Mr & Mrs Bruce Wayne .... Part One A Happy Ever After ?

Bruce Wayne had married his true love, The Ex Villain Selina Kyle aka The Catwoman.  Gotham Society at first found this to be a real shock, as did many of Bruce's friends. However, what most of Bruce's friends did not know he was in fact The Bat-Man, and the fact that Bat-Man had married his arch enemy Catwoman would have made the World, not only Gotham gasp.

The unusual Courtship of Selina & Bruce !

However, after two years of wedded bliss, Selina gave birth to a Daughter, who they named Helena. Prior to the Birth Bruce had still maintained his Bat-Man identify and roll as main protector of Gotham City, BUT after the arrival of his Daughter he decided to hang up his Cape and Cowl.

The Real BAT-MAN FAMILY,  ACE, "UNCLE "ALFRED, HELCATE, SELINA, HELENA, BRUCE & "UNCLE" DICK 

The decision behind this was simple, he could not risk his Daughter having to grow up as he had done without a Father. so deciding not to put his daughter in a similar situation as he underwent in his youth, Wayne retired from the Batman role. But desiring to remain active in some way as crime fighter, he spent a lot of time and money helping his friend James Gordon, the Commissioner of  The Gotham City Police. James Gordon was both a friend of Bruce and that of BAT-MAN and he was one of the few people who knew who the Dark Knight was.  Bruce passed over the the mantle of Gotham's protector to his partner and former ward Dick.

Bruce passes over his Cape and Cowl

Dick Grayson took up the Bat-man identity for a short time, but later decided that he was not fit to replace Bruce as Bat-man, so re adopted his Robin id with a updated costume combining elements of  Bat-man & Robin's attire.

As Helena grew up, she turned out to be highly intelligent like her father and just a beautiful and outgoing as her mother. It is not clear when she learnt about her parents "Other" Life, and what her "Uncle" Dick did when he was not practising law, but once she knew that righting wrongs and protecting the others was something that she needed to do,  Helena decided she would fight crime too. BUT NOT as a Costumed Vigilante but in the Court Room as a Lawyer.

Taking on board what her Father could achieve as being involved with the Police Commissioner of Gotham City, she studied law at University and was on the brink of graduating when tragedy hit.


After over 20 years of happy marriage, and retiring as The Cat-Woman, Selina;s criminal past caught up with her. One of her former henchman called Silky Cernak threaten to Blackmail her with the fact she had Killed a Police Officer many years previous. Selina denied this claim, but Silky showed her photography what showed her, as Cat-Woman in the act of MURDER. Selina still denied that these photos were not her, BUT Silky threaten that if she did not do as he told her he would not just inform her Husband, but the press. Thus ruining her reputation, with a possible jail sentence. her husbands reputation and roll in the  Police Commissioners office and any chance her beloved daughter had  in becoming  a Lawyer. Silky's price for keeping quiet was simple, he needed her help him, but not as Selina Wayne, he need CAT-WOMAN

Selina knew she had never murdered anyone in her life. but the photos showed she did. She knew that the knowledge that she was once The CAT-WOMAN would mean that she would be branded guilty by the media. She realised she could not afford any chance of  ruination of  her Husbands and daughters life if this scandal ever was to be made public. So as a way of protecting them she agreed to become CATWOMAN one last time.

BLACKMAILED ........SELINA'S past catches up with her !

Next time we will hear what impact this decision had on the lives of  her and her family.

Until then ENJOY !

I

THE BAT & THE CAT , an Earth 2 Love Story

On Earth Two as it was on Earth One,  Batman's relationship with Selina Kyle caused him problems. Whist on Earth 1 they are still on opposite sides of the law, on Earth 2 they ended up united.

Selina Kyle first appeared way back in BATMAN 1# issued in Spring 1940, as an unnamed, uncostumed femme fatale who would go on to be known as CATWOMAN.

CAT-WOMAN, DANGEROUS AND BEAUTIFUL 

From the outset, the Caped Crusader was both attracted to her beauty,  and at the same time repulsed by her disregard to the law and law breaking.

Over the years that followed both The Bat-Man and The Cat-Woman would play a Cat and Mouse game or is that BAT and Mouse or CAT and BAT game, of him trying to stop her from breaking the law, and her at times breaking the law to get noticed by him. They had a LOVE-HATE relationship, But deep down inside they both have deep feelings for each other.

A GAME OF CAT &  FLEDERMAUS

When by the 1950's it was claimed that in fact Selina Kyle was an amnesiac flight attendant who had only turned to crime after receiving a blow to the head, Bat-man believed that CATWOMAN, and her criminal antics were a result of the accident. However, years later Selina did admit this story was a lie to get closer to her beloved BAT-MAN.  Who she knew would think better of her if she was an Innocent party in becoming Cat-woman in the first place.

It again was later  revealed that Selina Kyle  , many years before turning to crime  had been in an loveless and abusive marriage, and eventually decided to leave her husband and walk away from her life.  However, her husband allowed her to go and divorced her BUT kept her jewelry and her own  private fortune & money as his reward and to hurt her further.  Now  Penny less  Selina  was falsed to break into her ex husbands home safe  to retrieve what was hers . Selina enjoyed this experience so much she decided to become a professional costumed Cat-Burglar , and thus begins a career as The CAT-WOMAN that repeatedly leads to her  to encounter The Batman.

Well maybe all these stories are false or maybe parts of each are true, but the end result was that Cat-Woman decided to reform and allows herself to be captured by The Bat-Man. After they both declare their love for each other, Selina accepts that if the only way for her to be with her beloved BAT is to be incarcerated to pay for her life of crime  - so be it.

A love confessed.

On Selina's release from prison she is met by BAT-MAN who both asks her to marry him and reveals that he is in fact Bruce Wayne. Selina is not surprised by this as deep down inside part of her always knew his secret identity.

Bruce would later marry Selina, and whilst the world was shocked that the Millionaire Playboy had married an ex criminal, Gotham society accepted that CAT-WOMAN was now gone forever. The fact that BAT-MAN was absent from the Wedding was reported as HIS disapproval of Bruce marrying Selina. BUT we know why he was absent (Don't we !)

MR & MRS BRUCE WAYNE

Whilst Selina - Cat-Woman had retired for good , Bruce would continue to be the Bat-man for a while longer, but soon he too would retire after Selina gave birth to their daughter HELENA.

Did couple who have a happy life raising their daughter ?  Well next time you will find out what happened next !

Selina & Bruce with their daughter Helena....... A Happy Ending ?

Until then ENJOY !

ROBIN THE BOY WONDER FROM EARTH 2

Robin originally first appeared in comics way back in the 1940's when he was just a young boy. But by the 1960's he was still shown as a young teenager.

BOTH ROBINS HOW THEY LOOKED AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR CRIME FIGHTING CAREERS

This fact of the forever youthful Ward of Bruce Wayne was again a problem. However, whilst the Earth 1 version of the Boy Wonder would remain in SHORT PANTS for many years to come, his "OLDER" counterpart on the newly conceived Earth 2 was finally allowed to grow up.

As Earth 2's Heroes lived in a Universe that allowed many to now age this meant that the Boy Wonder was now a Man Wonder. When BAT-MAN of Earth 2 married and started a family and hung up his cape and retired  (More about this next time) he left his young partner to take his position as senior Crime fighter in Gotham City.

Taking elements from his Robin costume and that of BAT-MAN the "NEW" Robin was born. This original costume was not great, but it did allow Dick Grayson to caste off his BOY WONDER tag.

EPIC FAIL ON THE FASHION FRONT DICK !

Taking his mentors place in The Justice Society Robin found that most of the Senior members of the JSA still considered him a Side Kick.

However in an adventure that involved the annual team up with the Justice League from Earth one and the Justice Society of Earth 2, where both Dick Graysons got a chance to team up and discuss the Problems they had stepping out of the Shadows of their Bat-Mentors, the Earth 2 former Boy Wonder found acceptance and showed he deserved to be one of the JSA

By the end of the adventure Both Robins understood each other and their position in their worlds a little bit better,

Robin from Earth 2 went on to become a key player in the Justice Society that had just started to have younger members admitted, many of which were in someway connected to some of the older members.

With final acceptance of who he was by the JSA, Robin embraced the fact he was NOT a replacement to the Bat-Man,  he was a hero in his own right and would later don a costume that was more of an adult take on his Robin look, not a BAT-MAN -ish copy of  his Dark Knight Partner.

A COSTUME FIT FOR A HERO AT LAST. 

He would eventually be joined by a "Junior" partner, but this was not a teenaged side kick, she was a hero born into the business.... More about her soon.

Until then here is a final look at Richard Grayson  from Earth 2 ....... ROBIN, The EX-Boy WONDER

ENJOY !

BATMAN OF EARTH TWO

In the 1960's many of the classic DC characters had started to be replaced by a new range of heroes. Whilst many remained,  like Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman, many disappeared only to be either forgotten or re designed for what is now called the SILVER Age of DC Comics

The old heroes from pre World War Two and after who mainly made up the JUSTICE SOCIETY of AMERICA would now be mostly forgotten. Whilst Superman , Batman , Wonder Woman, and a few others continued to entertain the readers, their stories started to become more realistic and less comical. Like Batman, the 1960's meant waving bye bye to most of the Bat-Man Family, Wonder Woman & Superman lost some of their comical supporting characters also. Whilst heroes like the Flash, Green Lantern and the Atom would be completely re imagined as NEW Heroes with Similar names and Powers, Other Like Green Arrow, and Hawkman would be updated and remained much as they had before. Although Hawkman would later get a major character make over.

With a bit of slight redesigning of the costumes, which happened over a period of time, Batman and friends continued into the 1960's. However, as most of the DC characters had started their "Lives" in the 1930's & 1940's  it was easier to just accept that these characters were never ageing than be allowed to age. Both Batman & Superman who remain aged around 29. BUT this meant that as they now existed in the modern day, they could not no longer be thought of as the same as they were in the past....... ie they would have been too young to have even fought in the 2nd World War against Germany and Japan.

The concept of Earth 2 was conceived that in another parallel universe most of the heroes first appeared in or around the end of the 1930's. Helped fight in WW2 and would grow old and retire in the 1960's. This was also the so called Golden Age of DC Publications.

This Allowed an unique twist, The Justice Society could still exist, and could have grown older, started families and even had children.

When the Justice League of America first met the Justice Society of America this allowed both groups to interact. The Silver Age Flash had already met his Golden Age name sake before this, and the fans had liked the idea.

But when Heroes of the Past met the Heroes of today, the readers LOVED this. So every year the League and the Society would meet up. Both Supermen would meet, Both Batmen would meet, and both Wonder Women would meet. As these were the same character But taken from a different point in time, this gave the writers a good chance to play with different concepts.

Same Heroes But Different.

Superman of Earth 2 could have married Lois Lane, Batman could have also married and had children, Robin the Boy Wonder could be allowed to become a man. Wonder Woman also could have married her long time boyfriend Steve Trevor and started their own Wonder Family.

The cut off point of when the old DC stories became what was to be Earth 2 would be the end of the 1950's. This made sense as this was when a lot of the older Heroes comics had stopped being published. 

For Batman, the changes in his costume In the 1960's allowed a physical marker. Before the Oval Bat Earth 2.... After the Oval Bat Sign Modern day.... ie Earth 1....... Both Superman & Wonder Woman from Earth 2 worn costumes which reflected an earlier look along with a little bit of silver grey hair to help add a little bit of age. Superman's Logo would mirror his 1940's style.

EARTH 2                               EARTH 1 

This meant that Older Batman would still have his supporting cast of Ace the Bat Hound, Bat-Girl, Bat-Woman and Bat Mite. These characters stayed the same, but it was all change for Bat-man and Robin of the New "Old" Earth 2 ...... also this also allowed other Universes to be explored, many of which became littered with heroes from an earlier time that had been publishes by companies now owned by DC.

Here is a look at the old and new Bat-man Family

GOLDEN AGE EARTH TWO             SILVER AGE EARTH ONE      

Next time we have a look at how robin grew up to become a Hero in his own right. 

Until then

ENJOY !