Batwoman |
|
Portrayed by Ruby Rose |
Statistics |
Full Name |
Katherine Rebecca Kane |
Age |
33 |
Height |
5'11" |
Build |
Bat-thletic |
Eyes |
Green |
Hair |
Red |
Skin |
Marshmallow |
Factions |
Bat-Family |
Quoted!
"There are always more monsters out there. Always will be. Let's not give them a head start."
Reputation
Kate Kane is known as the heiress of the Kanes, one of the largest and most influential families in Gotham said to own whatever the Waynes don't. Kate seems to live the life of a professional socialite, flighty, charming, and effortlessly capricious. There are some rumors about her once almost joining the armed service like her father and mother before her, but those days seem long past her.
Batwoman, however, is a (somewhat) new name in the Gotham scene who has nonetheless been making a very swift and very decisive reputation for herself for her relentless pursuit of justice in the city — and for those amongst the Bat Family, the simple fact that she seems to operate independently of the Bat himself despite clearly taking inspiration from him.
Biography
Katherine Rebecca Kane and her twin Elizabeth Kane were born into the military life. Her father, Jacob Kane of Gotham's prestigious Kane Family, was a colonel in the US Armed Forces; her mother Gabrielle Kane, a captain. Because of their family's prominent positions in the military, the twins found themselves constantly on the move — a fact that ultimately made developing friendships much more difficult. But the two protected each other, complemented one another — Beth, the adventurous and sweet one, pushing Kate to open up; and Kate, the protective and supportive one, defending Beth against their myriad of childhood bullies. They completed each other. And whatever spats of family strife… they were happy.
And then came Brussels.
The Kanes had been stationed there, to work with NATO. It was the twins' twelfth birthday. Their mother had taken them out for their favorite breakfast, chocolate and waffles, when they came. Gunmen, trained and angry, abducted the three off the street on their way to the restaurant. By the time Jacob Kane and military intelligence had located them, it was already too late; by the time Jacob arrived, both Gabi and — seemingly — Beth had been gunned down. Kate was the only survivor. He told her not to look, as he carried her away from the bloodshed.
She never closed her eyes. Not once.
She was grieving. She was upset. She was angry. She wanted to get revenge. She didn't know what to do with all these feelings, didn't know how to express it, how to resolve it. She needed something, anything, to keep herself from going adrift and drowning in it all… and she found it in her father. In the very life she was born into. In serving a higher calling.
And so Kate Kane dedicated herself to becoming a soldier. She grew up preparing for it, got into West Point, excelled in her studies until she was at the top of her class and made her brigade's XO. Kate was born for this. And that was exactly the problem that would find her expelled from it.
The Cadet Honor Code of West Point: "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." Her name was Sophie Moore, Kate's bunkmate at West Point. And when brought in on suspected violation of Article 125 of the US Army's code of military justice, homosexual conduct, Kate did exactly what a soldier should do. She didn't lie. She fell on her sword to save a fellow cadet from investigation, but she refused to lie, despite being offered a way out by denying who she was. She was Katherine Rebecca Kane, and all she ever wanted was to serve. But she would not live a lie for the sake of it.
And so under the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, Kate was dishonorably discharged from West Point and denied her promising future in the armed service for all because of her orientation. Her father wasn't mad at her — when he heard the news, he was nothing short of absolutely proud of his daughter, but even that did little to assuage the chaos and confusion her life was once more thrown into. The army was her anchor from her grief, her mooring in a storm — and without it, Kate found herself drowning again. Partying, drinking, abusing her body with who knows what substances, pushing away everyone around her and making poor decision after poor decision to the point that she very nearly got herself killed with her reckless behavior, Kate's downward might have ended with an early end for the Kane heiress… if it weren't for an unexpected encounter with a Gotham legend.
He came on the heels of her dealing with a mugger. And though she hardly needed help, just the sight of him there, in the night, that bat symbol emblazoned so proudly on his chest… it was an inspiration. She knew instantly, instinctively, what that symbol meant. What it represented.
And for a second time, Kate Kane heard the stabilizing calling towards a higher purpose.
Kate started immediately, throwing herself into the vigilante lifestyle. And when Jacob Kane heard, once again, he did not judge, did not dissuade — just warned, before showing Kate the bunker he had made for her and her mission out of her loft. He put her through grueling training, training specifically designed to make her want to quit, training that would kill anyone else, training that was simply outright sadistic at times — but she persevered, she -thrived-, through all of it. For three years, she endured, and when she was ready… her father was there, waiting for her, with her new costume. No. Her new uniform. Her uniform as the Batwoman.
All Katherine Rebecca Kane ever wanted to do was serve. And finally… she found her way. And she would give everything for it.
Character Details
There are many sides to Kate Kane, and many similarities one might find between her and her cousin Bruce. As Kate, she is a flighty, charming socialite, prone towards provocative behavior and bucking trends and maintaining a long-standing reputation as a layabout. She enjoys life freely, she is worldly and cultured and yet also just enjoys watching a good game of basketball or wiling away her hours at a bar.
As Batwoman, she is harsh and unrelenting, sharp and calculating. Dangerous, but with an edge of wry wit to her. As Batwoman, Kate Kane is the soldier she always wanted to be, through and through. She is incredibly intense, highly focused, and has a gift for compartmentalizing and getting to the core of an issue. And yet she clearly enjoys herself, a far cry from the often grim way other Gothamites might comport themselves.
And that is because neither Kate Kane the socialite or Kate Kane the Batwoman are really fictitious identities. Neither are masks. They are both Katherine Kane. And they are both equally important to understanding her.
And that is because Kate - like many of Gotham's vigilantes - is a deeply damaged person, and it is really only her purpose as Batwoman that distracts her from that deep abyss constantly trying to drag her down. She wants connections with others, but frequently sabotages herself in the process. But she is also a deeply strong individual, refusing to compromise her beliefs for anyone. She is proud of her heritage; she is unashamed of her orientation. She makes no apologies, and asks no one for permission. And though she may occasionally look to others for advice… Kate Kane is the type of person to ultimately chart out her own course in life. For good or for ill.
Rapid Dominance |
She's gone through some rough patches, but Kate has spent most of her life training to be a soldier, under absolutely brutal training regimens that would kill most people, and it shows. Batwoman is in absolute peak physical condition; while a far cry from superhuman in any sense of the word, Kate is as strong and as fast as someone of her height and build can possibly be, and combined with her bullheaded determination, incredibly durable to boot. She is superbly nimble, and has a natural talent for acrobatics and gymnastics to the point she was reached Senior Elite, and her reaction speed has been said to be faster than an eyeblink. In almost all ways, Kate has honed herself into a weapon for her cause. |
Snake Eater |
Kate Kane has always been a fighter. Figuratively -and- literally. She's spent years in military training and later, (slightly unsanctioned) special forces training that was specifically designed to try to make her quit through its sheer, unrelenting brutality. Because that's just how the Kanes roll. The fact that she didn't speaks volumes to just how dedicated she is; Kate has expertise in boxing (taught to her by her father), Krav Maga, Muay Thai and, of course, MAC. She is skilled in a variety of different weapons, as well, including firearms — though she usually prefers to rely on her fists. Because punching is so much more cathartic.
What truly separates her from others, however, is her soldier mentality: Kate is willing to do whatever it takes to come out ahead in a fight short of outright killing the target, even if it means fighting dirty. No matter what the situation, Kate is the absolute embodiment of ruthless practicality. |
Philosophy Of War |
Kate Kane is possessed of a sharp and analytical mind. She is capable of picking up concepts quickly and building on them in creative ways, a fact further honed by her time at West Point and under her father's tutelage, to the point that she was top of her class and made Executive Officer of her brigade before her expulsion from the military academy. She is fluent in a number of other languages including Hebrew, Yiddish, French, and Portuguese. Extensive military training has given her an acute tactical mind, but by far Kate's strongest suit is her adaptability; there are very few circumstances or contexts she cannot quickly adjust to. Not that she uses any these intellectual gifts to -not- get herself into horrifyingly dangerous situations. Crazy Gotham billionaires having more smarts than sense is definitely a thing. |
Drill Instructor |
Ever since she was a little girl, Kate's wanted to be like her father, and though their relationship might be more complicated now, Kate Kane is very much her father's daughter: she has a natural born ability for leadership and instruction, and while she has a tendency to strike out on her own and keep her distance even from the rest of the Bat Family, Kate is extremely good at pinpointing the strengths and weaknesses of a person to learn how to either deploy them, improve on them — or sometimes exploit them. As an instructor, she most definitely takes most of her cues from her father. Which is to say, being trained by Batwoman is a soul cleaving experience. But at least people come out improved from it!
… if… if they survive. That's a thing. |
Art Of The General |
It's probably super surprising, but Batwoman, unlike every other Gotham vigilante who has ever existed, has a fairly diverse skillset, though one mostly centered around her military experience and her father's training in infiltration and special ops. As one might expect with her background, Kate is adept at interrogation, demolition, stealth and surveillance. Her training under her father has given her in-depth knowledge in electronics, lockpicking, and gadgetry. As part of her training, she once had to make her way through the Sahara, surviving solely on what she could find out in the desert; you learn a lot about the wonders of how not to die and also radiation poisoning in situations like that.
She also plays a mean guitar, and often performs in various random-ass bars in her spare time to cement her cover as a useless rich layabout.
Also, because she just really likes playing guitar. |
Master At Arms |
Like many of the other various Bats that flutter around Gotham, Batwoman is an adept investigator; while not nearly as skilled as say Batman or Red Robin, what she excels at by far is an incredibly methodical, military approach to detective work. Kate is the type of person that will spend well over half a year gathering intel and building a case before she strikes; she is the type that efficiently compartmentalizes her environment and the people around her until she can break it all down into its bare essentials and efficiently assess what is most important to her situation. She is patient, she is shrewd, and most of all — she is utterly uncompromising. |
The Unexpected Fortune |
The Kanes are one of the great families of Gotham; it's said that the half of the city the Waynes don't own, the Kanes do. This is not an exaggeration: between their personal wealth, the property they own throughout Gotham, their stakes in Kane Industries, and other various sources of wealth that one gets when they're wealthy enough to make more wealth out of wealth like some sort of self-perpetuating One Percenter machine, Kate Kane has more than enough money to fund her operations as Batwoman independently. She's also got the heiress of the major weapons manufacturer Hamilton Arms as a stepmom.
Something something dollar dollar bills y'all something something. |
The Vessel |
Batwoman's suit (uniform) is state of the art, a combination of both military tech and Kate's own resources. The armor is composed of a shear-thickened compound that protects her against sharp objects and small arms fire, and the carbon nanotube composite that makes up her cape is effectively bulletproof and exceptionally flexible; Kate uses it both defensively and offensively, because beating someone up with a cape stronger than steel is cool as hell. All sensory data recorded on the suit is fed to whatever she is currently using as her safehouse; usually, her bunker in the R.H. Kane Building.
It also has a red wig attached to the cowl, cleverly obscuring her identity. After all, Batwoman has /long/ red hair. Kate has /short/ red hair. Completely different! |
The Parable Of The Banquet |
Between being a crazy billionaire with too much time on her hands and a pathological need to serve a greater calling plus also having (a somewhat tenuous) pipeline to military resources, Batwoman has an extensive arsenal of weapons and tools at her disposal. From the grapple gun (of course), various varieties of grenades, lock picks, super smart phones, to her own customized and diverse range of super fab batarangs, her amazing Batcycle (which is amazing) and various other vehicles, along with many other sundries, her loadout is highly customizable; she also, unlike many members of the Bat Family, will make use of firearms if the situation calls for it, because Batwoman Cheats.
Her utility belt is so diverse you guys, so freakin' diverse. |
The Proudest Of Pedigrees |
Jacob Kane is the last of Kate's direct family (that she knows about). Relations between them are complicated to say the least, but with his high rank and special privileges in the army, through him Kate has had access to unprecedented information and resources. He has formerly served as her mission control/Guy in the Chair and she still sometimes relies on his advice and tactical know how.
She's also first cousins with Bruce Wayne via her Aunt Martha, tying them together through the inseparable Martha Bond. But that one's a bit more complicated. Somehow. |
The Wise Woman Of Tekoa |
Julia Pennyworth, Kate's current Gal in the Chair. Daughter of Alfred Pennyworth. Not a butler, or a maid. Don't ask. Regardless, Pennyworth often aids Kate on her missions, and with her training with the British Special Air Service, she often is an invaluable source of advice, coordination, strategy, and/or British Snark.
Which is a deeply essential part of being a Bat. |
The Hidden Tract |
The Kanes own a pretty sizable chunk of properties throughout Gotham, and Kate has other assets besides she has converted into safehouses for her use — but her main base of operations is suitably hidden in plain sight at the R.H. Kane Building, one of the largest of the Kane's buildings. The upper levels of the R.H. Kane Building have been converted into a state of the art bunker developed by Jacob Kane and accessible from a hidden wall in Kate's apartment, filled with a large chunk of her gear, costumes, and a healthy selection of army-grade computers (three guesses where she got those); it also a secret freight elevator leading in and out of the Gotham underground so she can safely get her motorcycle in and out without notice. Because the bike is super important. |
The Unknown Soldier |
What does Batwoman do that Batman doesn't? Kate Kane doesn't wear a costume. She wears a uniform. It's a distinction that might not seem like much, but is a central conceit to the divide between her and most other members of the Bat Family. Kate Kane is a soldier. It was her dream as a child to be a soldier. It nearly destroyed her when she thought she couldn't. She has always been a soldier, and she will always approach things as a soldier. She does what it takes to succeed, and while she tries to live by the Batman Code (for the most part), she still will not hesitate to do what she feels absolutely needs to be done for the sake of the people of Gotham which can, at times, cause friction with the other members of Gotham's vigilantes. Nine times out of ten she agrees with Batman's methods.
But there's always the tenth time. |
Never Surrender |
Kate Kane has lived her life ever since losing her mother and sister never compromising her identity. She has paid the price for this a number of times, with considerable consequences, but she has never once swayed (she just spirals into horrible self-destructive patterns but that's another issue entirely). This willpower is admirable, to be sure — but it has its downsides. Kate is incredibly stubborn, and when she makes a decision, she brooks very little argument to the contrary, a fact that can often lead her towards butting heads with others, even when she doesn't want to, even when she might objectively know they might have a point.
Almost like someone else she knows she might be related to who is vaguely Bat-like. Hmmm… |
Higher Love |
When Kate lost her mother and sister, she needed something — anything — to cling to in order to maintain some sense of the world around her in a time of grief. She found it in devoting herself to becoming a soldier, like her father, and when she found herself kicked out of West Point, the downward spiral that came after was one she almost did not recover from if it was not for the timely inspiration of her random encounter with the Batman. Kate needs a higher purpose to simultaneously lose herself in and ground herself. The symbol of the Bat, and fighting for what it means, has become her replacement calling; it's not necessarily a healthy thing by any stretch, but it gives her stability against the trauma and confusion that has ruled her life. If she were to somehow be unable to continue her life as Batwoman, the loss would be devastating; at this point, it's become one of the most important aspects of her life, and she'd very likely fall back on bad habits without it. |
Cat's In The Cradle |
Kate owes much to her father; she loves and admires him deeply, and Jacob in turn cares a great deal about Kate. Unfortunately, for as similar as they are, they also don't see everything eye to eye. Jacob keeps a considerable deal from his daughter, and the strained relationship they currently have might completely schism when she learns about everything he's been hiding from her. |
Behind The Mask |
Kate's identity as Batwoman is (largely) a well-kept secret, outside of exceptions for family; discovery of that identity by the wrong people could compromise a considerable deal of Kate's life, something she takes no small amount of pains to prevent. |
Bottom Of The Bottle |
It's no fun, hitting rock bottom. Kate knows that well. She's fallen into heavy substance abuse and self-destruction several times before, and, thanks to a huge amount of childhood trauma, she'll never be entirely rid of these tragic patterns — she simply expresses them in different ways. She hasn't quite gotten on the wagon of sobriety even now, and while it hasn't been a problem for a long time now, she knows all it really takes sometimes is one bad day. |
Alice |
Kate Kane thinks her twin sister, Beth, is dead. If she were to ever learn the truth of what happened to her sister the day they were kidnapped, there's no telling what might happen — but one thing is certain: Kate would do anything - ANYTHING - to keep her sister safe. Even if it cost her those things most important to her. |
|
Relationships
Batwoman Begins
This is a new Batwoman as of 8/12/2018. Please click here to read logs from previous versions of Kate Kane.
Soundtrack
RP Logs & Journals
October 07, 2018: Crazy Exes
Owen Mercer and Kate Kane bond over their shared love of alcohol. New drinking buddies are forged over the flames of poor decisions with past relationships. This, of course, can only end well.
(permalink: log:8094 | tags: batwoman boomerang | posted: 08 Oct 2018 03:58)
September 16, 2018: Date 1: Worth It
Rachel takes Kate out on their first real date, since interdimensional threat rescue and getting kicked out of a hotel bar doesn't really count. Rachel tries too hard, Kate considers whether or not all this is worth it, and the conversation gets too real at least once.
(permalink: log:7981 | tags: batwoman marvel_girl | posted: 17 Sep 2018 21:05)
September 14, 2018: Dating While Caping
Rachel rescues totally normal non-superhero Kate Kane from an extradimensional threat. Things get weird. Flirty weird. Guest starring Kitty Pryde as the voice of judgment.
(permalink: log:7967 | tags: batwoman marvel_girl | posted: 14 Sep 2018 22:18)
August 26, 2018: Redheads and Bat Ears
Barbara hangs about waiting for Bruce, and instead meets the other red-headed Bat.
(permalink: log:7865 | tags: batgirl batwoman | posted: 27 Aug 2018 02:49)
August 21, 2018: The Masterson Party
Alan Masterson is throwing a large party at his estate. The who's who of Gotham and even surrounding cities are invited. Reporters are also welcome as Alan Masterson wants to show the world that he and his son are alive, well, and ready to get Masterson Inc. back on track to be the number one producer of firearms in the world.
(permalink: log:7844 | tags: arrow_and_claw batman batwoman impulse iron_guard iron_man kang nightwing poison_ivy scandal_savage | posted: 22 Aug 2018 04:07)
|
Back to: Cast of Characters