DC Comics has made a lot of changes to Huntress over the years. One thing that’s stayed the same is that she’s a vigilante with a tragedy in her past that shapes how she views Gotham. That has also stayed intact for her big screen appearance in Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of Harley Quinn).
With Mary Elizabeth Winstead bringing Huntress to the big screen, there are plenty of fans who might be interested in her comic book history that overlooked her before. Huntress hasn’t been quite as mainstream as heroes like Wonder Woman, or more recently, Black Canary. She makes a big impression in the ensemble film, and we’ve got answers to some of the questions fans might have about her comic book past.
When Did Huntress Make Her First Comic Book Appearance
The very first comic book appearance by Huntress happened in 1947, but it wasn’t the Huntress comic book fans know today. Her name was Paula Brooks.
Paula Brooks wasn’t a vigilante with a tragic past when she made her debut. Instead, she was a villain battling the superhero named Wildcat. 40 years later, a retcon established that Paula used the name Tigress when she acted as a hero in her younger years, but still eventually turned to a life of crime.
How Many Women Have Used The Alias
In addition to Paula Brooks, there have been quite a few women who have used the name Huntress in their vigilante lives. Helena Bertinelli is the one most comic book fans remember in the modern age, and she’s the one who features in the Birds Of Prey movie.
The third version of Huntress in the main continuity in DC Comics is Helena Wayne, though other characters use the name in alternate timelines as well. Even Mockingbird in Marvel Comics was called Huntress for a while.
Is Batman Her Father
Some fans might confuse the backstory of the various Huntress characters. Helena Bertinelli was the daughter of a wealthy connected crime family in Gotham, so she wasn’t Batman’s daughter - and in fact, rarely even gets along with the caped crusader. There is, however, a version of the character that is.
Helena Wayne is the daughter of Batman and Catwoman on a different Earth. The short lived WB Birds Of Prey series in 2002 took inspiration from that version of the character for the live action series. There, she was called Helena Kyle, using her mother’s last name instead.
What Is Her Civilian Job
Helen Bertinelli spends most of her formative years training to be a fighter, no matter which version of her story writers tell. She doesn’t really take on a civilian identity to hide her vigilante activities until after she becomes a member of the Birds Of Prey in the comics.
It’s Barbara Gordon (AKA Oracle) who sets Helena up with a day job as a teacher. Helena had once dreamed of the job, but never thought she would actually become an educator because of her background. Some alternate versions of the character have also featured her running schools in keeping with Helena’s desire to keep the next generation safe.
Why Does Huntress Get Booted From So Many Superhero Teams
The Birds Of Prey movie comments that Huntress has “rage issues,” but that’s not exactly the reason she often finds herself on the outs from superhero teams. It’s not rage that fuels Helena, but justice. Her sense of justice just extends farther than some other heroes.
Helena, especially in her early days as a vigilante, wants permanent solutions to the problems of villains. Instead of turning them over to authorities for them to end up released or escaped, Helena believes they should be terminated altogether. Then, they can’t cause more pain and destruction. Her methods are often viewed as extreme, leaving her at odds with the heroes around her. Batman, in particular, has removed her from his teams on multiple occasions and left her to fend for herself.
What Other Superhero Name Did She Take On
Paula Brooks might have been Tigress at one point, but she’s not the only Huntress to become a different hero. In the “Flashpoint” continuity, Helena Wayne was actually Batman’s Robin for a while. Helena Bertinelli also tried her hand at being a different hero.
During the Batman “No Man’s Land” arc, Batman disappeared while Gotham was cut off from the outside world. With the people of Gotham not particularly intimidated by Huntress, Helena decided to use the bat symbol they knew to her advantage. She became Batgirl until Batman returned. While it worked for her to keep order, he didn’t appreciate her using a bat-family moniker to do it.
Is She Also A Spy
When the New 52 era of DC Comics changed comic book continuity, it revealed that Helena Bertinelli was just an alias of Helena Wayne’s since Bertinelli was long dead. To make matters more confusing, a real Helena Bertinelli did exist, however, and she was a secret agent who the outside world simply believed was dead
Helena worked for the organization known as Spyral and partnered with Dick Grayson on the job. The two eventually wound up at odds as Dick wanted to dismantle the organization and Helena was intent on saving it as its new director.
Why Did She Fight Wonder Woman
The Injustice video games have created their own DC world. They’ve also received prequel comic books so that fans have a full idea of the world inhabited there.
Battle lines are drawn in the comics based on who supports Superman’s regime or Batman’s insurgency. Huntress was on Batman’s side in the conflict. She, Batwoman, and Renee Montoya were very close friends who went into battle together. Huntress ended up facing off against Wonder Woman since the latter was part of Superman’s regime. Wonder Woman obliterated Huntress in the fight, leaving Batwoman more motivated than ever to keep going.
Why Are There So Many Gaps In Her Comic Book History
Any comic book fan attempting to keep up with the story of Huntress would find it confusing. After all, multiple timelines and multiple identities are par for the course in comics, but Huntress has more changes and gaps in her history than most.
That’s because every time DC Comics has a reset of its timeline, or colliding universes, or really any major event series, the Huntress that fans know changes all over again. The Paula Brooks Huntress got a new name because the Helena Wayne Huntress existed on another Earth. The Helena Wayne Huntress ceased to exist when Helena Bertinelli’s version was introduced - and every time a major event happens to change the landscape of DC, it seems the two Helenas switch places in the main continuity all over again. It’s enough to give any comic book fan a headache.
How Many Huntresses Have Appeared In Live Action
Unlike her teammate Black Canary, Huntress hasn’t appeared as many times in live action. She did get her start in live action at the same time though. She and Black Canary were the only female heroes involved in NBC’s Legends Of The Superheroes specials that began in 1979. She was played by Barbara Joyce.
Since then, Huntress has appeared in live action three more times. The Birds of Prey series on the WB featured Ashley Scott as Helena Wayne, while the version in CW’s Arrow was Helena Bertinelli, played by Jessica De Gouw. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is the first live action Huntress to appear on the big screen.