Catwoman #81

Issue Details

Synopsis

FINAL JEOPARDY PART 2 Catwoman breaks into the Kortman Gallery to steal a painting of herself. She takes the painting directly out of the frame to avoid the tripwire that would spring the alarm if the frame came out of the wall.   She thinks it's been too easy, so to up the stakes (and because she could really use a car), she pulls on the frame and summons the police.   Detective Worth and his new partner come to investigate the gallery break-in, and they note that the gallery is filled with paintings of attractive female superheroes and supervillains.  Catwoman jumps over their heads and steals one police detective's hat, then their car. She leaves the car at the bottom of Gotham Bay, but she keeps the hat and the painting.   Catwoman is watching the police detectives look down at their waterlogged car when a police blimp finds her. The blimp open-fires as she runs and hides.   She overhears the police detectives speculating whether she can turn into a cat or not from her hiding place, and they walk away right before Calculator calls her.   Catwoman and Calculator go back and forth over who owes whom before Calculator pitches a snatch and dash. All she has to do is grab a single painting from a penthouse right here in Gotham. He already has a buyer lined up who is willing to pay a million dollars.   Catwoman catches a ride on a police blimp that carries her over the penthouse apartment where she lands in the owner's pool. She surfaces surrounded by supervillains, and "Lex Luthor" compliments her on her entrance.   She introduces herself as "Ms. Kitka," and when the man dressed as Luthor tells her it's an invite-only costume party, she says there's no better way to get onto an exclusive guest list than to make one hell of a first impression. Luthor says to make herself at home.   Catwoman walks through the crowd of people in costumes, and she wonders what they would do when confronted with actual supervillains. If they knew she was the genuine article, they'd probably fight each other to 911.   She finds the owner's stash of Nazi memorabilia, and she thinks however disturbing it is, it is valuable enough to merit private security.   Just as she's thinking that, Ubermensch sneaks up behind her, and she dodges in time only because she's seen his reflection in a signed photograph of Hitler.   The glass protecting the painting she's meant to steal is broken during their fight, so she grabs the painting and runs. Ubermensch chases her through the crowd until she jumps off the side of the building.   She uses her whip to redirect her fall and crashes into another apartment. She picks up a phone call from Calculator, who pretends he simply forgot to mention Ubermensch to her, seconds before Ubermensch bursts into the apartment. She tells Calculator that she wants two hundred grand in her account now, or she's bringing Ubermensch home to meet him.   Calculator doesn't believe her, but she jumps onto the top of the D train with Ubermensch right behind her. The D train goes past Calculator's place, which inspires him to hastily transfer the money. Catwoman doesn't believe him, so she calls to check with Credit Suisse that the deposit went through.   It did, so she kicks Ubermensch off the train and onto the tracks next to theirs right as another train drives up. The train drags Ubermensch for ten blocks before stopping.   Catwoman decides she's done with Calculator and his sleazy jobs, so she throws the painting she stole--a Hitler original--into the bay.   The money was nice, but she doesn't do this for the money. She does for the thrill of the chase, the freedom, and the chance to run around the city she loves every night, making it hers. And, of course, for the people she's met.   Batman stands behind her, saying, "You've been busy." He tells her this needs to stop. This isn't protection or charity, it's crime, and it ends tonight. He knows she's been through a lot, but this isn't her. Catwoman thinks about everything that has happened to her recently, and she says, "No. This is me, and this is what I do."   She adds, "Tonight, one way or another, whatever it is that you and I have, whatever we've built up over the years... I'm saying tonight... all that changes." She pulls him down with her, and they go careening down the side of the building.