Linda Page was a love interest for Batman introduced in 1941. She appeared regularly until 1943 with a few subsequent appearances in flashback tales. Linda was often in the damsel in distress role, and like many of Bruce Wayne's love interests, she dated Bruce while mooning over Batman.
History
Linda Page, the heiress to wealthy Texas Oil Baron Thomas Page, was a socialite turned volunteer nurse for the elderly. Linda was kidnapped by a gangster named Mike Grogan , who forced her to render medical aid to his brother Tommy who had been shot during a bank robbery. Batman freed Linda from the grips of the Gorgan Gang, and during the rescue Linda saved Batman's life when she incapacitated a mobster who was about to shoot the Dark Knight in the back. Linda began dating Bruce Wayne, despite often criticizing him for not living up to his potential and expressing a greater interest for Batman.
Not knowing that Bruce Wayne was secretly Batman, created awkwardness in the relationship as Linda noticed several bizarre occurrences that lead her to believe that Bruce was not the man everyone thought he was. At one point Linda's interest in Batman led her to conclude that Clarke Courtly, a photographer for the social pages, was Batman. In reality Courtly was the Gentleman thief Mr. Baffle, and in her attempt to prove her theory she wound up his prisoner, and was again saved by Batman.
Linda frequently found herself in dire situations but was always rescued by Batman. At one point she reached out to the Caped Crusader to help her father, who was being blackmailed into selling his oil company by his partner Graham Masters. Shortly after Batman saved Linda's family fortune, Selina Kyle came back into Bruce/Batman's life. With Bruce focused of reforming Catwoman, while still trying to maintain his secret identity, Linda and Bruce's relationship began to crumble. Bruce began seeing Elva Barr (a disguised Selina) socially, and their relationship was heavily publicized. Things became further complicated when Selina began impersonating Linda, and though the Catwoman was eventually incarcerated, Bruce and Linda's relationship had benn strained. Despite these complications, Linda and Bruce continued to see each other and were assaulted by Scarecrow while out hat shopping.
I had no right to try and change you. I just couldn't figure out why someone with your intelligence would want to spend his life ... playing polo. - Linda to Bruce at her wedding.
At some point, Linda and Bruce ended their relationship. Bruce attributed the breakup to his Playboy Pose, a necessary evil he had adopted in order to prevent people from discovering his secret identity. He commented that it was the exact same thing that drove a wedge between him and Julie Madison. Ten years after the break up, Bruce attended Linda's wedding. During the ceremony the Scarecrow released his fear toxins on the crowd. Oddly enough, it was this event that led the Batman of Earth 2 to seek aid from a long retired Selina Kyle. The team up that forced Batman to reveal his secret identity to Catwoman and after the two defeated the Scarecrow they admitted their feelings, began a romantic relationship and eventually married.
Other Media
Linda Page, played by Shirley Patterson, was a featured character in the 1943 Batman serial.
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