Huntress (DC)

The Huntress is the name of several characters in the DC Universe.

Huntress (Paula Brooks)

Main Article: Paula Brooks

The original Huntress.

Supervillain of the 1940s who often clashed with Wildcat. She began her career as the hero Tigress, working with the original Manhunter, and joining the All-Star Squadron. However, she was nearly killed in battle with the Nazi agent Horned Owl, and her resurrection by Gudra left her unhinged. She soon disappeared and resurfaced as a villain.

A skilled acrobat and hand-to-hand combatant, the Huntress devoted herself to turning the tables on law enforcement officials, hunting them down just like they hunted criminals. (Hence her new name.) The Huntress later joined the Injustice Society of the World and married fellow member Sportsmaster. The two became a criminal pair, later battling Black Canary and Starman.

In later years, the Huntress and the Sportsmaster participated in the formation of another Injustice Society.

Pre-Crisis

In pre-Crisis canon, the Huntress was from Earth-2, and clashed with the second Huntress, Helena Wayne, after learning her name had been taken by a hero.

Versions of the Huntress and the Sportsmaster also appeared on Earth-1, where they clashed with Batgirl and Robin. They may also have served the organization known as OGRE unwillingly, freed by Aquaman and Mera. The Earth-1 Huntress ultimately chose to become a hero, against the Sportsmaster's protests.

Huntress (Helena Wayne, Earth-2)

Main Article: Helena Wayne

The second Huntress of Earth-2.

Alias Helena Wayne, daughter of the retired Batman and Catwoman on Earth-2. Helena was trained from childhood in the skills of her parents simply for her own good. As an adult, she became a lawyer, until her mother was blackmailed into reassuming her Catwoman identity by an old fellow-criminal, and killed as a result. This tragedy led to Bruce Wayne's abandonment of the Batman identity, but also led to Helena's swearing revenge and becoming the Huntress.

After capturing Cernak, the criminal responsible for her mother's death, she became a crime-fighter in her own right, protecting Gotham City and joining the Justice Society of America. After her father's death saving his city from a super-powered criminal, it was the Huntress and the JSA that avenged him. Helena became the primary protector of Gotham City in her father's place.

Post-Crisis

Following the fusion of Earths into "Earth-Sigma" during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Huntress found that her entire existence had been erased- understandably, this traumatized her greatly. She died fighting the Anti-Monitor's Shadow Demon, alongside Robin, her last link to her original life. She was briefly resurrected by the Psycho-Pirate in order to torment Power Girl. It is probable that versions of this Huntress still exist in hypertime.

Huntress (Helena Bertinelli)

Main Article: Helena Bertinelli

The modern Huntress.

Alias Helena Bertinelli, last survivor of the Bertinelli crime family. Training herself for revenge, she eventually sought out Omerta the Silencer, murderer of her family. By day, she acts as an inner-city English teacher, acting as the Huntress and hunting Gotham City's criminals- especially the Mafia- by night.

While her methods are much more violent than those of the Batman- for example, she has less compunctions against killing truly vile criminals- she seeks the Dark Knight's approval. This quest led her to a stint on the JLA, which ended when Batman caught her on the verge of killing Prometheus. She briefly assumed the identity of Batgirl during the No Man's Land crisis, intending to bring hope to a beleaguered Gotham, but later passed the role on to Cassandra Cain.

The Huntress has worked on occasion with Oracle and Black Canary, forming the team unofficially known as the "Birds of Prey."

Notes

• The concept of the Huntress was created by Mort Meskin where it made its first appearance in Sensation Comics v1 #68 (August, 1947).

Appearances

• Sensation Comics v1: (1947)

Links

Internal Links

• Huntress (DC Animated)
• Huntress (Birds of Prey)

External Links

• Wikipedia Entry

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