whip is taken from her. In addition, Catwoman has been shown to have various items to restrain her victims, such as a set of plastic ties for binding hands and feet, and a roll of duct tape used to gag her targets, like she did with Angle Man, Film Freak, Zatanna, and various others during her robberies over the years. Often, especially in the TV series, she uses sleeping gas or knockout darts to subdue victims. Catwoman's attractiveness and feminine wiles have also allowed her to take advantage of male opponents.

Costume

Catwoman, in her first appearance, wore no costume or disguise at all. It was not until her next appearance that she donned a mask, which was a theatrically face-covering cat-mask that had the appearance of a real cat, rather than a more stylized face mask seen in her later incarnations. Later, she wore a dress with a hood that came with ears, and still later, a catsuit with attached boots and either a domino or glasses-mask. In the 1960s, Catwoman's catsuit was green in color, which was typical of villains of that era. In the 1990s, she usually wore a skintight purple catsuit, before switching to a black PVC catsuit that recalls Michelle Pfeiffer's costume in ''Batman Returns'' (except not stitched together). In recent years, artists' depictions have usually alternated between those two costumes. Ed Brubaker, the writer behind the 2001 revamp of the character, has stated that Selina's current costume was inspired by Emma Peel's iconic leather catsuit in ''The Avengers'' television series. It has a more high tech look, with domino-shaped infrared goggles on her cowl.

Many of her costumes have incorporated retractable metal claws on the fingertips of her gloves and sometimes on the toes of her boots. On rare occasions, she has also sported a cat's tail.

Holly Robinson uses the same costume Selina used prior to ''Infinite Crisis''.

Bibliography

List of ''Catwoman'' titles

''Catwoman'' (mini-series) #1-4 (1989)

''Catwoman: Defiant'' (1992)

''Catwoman'' #1-94 (1993–2001)

* ''Catwoman'' #0 (1994)

* ''Catwoman'' #1000000 (1998)

* ''Catwoman'' Annual #1-4 (1994–1997)

''Catwoman/Vampirella: The Furies'' (1997)

''Catwoman Plus'' #1 (1997) (with Scream Queen)

''Catwoman/Wildcat'' #1-4 (1998)

''Catwoman: Guardian of Gotham'' #1-2 (1999)

''Catwoman'' (vol. 2) #1-83 (2002–2008, 2010)

* ''Catwoman: Secret Files and Origins'' (2003)

''Catwoman: When in Rome'' #1-6 (2004)

''Batman/Catwoman: Trail of the Gun'' #1-2 (2004)

''Gotham City Sirens'' #1-26 (2009 – 2011) (Catwoman co-stars in the title alongside Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn)

Graphic novels

''Catwoman: Tiger Hunt'', Warner Books, September 1992, ISBN 978-0446360432

''Catwoman: Selina's Big Score'', DC Comics, ISBN 978-1563899225 (SC, August 2003), ISBN 978-1563898976 (HC, July 2002)

Collected editions

! Title !! Material collected !! Publication date !! ISBN
''Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper''	''Catwoman'' (mini-series) #1-4	May 1991
''Catwoman: The Catfile''	''Catwoman'' #15-19	April 1996
''Catwoman: When in Rome''	''Catwoman: When in Rome'' #1-6	June 2007December 2005
''Catwoman: Nine Lives of a Feline Fatale''		July 2004
''Catwoman: The Movie and Other Cat Tales''	''Catwoman: The Movie Adaptation''; ''Catwoman'' #0; ''Catwoman'' (vol. 2) #11, #25	August 2004
''Catwoman Vol. 1: Dark End of the Street''	''Catwoman'' (vol. 2) #1-4; backups from ''Detective Comics'' #759-762
''Catwoman Vol. 2: Crooked Little Town''	''Catwoman'' (vol. 2) #5-10; ''Catwoman: Secret Files and Origins''	December 2003
''Catwoman Vol. 3: Relentless''	''Catwoman'' (vol. 2) #12-19; ''Catwoman: Secret Files and Origins''	February 2005
''Catwoman Vol. 4: Wild Ride''	''Catwoman'' (vol. 2) #20-24; ''Catwoman: Secret Files and Origins''	September 2005
''Catwoman Vol. 5: The Replacements''	''Catwoman'' (vol. 2) #53-58	February 2007
''Catwoman Vol. 6: It's Only a Movie''	''Catwoman'' (vol. 2) #59-65	August 2007
''Catwoman Vol. 7: Catwoman Dies''	''Catwoman'' (vol. 2) #66-72	February 2008
''Catwoman Vol. 8: Crime Pays''	''Catwoman'' (vol. 2) #73-77	October 2008
''Catwoman Vol. 9: The Long Road Home''	''Catwoman'' (vol. 2) #78-82	March 2009
''Gotham City Sirens Vol. 1: Union''	''Gotham City Sirens'' #1-7	April 2010
''Gotham City Sirens Vol. 2: Songs of the Sirens''	''Gotham City Sirens'' #8-13, ''Catwoman'' (vol. 2) #83	November 2010
''Gotham City Sirens Vol. 3: Strange Fruit''	''Gotham City Sirens'' #TBA	August 2011

Other versions

The Dark Knight Returns

Selina Kyle appears as an aging and somewhat overweight madame in Frank Miller's ''Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'' four times; all are brief. First, in a phone message to Bruce ("Selina. Bruce, I'm lonely"). Next, she is attacked by the Joker, who uses a mind control drug to convince her to send one of her prostitutes to use the same substance on the Governor. The Joker then beats her, ties her up, gags her, and dresses her in a Wonder Woman outfit, leaving her for Batman to find. Selina's final appearance in the book is at Bruce Wayne's funeral, where she yells at Superman, telling him that she knows who killed Bruce. She does not appear in ''Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again'', Miller's follow-up story, although she is referred to in the prologue written for the trade paperback version.

Catwoman: The Further Adventures of Batman

Two 1990s prose novels feature Catwoman: ''The Further Adventures of Batman: Volume 3, Featuring Catwoman'', a short story collection by various authors, and ''Catwoman: Tiger Hunt''. Both novels portray a ''Batman: Year One''-influenced Catwoman who wears a gray cat costume and was once a prostitute.

Kingdom Come

Catwoman also made a small cameo in ''Kingdom Come'', mostly accompanying the Riddler; she is predominantly seen, but not much heard in the series. She is not dressed in costume, but appears in the very dress she first wore in ''Batman'' #1 as The Cat. According to the novelization by Elliot S. Maggin, she runs a multibillion dollar cosmetics company.

Batman: Digital Justice

In the all-digital graphic novel ''Batman: Digital Justice'', which is set some time in the future long after the original Batman has died, Sheila Romero, also known as the hit pop music star Gata (the Spanish female noun for "cat") and daughter of the Mayor of Gotham City, is jealous of the new Batman, James Gordon, because media coverage of his activities have been cutting into her airtime. Setting out to learn as much about Batman and his enemies as she can, Gata becomes the new Catwoman. Near the end of the story, Gata and her followers face off against Batman, but the two later fall in love, and Maria Romero, also known as Madame X, tells Sheila that she is really a clone of Maria. Maria confesses that she had planned to transfer her brain into Gata's body, but she could not bring herself to do it because she loved her "daughter" too much. Maria then dies in Sheila's arms.

Elseworlds

In the ''Elseworlds'' title ''Catwoman: Guardian of Gotham'', Selina Kyle is the daughter of millionaires Thomas and Martha Kyle. Walking home after seeing the film ''Cat People'', the young Selina chases after an alley cat and watches in horror as her parents are gunned down by a robber (presumably Joe Chill). Selina learns that the crook has stolen a ring she found in a Cracker Jack box and had given to her mother. Years later she becomes Catwoman, the defender of Gotham City, operating out of a Catcave beneath Kyle Manor, aided by a young maid named Brooks (this universe's version of Alfred Pennyworth). Her major enemy is a psychopathic criminal named Batman, who beats her entire rogues gallery half-to-death to get rid of the competition.

In the ''Elseworlds'' tale ''Batman: Claws of the Catwoman'', set in the 1930s, explorer and adventurer Finnegan Dent is revealed to be stealing the sacred artifacts of an African tribe. During an encounter with Batman and Tarzan, a female thief, dressed as a cat, is revealed to be the princess of the tribe, as well as priestess of its cat-cult, trying to reclaim the artifacts.

In the ''Elseworlds'' story ''JLA: The Nail'', featuring a world where costumed heroes have no symbol of inspiration as Superman was never recovered by the Kents, Catwoman is diagnosed by the head warden of Arkham Asylum as not being a true "criminal", but simply enjoying playing a "cat-and-mouse" game with Batman, donning her costume simply to attract his attention. During her time in Arkham, the Joker attacks the asylum armed with Kryptonian gauntlets provided by the story's secret villain, forcing the inmates to fight each other—Catwoman being the last one standing—before Batman arrives. Although the Joker uses his gauntlets to brutally murder Robin and Batgirl while forcing Batman to watch, Catwoman distracts him long enough for Batman to escape Joker's hold and destroy the gauntlets. He then proceeds to kill Joker in a trauma-induced rage, taking the gauntlets and Catwoman back to the Batcave. With Selina and Alfred having broken through Batman's grief, Selina becomes Batwoman and joins Batman in rescuing the JLA from captivity. Although Batman resigns from the League after he is cleared of the Joker's murder, even Catwoman's support cannot help him past his grief until the events of ''JLA: Another Nail'', where the two briefly travel into the afterlife to investigate recent supernatural disturbances with the aid of Deadman, Batgirl, and Robin's spirits appearing to forgive their mentor for his failure to save them before he returns to life.

Batman: Bloodstorm

In ''Batman: Bloodstorm'', the sequel to ''Batman & Dracula: Red Rain'', where Batman was forced to become a vampire to save Gotham from an attack by Dracula, Selina is turned into a werecat after being bitten by one of the remaining vampires. Hunting for the monster that transformed her, Selina encounters Batman as he hunts for the remaining vampires, the two subsequently joining forces to eliminate the vampire horde. As they fight together, Batman finds that Selina's selfless love for him allows him to control his thirst for blood that had begun to consume him. She sacrifices herself to save him from the Joker, who had become the leader of the remaining vampires after Dracula's death, taking a crossbow bolt to the heart that the Joker had fired at Batman. Batman's grief and rage over her death causes him to finally lose control of his bloodlust as he drinks the Joker's blood. In ''Crimson Mist'' (''Bloodstorm''s sequel), the corrupted Batman reflects grimly that he can no longer understand Selina's noble sacrifice after his psyche has become increasingly corrupted by his surrender to his vampire side.

Thrillkiller

In Howard Chaykin's ''Thrillkiller'', Selina Kyle is a stripper in a cat-themed strip club. She acts as an informant for GCPD detective Bruce Wayne.

Batman: Nine Lives

In Dean Motter's ''Batman: Nine Lives'', Selina Kyle is a cat-loving African American night club owner. Her death sets in motion the events of the story.

Dark Allegiances

In Howard Chaykin's ''Dark Allegiances'', Selina Kyle becomes a film star under the stage name of Kitty Grimalkin. Prior to becoming a star, she was an alcoholic whose actions during one of her "blackouts" were recorded into an underground porn film. The stills from the film are used to blackmail her into stealing information from Wayne Enterprises.

Batman: Shadow of the Bat

In Alan Grant's ''Batman: Shadow of the Bat'' Annual #2, Vikki Vale, a reporter for Wayne Media, is Catwoman. She is hired by Anarky to steal information, but she gets caught and is tortured by Jonathan Crane, whom she calls a "demented scarecrow."

All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder

In Frank Miller's ''All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder'', Catwoman expresses an interest in the Joker's unrevealed plans. She also appears to be involved in sadomasochism, as she advises the Joker that "even I don't play ''that'' rough."

Batman: Two Faces

In Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's ''Batman: Two Faces'', Selina Kyle is a madame in 19th century Gotham, who defends streetwalkers in a mask, bustier, and fishnets and occasionally works with amateur detective Bruce Wayne. Her costumed identity is unnamed, but resembles Black Canary more than Catwoman. She is attacked by the Joker and paralyzed, much like Barbara Gordon in the mainstream DC continuity.

Batman: Leatherwing

In ''Detective Comics'' Annual #7 (''Batman: Leatherwing'') by Chuck Dixon, set in the 18th century Caribbean, Capitana Felina is a Spanish Contessa turned pirate, who rails against the chauvinism of her own crew. She initially teams up with the Laughing Man (Joker) against the English freebooter Captain Leatherwing (Batman), before turning to Leatherwing's side, and eventually marrying him.

Batman: In Darkest Knight

In ''Batman: In Darkest Knight'', in which Bruce Wayne becomes Earth's Green Lantern, Selina Kyle takes on the role of Star Sapphire.

Batman Beyond Comics

A futuristic Catwoman appears in the new ''Batman Beyond'' comic series. Like the current Batman, Terry McGinnis, the new Catwoman sports a high-tech costume complete with advanced gadgetry; although she claims to have had no real interest in Batman when she chose to go into action as Catwoman, stating that her reasons for assuming this identity are her own. She is subsequently hired by the new Hush to plant a tracking device on Batman, only for Hush to begin strangling her after "paying" her with a box full of playing cards, regarding her death as a continuation of his efforts to destroy Batman's "family" by killing his rogue's gallery, only to be saved by Bruce Wayne's use of the 'Bat-Wraith' robots. She is revealed to be the daughter of the villain Multiplex, possessing her father's ability to create duplicates of herself, but limited to a maximum of 9 copies, explaining her adoption of the Catwoman moniker. Selina Kyle is also briefly mentioned in the TV show that inspired the comic series.

Flashpoint

In the alternate timeline of the ''Flashpoint'' event, Selina Kyle becomes Oracle having been apparently paralysed under unspecified circumstances, and also serves as Thomas Wayne's psychiatrist, helping him deal with his rage since his son's murder.

In other media

Television

1966 live-action TV series

Catwoman's first portrayal in a medium outside comic books was by Julie Newmar in 12 episodes of the live-action ''Batman'' television series of the 1960s. The classic Catwoman costume she wears was constructed by Newmar, using a semi-metallic yarn called Lurex.

Wearing Newmar's costume, Eartha Kitt replaced her in Catwoman's final three episodes, with Lee Meriwether substituting for her in the 1966 motion picture ''Batman'', after producers learned that Newmar was unavailable. An uncredited fourth actress played Catwoman as part of a cameo villain team-up in "The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra", the penultimate episode of the series. Newmar's Catwoman costume is part of the collection of the Smithsonian Institution.

Filmation series

Catwoman's first animated appearance was with Batman in segments of the 1968 series ''The Batman/Superman Hour'' wearing her green costume of that time period. In this series, she was voiced by Jane Webb.

Catwoman appears in four episodes of the animated series ''The New Adventures of Batman'' voiced by Melendy Britt.

DC animated universe

Catwoman appears in ''Batman: The Animated Series'', voiced by Adrienne Barbeau and wearing a predominantly gray outfit. Selina Kyle is shown to be a socialite and animal rights activist, which attracts the attention of Bruce Wayne when he is not contending with her as Batman. Catwoman appears as an anti-hero as her main crime is only stealing jewelries and precious items. She joins forces with Batman, Robin, Nightwing and Batgirl for numerous occasions in order to defeat other villains. Catwoman also flirts with Nightwing in "You Scratch My Back". However, at the end of the episode, it is revealed that she was just using Nightwing in order to steal an artifact. In many of the episodes featuring Kyle, she is accompanied by her assistant named Maven, who aids both of Kyle's identities. She also is shown to keep many cats, among those is her favorite cat Isis who would appear there and in later series such as ''The New Batman Adventures''. Initially, Kyle had blonde hair, coinciding with the release of ''Batman Returns'', in which she was portrayed by blonde actress Michelle Pfeiffer. In the revamp, she appears to have shorter black hair. Whether her hair was dyed or her natural color was never made clear in the series itself, however in the episode "Tyger, Tyger", Kyle becomes a cat/woman hybrid and her hair (or rather fur) is blonde, thanks to genetic engineering by Dr. Emile Dorian. In the related comic book series, it is explained that after learning that her hair dye was tested on animals, she drops the brand and tries, unsuccessfully, to change the views of the manager of the company. Finally, in a seven-minute short film called ''Chase Me'' (written by Paul Dini and released with the ''Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman'' DVD), Batman catches her stealing from one of Bruce Wayne's buildings and apprehends her.

Catwoman appears in ''The New Batman Adventures'' again voiced by Adrienne Barbeau. Like all other characters, Catwoman would have a new design during ''The New Batman Adventures''. Her new in-costume animated appearance also changed when the show's animation style did, becoming more like the Michelle Pfeiffer version, with a black costume, slimmer build, and white face makeup (despite her hair now black). Details on her change are explored in ''Batman: Gotham Adventures'' #4.

In 1999, Selina Kyle was wistfully mentioned in the ''Batman Beyond'' episode "Dead Man's Hand" by Bruce Wayne to Terry McGinnis when Terry asks Bruce if he ever fell in love with a female criminal as he did with Ten of the Royal Flush Gang.

In 2005, Selina Kyle comes up again in a conversation between Terry McGinnis and Bruce Wayne in the television series, ''Justice League Unlimited'' within a dream sequence. In "Epilogue", Terry McGinnis tells Bruce Wayne that Selina loved him, but that Bruce gave up on her, due to his persistent devotion to "the mission." Bruce claims it was because she did not have "the heart" to stick to the mission, which can be interpreted as that at some point Selina had reformed and joined the Bat family. As McGinnis referred to Selina by her first name, it can be assumed that he met her at some point after the final episode of ''Batman Beyond'' offscreen.

''Birds of Prey''

Selina Kyle appears, through flashbacks depicting her death, in the pilot episode of the 2002 television series ''Birds of Prey''. The show featured Batman and Catwoman's daughter, the Huntress, also known as Helena Kyle. Maggie Baird portrayed Catwoman; in contrast to the comic book version, she is a metahuman. It is also mentioned that her sudden death (along with the paralyzing of Barbara Gordon at the hands of the Joker) sent Batman into self-imposed isolation.

''The Batman''

Catwoman appears in ''The Batman'', voiced by Gina Gershon. Her design is slightly altered, having large ears and orange goggles that resemble cat's eyes. Another modification is her hood, which can be pulled up to hide the lower half of her face. Catwoman is also given exaggerated claws on her gloves. The rest of her suit is black, with the exception of her red "paws." She carries her whip around her waist that hangs like a tail. In her civilian identity of Selina Kyle, she has long black hair and blue eyes, instead of her more traditional green eyes. Selina's day job is as a charity fund raiser, in which capacity she meets Bruce Wayne. This portrayal of Catwoman is more of a pragmatic anti-hero, rather than a true villain.

She flirts with Batman as seen in her first appearance titled "The Cat and the Bat" where Batman spots her trying to rob Hideto Katsu's house She steals his utility belt accidentally gaining control of a giant bat-robot and wrecking the Batcave. She manages to gain control of the remote-controlled Batarang when it comes to a second attempt at the jade lion statue at Hideto Katsu's house. However, Hideto Katsu was ready this time as he had called in a ninja group called the "Dragon's Claw" to exterminate Catwoman where it was revealed that Hideto Katsu was associated with the Yakuza. Lucky for Catwoman, Batman arrived and helped her fight the ninjas. When Hideto was subdued before the police arrived, Batman manages to get Catwoman to give back his utility belt and anything that was associated with it. Catwoman does and manages to get away.

In "The Cat, the Bat, and the Very Ugly," she teams up with the Penguin. In "Ragdolls to Riches," she fights Rag Doll. In "The Laughting Cats," Batman and Batgirl spot Catwoman trying to abduct two Black Siberian Leopards only for Joker to abduct Catwoman and the Black Leopards. After rescuing Catwoman, Batman and Batgirl learn from Catwoman that Joker plans to give the Black Siberian Leopards to a big game hunter named Killgore Steed in exchange for some hyenas. When the three of them arrived, Joker had them enter the maze in order for Punch and Judy to hunt them. Batman, Batgirl, and Catwoman managed to defeat Punch and Judy. When it comes to Joker, Catwoman manages to get control of the hyenas since they are almost related to cats. Batman and Batgirl managed to defeat Joker while Catwoman made off. When Catwoman is on the docks with the Black Siberian Leopards, she couldn't get them into the boat when Batman arrived stating that cats don't like water. This forces Catwoman to give the Black Siberian Leopards back to Batman and Batgirl as she gets away. In "Rumors," she is kidnapped by Rumor amonst the other villains. Catwoman manages to get away after the villains were arrested.

''Krypto the Superdog''

In the animated cartoon series ''Krypto the Superdog'', Catwoman's pet cat Isis is a recurring foe of Krypto, Streaky the Supercat, and Ace the Bat-Hound. However, unlike her DCAU counterpart, Isis is portrayed as a siamese cat rather than a black cat, she has a similar personality of Catwomen, such as flirting with Ace when ever they meet. However, Catwoman herself is absent from the show.

''Batman: The Brave and the Bold''

Catwoman appears in the animated series ''Batman: The Brave and the Bold'', voiced by Nika Futterman. In "Legends of the Dark Mite", she makes a cameo as one of the villains in Bat-Mite's imagination. In "Hail the Tornado Tyrant", she makes a silent appearance in the teaser after Batman and Green Arrow chase the Joker, and robs a museum while escaping in a panther airplane. Prior to the sequel teaser, they get knocked out. The episode "Inside the Outsiders" is a sequel to this teaser, where Batman and Green Arrow are trapped by Catwoman and her henchmen. Catwoman flirts with Batman, while he hopes to rehabilitate her, and Green Arrow watches in disgust. They both escape and defeat her and the henchmen; but Catwoman escapes and leaves her number with Batman, telling him to "call her."

She reappears in "Death Race to Oblivion!" as one of the heroes and villains kidnapped by Mongul and forced into his race across the desert. Utilizing a high-tech "Catmobile" equipped with various weapons and gadgets, Catwoman attempts to knock the Huntress out of the race by destroying her motorcycle. Unfortunately for her, Huntress outsmarts her and Catwoman ends up being taken out herself when her car is forced off a cliff. At the end of the episode, she and the rest of the villains are shown captured in a sphere created by Guy Gardner's power ring. She appears in "The Mask of Matches Malone" along with Huntress and Black Canary.

She also appears in "The Knights of Tomorrow" in which she and Batman fall in love and marry and have a son named Damian. Both of them are killed in an explosion of the Batman Museum caused by Joker Jr. causing Damian to become Robin and help Dick Grayson (the second Batman) to defeat Joker and Joker Jr. It turns out that the events of the episode were part of a book that Alfred Pennyworth was writing called "The Knights of Tomorrow." When Batman comes in stating that Catwoman is up to no good while seeing Alfred work on his book, Alfred commented that Catwoman might make a good match for him yet.

In "Shadow of the Bat," Batman and Robin in jungle outfits end up fighting Catwoman and her pet black panther Hecate in Africa. During that time, Batman and Robin received help from Bat-Ape. Catwoman and Hecate managed to get away.

In "Night of The Batmen", when Plastic Man teaming up with Captain Marvel, Aquaman, and Green Arrow to step in for Batman who is injured for a night. Catwoman runs up against Plastic Man. She in her 1970s "battle of the sexes" costume is not impressed and says ''"I get a brand new costume to attract the Batman and I get you."''

Film

Catwoman's first motion picture appearance was in 1966's ''Batman'', based on the television series. Lee Meriwether portrayed the character due to Julie Newmar's commitment to another project.

In the TV movie ''Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt'', Julia Rose appears as Catwoman and the young Julie Newmar. Both Julie Newmar and Lee Meriwether appear in the movie as well.

Catwoman is portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1992 feature film ''Batman Returns''. Recreated by Daniel Waters and Tim Burton, the Catwoman origin story is something of a variation on the original ''Catwoman'' miniseries: Selina Kyle is depicted as the lonely, frustrated, yet dutiful and efficient secretary of corrupt tycoon Max Shreck. After she accidentally discovers his plot to build a power plant that would steal Gotham's electricity, Shreck then attempts to murder her by pushing her out the window of his top-story office. Though her fall is partly broken by several canvas awnings, Selina lies motionless on the snow-covered ground seemingly dead. She is then mysteriously revived by a group of alley cats that flock around her and begin gnawing at her fingers. Making her way home in a daze, Selina's repressed rage transforms her into the clever supervillain Catwoman. She seemingly gains a supernatural power based on the superstition of cats having nine lives, saving her from death several more times throughout the film. Shortly following her transformation, she joins forces with Penguin in order to remove Batman from her path, as he has hindered her efforts to get revenge on Max. As a masked vigilante operating under the guise of a theatrical public identity, Catwoman finds a reflection of herself in Batman, and around the same time, as Selina, falls in love and begins a romantic relationship with Bruce Wayne. In a ballroom scene, during a dance to the Siouxsie and the Banshees song "Face to Face", Bruce and Selina discover each other's secret identities. In the film's climax, Catwoman takes revenge on Shreck by electrocuting him after he shoots her several times. Although it would appear that she died in the electrocution herself, she vanishes in the ensuing explosion and Batman is unable to find her body. However, she is seen one last time (in silhouette) at the end of the film, looking up at the Bat-Signal in the sky, confirming that she did indeed survive.

Catwoman is briefly mentioned by Dr. Chase Meridian in ''Batman Forever'', who states that she has done her homework on Batman, that he likes "strong women", and asks teasingly if "she needs skin-tight vinyl and a whip." Catwoman was to get her own film, where Michelle Pfeiffer was to reprise her role, but the film lingered in development limbo for years and then became 2004's ''Catwoman'' starring Halle Berry.

In 2004, the feature film ''Catwoman'' was released. Starring Halle Berry, this film's Catwoman bears little resemblance to the comic book version, serving as the only protagonist in the film. Berry portrays Patience Phillips, a woman who becomes Catwoman after a near-death experience. Patience gains superpowers (which she does not have in the comics) from the Egyptian cat goddess Bastet through a gathering of cats led by an Egyptian Mau. The movie alludes to other women in the past who have been granted such cat-like abilities, particularly in a scene in which Patience finds herself amongst a series of images of prior Catwomen, including Pfeiffer's ''Batman Returns'' version of Selina Kyle. The film's story has nothing to do with Batman or Gotham City. Berry won the 2005 Razzie Award for worst actress in a film for her role as Catwoman, and she accepted the prize in person. She brought her ''Monster's Ball'' Oscar with her for her acceptance speech.

A Crime Syndicate version of Catwoman named She-Bat briefly appeared as one of Superwoman's hentchmen in ''Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths''. She-Bat is a cross between her and Man-Bat.

In a press release from Warner Bros. on January 19, 2011, it was announced Anne Hathaway had been cast for the part of Selina Kyle in ''The Dark Knight Rises''.

Eliza Dushku will voice Catwoman in ''Batman: Year One''.

Video games

In the 1999 side-scroller ''Catwoman'' video game by Kemco, Catwoman is hired by Talia al Ghul to steal an ancient crystal skull from the Gotham City Museum. Talia's father Ra's al Ghul wants to use the skull to create a powerful weapon that will be capable of destroying an entire city.

Catwoman appears in the ''Catwoman'' video game.

Catwoman appears in ''Lego Batman: The Video Game'' voiced by Vanessa Marshall. She appears as an enemy of Batman and a 1st deputy of the Penguin. She tried to get the Penguin to steal a jewel and was defeated by Batman, but not before sharing a kiss with him, which Robin found disgusting. She later escaped jail and told Penguin to build a machine, but they were again defeated. She then kissed Batman again, flipped backwards, and went home to Arkham. She is shown as being very cat-like and proficient with a whip, as demonstrated when she snatches a fish from the Penguin's plate.

Catwoman appears as a fighter in the crossover fighting game ''Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe'' played by Brenda Barrie and voiced by P. J. Mattson. She is classified as a villain in the game. Her first fatality has her wrapping her whip around her opponent's throat and dragging them to the ground where she then jumps on their back and pulls back on the whip breaking their neck, whilst her second fatality has her claw out her victims eyes before hurling them to the ground. Though her role in the game is small, her story begins as she is approached by The Flash after stealing from the Gotham Museum. Though he defeats her in combat, she reclaims her purloined jewel after an intervention from Kano, and whilst she makes her escape she gets pulled into a portal that teleports her to the Special Forces base in the Mortal Kombat universe. Here, she finds Sonya Blade, her counterpart, and requests to use the base's portal to return to Gotham. Sonya defeats her in battle however, and locks her away in a cell. She is eventually set free when Lex Luthor is also captured, and they aid each other in escaping. The two form an alliance, approaching both Deathstroke and the Joker and recruiting them for the battle against the invading warriors. With their help, she assists Batman and his allies in the battle against Dark Khan. In the battle between the DC heroes and villains and the Mortal Kombat warriors, she defeats Sonya before getting defeated as well. Her game ending features her returning to Gotham City and discovering that due to the magical essence of the worlds merging, she now has the ability to transform into a black panther at will, enhancing her speed and strength. She uses these newfound powers to ensure she will never again be caged.

Catwoman does not appear in ''Batman: Arkham Asylum'', but her biography does, which can be found by examining her mask and claws in Arkham Mansion.

Catwoman appears in ''Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame'' voiced by Nika Futterman. In the game, she teams up with Catman to steal an ancient artifact and turn all of the police into cats, in order to terrorize the city easier. When the pair believe they have killed Batman and Robin, Catwoman feels guilty and misses Batman. When they terrorize Wayne Manor, the Dynamic Duo appear to stop them, much to her joy.

Catwoman appears in ''DC Universe Online'' voiced by Kelley Huston. She is seen as a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains. Catwoman plots to steal the jeweled cat relics from Gotham University. She then forces the players to get the Cat's Eye Diamonds back in their rightful in order to prevent all of Gotham City from becoming a "wild kingdom" since they are turning people into cat-like creatures. Once the players obtain the Cat's Eye Diamonds from the Cat Avatars Tiger Eye, Cheetah Claw, Lion-Mane, and Panther Fang, Catwoman activates the relics causing the spirits of the Cat Avatars to take control Catwoman into attacking the players when they did not want to end up under her control. The players had to fight her nine times in battle while the Cat Avatars try to summon their minions to also fight the players. Once Catwoman is defeated, the relics disappear as Catwoman is displeased that the "alien relics" possessed her. Catwoman tells the players that the next time they meet, she owes them one of her nine lives.

Catwoman is confirmed to appear in the sequel, ''Batman: Arkham City'', voiced by Grey DeLisle. Catwoman has been confirmed as a playable character with her own move-set, animations and abilities by developers in side missions within the main storyline rather than in challenge missions and will be necessary to retrieve riddler trophies that Batman will be unable to reach. Catwoman's playable sections will be approximately 10% of the game. In this game, Two-Face has kidnapped her and plots to publicly try and execute her in a plot to gain control over Arkham City (an abandoned Gotham suburb that has been made into a prison following the destruction of Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison) forcing Batman to enter the city to save her.

Miscellaneous

In the comic series ''The Batman Adventures'', Selina is featured in issue #10; in the back up story she breaks into a vault at the Wayne Manor during Bruce's New Year's Ball. After she has left the scene, Bruce tells Robin and Alfred that he felt betrayed, stating that he was the only one of Gotham's high society not to shun her after she was unmasked. He is reassured of her friendship, however, when he finds she has stolen nothing and has left him a card stating her New Year's resolution is to stay on the right side of the law. After Robin questions her sincerity, Bruce states that he believes she will keep her promise.

Radio

Catwoman, voiced by Lorelei King, appeared in the Batman radio drama ''The Lazarus Syndrome'' (1989).

Catwoman also appears in the fan-made internet audio drama podcast ''Catwoman: Queen of Thieves'', voiced by Laura Post.

See also

List of Batman Family enemies

Gotham Girls

Woman warrior

References

External links

Catwoman Through the Years - slideshow by ''Life magazine''

Catwoman (of ''Batman: The Animated Series'') at BatmanTAS.com

''Girls With Gauntlets'' Influence of ''Catwoman'' upon female action heroes of the 1990s

''Catfighting Supergirls''

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de:Catwoman (Comicfigur) es:Catwoman fr:Catwoman (DC Comics) ko:캣우먼 hr:Žena mačka it:Catwoman ka:ქალი-კატა (კომიქსი) he:קאטוומן hu:Macskanő nl:Catwoman ja:キャットウーマン pl:Catwoman pt:Mulher-Gato ru:Женщина-кошка fi:Kissanainen sv:Catwoman tl:Catwoman tr:Kedi Kadın zh:猫女

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
alt	Head and shoulders shot of a smiling Berry facing the camera.
birth date	August 14, 1966
birth place	Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
birth name	Maria Halle Berry
occupation	Actress
years active	1989–present
spouse
partner	Gabriel Aubry (2005–10)Olivier Martinez (2010–present)
children	Nahla Ariela Aubry }}

Halle Berry (; born August 14, 1966) is an American actress, a former fashion model, and beauty queen. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for ''Introducing Dorothy Dandridge'' and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in ''Monster's Ball'', becoming the first and, as of 2011, only woman of African American descent to have won the award for Best Actress. She is one of the most highly paid actresses in Hollywood and also a Revlon spokeswoman. She has been involved in the production side of several of the films in which she performed.

Before becoming an actress, Berry entered several beauty contests, finishing as the 1st runner-up in the Miss USA Pageant (1986), and coming in 6th place in the Miss World Pageant in 1986. She made her film debut with a small role in 1991's ''Jungle Fever''. This led to starring roles in ''The Flintstones'' (1994), ''Bulworth'' (1998), ''X-Men'' (2000) and its sequels, and as Bond Girl Jinx in ''Die Another Day'' (2002). She also won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress in 2005 for ''Catwoman'' and accepted the award in person—one of the few performers to do so.

Early life

Berry was born Maria Halle Berry, though her name was legally changed to Halle Maria Berry in 1971. Berry's parents selected her middle name from Halle's Department Store, which was then a local landmark in her birthplace of Cleveland, Ohio. Her mother, Judith Ann (née Hawkins), who is Caucasian, was a psychiatric nurse. Her father, Jerome Jesse Berry, was an African American hospital attendant in the same psychiatric ward where her mother worked; he later became a bus driver. Berry's maternal grandmother, Nellie Dicken, was born in Sawley, Derbyshire, England, while her maternal grandfather, Earl Ellsworth Hawkins, was born in Ohio. Berry's parents divorced when she was four years old; she and her older sister Heidi were raised exclusively by her mother. Berry has said in published reports that she has been estranged from her father since her childhood, noting in 1992, "I haven't heard from him since [he left]. Maybe he's not alive."

Berry graduated from Bedford High School, afterward working in the children's department at Higbee's Department store. She then studied at Cuyahoga Community College. In the 1980s, she entered several beauty contests, winning Miss Teen All-American in 1985 and Miss Ohio USA in 1986. She was the 1986 Miss USA first runner-up to Christy Fichtner of Texas. In the Miss USA 1986 pageant interview competition, she said she hoped to become an entertainer or to have something to do with the media. Her interview was awarded the highest score by the judges. She was the first African-American Miss World entrant in 1986, where she finished sixth and Trinidad and Tobago's Giselle Laronde was crowned Miss World.

Acting career

1989–2002

In the late 1980s, Berry went to Illinois to pursue a modeling career as well as acting. One of her first acting projects was a television series for local cable by Gordon Lake Productions called ''Chicago Force''. In 1989, Berry landed the role of Emily Franklin in the short-lived ABC television series ''Living Dolls'' (a spin-off of ''Who's the Boss?''), during the taping of which she lapsed into a coma and was diagnosed with diabetes. She went on to have a recurring role on the long-running primetime serial Knots Landing. In 1992, Berry was cast as the love interest in the video for R. Kelly's seminal single, "Honey Love".

Her breakthrough feature film role was in Spike Lee's ''Jungle Fever'', in which she played a drug addict named Vivian. Her first co-starring role was in the 1991 film ''Strictly Business.'' In 1992, Berry portrayed a career woman who falls for Eddie Murphy in the romantic comedy ''Boomerang.'' That same year, she caught the public's attention as a headstrong biracial slave in the TV adaptation of ''Queen: The Story of an American Family'', based on the book by Alex Haley. Berry was in the live-action ''Flintstones'' movie as "Sharon Stone", the sultry secretary who seduced Fred Flintstone.

Playing a former drug addict struggling to regain custody of her son in ''Losing Isaiah'' (1995), Berry tackled a more serious role, starring opposite Jessica Lange. She portrayed Sandra Beecher in ''Race the Sun'' (1996), which was based on a true story, and co-starred alongside Kurt Russell in ''Executive Decision''. Beginning in 1996, she was a Revlon spokeswoman for seven years and renewed her contract in 2004.

In 1997, Halle starred alongside Natalie Deselle Reid in the comedy film, B*A*P*S. Although panned by critics, it showed Halle's acting versatility.In 1998, Berry received praise for her role in ''Bulworth'' as an intelligent woman raised by activists who gives a politician (Warren Beatty) a new lease on life. The same year, she played the singer Zola Taylor, one of the three wives of pop singer Frankie Lymon, in the biopic ''Why Do Fools Fall in Love''. In the 1999 HBO biopic ''Introducing Dorothy Dandridge'', she portrayed the first black woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award. Berry's performance was recognized with several awards, including an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

Berry portrayed the mutant superhero Storm in the film adaptation of the comic book series ''X-Men'' (2000) and its sequels, ''X2: X-Men United'' (2003) and ''X-Men: The Last Stand'' (2006). In 2001, Berry appeared in the film ''Swordfish'', which featured her first nude scene. At first, she refused to be filmed topless in a sunbathing scene, but she changed her mind when Warner Brothers raised her fee substantially. The brief flash of her breasts added $500,000 to her fee. Berry considered these stories to be rumors and was quick to deny them. After turning down numerous roles that required nudity, she said she decided to make ''Swordfish'' because her husband, Benét, supported her and encouraged her to take risks.

In 2001, Berry appeared as Leticia Musgrove, the wife of an executed murderer, in the film ''Monster's Ball''. Her performance was awarded the National Board of Review and the Screen Actors Guild best-actress prizes; in an interesting coincidence she became the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Actress (earlier in her career she portrayed Dorothy Dandridge, the first African-American to be nominated for Best Actress). The NAACP issued the statement: "Congratulations to Halle Berry and Denzel Washington for giving us hope and making us proud. If this is a sign that Hollywood is finally ready to give opportunity and judge performance based on skill and not on skin color then it is a good thing." Her role also generated controversy. Berry's graphic nude love scene with a racist character played by co-star Billy Bob Thornton was the subject of much media chatter and discussion among African-Americans. Many in the African-American community were critical of Berry for taking the part. Berry responded: "I don't really see a reason to ever go that far again. That was a unique movie. That scene was special and pivotal and needed to be there, and it would be a really special script that would require something like that again."

Berry asked for a higher fee for Revlon advertisements after winning the Academy Award, and Ron Perelman, the cosmetics firm's chief, congratulated her, saying how happy he was that she modeled for his company. She replied, "Of course, you'll have to pay me more." Perelman stalked off in a rage. Her win at the Academy Awards led to two famous "Oscar moments." In accepting her award, she gave an acceptance speech honoring previous black actresses who had never had the opportunity. She said, "This moment is so much bigger than me. This is for every nameless, faceless woman of colour who now has a chance tonight because this door has been opened." One year later, as she presented the Best Actor award, winner Adrien Brody ran on stage and, instead of giving her the standard peck on the cheek, planted a long kiss on Berry.

2002 – present

As Bond girl Giacinta 'Jinx' Johnson in the 2002 blockbuster ''Die Another Day'', Berry recreated a scene from ''Dr. No'', emerging from the surf to be greeted by James Bond as Ursula Andress had 40 years earlier. Lindy Hemming, costume designer on "Die Another Day", had insisted that Berry wear a bikini and knife as an homage. Berry has said of the scene: "It's splashy", "exciting", "sexy", "provocative" and "it will keep me still out there after winning an Oscar." The bikini scene was shot in Cadiz; the location was reportedly cold and windy, and footage has been released of Berry wrapped in thick towels in between takes to avoid catching a chill. According to a ITV news poll, Jinx was voted the fourth toughest girl on screen of all time. Berry was hurt during filming when debris from a smoke grenade flew into her eye. It was removed in a 30-minute operation.

After Berry won the Academy Award, rewrites were commissioned to give her more screentime for ''X2''.

In November 2003, she starred in the psychological thriller ''Gothika'' opposite Robert Downey Jr., during which she broke her arm in a scene with Downey, who twisted her arm too hard. Production was halted for eight weeks. It was a moderate hit at the United States box office, taking in $60 million; it earned another $80 million abroad. Berry appeared in the Limp Bizkit music video for "Behind Blue Eyes" for the motion picture soundtrack for the film. The same year, she was named #1 in ''FHM'''s 100 Sexiest Women in the World poll. In 2004, Berry was voted fourth of Empire magazine's 100 sexiest film stars of all time poll.

Berry received $12.5 million for the title role in the film ''Catwoman'', a $100 million movie; it grossed $17 million on its first weekend. She was awarded a "worst actress" Razzie award in 2005 for this role. She appeared at the ceremony to accept the award in person (making her the third person, and second actor, to ever do so) with a sense of humor, considering it an experience of the "rock bottom" in order to be "at the top". Holding the Academy Award in one hand and the Razzie in the other she said, "I never in my life thought that I would be here, winning a Razzie. It's not like I ever aspired to be here, but thank you. When I was a kid, my mother told me that if you could not be a good loser, then there's no way you could be a good winner." The Fund for Animals praised Berry's compassion towards cats and for squelching rumors that she was keeping a Bengal tiger from the sets of Catwoman as a "pet."

Berry next appeared in the Oprah Winfrey-produced ABC TV movie ''Their Eyes Were Watching God'' (2005), an adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston's novel, in which Berry portrayed Janie Crawford, a free-spirited woman whose unconventional sexual mores upset her 1920s contemporaries in a small community. She was nominated for an Emmy for this TV film. Meanwhile, she voiced the character of Cappy, one of the many mechanical beings in the animated feature ''Robots'' (2005).

In 2006, Berry, Pierce Brosnan, Cindy Crawford, Jane Seymour, Dick Van Dyke, Tea Leoni, and Daryl Hannah successfully fought the Cabrillo Port Liquefied Natural Gas facility that was proposed off the coast of Malibu. Berry said, "I care about the air we breathe, I care about the marine life and the ecosystem of the ocean." In May 2007, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the facility. Hasty Pudding Theatricals gave her its 2006 ''Woman of The Year'' award.

Berry is involved in production of films and television. She served as executive producer on ''Introducing Dorothy Dandridge'' in 1999, and ''Lackawanna Blues'' in 2005. Berry both produced and starred in the thriller ''Perfect Stranger'' with Bruce Willis and in ''Things We Lost in the Fire'' with Benicio del Toro. Berry then starred in the film ''Frankie and Alice'', in which she plays Frankie Murdoch, a young multiracial American women with dissociative identity disorder struggling against her alter personality to retain her true self. She was awarded the African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress and also was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama.

Berry is one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, earning $10 million per film. In July 2007, she topped ''In Touch'' magazine's list of the world's most fabulous 40-something celebrities. On April 3, 2007, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the Kodak Theatre at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard for her contributions to the film industry.

Berry has served for many years as the face of Revlon cosmetics and also as the face of Versace. The Coty Inc. fragrance company signed Berry to market her debut fragrance in March 2008. Berry was delighted, saying that she had created her own fragrances at home by mixing scents.

Personal life

Family and relationships

Berry has been married twice. Her first marriage was to former baseball player David Justice, shortly after midnight on January 1, 1993. The couple separated in 1996 and their divorce was finalized in 1997. Berry has stated publicly that she was so depressed after her breakup with Justice that she considered taking her own life, but she could not bear the thought of her mother finding her body.

Berry married Eric Benét in early 2001 on a beach in Santa Barbara. Berry credited Benét with support after she was involved in a February 2000 traffic collision, in which she left the scene of the accident. Some in the media complained that her misdemeanor hit and run charge was preferential treatment; she had also been the driver in an alleged hit and run incident three years earlier in which no charges were filed. The incident became fodder for comedians. Berry pled no contest, did community service, paid a fine and was placed on three years' probation. A civil lawsuit was settled out of court.

The couple separated in 2003. After the separation, Berry stated, "I want love, and I will find it, hopefully." While married to Benét, Berry adopted his daughter, India. The divorce was finalized in January 2005. Benét – who admitted to being unfaithful to Berry – married Prince's ex-wife, Manuela Testolini, on 31 July 2011.

In November 2005, Berry began dating French-Canadian supermodel Gabriel Aubry, nine years her junior. The couple met at a Versace photoshoot. After six months with Aubry, she stated in an interview, "I'm really happy in my personal life, which is a novelty to me. You know, I'm not the girl that has the best relationships."

At one point, Berry had indicated that she planned to adopt children, but her experience playing a mother in ''Things We Lost In The Fire'' opened her mind to the possibility of motherhood. After initially denying rumors, she confirmed in September 2007 that she was three months pregnant. Berry gave birth to a girl named Nahla Ariela Aubry on March 16, 2008, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Nahla means "honeybee" in Arabic; Ariela is Hebrew for "lion for God". Berry hired security guards after receiving racist threats to her unborn baby from a stalker, who said her child will be "cut into hundreds of pieces".

At one time, Berry indicated that she did not intend to marry again, insisting the couple's life was already complete without the need for a marriage. She stated that she hoped to have a second child right away. Aubry told ''In Touch'' magazine, "I'd like Nahla to have a sibling in 2009."

On April 30, 2010, it was reported that Berry and Aubry had separated. Several days later, Berry's representative confirmed the relationship had ended, saying, "They have been split for some time, but remain friends and committed parents to their daughter." They worked out a financial and 50/50 custody deal with a family lawyer, but TMZ reported that it was not final. Aubry filed documents with the Los Angeles Superior Court on December 30, 2010, asking the court to formally recognize his paternity and grant a court order giving him and Berry joint legal and physical custody over their daughter. On January 31, 2011, Berry's representative told ''People'' that Berry had pulled out of the film ''New Year's Eve'' to make time for custody litigation because the actress "has serious concerns for her daughter's well-being while in the care of her father for any extended period of time and is prepared to take all necessary steps to protect her". The publicist claimed that Berry "has attempted to resolve these custody issues amicably with her daughter's father...directly, but given his lack of cooperation, Halle has no choice but to seek swift judicial intervention." The following day, Aubry responded by saying through his representative that he was "disappointed in Halle's decision to falsely malign him publicly and for her own purposes", calling himself "a caring father who shares custody of Nahla". Aubry further stated that "he refuses to be pulled into her dispute over a canceled film production" and "also refuses to air their issues in the press as he believes this may ultimately harm their daughter".

In the media

Berry has stated that the manner in which people have reacted to her because of her racial background is often the result of ignorance. Her own self-identification has been influenced by her mother. She is quoted as saying:

After having many talks with my mother about the issue, she reinforced what she had always taught me. She said that even though you are half black and half white, you will be discriminated against in this country as a black person. People will not know when they see you that you have a white mother unless you wear a sign on your forehead. And, even if they did, so many people believe that if you have an ounce of black blood in you then you are black. So, therefore, I decided to let folks categorize me however they needed to.

While taping the ''Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' on October 19, 2007, Berry displayed a distorted image of her face, remarking: "Here's where I look like my Jewish cousin!" During the editing of the program, the comment was obscured by a laugh track. Berry later stated "What happened was I was backstage before the show and I have three girls who are Jewish who work for me. We were going through pictures to see which ones looked silly, and one of my Jewish friends said [of the big-nose picture], 'That could be your Jewish cousin!' And I guess it was fresh in my mind, and it just came out of my mouth. But I didn't mean to offend anybody. I didn't. I didn't mean any harm. – and after the show I realized it could be seen as offensive, so I asked Jay to take it out, and he did.'"

Berry took part in a nearly 2000-house party cell-phone bank campaign for Barack Obama in February 2008, and said that she will "collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear."

In October 2008, Berry was named Esquire Magazine's "Sexiest Woman Alive", about which she stated "I don't know exactly what it means, but being 42 and having just had a baby, I think I'll take it."

Filmography

Title	Year	Role	Notes
''Living Dolls''	1989	Emily Franklin	TV (canceled after 13 episodes)
! scope="row"	1991	Claire	TV series, episode: "Unforgettable"
''''	1991	Jaclyn	TV series, episode: "Love, Hillman-Style"
''They Came from Outer Space''	1991	Rene	TV series, episode: "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow"
''Knots Landing''	1991	Debbie Porter	TV (cast member in 1991)
''Jungle Fever''	1991	Vivian
! scope="row"	1991	Natalie
''''	1991	Cory
! scope="row"	1992	Angela Lewis
''Alex Haley's Queen''	1993	Queen	NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
''CB4''	1993	Herself	Cameo
''Father Hood''	1993	Kathleen Mercer
''''	1993	Autumn Haley
''''	1994	Sharon Stone
''Solomon & Sheba''	1995	Nikhaule/Queen Sheba	TV
''Losing Isaiah''	1995	Khaila Richards	Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
''Executive Decision''	1996	Jean
''Race the Sun''	1996	Miss Sandra Beecher
! scope="row"	1996		Cameo
''''	1996	Josie Potenza
''B*A*P*S''	1997	Nisi
''''	1998	Shelby Coles	TV
''Bulworth''	1998	Nina	Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
! scope="row"	1998	Zola Taylor
''Introducing Dorothy Dandridge''	1999	Dorothy Dandridge	Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a MovieGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television FilmScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television MovieNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic SpecialNominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
! scope="row"	2000
''Welcome to Hollywood''	2000		Documentary
! scope="row"	2001	Ginger Knowles	NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
''Monster's Ball''	2001	Leticia Musgrove
''Die Another Day''	2002	Giacinta 'Jinx' Johnson
! scope="row"	2003	Ororo Munroe/Storm
''Gothika''	2003	Miranda Grey	Teen Choice Awards for Choice Movie Actress – Drama/Action AdventureNominated – Black Reel Award for Best ActressNominated – Kids Choice Award for Favorite ActressNominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion PictureNominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Performance - Female
! scope="row"	2004			2005	Janie Starks	Nominated—[[Black Reel Award for Best Actress: T.V. Movie/Cable">Golden Raspberry Award
! scope="row"	2005	Janie Starks	Nominated—[[Black Reel Award for Best Actress: T.V. Movie/CableNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television FilmNominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic SpecialNominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
! scope="row"	2005		(Voice)
''X-Men: The Last Stand''	2006	Ororo Munroe/Storm
! scope="row"	2007	Rowena Price
! scope="row"	2007	Audrey Burke
''Frankie and Alice''	2010	Frankie/Alice	African-American Film Critics Association for Best ActressNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion PicturePRISM Award for Best Performance in a Feature FilmNominated—BET Award for Best ActressNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
''Dark Tide''	2011	Kate Mathieson
! scope="row"	2011		filming
''Movie 43''	2012		filming

Awards

! Year	! Award	! Category	! Film	! Result
1995	NAACP Image Awards		''Alex Haley's Queen''
2000	Primetime Emmy Award		''Introducing Dorothy Dandridge''
2000	Golden Globe Award		''Introducing Dorothy Dandridge''
2000	Screen Actors Guild Awards		''Introducing Dorothy Dandridge''
2000	Black Reel Awards	Best Actress in a TV Movie/Mini-Series	''Introducing Dorothy Dandridge''
2000	NAACP Image Awards	Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special	''Introducing Dorothy Dandridge''
2001	Academy Award		''Monster's Ball''
2001	Screen Actors Guild Awards		''Monster's Ball''
2001	British Academy of Film and Television Arts	Best Lead Actress	''Monster's Ball''
2001	Golden Globe Award	Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama	''Monster's Ball''
2001			''Monster's Ball''
2002	Black Reel Awards	Best Actress	''Monster's Ball''
2002	NAACP Image Award	NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
2002	BET Awards	Best Actress
2002	Women in Film Los Angeles			Recipient
2003	BET Awards	Best Actress
2003	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Supporting Actress	''[[Die Another Day''
2004	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress	''Gothika''
2004	BET Awards	Best Actress
2004	Golden Raspberry Awards	Worst Actress
2005	BET Awards	Best Actress
2005	Primetime Emmy Award
2006	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Supporting Actress – TV series	''Their Eyes Were Watching God''
2006	Golden Globe Awards		''Their Eyes Were Watching God''
2007	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Female Action Hero	''X-Men: The Last Stand''
2008	BET Awards	Best Actress
2009	Spike Guys' Choice Awards	Decade of Hotness Award
2011	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama	''Frankie and Alice''
2011	NAACP Image Awards	NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture	''Frankie and Alice''

References

Further reading

Banting, Erinn. ''Halle Berry'', Weigl Publishers, 2005 – ISBN 1-59036-333-7

Gogerly, Liz. ''Halle Berry'', Raintree, 2005 – ISBN 1-4109-1085-7

Naden, Corinne J. ''Halle Berry'', Sagebrush Education Resources, 2001 – ISBN 0-613-86157-4

O'Brien, Daniel. ''Halle Berry'', Reynolds & Hearn, 2003 – ISBN 1-903111-38-2

Sanello, Frank. ''Halle Berry: A Stormy Life'', Virgin Books, 2003 – ISBN 1-85227-092-6

Schuman, Michael A. ''Halle Berry: Beauty Is Not Just Physical'', Enslow, 2006 – ISBN 0-7660-2467-9

External links

Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:People from Cleveland, Ohio Category:Actors from Ohio Category:African American film actors Category:African American television actors Category:American female models Category:American film actors Category:American people of English descent Category:American television actors Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Category:Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actress Golden Globe winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Miss USA 1986 delegates Category:Miss World 1986 delegates Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners

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