Selina Kyle´s heritage

She's been portrayed by both women of color and white actresses on the big screen. Some claim that she is a latina due to her name. But what is Selina Kyle's true heritage? Who are her parents?

Before snooping into research, I would like to point out that what I love about Catwoman and Selina Kyle is that anyone can relate to the character. Her heritage, and especially ethnicity, is not really relevant in her potrayals and storylines. Selina grew up as an orphan, making a life for herself in the big city. She isn´t really influenced much from any particular culture, but the modern world.

The first mention of Selina's parents appears in Catwoman, vol. 2 #69. They are named Maria and Brian Kyle, and at this point no siblings are mentioned. Maria is a distant parent who spends most of her time with cats, until she commits suicide (Selina finds her in the bathtub). Brian, who is an alcoholic, acts cold towards Selina because she resembles his wife, who he again resents for taking her own life. He eventually drinks himself to death. *wow*. This is how Selina ends up in an orphanage and later juvenile detention center. On a side note her sister Maggie doesn't exsist in this story, but is in a later story said to have been left for adoption by her parents. Likely to add to continuity.