Kate Kane

Kate Kane
Textless variant cover of Detective Comics #860 (December 2009).
Art by Alex Ross.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearance
  • As Kate Kane:
  • 52 #7 (August 2006)
  • As Batwoman:
  • 52 #11 (September 2006)
Created by
In-story information
Full nameKatherine Rebecca "Kate" Kane
Team affiliations
Partnerships
Notable aliasesBrightbat
Dr. Lisa Frow
Abilities
  • Peak human physical condition
  • Enhanced senses
  • Trained computer hacker
  • Expert martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant
  • High intellect
  • Expert detective
  • Master strategist, tactician, and field commander
  • Utilizes high-tech equipment and weapons

Batwoman (Katherine Rebecca "Kate" Kane) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writers Greg Rucka, Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Mark Waid, and artist Alex Ross, Kane is a wealthy heiress who becomes inspired by the superhero Batman and chooses, like him, to put her wealth and resources toward a campaign to fight crime as a masked vigilante in her home of Gotham City as Batwoman.

This current version of Batwoman, who shares the same name as her counterpart from the Silver Age of comics, debuted in 2006 in the seventh week of the publisher's year-long 52 weekly comic book. Introduced as Kate Kane, the modern Batwoman began operating in Gotham City in Batman's absence following the events of the company-wide crossover Infinite Crisis (2005). The modern Batwoman is written as being of Jewish descent and as a lesbian. During the New 52, it is established that Kate Kane is a cousin of Batman's alter-ego Bruce Wayne, being a niece of his mother Martha Wayne.[1] Described as the highest-profile gay superhero to appear in stories published by DC, Batwoman's sexual orientation drew wide media attention following her reintroduction, as well as both praise and criticism from the general public.

The modern character is depicted in comics works relatively independently of Batman but has gained a considerable profile in recent years, both within the DC Comics publishing schedule and the publisher's fictional universe. She since had several runs in her own eponymous Batwoman monthly comic book and has had stints in the lead role in Detective Comics, the flagship Batman comic book for which DC Comics is named.

Kane appeared in media set in the Arrowverse, initially portrayed by Ruby Rose and later by Wallis Day.[2]

  1. ^ Batwoman #25 (November 2013)
  2. ^ "First Look: The New Batwoman Makes Her DC Debut". 22 October 2020.