SELINA KYLE

First Appearance: (as Catwoman) BATMAN #1 (1940)

Catwoman's Origin in DC Comics© Founded in the 1940's by DC comics© Created by Bob Kane Originating in 1940's BATMAN #1, Spring 1940 as a jewel thief, Catwoman was initially known as The Cat. She dons the disguise of an old lady, Miss Peggs in order to steal a diamond necklace at a shipboard party. Batman eventually captures her and exposes her, however he is so taken aback by her presence that he lets her escape.

In BATMAN #62, she gains her now known identity of Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Secret Life of Catwoman. Together with her cat-o'-nine-tails, she gains a permanent villain-type role in Gotham, committing numerous cat-related crimes while redeeming herself with an occasional good deed to prove to readers that she too has a proper set of morals.

After the success of the movie Batman Returns, DC comics finally allowed Catwoman her own line of comics. Selina breaks off from her relationship with Bruce in BATMAN #326... thereafter in August 1993, Catwoman's own line of comics, CATWOMAN #1, hits the stands.

"Batman had many villains in the early years; Bill (Finger) created some of them and I created others. Some were the result of collaboration, and the Catwoman was the result of such a joint effort. We knew we needed a female nemesis to give the strip sex appeal. So Bill and I decided to create a somewhat friendly foe who committed crimes but was also a romantic interest in Batman's rather sterile life. She was a kind of female Batman, except that she was a villainess and Batman was a hero. We figured that there would be this cat and mouse, cat and bat byplay between them -- he would try to reform her and bring her over to the side of law and order. But she was never a murderer or entirely evil like the Joker. We felt that she would appeal to the female readers and that they would relate to her as much as to Batman. We also thought that the male readers would appreciate a sensual woman to look at. So, she was put into the strip for both the boys and the girls, as a female counterpart to Batman." --Bob Kane