Catwoman Gets New Origin Story in Major DC Retcon

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Catwoman’s backstory is famously complicated. She started as a character with a dual personality driven to steal, but that changed with a major update to DC Comics’ history. Even after that update, some stories didn’t quite fit. Now, a new comic book is clarifying her origins, making them more similar to the version of Catwoman seen in The Batman movie.

The latest backstory for Catwoman is revealed in issue #84, written by Torunn Grønbekk and illustrated by Patricio Delpeche. Currently, Selina Kyle is on a quest to find the Palermo Pearl, a valuable piece of jewelry her mother, Maria, said she once wore on a special, enchanting evening.

Selina tried to steal the Pearl as a way to honor her mother and ensure she was buried with something she loved. The story of the theft was interwoven with memories from Selina’s life, though details of her past have become unclear after many years.

Catwoman’s conflicted history explained

Selina Kyle, who would become Catwoman, was first introduced in Batman: Year One as a dominatrix and small-time thief inspired by Batman’s actions. Later comics added to her backstory, portraying her as a child who grew up on the streets and ran away from a difficult foster care situation after her father’s death. These details didn’t become significant to the overall story until the release of Batman: The Long Halloween years later.

The story ‘The Long Halloween’ hinted that Selina Kyle (Catwoman) might be the daughter of crime boss Carmine Falcone, given up for adoption for her own protection. This idea was further developed in the ‘Catwoman: When In Rome’ comic series. However, this contradicted earlier comics published after the ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ event, which established Maria and Brian Kyle as Selina’s true parents.

The problem with conflicting Catwoman origins only arose when writers started treating The Long Halloween as official Batman history. It got even more complicated when Matt Reeves’ The Batman movie used a similar origin story for Selina Kyle. Luckily, the current Catwoman comic series has addressed this confusion by retroactively changing the established timeline.

Catwoman is now officially Carmine Falcone’s daughter

Selina stole the Palermo Pearl by sneaking into a private auction, which immediately made her a target of the Court of Owls. It also brought her into conflict with Carmine Falcone, a powerful mob boss in Gotham City, as his family owned and was selling the pearl.

Falcone found Selina at her mother’s graveside, right after she’d buried the pearl. He mentioned knowing her mother, Maria, but admitted they’d never officially met. Selina understood this to mean what she’d suspected all along: Carmine Falcone was her father, and he’d always known she was his daughter.

Falcone wasn’t trying to reconcile with Maria, the woman he’d left behind. He told Selina he didn’t need another daughter, but a Catwoman working for him would be useful. This was a thinly veiled threat – he’d reveal her secret identity if she refused to steal for him.

Catwoman #84 is now available at comic shops everywhere.

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2026-02-18 23:09