Huntress
Huntress is a comic book character that first appeared in DC Super Stars #17
Helena Bertinelli is a violent vigilante who's family was murdered by the Mafia. She has sworn revenge on the Mob and crime, operating as the Huntress. She was one of the field leaders of the now defunct Birds of Prey.
The Golden Age
The original Huntress, Paula Brooks, was a super villain in the Golden Age. Originally a super hero named the Tigress, Paula turned to crime, adopting the Huntress identity. Her first showing in the world was when she tried to capture Wildcat and place him in her collection of wild animals. She eventually joined the villainous team known as the Injustice Society and fell in love with, and married, Sportsmaster. Together they had a daughter, the current Tigress.
The Silver Age
The Modern Age
As a child, Helena Bertinelli witnessed the murders of her mob-connected crime family. Helena dedicated her life to one day destroying the Gotham City Mafioso as the relentless Huntress.
Introduced in April of 1989 in Huntress #1, Helena Rosa Bertinelli was born into one of Gotham City’s biggest Mafia families. When she was only six years old, she was kidnapped and raped by a man from a rival Gotham Mafia Family. Her parents decided to send Helena to boarding school and hired her a personal bodyguard that would protect her as she grew up. She was sent to Europe for protection. At the age of 15 she learned that she came from one of Gotham City’s most influential Mafia families. When Helena was at a family wedding, her entire family was massacred by another Mafia family. She swore to rid Gotham of Mafia families and began her journey to become a vigilante. She traveled the world with her bodyguard Sal, who trained her in hand-to-hand combat.
Origins Revised
Helena’s origins would later be revised during her own limited series. Helena believed her father to be Franco Bertinelli. Helena witnessed her parents’ (Franco Bertinelli and Maria Panessa) murder at the age of 8. The hit was ordered by Steven Mandragora, capo of a local Mafia family. It was later revealed that her father was not Franco Bertinelli, but in fact, Santo Cassamento, the Don of one of Mandragora’s underling families, and the reason she wasn’t killed alongside the Bertinelli's. Helena was soon sent to Sicily to live with her cousins, the Asaros. They were an assassin family, which Helena would use to her advantage to learn how to punish those that destroyed her life. She was taught to defend herself by her cousin, Sal Asaro, member of a Sicilian assassin family, who also trained her in hand to hand combat and in a wide range of weapons. Sal and his father would later be arrested, resulting in Helena being sent off to boarding school in Switzerland. When Helena discovered her families dark secret, that they were involved in organized crime and that her family was one of the largest Mafia families in America, Helena would wage a war against organized crime. At the age of 16 she briefly returned to Gotham in an attempt to discover her family’s assassin while also attending her Mafia uncle’s party. This party was broken up by Batman and Helena became inspired by the crime fighter. When she first saw Batman, she decided to create the Huntress persona in his image. The fear that she saw on her uncles' and cousins' faces made her want to become a vigilante just like the Dark Knight. She eventually took care of both the killer and Mandragora himself.
Helena would later attend the University of Palermo, and upon graduation returned to Gotham indefinitely. After years had gone by, Helena finally discovered the truth about her biological parents and who was responsible for murdering her family. Helena would soon confront Cassamento, who has deduced that Huntress is Helena because of the coincidence in their arrival in Gotham. He threatened to reveal her identity if she did not work for him, however Helena would not give in. She approached her uncle and told him the truth about who killed their family and asked him to kill Cassamento. In the end the plan to set up Santo was a success. What she had set out to do was finally done, Huntress threw away her costume and was left to find who she is.
Helena would team up with Nightwing to fight against the Mafia. During this time the two of them had a fling. Helena confessed to Nightwing that she originally only wanted to get close to him so she could break into the "boys club", but then began to fall for him and slept with him. Nightwing and Helena continued their relationship as friends.
Helena and Batman have never seen eye to eye, and he would rarely accept her as a hero because he believed Helena was too unpredictable and violent. However, Helena does get along with other members of the Bat family such as Tim Drake. The two of them have a good relationship and would also team up together. When Helena was framed for murder, Tim was there to help clear her name. Eventually, Helena would be offered a membership in the Justice League of America. Batman was the reason she was allowed on the Justice League, he would sponsor her. In time, Helena became respected amongst her peers in the Justice League. Also, working with Superman has helped Helena become much more confident in her abilities. She is eventually forced to resign when she attempted to murder the villain Prometheus.
Helena as Batgirl
During the No Man’s Land arc, Helena decided to take on the persona of Batgirl it the absence of Batman. On her first night out as Batgirl, she discovered that the criminals feared her more as Batgirl than as Huntress. She also got a couple of them believing that Batman was actually a girl and had only spread the "man" rumour to appear more frightful. So with no one to fight off criminals, she decided to keep order in the city while Batman was missing. Upon Batman’s return, she is told that she may keep this identity under the condition that she does not fail him. She eventually does fail when she could not protect Batman’s territory from Two-Face and 200 of his henchmen. Batman held Helena responsible for the failure, she was stripped of her Batgirl title and returned to being Huntress. Soon afterwards, the Joker shot Huntress several times when she was able to stop him from murdering all of Gotham City’s newborn infants. It helped earn Batman’s respect, but she did not have it for long. When she finally recuperated, Helena was framed for murder and it seemed the Bat family has become distant to Helena. Except for Tim who stuck by her side and helped clear her name. Batman was always harsh with Helena because of her brutal and vengeful view of justice, as was Oracle.
Birds of Prey
Black Canary and Huntress begin to develop a close friendship but Huntress would not stay on the Birds of Prey for long.Oracle knowing about what happened had kept a close eye on her and in a way she had felt threatened on some scale of Huntress because she was afraid of losing Nightwing.
Huntress had soon found out about how she knew after spying on Barbara and realizes what was going on. She realized that Oracle had been manipulating her the whole time and quit the team. Eventually, Huntress had to rejoin the team when she could not prevent an incident from getting worse and had to ask Oracle for help. While working for the Birds of Prey, Huntress still went out on solo missions. Her missions mainly consisted of revenge against the Mafia families. Batman feared that she wants to cause a massive gang war, but in the end she confronts Batman and gives him a map listing all of Gotham’s Mafia family locations and base of operations.
One year after Infinite Crisis, Huntress is still working with Oracle and the Birds of Prey along side Black Canary, Lady Shiva, Gypsy, and Lady Blackhawk. When Black Canary left the Birds of Prey, Huntress became one of Oracle’s top agents, earning her full access to Oracle and her equipment.
During Battle for the Cowl: The Network, Huntress worked with Batgirl to rescue an innocent man who had been wrongly convicted, and sentenced to death. Also during Batman: Battle for the Cowl, Nightwing, showing his complete faith in Huntress' competence and growth as a super-hero, delegates field management to her when he leaves in search of a missing Tim Drake.
In Streets of Gotham issue 5 and 6 Huntress has to contend with Man-Bat and a Priest who "appears" to be hearing voices from god ordering him to kill them both.
Weaponry
Helena's arsenal includes crossbow bolts, throwing knives, and CO. She is not shy about using any kind of weapon she can get her hands on, but her most brutal attacks are usually those using her agility, speed, and brutal force.Characteristics
Height: 5'11"Weight: 130 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
TV
Justice League Unlimited
This event led to a relationship between Huntress and Question.
Huntress also appeared in the series to help out the Question and made a couple of other small cameos. She and Question have a budding relationship and it is clear that Helena cares for Vic deeply. In Double Date Helena seeks revenge on Mandragora for the murder of her parents. Question helps her out while Black Canary and Green Arrow try to stop their crusade. In Question Authority Huntress helps the Question to uncover a government conspiracy against the Justice League. Later she and Superman save Vic from Cadmus where he was tortured for information. It is shown how much she truly cares for him. Huntress returns once again in Grudge Match where she uncovers a plot by the evil Roulette to use mind control on all the female Justice Leaguers in order to stage metahuman death matchs. In this episode Helena's rivalry with Dinah finally explodes. Black Canary easily brings Helena down in their fight, but they later become ally's when Huntress has to save Canary from getting killed in a Meta fighting ring. Of course they have to fight first, but Helena manages to knock some sense into Dinah.
Huntress in voiced by Amy Acker.
Episode Appearances
- Initiation
- Double Date
- Question Authority
- Grudge Match
Birds Of Prey
Barbara and Helena are very close and share almost everything. They act like sisters on occasion and both can relate to having a bitter past. Helena is aware that Babs was once Batgirl and supports her when she says she's found a way to walk again.
Video Games
Justice League Heroes
The Huntress is an unlockable character . She can be unlocked by paying 53 orange shields on the menu screen. She is voiced by Vanessa Marshall.Lego Batman
You can get Huntress' character pieces in this game.DCU Online
Huntress is set to appear on the new DC Online Multiplayer game.
| Super Name: | Huntress |
| Real Name: | Helena Rosa Bertinelli |
| Aliases: |
Helena Rosa Bertinelli Batgirl Mafia Princess Sicilian Princess the Huntress Helena Wayne |
| Publisher: | DC Comics |
| Gender: | Female |
| Character Type: | Human |
| 1st Appearance: | DC Super Stars #17 |
| Appears in: | 505 issues |
| Birthday: | |
| Died: |
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