Clad in the Hebrew colors of war, former West Point Academy cadet Kate Kane is Batman's cousin, but she fights a battle all her own against injustice.
Featured in these Comics
History
Katherine Rebecca Kane grew up with a twin sister, Elizabeth. The twins’ parents, Jacob and Gabi, were career soldiers in the U.S. Army; Jacob was also the brother of Martha Wayne, making Kate and Elizabeth first cousins to Bruce Wayne.
Eventually, their father Jacob was promoted to a NATO position, and the family moved from Fort Bragg, North Carolina to Brussels, Belgium. On the twins’ birthday, the girls and their mother, Gabi, were kidnapped by enemy agents. Jacob lead the rescue operation, but was only successful in saving Kate.
Kate enrolled at the U.S. Military Academy, primarily to serve her country and partially out of a desire to emulate her father. While at West Point, she fell in love with her roommate, Sophie Moore. When the administration learned she was in a homosexual relationship, to avoid outing her girlfriend and potentially other closeted cadets, Kate admitted she was a lesbian and was discharged from the academy.
Kate’s ever-supportive father married heiress Catherine Hamilton. Now having no life goals and with her additional newfound wealth, Kate became a hard-partying socialite. Apprehended by cop Renee Montoya one night for speeding, she began a relationship with the GCPD officer. But Renee dumped the directionless Kate after she learned her girlfriend had quit school.
Kate’s life changed when she was attacked by a mugger and encountered Batman after neutralizing the threat. Inspired to fight crime like the Dark Knight, Kate began operating as a vigilante. After her father found out and realized how dedicated she was, he helped organize a years-long, global training regimen for his daughter, during which she learned a variety of advanced skills and multiple martial arts. When Kate returned to Gotham, she adopted the identity of Batwoman. Wearing red and black (the Hebrew colors of war), she fought crime with the help of her father, who coordinated her missions from a command center located in Kate's penthouse.