The History of Batman and Catwoman's Daughter Helena Explained

Tom King's Batman/Catwoman series kicked off last week with an issue that revealed not just a [...]

By Nicole Drum

Tom King's Batman/Catwoman series kicked off last week with an issue that revealed not just a story split between the present and the future and brought Andrea Beaumont/The Phantasm into DC's comic canon but also offered some tantalizing details about Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle's child, a daughter named Helena Wayne. For DC fans, Helena Wayne isn't an entirely unknown entity. The original Huntress, Helena has a long, though somewhat complicated, history in DC Comics.

Created by Paul Levitz and Joe Staton and not to be confused with Helena Bertinelli's Huntress, Helena Wayne/Huntress first appeared in DC Superstars #17 in December 1977. A resident of Earth-Two, Huntress was created from the suggestion of a revamped version of that Earth's Batgirl be part of the Justice Society of America. In her origin, Helena was born in 1957, the daughter of Bruce Wayne and his wife, Selina Kyle Wayne. She grew up a happy child who enjoyed not only the benefits of being a member of a wealthy family, but also was well-trained by Batman and Catwoman to be a super athlete. She was aware of her father's heroic identity, seeing Dick Grayson/Robin is a brother. As an adult, she went to Yale, graduating from Yale Law and went to work at the law firm Cranston and Grayson -- yes, Dick was one of the partners.

However, Helena's life wasn't all happiness. In 1976, when Helena was 19, the criminal Silky Cernak blackmailed Selina into resuming her criminal Catwoman identity using a doctored photograph that showed her murdering a Gotham City police officer. Cernak forced Selina to rob the Gotham City Civic Center but in the process, Selina was shot in the chest and ultimately died in Batman's arms. A devastated Helena suited up as Huntress to avenge her mother as well as clear her name and, after doing so, continued her crime fighting career, fighting alongside Dick as well as joining up with the JSA and, briefly, Infinity Inc.

One of the notable things about Helena Wayne was her concern that she might somehow follow her mother's footsteps and become a villain rather than remain a heroic figure. Over the course of her appearances, Helena is shown wrangling with this as well as her mother's legacy -- particularly after encountering Earth-One's Catwoman who had never reformed. Helena even seeks therapy to deal with her fears.

Helena Wayne largely disappears from comics for a time as a result of Crisis on Infinite Earths, an event in which she had a major role. By the time Crisis approached in 1985, Helena Wayne was a popular character and was part of the battle at the Dawn of Time along with Dick, surviving the initial erasure of Earth-Two. However, on the newly formed Earth, both Helena and Dick discover that they did not exist in this timeline. She ultimately bands together with other former Earth-Two heroes to fight the Anti-Monitor's shock force in defense of the new Earth, though Huntress is killed in the process. She appears once more in Superman/Batman #27 when Power Girl recounts an adventure she had with her friend, Huntress.

Helena Wayne later returns in DC's 52 initiative, now shown to be alive and Earth-Two's protector, as her parents on that world are both dead. Interestingly, a version of Helena also appeared in the mainstream DC Universe, though not as Helena Wayne. In the mainstream DCU, Catwoman gives birth to a daughter, Helena Kyle, in Catwoman #53 in May 2006. Allegedly the daughter of Slam Bradley's son, Selina ultimately asks Batman to help her put Helena up for adoption to keep her safe.

Helena Wayne has also appeared post The New 52, appearing in a six-issue Huntress miniseries in 2011 as well as a revival of Worlds' Finest with Power Girl. In the post-Flashpoint continuity, this version is the daughter of Earth-Two Batman and Catwoman and the only Robin, taking up the Huntress identity when she accidentally arrives on the main Earth along with Earth-Two's Supergirl (who takes up the Power Girl identity). The World's Finest storyline tells the story of their arrival as well as their attempts to get home.

When it comes to current DC continuity, however, we have seen something of Helena's origin even before Batman/Catwoman. Over the course of King's Batman run in the DC Rebirth continuity, Bruce and Selina fall in love again and almost marry -- though the wedding never actually happens. Later, after the pair save Gotham City from Bane, it's revealed in Catwoman 80th Anniversary Special that Selina ends up pregnant with Bruce's child, ultimately giving birth to Helena Wayne

It's that Helena Wayne that is being referenced in Batman/Catwoman #1. While we know very little about her at this point -- other than she's apparently LGBTQ+ as it's mentioned that she's dating a woman -- it will be interesting to see more of her story unfold.

What do you think about this new iteration of Helena Wayne? Let us know in the comments.

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