Red Claw

Superherobox


caption=Red Claw
character_name=Red Claw
real_name=Unknown
publisher=DC Comics
debut="", episode "The Cat and the Claw"
creators=Sean Catherine Derek
affiliations=Red Claw (organisation)
aliases=none
powers=agility, martial arts

Red Claw is a fictional character, an enemy of Batman, making her debut in "" and appearing only in three episodes of the show. Although she hasn't made any appearances outside the series' continuity, Red Claw was presented as a powerful adversary, well above the petty crimes of many villains invented for the animated series, such as The Sewer King and Boss Biggis. However, the character still did not reach the popularity of other series-introduced villains like Harley Quinn or Lock-Up, and was often seen as quite inappropriate for Catwoman's first episode, although her later appearance in the show's final episode as the primary antagonist was quite well-received by fans. In her appearances, she is voiced by Kate Mulgrew.

Biography

The Cat and the Claw (Part I)

In her first appearance in the series, Red Claw is revealed to be the enigmatic leader of an international terrorist organisation named Red Claw, and also known as the "most ruthless terrorist alive", in Commissioner Gordon's words. Working with the company Multigon, Red Claw plans to buy a wildlife resort to plant a plague virus and use it to blackmail Gotham unless she is paid $1 billion in gold bullion (although she plans to release the plague even if she receives the money). However, Selina Kyle and her "boyfriend" Bruce Wayne are also trying to buy the land, prompting Red Claw to order Kyle stalked until the right moment to assassinate her. Later on, during a meeting, Red Claw and her minions discover Kyle, as Catwoman, looking through secret files regarding their plans, and they open fire, although Catwoman escapes with her life thanks to Batman's timely intervention. The same night, one of Red Claw's men stalks Kyle home, and discovers that Catwoman and Selina Kyle are one and the same.

The Cat and the Claw (Part II)

Red Claw and her men attack a military train on which the plague is being transported and guarded. This leads to her first encounter with Batman, who defeats all of her men and unwillingly allows Red Claw enough time to escape in a helicopter. This is also where Batman discovers that Red Claw is actually a woman as opposed to the man he had desired to fight, and relays the news to Commissioner Gordon.

Red Claw also puts her plans to get rid of Catwoman into action, and sends her minion to kill Kyle and her secretary, Maven, in her apartment, although Batman saves Maven and learns from her that Catwoman has gone to the Multigon site, where Red Claw is hiding.

Batman and Catwoman infiltrate the hideout, but Red Claw manages to capture them and tie them in a room filled with explosives, where she explains her true motives to an enraged Batman: to release the plague on Gotham despite being paid the ransom money. Red Claw sets the plague off in the same room as Batman and Catwoman, and leaves them to die, although they manage to escape and destroy the plague in time. Red Claw sees this while climbing into her helicopter, and swears revenge on Batman and Catwoman.

Red Claw and Catwoman then fight their own battle, with Red Claw gaining the upper hand after delivering the first hit from behind. She almost kills Catwoman, but fails thanks to a nearby mountain lion pouncing on her and keeping her down long enough for the police to arrest her and take her to prison.

The Lion and the Unicorn

Red Claw resurfaces again in the final episode of the series, this time to unintentionally cause trouble for Batman himself by abducting his butler Alfred Pennyworth and his cousin Frederick (a caricature of David Niven) upon learning that they are the only two ex-soldiers of the British Secret Service who know the full code to a missile capable of turning an entire city into rubble. Red Claw has her men abduct them and take them to her new hideout in London, England, the country she plans to blackmail with the missile unless she is paid five billion pounds (although her true intention is to destroy London after giving them a "two minute warning"). Batman and Robin travel to London and find Red Claw's hideout, where they manage to defeat Red Claw's men just as she learns the firing code from Alfred via a truth serum.

Batman hurries to the Batwing and chases the missile, determing to destroy it before it hits Trafalgar Square. Red Claw knocks Robin out and manages to climb into the Batwing before it takes off, resulting in another fight between Batman and Red Claw in which Red Claw pulls Batman's mask off by accident. Infuriated beyond belief, Batman resorts to drastic measuers and ejects the passenger seat in which Red Claw was sitting while fighting him, and she is launched out of the Batwing and into the River Thames, where she presumably drowns.