The Huntress

Real Name: Helena Rosa Bertinelli Main Alias: Huntress Other Aliases: Helena Janice Bertinelli, Batgirl, Iron Owl Relatives: Maria Panessa Bertinelli (mother, deceased), Franco Bertinelli (legal father, deceased), Pino Bertinelli (half-brother, deceased) Affiliation: Batman Family, Birds of Prey, formerly Checkmate, Justice League of America, Outsiders Base Of Operations: Gotham City · Formerly Platinum Flats and Metropolis and New York City Alignment: Good Citizenship: American Marital Status: Single Occupation: Adventurer · Teacher Gender: Female Height: 5' 11" Weight: 149 lbs. Eyes: Blue Hair: Black Age: 35

Personality: Helena Rosa Bertinelli is a proud woman and an assertive individual. Her confidence originally stemmed from her natural good looks, but now is secondary to her accomplishments. Good looks, she knows, can get you in the door but won't keep you there. The Bertinelli fortunate is distributed among only several sources, ranging from weapon development to the scientific. This does not count the thousands she provides to charity, making her one of Gotham's biggest philanthropists. Knowing she is benefiting others is what drives Helen, and allows her to legally combat the darker influences within the city. Huntress is so passionate in her intent to protect, that she has accumulated a fine assortment of resources to personally combat injustice, while risking her own health. Those legal investments she makes by day are what supply her nightly prowls. Her drive to be a savior is obsessively rooted, beginning with how she inherited her wealth, that Huntress has used, and may still use, excessive violence in encounters, typically to acquire information or due to emotional investment.

Huntress detests three things: those who use others, those who hurt children, and those who do nothing. She perceives these three things as almost unforgivable. These are typically the only individuals who are at risk of violence, with a greater chance for the first two. Experience, as reluctant as pride is about admitting it, has taught Huntress that some people can change. If Huntress shows mercy, she expects this to be respected, because any betrayal will end badly. There is a reason her membership in the Justice League was terminated.

Pride is at the core of Helena -- what her close circle may call her. If there is something going on in Gotham, she will know. Personally risking their life to keep hope aflame is how Huntress perceives her activities. She cannot accept holding back when it comes to life, that if you have the talent or finances, you can do anything. You show an appreciation for your success, and you treat everyone in your life to the best of your potential. While Helen may have a 'bitchiness' to her, and believes she's the only one up to par, she will, if one earns her trust, never belittle someone or let them go unloved.

Idealism at all costs is what happens under the cowl. Huntress may respect you, but she won't trust or even like you. If the world is going to become a better place, it has to start at home. Gotham City. If the Bertinelli's fortune cannot buy peace, the Huntress's fist will take it.

Appearance: She has long black hair, blue eyes, and purple lipstick. Huntress's outfit features a purple domino mask, a purple cape, a dark blue sleeveless top with a white cross emblem, dark blue shorts, purple gloves, a utility belt, thigh straps, and knee-high armored boots.

Story:

Maria Bertinelli, the wife of Franco Bertinelli of the Mafia family in Gotham City, was the subject of frequent beatings from her husband, though he was careful never to hit her in the face. Maria began an affair with a man named Santo Cassamento and eventually became pregnant by him. Knowing the unborn child wasn't his, Franco continued to beat his wife throughout her pregnancy. When Maria gave birth to this child of her illicit union, she chose the name Helena Rosa Bertinelli. During the first eight years of Helena's life, she lived in the household of a Mafioso without ever being aware of the criminal dealing which took place there.

When Helena was eight years old, a man barged in to the Bertinelli household during dinner and shot Franco, Maria and Pino Bertinelli, sparing Helena. The hit came from Stefano Mandragora who wished for no vendettas against him. Helena's biological father passed the order along with a modification that "the sister" be spared. Santo was referring to Maria, but the gunman confused Maria with Helena and so Helena was spared, though she was not supposed to be.

Helena was placed under the care of her Uncle Tomasso's nephew, Salvatore Asaro. She was taken back to the old country, Sicily, where she would be kept safe and where the family was still strong. When arriving, she was terrified. Helena remained there for a number of years. Watching her cousin and uncle train and practice with weapons and hand-to-hand combat. However, the nightmares stayed with her. One night, her cousin showed her that only she could stop the nightmare by putting an end to those who murdered her family: blood cries for blood. When taken into the barn, she asked her cousin to teach her how, picking up a crossbow on the wall. She trained until the age of fifteen when she was sent to a boarding school in Switzerland to protect her from the Italian authorities who were cracking down on the Mafia.

When reading and seeing what was happening, she realized that everything she had been told was a lie about the Mafia. She realized that the Mafia was a force of corruption and evil, and it had been headed by her own family in Gotham City. At age sixteen, she finally returned to Gotham City to spend Christmas with her uncle. However, she hated everyone there. During the party, Helena witnessed her family finally was frightened of something. Batman had crashed the party and fought with them. Inspired by the way Batman frightened and defeated the people she hated, Helena realized that she could fight them too by following his example.

Helena returned to Switzerland for school where she plotted her vengeance. She went to her old house in Sicily (which had since been abandoned as a result of her uncle and cousin being arrested), and took a crossbow and a number of items for her crusade. Enrolling at the university in Palermo, she learned all about the Mafia. She constructed her costume and a number of weapons. She thought herself as a nun, totally devoted to her quest. She returned to Gotham in pursuit of vengeance as the Huntress.[3]

Shortly after beginning her days as a Gotham vigilante, Huntress assisted Robin against the Russian and Chinese Mafias of Gotham, confronting both King Snake and The KGBeast.[4] Later, she busted some of Riddler's former henchmen after they stole a large amount of money.[5] She was also responsible for stopping a band of hijackers from taking control of a train, saving many people's lives including that of Commissioner Gordon, earning the trust of the GCPD; despite Batman's disapproval of her actions.[6] Huntress also assisted Batman and Robin during the gang wars that erupted in Gotham City Chinatown, where she confronted King Snake and Lynx,[7] an action that was met with scorn from Batman.[8]

All throughout her early days as a vigilante, Huntress sported her initial outfit, which consisted of a light-purple upper-body suit with a blue cape and light purple boots and gauntlets. The downside of this outfit was that it left much of her legs and cleavage exposed. During the virus outbreak in Gotham, Huntress decided to change the design of her costume to get more protection and avoid being exposed to the virus. The new outfit consisted of a black bodysuit that covered her entire body except her face; with a purple cape, knee-high utility boots and gauntlets.[9] Huntress went out during the violent protests that happened during the outbreak and assisted Batman, Robin and Dick Grayson against the angry mobs that started looting and destroying the city.[

Abilities

Archery: Huntress carries her trademark crossbows on her at all times. Whether they're dual mounted mini-crossbows or one large crossbow is up to her as she has proficiency to use both. She's once used a single bolt to split a bullet in two.

Criminology: Huntress grew up in a criminal environment and later spent a few years surrounded by gangs and criminals. If there ever was a street-wise hero who stayed on the straight and narrow it would be the Huntress.

Driving: Huntress is an effective driver, able to pilot the Batmobile in high stress and combat situations as well as her own motorcycle at varying degrees of above-average driving situations (being shot at, accelerating to high speeds and over semi-separated bridges).

Firearms: Over the years Huntress realized that firing and reloading bolts at armed individuals may not be the most effective even if they were the most non-lethal. She's adapted her arsenal over time to include various firearms.

Investigation: Batman, himself, has mentioned Huntress's prowess during investigation situations. She is credited as the "Batman" of the Birds of Prey team and regularly spends her free-time solving cold cases especially when the Mafia is involved.

Martial Arts: Huntress was very much a street fighter before honing her skills in martial arts. She spent many years getting into intentional fights just to prove and test her mettle. She has since fine-tuned her skill after years of work with Black Canary. She learned various disciplines of martial arts, enough to challenge even Lady Shiva. She prefers to use a specific kind of Kung Fu learned from Richard Dragon.

Boxing

Dragon Style Kung Fu: One of the many disciplines she has learned is Dragon Style Kung Fu.

Karate

Muay Thai

Stick Fighting: Although she prefers to use her martial arts and hand-to-hand combat when it comes to close quarters, there have been many occasions where Huntress has used her Battle-Staff to take on multiple enemies.

Multilingualism: She can speak both English and Italian fluently.

Peak Human Condition: Huntress works hard to keep her body in peak physical condition. She stated her costume change to include more skin was a result of her 300 ab crunches a day.

Pedagogy: Before and sometimes during her career she has taught at various schools and varying people the complicated language of English. She has cited her skill as a teacher on a few occasions but prefers to leave her civilian life out of sight.

Stealth: Huntress can be very stealthy when she needs to. With her specially outfitted suit and various toys in her utility belt she can sneak into a facility and learn whatever information she desires although she sometimes prefers to fight her way in.

Throwing: Helena learned the art of throwing from her cousin Salvatore Asaro.

Paraphernalia:

Huntress' Motorcycle

Huntress' Crossbow: A small sized crossbow mounted on either or both of her forearms.

Huntress Battle-Staff: A collapsible, combat metallic staff that she has used since the very beginning of her adventures.

Utility Belt

Trivia:

Helena has had a one night stand with Nightwing, a fling with Arsenal, a one night stand and short-term relationship with the Question , and an implied threesome with Lady Blackhawk and Hal Jordan

Helena has a lot of similarities with Marvel's The Punisher: both lost their loved ones and have an Italian descent. Also Castle and Bertinelli were both devouted catholics (Castle was a semenarian before joining the army). And both vow to destroy every organized crime unit they encounter. But Huntress is a current member of the Justice League while Punisher still remains a murderous lone anti-hero.