Now, with the recent announcement of Ruby Rose being picked up as Batwoman for The CW’s DC network series - everyone’s favorite Kate Kane has stepped back into the Bat-Signal Spotlight, But - it’s caught some pretty strong reactions from fans and critics alike, with many believing that it’s a bad move for the Kane character, and her step into the Arrowverse. Now let's take a look at the Top 10 Batwoman Surprising Facts.
10. OUT AND PROUD AND SHE IS GAY
Kate Kane is out and she’s incredibly proud and she is actually Gay. After her revamped character and costume was revealed in the spring of 2006, originally intended for Barbara Gordon - Batwoman was also given a brand new sexual identity. In the 1950s and 60s, under DC’s Golden and Silver Age - Batwoman was intended to be a romantic love interest for Batman - but in the New 52, issue #7 - her past relationship with Gotham Police Detective, Renee Montoya, is revealed. The decision proved to be a little bit controversial, but proved immensely popular with fans from the LGBT community, with DC noting their desire to diversify their wider
9 .EVIL TWIN
She Has An Evil Twin! Yep - everyone’s favourite uncanny narrative device also plagues Batwoman. Batwoman’s twin sister, Elizabeth Kane, was part of the terrorist kidnapping that devastated the Kane family in their early years. The twins, along with their mother, were kidnapped in Brussels, Belgium - after their father, Colonel Jacob Kane - had been transferred to NATO. Their mother Gabi was shot through the head - and Elizabeth was also pictured as losing her life. But - of course, this is DC - and Elizabeth Kane later popped up to cause chaos in Batwoman’s life, as a member of the Religion of Crime. After styling herself as the main character of her favorite Alice in Wonderland, Elizabeth - now known as Alice - quickly rose through the ranks of the Dark Faith criminal organization, and was fast on her way to becoming the new High Priestess of Gotham City. Oh - also, she’d only ever speak in quotes from the Alice in Wonderland book. That wasn’t annoying at all. Eventually, she was kind of saved by Batwoman, and taken to an offshore treatment facility by her father, in the hope that her broken mind could be restored.
8. SHE IS JEWISH
For the majority of DC’s lifespan, it’s been hard to imagine the likes of Batman, Cyborg and the Flash having time for religion. It’s an important character device and can paint a picture of their lives away from the mask. But, well, in the New 52 - we began to understand Batwoman as having a much more well-rounded identity. She was more than just a “gay superhero” - and in the DC Infinite Holiday Special, she was shown celebrating Hanukkah with her then love interest Renee Montoya. There are other Jewish superheroes though, Martin Stein AKA Firestorm being one - but Batwoman is the most obvious for DC fans, and what it demonstrates is a much deeper character that modern readers can connect with.
7. SHE KNOWS HOW TO THROW A PARTY
Rarely do you see a DC veteran goofing around with pals or relaxing at a bar downtown? Yeah, we’ve got Bruce Wayne milling around at a Charity Gala, drinking faux-Martini’s and eating finger food - but we know it’s all one big act to further the progress of Wayne industries so he can get himself a brand new Batsuit. Kate Kane couldn’t be further from that charity-schmooze if she tried. She’s a party animal - and she never pretends otherwise. After a certain plot point that we’ll cover in a later segment, Batwoman moved back to her hometown of Gotham City - and after that, she hit the town hard. In the New 52 - Kate Kane’s story shows her staying up late, drinking Appletini’s and dancing the night away. She dropped out of college, broke up with her then-girlfriend - more on that later - and generally, was a wayward soul with zero purpose in life. During a flashback in Rebirth’s “Detective Comics” - we see Kate Kane getting attacked by a mugger as she leaves a club late at night. After kicking his ass - Batman shows up - and inspires Kate to finally put down her dancing shoes and strike out on the path to being a vigilante.
6. SHE IS FILTHY RICH
And by filthy rich, we mean her bank balance could give Bruce Wayne a run for his money. Yeah - she pretty much rivals Batman in every way. In 52’s issue 7 - we get an intriguing insight into Batwoman’s origin. Both her mother and father, Jacob and Gabrielle Kane - worked in military intelligence - moving all across the globe, and presumably getting regularly promoted and rising through the ranks. Also - earning a heck tonne of money. After the whole kidnapping thing - and Batwoman’s mother dying - her father, Jacob Kane, went on to marry the billionaire arms-dealing heiress, Catherine Hamilton. Kate Kane instantly lept to the lofty status of a wealthy socialite - giving her the perfect guise to fulfill her lifestyle as a crime-fighting vigilante.
5. FILMMAKER
She Was Once A Filmmaker Yeah - so, in the Silver Age span of comics, Batwoman was actually, technically related to Batman. Originally - her name was Kathy Web, and she married into the Kane name by means of a Mr. Nathan Kane, AKA - the younger brother of Martha Wayne. It’s all pretty confusing, but essentially, the Silver Age Batwoman was Bruce Wayne’s aunt. This all takes place during Grant Morrison’s 2011 Batman Incorporated Series, which goes on to detail the ongoings of the Kane family. Before she met Nathan Kane - who was also a millionaire - Kathy lived life as an aspiring independent film director. Well - she soon gave that up though, after Nathan Kane - you know, bought her an entire circus as a birthday present. As you would.
4. DISCHARGED FROM THE MILITARY
She Was Discharged From The Military As we’ve said before, Batwoman’s father, Jacob Kane - was a buzz-cut, military drilling kind of dude - and Kate soon followed in his footsteps. She took to study combat at the United States Military Academy, where the first seeds of her martial prowess were sown. Things soon came to a halt though, after Kate’s sexuality manifested - and she was kicked out of the military for having a relationship with her roommate - an accusation which she straight up refused to deny. She stuck to her guns, but her military background didn’t end there. After she was kicked out, she used stolen military grade equipment and armor to outfit her Batwoman work in progress and would use it to thrown down in her early crime-fighting days. Her dad though - who’s a pretty cool dude - sent her out on two years of intense military training to fine tune her crime fighting ability. Fun fact - in Flashpoint, the alternate timeline created by The Flash - Kate Kane is seen actively working as a soldier. Although - she ends up getting killed during a skirmish with a group of terrorists.
3. NEARLY RITUALISTICALLY
She Was Very Nearly Ritualistically Sacrificed Yeah, Batwoman was kind of stabbed in the heart by a crazed-cultist. You know, usually superheroes get saved at the last minute - but not Kate Kane. She’s straight up mortally wounded in issue 25 of the New 52. It all went down after Bruno Mannheim, an evil gang leader - discovers the weird, sacred evil text of the Crime Bible - and starts taking the teachings of a book pretty seriously. We all know how that goes down. Basically - Bruno discovers a prophecy that he believes relates to Batwoman - and he sets up the Intergang, with the sole purpose of kidnapping her, ritualistically sacrificing her - and then reducing Gotham to ruin. Thankfully - after being stabbed in the heart, Kate Kane pulls the knife out of her own chest and murders Bruno Mannheim with his own blade. Nice. Oh - also, she survives - but the scars remain, and her breathing is forever impaired.
2. SHE WAS A FEMALE FURIE
Kate Kane was part of the super-angry, superhuman sect of The Female Furies, who were loyal to the tyrannical ruler of the planet Apokolips, Darkseid. They were led by the absolutely psychotic Granny Goodness - who’s got a pretty lengthy track record of brainwashing and torturing her way across the universe. During Grant Morrison’s Final Crisis - Catwoman, Batwoman, Wonder Woman and Giganta - are all individually brainwashed into becoming Darkseid’s newest incarnation of the Female Furies. Batwoman is given the privilege of being possessed by the evil spirit of Mad Harriet - one of Darkseid’s O.G Furies, and things were generally looking pretty grim for Kate Kane. Although - she did get to wield the deceased Mad Harriet’s incredibly powerful energy gauntlets - which packed so much punch that they could take down even the strongest of metahumans. Thankfully though, the alternate reality of Final Crisis never came to fruition - and Batwoman continues unaware of her time at the Female Furies.
1. HER DAD LOVES HER
Her Dad Loves Her At our final point, we’re giving a shoutout to possibly the chillest superhero dad since the dawn of time - Jacob Kane. As we known - most superhero dads are either absent, dead - or plain old evil, but not old Jacob Kane. He’s always been Batwoman’s most loyal supporter. After she was discharged from the military, Jacob Kane didn’t lose his cool and flip out over Kate’s life-choices - but he praised her for sticking to her convictions and having the integrity to do what was right. When he found out she was using stolen military equipment to fight crime in Gotham, he didn’t blow a gasket - he forgave her and instead used his extensive military connections across the globe to send her on a two-year intensive combat training tour. He didn’t butt his nose in where it didn’t need to be, he didn’t throw his weight around in a futile attempt to wrangle his daughter - he believed that she was courageous enough to make the best choice - and, well - he was pretty much right to do so. Because - she ends up being Batwoman.
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