Catwoman's back story in the new

**net06** · 07-09-2012, 05:38 PM

Catwoman’s back story has fluctuated over the years. Originally she was an amnesiac flight attendant, then a victim of spousal abuse, a prostitute, an abused child, a young thief who apparently was never a prostitute, possibly the illegitimate daughter of Carmine Falcone, possibly the second daughter of Carmine Falcone whom was put up for adoption. There’s probably more there but the point is she has had plenty of back stories that have been contradictory, or thrown out, or modified.
It seems we are going to get a new back story in the 0 issue. The only clue we’ve been given is that in the recent issue of Catwoman (if you haven’t read the most recent issue of Catwoman this will be a mild spoiler) Selina attempts to intervene in the kidnapping of a prostitute. When someone asks her why she would put herself on the line for “some street trash” she says it’s “Because I was taken and no one helped me. No one… no one came to get me” My assumption is that we’re going back to the street walker back story.
Personally I would love to see Selina be a street kid turned street walking illegitimate daughter of a mobster. Symbolically it would make her a great yin to Batman’s yang, even their motivations would be opposed. Batman does what he because of the tragedy that happened to his parents while Selina is doing what she does because she was abandoned by her father and her kidnapping, which is a tragedy that struck her directly rather than someone she loved. What do you guys think? What would you like to see? What do you expect? Do you want to see her go back to the anti hero, or do you like the anti villain (it’s a term I think I just invented. It means a good bad guy, rather than an anti hero which is a bad good guy) direction they’re going to take?
Discuss!

**Power Torch** · 07-09-2012, 05:41 PM

I think she will be a prostitute that got kidnapped as a kid or teen or whatever. I think this only due to the Issue where it says no one helped me or whatever when she wanted to save the prostitutes from being taken.

**felipecagno** · 07-09-2012, 05:46 PM

I just recently read the "When In Rome" story line and I'm not a big fan of the whole illegitimate daughter of an Italian mobster. In fact, making Selina a street kid turned survivor has been done before, so I would actually be interested in something completely fresh. Why not some rich, spoiled, who had everything growing up girl who turned to crime for some adrenaline rush in her life?

That would be the complete opposite to Batman's origins...

**Badou** · 07-09-2012, 06:28 PM

No surprise they are probably going to use the prostitute origin again since it seems her character isn't able to escape it, which is disappointing. I would have preferred a origin that could have, while still being tragic, been used across all mediums, movies, TV shows, video games and ect., instead of sticking her with one again that is really only going to be used in comics and is probably going to be changed again in several years to fit whatever story the current writer has in mind. I mean she wasn't a prostitute in that bad Catwoman movie, she probably isn't going to be one in Nolan's, and of course they won't use that back story in any Batman television cartoon she appears in. I feel she is iconic enough to warrant a definitive back story, like Bruce and Dick, but I feel the street walking one limits her character in the end.

Granted this is just speculation at this point, since the issue isn't out, but I've just never been a big fan of it and it really has been done to death at this point.

If I could create a back story I would still tie it to the mob, since her character deals with them so much, but maybe have her father be some low level grunt in some mob and he attempts to steal a little from them to better their lives or something, but is immediately caught and brutally killed in front of her and that is what sets her off on the path she is on. But I dunno, that might be too similar to Batman's I guess.

**DarkKnghtJared** · 07-09-2012, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by Power Torch

I think she will be a prostitute that got kidnapped as a kid or teen or whatever. I think this only due to the Issue where it says no one helped me or whatever when she wanted to save the prostitutes from being taken.

If not a prostitute, then at least she grew up in the poorest and, more likely, most corrupt part of Gotham.

**Fate's Faith** · 07-09-2012, 07:07 PM

I'm wondering if they aren't doing away with the prostitute history and going with her being a kidnapped child who never knew or was never reunited with her real parents. Its fairly topical and her statement that she was taken and no one came for her just doesn't say prostitute to me. Though she may have been forced into the profession from some of the flashbacks we've seen.

**MajorHoy** · 07-09-2012, 07:11 PM

She was probably a victim of abuse by a sick group of comic book writers.

**godisawesome** · 07-10-2012, 08:20 AM

I kind of like the Falcone connection, but only if you bring Mama Falcone to Gotham for a story arc. And I think the most important thing would be to establish some kleptomaniac tendencies at a young age so that it's pretty clear she's an experienced thief. and like others have mentioned, it would be pretty topical and gut-wrenching if it turned out she was a victim of human trafficking. Maybe have most of When in Rome's story, but throw in that she was sold off as child labor first and have her run away shortly into her teenage years, so if someone desperately wants the sex worker aspect they can get one. It would be dark and help remind people that prostitution is by no means a good thing, even if it was the "lesser" of two evils. Add in a connection to Leslie Thompkins as one of her few stabilizing friendships as a young woman and have her become a professional thief.

I really think you could probably have a fun rivalry between Mama Falcone and Selina if the Falcone crime family returns with a woman at the head. That would be enough of a shift in the status quo to make it more interesting than Mario "stereotypical mobster" Falcone ever did. Maybe draw some parallels to the Eastern Roman Empire's Empress Theodora to tie her into the whole Roman theme.

**bat39** · 07-10-2012, 09:31 AM

I've only read the first issue of the rebooted Catwoman series so I'm not clear on her new history. Has anything been revealed about her history with Batman in this continuity. It seems they don't know each other's identities, and yet have slept with each other several times before!

**kidmarvel** · 07-10-2012, 09:33 AM

she was stalked by comic book fans!!!

**godisawesome** · 07-10-2012, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by bat39

I've only read the first issue of the rebooted Catwoman series so I'm not clear on her new history. Has anything been revealed about her history with Batman in this continuity. It seems they don't know each other's identities, and yet have slept with each other several times before!

That seems to be the only real thing we know about their relationship, with one of the later issues implying she was doing it specifically to manipulate him into letting her operate. Which still strikes me as stupid since Batman should 1) be smarter than that, 2)have more self-control than that, and 3) be more of an out an out moral guy who wouldn't use a woman for sex even if she's trying to manipulate him. But apparently it fits the whole New 52= Hotter and Sexier thing, provided you have a rather base definition for sexier.

**bat39** · 07-11-2012, 02:08 AM

Originally Posted by godisawesome

That seems to be the only real thing we know about their relationship, with one of the later issues implying she was doing it specifically to manipulate him into letting her operate. Which still strikes me as stupid since Batman should 1) be smarter than that, 2)have more self-control than that, and 3) be more of an out an out moral guy who wouldn't use a woman for sex even if she's trying to manipulate him. But apparently it fits the whole New 52= Hotter and Sexier thing, provided you have a rather base definition for sexier.

Oh...so nothing's been revealed about how they first met, or if Bruce has met her as Selina Kyle, or anything like that?