Shauna McShane

Shauna McShane

[[Image:|center|280px]]

Early Life

Shauna was born in Dublin, Ireland to Dr. McShane and Sandra McShane with severe muscle deficiencies. Doctors told her parents that she was going to die when she was 4 and a half. Her father, being a doctor himself, refused to accept this and decided he'd figure out his own way to cure his daughter. Shauna's mother couldn't bear to see her husband try so hard to cure the little girl, so the two constantly argued and eventually divorced. Eventually, Dr. McShane reached a breakthrough and found a way to "cure" his daughter. By this time, she was clinging to life by a thread, so he decided to concentrate the dosage. Shauna was progressively getting better with age, but she eventually found the meds were working too well in a manner of speaking. One day, when she was 9, a bully stole her crayons, so she punched him and he flew all the way across the classroom and made an impression in the wall. The incident was quickly covered up when her father wrote a huge check to the school and another huge check to the boy's family. Dr. McShane analysed Shauna's blood and realised he had created a super human. He then began treating his daughter like a science experiment rather than, well, his daughter. He experimented with her to see if he could give her any other abilities. Out of the thousands he tried, most of which made the girl sick, he only successfully gave Shauna two other abilities. Super energy and long-lasting endurance. The drugs and experimentation also gave her a very bad temper. At the age of 10, Shauna's father decided to take his studies to America, possibly because they had gained such a bad reputation in Ireland, so the family moved to Gotham City, where Shauna attended the Gotham Education Facility for Privileged Children, which she often calls the "public school for rich twats". Once she got there, she had heard about the super heroes known as Batman and Robin. She immediately wanted to be like them, but knew she didn't have "a chance in hell". Eventually, at the age of 12, Shauna started entertaining this line of thought and began doing vigilante missions, donning a costume and firearms and assuming the identity of Batbitch. She often borrowed a motorcycle that belonged to a friend who she trusted to keep her secret. While attending school, Shauna found herself in fights on a daily basis with the "school douchebag" Damian Wayne. The two constantly fought with each other and insulted one another. One day, Damian's chauffeur was detained to tend to the limo's sudden breaking down. Damian was forced to stay on campus until other arrangements could be made to pick him up. Shauna took advantage of this and taunted him, but after talking to him for a while, they both realised that the other wasn't all that bad. Slowly, their friendship grew and the two began dating when Shauna was 13. The two lost their virginity to eachother that same year. Eventually, at a robbery that the Joker caused and Batman and Robin manage to intercept, Shauna confronted him as Batbitch, having wanted to do so since she's heard of him, but it backfired when he sprayed toxic mace in her face with his flower. Robin used a salve to save Shauna's eyesight, and in doing so, he removed her mask and discovered her idenity before revealing his own. When Talia Al Ghul sent the Heretic to kill Damian, Shauna tried to stop him, but in unsucesfully doing so was stabbed so many times that she slipped into a coma from blood loss.

As Robin

Shauna as the 6th Robin

Whilst in the hospital, Shauna was visited often by Batman, who felt personally responsible for the attack. Once she recovered, she visted Wayne Manor, where she was led to the Batcave by Alfred and Batman offered her a position as the 6th Robin. Shauna eagerly accepted, despite multiple warning about how much hard work was involved from Batman. She saw this as something Damian would have wanted.

As Catgirl

Shauna quit being Robin of her own accord and left Gotham City. After being trained by Selina Kyle, she ran away from home, moved to New York City and tried to scrape up a new life there. Eventually, she tailored a new costume. This is when she began calling herself "Catgirl", which is the identity she is most known for. She would do things like stop robberies and what have you. Once she  joined the Teen Titans, she got along considerably well with everyone except for Best Boy, who is annoying, Raven, who is too negative, and Starfire, whom is just plain weird.

As Steelrose

After a series of mental breakdowns, at the age of 17, Shauna decided to end Slade/Deathstroke's targeting of the Teen Titans by striking a deal with him and becoming his apprentice. She made it firmly clear that she was only his apprentice as long as he didn't hurt the Teen Titans. If he did that, the deal was off. During this time, Shauna changed her alias from Catgirl to Steelrose on account of the fact that Catgirl was her hero name and she was no longer a hero.

Other Continuites

Detective Comics

Shauna was created in 1959 (issue #267) by Bob Kane and is introduced as the daughter of Dr. McShane, but it is later revealed that Shauna is actually a clone of Dr. McShane which he created to keep himself from going insane. Shauna, at first, is upset when she finds out, but eventually copes with it. Shauna in this continuity is last seen in a diner with Dick Grayson, possibly to become his love interest. However, fans did not like this (possibly because even though they were around the same age, Shauna was only 9), so Shauna was discontinued as a character and only appeared in a few issues. Shauna was inspired by the character Aurora from the 1959 Walt Disney film "Sleeping Beauty", Dorothy Gale from the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film "The Wizard of Oz" and Alice from the 1951 Walt Disney film "Alice in Wonderland". Bob Kane wanted to create a character that had "child-like innocence" and could serve to dispell the rumours that Batman and Robin were homosexual lovers. Kane had attempted this with other characters, but failed. William Dozier finally suceeded at this with the creation of Barbara Gordon in 1967.

New Teen Titans

In this continuity, Shauna's love interest is Jason Todd. Since pairing her with the previous Robin failed, Marv Wolfman picked up the pen, retconned her and hoped that pairing her with the Robin he created would stick. To a good extent, it did. Most adaptations draw from this version of Shauna. Unlike Bob Kane's intention, Marv Wolfman decided to ditch the child-like innocence motif all together, give her more personality and character and make Shauna more adult-themed in several ways. Shauna, like in Knights of Gotham, is an actual human being and a result of an infidelity between Sandra McShane and Harvey Dent. Sandra poisoned her husband shortly after learning that he had been using Shauna in scientific experiments for his own personal gain and moved to Gotham City to keep her infidelity a secret, however, the experimentation resulted in Shauna having super strength. In Gotham, Shauna met Jason Todd and the two grew closer and closer at first just as friends and then as romantic partners. Eventually, while Jason was working as Robin, Shauna found out she was pregnant. They both made a decision to keep the baby, which they named Laura, and get married once they were adults. Unfortunately, when Laura was a few months old, Jason was killed by the Joker in the comic book issue "Death in the Family" leaving Shauna to raise their daughter alone. Shauna eventually joined the Teen Titans, but then after the events of "The Judas Contract", left the Titans and became Deathstroke's apprentice on the condition that he wouldn't hurt the Titans anymore. However, this agreement was broken when Shauna discovered that Jason was alive as The Red Hood and she reconciled with him.

The New 52

There isn't much of Shauna in this continuity.  She is only mentioned. She is said to have been raped and killed by Black Mask, who attempted to extract information on who the Red Hood is from her. However, there is no indisputable proof that she's actually dead. Once Jason learns that Shauna left Sionis Enterprises with her life, albeit very much raped and assulted, he begins to suspect that she may be alive, but there is nothing substantial to either confirm or deny this. Whether she's alive or not is still very up in the air, but it can go either way now. Eventually, Jason runs into a masked ninja girl named Shen Li. Shen Li urges Jason to give up his search for Shauna, but he adamantly refuses and threatens Shen Li's life, which she responds to by using a smoke bomb to dissappear. Jason continued to look for Shauna, interrogating people who may be aware of her whereabouts, but came up empty-handed every time. Eventually, Roy suggested that Shauna may be dead after all, noting that even though she left Sionis Enterprises alive, she may have succumbed to the trauma that Black Mask inflicted on her after leaving the building. This leads to a huge fight, after which Kory expressed confusion regarding Jason's feelings for Shauna, given that Jason had slept with her. Roy explains to Kory that just because someone sleeps with you doesn't mean that they love you. This leaves Kory very upset and she leaves the hide out, asking not to be followed and that she'll come back when she feels like it. Roy calls her a hypocrite and makes a backhanded comment to Jason about statutory rape (Shauna, last seen alive, is 16 and Jason is in his 20s) but before Jason can react, Roy is gone.

Media Portrayals

Shauna Miles as portrayed by Natalie Wood

Daddy, Can I have a raise on my allowance?

--Shauna's introduction to the 1966 series.

In the 1966 Batman TV Series, Shauna Miles is re-imagined as an American girl rather than an Irish girl. She is portrayed by Natalie Wood.  Like the original Detective Comics, Shauna is also revealed to be a clone of her father (Gene Wilder) rather than a human girl. Shauna is portrayed as a naïve damsel in distress, but is nevertheless a kind, good natured girl. She is also the love interest of a boy younger than her named Dick Grayson (Burt Ward), which is done in a subtle and friendly manner to avoid losing fans who preferred to see Robin without a girlfriend. This is also around the time that Barbara Gordon/Batgirl was created. The fan base repeatedly petitioned Dozier for a catfight between Shauna and Batgirl, but Dozier declined and Bob Kane repeatedly stated that Shauna was far too innocent to engage in a catfight with anyone over anything. Even Natalie Wood and the actress who plays Batgirl, Yvonne Craig, were disappointed in the fanbase by being so persistent despite being told numerous times to stop. Ironically, years later, Bruce Timm managed to stick it to these people by showing them how ridiculous this was by having a catfight between the two in "The New Batman Adventures" in the episode "Cat Fight". The episode is meant to show people how wrong it is to pit people against one another, something Bob Kane repeatedly tried to convey.

Corey Shane in Batman Returns, as portrayed by Fairuza Balk

You're not a big shot! You're just a coward who hides behind that stupid grin and a crowbar! Do you remember that, Napier? What you did to Jason Todd?

--Corey picks a fight with the Joker (Batman 1989)

In the Tim Burton universe, Shauna is a composite character of herself and Starfire. She is renamed Corey Shane and is portrayed by Fairuza Balk. Her mother, Sandra Shane (Margot Kidder) takes care of her in lieu of her deceased father (Alan Rickman). Like the New Teen Titans comic continuity, Corey met and fell in love with Jason Todd (Matthew Broderick) and the duo took the law into their hands and formed the vigilante group known as "The Outlaws". Eventually, Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson) kidnapped the two, beat Jason to death with a crowbar and doused Corey in nuclear waste before lighting her on fire. The incident gives Corey the ability to use nuclear blasts and nuclear powers, much like Starfire in the comics. She is also given pyrokinesis and assume the name of Starfire. The first film ends with Corey celebrating after the Joker falls to his death and her mentioning her new boyfriend to her mother.

You think you're some big damn hero? You're nothing. You're shit. You're a false sense of security in the heart of Gotham.

--Corey insults Batman in Batman Returns

In Batman Returns, a killer known as the Red Hood begins his reign in Gotham. At about the same time, Corey begins having waking dreams of Jason visiting her. She tells her current boyfriend (Marlon Wayans) about them and he leaves her, believing that she has gone insane. Desperate for some form of closure, she pretends to be aleep one night, waits for Jason to appear and follows him. It turns out not to be her imagination as she sees him put on the Red Hood helmet. She confronts him and the two reconcile. It is also revealed that Sandra committed an infidelity with Harvey Dent (Billy Dee Williams) and found out she was pregnant with Corey shortly thereafter. It is heavily implied that Harvey is the biological father of Corey and that Sandra in fact killed her husband to cover up her infidelity. It is also revealed that her husband was abusive to her and possibly Corey. Elsewhere, Batman (Michael Keaton) discovers that Jason being alive is the result of being resurrected by Ra's Al Ghul (Marlon Brando) and his lazzurus pit, and from this he gathers that the murderer known as the Red Hood is Jason Todd. He also learns from Ra's that Corey's powers are literally killing her by burning away her life force, Batman attempts to save Corey, but she manages to exhaust her life force by fatally injuring The Penguin (Danny DeVito) and was finished off by Talia Al Ghul (Alex Borestein). She then dies in Batman's arms. Batman, as Bruce Wayne, tells Sandra what has happened to her daughter, leaving her heartbroken.

Corey Shane, as portrayed by Claire Danes.

Dick, I want to be with you again, but I can't. I told Jason that we would be together forever, and I keep my promises.

--Corey rejects Dick Grayson in Batman and Robin

When Joel Schumacher replaced Tim Burton as the director of the franchise, he confirmed in Batman Forever that Sandra (Julianne Moore) did murder her husband to hide the fact that Harvey Dent, now under the name of Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones), is the deceased Corey's biological father. In Batman and Robin, Claire Danes replaced Fairuza Balk as Corey. She is revealed to have been resurrected by Ra's Al Ghul (Dom Deluise) to do his dirty work. Corey, however, had no intention of becoming his apprentice and killed him in front of his daughter, an adolescent girl named Talia Al Ghul (whom Mila Kunis played, replacing Alex Borestein). It is also revealed that Corey's ex-boyfriend, whom she was dating while Jason was dead, is Dick Grayson (Chris O'Donnell) and he dumped her because she's "insane". Eventually, she and Dick reconcile and make love, but Corey leaves the next morning, determined to find Jason. Eventually, Corey does reunite with Jason (Skeet Ulrich) and the two inflict chaos on the city until Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) suceed in their plan to block out the sun and freeze the city. Because Corey draws her power from the sun's radiation, Talia uses this as an oppurtunity to finish Corey off. Corey battles with Talia until she freezes to death. Talia believes she's won until Batman (Georgle Clooney) directs the light of the sun onto her, reviving her and giving her the necessary power to thaw the city. The film ends with Batman convincing Corey that her power can be used for good.

Shauna McShane as Catgirl as seen in Batman:The Animated Seried

You're my Timmy Wimmy! My hero!

--Shauna doting on Tim Drake in Batman: The Animated Series

In Batman: The Animated Series, Shauna is voiced by Bronagh Waugh. She is the love interest of Tim Drake (Mathew Valencia), since Jason Todd doesn't exist in this continuity. Once again, it is heavily implied that she is the bastard child of Harvey Dent (Richard Moll), especially in the episode "Wrong Number", were she eavesdrops on a phonecall between her mother, Sandra McShane (Brenda Fricker) and Harvey during one of his many stays in Arkham Asylum. Shauna has an extreme crush on Tim Drake  and is incredibly pushy about how she expresses it and nicknames him "Timmy" endearingly. She is also the sidekick of Selina Kyle (Adrienne Barbeau) as Catgirl, although she doesn't help Catwoman with her villanous endavours and only serves as a sidekick when she is foiling other villains. The whereabouts of Shauna's father and whether or not he's alive are unknown. He is only mentioned once when Shauna is a baby in the episode "Two-Face" and is never seen or mentioned again.

Tim, for goodness sake! It was 40 years ago! I'm 51 and you're 53! We have children and we're married now! Yes, you killed the Joker! You killed him! He's dead! He's not coming back! It's all in the past! You said that you'd moved on, but now you're scaring me! Just stop it! This is not sane! You just made your 17 year old daughter cry! Now end this foolishness, go upstairs and apologize to Meghan! The Joker has not and never will return from the dead!

--Shauna begs Tim to stop obsessing over The Joker in Batman Beyond:Return of the Joker

In Batman Beyond, Shauna is voiced by Fiona Shaw. She is also revealed to be married to Tim Drake (Dean Stockwell) and has two children by him. Her son, Jonathan (Crispin Freeman) is in college and her daughter, Meghan (Kari Wahlgren) is a high school senior, around the age of Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle). It is revealed that shortly before Tim killed The Joker (Mark Hamil), Shauna had finally been turned away for good by his abrasive behaviour towards her obsessing over him and gave him the silent treatment. However, after hearing about Tim going missing and turning up only after The Joker's death had Shauna blaming herself and once again showing up at Tim's doorstep. Shauna stayed by Tim's side thoughout his mental breakdown and the two grew inseperably close. The two got married in college and Tim has said multiple times that he's grateful to have Shauna in his life.

The Teen Titans are inseparable! You'll never tear them apart, Slade!

---Barbella defies Slade in Teen Titans

In Teen Titans, Shauna is voiced by Grey DeLisle (now known as Grey Griffin). She is a member of the Titans under the super hero name "Barbella"  and to make the show more kid-friendly, her last name is Dent and the illegitimate child subplot is completely erased, being that Harvey (Richard Moll) and Sandra (Mary Jo Catlett) are married in this continuity. Barbella is also a composite character of Shauna McShane and Stephanie Brown. Barbella used to work for Batman (Kevin Conroy), alongside Robin (Scott Menville), as Batgirl. For a while, Batgirl and Robin dated, but the two drifted apart after Robin left to start the Teen Titans. Batgirl eventually hung up her cowl and cape and for a while, sat idly doing nothing. Eventually, the Teen Titans formed and she joined, primarily to reconcile with Robin. Her attempts at reconciliation failed, though, as Robin no longer had any feelings for her, which she seemed to be okay with. After assuming the name of Barbella, Shauna proclaims that she's officially done being Batgirl. Barbella is the most optomistic of the Titans next to Beast Boy (Greg Clipes). She has a close knit friendship with Terra (Ashley Johnson) and was hurt the worst by her "betrayal", to the point where she actually left the titans and had a mental breakdown. Eventually, she went back to Batman working as Batgirl, but expressed that she missed her friends, and was welcomed back to the team shortly before the begginning of the Trigon arc.

If Terra only admitted to loving you after you gave her security codes then that must mean... drawing a blank! Eh, the heck with it! She's my best friend! She wouldn't hurt us!

--Barbella speaks with Beast Boy regarding Terra

In Teen Titans GO!, Grey Griffin reprises in her role as Barbella. Unlike Teen Titans, where even though she's easily frustrated and can be a tad ditsy she takes her enemies and her battles seriously and is able to keep her composure when necessary, this version of Barbella goes ballistic even in dire situations if things aren't going according to plan, fails to come to even the most obvious of conclusions, and treats fighting enemies like a frivilous thing. In the episode "Staring at the Future" it is revealed that Barbella has been dead for years and the killer was her father, Two-Face. Since that episode, Barbella has been the butt of a running gag in which she dies in almost every episode and is inexplicably fine the next episode or even later in the same episode, similar to Kenny from South Park.

Tatsu, I'd appreciate it if you kept your attitude issues to yourself instead of snapping at me!

--Shauna instigates a catfight with Tatsu Yamashiro

In Beware The Batman, Shauna is voiced by Sarah Lee Bolger. She makes her debut in season 2. This portrayal of Shauna is noticably different in the respect that rather than being the bastard child of Harvey Dent (Christopher McDonald), she is the bastard child of Bruce Wayne (Anthony Ruivivar). Shauna grew up not knowing whom her father is. She eventually joins the Bat family and assumes the identity of Batkid (Batbitch would not be allowed within the censorship confines of the show or the rest of the DC Nation block). Batkid is overly confrontational and fights sloppily. She shares many similarities and characteristics with Damian Wayne. Bruce feels the need to keep her under his wing, simply because she is his daughter. Writers at DC Nation were shocked that Shauna being born out of wedlock was met with little to no controversy. Writers of Teen Titans even expressed regret for washing out this aspect in her character out of fear of controversy, wishing they had known it would be met with almost none. Beware the Batman was the first show to actually outright say Shauna was a bastard child, the first movie being Batman Forever and the only one since being Batman:Under the Red Hood. The New Batman Adventures (Batman: The Animated Series) only implied it and every other show either washed it out or gave very little attention to Shauna's personal life. Knowing this, the writers of Beware The Batman intend to follow her pre-New 52 comic book counterpart closely, keeping as many adult themes as the possibly can and only washing out and diluting the ones that are absolutely necessary. The writers didn't put much thought into her or give her much screen time at first because they thought they were going to have to pull the plug on her after her introduction. They now intend to make Batkid one of the main characters.