Catwoman: Lifelines

{{DC Database:Storyline Template
 * Title                  = Lifelines
 * Image                  = Catwoman Vol 2 1.jpg
 * OfficialName           = Lifelines
 * Aliases                =


 * Universe               = New Earth
 * Locations              = Gotham City, Santa Prisca


 * Heroes                 = Catwoman
 * Villains               = Bane, Bird, Trogg, Zombie
 * Others                 = Arizona, Leopold


 * Titles                 = Catwoman
 * Collected              =
 * Creators               = Jo Duffy; Jim Balent
 * First                  = Catwoman Vol 2 #1
 * Last                   = Catwoman Vol 2 #4


 * Quotation              =
 * Speaker                =
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 * HistoryText            = Lifelines is a Catwoman storyline written by Jo Duffy with illustrations by Jim Balent. It's the debut arc on the Catwoman ongoing series, beginning Balent's redesign of the character. This follows Doug Moench's arc Sorrow Street in Showcase '93.

Background
This story is a companion to Knightfall, taking place after Bane breaks Batman's back. Catwoman starts working for Bane prior to this arc, as he forcibly enlists her. Their agreement is that Catwoman is allowed to operate as long as she fences all stolen goods through Bane. Bane also stipulated that he may call on her for favors, although she will be well compensated.

Synopsis
Catwoman pulls another museum heist, and finds Bird waiting with her fence Leopold to collect the loot. Back at her apartment in Brideshead, she lectures Arizona on not using her real name around Leopold. Catwoman has worked hard to hide her birth name, concealing "Selina Kyle" behind a myriad of aliases. Bane is annoyed that his investigators cannot find Catwoman's real name. He learns a hitman is looking for him, and has Zombie set up Catwoman as bait. The hitman Guillermo gets Leopold to betray Catwoman, and blows up her apartment with a rocket.

Catwoman's apartment explodes. She drags Arizona from the wreckage, and escapes before the police arrive. Bane feels secure that the hit cannot be traced back to him. Arizona is put in the hospital, and Catwoman has Leopold help her track down the hitman. They find that Guillermo has fled to Santa Prisca, and Catwoman decides to follow. Before leaving, she makes a huge anonymous donation to Maggie Kyle's nunnery. Selina hitches a ride to Santa Prisca on Bruce Wayne's private plane.

In Santa Prisca, Catwoman quickly becomes a local hero. She becomes a vigilante, attacking the oppressive government and protecting citizens from military police. Arizona is removed from the hospital with amnesia by the parents she ran away from. Bane is defeated by Batman, and Leopold tells Catwoman on the phone. Catwoman tracks down Guillermo while he's attacking an old man in a military compound. The old man kills Guillermo and thanks Catwoman for saving his life, revealing himself as El Jefe del Pais.

El Jefe del Pais takes Catwoman under his protection. The men who betrayed him are shot, or their children are forced to spend their sentences in prison. Catwoman is asked to find the assassin's employer. They invite her wealthy friends Dohani and Quincy Lord to El Jefe's manor. It's revealed that Lord is attempting a coup, and falsely believed Bane to be El Jefe's son. Lord corners El Jefe with a gun, but Dohani shoots Lord. It's explained that she is pregnant, and does not want their son to be forced into prison when Lord flees. Catwoman is given most of Lord's sizable fortune, and the rest is left to Dohani for raising the baby. Back in Gotham, Catwoman realizes Leopold has betrayed her. Leopold is sent to talk to Bane in Blackgate Penitentiary, where Bane kills him.


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