Catwoman (Selina Kyle)

**Selina Kyle**, also known as **Catwoman**, is a character from the *DC* Comics.

Catwoman is a cat burglar with an on-again, off-again, romantic relationship with Batman. She is shown as a woman who is very strong-willed, independent and morally dubious.

In the AWA fics, Catwoman is set to appear in a future AWA storyline.

## **Appearance**

Selina has a short black hair and has green eyes, and she has a slim and slender figure.

Her attire consists of a black headmask with cat-like ears and wears an orange visors. She wears a shiny, black catsuit with a high neck-collar, arm gloves and boots.

## **Personality**

Catwoman is a woman who is defined by pride and temptation. Being a high-profile burglar, she is skilled in espionage, so she is able to keep herself from being known. She also has a high interest for jewelry, particularly that of high value and rarity.

Catwoman is often displayed as the embodiment of attraction and a pinnacle of dominating superiority, specifically over men. She isn't afraid to make suggestive comments and frequently flirts with Batman on numerous occasions. She also seems to be aware of her appearance and sometimes makes use of it. Additionally, in the Arkham City incident, she was feared by many Blackgate inmates, occasionally leveling that induced by Batman himself.

Unlike most of the villains of the Arkham franchise, specifically inmates of the asylum, Catwoman isn't considered to be a psychopath or criminally insane. She seems to hold little regard in wanting to kill, let alone wanting to care for another life, but this doesn't mean she is without morals. Under some situations, Catwoman can, yet sometimes reluctantly, aid Batman in his endeavors - a good example being when Catwoman saved the downed Batman from TYGER forces in loss of her loot, stating she would never forgive herself if he died. During a taped patient interview with Dr Strange, she had planned on leaving the interview until Strange said that one of the TYGER Guards was holding her friend, Holly, at gunpoint, forcing Catwoman to comply for the sake of her friend's life. The only time where she held immorality was during the Arkham Origins Blackgate Incident, but this was only because she was hired by an unnamed agency.

During the Arkham City Incident, she demonstrated that she is stubborn as she was almost shot by the Joker until Batman saved her and tried to convince her to leave the city for it wasn't safe. In response, she said, "Nine lives, remember?" before grabbing her whip and leaving the courthouse. This also shows how she is very daring to take risks, showing signs of fearlessness.

Catwoman also stands between the boundaries of an occasional hero and villain: she only plays the role of a hero whenever necessary and doesn't show much of a villainous ego. By the time of *Arkham Knight*, she reveals in a optional conversation with Batman that few of the criminals in town trust her any more due to her "playing nice" with Batman and many of them consider her a hero on Batman's team, much to her chagrin. She reveals herself offended by the idea of anyone thinking she does anything out of principles.

## **Abilities**

Seline Kyle may not have any superpowers, but she is not a pushover. She has incredible Eye-hand coordination and physical memory meaning that if she sees a move, she will remember it for life. Also, she has been taught stealth, athletics, hot-wiring, lock-picking, thieving, acrobatics and the martial arts. She was trained by the Armless Master in martial arts, by Wildcat in boxing and street-fighting, and by Sensei in all major martial arts disciplines and the Sensei's special blend of martial arts form (see Catwoman Annual #2 - Catwoman Year Onefor more details). She excels at low- and high-tech heists and is the best cat-burglar in Gotham. Catwoman has a good affinity for cats. They often help automatically if she needs it and instantly know that she is a friend. Additionally, Selina was an effective seductress, a talent she employed to remove herself from treacherous situations.

She is also a master of disguise, and is easily able to impersonate and assume multiple identities.

### **Equipment**

Catwoman has had many different looks over the years. In her first appearance, wore no costume or disguise at all, and 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. Her weapons include her trademark whip, bolas, and an American derringer model 1, a pistol she keeps as a backup.

## **Trivia**

* Selina Kyle/Catwoman is said to have been originally modeled on actress Hedy Lamarr.
* Artist Adam Hughes also admits he models Catwoman after Audrey Hepburn.