Batwoman

## First Appearance

52 #7 (August, 2006) (as Kate Kane)52 #11 (September 2006) (as Batwoman)

**Batwoman** is a superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in her civilian identity in issue seven of the the limited series *52* before finally appearing as Batwoman in issue eleven. Batwoman is a reimagined version of the Silver Age version of the character, who first appeared in *Detective Comics* #233 (July 1956). The modern iteration of Batwoman is notable for her sexuality. Unlike her Silver Age incarnation, this version of Batwoman is of Jewish descent and a lesbian. She was the highest-profile gay superhero to appear in stories published by DC Comics at the time, and her sexuality drew widespread attention from the media as well as the public. **Kate Kane** and her sister Elizabeth Kane were identical twins and were very close to each other. The twins were raised at least partially in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as their parents were soldiers in the military. The family moved the Belgium as their father, Jacob "Jake" Kane, was promoted to colonel sometime before their twelfth birthday and reassigned to a NATO position in Brussels.

Jacob could not come home to celebrate the twin's twelfth birthday due to a security crisis, so their mother Gabrielle "Gabi" Kane took them both out for to the Grand Place for chocolate and waffles. They were kidnapped on their way there by heavily armed men from the Religion of Crime. After learning of the kidnapping, Jacob Kane led a rescue mission to save his captured family. They were too late, however, as Gabi had been executed along with Elizabeth. Jacob rescued Kate himself, but she was traumatized by the sight of her dead mother and sister. Kate tried to please her father by entering the United States Military Academy, where she receives excellent grades, performs well in physical fitness and sports, earns prestigious awards, and achieved the rank of Brigade Executive Officer in her senior year. In secret, she also maintains a romantic relationship with Sophie Moore, her roommate.

An anonymous accusation of homosexual conduct was brought against Kate, and her commanding officer asked her to disavow the allegation on account of her outstanding record. Refusing to lie and violate the Honor Code of the academy, Kate confirmed her sexual orientation and is forced to leave the school.

Jacob Kane eventually married Catherine Hamilton, a weapons heiress. Kate became a socialite in Gotham City's upper class as a result of her newfound fortune, and gained a reputation for her excessive drinking and partying. One night, Kate was pulled over by a traffic cop named Renee Montoya for speeding. Rather than getting fined for driving under the influence, the two began dating. Renee told Kate that she had no direction in life, no education, and no obvious goals after they had an argument. She soon discovered her calling, however, as she was attacked by a mugger while attempting to call Renee and apologize. Using her military training, she easily defeated the mugger, just as Batman arrived and helped her off the ground. Seeing Batman in person inspired Kate to become a vigilante as well, and she sobered up, fighting crime using military body armor and weaponry stolen from her father's military base and purchased off the black market. Her father discovered her secret operations, however, and she accepts her's offer for assistance. She undertook two years of intense training across the globe with some of her father's friends from the special operations community. Kate returns to Gotham to find that her father has made her a Batsuit, as well as an armory of experimental weapons based on Batman's known gadgetry and a bunker concealed in a panic room in Kate's apartment. She then became Batwoman, and would go on to join various teams around the DC universe, such as the Birds of Prey and Justice League Dark.