I found some videos with Cheetah (in the post below), and here
are they...
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Cheetah
| Cheetah | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Real name: | Barbara Ann Minerva |
| First Appearance: | (Rich) Wonder Woman #6 (October 1943) (Domaine) Wonder Woman #274 (December 1980) (Minerva) Wonder Woman vol. 2 #7 (August 1987) {Ballesteros) Wonder Woman #170 (July 2001) |
| Created by: | (Rich) William Moulton Marston H. G. Peter (Domaine) Gerry Conway William Moulton Marston (Minerva) Len Wein George Pérez (Ballesteros) Phil Jimenez Joe Kelly |
| Affiliations: | (Rich) Villainy Inc. (Domaine, Minerva) Secret Society of Super Villains Injustice League Super Foes |
| Abilities: | (Rich, Domaine)None inherent (Minerva, Ballesteros) Powers and appearance of a cheetah, granted by the plant-god Urzkartaga (Minerva) Superhuman speed |
Golden Age and Silver Age comics history
Prior to the 12-issue DC Comics series Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985 (which is regarded as the starting point for DC's modern continuity), there were two women who donned spotted cat costumes to fight Wonder Woman as the Cheetah: socialite Priscilla Rich and her niece Deborah Domaine. While modern incarnations of the Cheetah possess superhuman powers, Rich and Domaine do not.
Priscilla Rich
The first woman to become the Cheetah, in Wonder Woman #6 (October 1943), is Priscilla Rich, a 1940s-era blonde Washington, D.C. debutante of aristocratic upbringing who also has an overwhelming inferiority complex and suffers from a split personality. After being eclipsed by Wonder Woman at a charity event and failing to kill her during an escapology act, Priscilla retreats to her room and collapses before her makeup mirror. There she sees an image of a woman dressed like a cheetah. "Horrors!" she cries, as she gazes at her evil inner-self for the first time. "Don't you know me?" replies the reflection. "I am the REAL you—the Cheetah—a treacherous, relentless huntress!" The image commands her to fashion a Cheetah costume from a cheetah-skin rug. "From now on," intones the reflection, "when I command you, you shall go forth dressed like your TRUE self and do as I command you..." The Cheetah framed Wonder Woman for a robbery by hiding the money in her apartment and tipping of the Police. She then set fire to a Warehouse Wonder Woman was in. However Wonder Woman escaped which Cheetah saw just before she fell into the Warehouse. However she survived and went on to menace Wonder Woman.
Priscilla was a member of Villainy Inc., a criminal association between several of Wonder Woman's female foes.
Priscilla has several run-ins with Wonder Woman before retiring to her North Shore Maryland mansion. In Wonder Woman #274 (Dec. 1980), the villain Kobra attempts to recruit the villainess for his organization. His operative finds the reclusive Priscilla an invalid. Priscilla's niece Deborah Domaine had come at her bidding, and the operative stays to observe. Before Priscilla can unburden her alter ego as the Cheetah, she dies.
Modern Age Comics History
The original Cheetah, Priscilla Rich, is established as still existing post-Crisis when Queen Hippolyta becomes the Golden Age Wonder Woman.[2] In the present, she is seen as an elderly woman when she is murdered by Barbara Minerva (the Modern Age Cheetah; see below). It is also established that she never became an invalid post-Crisis, as Minerva mentions how Priscilla had written books condemning her when she became the Cheetah. Rich is murdered in her home by Minerva, under the urging of Zoom.[3] Zoom theorizes that if Minerva kills Rich, she would solidify herself as the one true Cheetah and thus be a better villain.Deborah Domaine
Deborah Domaine as the second Cheetah, with Kobra. Art by Jose
Delbo.
Deborah 'Debbie' Domaine was introduced as the niece of Priscilla Rich. A beautiful young debutante, Debbie feels remorse for her wealthy upbringing and decides to become an ecology activist, meeting Wonder Woman and striking up a friendship with her. Later that same day, Debbie is summoned to her Aunt Priscilla's mansion and finds her there, succumbing to illness. After Priscilla Rich dies, Kobra's operatives capture Deborah and bring her and the Cheetah costume to Kobra's headquarters, where he questions her: "You didn't know about your aunt's secret life, did you? Well, you'll learn—Since we couldn't have the original, we decided to make do with a recreation. You shall be that recreation, Ms. Domaine."
Kobra tortures and brainwashes Debbie and provides her with an updated version of the Cheetah costume. The original suit included a cat-eared cowl and clawed, flat-soled boots. Debbi's version has a V-neck, slit to the sternum, a headband with cat-ears (concealed for the most part beneath her long, auburn hair), and heeled boots. Both costumes include razor-sharp chrome steel nails, painted bright red. "You are my servant, and I, your master. You are the Cheetah!" he cries, "And you will fill the world with terror!" Debbi has several conflicts with Wonder Woman and also serves as a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains in a conflict with both the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America, before her role as the Cheetah is retconned out of existence due to the history-altering after-effects of the Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985–1986). Debbie still exists post-Crisis, as referenced by a photo in Priscilla Rich's mansion inscribed to "Aunt Priscilla, Love Debbie."
Post-Crisis
There are two post-Crisis Cheetahs: Barbara Minerva and Sebastian Ballesteros, Minerva being the more prominent of the two. While the pre-Crisis Cheetahs are simply women in costumes, the post-Crisis Cheetahs have taken on a more mystical note, being champions of a god much as Wonder Woman is to her patrons; actually morphing into powerfully ferocious humanoid were-cheetahs with great strength, agility, and deadly claws and fangs which make them challenging opponents to Wonder Woman and other powerful heroes in battle.
Barbara Ann Minerva
Barbara Minerva as the Cheetah. Art by George Pérez.
This version of the Cheetah comes into Wonder Woman's world when Barbara discovers that Diana possesses the Lasso of Truth. As an anthropologist, Barbara covets the lasso hoping to add it to her collection of historical items. She first attempts to do so through trickery, claiming that there is a matching ancient Golden Girdle of Gaea of the same kind from which the lasso was fashioned. Unfortunately, although the scheme proceeds far enough for Minerva to hold the lasso, its magical power to make people tell the truth forces her to confess her true intentions. Diana, profoundly distraught that a woman would be so treacherous, takes back the lasso and returns home in tears. With the subtle approach having failed, Minerva resorts to attacking the Amazon as the Cheetah in order to rob her of the lasso. Their initial battle ends with inconclusive results, as Diana's friend, Julia Kapatelis, shoots the Cheetah and forces her to retreat.
Over the years, Barbara's interest in the lasso wanes and she becomes more interested in besting Diana in battle due to her bruised ego. The rivalry between the Cheetah and Wonder Woman fluctuates, though. Wonder Woman saves the Cheetah's life during an adventure in the Balkan country of Pan Balgravia.[5] The country's dictator Baron Von Nastraed, for unknown reasons, chooses to aid a demon named Drax by capturing a powerful metahuman woman. The captive woman's body would be used to house Drax's alternate dimension bride Barremargux. When the Baron captures the Cheetah for this purpose, Wonder Woman travels to the country to save her. At the last moment, when Barremargux is about to enter Earth-One, Barbara closes the gateway before the crossing could be completed by jumping into the gateway instead. Barbara is trapped in this demonic dimension until the Boston mob boss Julianna Sazia has scientists open the dimensional gateway to retrieve Barbara to serve her own ends. Barbara double-crosses Julianna, choosing to aid Wonder Woman when she is caught in the mob war between Paulie Longo and Julianna Sazia in Boston. Seeing her debt to Wonder Woman paid for attempting to rescue her in Pan Balgravia, the Cheetah continues her quest to defeat Wonder Woman when it is convenient to her.
For a brief period of time, Minerva loses her powers to the businessman Sebastian Ballesteros (see below), who convinces Urtzkartaga that he could be a more effective Cheetah than she was. Minerva later kills Ballesteros and regains her powers.
The relationship Minerva has with Urtzkartaga is strained at times for all of Minerva's intense devotion and loyalty. For a brief period of time the god punishes her by leaving one of Minerva's hands human looking and untransformed even while she is in Cheetah form. Though it appears to still be fully empowered as the rest of her body and equally as deadly.
With help from Zoom, Minerva attains a level of super speed even greater than she previously possessed. She accomplishes this by murdering Priscilla Rich, who previously went by the codename Cheetah. They later join the latest Secret Society of Super Villains, and seem to be engaged in a sexual relationship, though Zoom considers himself to still be married to his former wife.
One Year Later, the witch Circe places a spell on Minerva that allows her to change her appearance from human to Cheetah at will, even though she still remains in her Cheetah form in either guise. She controls three actual cheetahs and still possesses her super speed, which is shown demonstrated by her ability to steal the golden lasso away from Donna Troy several times in battle.
She is later seen in the Justice League of America Wedding Special, forming a new Injustice League alongside Lex Luthor and the Joker. She also appears in Salvation Run.
In Final Crisis: Resist, she joins forces with Checkmate to rebel against Darkseid, and enjoys a brief relationship with Snapper Carr.
In the pages of Wonder Woman, she is revealed as the power behind the Secret Society, responsible for the creation of Genocide. She arranges to have her ally Doctor Psycho take the place of Sarge Steel as director of the Department of Metahuman Affairs which, in the middle of Genocide's onslaught, she targets for destruction.[6]
Sebastian Ballesteros
Sebastian Ballesteros by Phil Jimenez from Wonder Woman #171 (August 2001)
Amazon Cheetah
A new version of the Cheetah appears in the "Odyssey" storyline, which involves the Gods altering Diana's history so that Themyscyra was destroyed when she was a child. The new Cheetah is created from the corpse of a murdered Amazon after it is lowered into a mystical restoration pit and infused with the spirit of Magaera by the Morrigan (the villains who are hunting Wonder Woman). Alongside new versions of Artemis and Giganta (both of whom are also created from dead Amazons), the new Cheetah is tasked with hunting down and killing Wonder Woman.[8] After tracking down the safehouse where Diana lives with the last surviving residents of Themyscyra, Cheetah brutally ambushes and slays a young Amazon as she steps outside. Cheetah is then shown carrying the woman's body away from the scene, muttering about how she too will be reborn soon.[9]Other versions
Wednesday Comics
A modernized version of Priscilla Rich appears as one of the primary antagonists of the Wonder Woman feature in Wednesday Comics. Here, she is portrayed as a young archeologist from a wealthy Baltimore family, who relies on enchanted artifacts to grant her superhuman abilities. She initially befriends a young Diana, (before she has become Wonder Woman), after meeting her, but soon reveals her treacherous nature when she kidnaps Diana's friend Etta and uses her as bait for a trap set by Doctor Poison. In the end, both Priscilla and Poison are defeated by Wonder Woman.Justice
The Priscilla Rich version of the Cheetah appears as a member of the Legion of Doom in Alex Ross' Justice maxi-series. Here, she is shown to have fashioned her costume from the fur of her pet cheetahs, which she violently killed and skinned in an ancient ritual (likely reminiscent of the Barbara Ann Minerva version). This version also appears to have retired at some point before the events of the series, as Wonder Woman mentions that Priscilla returned to the side of the "Dark Gods" and having been friends with her at some point. She is first seen at the opening of the series as one of the many villains suffering from nightmares about the end of the world, and the Justice League's inability to stop it. Priscilla reappears in the fourth issue, attending a peace conference held by Wonder Woman with her cheetahs, but kills them once in her hotel room before performing an ancient ritual and donning a costume made from their pelts. When Wonder Woman leaves the conference, Cheetah attacks her in the hall, slashing her several times before she escapes. It is later revealed over the course of the series that Cheetah's claws were infected with Centaur's Blood, and was turning Diana back into clay. Priscilla's attack is apparently the most successful, as Wonder Woman was slowly crumbling to the point that her face had become black and cracked by the time the Justice League attacked the Hall of Doom, relying on the powers of her lasso to keep her from crumbling apart. It is mentioned by a citizen that Cheetah ruled over a city filled with those deemed "ugly" by society. After the League attacks the Legion of Doom, Priscilla is one of the few villains to escape the initial attack, retreating to her city in wait for Wonder Woman. When Diana follows Cheetah with several other JLA members, they quickly realize Cheetah is stalking them and Wonder Woman tells them to leave so she can face Priscilla herself. Almost immediately after they leave Cheetah ambushes Wonder Woman, who removes her protective mask to expose that Cheetah's Centaur blood had almost killed her. Diana tells Cheetah that she has lost all patience for her before violently slamming her head into Priscilla's, breaking her Cheetah mask in half and knocking Priscilla out.DC: The New Frontier
An alternate version of Cheetah briefly appears in the final issue of DC: The New Frontier.Wonder Woman: The Blue Amazon
Another alternate version of Cheetah appears in Wonder Woman: The Blue Amazon.Flashpoint
In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Cheetah joined with Wonder Woman's Furies.[10] After the Furies attack Grifter and the Resistance, Cheetah is eaten by Etrigan.[11]In other media
Television
- The Priscilla Rich version of Cheetah appears in Challenge of the Super Friends and was voiced by Marlene Aragon. In one of the Cheetah's most memorable episodes, "The Secret Origins of the Super Friends", the Legion of Doom travel into the past to eliminate Superman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman before they can become heroes. The villains arrive at Paradise Island, moments before Princess Diana will compete in the Tournament she will win to become Wonder Woman. The Cheetah disguises herself as an amazon to compete in the games and stop Diana, her athletic skills allowing her to get through most of the competition. As the tournament ends, only Diana and the Cheetah remain in contention and meet each other in a battle of stun rays to crown a winner. To assist her, the Cheetah uses "radar controlled" bracelets to deflect Diana's laser rays back at her, stunning the Amazon Princess. The Cheetah is hailed as the winner and is presented with the uniform and weapons of Wonder Woman. The blonde villainess, now wearing the uniform of the amazon champion, gloats in her victory, "I've done it! Now I am Wonder Woman!" The Cheetah's victory causes Diana to be removed from the future timeline, thus eliminating Wonder Woman. However the Legion of Doom's triumph is short lived. The remaining Super Friends uncover the scheme and travel back in time to undo the damage. The Flash arrives at Paradise Island and uses his super-speed to deflect the rays meant to hit Diana and back at the Cheetah, stunning her. Diana is named the winner and goes onto become Wonder Woman.
Cheetah, as she appears in the Justice League's animated series.
- In the Cartoon Network's Justice League, there is a new Cheetah, voiced by actress Sheryl Lee Ralph. This version of Cheetah (loosely based on the Barbara Ann Minerva version) was once a scientist who was involved in valuable genetic research. However, she explains that her funding was running out, and she was unable to perform proper experiments. In a last-ditch effort to prove the value of her research, she tested her theories on herself. The result was a mutation into a half-human-half-cat hybrid. She was shunned by the scientific community for her recklessness and ostracized by humanity as a freak. With no alternatives, she turned to crime to fund further research to undo the change. Her first appearance is in the episode "Injustice for All" as a member of the Injustice Gang. She joins Lex Luthor's Injustice Gang for the same reason she became a criminal in the first place: money - but unlike the others, she has little criminal intent, and merely wants to be normal again. When the Injustice Gang succeeds in capturing Batman, he realizes that Cheetah is not like the others and offers her a way out, in exchange for helping him topple Lex Luthor. However, Cheetah hesitates to take up Batman's offer, and instead, another disgruntled member betrays them. When Luthor realizes they have a traitor in their midst, he points the blame toward Cheetah, thanks to a clip from a security camera showing her and Batman kissing. She is defeated by The Joker, and then taken away by Solomon Grundy, where he supposedly kills her by petting her to death — a reference to Lennie in Of Mice and Men.[12] Cheetah's first appearance was also supposed to be her last. Producer Bruce Timm intended for Cheetah to die, while James Tucker wanted to bring the sympathetic character back.[citation needed] Cheetah was saved by the most unusual of saviors....an animation error. At the end of the episode, she appears alive and well in the back of the paddy wagon with the other members of the Injustice Gang. Once the producers saw the error, they decided it was easier to say she was not killed, though they still have not stated how she gets away from Grundy.
The Cheetah grapples with Wonder Woman in a shot from WB Animation's series Justice League Unlimited
- Sheryl Lee Ralph reprises her role as Cheetah in Justice League Unlimited. She makes minor appearances in the series after this, and is only heard speaking again in "Kid Stuff". Cheetah joins Gorilla Grodd's Secret Society in the 2005–06 season of Justice League Unlimited, though she remains a minor character. Despite the original intent of the producers to have her killed in her first appearance,[citation needed] Cheetah actually ends up as one of the few Legion members to survive the resurrection of Darkseid in the series finale.
- The Priscilla Rich version of Cheetah appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Triumvirate of Terror" voiced by Morena Baccarin. She collaborates with Lex Luthor and Joker in order to come up with a plan to defeat Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. She easily beats Superman with martial arts, Kryptonite, and the magic amulet of Orzchartaga which channels the full power of her namesake. She is later defeated by Superman who freezes her with his super breath leaving her vulnerable to Wonder Woman and Batman's finishing blows.
- The Barbara Minerva version of Cheetah appears in the third Super Best Friends Forever short. She battles Supergirl, Batgirl, and Wonder Girl while the three girls argue over the name for their group.
Film
- Cheetah appears in Wonder Woman. She is seen near the end where she steals an artifact from a museum and attacks the police. At this point, Wonder Woman changes into her costume, jumps over the police cars, wraps Cheetah with the Lasso of Truth and tugs Cheetah towards her. Just as Wonder Woman is about to deliver a punch to Cheetah, the film ends.
- The Barbara Ann Minerva version of Cheetah appears in the animated movie Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. She appears as one of the many supervillains trying to collect the bounty on Superman.
- The Barbara Ann Minerva version of Cheetah appears in Justice League: Doom, voiced by Claudia Black in her English accent.[13] She selected by Vandal Savage as part of his Legion of Doom, and is selected to kill Wonder Woman. She fights Wonder Woman on a boat and manages to cut Diana's arm, infecting her with a poison. The poison's power is revealed when Cheetah jumps onto the docks and attempts to escape, but when Diana follows her everyone she saw was Cheetah, including civilians, cops, and Cyborg. She began fighting every Cheetah she saw, knocking out police, civilians, and ripping off Cyborg's arm (he was able to reattach it soon after). Cyborg deduced that, due to Wonder Woman's upbringing as a warrior, she would keep fighting to the end, overstraining herself, and causing her heartbeat, blood pressure and breathing go off the scale, therefore, Cheetah's intent was, to either make Wonder Woman's heart give out, suffer an aneurysm or have her get shot by police, and managed to cure Diana before either of those eventualities came to pass. She joins Savage's plan for genocide, and slits his throat when he says he cannot die. She does kill him, but he quickly gets up and hits her in the head. When the League storms the Hall of Doom she takes on Wonder Woman herself, but she is eventually defeated by Diana.
Video games
- The third comic book version of Cheetah (Barbara Ann Minerva) also appears in the Justice League Task Force video game for the SNES and Sega Genesis as a playable character.
- The Barbara Ann Minerva version of Cheetah appears in DC Universe Online voiced by Adrienne Mischler. In the hero campaign, Cheetah serves as a boss in the Hall of Doom. In the villain campaign, Cheetah works as the vendor in the magic wing of the Hall of Doom.
- The DCAU version of Cheetah appears in "Justice League: Injustice for All" for the Gameboy Advance, serving as both a miniboss, and a full on boss.
- Cheetah will appear in Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, with Claudia Black reprising her role from Justice League: Doom.[14]
Audio book
- In 1982, the Wonder Woman audiobook story "Cheetah on the Prowl" was released with actress Sonia Manzano voicing the Deborah Domaine Cheetah.
Miscellaneous
- In the first two issues of the non-continuity Super Friends comic book series, Priscilla teams with a group of other villains (Penguin, Toyman, Poison Ivy, and Human Flying Fish) to mentor junior criminals. Priscilla's partner is a teenage girl, going by the name Kitten.
- Cheetah (Priscilla Rich) appeared alongside several other villains in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold comic book series based on the animated series of the same name.
Parodies
- In the "Krazy Kripples" episode of the TV show South Park, the Legion of Doom is spoofed. The Legion has a member that looks like Cheetah (Priscilla Rich).
- In an episode of Attack of the Show! a short list of problems with being Wonder Woman listed #3 as "Your Villains are Lame", features Blair Butler (who also wrote the short) dressed as Cheetah attacking Olivia Munn (who was playing Wonder Woman), only to be easily beaten. Butler reprises the role in a second short entitled "Wonder Woman's Guide to Office Safety", in which Cheetah emerges from a refrigerator after being formed from an old lunch containing correct chemical components essential to creating her.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Cyber Cat
| Cyber Cat | |
| General Information | |
| Real name: | Christina Chiles |
| First Appearance: | Catwoman #42 (1997) |
| Created by: | Jim Balent Doug Moench |
| Affiliations: | None |
| Abilities: | Super-Strength Claws Helmet Laser Missile Launcher |
| Portrayed by: | None |
History
Christina Chiles had been working on a cyber battle suit modeled after a cat and decided to test it against Catwoman, who had broken into the lab in which Christina worked. Despite the power the suit gave her, Christina (now Cyber-Cat) was beaten by Catwoman. Infuriated at her loss, Cyber-Cat began a personal vendetta against Catwoman. As Catwoman managed to elude her Cyber-Cat became more and more fixated on tracking her down. Another confrontation with Catwoman resulted in failure because of the help of Catwoman's rival She-Cat.Cyber-Cat made one final attempt on Catwoman's life but Catwoman had received her own suit of armor which gave her powers on par with Cyber-Cat's and finally destroyed the armor. Christina was taken into custody by the agency she worked for because of her unauthorized use of its technology.
Powers and Abilities
Cyber-Cat's armor gave her superhuman strength and durability, as well as very long retractable claws, and a cybernetic tail that could strike enemies behind her. She also sported a cutting laser in her helmet and missile launchers in the armor forearms.
Gallery
Catwoman and Cyber Cat
Catwoman and Cyber Cat
She-Cat, Catwoman and Cyber Cat
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Catman
| Catman | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Real name: | Thomas Blake |
| First Appearance: | Detective Comics #311 (January 1963) |
| Created by: | Bill Finger Jim Mooney |
| Affiliations: | Secret Six The Misfits |
| Abilities: | Superb hand-to-hand combatant, skilled in use of bladed weapons, high intelligence |
| Portrayed by: | None |
Thomas Blake is a world-famous trapper of jungle cats who turned to crime because he had grown bored with hunting and had squandered most of his fortune. He became a burglar who committed his crimes in a catsuit made out of an ancient African cloth he believed give him a cat's nine lives. After many years of defeat at the hands of Batman and Catwoman, Catman became something of a joke in the super-villian community, so he retired and moved to Africa to live among a pride of lions. When the lions
were slaughtered, Blake became a crimin
al mercenary and a member of the Secret Six, initially to track down the lions' killers. After the lion-killers were identified, Blake stayed with the Secret Six. He is also the on-again/off-again lover of Helena Bertenelli, the Huntress.
History
Earth-1/Silver Age
Catman (also spelled Cat-Man) is Thomas Blake, a world-famous trapper of jungle cats who turned to crime because he had grown bored with hunting and had squandered most of his fortune. Blake was a wealthy animal trapper and a contemporary of Bruce Wayne. An inveterate gambler, Blake had lost most of his fortune but was still part of Gotham's elite social circle. Tom and Bruce's discussion of their boring lives during a dinner party led an eavesdropper to joke that they each put on costumes and fight crime. The suggestion lingered in Blake's mind even as he acknowledged that, in Gotham, he'd never be more than a second-rate Batman. The prospect of being a villain appealed to the hunter far more, allowing him to match wits with the Dark Knight rather than follow his lead. Searching for a gimmick, Blake patted the head of his panther Felina and recalled the long-absent Catwoman. "She was a mere woman! Think what I, a MAN, could do. Imagine what I with my knowledge of cat lore can do. Yes -- cats will be my CATegory of crime. I shall become -- the Cat-Man!" He became a burglar who committed his crimes in a catsuit made out of an ancient African cloth he believed gave him a cat's nine lives. His costume was modeled after Catwoman's disguise. Cat-Man wore a yellow costume and tights with orange gloves, boots, tights and cape & cowl. The initials "CM" were emblazoned on his chest in orange. He also carried an orange satchel, a "kit-bag" that carried various Batman-inspired tools, from a cat-line to a catarang. And, for his getaways, he drove a heavy duty feline-themed "cat-car." Catwoman was none too pleased to have her modus operandi copied, and initially helped Batman apprehend him. The two costumed criminals would have a competitive, love/hate relationship for many years afterward which included Selina Kyle (Catwoman) being wrongly implicated for Catman's crimes at least once. As with many Batman villains in their first appearances, Catman was originally a gimmicked villain who stole items along a "cat" theme, such as cat statues, "cat's eyes" emeralds, etc. His weapon of choice was (of course) a cat-o-nine-tails.
An encounter with Batwoman resulted in Cat-Man falling hard for the beautiful heroine and inviting her to join him as "the king and queen of crime." She sneered at the proposal and Blake never had a chance to make a second offer. Batman and Robin discovered their adversary's true identity and trailed him to an underground catacomb, where the Cat-Man seemed to perish when he plunged into a raging underground river. (Detective Comics #311)Cat-Man resurfaced in a mid-1963 issue of Detective Comics, miraculously unscathed by his plunge into the cataract, and he launched a new series of
crimes revolving around fictional cats. Robin couldn't help but wonder why Blake hadn't simply relocated to a city without costumed crimefighters but Batman observed that "he's in love with Batwoman, remember ? I think he hopes to win her by proving he's a better man than I am."
Indeed, Cat-Man even orchestrated a chase between him and his beloved so that he could save her life. Even as she acknowledged his evil, Batwoman admitted that she couldn't "help having mixed feelings about him." For a time, Blake seemed to have won the woman of his dreams when Batwoman broke her ties with the Dark Knight and agreed to be the Cat-Man's partner. If she'd questioned his feelings for her before, Batwoman had all doubts erased by the huge portrait of her that hung in Cat-Man's subway tunnel lair and the Cat-Woman costume that Blake had created for his queen. Having ingratiated herself into Blake's confidence, Batwoman summoned Batman and Robin for another inconclusive duel. Cat-Man was seemingly killed when his speedboat hit a buoy and exploded. (Detective Comics #318)
Cat-Man survived and once again returne
d to Gotham for Batwoman, But after several encounters between the two, Cat-Man grabbed her and prepared to throw his beloved to her death. "I love you -- but I love freedom more! I cannot allow you to capture me!" The swift action of Batman prevented Kathy Kane's premature death and Thomas Blake was taken into custody after more than a year as a fugitive. (Detective Comics #325)
Within two months of his release from prison, Tom Blake had resumed his costumed career. A trio of acrobatic thugs had acquired cat-like attributes (including the ability to see in the dark and land on their feet) and convinced Cat-Man to serve as their front man, assuring Blake that "you won't regret working with a gang." His infatuation with Batwoman now having faded, Cat-Man brought his team to Minneapolis, Minnesota, convinced that he'd have no trouble with masked heroes in the Midwest.
Incredibly, his first crime, the robbery of a firm known as Cathcart and Company, attracted the attention of the New York-based Freedom Fighters, who perceived a tenuous (and, as it turned out, mistaken) connection between the theft and their own nemesis, the Silver Ghost. Uncle Sam, the Human Bomb and Phantom Lady arrived in time to stop the Cat-Man and company from stealing rare Siamese kittens from a Minneapolis pet shop. Knocking Blake onto his head, the Bomb noted the difference between him and his henchmen: "HE can't be a CAT-Man -- HE didn't land on his feet!" (Freedom Fighters #10)
Cat-Man later struck a deal with Greek "multi-millionaire (and) shipping magnate" Andros Akropolis to acquire an Egyptian cat-god collectio
n currently touring Gotham City. In exchange, Akropolis would provide Blake with the deed to one of his remote islands. Cat-Man's goal was "to turn this island into a sanctuary for wanted criminals, where they can live safe from prosecution -- in exchange for a mere 25% of their loot, of course."
Cat-Man was glimpsed during the theft of the artifacts but the crime was blamed on the reformed Catwoman, then living in Gotham as Selina Kyle. Now a fugitive, the Catwoman was determined to clear her name and, more significantly, locate one of the Egyptian urns that contained h
erbs that might cure the illness that would soon take her life.
Though his costume was left in tatters, Batman managed to free himself and Selina as well as turning up evidence that linked Cat-Man to the Greek isles. Catwoman insisted on accompanying the Dark Knight
ht and, together, they traced Blake to "his" island just as he was providing Akropolis with his loot, hidden within a geyser. With his bodyguards holding a gun on Blake, the multi-millionaire attempted to take the artifacts without payment but the fortuitous arrival of Batman and Catwoman provided Cat-Man with an opening to escape.
Cat-Man was cornered by a desperate Catwoman, who accidentally knocked the villain and his loot to the edge of a geyser. With the corner of his cape clutched in Selina's hands, the geyser erupted, apparently taking Tom Blake and the life-preserving herbs with it. Returning to the United States, Selina was cured of her disease. (Batman #322-323-324)
Cat-Man survived the eruption and cheated death once more but he had been left with scar on his left temple. He returned to Gotham in the fall of 1981 with revenge against Catwoman on his mind, kidnapping Selina, leaving Batman for dead and retrieving the piece of his cape that Catwoman had donated to the Wayne Foundation for research. Cat-Man had convinced himself that uniting both pieces of the cape would heal his scars but he was sadly mistaken.
He prepared to take out his frustrations on the securely-bound Selina, vowing that "if they ever find your body -- they'll have to bury it in a closed coffin!" Instead, Batman burst in and briefly dodged Cat-Man's blows before knocking him off of his yacht into Gotham Bay. Unable to swim, Tom Blake was forced to beg for his life. It was fitting, the Dark Knight thought, "for as everyone knows, cats HATE water" (Detective Comics #509)
Early in 1983, Cat-Man and more than a dozen other villains were united by the Joker to try and kill The Batman before the upstart Killer Croc could do the job. Instead, thanks to
the Joker's treachery, Croc got wind of the plot and left Cat-Man, along with fellow rogues Tweedledee,Tweedledum,and The Getaway Genius "beaten half to death". (Detective Comics #526)
Returned to prison, Blake eventually fell into a weeks-long state of catatonia, staring blankly into space while his cellmate, a burglar named Collins, talked in his sleep about his fifty-thousand dollar cache concealed in Gotham. One night, Blake awoke with a start, declaring that "I wasn't cataphoric OR catatonic -- I just like to take cat-naps."Gazing into the evening
sky, Blake observed "the moon -- in its catabibazon descending node -- and a good omen. Even catarchic astrology favors me, indicating its the perfect time to begin a new endeavor ... and its the fourteenth of the month -- catorce in Spanish!"
Shaking Collins awake, the one-time gambler Blake made a proposal, "a bet that I can steal Bast from the Gotham Museum -- and what's more, outwit The Batman in the process. ... If I win, I get your unrecovered loot in the catacombs ... but if I fail -- meaning YOU win -- you get my Catman outfit with its magical properties giving the wearer nine lives." Collins agr
eed and Tom Blake, using a catgut line to scale the prison wall and a catawba catalpa tree to catch him as he leaped to safety, prepared to make good. An astonished Collins suddenly began to sweat, wondering if the Catman's costume "rubs off even when you're not wearin' it!"
Luck seemed to be with the Catman during the robbery and, with the Dark Knight reeling from a blow to the head, Tom Blake prepared for his final strike with "a Japanese catan sword -- ANOTHER good omen for me." Batman was able to counter the attack with another weapon on display -- a baton, or as he emphasized to Robin, "a BATon. You might even say my victory was a CATharsis of sorts."
Officially, the Catman was reported to have escaped after critically wounding Batman, a ruse to draw Collins into the open and finally lead the police to the long-sought loot from his robbery. Collins escaped and acquired the Catman costume, unaware that every stroke of good fortune that he credited to the "magic" cloth had actually been orchestrated by Batman and the Gotham City Police Department.
Just as Collins reached the cavernous location where his treasure was hidden, the catacomb began to collapse, its walls weakened by an earlier assault on Gotham by the Quakemaster. Batman crawled from the debris with the stolen goods but soon discovered that he had a new problem. The cave-in had diverted Collins directly into an opening into the Batcave. His confidence buoyed by his belief in the costume's supposed magic, the new Catma
n proved surprisingly resourceful, using trophies such as Joe Coyne's giant penny to strike back at the Dark Knight. Conceding that he'd "created a monster," Batman finally succeeded in subduing his foe. (Batman #371-Detective Comics #538)
Having failed to learn his lesson when he went up against Croc, Catman accepted subsequent invitations to work on behalf of Brainiac in Crisis on Infinite Earths #9 and Ra's al Ghul in Batman #400 and quickly met with defeat each time.
Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths
The post-Crisis Catman is essentially the same character as the Earth-1 Catman. As such, the history outlined above generally still applies post-Crisis. The only changes necessary are to accommodate other characters. For example, Batwoman's history was drastically changed by the Crisis, so Catman's interactions with her must be adjusted to reflect that.The post-Crisis Catman's first appearance
was not even in a Batman comic. Cat-Man's attempt to snatch a Bast statue from a museum was opposed by Manhunter (Mark Shaw). Shaw sustained a nasty gash on his chest thanks to Blake's clawed gloves but he got his man. As Cat-Man made his escape, he discovered that his cat-car was being towed away and, momentarily distracted, he was tripped up by an energy blast from Manhunter's baton. Mark had noticed Blake's license plate ("GATO-1") when he first entered the museum and reported him for unpaid parking tickets. (Manhunter #13)
Soon, Batman, an insulted Catwoman and Catman (now sporting a revised costume with a cat's-head icon replacing the "CM" on his chest and longer ears on his hood) had all taken to the streets, each in search of the big cat. The chase invigorated Blake, who observed that "it's been too long since I felt like this. Wind in my face -- the night wrappe
d round me like a well-worn cloak -- the thrill of the hunt -- There's no feeling in the world like it!"
Once Catman had been reunited with Rasputin, he decided that his pet needed "a little exercise." A shackled Batman provided just what the big cat wanted but Catman didn't get to enjoy the show. Catwoman wrapped her whip around Blake's ankle, yanking him out of his loft and onto the roof of a van passing below. While Batman succeeded in beating Rasputin, a dazed Catman staggered out on the van, which had been transporting cats for illegal experimentation. Shrieking in terror, the teenage drivers ran away, swearing that they'd "never sell another cat to a research lab as long as (they) live". (Detective Comics #612)
Outcast
In 1993, Catman appeared in Batman: Shadow of the Bat as a member of a villain team called the Misfits, led by Killer Moth. The Misfits were third-rate villains trying to prove themselves, anticipating Brad Meltzer's treatment of the character in Green Arrow. Catman joined forces with the other so-called "misfits" Calendar Man and and Killer Moth in a plot to kidnap Gotham Mayor Armand Krol, Commissioner Gordon and Bruce Wayne for a ten-million dollar ransom. Catman recruited a fourth partner, a crook named Chancer who, like Blake, relied on good fortune. Introducing the new guy to his latest pet, a black panther named Sasha, Catman observed that "luck is relative. It's the difference between having your throat torn out and merely losing an arm."Chancer agreed to participate and the kidnappings went off without a hitch. Unknown to the others, Killer Moth intended to kill Krol, Gordon and Wayne once the ransom was delivered . An unwitting Catman even assured Sarah Essen, who delivered the ransom, that "you have MY word they're okay, Sergeant. I'll set them free myself." Through the c
ombined efforts of Robin and Bruce Wayne, the victims were freed and Wayne, as Batman, quickly brought the rogues to justice. (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #7-9)
Catman reappeared in a 1995 crossover between Shadow of the Bat and Catwoman.
Members of the Pacific island cat cult from whom he had stolen the magic cloth for for his cape and cowl finally caught up with Thomas Blake. When one of their representative Council of Three disappeared after a confrontation with the Cat-Man, the remaining two natives hired the Catwoman to steal the cat idol and the mystic cloth on their behalf . "I've never been able to hate him with the intensity such a cruel, callous creep deserves. So this scam really appeals. Stealing Cat-Man's cape and cowl back for its rightful owners will leave HIM with a king-size flea in his ear -- and ME with a million bucks in my king-size pocketbook" .
Unknown to all, tired of fleeing Batman and justice, Thomas Blake planned his retirement. A robbery at a Gotham casino brought Catman into conflict with Batman and, inevitably, the Dark Knight and the law would close in on him. , Blake promptly subdued a member of the cult and dressed him in his original "CM" Cat-Man costume .
"I'm tired of being a hunted man, hounded by the law, switching houses every few weeks. I want to be free to ENJOY the wealth my crimes have brought me. And fate sent YOU to help. A half-dozen witnesses saw Tom Blake at the casino tonight. Even more saw Cat-Man ROBBING it including Batman himself. They won't think twice when they find a body in a cat-suit with the remains of the loot -- especially," Cat-Man said as he set the timer on an explosive device, "when there's not enough of you left to identify!"
Blake's plans were disrupted when Catwoman raided his hideout, battering Blake relentlessly, raking her clawed gloves across his cheeks and finally pulling off his cape and cowl into her hands. Pursued by Blake's panthers Khan and Hun, Selina roared away from the estate in Cat-Man's cat-car.
Falling back on his tracking skills, Tom Blake followed Catwoman to the sewers, where she had unwittingly stumbled across a plot by the Ratcatcher to poison the city and Batman's attempt to prevent it. Cat-Man's arrival alongside Khan and Hun provided the Dark Knight with the resources he needed to fight the Ratcatcher's army of rodents while he rounded up the ringleader. Upon his return, Batman found Cat-Man lying unconscious and C
atwoman and the panthers long gone.
When the Council attempted to renege on their deal, Selina suggested that Khan and Hun might convince them otherwise. Moments later, the Catwoman was carrying away one-million dollars while silently thinking that "you have the idol and A cloth, guys -- but what makes you think I'd give you the REAL one ? Not that I intend to keep it. If Thomas Blake thinks it's lucky, he's welcome to it. I'll let him sweat out Blackgate Prison for a year or so, then send it back to him. Anybody who has pets like these can't be ALL bad". (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #43-Catwoman #26-Batman: Shadow of the Bat #44)
Catman is chased up a tree in New York.In New York, while wearing a replica of his original cape and cowl, he was chased up a tree by the alien canine (and former Green Lantern) named G'nort. (Green Lantern 80-Page Giant #1)
Blake was serving time in Blackgate Penitentiary again when the Gotham City earthquake struck and sent a tidal wave smashing into the prison. Cat-Man was freed along with the other inmates but couldn't resist going back into the prison to loot the cells. Instead, his chivalrous side was awakened again when he dis
covered the KGBeast attempting to murder a fellow inmate, Jared Manx, as well as a nun and lawyer who'd been with Manx at the time of the disaster. With his acrobatic skills still first-rate, Blake effortlessly distracted the Russian killer until his would-be victims escaped. Grinning, Tom dove into the water. It's unknown whether the Cat-Man ever learned to swim. (Batman: Blackgate - Isle of Men #1)
Catman remained in limbo until 2003, when he resurfaced as a foe of Green Arrow. Written by Brad Meltzer, Catman was portrayed as a pathetic, overweight loser who was looked down upon by other villains and who is easily defeated by Green Arrow. His hair had been dyed black, which he thought "made [him] look tougher". (Green Arrow #16-17) A few issues later, Monsieur Mallah sends Warp to abduct Blake, the implication being that Catman had met a rather grisly end as Mallah's dinner. (Green Arrow #20) (This situation is alluded to by Blake, when he joins the Secret Six: "You know you've hit rock bottom when a monkey and a Frenchman don't consider you worth killing". When he later meets Monsieur Mallah, he comments that he has no desire to see the gorilla's stomach again.)
Secret Six
In the 2005 mini-series Villains United, Catman resurfaced in Africa, where, after a failed attempt at suicide, he attempted to resalvage his life and began living with a pride of lions. He used this time to lose weight and regain his sense of self-worth and fighting skills. This 'perfect existence' would be shattered by the arrival of the Secret Society of Super-Villains, however. Seeking to unite all of Earth's super-villains under his control, Lex Luthor (secretly Alexander Luthor, Jr. in disguise) sought to recruit Catman into the fold as a minion, only to be rejected. It was initially believed that an angry Lex Luthor had Deathstroke the Terminator kill the lions Catman was living with in retaliation for being rejected by a "nobody" but this was later revealed to have been misdirection.Catman vowed reve
nge against Luthor, and was subsequently recruited into a criminal syndicate known as the Secret Six. Together, the Secret Six waged war against the Secret Society of Super-Villains under the direction of an individual known only as Mockingbird (secretly the real Lex Luthor). During that time he found out that it was in fact fellow Secret Six member Deadshot who had killed his lions on Mockingbird's orders, so that he would join the organization. Deadshot would later apologise, and Catman forgave him. Although the two were reluctant allies at first, the two soon bonded and became what one could loosely call friends.
Under Villains United writer Gail Simone, Catman has achieved a new level of fame. Portrayed as a cunning warrior with a sense of honor, the character is now a potent anti-heroic character (though far from unflappable). His time in Africa seems to have helped him regain his physical abilities allowing him to fight the formidable super-ape Mallah to a standstill and blind Captain Nazi. He is different from most other villains in the sense that he has noble and heroic qualities (Cheshire notes that Blake behaves more like a hero than a villain), yet he sees heroes such as the Justice League as being arrogant and abusive of their power, as seen when he confronts Green Arrow about the Doctor Light incident. It seems he would rather be associated with people such as Deadshot who at least recognize their moral failings than a group of 'holier-than-thou' heroes. It has been revealed that during his time with the society he impregnated Cheshire and that the two now have a son, Thomas jr.
Catman has recently reappe
ared in the new Secret Six ongoing series, which takes place after the events of Salvation Run. Blake apparently spent some time back in Africa, where he brutally attacked a gang of poachers and may have left them for dead. His actions have led Catman to wonder if he has the temperament to be on the side of the angels.
It was in his role as leader of the Secret Six that Catman faced Batman again after many years. Batman tried to warn Catman and his team to not accept their mission to break someone out of Alcatraz. The non-personal warning didn't work, so Batman went to confront Catman. Catman said in response, "The old me? Probably would've whooped his milk and cookies." He made no hesitation to throw the first punch at the Dark Knight. During the fight, Batman even offered to pay the Secret Six off, but to no avail. Catman's main goal was just to keep Batman distracted as the Secret Six broke Tarantula out of prison.
Gallery
Catman featured in the artwork for the cover of the third printing of Villains United #1.
Catman in Africa
Powers and Abilities
Abilities
Superb Hand-to-Hand Combatant, Skilled with Blades, has significantly above-average Intelligence.
Weaknesses
Retains some animalistic tendencies
Paraphernalia
Catman's original look had a primarily orange outfit with a roaring cat head on his chest and a brilliant yellow cape.His more recent appearances, however, has him wearing more Batman-like costume, with a yellow outfit with three red slash marks on his chest and brown/orange cape and cowl.
Transportation
Catmobile
Other versions
A character similar to Catman debuted in the 1950s named King of the Cats. In reality, he was Karl Kyle, brother of Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman. This version of the character was also a burglar who was motivated to steal by an intense sibling rivalry with his sister. His crimes tormented Catwoman, as she had loyalties to both her brother and her nemesis/love interest, Batman.Batman: Legend of the Dark Knight #46-49 would reinvent Catman yet again, this time as a leather catsuit-wearing s
erial killer who used knife-like claws to slash young women to death because they reminded him of his abusive mother. Batman and Catwoman formed a shaky alliance to stop him, although they had different agendas; Batman wanted to apprehend him, while Catwoman wanted him dead. They eventually caught him and, between the two of them, beat him to a bloody pulp, although Batman was able to restrain Catwoman from committing murder. This story is apparently set outside of canon, or someone other than Blake was under the costume.
In other media
- Thomas Blake appeared in a 1998 episode of Batman: The Animated Series ("Cult Of The Cat") not as an archcriminal, but as the leader of a cat-worshipping cult. As in previous incarnations, he wore gloves equipped with knives as claws. He was voiced by Scott Cleverdon.
- A version of Catman previously appeared in The Batman Adventures comic series prior to Blake's appearance on the actual series. This version was closer to the comic book version of Thomas Blake, calling himself Catman and wearing a Catman suit with colors similar to the Batman: The Animated Series version of Catwoman.
- An entirely different Catman appeared in the Justice League two-part episde "Legends", voiced by Stephen Root. He is a pastiche of the Golden Age versions of Batman and Wildcat. Catman is also the only character in the DC animated universe to have multiple versions of himself, let alone three.
Catman is the first on the right.
- Adam West appears in a few episodes of The Fairly OddParents as himself, an actor who in turn plays a superhero named Catman. In this version he had the colors of the original Catman and was a lot like the Batman of the 1960s television series (in which West played Batman). Despite having the same name, he is more a parody of West's Batman than the eponymous villian.
- Hellhound makes a cameo appearance in the Justice League Unlimited animated series in the episode, "Grudge Match." He is seen fighting Shatterfist in Roulette's new version of Meta-Brawl. Although the character shown is Hellhound and not Catman, he is often confused with Catman, due to his similar costume.
- Catman was briefly glimpsed in a crowd of villain attempting to collect a bounty on the heads of Batman and Superman in the original direct-to-video animated film Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
- Catman was briefly glimpsed in a crowd of villain attempting to collect a bounty on the heads of Batman and Superman in the original direct-to-video animated film Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
- Catman appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Legends of the Dark Mite" voiced by Thomas F. Wilson. He and his pet tiger fight Batman and Ace the Bat-Hound. And he also appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold - The Videogame.
Cover to Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #46.
Summarizing:
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