Cat Grant

Cat Grant

Cat Grant, from Adventures of Superman #524 (June 1995). Art by Stuart Immonen.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Adventures of Superman #424 (January 1987)
Created by Marv Wolfman
Jerry Ordway
In-story information
Full name Catherine Jane "Cat" Grant[1]
Team affiliations Daily Planet
Galaxy Broadcasting System
Catco Worlwide Media
Supporting character of Superman
Supergirl She is the founder of Catco Worldwide Media on the tv show Supergirl, where supergirl's secret identity is as Cat Grant's assistant
Abilities Journalist

Catherine Jane "Cat" Grant is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Jerry Ordway, the character first appeared in Adventures of Superman #424 (January 1987) as a gossip columnist for the Daily Planet. Introduced as a potential love interest for Clark Kent, her character added a new dimension to the Clark/Lois Lane/Superman dynamic.

Fictional character biography

Cat Grant arrives in Metropolis taking a position at The Daily Planet. She is well known for her syndicated gossip column, which until this point was written in her native Los Angeles. Recently divorced from Joe Morgan, a husband who had driven her to drink, Cat was now a single mother with a young son named Adam Morgan, trying to get a fresh start and stay sober.

Cat is instantly attracted to Clark Kent. They become fast friends, and even become romantically involved for a time, but eventually this ends, as Clark really loves Lois Lane, and seems more interested in helping Cat fix up her life than dating her. Jimmy Olsen in turn is attracted to Cat, but she seems to either not notice or not care. Her behavior around the office upsets both Lois and Perry White at different times.

Feeling that she needs to prove to Perry, Clark, and Lois that she can be a "real reporter", Cat goes undercover at Galaxy Broadcasting to help Clark expose Morgan Edge's links to Intergang. Following this she needs a bodyguard and Jose Delgado (aka the costumed vigilante Gangbuster) takes the job. The two become romantically linked, but Jose is resented by Cat's son Adam, who still hero-worships her ex-husband, Joe Morgan.

Cat joins TV station WGBS for real, and becomes an on-air reporter, who eventually gets her own talk show, "The Cat Grant Show". Superman gives Cat an interview on her show, which is cut short by the rampage of Doomsday. Later, Cat is on the scene covering the events of Superman's battle with Doomsday live on television.

Cat continues to contribute work to the Daily Planet while she works at WGBS. By this time, Cat has earned the respect and friendship of Lois Lane. Cat also gets Jimmy Olsen hired by WGBS and works closely with him there.

Cat later becomes WGBS station manager. There are rumors that she got the position thanks to a relationship with Morgan's father Vinnie Edge, her new boss who sexually harasses her constantly. Cat ends the rumors at WGBS when she has Edge charged with sexual harassment. Vinnie Edge is removed from the board of WGBS, and Cat is given his position.

Cat's son, Adam, is one of several children abducted by the Toyman, and Adam is murdered when he tries to escape. Cat deals with the loss by focusing on her work.

When the Justice League of America unveils a new roster, various members of the press are invited to the JLA Watchtower in order to cover the story. Cat receives an invitation, but is apparently incapacited offscreen by Catwoman, who steals her clothing and identity and goes in her place, hoping to steal from the Watchtower (although her presence subsequently proves important in helping the League defeat new villain Prometheus).

During Lex Luthor's tenure as President of the United States of America, Cat serves as White House Press Secretary. Following President Luthor's impeachment she returns to her hometown of Los Angeles, where she works for a paper called the Los Angeles Tattler.

Return

Cat Grant and Clark Kent, from Action Comics (vol. 1) #866 (August 2008). Art by Gary Frank.

Cat returns to Metropolis[2] following new developments about Toyman's involvement in the death of her son. Toyman tells Jimmy Olsen[3] that it was a robot he created to replace him in the event that he was ever incarcerated, who killed Adam. Toyman claims he would never intentionally harm any child, that a glitch in the robot's programming gave it a personality. This was confirmed in Superman Secret Files & Origins 2009.

Cat returns to work at the Daily Planet, as the editor of the Entertainment and Arts section of the paper. Her personality seems to have changed during her absence. Cat dresses more provocatively and acts more flirtatious than she ever has. During a conversation with Clark, she openly flirts with him and implies that she has had breast implants. Lois Lane says that she thinks "Cat's lost it" and jokingly refers to her as a cougar. Clark tells Lois that he believes Cat is dressing and acting the way she is to cover up the painful memories of her son.[4]

New Supergirl writer Sterling Gates tells Newsarama "We're integrating Supergirl's book more into the Superman universe, and that includes having a supporting cast that overlaps with that world. I'm very interested in tying her back in to Metropolis and making sure that her world is a part of the Superman universe. So in my first issue, in the first three pages, I set up a foil for her in Cat Grant. And Cat Grant will be a regular supporting cast member, as will Lana Lang."[5]

Cat Grant holds a grudge against Supergirl because of her lack of respect and careless handling of a metahuman fight that left her slightly wounded. Cat starts a slander campaign against Supergirl in the pages of the Daily Planet, turning a large number of the Metropolis population against her. In retaliation Kara, after sending her a self-made greeting card satirizing her enmity, comes to visit her at the Planet with her new secret identity of Linda Lang, teenage niece of Lana Lang.[6]

Cat subsequently learns that Lana is Supergirl's aunt.[7] Cat tries to tell Perry about Linda's identity but Perry is too busy. The issue runs frontline of Superman. Cat gets a package of fan letters.[8] Later, in Lana's office, she confronts Lana after she learns everything about her "niece's" secret.[9] Afterward, Cat and Supergirl eventually visit Arkham Asylum, where they find Toyman in the cell where Adam was murdered. She interrogates him about the children who have been kidnapped with dolls left behind in their stead. Toyman claims he is innocent and the robotic doll attacks him. Supergirl saves him from the robotic doll. Cat and Kara have an argument with each other, with Cat telling her that she could not find help; Supergirl is frustrated and leaves. When Cat returns home, she is confronted by a villain named Dollmaker (implying that he is somehow related to Toyman).[10] Dollmaker eventually reveals himself to be the abandoned son of Winslow, who has been kidnapping children and using macabre experiments in order to turn them into slaves. He tells Cat that he wants her to become his new mother, and that he wishes to serve as a replacement for her murdered son. Cat violently rejects him. With her gag temporarily removed, Cat is able to call Supergirl for help, and the two are able to defeat Dollmaker and free the children he had enslaved. The story ends with Cat finally writing a positive story about Supergirl, which she sees as the best holiday gift imaginable.[11]

The 2009-2010 miniseries Superman: Secret Origin establishes that Cat, in post-Infinite Crisis continuity, is already on the staff of the Daily Planet when Clark Kent began working at the newspaper.[12]

Alternate versions

In other media

Television

Tracy Scoggins as Cat Grant in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Calista Flockhart as Cat Grant on Supergirl

Film

References

  1. ↑ Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Kesel, Karl (i). "The Mummy Strikes" Superman v2, 5: 6/3 (May, 1987), DC Comics
  2. ↑ Action Comics (vol. 1) Annual #11 (July 2008)
  3. ↑ Action Comics (vol. 1) #865 (July 2008)
  4. ↑ Action Comics #866-870 (August–December 2008). DC Comics
  5. ↑ Vaneta Rogers (2008-06-27). "WWC: Gates and Igle Join DC's Supergirl". Newsarama.com. Imaginova. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  6. ↑ Igle, Jamal (2008). Supergirl #34. DC Comics.
  7. ↑ Supergirl (vol. 5) #54 (July 2010). DC Comics
  8. ↑ Supergirl (vol. 5) #55 (August 2010). DC Comics
  9. ↑ Supergirl (vol. 5) #57 (October 2010). DC Comics
  10. ↑ Supergirl (vol. 5) #58 (November 2010). DC Comics
  11. ↑ Supergirl (vol. 5) #59 (December 2010). DC Comics
  12. ↑ Superman: Secret Origin #3 (January 2010). DC Comics.
  13. ↑ JLA: Earth 2 (January 2000)
  14. ↑ All Star Superman #3 (May 2006)
  15. ↑ Mitovich, Matt Webb (October 31, 2014). "CBS' Supergirl Casting Jimmy Olsen, Cat Grant and Others". TV Line. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  16. ↑ http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/calista-flockhart-cbs-supergirl-cast-cat-grant-1201439783/

External links

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