- For other uses of "Batwoman", see Batwoman (disambiguation).
- For other uses of "Kate Kane", see Kate Kane (disambiguation).
- "We all wear a mask of some kind. A cowl, a husband, wife, denial, anger. We all need our shield to protect us from the world. But for people like us, it's not always about stopping a runaway train or disarming a bomb. Sometimes, the best way to save someone is to be yourself."
- —Kate Kane[src]
Katherine "Kate" Kane[1] (born January 26, 1990)[2] is a wealthy individual and former aspiring-businesswoman, having become the acting owner of Wayne Enterprises, the founder and CEO of Gotham Pride Real Estate firm, and the owner and proprietor of the bar known as The Hold Up, before handing all of the aforementioned titles over to her successor, Ryan Wilder. She is the daughter of Jacob Kane and the late Gabi Kane, the twin sister of Beth Kane, the step-daughter of the late Catherine Hamilton-Kane, the step-sister of Mary Hamilton, the maternal cousin of Bruce Wayne, the ex-girlfriend of Sophie Moore, Julia Pennyworth, and Reagan, a close friend of Luke Fox and Kara Danvers, and a former member of The League.
After a family car accident caused by the Joker, Gabi and Beth fell into the river and were presumed dead after pieces of bones were found. Kate was resentful of Batman for not being able to save them. Eventually, Jacob married Catherine Hamilton and Kate met her step-sister Mary Hamilton. Kate decided to study at Point Rock Academy to gain Jacob's approval and join the Crows. There, she met and fell in love with Sophie Moore, who secretly started a relationship. Eventually, they were discovered and Kate was expelled for "homosexual conduct". Later, Kate trained with several masters around the world.
After returning to Gotham City to save Sophie from the Wonderland gang, Kate learned of Bruce's secret identity as Batman and took up his mantle, secretly operating as the vigilante known as Batwoman or simply the Bat, stylized by radio personality Vesper Fairchild as the Lady Crusader and the Bombshell Caped Crusader, as well as nicknamed by Sara Lance as Batlady. She is also stylized as the Scarlet Knight and the Bat of the Future. During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, Kate was revealed to be the Paragon of Courage. She and the rest of the Paragons defeated the Anti-Monitor and created a new universe with the help of the Spectre.
While Kate was on a flight home from National City after meeting with Kara over whether or not to destroy the piece of Kryptonite that she had, the plane's engine malfunctioned, causing it to crash. For a period of time it was believed that she was being held captive by Safiyah Sohail on Coryana, but it was eventually revealed that Safiyah never had Kate.
After this discovery, Julia Pennyworth discovered that body parts matching Kate's DNA were identified in Blüdhaven, leading to the belief that Kate had died in the crash. Despite this, Kate somehow managed to survive the explosion, despite having significant burns and a damaged larynx, but was soon taken captive by Roman Sionis, who enlisted Evelyn Rhyme to brainwash Kate into believing that she was Circe Sionis, effectively erasing Kate from her own mind.[3] As "Circe", Kate operated completely as Roman's daughter, receiving plastic surgery and facial reconstruction operations to look like his late daughter, and becoming a model for his company, Janus Cosmetics, as well as his enforcer and right-hand in the False Face Society.
However, Kate was eventually freed from Evelyn's brainwashing due to the efforts of her twin sister, Beth, and successor, Ryan Wilder. Having returned back to her former-self, Kate decided not to take back the mantle of Batwoman, as Ryan has earned the right to be Batwoman. Kate decides to leave Gotham in order to find her cousin, Bruce and bring him back.
Quick Answers
What is the significance of the mask for Kate Kane?
How does Kate Kane's wealth influence her role as Batwoman?
What is the backstory of Kate Kane becoming Batwoman?
What major events have shaped Kate Kane's character in the Arrowverse?
What happened to Kate Kane that made her leave the Batwoman role?
Biography[]
Original multiverse[]
Early life[]
Kate Kane was born on January 26, 1990 to Jacob Kane and Gabi Goldstein, along with her twin sister, Beth in Gotham City. From an early age, she was very close to her cousin, Bruce Wayne, who was like an older brother to her. Kate and Beth were inseparable growing up, doing everything together. The twins would often visit Bruce at Wayne Enterprises and once when they were little, Kate convinced Beth to sneak into his office. While playing in the room, Kate noticed a pearl necklace in a square pyramid-shaped glass container and tried to touch it. However, Beth stopped her and suggested they leave the office immediately.
Kate and Beth often snuck into the abandoned Burnside Orphanage to play ouija, taking turns scaring each other.[1] On Fridays after school, they would go to a waffle stand at Burnside Park to eat chocolate-covered waffles.[4]
On January 26, 2003, Kate and Beth had a Bat Mitzvah to celebrate their 13th birthday. As the party winded down and the family prepared to leave, Kate took a box of mints as a keepsake. Jacob drove home with his car full of Kate and Beth's birthday presents, so the twins planned to go with their mother. Before they left, Gabi gifted Kate and Beth garnet necklaces, their birthstones, which matched her ruby earrings, much to their delight. She asked Kate and Beth to ensure the three of them would keep one another close to their hearts as the twins grew up.[5]
While driving home with Gabi, Kate enthusiastically suggested she and Beth take a polaroid picture together to commemorate the day. Suddenly, the family's car was rammed by the Joker, who had hijacked a school bus, and they veered off the road, almost going over a bridge. However, Kate noticed Batman arrive and assured Beth they would be safe. Batman used two grappling hooks to attach the car to the bridge before leaving to deal with the Joker. As Beth tried to wake their mother, Kate quickly climbed out of the car through the broken rear window, calling out to Batman and why he was leaving so suddenly. When the bridge's pillar began to give away, Kate tried to reach for Beth's hand to pull her sister out, but the car broke away from the bridge, plunging into the cliff's river below. A horrified Kate was left on the bridge as the sole survivor, screaming for her mother and sister.[1]
Searching for Beth[]
This tragedy left Kate devastated and traumatized. She also started believing Batman only cared about catching the villain rather than saving innocent people, since he didn't stop to help Gabi and Beth. As Jacob began drifting away from her in his own grief, Bruce comforted Kate through her healing process.[1] The whole city spent months helping Kate and Jacob search for Gabi and Beth until Gabi's body was recovered. Feeling that Beth was still alive, Kate became determined to find her sister.
One night, Kate had a nightmare about the car accident and woke up yelling Beth's name. Jacob hugged her, comforting Kate. She refused to sleep in her bed, wanting to spend the night in the living room in case her sister called. Kate then made her father promise they'd never stop looking for Beth until they found her and brought her home.[4]
After the search for Beth had expanded to Blüdhaven, Jacob was called by someone who claimed to be her, but it was cut short. He traced the call and traveled with Kate to its location, the Cartwright house. While Jacob spoke with the home's occupants and checked upstairs, Kate searched the basement. Noticing a mysterious door, she approached it and called out for Beth, but heard no response. Unbeknownst to her, Beth actually was inside, but had been threatened that the owner of the house would kill anyone she spoke to. Thinking that Beth wasn't there and the phone call was just a prank, Kate and Jacob despondently left.[6]
One afternoon at Burnside Park, Kate was studying a map when Jacob brought her chocolate-covered waffles. However, she didn't even touch them, focused on finding Beth. Jacob replied they've been searching for months and need to take a break, but a guilt-ridden Kate confessed that Beth's fate was her fault; when the car crashed, Beth went to check on their mother while Kate left her behind in the wreckage. Kate tearfully wished she tried harder to save her sister, but was scared that she would fall down if she stepped too far. Kate broke down in tears as Jacob comforted her.
Later one night, Kate awoke to find her father crying. Jacob embraced Kate, revealing that Catherine Hamilton's investigators discovered skull fragments on Miller Farm and tested them for Beth's DNA, which was a match. In disbelief, Kate (correctly) refused to believe her sister was dead, pointing out she had already checked the farm on multiple occasions and found nothing. Jacob insisted she needed to accept the truth, to which Kate angrily called her father a "traitor" for giving up the search for Beth and stormed off.[4]
On May 25, 2004,[7] Jacob married Catherine and Kate met her step-sister, Mary Hamilton. However, she was somewhat distant from Mary growing up, since they were fairly different from one another.[8] Nonetheless, Kate was very close with Catherine, accepting her as a mother-figure.[1] Also, despite her usual tough façade, Kate eventually grew fond of and and came to love Mary overtime, often guiding and watching out for her step-sister.[9][10]
At some point, Kate came out as a lesbian. One day at school, Brad Morrison spread derisive rumors to everyone that she was gay. In response, Kate openly confirmed her orientation and punched him in the face.[11]
In Kate's teenage years, she attended Gotham Preparatory High School,[12] during which she played club soccer.[13] At one point, Kate was grounded by her father for an entire summer after Jacob found a reefer inside her school bag.[14]
Time at Point Rock Academy[]
Meeting Sophie Moore[]
Wanting to join her father Jacob's Crows Security, Kate studied at Point Rock Academy. In her sophomore year, she met Sophie Moore, who was in the same dorm as her.[8] Despite the military's strict code of conduct against homosexuality at the time, the two fell in love with each other and began a secret affair, often sneaking off somewhere for private moments.[1] Over the years, Kate and Sophie rose to become Point Rock's top cadets. At one point, Kate won a sharpshooting contest at the academy despite being severely hungover.[8]
Expulsion[]
In 2013, a week before graduation, Kate and Sophie snuck to the back of a shed, where they made out while discussing their plans to travel together over the summer. At Kate's suggestion, she and Sophie carved their initials into the shed. Just then, a superior caught them together. At a hearing, Kate and Sophie were offered a chance deny the homosexual allegations against them in order to remain at Point Rock. Kate wanted to reveal the truth, confident that the academy would not kick out their top cadets, which Sophie seemingly agreed with. As such, Kate defied their orders at the hearing and quit Point Rock. However, Sophie suddenly got a second opinion (after a talk with Jacob)[8] and revealed to Kate she accepted Point Rock's offer, wanting to graduate. Kate was in disbelief and tried to protest her decision, but Sophie simply asked that Kate keep her distance from her. Due to their different ideals, the couple broke up.[1]
World training[]
Following Kate's expulsion, Jacob suggested that she leave Gotham to travel around the world, training under combat and survival specialists.
Sometime in 2013, Kate traveled to London, where she trained under a Krav Maga instructor. Kate eventually had a fling with her teacher, hoping to get over Sophie. One day during a lunch date at a noodle house, they were suddenly attacked by a man who called Kate's teacher "Pennyworth". After the woman dealt with the assailant, Kate demanded answers. The woman revealed she was in fact Julia Pennyworth, the daughter of Bruce's longtime friend Alfred Pennyworth, who had been sent by Kate's cousin to look out for her. Upset at her deception, Kate broke up with Julia and left London that night.[8]
Presumably, Kate received news of Bruce and Batman's disappearance from Gotham around 2015.[1]
Return to Gotham[]
Meeting Alice[]
In 2018, Kate was training under an old man in a barren icy region, she suddenly received a call from Mary, who informed her of Sophie's kidnapping by Alice's gang, Kate immediately left for Gotham City earlier than she would've wanted to, heading straight for Crows Security, where she visited her father. She asked for Sophie's whereabouts and offered her assistance to the Crows, but her father disagreed and left to answer a call.
Wanting answers, Kate drove to Wayne Enterprises to use the Wayne Security system, she scaled the building, arriving in Bruce's office and reminiscing over her time sneaking inside with Beth when they were little, suddenly, the head of Wayne Security, Luke Fox, held Kate at gunpoint, knowing she was going to be cuffed, she secretly grabbed a paper clip and went with him, she tried introducing herself as Bruce's cousin, but Luke refused to believe her, he took Kate to the surveillance room and called the police, when she broke free and cuffed Luke to a system unit, taking his keys. Kate logged into the system, copying surveillance of the gang and leaving Luke's keys for him just out of his reach.
Arriving at the Kane penthouse, Kate was surprised with a welcome-home party, she was bombarded by Mary's rambling, when Kate interrupted to ask why Mary called her from her training, Mary revealed that she had accidentally discovered a box of pictures of her and Sophie and thought that Kate would want to come home, they were interrupted by Kate's step-mother Catherine, who asked for Mary to do a picture with the councilwoman, behind her, she saw a picture of her father and Sophie's acceptance into the Crows and recalled their tumultuous history. Showing her father the surveillance footage, they tracked the gang down to Burnside Orphanage, where the Crows converged upon.
Kate went ahead first, fighting through a number of thugs, but ultimately being knocked out, coming to, Kate came face to face with the gang's leader, Alice, Alice taunted her for some time, before knocking her back out and having her taken to a makeshift clinic run by Mary, waking to find Mary stitching a wound on her arm, Kate headed back to Crows Security to inform her father of her findings. Instead of taking her intel, he became angry at her having run off, causing Kate to give up and do her own thing.[1]
Becoming Batwoman[]
Kate headed back to Wayne Enterprises, where she attempted to convince Luke to call Bruce, before he could do so, she noticed an out of place heirloom on the bookshelf, she moved it back into place, revealing a secret elevator, riding it down, despite Luke's objections, Kate discovered the Batcave, realizing that her cousin is Batman, seeing newspaper clippings regarding the accident in which she lost her mother and sister, Luke explained Bruce had thought he'd had the calculations perfect, only to make one slight miscalculation, having Luke repurpose Bruce's old Batman suit, Kate took it to ambush Alice's gang, she entered into a brief scuffle, before diving as a bound Sophie fell off of the side of the skyscraper, the two fell through an abandoned building, miraculously landing on a bed, Kate promptly fled, using her grapple hook. When she returned to the scene, Alice was gone, but noticed and took the knife that Alice had lodged into a wall.
Following this, Kate returned to Crows Security, where she ran into Sophie, they exchanged warm pleasantries, before Sophie's husband Tyler appeared, much to Kate's shock. Kate stopped off at her father's office, where he admitted that he had reservations because he was afraid of losing her like he did with his other daughter and late wife, but would accept if she wanted to join the Crows. Kate headed to the Batcave, where she began writing letters to Bruce. Examining a knife Alice had thrown at her, Kate recognized the jewel embedded in it, comparing it to the one on her necklace, and realized that Alice was in fact her twin sister, Beth.[1]
Three days later, two Wonderland Gang members firebomb a Crow truck, Kate attacks them as her alter ego and she is a bit surprised when the suit deflects their bullets. She gets in front of one of them as he runs and knocks him out. She removes his mask and asks him where Alice is, and then leaves as more Crows arrive at the scene. She drives through Gotham on her motorcycle, going to the Wayne Enterprises tower, taking an elevator to the Batcave and Luke asks her where she's been. He warns her that she can't continue to go out and pretend to be Batman, to which Kate insists that she's merely doing it as a way of finding Alice and to determine if she is in fact her sister, Beth.
The next day, Kate meets with Catherine and Mary for breakfast and, Jacob arrives and says that the Crows might not have killed the gang member if Kate had joined his security group, Mary brings up the fact that Sophie is married to a man, but Catherine advises her daughter to drop the subject all together, Kate suddenly says that Alice is Beth and explains that she got one of Alice's knives with a garnet birthstone like Beth had, Jacob insists that facts are facts and that Beth is in fact dead, as skull fragments had been found years earlier, Kate tells her father that she'll prove it to them and leaves them to finish the rest of their breakfast.
Kate goes back to the Batcave and examines Alice's knife, she then looks at a photo of her and Beth as children. Luke arrives at the Batcave and tells Kate that while Wayne Enterprises does have a device that can analyze DNA against another sample, he was really just hired to watch over the building and keep the lights on. However, he says to Kate that he wants to talk about the Batman suit and proceeds to point out how the city wants a hero that isn't there, Luke warns Kate that Gotham City needs a hero and Kate has become one; whether she likes it or not, He then shows Kate several gadgets that Batman has at his disposal, including a laser saw and a rebreather, he warns her that they're all very dangerous tools and that quite honestly, he doesn't know how half of them work, Luke reiterates that this is because they were all meant for Batman. Kate taunts Luke by saying that this whole speech he gave her, sounded eerily similar to his father, Lucius Fox; except Lucius was at least useful.
Kate approaches Sophie at the Crows base and Sophie asks if "Batman" everyone is talking about is in fact Kate, Sophie insists that she hates Batman and also warns that Jacob hates Batman as well, so whoever is dressing up as Batman nowadays is really asking for trouble on Jacob's part, Kate denies it again and jokes with Sophie that if she were gonna save her in a dramatic fashion, she would have totally dressed as Wonder Woman to do so, instead of Batman, Jacob looks down from his office, and Kate takes Sophie somewhere private, she asks her to run the DNA on the knife, and Sophie insists that Alice isn't Kate's twin, Sophie warns her that Kate is getting her hopes up, and says that Jacob would kill her if he found out, Kate takes the knife back and switches topic, saying how she would have come back sooner to stop Sophie's wedding. Suddenly, a gas grenade rolls down the parking garage ramp and gang members come after the two women to get the knife.
Kate and Sophie fight them off, but one of the masked men grabs the knife and drives off with the others, later, Kate apologizes to Sophie for dragging her into it, Jacob complains that Kate brought Alice to the Crow's doorstep, and Kate wonders how Alice knew she had the knife, Sophie sides with Kate, but Jacob insists that Alice is a cop killer and must be stopped, Kate tells Jacob that somewhere deep inside of Alice, she's actually Beth, Jacob ignores her and says that the GCPD gave the Crows permission to put Alice down, an aide reports that they traced the second Crow from the night before and followed him to a section of town. Kate goes to Mary's clinic and asks to see the second gang member.
Mary has him under treatment and found a batarang in him, Kate says that he's one of Alice's gang and tells him to send a message to Alice; "waffles", she releases him and Kate tells Mary that if Alice is indeed Beth, she'll know what "waffles" means, when asking for more details, Kate tells her step-sister that it's better that she doesn't know, Kate later calls Sophie and asks her to stall the Crows while she finds Alice. Sophie realizes that Kate is referring to the Waffle Stand and Kate asks then asks Sophie to buy her some time so she can prove Jacob wrong.
Kate drives to the now-abandoned Waffle Stand and waits for Alice, Kate then hears Alice swinging on a nearby swing set and goes over to her, Kate asks Alice if she's really Beth, Alice toys with her when Kate asks her to prove that she is Beth, Alice says she is already here and knew the password was waffles and shares with her how they used to come every Friday to this waffle stand and gorge themselves in chocolate covered garbage, however, she then proceeds to say that she could also be lying because the little factoid she just shared could have been mentioned in the press and she might have read it online. Kate then reveals to Alice that she had her knife, while Alice continues to insist that they're sisters.
Kate points out that they found Beth's skull fragments and, Alice asks why she's there if that's the case, Alice describes the crash and how the thought of someone coming to save her was what kept her calm. Mary then texts Kate, asking her where she is, Alice says that Kate can answer that if she wants to. Kate texts Mary that something came up that is holding her up at the moment, when Kate says they have a lot to catch up on, Alice says she'd rather not she really just came to meet her here to ask her one question and that is when it was that Kate finally slept through the night after she disappeared, Kate says that she never did, because she feels like she should have been with Beth when she was in the crash. Alice then cuts her hand and gives her some blood to test her DNA, so she can get the proof she so desperately wants.
However, the Crows arrive shortly after with their guns drawn and, Kate steps between them and Alice, thus, shielding Alice from any potential kill shots, Jacob orders Kate to get out of the way, warning her daughter that Alice is just using her to get inside her head, they see that Alice has a weapon and Alice refuses to drop it, Kate warns Jacob that if he shoots then he won't just lose Beth, but her as well, not wanting to take that risk, Jacob orders his men to lower their guns and to instead take Alice to Arkham Asylum, Sophie approaches Kate, trying to justify telling Jacob her whereabouts, Kate is disappointed in her and goes instead to tell Alice that she hadn't told the Crows where they'd be meeting. Alice then asks Kate if she remembers why they each had to get their own waffle, and Kate proceeds to say that it was because Beth didn't like to share.
Kate later goes back to Mary's clinic not too long after as her alter ego and knocks out Dodgson, the power in the facility comes back and, Kate watches the TV as it comes on with the power and, a newscast shows that the van transporting Alice has exploded and subsequently fell into the waters under Loeb Bridge, Kate drives to the bridge and Luke calls her and warns her that the place is crawling with cops, undeterred, Kate speeds up trying to get to Alice in time, the van containing Alice sinks beneath the river waters and Kate gets her out using the laser saw while wearing the rebreather, she gives it to Alice to breath and Alice jerks awake and stares at her, the Crows shoot into the water, hitting the van and it explodes knocking the two women apart and opposite shores, Luke calls Kate several times as she lies unconscious, the police officers move in and Luke tells Kate to get up as a dog approaches her, he remotely activates the defibrillator built into the suit and by the time the police get there, she is gone.
Kate then goes back to the clinic, where Mary draws a gun when she hears someone behind her. When she realizes it's Kate, she lowers it. Kate apologizes for missing dinner the night before, Mary tells her that she understands Kate needs to know about Alice and says that Dodgson tried to kill her because Alice sees her as her replacement, however, she proceeds to tell Kate how Alice was in the wrong, since not once since their parents got married, has Kate treated her like a sister, she says that the most sisterly thing that Kate has done for her is pretending she doesn't exist, Kate tries to argue that it's not that way at all, but Mary doesn't believe her, Mary assures her that she didn't tell Jacob and asks her if Alice is worth all the trouble, Kate doesn't answer her and Mary asks her to tell Alice that she's not a threat. Kate then goes to Crows security, where her father is demanding to know how Alice escaped.
Kate tells Jacob that he's about to kill his own daughter, Jacob shows her the photos of a family Alice had killed and says that his Beth wouldn't have killed them, he tells Kate to drop it or he'll have her arrested and Kate storms out, Sophie tells Kate that Alice could have killed her, Kate accuses Sophie of lying to the military academy and selling her out, Sophie argues that wasn't the same thing and insists that she'd never lie to Kate, when Kate asks her if she's happy, Sophie says that she is and there is no "them". She tells Kate to move on and leaves.
The next day, Kate goes to see Luke, she thanks him for saving her, but as Luke looks to be tearing up, she tells him that they should get so emotional and they drop it, she tells him that she knows it wasn't Alice and her gang that took the knife, she theorizes that there's someone else out there who doesn't want her to know the truth about the DNA on that knife, Kate writes in her journal to Bruce that the people of Gotham want hope and she found someone she didn't know or recognize in Alice. Now instead of hope, she feels doubt. That night, Batwoman beats the captive Dodgson for answers as she wants to know everything he knows about Alice, Kate returns to her bike and finds a case left for her. There's a bat inside, and there's a note saying that Kate has her father's eyes, revealing that Alice not only is Beth, but that she also knows that Kate is the bat superhero.[4]
Ten days later, Kate writes to Bruce to tell him how Alice has figured out she was the one putting on the Batsuit. She explains that she put on his suit to terrify Alice and her gang, but that it can't protect her now that Alice it's her inside the suit. Kate feels like she has lost her advantage, and in the process has inadvertently given Gotham their hero back. She admits that she didn't sign up for this part, as she never meant to give the city so much hope. She finishes this journal entry to her cousin telling him that she can't do this because she's not Bruce Wayne or Batman.
Later, Kate is called into action when someone flashes the bat signal onto Wayne Tower. It turns out it was Alice who called Kate using the bat signal, but also makes rabbit ears using the light from the aforementioned bat signal. When Kate gets there, Alice sarcastically says how it must be broken because it was supposed to call Batman not Kate. She reminds Kate that putting on the suit hasn't changed anyone's life and that being a hero is not her strong suit, since she let Jacob declare her dead after not helping her escape from the car. Alice asks how she can get Dodgson back, to which Kate says that if she can stop killing people for 24 hours then she'll reassess the situation. Alice begrudgingly agrees but says that if Kate is trying to save Beth, that she can't because Beth has gone down the rabbit hole and will never come back.
Kate returns to Wayne Tower, only to find Tommy Elliot inside Bruce's office. Tommy then proceeds to tell her that he now has more money than Bruce, and points to a building he just bought - five stories taller than Wayne Tower. Kate asks why he's there, and Tommy says he is here to invite Bruce to his party. Kate says he isn't back, and Tommy goes onto talking about how Gotham's Dark Knight has the city swooning after a picture showed him reappearing in the streets of Gotham. Kate claims that the photo is fake because it's too grainy to tell what exactly it is. Tommy lets Kate know he finds her lack of a reaction to Batman's return shocking. After all, as Tommy points out, Batman did let Kate's mother and sister die and is surprised she isn't more upset. Kate says that she had years to process, noting that Batman also saved Tommy's mother. Changing the subject, Tommy tells her that he wanted to invite Bruce to celebrate his new acquisition, and insists that he's there. Kate says that he isn't, but agrees to leave the invitation on Bruce's desk. Luke then calls Kate to tell her that something of value has been stolen from one of Wayne Tower's secret weapons facilities. The security cameras were jammed, but he thinks it could have been Alice and her gang. On her way there, she passes the Gotham Gazette, where cops have been called since someone wrote, "Come out, come out Batman!" in red painting, and there's an effigy wearing batman's outfit was drenched in what looks like "blood". Kate witnesses this and writes to Bruce, about how in trying to be Batman, she ended up drawing out his enemies instead. She tells her cousin that she figures today is just an effigy. But she wonders what will happen when his enemies start to kill real people in order to draw him out. She confesses that the Gotham he set out to protect is now less safe because of her actions thus far.
In the Batcave, Luke shows Kate how the Batsuit is bulletproof. He explains to her that the thieves took a prototype railgun from Wayne R&D. The gun is a parallel conductor that generates a pulse of electromagnetism, thus accelerating the velocity of the projectile. It's the most lethal weapon that Bruce ever built. Luke then tells Kate that the one he was using is just a prototype used for showing Kate what the rail gun does. Luke goes onto say that it is the only gun that shoots a shot strong enough to penetrate the suit. Bruce had it built in case the suit ever fell into the wrong hands. Thus, whoever is in possession of the gun has the only gun out there that can kill Batman. However, the disruptor in Kate's gauntlet can neutralize the gun. When trying to pinpoint who could have taken it, Luke suggests that maybe Alice took the gun, but Kate suspects that Tommy Elliot might be behind it instead. She shows Luke the invitation and notes that it was for Bruce rather than her. Kate figures Tommy knows Bruce is Batman and that's why he stole the gun. Luke suggests that she put the Batsuit back on and show Tommy that Batman isn't afraid of him. He figures that Bruce built something to stop the rail gun and he'll find it, and Kate should defeat the thief. Kate warns him that if she doesn't, then she'll let down the entire city.
Kate arrives at the Elliot party and presents her invitation to get in. She gets into the elevator with Mary and Sophie. Sophie explains why she's there with Mary; explaining she's her security detail. Kate mouths an "I’m sorry" to Mary, to which Mary mouths back that she knows. Sophie then asks Kate why she's at the party, and Kate says that she was told to move on. They all go up to the top floor and Kate looks around for Tommy. The bartender Reagan advises her to stay at the bar and wait for Tommy here if she wants to save herself from a verbal car wash of veiled misogyny. Reagan promises that Tommy will be here, so Kate orders a beer. Tyler comes over shortly after, and in talking with Tyler, Kate realizes that Sophie hasn't told him that the two of them dated or that Sophie is into women. When Tyler leaves, Kate is impressed when Reagan talks about how Tyler married Kate's ex and he has no idea. Reagan explains that she since she started bartending before she could drink, she has become quite good at reading people. At one point, Jacob says to Kate that he is glad to have someone around who hates Tommy Elliot more than he does, even if he is one of his biggest clients for the Crows.
Kate eventually finds Tommy, who says that even though it took him half his life, he's finally looking down on Bruce. Kate asks why he thinks Bruce is there, and Tommy says that they're "cosmic besties". Kate casually mentions that a thief stole the rail gun and there's a hidden GPS hidden in the butt, and Wayne Security will soon track down the thief. Tommy is subsequently busted by Kate when she sees him inspecting the stolen gun, looking for the supposed GPS. She tells him that it isn't his and asks how he knows Bruce is Batman. Tommy explains that he paid a man to riddle him the answer, and says that since Bruce saved his mother, he didn't get his inheritance earlier and his mother went mad. He says that he's going to get revenge on the city's hero, and insists that Batman has to die. Tommy draws a gun and aims it at Kate, then takes out a phone and shuts down the power throughout the building. Tommy tells Kate to have Batman meet him on the roof or he drops the elevators. Kate says that Batman isn't in Gotham, and Tommy releases an elevator with catering staff in it and says that in an hour, he'll do it to people the city will actually miss if Batman doesn't meet him. Kate checks out the elevator crash site and finds the survivors. She tells one that he's going to be okay as the EMTs arrive.
Kate then goes to the Batcave and says how this is all her fault, and asks Luke if he really thinks Bruce is coming back. Luke admits that he doesn't think so, and Kate says that maybe she's better than Batman because at least she's there. Luke fixes the suit by painting the bat symbol red for Kate's Batwoman suit. Tommy is waiting on the roof as Batwoman moves through the shadows. She finally steps out and when Tommy realizes that she's not Batman, she tells him that's the whole point. Tommy demands Batman, and calls her Batman's side piece. Luke tells her to activate the neutralizer in her glove. She does but it doesn't work, and Luke activates it remotely, but tells to stall for 30 seconds while it charges. Batwoman attacks Tommy and the two of them fight. He grabs the gun just as the neutralizer charges, and Batwoman shuts down the rail gun. However, Tommy grabs his remote and sets off a charge.
The elevator containing Catherine and Jacob shakes as the cable holding it up breaks. Batwoman drops down, standing on another elevator, and uses the two-way grappling gun to catch it. Tommy sets off the charge on the elevator Batwoman is on. She uses a grappling hook to pull herself up. She is holding for her life, and Tommy steps on her hands. He tells her to let go, but is knocked out by Alice from behind. Kate pulls herself up and points out that Alice just saved her life. Alice says that they're even now, but proceeds to stroke Kate's cheek, and notes that the red wig must be homage to the color of their birthstone. Kate says it's also to remind them where they came from. After a moment, Alice tells Kate that she couldn't wait 24 hours and figures Dodgson will die now because she couldn't stop herself from killing. Kate wonders why she saved her, and Alice says that it's because she has plans for her. When Kate grabs her and says that if she kills again she'll stop thinking of Alice as her sister, Alice says that's what she wants. Kate doesn't believe it, and Alice pulls Kate's hand away and leaves.
As the police take Tommy away, Kate arrives and Tommy tells her to tell Bruce that he won't stop until Bruce shows his face. Kate reveals that they are taking him to Arkham Asylum, and taunts him by wishing him good luck buying his way out of that punishment. Reagan then is seen coming out and Kate asks her if she's okay. She reveals that she came over to ask her if she's into her and promises to call Kate when the former says yes.
In another letter to Bruce, Kate admits that she was afraid of letting him down, and figures that whatever happens is worth it. She later stands on top of Wayne Enterprises in her new suit, where a helicopter spots her.[15]
At some point after becoming known as "Batwoman", Kate lies in bed with Reagan, and turns off the radio. Reagan says that she kind of likes Batwoman and believes that Gotham could use a woman's touch. The two share a passionate kiss before Kate's phone rings, and she checks it to learn that Luke texted her saying that it's urgent. She tells Reagan that Luke is a co-worker and she has to go because there's a problem with the plumbing and lies that a water main broke at Wayne Tower. Reagan notes how Kate comes by her place late at night, and leaves before breakfast. As a result, she doesn't see much of her, except in small increments of time.
Thus Kate tells her that she'll make it up to her before leaving. Kate goes to Bruce's office and meets with the museum curator, Roxanna. Roxanna thanks Kate for letting her have Martha Wayne's necklace up for display, and tells the photographer Margot to get a few more shots of it. Luke asks where Kate was, and Kate tells him that she's been seeing someone. He explains that Magpie struck again and almost killed a security guard, and Batwoman was nowhere to be seen. Luke and Kate go to the Batcave and Luke wonders what they're going to do with the imprisoned Dodgson. She says that he's not going anywhere until Dodgson tells her more about Alice's plan. However, his fever continues to spike, and he Dodgson's heart seizes up and Kate agrees that he needs an ER.
Donning her Batwoman suit, Kate goes to Mary's clinic. Using a voice modulator, Batwoman tells Mary that she needs her help and shows her Dodgson cuffed to a bed. Mary notes that Dodgson tried to kill her, but checks his infected leg. She says that she might be able to save him, and Batwoman promises to come back for Dodgson later. Mary jokingly asks her if she doesn't have neosporin in her utility belt. She also goes onto chastise Batwoman because she actually subscribes to a code of do no harm unlike the vigilante.
Batwoman deduces that she needs to establish the citizens' faith in Batman by capturing Magpie. Luke calls her and suggests that they use Eagle cams to find her. Magpie breaks into another gallery to steal jewellery, and Batwoman cuts through her line. The two women fight and Batwoman grabs some trinkets off of Magpie's belt, as Magpie jumps out a window. Batwoman tries to stop her and misses when her thrown Batarang returns and instead smashes a precious gilded vase that once belonged to Marie Antoinette.
The next day, Kate meets with Luke and suggests that the Batarang is broken. He says that the trinkets were grenades and figures he can trace the contents to locate Magpie. Kate leaves to have lunch with Reagan. Kate and Reagan decide to go for a walk before lunch, and Reagan correctly deduces that Kate came back to Gotham because of an ex. She then points out that she used to live in an apartment that is now part of the Crows District, but she along with the previous tenants were and all forced out. So the real estate moguls got rich evicting people; not caring who they hurt in the process. Kate realizes that Reagan was evicted from her childhood home, and Reagan admits to having googled Kate. Just as Reagan is taking Kate to her mother's restaurant, Kate gets another text and says that she has to deal with an electrical fire in her cousin's building. She invites Reagan to the fundraiser at the museum and she agrees.
Kate returns to the office and finds Luke knocked out. She realizes that Magpie took Martha's necklace, and feels guilty at not being there to protect Luke and the rest of the place. Kate and Luke talk about how Bruce's mom was killed for that necklace. Then Luke talks about how Bruce Wayne spent years looking for it in the streets. He eventually found it in an auction, and spent $1 million buying it back. Luke then says that Magpie 3D-printed the bombs using explosive ink, and suggests that Kate ask Sophie since it'd be easier for the Crows to locate it since they track magnate shipment. At the Crows HQ, Sophie wonders why Kate is on the case if Batwoman is as well, and Kate says that she doesn't trust vigilantes. After Sophie comes up with a list of explosive ink buyers, she tells Kate that she's glad she came to her and that they've always made a good team.
At the Batcave, Luke goes through the list of ink purchasers. Kate notes that Sophie thinks that she's Batwoman, and wonders how Bruce made living a double-life so easily. Luke tells her that Bruce's life sucked; the playboy thing was a good cover for him because he could tell the same lies over and over. Eventually, Luke's search comes up with a PO Box for one of the buyers at the old Gotham Hotel. Batwoman goes there and finds Magpie's jewelry, computer, and 3D printer. She notes that the temperature in the room is rather cold when just looking at the window, she's able to see her breath. Luke figures out that if Batwoman's body temperature raises the room's temperature, it will set off a bomb. Through Luke, Kate finds out that her suit can lower Kate's body temperature to match the room and bypass the sensors in Magpie's lair. However, Luke warns her that she can't breathe otherwise the bomb in Magpie's "nest" will go off. He asks her how long she can hold her breath. She says it gets dicey after two minutes. While she works, Luke says that the Batarang was calibrated for Bruce, not Kate, because he had longer arms. But that it has since been recalibrated to match her. He then asks Batwoman to clone the computer's hard drive, and Batwoman does so and finds Magpie's stash of jewelry, including the necklace. However, she also discovers feathers and sneezes due to her allergy and then hoists herself out of the room on a grappling line as a bomb goes off.
Batwoman later stands watch over the museum, figuring that Magpie will strike there. Luke has found schematics on Magpie's computer and is printing it since he can't decrypt them. She sees Reagan arrive and tells Luke that she has to go. Kate sees Reagan at the bar and avoids her, but first goes and hides her bag with her suit in a supply closet. Before she can approach her, Sophie comes over and says that she's working security in case Magpie shows. Reagan comes over and makes it clear that she's with Kate, and Sophie tells them to have fun after a tense and awkward moment between the three women. Roxanna comes over and Kate apologizes that the necklace was stolen. Roxanna informs her that a security guard showed up with stolen necklace. She calls everyone's attention and presents the necklace. Kate excuses herself from Reagan and calls Luke, who says that the "necklace" is a bomb that Magpie printed.
As she goes to get her suit, Kate figures that the bomb will serve as a distraction while Magpie robs the museum. Sure enough, Magpie arrives on the scene. She is stealing jewelry when Batwoman throws a Batarang at her and misses. The thief asks if Batwoman will capture her or save the guests, and triggers a remote to set off the bomb necklace. Batwoman goes there and absorbs the blasts with her cape, and sees Magpie fleeing with the jewels. One of the pearls from the necklace lands next to a little girl, and Batwoman throws a Batarang to knock the pearl out of the girl's hand and then shields her with her cape. Due to the new calibration, Batwoman is able to catch the Batarang. Magpie takes a grappling line across the street, and Batwoman snags her line and brings Magpie down into a nearby water fountain.
As the Crows secure the scene and take away Magpie, Kate realizes who she is; Margot, the photographer taking pictures of the necklace. Kate returns and tells Reagan that she was on a call. Reagan claims that she tried reaching out to Kate via her phone, and Kate responds that she must have been in a dead zone. Due to the contradiction between being on a call and being in a dead zone, Reagan figures that Kate is lying to her and says that she needs honesty in her relationships. Kate tells her that she's not in a place right now where she can share all of herself with someone else. She apologizes, and Reagan figures that she has a lot going on. She hopes that it makes Kate happy and walks away. Batwoman returns to the clinic and Mary says that Dodgson is stable. Mary relates what Dodgson said earlier about someone named Mouse, and Batwoman injects Dodgson with a subdermal transmitter. She tells Mary that Dodgson will lead her to Alice and Alice will lead her to Mouse, thanks Mary for her help, and leaves.[11]
Taking charge of Wayne Enterprises[]
Luke tells Kate that the city trusts her now. Kate says that she wants to start a real estate development firm subsidiary for Wayne Enterprises.[11][16] She plans to buy run-down buildings and give them to the rundown, because right now, the city doesn't trust Kate like they trust Batwoman. Batwoman watches over the city, and figures that if she's going to embrace the Bat then she'll have to embrace hiding part of herself. Meanwhile, Luke turns on the new and improved Bat-signal.[11]
Elseworlds[]
Meeting other heroes[]
At some point after reality was altered, Batwoman stood on the top of Wayne Enterprises.[17]
After Oliver Queen, Barry Allen, and Kara Danvers were arrested, Kate posted their bail and had a guard escort them to Wayne Enterprises. Once they got there, she reluctantly offered to help so they could leave, as she didn't want "Oliver" to cause any more problems. She took them to the rooftop and gave them equipment to use to find whom they were seeking while she watched them on a security camera. After a while, Kara came inside. Kara apologized for asking a lot of questions, realizing the name Bruce Wayne was somewhat notorious. Kate said she knew, as Bruce is her cousin. Kara mentioned that her cousin was frenemies with Bruce, then wondered if keeping his private life a secret broke him. Kate responded by saying that watching the city fall to pieces made Bruce hard to break and that Bruce was possibly forced to leave. Kara complimented her and then asked about John Deegan. Kate told her that he worked at Arkham Asylum. After Kara left, Kate took an elevator down to a cave, where her suit was located.[16]
Arkham breakout[]
- "Who the hell are you?"
- —Caitlin Snow upon seeing Batwoman[src]
When Barry and Cisco were attacked by Arkham inmates she appeared as Batwoman and took down the remaining inmates including Psycho Pirate. She told them that Kate told them to leave and that they should have listened to her and walked away.
Later when the Flash and the Green Arrow were fighting each other, she neutralized them and made them realize that they were exposed to a hallucinogenic gas. At the asylum gate, she told them to get out of her city and had a chat with Supergirl who knew her identity because of her X-ray vision. She recognized Kara Danvers from earlier. They shook hands and then walked away.[16]
After reality was restored back to normal, she contacted Oliver Queen asking if the deranged doctor they brought into Arkham was going to be a bigger problem since he already made a friend at the Asylum: the Psycho Pirate.[18]
Learning of Alice's past[]
Two weeks after the Arkham breakout, Kate writes another letter to Bruce, talking about how, despite spending nine months in her mother's womb alongside Beth, and then every other day for 13 years, she finds that Beth how she is now is a complete mystery to her. She admits that she doesn't know the rest of her story, but vows to solve this mystery before it's too late.
Back at Wayne Tower, Luke tells Kate about “The Skin Pirate”, who is being reported as a citizen of Gotham that has hit three morgues in one night so far, and taken skin from the corpses. The newspapers are assuming it's a male, but upon checking surveillance cameras that Wayne Tech has, they find out that the aforementioned thief is in fact Alice. Kate decides that whatever Alice has planned for Gotham ends upon seeing the video footage. Even though at first, she thought that Alice wouldn't be behind it because it's too sick, even for her. She figures that she can track Alice through Dodgson, who she put a tracker in.
Kate dons her Batwoman suit and ambushes Alice and the rest of her Wonderland Gang. Alice yells to Batwoman that she's not afraid of the dark or of her before she is subsequently knocked out with a bo-staff Kate had on her. While she's unconscious, Kate ties up Alice. She eventually wakes up and Kate asks her what the skin was for, and asks if the "Mouse" that Dodgson mentioned is real or a figment of Alice's imagination. Alice defends herself by saying she didn't hurt anyone since they were already dead. Alice then refers to Mary as an attention-starved step-sister who illegally drugged Dodgson.
Kate however, proceed to tell Alice that if she keeps going down this road, it will end badly but she can get her into a rehabilitation hospital. A good one. But Alice refuses to say what happened to her after the crash, and Kate calls Jacob so that he can find Alice and take her to Arkham. Kate says that Alice is contained and she thought he should know. Well aware that Jacob will track the call, Kate tells Alice to start talking. Alice says that if Kate releases her then she'll tell her story. While on the road with Kate, she tells her sister about how her long and sad tale begins 14 months before Catherine Hamilton-Kane fakes her death, which confuses Kate. Alice deduces that no one told Kate about it, and proceeds to tell her how their stepmother faked her DNA results, but also how their father just found out they had a funeral for a deer. Eventually, Alice gets frustrated with Kate because she feels as though her sister isn't asking the right questions. She proceeds to tell her that she really doesn't want to know why she is the way she is now, when the latter asks her why. However, when Kate tells her that she has waited 15 years to hear it, Alice relents. Alice tells Kate about the first worst day of her life - it all happened when she woke up in a stranger's house after the crash.
A man, and his son, Johnny, were there, and the man offered to make her a sandwich. Kate asks Alice if she remembers the man's name, but Alice tells her how she never knew it, and that it doesn't really matter. She temporarily changes the topic, suggesting they should stop at a nearby diner that is up the road. In the diner, Alice tells Kate that the reason they are there is because she used to dream of running away from her captor to a place like this. But then her own hunger would wake her. So she admits that alas, it was not meant to be. Alice continues with her story, saying how Johnny had the ability to mimic any voice he heard, and explains that Johnny's father never actually called the police, but instead put Beth inside a room in the basement and locked it, where she found a face in the sink. Kate references Hannibal Lecter, when she asks Alice why there was a face in a sink, and if the unnamed man who she calls Hannibal Lecter wanted to kill her or skin her. Alice says that she wasn't a prisoner, but a friend.
However, she does admit to learning that friend takes on a different meaning depending on who you ask. The father was using the skin for experiments to hide Johnny's hideous face according to Alice. She goes onto say how Johnny's father thought that the ridicule would end for Mouse once he looked normal. It's then revealed that Alice, with Mouse's help, drugged Kate. So now it's Kate who is the one who kidnapped.
Kate wakes up chained to a wall. Alice is watching her, and admits that she found the tracker on Dodgson and had a friend drug Kate's drink back at the diner. She figures the plan she and Mouse have for Gotham will go better with Kate out of the equation. Alice continues with the rest of her story and tells her sister how after weeks and weeks in captivity, like a little rabbit down a hole so small, she finally managed to claw her way out. She remarks how it's curious, for there are so many out-of-the-way things that when one becomes desperate, present themselves. She goes onto say she found one such opportunity, in a nail. Alice laments her poor, delicate fingers, but says quite proudly that she eventually did take the opportunity. Alice tells Kate how she managed to escape the basement and call their father, although Johnny's father found her and hung up the phone.
Kate remembers the call and how she and Jacob traveled to the house in search of Beth, but didn't find her. Alice says that she waited for Kate to sense that she was there, but Kate sensed nothing. With that, Alice turns and leaves, closing the door behind her. Similar to Beth years prior, Kate uses a nail to pick the lock on her handcuffs. She eventually escapes and meets up with Sophie, who is running from an adult Mouse. The two of them eventually subdue him and bring him to Alice, who had stabbed Jacob.
Kate holds a gun to Mouse's head, and tells Alice to decide which is more important to her: killing Jacob or keeping Mouse alive. Alice figures that Kate is bluffing, but Sophie comes in and aims her gun at Alice. Irritated, Alice says that killing Jacob would be too easy and if they all walk out, no one has to die. Kate releases Mouse and goes to Jacob, and Alice leaves with Mouse. Jacob tells Kate that Alice is Beth. Kate blames herself for what happened to Alice. Jacob joins her, and Kate wonders if anyone can save Alice.[6]
Facing the Executioner[]
Sometime later in the Crows headquarters, Jacob tells Kate about Cartwright and how all those years Beth was being held prisoner by a madman with a medical license. He also reveals that the deed to the house was under someone named Dr. August Cartwright, who vanished without a trace. Kate isn't impressed by his apologies, and Sophie comes in and says he'll want to see a news report. A reporter on Channel 8's Gotham City News is talking about Stanton death, and there's footage of the Executioner. The reporter also mentions how Stanton was seen by many as a hero to Gotham, one who brought justice to the victims of some of the city's most notorious criminals. Amongst them being Jack Napier AKA the Joker.
While watching the news, Kate notices that Stanton's killer is seen wearing in security footage that Crows Security the Crows got was wearing what looks to be an old fashioned executioner's hood, and an axe. The GCPD has already put up the signal for Batwoman, and Jacob says that she's a symbol of false hope that hides behind a mask. Kate leaves and heads to the Batcave, where Luke is happy at the idea that the City has called for Batwoman's help for the first time, whereas Kate feels like a lot of pressure is on her to not mess this up.
Luke also goes onto say that this is good news for her since Commissioner Forbes must trust her since it seems like the Gotham City Police Department has her on speed dial. Luke also confesses to Kate that Stanton was the one who put away the guy that killed his dad in armed robbery the night of his high school graduation. They were celebrating the fact that Luke got into MIT but they ran out of ice. His dad went out, and the next thing he knows two cops are asking him to ID the body. They were waiting on him to cut the cake. Luke goes onto find a file on Medlock and confirms that he got 30 years at Blackgate Penitentiary rather than execution. He finds footage of Medlock, aka The Fist, vowing in court to kill Stanton. Due to overcrowding, Medlock was paroled a few weeks earlier. A newscast coming in is heard saying that Medlock has barricaded himself in a building with hostages.
Donning her Batwoman suit, she heads to the building, where she meets up with Sophie, who comments on her new suit. They hear a woman scream and run up, and discover that the screaming is coming from loudspeakers. Donnelly comes in and sets off automated guns, killing him as Batwoman tackles Sophie to the floor. Sophie is hit, and calls Batwoman "Kate" before passing out. Batwoman takes Sophie to the clinic and Mary tends to her. When asked why she didn't take her to the hospital, since Sophie can afford it, she explains that the clinic was closer than a hospital and that Mary can't let Sophie leave.
Kate returns to the Batcave and tells Luke that Sophie knows who she is. She says that she'll convince Sophie not to talk after she catches the Executioner. Kate figures that the Executioner is using methods of capital punishment to kill his victims, and Luke determines the third method Gotham has used to kill criminals is a gas chamber. There's only one warehouse in Gotham that stores the hydrogen cyanide gas. At the warehouse, Batwoman approaches a guard and says that she needs information. He tells her that no one has gone past him, and Batwoman fades back into the shadows as the guard offers to buy her a drink.
Batwoman calls Luke, who says that they've got a report of Medlock elsewhere. Batwoman prepares to go check on Sophie, but a truck suddenly slams through the warehouse door, knocking Batwoman down, and the Executioner gets out and hacks open the chemical storage cage. He takes a canister of the hydrogen cyanide gas and gets into his truck, and drives off as Batwoman wakes up and tells Luke that the Crows have the wrong guy.
Back at the Batcave, Luke tells Kate that the truck's license plates had mud on them, making it impossible to identify. But he remembers that the suit's carbon fiber ribbing is designed to absorb any impact, so any deformation in the fibers is recorded in the suit's data. This was originally designed to track damage caused by bullets and blunt-force trauma. As a result, he gets a partial ID on the license plate from when it hit Batwoman. The truck as it turns out belongs to a man named Bertrand Eldon, who worked at Blackgate for 20 years as their executioner.
Batwoman breaks into Bertrand's home and finds no one there. She finds Bertrand's service awards, and locates the hydrogen cyanide capsules on the coffee table. There's no sign of a trap, and Luke warns her not to grab it. She does anyway and nothing happens, and she confirms that there's nothing inside but a flash drive.
Kate brings the drive to the Batcave, where Luke plays the video attached to it. Eldon admits to being guilty of killing innocent people, instead calling out three corrupt individuals for being the true criminals, as Eldon never killed a rich, white, man despite killing several poor black people. Luke says that he knows racial profiling is a thing in Gotham, but also that Stanton spent countless hours with his family trying to find justice for Lucius. He warns that his father's killer could use the information to get a new trial, and Kate asks if it's still justice when there's a possibility that innocent people are behind bars. Kate finds Medlock and grapples him to a rooftop before he could be handed over to GCPD. She also throws a batarang onto a van with Eldon's confession attached to it.
In Crows Security, Kate finds her father watching the confession. Jacob says that he doesn't believe that Judge Calverick is a fraud. He points out that Batman destroyed their lives. Kate tells Jacob that Beth became Alice because they stopped looking for her, and angrily says that Jacob gave up and blamed Batman because it was easier. She goes onto say that now an innocent man is going to pay the price for Jacob not listening then or now.
Batwoman heads to Calverick's office, where he is burning papers. She figures that the judge is burning the fake confessions, and says that he'll get free protection at Blackgate. Calverick runs out into his courtroom and the Executioner attacks him. Batwoman grabs the Executioner's axe and tells Calverick to run. Once he does, the Executioner says that he no longer trusts the law. Batwoman tells Luke over the radio to get backup to get Calverick into protective custody. Batwoman and the Executioner fight, and he eventually gets the upper hand. Jacob and one of his men arrive and Jacob shoots the Executioner. He sends the other to sweep the building, and Jacob tells Batwoman that he doesn't see a difference between her and the Executioner.
Jacob insists that he's accountable for Gotham and asks Batwoman who she's accountable to. Batwoman disarms him and they fight, and a timing device goes off on the Executioner's belt. Jacob realizes it's a dead man's switch linked to the Executioner's heartbeat. Gas pours into the room and the door seals. Luke confirms that the oxygen levels are dropping, and Jacob warns that the Executioner triggered the lockdown procedure. Batwoman asks Luke for ideas, and he says the hydrogen cyanide is flammable. However, Batwoman has to let the gas fill the room once to get full saturation. Batwoman tells Jacob to stay low to the ground, and he insists that he won't see the Bat symbol as the last thing before he dies. He says that the symbol let his family die, and Batwoman tells him to let his hatred fuel him into staying alive. Jacob explains that he has to blame the symbol because otherwise he'll have to blame himself. Batwoman ignites the gas when it reaches saturation level, and the cyanide burns off.
Batwoman visits Mary and asks where Sophie is. Mary tells her that Sophie's boss is Mary's stepdad, and she's not going to let him shut her down. Batwoman thanks Mary for saving her life, and Mary tells her that Sophie knows who she is and is probably going to tell Jacob. Mary also reveals that she didn't ask Sophie who Batwoman was, putting Kate at ease.
Later in Jacob's office, Kate looks over the information Jacob has on Alice. She realizes that she's been blaming Jacob for not saving Beth, but it was her as well who shared the blame for Beths circumstances as well since she was The Who crossed off the farm where Beth was all along, along with not being able to tell that Beth was behind the door of the farm. Jacob comes in and says that they're going to get Beth back and he won't ever give up. They both break into tears and Kate hugs him, knowing that she'll never be able to forgive herself if she doesn't forgive her dad first. Sophie comes in behind Jacob, exchanges looks with Kate, and leaves.[13]
Conflict with Sophie[]
Kate struggles with Sophie who threatens to tell her father, Jacob that she is Batwoman. Meanwhile, Kate was chasing a criminal known as the "Rifle", but she lost sight of him after meeting Julia Pennyworth. That night, Kate had Sophie meet her at Alessandro's for dinner to reveal her alter-ego. They were interrupted by Alessandro, who asked the pair to leave due to their apparent show of affection upsetting him. He initially tried to use the dress code as an excuse, but Kate caught on to his lie and stood up for her rights, forcing Alessandro to admit his homophobia. When Kate subtly made a scene by threatening to have her stepsister, Mary Hamilton, use her influence to shut down the restaurant, Alessandro agreed to let them stay.
Eventually, Kate convinced Julia to disguise as Batwoman to Sophie thinks she is not. Kate later talks to Sophie at Crows Headquarters. Julia as Batwoamn was later shot by the Rifle with the coil accelerator and fell out of the window, down onto the streets. The Crows arrested her and planned to transport Julia to their headquarters, but she was rescued by Kate.
Back in the Batcave, Kate tended to Julia's ribs while the latter apologized for lying to her in the past. Luke revealed that a butterfly knife the police recovered from one of the murdered engineers of Hamilton Dynamics likely matched Alice's knife. Kate realized that Alice hired the Rifle to kill anyone who was connected to the coil accelerator and (incorrectly) Kate herself. Julia informed them that the SRR had tracked the Rifle to the Mediterranean, where she would be following him. Julia then said her goodbyes to Kate and Luke before leaving, also advising Kate to not make the same mistakes as Bruce and allow people to get close to her.
The next day, Kate invited Mary to an abandoned building she had bought with her firm, wanting her step-sister's help with her first real estate endeavor. Kate explained her intentions to convert the site into a gay bar in retaliation to Alessandro's homophobia, which was located across the street. Enthusiastic, Mary suggested to be the one to manage the bar's design.[8]
Family crisis[]
Kate as Batwoman ambushes a member of the Wonderland gang and asks him to give her his jacket. He initially refuses because it is "vintage", but ends up giving in. Kate returns to the Batcave and gives Luke the jacket and tells him to use the phone in his pocket to track Alice via GPS. Luke tracks the phone's GPS to Bowery, and Kate heads there. Kate finds Alice and accuses her of having hired the Rifle to kill her using Coil's accelerator. Alice reveals that she made sure that no one killed Kate and gives her sister the piece of technology that allows the accelerator to penetrate the Bat-suit. Kate advises Alice to surrender, but Alice orders her to leave when several of her henchmen arrive to support her.
At Hold Up, Kate finds Mary and she asks her to attend the Gotham Humanitarian Ball, where Catherine will be honored. Kate is still dealing with Catherine lying to Jacob about Beth's death, to which Mary reminds Kate that she has hope for Alice. Kate claims that Alice is different because she is "[her] family", which Mary is offended. She informs Kate that Jacob is coming to the dance because of her and that Kate would do the same before leaving. That night, Kate visits Jacob (who is actually Mouse) and asks if he is going back with Catherine. Jacob insists that he cannot just walk away from the wedding and Kate leaves, disgusted by who she thinks is her father.
At Wayne Tower, Kate is drinking and asks Luke how her father could choose to be with Catherine after all the pain she has caused them. Luke points out that Alice did much more damage than Catherine, but Kate insists that her sister's actions were due to her being "brainwashed". Kate finally finds out that the Jacob she met is not really him. As a test, she calls "Jacob" and tells him it's none of her business if he wants to go back with Catherine. Kate mentions a snowstorm at her wedding, and "Jacob" agrees. As soon as Kate hangs up, she reveals to Luke that Jacob and Catherine were married on the hottest day of the year, and deduces that the "Jacob" she just spoke to is actually Mouse.
Kate visits Alice and asks what she has planned. Kate even points to a photo that Alice kept of the two of her Bat Mitzvahs and discovers that there is still something good about her sister. Kate asks where Jacob is, and Alice replies that she left him in the same place that he left her. As Kate leaves, Alice informs him that Jacob is not well and that she must hurry. Kate runs to the Cartwrights' house, but finds that Jacob has already released his handcuffs and escaped. Kate as Batwoman later arrives at the Gotham Humanitarian Ball and attacks the Wonderland gang members, who are disguised as Crows while still looking for Catherine and Mary.
Kate confronts Alice and demands to know where her father is, to which Alice replies that Jacob is their father and she will soon find out. Alice complains to Kate about her years of captivity and reveals that she poisoned Catherine and Mary, claiming that Catherine deserved to "slip" into her family and brainwash Jacob, who "replaced" her with Mary and insists that Catherine caused her death for herself and Jacob deserved to go down with her. Kate is furious and starts to strangle her, but Alice simply scoffs at how Kate can't even kill her now. Kate releases Alice when Mouse arrives and knocks her down on the porch. Alice tells Kate swearing that she will eventually see things her way, and leaves. Jacob calls Kate and she explains what happened.
Kate later approaches Mary at her clinic and she tells Kate that her mother died the way Alice planned: slowly and in pain. Kate tries to comfort her, but Mary in tears rejects her stepsister and asks if Alice is still worth it. Kate sadly admits that she doesn't, and Mary tells her that it's too late before she leaves. In a narrated letter to Bruce, Kate states that she chose to hope that Beth could still be saved, but it only cost Kate her family again. She is forced to accept that the sister she knew was looking at their photo as children. She then tears up the photo. Kate later visits Jacob in her cell and expresses how much she hates Alice. Jacob promises to put Alice on the floor once and for all when he leaves, to which Kate admits that she will not stop him.[14]
Anti-Monitor Crisis[]
On December 10, 2019, Kate was fighting members of the Wonderland Gang when Harbinger appeared in a ball of light asking Kate to come with her. Kate refuses at first but Harbinger teleports her to the D.E.O. on Earth-38. Kate asks Kara Danvers who were the rest of the people and after some persuasion, Kate takes of her mask and reveals to people that she is Batwoman.
During a briefing at the D.E.O., Ray Palmer asked Kate if he could upgrade her batarang to which Kate threatens his arm.
During the battle to save Earth-38, Kate fought alongside the Green Arrow, Mia Queen and the A.T.O.M. against several shadow demons. The fight started in the interior of the tower and escalated outside. Later when the Monitor told the heroes the battle was lost, he portaled Kate to an unknown location. [19]
Later on at S.T.A.R. Labs, Kate sat down with Kara and Sara Lance to have a drink in remembrance to Oliver Queen, who had died a few moments back. Kate mentioned the fact that there was still a multiverse to save to which Kara agreed. Kate later, at some point, traveled to the Waverider of Earth-74 where the Monitor started to talk about the seven paragons. During this discussion, Kara asked Kate if she wanted to hold Jonathan Kent but Kate politely refused. The Monitor revealed that Kara and Sara were paragons and that another one of these paragons was known as 'the Bat of the Future' and that you would find them on Earth-99. Kate decided to go and persuaded Kara to come as well.
When they traveled to Earth-99, they went to Bruce Wayne's mansion. When they knocked on the door, Kate was surprised to see Luke open the door. Realising that it was not the Earth-1 version of Luke Fox she knew, she asked if they could come inside to which Luke closed the door on them. Kara then proceeded to kick the door down to see Luke holding a gun. Then an eerily voice came from the staircase revealed to be the voice of Bruce Wayne. Bruce immediately recognized Kate but Kate was surprised to see Bruce.
While Luke took Kara to the library, Bruce and Kate went into the study room and Bruce revealed that Kate had been dead for 5 years. Kate explains to him the concept of the multiverse and after, Bruce takes Kate down the Batcave. There in the Batcave, Supergirl confronts him after discovering from Luke that Bruce had killed the Clark Kent of this earth. Kate later killed Bruce by kicking him into an electrical system which disabled his suit. His last words to her was for her to not kill anyone like he did.
When Kate and Kara returned to the Waverider, Ray used his paragon detector to detect the paragon of courage was on board the ship. Novu revealed that Kate was the true paragon of courage and Bat of the Future. After this, Kate and Kara decided to have a drink together. During this, Kate questioned herself as a paragon but Kara was able to give her a pep talk. Kate is then revealed to have taken Bruce's kryptonite he had.[20]
Kate was then there when Ray's paragon detector detected the last three paragons being J'onn J'onzz, Barry Allen, and Ryan Choi. After that, she went to go question Lex Luthor with Kara about if the Book of Destiny could restore Earth-38. When Kara asked Lex and did not respond, Kate unlocked the prison Lex was being held in and threatened to break his arm and only then did he talk confirming that the Book could restore the fallen Earths at a great cost to the user however. Kate, fearful for her friend Kara's life, threatened to stop Kara. Surprising to Kate, Kara backed down.
Kate later approached Kara about why she had to stand up to her, in which Kara completely understood. Kate attempted to give Bruce's kryptonite back but Kara gave it back to her with the courage Kate would not have to use it. Afterwards, when the Anti-Monitor attacked the Waverider, Pariah sent all of the Paragons (including Kate) to the Vanishing Point. There, Lex Luthor wrote in the Book of Destiny that he was the Paragon of Truth instead of Earth-96 Clark Kent.[21]
After one month of being in the Vanishing Point, the Spectre appeared to help them. The Spectre touched Barry's forehead giving Barry the power to carry J'onn, Kate and Sara through the Speed Force. However, Barry got disturbed by the Anti-Monitor while traveling through the Speed Force landing Kate in the middle of a heated argument between Ray and Oliver in the year 2015. Soon, she got noticed by Oliver in which she discovered that Oliver trusted no one but let them into his life anyway. Kate took this as a life lesson for her before Barry whisked away to the dawn of time in the netherverse.
In the Netherverse, the Anti-Monitor appeared and sent his army of shadow demons after the Paragons before going to fight the Spectre. After a battle with the shadow demons, the Paragons think of how they help the Spectre fight Mobius. They decide to pull out the remaining page of the Book of Destiny and think of the true qualities of a superhero (for Kate this would be courage as she is the Paragon of Courage).[22]
New multiverse[]
Early life[]
When Kate was a kid, she had a huge crush on Jenny Goldberg. According to Beth, the reason for Kate's crush on Jenny was only because the latter skateboarded; Kate was excited when she learned that Jenny liked her back, but Kate hadn't come out yet. Kate wanted Beth to be the first person she came out to, but kept chickening out on telling her. As a way of telling Kate she already knew, and that she loved her sister, Beth made Kate a mug with the words "mind reader" written on the side in rainbow letters.[23]
In the eight grade, Kate was asked by her good friend, Evan Blake to Gotham Prep's Eighth Grade Winter Formal. Despite Kate already being out as a lesbian, she agreed to go with him to the dance. On the night of the dance, Evan's parents took him to pick Kate up. Upon arrival, he saw Kate in a velvet tailored suit and broke down into tears at the sight of her "radiating queer confidence" from her.
Kate took him up to her room and the two discussed her identity, with Evan coming out as gay to Kate, which she claimed to already have known. The two then went to the dance, and Evan came out by wearing Kate's Alexander McQueen off-the-shoulder mini, with them no longer being afraid to be themselves. Shortly after arriving at the dance Kate apparently ditched him to make out with Maggie Watson.[24]
In 2011, after Mary turned 16, Kate taught her step-sister how to drive despite not having a driver's license herself, once charming the cops into not giving them a ticket after their car was pulled over. When Derrick Peters ditched Mary at homecoming, Kate hunted him down and locked Derrick in a urinal to get back at him for hurting her step-sister.[9]
Battle on Earth-Prime[]
Batwoman showed up when Barry, Kara, Ray and Mick Rory were fighting a giant Beebo orchestrated by Sargon the Sorcerer as a distraction while he went to rob a bank.
When the Anti-Monitor was confirmed to be back by J'onn J'onzz, Kate went with Wild Dog, Dreamer, Spartan, The Flash, White Canary, Supergirl, Martian Manhunter, Alex Danvers and Superman to stop him. After an intense battle with the shadow demons, Supergirl and the A.T.O.M. managed to shrink the Anti-Monitor with the help of Harrison Nash Wells and Ryan Choi.
Later, the President of United States holds a televised speech about Anti-Monitor Crisis, which Kate watches at Kara's apartment with her and Alex. She joins in the moment silence the president declares in honor of Oliver Queen.[25]
Memorial for Oliver Queen[]
Sometime later, Kate, together with the Flash, Superman, White Canary, Supergirl, Martian Manhunter and Black Lightning took part at a memorial for Oliver Queen at a S.T.A.R. Labs building, after which Barry proposed the others to officially create a pact between the seven of them in order to work side-by-side more often now that they live in the same universe, so that they would be able to prevent and face any future crisis.[25]
A lesbian superhero[]
- "Okay, people. Time to recalibrate our gaydar. Batwoman is a lesbian? Not that there's anything wrong with that, but talk to me, Gotham. Whatever happened to politics staying out of our superheroes?"
- —Vesper Fairchild on Batwoman coming out[src]
Kate saves a runaway train as Batwoman, then is saved by GCPD cop Slam Bradley which causes everyone in the Gotham to believe they're in love, much to Kate's disgust. When Alice threatens Parker Torres to reveal Batwoman's identity, Kara Danvers wrote an article about how Batwoman was lesbian. This caused the GCPD to not trust Batwoman anymore. However, the citizens still supported Batwoman and accepted her for being a lesbian.[26]
Meeting another Beth[]
An alternate version of Beth Kane from Earth-TUD14 appeared on wayne tower on Kate's birthday. Kate mistook Beth for Alice and tried to hurt her, so Beth sprayed her and ran away. Kate later found Beth confused in Gotham park, they discovered that her universe is not that and they reconciled. Earth-TUD14 Beth was saved from the car accident by TUD14-Kate not experiencing the tortures August Cartwright and Mabel Cartwright inflicted on her. Beth was introduced to Luke and Mary and they became friends. When Mouse kidnapped Bryan Akins and Steven Forbes to get Alice back, Kate tried to save them but was also kidnapped and trapped in a car with the boys. Beth appeared as Alice and tried to trick Mouse, but it didn't work and she was also stuck in the car.
But eventually, Kate managed to save them. Later, the Bat Team threw a surprise party for Kate at Hold Up, where Beth started to feel sick.[7] Two Beths in the same universe started to cause cellular degeneration between the two Beths. Beth was dying so she needed medical care, but the crows were chasing Alice all over town and would confuse them, so Kate ambushed five agents from the crows as Beth eloped with Luke and Mary back to Wayne Tower, where Kate offered her drink.
She asked the three of them if there was any way to save her. Batwoman later met with Sophie and asked if she wanted to start her warrant on the crows by killing Alice, with Sophie responding that Alice was a criminal. Kate returned to Wayne tower and found Alice there with Luke and Beth. Alice tried to kill her but Kate saved her. When the crows learned of Beth's location, Kate hid her in the Batcave, where Beth discovered that Kate is the Batwoman. Eventually, Kate had to choose to save Beth or Alice’s life, she chose Beth, but August killed Beth mistaking her for Alice.[27]
Nocturna[]
After mourning Beth's death Kate went after a woman nicknamed 'Nocturna' who picked up people at clubs and then drained them from their blood, killing them. Batwoman found a tied up female at a warehouse who was getting her blood drained and got confronted by the woman who's face is covered in a dark veil. The woman proposed to work together which Kate declined. After a struggle the woman bite Kate in her lips and injected her with tranquilizer which caused her to pass out.
Kate woke up tied up with Nocturna preparing to drain her as well. As Sophie and the Crows show up Nocturna is forced to leave. Sophie freed Kate but told her that the next time she would arrest her.
Kate made Mary do some tests and learned she got drugged with katemine by Nocturna's bite. She decided to have a party at her club to lure Nocturna in. While bartending Kate talks to Sophie who was send in to guard Mary and Kate. Kate suspected a woman flirting with Sophie but as she cut her finger the woman freaks out at the blood and is shown to be innocent. Kate then noticed Alice has approached the club as well, demanding to know where Mouse is. Kate explained that she does not know.
Later they found another suspect, Natalia Knight and linked her to the killings as she had ran out of blood for her disease. Kate found Alice in her lair who had been tied up by Nocturna and had send her off to Mary as her blood might cure Nocturna from her disease. After freeing Alice she made her way to Gotham Cathedral Church, which hasn’t had mass for over a year and was closed down. She found Mary on the altar, tied up and getting drained from her blood. Batwoman fought Nocturna but ended up getting pinned and about to get bitten.
Alice moved in time and kicked Nocturna off her. as Alice took care of Mary, Kate chased Nocturna to the clock tower. Another fight ensued and as Batwoman found herself losing once more she used a ultraviolet light to burn Nocturna's face and used the distraction to cuff her.
Talking to Alice she told her she was the real vampire as she fed on Kate's guilth and that they are done. Alice replied she did not want Kate to give up on her.
Sophie used the Bat signal to call out Kate. As they meet Sophie explained how she lost her job. She told Kate that she is not sure who she is without her job anymore. As Kate told her she would keep her distance from now on, Sophie came at her and kissed her.[28]
Relationship with Sophie as Batwoman[]
After Sophie was suspended because she helps Batwoman, she fall in love of her and they kiss. The next night, Batwoman goes to Sophie's home and they have an official first date. Batwoman wants to protect her and says that they don't see again because she has enemies and that they do the link she will be in danger, but Sophie answers her that she can defend herself, then they kiss. But Sophie's mother arrives, forcing Batwoman to leave.
The next morning, Gotham woke up in horror at the news of a "Serial Slasher" attacking digital influencers and tearing their faces apart. Kate decided to investigate, she discovered that the criminal was actually Duela Dent. Duela approached Batwoman, who escaped from her baseball bat and threw her on the floor. Duela then cut her mother's throat and ran away. However, Batwoman was able to save her by covering the blood with a medical cloth and she was presumably taken to the hospital where her life was saved by the doctors.
Kate also went to Mary's clinic to see if she recognized one of the possible victims. Duela's next victim was Veronica May, who she first hijacked from her van after killing her driver. Kate (as Batwoman) found the van and was approached by Sophie. They were discovered by the police but escaped.
Duela took Veronica to where they did their skin care line. She hung her over some acid, but before she fell, Kate saved her. Sophie defeated Duela and left her to the police. Afterwards, Kate decided that she shouldn't have a relationship with Sophie due to the danger she would be in.[29]
Killing August Cartwright[]
- "Congratulations, daddy. Now both your daughters are killers."
- —Beth Kane to Jacob Kane[src]
When a girl was going to be attacked by a thug on a street, Batwoman shows up to save the day, but the guy isn't one to back down so easily. He fights her and when her back is turned, he shoots Batwoman after she had asked the young woman if she was okay. He shoots her multiple times, but eventually she knocks him out with his own gun. The girl tells Batwoman that she'd ask for a selfie, but it looks like she is needed elsewhere and points to the sky.
She gets to the roof of a building that has the Bat-Signal, and finds August Cartwright there. Kate took him in and interrogated him with the help of her father, Jacob. After Jacob left to pick up Alice from Mabel Cartwright's house, Kate got a call from Luke telling him that August killed TUD14-Beth. Soon afterwards, Kate learned of what caused Alice to commit her first murder on Mabel; she found their mother's head in a locked fridge in August's cabin. Like Alice, this caused Kate to lose control of her rage and inadvertently kill August.[5]
Tracking down the Detonator[]
- "I don't expect a billionaire developer to understand how taking a man's life screws with your head."
"Try me." - —George Adler, Jr. and Kate Kane[src]
Afraid of herself after killing August Cartwright, Kate refused to suit up, causing the formation of Batwoman copycats all around Gotham, along with a rise of its criminal element due to the real Batwoman's inexplicable absence. After Miguel Robles forced a man to blow up an area of Gotham (located around Mary's clinic), Mary gave Kate the inspiration she needed to go out there and be Batwoman again, while also revealing she knew Kate's secret identity.
Kate, as Batwoman, confronted Robles while he was trying to leave Gotham but revealed that there was a bomb underneath Wayne Tower. After saying that the primary explosive was on Jacob Kane, Luke came and demanded Robles give him answers about his father's death. Kate managed to tell Luke she had killed Cartwright and to get over her grief, while also stopping Luke from killing Robles.[9]
Chasing Lucius's journal[]
Kate saved several people from a human trafficking ring, during the fight one goon managed to pull her wig and nearly unmasked her before she defeated him. With Luke, she talked about how to deal with opponents going after her wig. Mary tried to celebrate the success of their mission with champagne but Kate only used the ice for her hurt knuckles.
They learned that Tommy Elliot was in possession of Lucius Fox's book which contained a way to kill the wearer of Batman's suit as it had been a fail-safe in case the suit ended up in the wrong hands.
The group tracked down Fox's book to a nightclub 'Lookout' which was a meeting point for mobsters and ran by Johnny Sabatino, Tommy Elliot's money launderer. Mary insisted in coming along but Kate refused as she would bring Julia as backup. Kate and Julia infiltrated the club where Kate saw Reagan who was barkeeping. Reagan admitted she still had feelings for Kate and the two flirted until Luke informed her that Julia was in position to put the lights out. Kate used the distraction to switch in her Batwoman suit and make her way to the office. It turned out to be a trap and she got captured with a booby trap. As Kate woke up she found herself chained and gagged as Sabatino and his goons prepared to auction her to the highest bidder.
After they sold her gadgets, she got auctioned to mobsters wanting to torture and kill her. Mary came in to buy her, pretending she wanted her suit. Sabatino promised her the suit after Batwoman herself would be killed. A mobster bought Kate and prepared to kill her. Mary made her suitcase with money explode and during the distraction was able to free Kate from the chains.
Kate was able to defeat the mobsters after a lengthy fight and after Julia brought Mary to safety she went after Magpie who had managed to steal the book. Grappling with Magpie she threw the book off the roof and as Kate got the book Magpie got away.
Leaving the building she spoke with Reagan who talked about how strange it was that this was the second time Kate was present at the same place as Batwoman. Kate told her Batwoman had helped her retrieve a book. The two went to Kate's place and had sex. The next morning Kate noticed Reagan was gone and had stolen the book as well, leaving the former emotionally hurt.[30]
Kate tracked Reagan down to a motel room and kicked in the door; the only thing she wanted from her was the book. Reagan explained that she didn't have the book because she gave it to her sister, known to Kate as Magpie. Reagan further explained that this was the second time she gave that explanation because a blond woman with a British accent already accosted her for the info and the book.
Kate quickly went to find Julia Pennyworth who said that she wanted the book for Kate's sake, but Kate did not believe her. Their conversation was interrupted by Sophie who relayed that she and Julia were needed at a meeting.
Kate was confronted by Luke, who questioned her about why her sexual urges were more important than her life in general. Kate refused to apologize for her actions, causing him to leave. Mary, who was trying to avoid being involved in the argument, got an alert via her phone that Tony Kim was kidnapped by the same person who kidnapped Professor John Carr, causing Mary to do research for Kate and for them to realize that Hush was kidnapping code-breakers because he must have an edition of the journal and needed to be found. The women continued doing research by reading the Gotham Gazette and realized that Carr wore a pacemaker which they could trace, but neither of them knew how to do the trace, realizing Luke's worth. Suddenly, on a land-line phone, Kate got a call from Gina, the girlfriend of Parker Torres, that Parker had been abducted.
Batwoman rode her motorcycle the wrong way through Somerset District to intercept the white van carrying Parker; after a brief skirmish with Hush, where she threw a batarang that caused him to flee, Batwoman procured Parker.
Kate, unmasked, brought Parker to the Batcave much to the annoyance of Mary, who was upset that she seemed to be the last to know her own sister's secret identity. When Mary learned that Hush escaped, she insisted that Kate should apologize to Luke and get him to trace the pacemaker, but Kate merely frowned, causing Mary to take her frustration on Parker who was watching the Bats flying through the cave. When Kate finally calls Luke, he asks her how she got to his location so quickly, but the phone call suddenly stops. Both Kate and Mary tried to contact him, but, opposite of Luke's ways, the phone was off.
Sophie came to Wayne Enterprises, prompting Mary, still sore about Parker's presence, to ask if she should be invited to the Batcave, to which Kate left quickly, changed her clothes, and pretended to be working for Gotham Pride Real Estate. Sophie asked Kate if she had seen Julia and ultimately told her that if Kate is not fine with she and Julia seeing one another, Sophie would keep the relationship platonic, but Kate said she only wanted Sophie happy. Returning to the original subject, Kate said that she will let Julia know that she is being sought; Sophie then said that Luke was with her last, making Kate realize that the two were missing together. Parker was asked to find Luke using the phones but she could not.
After Parker rewired the computers in the Batcave, Kate tried to make Parker work faster, annoying her. Meanwhile, Mary scavenged through a box and found Lucius Fox's glasses and showed her sister that the A.I. could translate the polyalphabetic sequence. Eventually, Parker learns that Professor Carr died at Arkham where Alice was imprisoned, causing Kate to leave without further discussion.
Arriving at Arkham, Batwoman fights a couple of guards before she activates her cowl and finds what room holds her friends. When she enters, Tommy raises his guns and Batwoman throws a batarang to get Alice's attention. Ultimately, though Luke tells her that the journal tells the secret of how to kill her, Batwoman trades the glasses for the freedom of her friends. After telling them how to escape the asylum, Batwoman decides that she is going back for the book when a guard discovers her and alarms others. Suddenly, all of the cells open and the place is filled with inmates who choose to fight anyone they see. Batwoman starts to fight inmates who try to harm the overwhelmed security guards until she sees the lights of a helicopter; though she was successful in retrieving her teammates, she failed to get the journal from Alice.
Returning to Wayne Tower, Luke tells Kate that he is not worth her life; Kate hugs him and admits that she was lost without him, prompting Luke to agree with her. When Parker appears, Kate thanks her for her help; a bewildered Luke watches as Parker advises her to pursue Sophie harder. However, when Kate goes to Crows Headquarters, she sees Julia and Sophie kissing. After Sophie leaves, Julia explains why she was after the journal, but Kate does not know who Safiyah Sohail is. Julia warns that they are now targets.[31]
Battling Titan[]
- "His betrayal hurt a million times more than any of those bullets."
- —Kate Kane[src]
Later, as the Bat-Signal appears in the clouds, Batwoman meets with Jacob Kane who compares her war with Alice to Batman's war with the Joker and how the citizens of Gotham City are negatively affected. Jacob declares that if he ever sees Batwoman again, it is war.[31]
Soon after, Kate was in a car with her father when they saw train patrons running away from a station; Jacob told her to stay in the car as he investigated. Kate boarded the train nonetheless and helped her father to battle a hulking man with two giant swords, who had already decapitated a train rider. Kate during the fight told the man that the train was filled with innocents, but he said that he did not care. When the train got to its next stop, the man ran, leaving Jacob and Kate wondering his motives and identity.
Kate went to Wayne Tower where Luke showed her a piece of Kryptonite and told her that it was the one substance able to penetrate the Batwoman suit; Kate asked if it was so important, why did Bruce Wayne leave it in a puddle in the Batcave, to which Luke replied that he was holding it for a friend. Kate, to Luke's amazement, described the "friend's" outfit down to its symbol. As Luke left to try to find a way to destroy the rock, Mary entered, wondering why the meeting was over so quickly without them discussing Tim Teslow's assault. Mary had researched the train attack and debriefed her sister on Teslow's biography, prompting Kate to want to talk to Apollo Teslow as Batwoman, but Mary questioned the logic of her costume change. Kate said that she can get around her father's edict, so Mary cited different instances where Jacob didn't care that Kate was his daughter and was harsh with his potential punishments. Kate, obstinate in her decision, told her sister that she wanted their father to see the vigilante Batwoman in a different light so that she can eventually tell him her secret identity.
Hiding in the shadows, Batwoman watched as Apollo exercised by running up and down the stairs of the Gotham City Arena; when he came near, she made herself known by commenting that his regiment made even her tired. As they conversed about Tim's past and his good traits despite how football warped him, Batwoman exited the shadows to see Tim approaching and screaming that his brother betrayed him. She told Apollo to run, but he stood watching. Meanwhile, Batwoman threw a batarang that pierced Titan's shoulder, but he shrugged off the blow as if it had not happened. The two began to fight as he swung his machetes. Titan dismissed Batwoman by throwing her down the bleachers before he crippled his brother.
Retreating to the Batcave, Kate had her wounds fixed by Mary who had to reset her shoulder while Kate watched on multiple monitors Gotham City News as Dana Dewitt interviewed Jacob who told all watching that the Crows would apprehend Batwoman and anyone who activated the Bat-Signal, since he blamed her for the death at the train and the crippling of the athlete. Luke entered after he got a call from Julia who said that Batwoman should refrain from this battle; Mary agreed because she believed that somehow Kate had cracked ribs. Kate admitted that Titan's strength was overwhelming. Luke displayed his research that Titan was attacking all those responsible for his current mental state. Mary continued her medical opinion that Batwoman should be sidelined for a few weeks so Kate could heal; Kate protested, but she was clearly not at her best. Mary remarked that she had an idea.
As Mary, with a phone in her pocket, activated the Bat-Signal, Batwoman got into position; she watched as the Crows surrounded Mary and Jacob approached. When Mary handed Jacob the phone, Batwoman told Jacob that she wanted to work with him because Titan was too much for her alone. Jacob was angry that Batwoman used his daughter as bait and destroyed the phone while telling his troops to leave the roof. Batwoman listened as the father and daughter argued; then she appeared behind Jacob offering a truce. Jacob asked how they can defeat their common foe and shook her hand in agreement.
At the arena, coach Kurt Donahue stands in the middle of the football field and waits for Titan; the Crows and Batwoman have scattered themselves throughout the stadium. Julia and Luke both give Batwoman the same message that she is the one being set up, but Batwoman assures Luke that she looked into her father's eyes and knows that he is sincerely with her. The lights go out; Batwoman switches to night-vision and sees Titan hurting Crows one-by-one. She descends on the field and tells the coach to flee; he does not hesitate. Titan and Batwoman fight with ferocity. She tries to talk to him and to remind him of his goodness, when gunshots riddle his body and he dies, to Batwoman's horror.
Suddenly, she finds herself surrounded by Crows who have their guns aimed at point blank range. Batwoman questions Jacob who fires on her, prompting his troops to do the same. A grappling hook to the dome of the arena gives Batwoman her only exit as the shots continued.
Mary brought the quiet, stunned Kate a bag of ice as she sat nursing her drink in Wayne Tower, lost in thought. Kate thanked Mary for having her back against their father.
Luke arrived and declared his victory over the Kryptonite shard he had; he took Mary's advice and crushed it. Kate asked the Bat team not to keep secrets from each other and revealed her shard of Kryptonite from "her friend", citing that she cannot allow it to be destroyed because it is not hers; she is only holding it.
Kate cried because she could not believe that her relationship with her father had gotten that bad, all because she wore that suit.[32]
Investigating Jack Napier[]
Kate took a photo in her phone of a painting that Jack Napier had made because it had a subliminal reference to Safiyah Sohail.[33]
Saving Ryan Wilder[]
One Halloween night, when Ryan Wilder was assaulted by robbers, Batwoman saved her life by throwing a batarang at the theft who was about to shoot Ryan before Ryan throws the Batarang at a robber to save Batwoman. Ryan was thankful and Kate was so impressed that she noted the experience in her journal to Bruce.[34]
Disappearance and captivity[]
A few days later, Kate flew to National City to meet with Kara over whether or not to destroy the piece of Kryptonite that the former was saving. On the flight back to Gotham, shortly before the plane was intended to land, the aircraft's engine apparently malfunctioned[34] due to being constructed with a recalled part, leading to a crash-landing. Kate remained missing following the accident, though her friends and family were determined to find her.[35]
Meanwhile, a young woman named Ryan Wilder briefly donned the suit (which she'd found intact in the wreckage) and tried fighting the False Face Society, though she wound up having no idea how to work the suit's various gadgets. A short time later, after getting shot by Tommy Elliot (who was posing as Bruce Wayne, with the latter wanting the suit "back", and having stolen Kate's fragment of Kryptonite, which he used to shoot Ryan) with Ryan barely surviving the shot, Ryan returned the suit to Luke and Mary.[35] But after saving Gotham's citizens, Ryan received Luke and Mary’s blessing to operate as Batwoman in Kate's place, at least until Kate returns, becoming the second Batwoman and part of the Bat Team in the process.[34]
Body parts were found off the coast of Blüdhaven and the DNA was an exact match to Kate's, confirming that the latter was apparently killed when her private jet exploded. However, it is revealed that Kate is in fact still alive, as she is in a basement, covered in bandages.[36]
Kate was held captive and tortured by Black Mask and his men for months, who thinks she is to blame for the death of his daughter. She fought his men while they were pulling her from the plane and her face was disfigured. During this time it was believed that Kate's plane crash was caused by Safiyah Sohail and that she was being held prisoner on the island of Coryana, with both Alice and the Bat-team fighting Safiyah to try to save Kate. In actuality, while Safiyah did not have her as her prisoner, she was later revealed to have been responsible for her disappearance and for Sionis' plan to capture Kate, as she was the one who gave Sionis the information about Kate's flight.[37] After months of torture leading nowhere, Roman later hired Enigma to alter Kate's memory. In her cell, Evelyn expressed sympathy for Kate's condition and asked if she could be alone with her. After Roman obliged, Evelyn introduced herself to Kate as Enigma and removed her necklace, vowing to help her forget being Kate Kane.[38]
Brainwashed[]
Six weeks of forced therapy and brainwashing through hypnosis took place, in which Enigma implanted the memories and personality of Circe Sionis into Kate's mind. Kate tried to resist this, constantly reminding her abductors that she was "Kate Kane".
Towards the end of Kate's conditioning, Roman went to the grave of his daughter and retrieved Circe's family mask. Upon his return, Enigma was ready with Kate, who was secured in a chair. Roman removed his mask in front of Enigma and expressed his intent to 'resurrect' his daughter in Kate. As Kate again defiantly stated her name was "Kate Kane", Roman removed her bandages and covered her disfigured face with the mask of Circe. Enigma then informed Kate that her "therapy" had reached its conclusion; on Enigma's cue, Kate would remember nothing of her old life, and her only memories would be those of Circe Sionis. Upon hearing this, Kate repeatedly exclaimed "No!", the defiance in her voice turning to fear. But her desperate pleas were ignored, as Enigma delivered the trigger cue, causing Kate to instantly fall unconscious as the hypnotic conditioning erased her original memories and true identity from her mind. Enigma cautioned Roman that though Kate is now psychologically and behaviourally his daughter, her damaged larynx meant that her voice could not be altered to sound like the original Circe Sionis. Upon awakening, a fully-brainwashed Kate now believed that she was Circe, having no recollection of her original identity. Upon seeing her reflection in a mirror, she then asks her "dad" why she was wearing a mask. Roman then begins to lie, explaining to his "daughter" that she had been caught in a fire when she broke out of Arkham, and that all of her current injuries and gaps in her memories are from surviving that fire.
Roman advised "Circe" not to remove her mask because her face was burnt from the fire at Arkham. Later, Circe sought out Batwoman, but instead found Alice instead who quickly revealed the vigilante's location.
Batwoman told Angelique Martin and Ocean to run as Circe approached her; the two women fought ferociously with Circe getting the upper hand. Suddenly, she was hit by a fire-extinguisher wielded by Alice. This only caused Circe to hesitate for a moment because then she attacked Alice. Alice and Batwoman had a conversation about Cora Lewis, as Circe held Alice at knife-point; Batwoman walked away, leaving Alice to Circe's mercy.
"Circe" brought Alice to the Sionis Estate, telling her father that she wanted him to decide the fate of the woman who assisted Batwoman. Originally, Roman told her to kill Alice, but, at the last moment, he changed his mind, saying that he had a job for Alice. Circe knocked Alice unconscious after staring at her for a moment, then put her in the basement.[39] Circe watched as Roman tortured Alice with a fingernail extractor. Later, Alice tried to run away but Circe stopped her. When Alice woke up, she prodded Circe about her familiarity, stating that she knew of a girl who used to have the same vicious determination as her. "Circe" revealed to Alice that she was in fact that girl (or at least she believed she was), which allowed Alice to figure out the true identity of Black Mask. Alice later told Roman that she could build a new face for "Circe". When she was finished with her new face, Alice pointed out to her brainwashed sister that she was not actually Circe Sionis, as her eyes were brown as opposed to Kate's genetically-colored blue eyes. After applying the face mask to Kate, Alice recognized her sister and said she had their father's eyes.[40] Circe didn't understand what she was talking about and Roman asked Alice to leave.[41]
Returning to normal[]
Continuing the lie of rescuing his daughter, Roman had his company do further work on "Circe", having them permanently attach her new face and cosmetically remove and heal the remainder of her burn scars and injuries to complete her transformation. The work that his cosmetic company did seemingly made "Circe's" new face become an organic part of her body, with it being able to bleed, scar, and heal just as natural skin would. Roman then made commercials with Circe as his model advertising his new burn cream "Rebirth" and has put in social media that Circe was in rehab for months to explain why she has not been seen. During her workout routine, Alice and Jacob capture Circe, and take her to Crow Headquarters to hide her from Sionis. A DNA test uncovers that she truly is Kate. Ocean later arrives and presents to them a pack of Kate's things to help trigger her memory. Circe doesn't move, until Alice offers her a mug she made her when Kate attempted to come out to her as a kid. That triggers Circe into imagining youthful Kate secured in a similar shelter Alice was in, with Alice using this to try to jog more of Kate's memories to the surface. As Jacob informs Mary of that Kate is in fact alive, Tatiana and individuals from False Face appear and attack Jacob.
Alice then tells her sister to escape and get as far away as she can while she tries to hold them off. Batwoman drives the Batmobile to where the Kanes are and arrives in time to discover Circe, who got away, scared and confused.
Ryan carries Circe back to Wayne Enterprises, where they are welcomed by a happy Mary. However, Circe doesn't recognize Mary and asks who she is. Sophie then arrives, surprised to see that Kate is alive - and in a split second is even more surprised when Circe recognizes her. As Ryan, Sophie, and Mary try to find out more about what has happened, Circe is set off into another vision, of a youthful Kate being assaulted by Circe in the same shelter Alice was once in. Circe then assaults Mary, who takes her out with a narcotic. They understand that Kate and Circe's personalities are fighting for control over her mind and body, and that Alice is fundamental in opening Kate's memories, and erasing Circe's and that they may have to make an exchange with Safiyah, and give her the Desert Rose to get Alice back.
While Batwoman and Mary bring Luke back and tell him that Kate's alive and that they need to rescue Alice to help Kate. While Alice's rescue takes place, Sophie looks after Circe in Mary and Ryan's loft, as the Circe and Kate sides of her personality continue to fight for control. At the point when Sophie leaves the room, Circe seizes control again and leaves to confront Sionis about who she actually is. After stabbing Sionis's hand and attacking demanding answers, Safiyah arrives to offer to tell her what she wants to know, as well as offer her a chance to decide for herself who she is.[42] Ultimately, the Circe personality asserted full control over Kate, and she delivered the Batcave's secrets to Black Mask and Safiyah. Circe expressed her love and gratitude to her "Dad" for saving her from living the life of Kate Kane.
At the Batcave, Kate convinced the Bat Team to give her back the Batsuit; she used a tranquilizing gun, knocked them out, and trapped them in the elevator, revealing that Circe's personality was still in control of her. Kate fought Ryan Wilder, stole the suit, and several other objects from the villains who were in the cave for Roman Sionis.
A short time later, she took the suit and cut it up, using a piece of green Kryptonite to carve a diagonal line through the suit's emblem.[43] She redid the suit in a version without the cowl, which she wore in the last battle against the Bat Team.
Kate is eventually freed from the brainwashing due to the efforts of Alice using the Snakebite, returning back to her former-self.
Leaving Gotham City and tracking down Bruce Wayne[]
Kate decided not to take back the mantle of Batwoman, as her successor, Ryan Wilder has earned the right to be Batwoman. Kate also opted to keep Circe's face since her own was too badly damaged to fix. At The Hold Up, Kate told her ex-girlfriend, Sophie Moore that she will be leaving Gotham City in search of her cousin, Bruce Wayne, sharing a kiss with her in the process. After she left Gotham, Kate visited Kara Danvers and her father, Jacob Kane.[44]
After Mary Hamilton officially graduated with her doctorate, Kate sent Mary a card celebrating her victory complete with a new lab coat with "Dr. Hamilton" seen on the front of it.[45]
Erased future[]
When the Anti-Monitor Crisis originally took place on April 25, 2024, Batwoman, among others was involved in the events. During the crisis, the Flash fought Reverse-Flash before disappearing from the timeline. However, based on several witness claims, there are contradictory versions of the events (whether the Flash was assisted by Supergirl and the Atom or a team comprised of Green Arrow, Batwoman and Elongated Man).[46]
Legacy[]
Original multiverse[]
In a possible future, Kate as Batwoman is one of the several heroes remembered in the era called the "Age of Heroes".[46]
Personality[]
- "Kate is fearless, passionate, and reckless."
- —Jacob Kane to Sophie Moore[src]
As a child, it is implied that Kate was already aware of her queerness and was fine with it. She was often seen garbed in rather boyish attires, like the suit and tie she wore just before the crash that separated her from her twin and killed their mother took place and would carry this on as a habit of wearing "masculine clothing" for the rest of her maturing years to follow.
As an adult, Kate is fearless and passionate. She is also similar to her cousin, Bruce, as she is a no-nonsense and blunt individual. She is very open with her personal opinion and proud of her sexuality.
- "I am everything you stripped away from my sister – hope, honor, integrity. I'm what she would have been if not for you."
- —Kate Kane to August Cartwright[src]
As Batwoman, Kate is very stoic and committed to helping Gotham City. While mostly an antisocial individual, she can give respect to those she thinks deserves it, as she acknowledged Supergirl's worth as a hero.
Regarding Catherine's murder, Kate crossed a moral line herself and also realized that deep down, despite everything she had done, she still clearly cared for Beth and never stopped loving her sister. She also realized that it was wrong for her to choose to save Earth-TUD14 Beth Kane's life instead of her Beth's life.
But this did not stop Kate from betraying Beth and leaving her in Arkham so that she can get help, but also because Kate wanted to preserve whatever morality she has left inside of her. However, this act of betrayal led to the deaths and torture of many of Gotham's citizens, such as Dr. Butler.
After being freed from Evelyn Rhyme's brainwashing, Kate reverted to her original personality. She has also become far more humble and modest, as evidenced by the fact that Kate did not take back the mantle of "Batwoman" as Ryan Wilder has proven herself worthy of being Batwoman, most likely because she planned on heading out of Gotham to find her cousin, Bruce, and bring him back.After Kate was brainwashed by Evelyn Rhyme into believing that she was the late Circe Sionis, she become cold, cruel, sadistic, ruthless, and sociopathic, similar to her twin sister, Beth Kane, but to a far greater extent. She also became bloodthirsty, as she wanted to kill Angelique Martin and Ocean for their betrayal.
Abilities[]
- "She really is like Batman."
- —Kara Danvers[src]
- Peak of human physical condition: As a vigilante, former soccer athlete[13] and a former top cadet of Point Rock Academy (alongside Sophie Moore) Kate is in top physical condition; she is strong enough to throw her enemies into the air and quickly master opponents much larger than her with relative ease. Due to five years of brutal combat and survival training under various conditions; Kate is remarkably resilient to cold temperatures, having no qualms in free diving with no protection in icy waters. Her physical strength seems to be even a bit inhuman, as Kate has little to no difficulty at all in lifting and throwing around full-grown men. She was strong enough to punch through ice from underwater using handcuffs, kick open the boarded-up doors to Bruce Wayne's office,[1] break a metal staff over her knee and kick down Reagan's double-locked door.[31] She is fast enough to exit a room unnoticed, not dissimilar to her cousin. Kate also has a high level of stamina as by her own admission, she can hold her breath for two minutes, but it gets "dicey" after two minutes pass.[11] Her reflexes allowed her to catch Beth Kane's knife before it could hit the latter's doppelgänger,[27] as well as dodge her own grappling gun's hook. Kate's father, Jacob Kane offered her the opportunity to join the Crows, putting her on par with former Navy SEALs and Green Berets.
- Acrobatics/Free-running: Since becoming Batwoman, Kate has developed free-running skills and can fall from a height of several feet without hurting herself. Her abilities allow her to dodge and attack with fluidity from different directions without losing balance, as seen during her duel with the Executioner. She has also shown to be capable of reaching the tops of skyscrapers throughout Gotham. Kate was able to easily climb up to a window of the Wayne Enterprises building. She demonstrated the ability to perform multiple variations of flips during her training in the Batcave.
- Honed senses: Kate's senses and reaction time are top notch, as she was able to avoid a blade strike from one of Alice's henchmen without looking.
- Keen-level intellect/Business acumen: Kate is very intelligent; despite her part-time heroism, she manages Wayne Enterprises without any perceivable difficulty. Alice called her "clever".
- Expert investigator: Kate is a very perceptive individual; as she was able to quickly determine that Kara Danvers is Supergirl. She thought to access Wayne Enterprises' security camera feed, which was not included in the Crows Security network. She is also observant of small details; she recognized the minuscule writing on a paddle held by one of Beth Kane's henchmen, which allowed her to locate her whereabouts. She also noticed a pattern in the Executioner's methods of killing.
- Expert of deception: Kate is very good at keeping her own identity as Batwoman a secret; the highly intelligent Barry Allen, Kara Danvers and Oliver Queen respectively were unable to deduce that she is Batwoman; Kara had to resort to using her x-ray vision to discover that Kate is Batwoman.
- Expert driver: Kate is capable of driving a motorcycle.
- "I'd spent years traveling the world, training with combat and survivalist specialists so I could join the Crows."
- —Kate Kane[src]
- Master hand-to-hand combatant/Martial artist: Kate is a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist; she was able to quickly subdue Oliver Queen and Barry Allen simultaneously, the two latters who are highly skilled hand-to-hand combatants and martial artists their own rights, when reality itself was altered and they had each other's powers and combat skills, although it should be noted that she took them by surprise. Kate's combat style is comprised of Boxing, Tai Chi, Kung Fu, Kickboxing, Karate, Taekwondo, Krav Maga, Sambo, Judo, Hapkido, Muay Thai and Aikido. Cisco Ramon referred to Kate as "badass" only moments after witnessing her in action and Kara Danvers even stated that the two of them would make a good team, not dissimilar to their cousins' relationship. Kate's combat skills are proven to be equal to Beth's and inferior to Ryan Wilder's. Before becoming Batwoman, Kate easily overpowered several of Beth's henchmen and even made use of her environment to fight them off, i.e. weaponizing a fire extinguisher, frying pan and a door. Kate is also one of the most deadliest combatants in the entire multiverse.
- Master knife-wielder/thrower: Kate proved to have great accuracy with knives when she threw her batarang at an escaped inmate at Arkham Asylum and caught it when it returned to her after subduing the inmate. She also accurately threw one to knock Alice's remote off a building. Likewise, she can expertly intercept thrown projectiles with her bare hands, as seen when she caught in time one of Alice's flung knives, preventing the implement from hitting an alternate Beth. She is also cable of using two karambit knives in combat when she was brainwashed by the False Face Society.
- Master stick-fighter: Kate is proven to be a highly skilled stick-fighter; as she was able to take down Alice and the Wonderland gang with a bo-staff. She can also handle multiple adversaries with two batons.
- Master markswoman: Kate is highly skilled in the use of firearms; she dominated the sharpshooting competition and earned a medal for her skills at Point Rock Academy for hitting her target dead-on every single time, even while she was hungover. She was the only one out of 200 members to do this. She later precisely shot a Crows Security van's tire from 50 meters to rescue Julia Pennyworth. As Circe Sionis, she fired a crossbow at Sophie Moore's jacket, narrowly missing her torso and pinning it to the wall.
- "My cousin figured it out years ago. Be more terrifying than your enemy."
- —Kate Kane to Luke Fox[src]
- Intimidation: As Batwoman, Kate has an intimidating appearance, capable of instilling fear in her enemies. This was seen when a criminal from Arkham Asylum, cried out of fear when he saw Batwoman.
- Stealth/Infiltration/Escape artist: Kate is extremely secretive, being able to approach other individuals without being sensed. She was able to break out of a pair of handcuffs using a paperclip and nail to unlock her confines. Kate also quickly evaded her father's line of sight before she went to find Beth. Kate was able to snatch a Kryptonite compact from Earth-99 Bruce Wayne without anyone noticing.
- "Sitting at that desk, staring out that window, watching this city that we grew up in rot at its core, you find a way not to break."
- —Kate Kane to Kara Danvers[src]
- Indomitable will/High tolerance for pain/Master survivor: A driven and determined individual, Kate is nearly fearless and almost never gives up under most situations. She spent months tirelessly searching for her missing twin sister, Beth, refusing to give up even when learning that investigators had seemingly found her body. Kate also has a high tolerance for pain as she didn't react when receiving stitches on her shoulder sewn there by Mary and reacted little when Mary had to reset Kate's other shoulder after a confrontation with Tim Teslow. During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, Kate was revealed to be the Paragon of Courage; due to her bravery. Kate also has great survival skills; for example, she managed to survive explosion on her private jet; but she was severely injured in the process.
Equipment[]
- Circe Sionis face mask: After Kate's face got horribly burned to the point that it was unrecognizable, she needed a new face. Roman Sionis had Alice make Kate a realistic face mask of his daughter, Circe Sionis. With the help of Roman Sionis' cosmetics company, Janus Cosmetics, the face mask of Circe was permanently attached to Kate's face, and became an organic part of her body.
- Batbike: Kate has a motorcycle to help her travel around Gotham. After passing the mantle of Batwoman to Ryan, Kate took her bike with her on her journey to find Bruce.
Former equipment[]
- Batwoman suit: Kate wore a protective suit during her time as Batwoman, to protect herself and hide her identity from her enemies when she went out fighting crime.
- Red wig: Kate wore a red wig while fighting crime as Batwoman; so her enemies did not mistake her for Batman, or Kate herself as she had shorter brunette hair in her civilian identity. She also used it as a memory of her birthstone.
- Bo-staff: The bo-staff is a mechanically retractable and extendable staff that can compact itself to fit into the Bat-Belt. Kate used an expandable bo-staff in her battle against Alice and her wonderland gang. The staff is not extremely durable, however, as Kate was able to easily break it in two with her knee.
- Kryptonite compact: Kate stole a small Kryptonite compact from Earth-99's Bruce Wayne.
- Laser saw: The laser saw is a piece of Bat-Tech that can cut through virtually anything. Kate used the laser saw to save Beth Kane.
- Rebreather: The rebreather is a piece of Bat-Tech that allows its user to breathe underwater. Kate used the rebreather to save Beth from drowning.[4]
- Bat-Belt: Just as Batman did, Kate had her own version of the utility belt. Her belt was very similar to Batman's in design, with the main difference having been its red-shaded coloration.
- Batarang: Kate used a roughly bat-shaped throwing weapon. Given that she her arms are shorter than Bruce's, Luke had to modify a new set of Batarangs explicitly for Kate to use, since she had trouble in that regard with the original set – failing to properly catch a returning Batarang as it swerved back to her after she threw it at Magpie.
- Recording device: Kate had a special Batarang with an audio-recording device built inside in order to listen in on both Roger Hayden and John Deegan inside Arkham.
- Grappling gun: The grappling gun is a metal hook at the end of a length of monofilament wire attached to a spool which can be shot from a gun at high-ranges. It is primarily used for scaling buildings and ensnaring targets.
- Subdermal transmitter: Kate used a subdermal tracking device the size of a microchip in order to locate and pursue some criminals.
- Voice filter: Kate used a filter to disguise her voice from individuals who knew her civilian identity in order to prevent them from recognizing her voice.
- Batarang: Kate used a roughly bat-shaped throwing weapon. Given that she her arms are shorter than Bruce's, Luke had to modify a new set of Batarangs explicitly for Kate to use, since she had trouble in that regard with the original set – failing to properly catch a returning Batarang as it swerved back to her after she threw it at Magpie.
- Motorcycle: On Earth-1, Kate had a motorcycle as her model of long distance transport when acting as Batwoman in Gotham City.[4]
- Interdimensional extrapolator: During the search for the Paragons, Kate and Kara used an interdimensional extrapolator to go to Earth-99.
- Circe Sionis death mask: Kate was forced to wear the death mask of Circe Sionis when being brainwashed into assuming her identity and to hide her true identity.
- Twin double-edged karambit knives: Kate wielded two double-edged karambit knives while being brainwashed by the False Face Society as her primary weapons of choice.
Appearances[]
The Flash[]
Season 5[]
- "Nora" (name seen)
- "Elseworlds, Part 1"
- "Legacy" (name seen)
Season 6[]
- "The Last Temptation of Barry Allen, Pt. 1" (name seen)
- "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three"
- "Death of the Speed Force" (flashbacks)
Arrow[]
Season 7[]
- "Elseworlds, Part 2"
- "My Name is Emiko Queen" (mentioned)
- "Emerald Archer" (video footage)
Season 8[]
Supergirl[]
Season 4[]
Season 5[]
- "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One"
- "Back From the Future - Part One" (mentioned)
- "Back From the Future - Part Two" (mentioned)
Batwoman[]
DC's Legends of Tomorrow[]
Season 5[]
- "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Five"
- "Meet the Legends" (mentioned)
Comics[]
Crisis on Infinite Earths Giant[]
EARTH-PRIME[]
- "Flesh and Mud" (flashbacks)
Gallery[]
Promotional images[]
Elseworlds[]
Batwoman[]
Season 1[]
Crisis on Infinite Earths[]
Trivia[]
- Kate has many tattoos, with Kara Danvers implying that she has some which can't be seen.[16]
- Kate is vegan.[1]
- Kate is allergic to feathers.[11]
- Kate smoked marijuana in high school.[14]
- Kate's blood type is O-positive.[28]
- Kate is Jewish.[1][5]
- Kate, whose full first name is "Katherine", shares her first name with her late step-mother, Catherine Hamilton-Kane, but is spelt with a "K" instead of with a "C".
- Kate and Beth Kane getting chocolate-covered waffles at a waffle stand on Fridays after school[1] is a reference to the waffle stand in the comics they frequented for their birthdays before being kidnapped.
- Kate is one of many major protagonists in the Arrowverse to have a villainous family member (her sister, Beth Kane); other examples would include:
- Oliver Queen (his half-sister, Emiko Adachi)
- Kara Danvers (her aunt, Astra and her uncle-in-law, Non)
- Felicity Smoak (her father, Noah Kuttler)
- Winn Schott (his father, Winslow Schott Sr.)
- Mon-El (his mother, Rhea)
- Tommy Merlyn and Thea Queen (their father, Malcolm Merlyn)
- Eddie Thawne (his future descendant, Eobard Thawne)
- Lena Luthor (her adoptive mother, Lillian Luthor and her half-brother, Lex Luthor)
- Nora Darhk (her father, Damien Darhk)
- Jefferson Pierce, and by extension, Anissa Pierce and Jennifer Pierce (Jefferson's great-uncle and Anissa and Jennifer's great-great-uncle, Tyson Sykes)
- Kate and Beth's birthday is January 26, which is "Australia Day". Interestingly, Kate was originally portrayed by Ruby Rose, who is Australian.
Behind the scenes[]
- In the main DC comics continuity, Kate Kane is a superheroine known as Batwoman, affiliated with the Bat-Family. The character originated as Kathy Kane in 1956 and was a recurring love interest of Batman's until she was retired from the comics in the mid-1960s; she later returned in the 1970s but was killed off. In 2006, a new version of the character, now named Kate Kane and reimagined as being openly gay, was introduced in the post-Infinite Crisis continuity. The original version of Kane, however, was also reintroduced in 2011's Batman Incorporated series.
- The Arrowverse version of Batwoman is based upon the 2006 re-imagining of the character.
- In the DC comics, Batwoman had a relationship with Maggie Sawyer. The characters became engaged, but DC comics vetoed their wedding, causing the then writers to leave in protest.[47]
- Unlike Kate's DC comic book counterpart, whose natural hair color is red, Kate's red hair is only part of her suit.
- In the DC comics before the New 52, Kate had no familial ties to Bruce Wayne.
- Kate's friendship with Kara Danvers/Supergirl mirrors that of Barry Allen/The Flash and Oliver Queen/Green Arrow's, and also parallels the relationship of their respective cousins, Bruce Wayne/Batman and Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman in the DC comics.
- Tommy Elliot refers to Kate as "Candy", much to her annoyance.[15] In the DC comics, this was her cadet nickname while at West Point.
References[]
Other versions of Kate Kane | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
To see other versions of this character, click the Earth name below for that Earth's counterpart of Kate Kane. | ||||
New multiverse | ||||
Earth: Prime | ||||
Original multiverse | ||||
Earth: 1 • 99 • TUD14 | ||||
Transmultiversal multiverse | ||||
Earth: |