Dark Heroines: Catwoman

I have to admit to wracking my brains for a Dark Heroine to talk about – they really are under-represented – but I eventually decided on Catwoman. I’ve not seen either the Berry film (which isn’t really canon) or The Dark Knight Rises, but it’s Pfeiffer’s version that I want to talk about (yes, I know the photo is Anne Hathaway, hush)

In Batman Returns, Selina Kyle is secretary to Max Shreck. She comes into her “powers” when Shreck pushes her out of a window and she’s revived by the neighbourhood cats. Driven by revenge, she sets out to destroy Shreck and this puts her at odds with Batman, with who she develops a love/hate relationship. When Catwoman realises that she’s gone too far, she takes revenge and, seemingly, her own life by kissing Shreck to death courtesy of a tazer.

What I liked about Burton’s tale is that Selina/Catwoman remains in control of her own fate, rather than allowing Batman to take revenge on her behalf. There seems to be a tendency to disallow female characters autonomy, especially in the comic genre, so this plot point made a great impression on me. She refuses to be a victim, and that’s powerful, as is the fact that she redeems herself.

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Misa Buckley is a sci fi geek who escapes the crazy of raising five children by creating imaginary characters who experience adventure, romance and really hot sex on their way to a happily-ever-after. You can keep up to date with Misa’s latest news by following her on Twitter or at her website.