Catwoman (Batman Returns)



Once considered boring and insignificant, Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer) certainly became a lot more fascinating once she took a trip out the highest window in the Shreck office building in Downtown Gotham. She was just your average secretary - err, executive assistant - but she poked her nose in the wrong file and, as they say, curiousity killed the cat. As we all know, however, cat's have more than one life to live, and this little kitty would be reborn.

The bump on Selina's head drove her to not only rethink her makeup and wardrobe, but a new psyche would emerge. A vigilante bent on revenge against the unfeeling individual who took her for granted: her old boss, Max Shreck (Christopher Walken). She despised women who embraced the tired role of the damsel in distress, waiting for a hero like Batman to swoop in and rescue them. Perhaps it was her independence and freedom of spirit that attracted Batman to her in the first place. Yeah, or maybe it was that incredible catsuit. Meeeowww...

Catwoman would find an unlikely ally in the Penguin (Danny DeVito), a silent partner with Shreck who had revenge plans of his own. But Selena had only one target and one focus, and she spurned the advances of the cold-blooded criminal for a more permanent partnership. She also denied the love of Batman and Bruce Wayne, refusing to give up her thirst for vengeance. She would get Shreck in the end, and one would hope she would also find peace of mind. Creating an alter ego to represent everything she couldn't be before, Selena had to deal with the difficulty of duality. As she faces the future alone, perhaps she will be able to rectify what she's done and learn to cope and heal.