The Birth: This green-eyed cat's arrival can be dated back to as far as Batman #1 in Spring 1940. Orphaned as a girl by a suicidal mother and an alcoholic father, Selina Kyle spent time in a state home for girls before escaping an abusive headmistress to live on the streets of Gotham City. When she first started out, she was known only as The Cat, a cat burgler who got Batman so enchanted by her looks that he let her get away even after he had almost caught her.
Catwoman was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, a duo who also created the Joker in the very same issue. Going through the revamped Batman series : Batman Year One in Batman #406 we find Selina Kyle and her underage friend, Holly, both hookers in downtown Gotham, showing an increasing interest to this new caped vigilante: The Batman. His costume inspired Selina to trade all her cash for her own costume, fashioned to the likeness of her favourite animal; the cat. On August 7^th ,in Batman #408 she bounds out as The Catwoman. Unlike her inspiration, she does not walk the thin line to fight for justice, rather, for her own personal gain.

The Alter Ego: Apart from her name, Selina Kyle, not much is really known about the woman behind the mask. Initially, when Gotham was under the hold of Commissioner Gillian Loeb, Selina and Holly stayed in a cramped pad in the East End working as hookers. With this kind of a lifestyle, Selina had a toughened edge to her, which helped her in her endevours as the Catwoman.

The Legend: Throughout the years, The Catwoman has established herself as one of the finest cat burgulars in Gotham. Hardly a hardcore criminal, her ideals have employed her to work on both sides of the law, most often helping Batman with his cases, but only when it benefits her. Forever evading arrest, she has also outwitted Batman more than once. Catwoman has no rap sheet and refuses to be caged by owner or government, settling into a comfortable life maintained by capers mostly of her own choosing. It can also be noted that the Batman and the Catwoman have had romantic affairs more than once.
The Catwoman uses grappling hooks and lines for her work but her weapons are quite limited as she generally stays out of any frays. The cat o' nine tails is one of her favourite weapons but she usually depends on her fists and legs to do the job. And if they are not enough, like any cat, she too has razor-sharp retractable claws on her gloves and boots.
A recent beating at the claws of the Cyber-Cat has forced the once carefree and aloof Catwoman to adopt an even harder edge. Temporarily donning a sleek metal costume, Catwoman has returned to her regular "skin", already thickened by hard knocks and a mistrust of all save herself.