Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer)

"I am Catwoman. Hear me roar."

- Catwoman

Selina Kyle was a lonely, frustrated woman pushed over the edge into obsession and crime after her boss, tycoon Max Shreck, tried to kill her to keep her from revealing his plot to build a power plant that would steal Gotham's electricity.

Rebirth
Mysteriously revived by alley cats after Shreck pushes her out a window, Selina Kyle's repressed rage allowed her to transform into the clever supervillainess Catwoman. However she does help those in need like when she saved a woman from being attacked. Shortly following her transformation, she joined forces with The Penguin.

As a masked figure operating under the guise of a theatrical public identity, Catwoman found a reflection of herself in Batman, and at the same time, met and fell in love with Bruce Wayne. In a ballroom masque, to "Face to Face" by Siouxsie & the Banshees, Bruce and Selina discovered their dual lives.

Later, at The Penguin's hideout, Catwoman attacked Shreck in a rage, attempting to kill him once and for all. Although Shreck shot her several times with The Fat Clown's gun, she finally had her revenge, electrocuting Shreck by kissing him with a Taser in her mouth; Batman only found her whip, not her body.

Reemergence
After Bruce found her cat, Miss Kitty, he drove away, wondering what had become of his girlfriend. Perched atop a rooftop nearby was Catwoman, who rose to look at the Batsignal in the sky.

A couple years later, Dr. Chase Meridian revealed to Batman that she had learned of the attraction between himself and Catwoman, noting that he liked "strong women with skin-tight vinyl and a whip".

Nine lives
Catwoman appears to have nine lives, like a cat. In the course of Batman Returns, she loses eight of them:
 * 1) When Max Shreck pushes her out the window (before she becomes Catwoman.)
 * 2) When Batman knocks her off a building.
 * 3) When the Penguin sends her drifting away on an umbrella and she falls into a greenhouse.
 * 4) When Max Shreck shoots her.
 * 5) Shreck shoots her again.
 * 6) Shreck shoots her again.
 * 7) Shreck shoots her again.
 * 8) When she kisses Shreck with a taser and, while they are electrified, grabs a wire causing the generator near them to explode, killing Shreck.



Behind the scenes

 * Catwoman has never been seen since Batman Returns, which is consistent with each of Batman's various girlfriends only appearing in one movie each. Her fate is left unknown, though she only has one of her nine metaphorical lives left by the end of this film. With this "reality", and her attempted murder avenged, Selina may have chosen to protect herself, and given up her dangerous activity as Catwoman. It is possible she sought out Bruce. He was again single at the end of the events of Batman & Robin, seemingly taking place only five years after the events of Batman Returns.
 * When Tim Burton was set to direct Batman Forever, his intention was to use The Riddler as the main villian and possibly have Catwoman return. As Burton was replaced, this never came to pass.
 * For the role of Catwoman, Michelle Pfeiffer learnt Yoga, weight lifting, kick boxing and karate. She also spent 1 month training with a 12 foot bullwhip. Michelle Pfeiffer called this one of her most "challenging roles" and critics called it one of her most "iconic roles" that will be famous forever.
 * Bruce and Selina discovered their dual personalities, thus exposing one of Burton's main themes — duality — in the film.
 * This Catwoman was used in one of Christina Aguilera's costume changes in her music video for "Keeps Gettin' Better" and the Live action TV show Birds of Prey.

Appearances

 * Batman Returns
 * Batman Forever (mentioned only)
 * Batman Coke Commercials (cameo)
 * Catwoman (film) (cameo in photograph)

See

 * Catwoman
 * Catwoman (Julie Newmar)
 * Catwoman (Lee Meriwether)
 * Catwoman (Eartha Kitt)
 * Catwoman (Maggie Baird)
 * Catwoman (BTAS)