10 DC Characters Who Survived Terrible Debuts
1. Catwoman
Catwoman is an integral part of the Batman mythos now. She is his chief paramour and a member of the “Bat Family” and the Gotham Sirens. Selina Kyle is an expert thief, a strong, independent anti-hero, and one of the most popular female characters in comics. She has worn some of the most iconic costumes ever drawn. But that is not how this master thief began.
Even though the character was modelled in part after actresses Jean Harlow and Hedy Lamarr and was meant to bring sex appeal into the comic, Selina Kyle was dressed as an old woman when she appeared as “The Cat” in Batman #1. Then, in the third issue, she wore a full-faced furry Cat mask. It wasn’t until the Silver Age that Catwoman would take on the relatively constant dress with the slit up the side, the half-face cat-eared mask, and the bullwhip. It wouldn’t be well into the 1980s before the felonious felon would sport the ever-evolving number of one-piece catsuits with tails attached.
Part of Catwoman’s misstep toward the icon that she is today is that she completely disappeared from September 1954 to November 1966. This was due to the rise of the Comics Code Authority and its rules regarding the development and portrayal of female characters. The TV show helped her return to comics greatly.