The much anticipated Batwoman series will debut next season on the CW, and fans are already eagerly anticipating Ruby Rose’s take on one of Gotham City’s premier heroines. The modern incarnation of Kate Kane, who happens to be one of comics’ most prominent LGBTQ heroes, has obviously had a relatively brief history in comparison with her famous cousin, Bruce Wayne.
But that doesn’t mean Batwoman hasn’t fought some notorious villains of her own over this past decade in the pages of DC Comics. Here are some of the adversaries we’d like to see Batwoman take on when her series debuts sometime this fall. And we are keeping prominent Batman villains out of this list, as we feel they get enough exposure already in the various Batman series and films.
Catman
Thomas Blake was introduced as a Silver Age villain to Batman, a big game hunter who squandered his fortune and turned to crime. Of course, he had a cat costume and lots of cat gimmicks. But Batman had that area covered thanks to Catwoman (who was way cooler.) Catman was sparsely used over the the next several decades, but writer Gail Simone gave him a 21st century makeover in her Secret Six series.
Blake was now sexy, lethal, and openly bisexual. He also was more of an anti-hero than a villain. He ran afoul of Batwoman in her ongoing series, although aspects of their rivalry was problematic (he was romantically obsessed with her, not knowing she was a lesbian). But that aspect can be easily ditched for any TV version. Catman could be a great adversary, and maybe even an eventual ally for Kate Kane. This could be a great character arc over the course of several seasons if done correctly.
The Weeping Woman
Thanks to the success of the movie The Curse of La Llorona, previously unfamiliar audiences are now very aware of the old Mexican legend. The story of a wailing woman who drowned her children and was forbidden entrance to the afterlife has been the stuff on Mexican folklore for decades. But it is also the basis for the Batwoman villain the Weeping Woman, who originally appeared in the first issue of the Batwoman ongoing series in 2011.
She was ultimately revealed to be Maria Salvaje, a single mom in Gotham City who lost custody of her kids because of tragic mistake. Devastated, she found herself transformed by the mystic known as Maro Ito into a watery ghost who would serve what she thought to be a criminal organization called Medusa. The Weeping Woman could make for a very cool and tragic villain for Kate to fight. And if the special effects are executed properly, could make for a very cool visual as well.
Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary is another famous urban legend brought to life by Medusa. The old folktale of Bloody Mary caused many children to say her name three time in front of a mirror, in the hopes(?) that the spirit of the woman who had once killed her husband would appear. (This was also the basis for the horror classic Candyman). The Batwoman villain named Blood Mary was originally Mary Worth, a woman who killed her husband much like the legend. She was transformed using magic by Medusa into a being who emerging from a mirror with long red claws, and blood oozing from her eyes. Much like the Weeping Woman, she could make for a truly terrifying villain on the series.
Medusa
While Batman has fought off his share of mystical villains, his most prominent foes tend to be more realistic and grounded (well, totally crazy, but grounded in reality). Batwoman however has dealt with a lot more magic than the Dark Knight has, most notably the Greek mythological figure called Medusa. Originally, it was thought that “Medusa” was the name of a criminal organization, much like Marvel’s Hydra. But that was just a ruse.
This secret cabal was thought to be responsible for the creations of Bloody Mary, the Weeping Woman, and several others. But the actual Medusa herself was behind it all, and saw herself as the self-proclaimed Queen of all monsters. We’d love to see this legendary snake-haired lady com to life. Although she isoften portrayed as a Wonder Woman villain, we would go nuts at seeing her take on Batwoman and be a whole season’s “Big Bad.”
The Colony
One of the main characters on Batwoman is sure to be her father and mentor, Colonel Jacob Kane. Although he is ostensibly a good guy who is her “man in the chair,” later stories revealed a more complicated side to him. The pages of Detective Comics revealed that the elder Kane was behind an organization called the Colony, a top-secret black ops project of the US Army.
Though beginning with generally good intentions as an anti-terrorism task force, the Colony eventually dedicated themselves to studying the fighting styles and technique of the Batman. It was thought that an army of Batmen in service to the government would clean up crime in Gotham for good. Ultimately becoming borderline fascistic, this led the Colony to come into direct conflict with Batwoman….but only after she initially joined them in defiance of Batman. This would probably be saved for a later season, due to Jacob Kane starting off as a “good guy.” But we want to see it all play out eventually.
Images: CW / DC Comics
