Batman Characters - Love Interests - Bruce Wayne's Love Interests

Bruce Wayne's Love Interests

• Julie Madison:
  • In the earliest Batman comics, Bruce Wayne dates the often-imperiled Julie Madison. The two eventually separate and Julie weds into European royalty, much in the manner of Grace Kelly.
  • In Batman & Robin, Elle Macpherson plays Julie, though the character seems to have little in common with her comic book self. The character adds little to the plot, and many of her scenes were edited out of the film's final cut.
• Linda Page:
  • Linda appeared during the Golden Age of Comics after Julie broke her engagement off with Bruce. A former socialite, she dedicated her time as a nurse for the elderly, instead of falling into the stereotype that rich women were spoiled and lazy. She dated Bruce for two years, but broke up with him when he would not explain why he seemed to be wooing another woman (trying to reform a disguised Catwoman).
  • Appeared in the first Batman serial (1943).
• Vicki Vale:
  • In several 1950s stories, reporter for the Gotham Gazette newspaper Vicki Vale, was shown as an occasional romantic interest of Batman. Vicki Vale returned in the early 1980s, brought back by Doug Moench.
  • Kim Basinger plays Vicki in the 1989 film Batman, although Batman Returns stated that she eventually left because she could not cope with his double life.
• Selina Kyle (Catwoman)
  • Catwoman is one of the most common love interests of Batman/Bruce Wayne. In All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder Batman's feelings towards her are based on the fact that she's sort of a female version of himself: another dark, beautiful creature that prowls in the night. In the current timeline, Batman and Catwoman became romantically involved during the Batman: Hush story arc. Batman ended the relationship because he was afraid if they had a relationship that Hush would use her to get to him and also doubted her loyalty to him questioning if she was part of the plot to destroy his life. Even when their romance rekindled later on, Batman still suspected that Selina's reformation could be a result of a personality-altering mindwipe by Zatanna. Later in "Batman: Heart of Hush" in an attempt to kill Bruce, Hush kidnaps Catwoman and cuts out her heart, when Bruce returns the heart he admits to Selina that she really was the only woman to have held his heart and that he would always love her.
  • In pre-Crisis continuity, the Earth-Two versions of Batman and Catwoman were shown to have married in the 1950s, and later Selina gave birth to a daughter, Helena Wayne (alias Huntress) in 1957.
  • In Tim Burton's film Batman Returns, Selina (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) seems to be the true love of Bruce's life, as not only their costumed identities but also their disturbed psyches are described as similar. Their relationship becomes intensely dramatic towards the end of the movie, to the point where Bruce actually implores her to abandon her vendetta against Max Shreck and come and live with him in Wayne Manor.
  • In Christopher Nolan's film The Dark Knight Rises, Selina Kyle (never referred to as Catwoman in the film) is portrayed by actress Anne Hathaway as she is in the comics as a thief who aids Bane in hopes of obtaining the "clean slate" drive to erase her criminal record and to see the rich and selfish of Gotham suffer. She later aids Batman in stopping Bane after realizing her mistake of betraying him to the terrorist, giving up her own chance to escape Gotham and leave him behind. At the film's end, she is seen in Italy wearing Martha Wayne's necklace (which she stole earlier on in the film) and dating Bruce Wayne, who has retired from the mantle of Batman.
  • In Batman: The Animated Series, Bruce Wayne regularly dates Selina Kyle. In Batman Beyond, Bruce hints at a relationship with Selina in his past, as well as comparing that relationship with Terry's and the current Ten of the Royal Flush Gang. As in the comic books, sexual tension between their costumed characters is a major story point in Batman: The Animated Series.
  • After The New 52, as it's Selina's early days as Catwoman she does not yet know Batman's identity, though it is evident they engaged in sexual intercourse.
• Wonder Woman: Diana and Bruce briefly dated within the pages of the Justice League of America comics but nothing came of the relationship and the two remain friends. This is echoed in the Justice League animated series, but Bruce and Diana seem to grow very close in the TV show, and even Batman hints at romance between them in the episode "This Little Piggy". In Blackest Night: Wonder Woman, their past relationship is referenced when Wonder Woman is able to use her feelings for Bruce to throw off the influence of her Black Lantern ring and join the Star Sapphires.
• Kathy Kane (Batwoman)
  • In the original Pre-Crisis continuity Kathy Kane is a wealthy Gotham City heiress and former circus performer, decides to use her skills and resources to become a costumed crimefighter. This is partly out of altruism and partly to attract the romantic attentions of Batman. While Batman wished for Kane to retire from crimefighting due to the danger, she remained his ally. Kathy was romantically interested in Batman but Batman remained aloof until her death in the hands of Bronze Tiger.
  • In a pre-Crisis Earth-Two Kathy, who is a middle-aged woman is still in love with the now-deceased Commissioner Bruce Wayne.
  • In Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, while investigating the identity of Gotham's newest masked vigilante, Batman develops an affection to one of the suspects, Kathy Duquesne, daughter of mob boss Carlton Duquesne.
• Talia al Ghul: The daughter of the supervillain, Ra's al Ghul, Talia's father has encouraged the relationship in hopes of recruiting Batman as his successor. Unlike Catwoman, Talia is more than willing to play second-fiddle to Bruce's mission.
  • The two are currently at odds, as Talia has been brainwashed into hating both her father and Batman; however, she claims to be the mother of his son Damian, introduced in Batman #656. However, after Damian is murdered by a clone created by her, Batman is no longer affectionate towards her as he was in the past due to her indirect involvement of their son's death, leading him increasingly vengeful.
  • In the now out-of-continuity graphic novel Batman: Son of the Demon, Talia bore his son (later named Ibn al Xu'ffasch).
  • In Earth-22's Kingdom Come, Talia admires Batman in his drive, determination, and nobility, but is always torn between him and the love for her terrorist father.
  • In Christopher Nolan's film The Dark Knight Rises, Talia is played by actress Marion Cotillard. In the film she is incognito as philanthropist and socialite Miranda Tate (a ploy used by her father with his false identity of Henri Ducard), and begins an affair with Bruce Wayne as well as becomes a Wayne Enterprises executive. Talia has assumed control of the League of Shadows and plans with Bane who saved her as a child, to kill Bruce and destroy Gotham to fulfill her father's mission and have vengeance for his death.
• Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy): A peculiar relationship can be found between Batman and Pamela Isley, aka Poison Ivy. There has always been a sexual tension between the two, most notably in their canonical earlier encounters. In Batman & Poison Ivy: Cast Shadows, Batman filled Ivy's cell at Arkham with flowers as a gift. The relationship even briefly deviated from the Batman/Ivy relationship into a Bruce/Pamela one when, in the comic series Batman: Gotham Knights, he helps her return to normal. This relationship has not been carried over to the mainstream Batman comics. In other instances, however, she is more than willing to kill Batman to achieve her goals. She is portrayed in the 1997 film Batman & Robin by Uma Thurman.
• Silver St. Cloud: A storyline in the late 1970s featured Silver St. Cloud, who managed to deduce the secret of Bruce Wayne's alter ego, but she could not handle being involved with someone in such a dangerous line of work. The two parted ways; a 2005 miniseries features a return appearance of Silver St. Cloud, although the romance has not been rekindled.
• Rachel Caspian: In a 1987 storyline "Batman: Year Two", Bruce Wayne falls in love with Rachel. Unfortunately, Rachel's father moonlighted as a murderous vigilante who committed suicide once losing a battle against a gun-wielding Batman. Discovery of her father's evils drove Rachel to pay her father's penance on his behalf by enrolling in a nunnery and breaking off her engagement with Bruce Wayne, who had prepared himself to end his crimefighting career to marry her.
• Natalia Knight: Nocturna aka Natalia Knight. Created by Doug Moench in the early 1980s. She was a jewel thief who briefly adopted Jason Todd and knew that Bruce Wayne was Batman. What made her remarkable was that she suffered from a rare "light sensitivity" disease and her skin was bleached white. She disappeared during the last days of pre-Crisis Batman after being stabbed by her brother Charles, floating into the crimson sky of the Crisis in her balloon.
• Julia Pennyworth: The daughter of Alfred and a French Resistance fighter named Mlle Marie, Julia was brought in by Doug Moench in the early 1980s.
• Vesper Fairchild: Fairchild's relationship with Bruce Wayne was established during Doug Moench's second run on Batman in the 1990s. A radio show host who left Gotham after the "No Man's Land" crisis, Fairchild was later killed by David Cain on orders from Lex Luthor as part of Luthor's attempt to get revenge on Bruce Wayne for his involvement in thwarting Luthor's attempt to take control of Gotham after "No Man's Land" ended.

• Shondra Kinsolving: Shondra is a psychic and the half-sister of Benedict Asp. She had a brief love affair with Batman, having been brought in to help him when he broke his back. Before Bruce could officially commit to her, Benedict kidnapped her and turned her abilities to evil use. Batman eventually defeated Benedict, but the damage to Shondra's mind was too great. As she healed Bruce's lingering injuries, Shondra's psyche regressed back into childhood. However, she recently made a cameo in Batman: Hush as one of the doctors assisting in Bruce Wayne's operation.
• Sasha Bordeaux: Assigned as Bruce Wayne's bodyguard, Sasha deduced that Bruce was Batman. She was framed for Fairchild's murder and later joined Maxwell Lord's Checkmate organization. During The OMAC Project, Bordeaux was turned into a cyborg OMAC, but this incident has since been resolved. While Sasha and Batman kissed near the end of The OMAC Project, their relationship seems to have passed on.
• Black Canary: Although Black Canary has a relationship with Green Arrow, she has shown an attraction to the Dark Knight and she and Batman have shared kisses from time to time In All-Star Batman and Robin #7, the two show more of an attraction to one another.
• Jillian Maxwell: In Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1, (reprinted in the trade paperback Batman: Haunted Knight) during the beginning of his career, Bruce find himself attracted to a woman who called herself Jillian Maxwell after meeting her at a costume party. However, Alfred's suspicion of her led him to checking her background, discovering a criminal record of a woman, whose description matches Jillian's, who used the aliases of Kathryn Cole, Christine Gherard, Diana Lopez, Pamela Weisman, and many other identities to seduce young wealthy men for their fortunes, then later arrange events that led to their deaths so she can have their wealth. After Alfred told Bruce of this, he was heartbroken, but Bruce kept an eye on the woman. When she used the identity Audrey Marguerite in Brazil, Bruce, as Batman, sent her a note, telling her to confess all her crimes.
• Batman and Orion's wife Bekka, had a strong attraction to each other after she rescued him from Darkseid's forces on the planet Tartarus. She was later murdered.
• Lorna Shore: In Batman Confidential - "Lovers & Madmen", Bruce met a museum curator Lorna Shore during the beginning of his career. It was love at first sight as Bruce was able to find peace when he was with her for the first time since he was 8 years old after his parents' murder. However, after his encounter with The Joker and realizing that there will be more enemies like him, he broke off their relationship to protect Lorna. Lorna later left the city, feeling that Gotham is not safe anymore because of Batman and The Joker.
• Barbara Gordon (Batgirl): The current Batgirl and daughter of Commissioner Gordon. Though the two have never shared a romantic relationship in any canonical comics, they did have a romance in the universe of the Batman animated series. In the animated movie Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, we see that Barbara Gordon has a romantic interest in Bruce Wayne. During the movie he doesn't return the feelings at first. However we learn in the spin-off series, Batman Beyond that Bruce did eventually reciprocate the feelings and he and Barbara would have a romantic relationship. They didn't stay together and it's been implied that Barbara would be the last meaningful love interest that Bruce ever had. In the graphic novel Batman: Earth One, which set in another alternate continuity, where another version of Barbara, who is in her late teens, also develops a romantic interest towards Batman, who is in his twenties, after he saved her from the serial killer The Birthday Boy, with her father and Harvey Bullock.
• Mallory Moxon: Mallory became involved in Bruce's life when Philo Zeiss wanted revenge on her father, Lew Moxon. Bruce has spent as a child a happy summer with her before his parents were killed. He meets her again years later in a reception to honor Moxon's return to Gotham City. The next night he dines with the Moxons, partly to renew his friendship with Mallory. However, he discovers that Mallory is as much a part of the criminal world as her father. She falls in love with Bruce and is protected by Batman. Mallory was still with her father during Bruce's conviction of being a murderer even though she knew what kind of man her father was.
• Jezebel Jet: A wealthy former supermodel of African descent. She is said to own an African province. Like Bruce, she lost her parents at a young age. Though she resisted Bruce's affections at first, she ultimately began a relationship with him. As a result, she discovered that Bruce was Batman just before Batman R.I.P.. Later, she is revealed to be a member of the Black Glove, a villainous organization aimed at defeating Batman, with Bruce's relationship with her having been mainly maintained so that he could catch her off-guard and learn the full details of her planned assault on him. She was apparently killed by a flock of Man-Bats created by Talia, but was later hinted to have somehow survived in Batman Inc. #8. Her death was confirmed in Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1.
• Dawn Golden: One time girlfriend, fiance and childhood friend of Bruce Wayne. When they first met, Bruce did not like Dawn too much but the two eventually grew closer and ended up dating until she apparently broke Bruce's heart in college. Years later, Dawn would grow into a Gotham socialite but mysteriously go missing. She was actually kidnapped by Killer Croc, hired by a vengeful Penguin whom she had humiliated along with her friends when she invited him in a dance where unattractive men would be their dancing partners. Dawn was eventually found by Batman, she was revealed to be placed in some sort of heating room, awaiting her death. Batman would also protect her from demons sent by her father, Aleister, to kidnap her. Dawn finally dies when her father stabed her with a knife, completing a ritual that would grant him eternal life.
• Charlotte Rivers: A TV anchorwoman who's visiting Gotham City to cover gruesome slayings and has a romantic relation with Bruce Wayne.
• Jaina "Jai" Hudson (White Rabbit):A charity fundraiser organizer who meets Bruce Wayne at one of her charity functions to raise funds for relief in Pakistan. During the event there was a flirtatious exchange between the two.