THE JSA FACT FILE
The Huntress
Helena Wayne
Residence: Gotham City
Occupation: Lawyer
First Appearance (Silver Age):DC Super-Stars #17 (December 1977)
Character History
Helena Wayne was born in 1957 to Bruce (Batman) and Selina
(Catwoman) Wayne of Gotham City. Helena was raised in a loving family, nurtured
by ancestral wealth and the rich experiences of her adventurer parents. She was
educated at the best of schools and vigorously trained to superb athletic
prowess. Helena's education progressed in leaps and bounds, finishing college
at age 18. Helena followed the family tradition and pursued a law degree. Upon
completion of law school, she joined the firm of Cranston and Grayson through connections
with Richard (Robin) Grayson, the former ward of Bruce Wayne.
In 1976, "Silky" Cernak blackmailed Selina Wayne into donning her Catwoman gear once again, to rob the Gotham Civic Center, with fraudulent evidence that the Catwoman had committed murder in the 1950s. During the course of the robbery, Batman intervened; in the resulting conflict, a stray bullet struck Selina Wayne. Unbalanced from the impact, Catwoman fell several stories to her death. The loss of his wife shattered Wayne, who burned his Batman costume the night of Selina's death.
Equally traumatized, Helena fashioned a costume for herself and a set of a personal weaponry derived from her parents' personal stock. She tracked Cernak, ultimately bringing him to justice. Committed to her pursuit of justice in her new costumed identity, she code-named herself "the Huntress" (DC Super-Stars #17).
Shortly after his wife's death, Bruce Wayne fell under the sway of the Psycho-Pirate, who convinced him to use his office in an attempt to brand the Justice Society of America as outlaws. The Huntress followed this case with some interest, observing in the shadows when the JSA finally resolved the case (All-Star Comics vol. 1 #69). She later intervened in a JSA case when Wildcat and the Star-Spangled Kid thwarted the Strike Force, a criminal operation financed by the Star-Spangled Kid's family fortune (All-Star Comics vol. 1 #70-71). When the Star-Spangled Kid resigned from active duty after this case, the Huntress joined the JSA full-time (All-Star Comics vol. 1 #72).
Privately, Helena Wayne remained an active member of Cranston, Grayson, and Wayne. She confronted a number of enemies, including the Thinker (Wonder Woman #274-277), Solomon Grundy (Wonder Woman #271-273), and the Joker (Wonder Woman vol. 1 #281-283). In the early 1980s, she became a police liaison as a result of her association with companion Harry Sims. She briefly associated herself with the fledgling super-group Infinity Incorporated (Infinity Inc. #1-12) but remained a member full-time of the JSA.
During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Huntress actively participated. After the collapse of timelines, a version of the Huntress emerged to find her family history erased and herself with no role in the new world order. In the final battle with Anti-Monitor, she was killed alongside Robin in the battle with shadow demons that raged across Post-Crisis on Earth-0 (Crisis on Infinite Earths #12). It was later revealed that on Earth-Two, contact with the multiverse was sealed off. The Earth-Two Huntress remained an active member of the Justice Society, and engaged in a final battle with the Joker, resulting in the villain’s demise (Justice Society of America Annual #1). Her current fate on Earth-Two is unknown.
Power and Abilities
The Huntress trained under her father and mother and with Batman's ward, Robin, for most of her life. As a result, she was extremely skilled hand to hand combatant with outstanding marksmanship skills. She developed a series of weapons based on her parents' choices, including a utility belt and cross-bow. She inherited the Wayne estate on her parents' deaths, giving her significant financial resources.
Weakness and Limitations
Huntress had no super-human powers and relied exclusively on training and weaponry. Met with sufficient force or energy, she could be overwhelmed and defeated.
