Template:Distinguish
Cassandra Cain as Batgirl
Real Name: Cassandra Cain
Nicknames: Cass
Former Aliases: Kasumi
Other Current Aliases: No other known current aliases
Status
Occupation: Crimefighter
Legal Status: Legal status unknown
Identity: Secret
Marital Status: Single
Group Affiliation: League of Assassins; Bat Family; (as Kasumi) Justice League Elite
Base of Operations: Gotham City
Origin
David Cain raised Cassandra to be an assassin, but she uses her talents to fight crime as Batgirl.
Place of Birth: Place of birth unknown
Known Relatives: David Cain (father), Lady Shiva (alleged mother)
First Appearance: BATMAN #567 (July, 1999)
History
Cassandra Cain is the daughter of David Cain, an assassin who once taught Bruce Wayne hand to hand combat. Cain allegedly took Cassandra from her mother and trained her to be a deadly assassin from a young age. However, it now seems that Cassandra was purposely bred to be the 'perfect' assassin.
She was trained day and night in various styles by the League of Assassins to such an extent that when it came to any form of combat and could outfight, outrun, or outshoot anybody, including Cain, at the age of nine.
Cain taught her to use violence as her only means of communication. She developed keen fighting instincts, able to physically "read" her opponent's body.
Cain made the mistake of putting her in the field too early. For her "graduation day" Cain assigned her to perform a hit. The realization of what she done horrified her and she left Cain.
At a time when other girls her age were feeling crushes and celebrating 'Sweet Sixteens', Cassandra was wandering the backstreets of the world, eventually arriving in the best hiding place on Earth, Gotham City.
Oracle (Barbara Gordon) recognized the enigmatic girl's unique abilities and recruited the girl to be one of her eyes and ears in No Man's Land, gathering information on the streets on the city's various criminals. Cassandra fought alongside Batman and his compatriots, aiding their efforts to restore order to Gotham City.
Batman, being a former student of Cain's and aware of his methods, recognized the connection between the girl and the assassin. After she helped save Commissioner James Gordon's life from an assassination attempt, Batman awarded her the costume and title of the new Batgirl, which he had just taken from the Huntress. Cassandra moved into the Watchtower with Barbara Gordon, who has become her guardian and friend.
While helping Batman rescue a young girl from the mob, Cass ran into a man that would literally change her life. A psi, the man did not understand her thoughts and rearranged her mind so she could speak English. This had a negative effect on her skills, robbing Cassandra of her ability to "read" opponents.
Cassandra found herself unable to fight efficiently due to her head being filled with thoughts and ideas. Batman decided that Cassandra needed to train harder without her gift. He gave her a CD collection of his different fighting styles and asked her to learn them all. She did and kept trying to defeat Batman in combat in order to regain the Batgirl costume.
Secretly however she was still fighting crime without her costume, using face paint to hide her identity. While doing so, she also asked Lady Shiva to help her with her abilities. Shiva agreed but only if they would battle in a year. Over the next few nights, Cassandra trained vigorously until she had her abilities back and still had the ability to speak. After showing Batman her abilities were back, Batman allowed her to continue as Batgirl. Shiva eventually challenged her. The two fought fiercely, and Shiva had to use a deadly blow to win, and soon revived Cassandra, impressed with her.
However, most recently, Shiva revealed that she was Cassandra's mother, and that her unique ability had been passed down through her family. The two engaged in a final battle, with Shiva seeking to fulfill a 'death wish.'
One Year Later
Cassandra has gained control over the League of Assassins. She recently encountered a shocked Robin (Tim Drake).
Characteristics
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 110 lbs (50 kg) [1]
Eyes: Brown [2]
Hair: Black
Unusual Features: Cassandra is not very talkative.
Powers
Known Powers: No known powers.
Known Abilities: Cassandra Cain is an excellent combatant who rivals even the likes of Batman and Lady Shiva.
She has an especially keen ability to 'read' the body language of another to guage their skills and intentions.
Strength Level: Normal human with above average strength, stamina and agility for a girl of her age.
Miscellaneous
Equipment: Batgirl costume with utility belt containing various equipment. Interestingly enough, Cassandra avoids using tools unless she absolutely needs to.
Transportation: No known transportation.
Weapons: Batarangs, capsules, small explosives.
Notes
- No special notes.
Trivia
Recommended Readings
- "No Man's Land" Batman Crossover
Related Articles
External Links
- Batgirl at DC Comics
References
- ↑ From dccomics.com. Given as 127 lbs in the DC Comics Encyclopedia.
- ↑ From dccomics.com. Given as Green in the DC Comics Encyclopedia.