Who: Kate Kane is a carefree party-girl socialite by day, ass kicking vigilante by night.
Found In The Pages Of: 52, Batman and currently featured in Batwoman (DC Comics)
The Story: Following her dismissal from the US military for being a lesbian, and the death of her sister, Kate Kane would live a destructive party-girl life that would later lead to alcoholism. A chance encounter with Batman inspires Kate to find a new calling, and adopt the mantle of Batwoman. While not receiving the Dark Knight’s official stamp of approval, Batman allows her to continue, since Kane is in the same social circle as Bruce Wayne and he knows what she’s been through and what she can do. With Batarang lessons from Nightwing and extra combat training from her Marine father, Batwoman has become quite the force for good in Gotham City – too bad she’s also on the top of her girlfriend Detective Maggie Sawyer’s must-capture list.
Why Her: We keep holding our breath for another (less-campy) live-action Batman TV show – but let’s face it, with all that extensive movie money rollin’ in, it’s never going to happen. Not only is Batwoman an all kinds of awesome role model for the LGBT community, her Bruce Wanye-esque origin story makes her easy for all sorts of people to get behind. As she is not officially part of his team, a Batwoman TV series would not depend on Batman appearances to survive – plus, with neat gadgets like “taser gloves” and the Scarecrow’s “Fear Toxin,” Batwoman has just enough of the Caped Crusader in her to appeal to even the most die-hard Batman fan.
