Most important relationships for Betty/Bette Kane from your personal perspective

[Tzigone]

She's not Supergirl level, but the character has kinda been multiple characters - different background, origin, codename and even name. While some of these can be blended to some degree, they also end up very different (obviously the dynamics of a relationship with 21st century Kate are very different to the dynamics of a relationship with 20th century Kathy, as they are very different character, the relative ages are different, etc.)

So, which relationships/relationship dynamics are most important to you. Either for Bette/Betty or the other party? Is it the mentor/student relationship for Kathy or Kate (if so, is it one more than the other?). If so, do you think it more important for the mentor or the student? The crush on or dating of Dick Grayson? Friendship with other Titans?

I can't really go for the mentor/student thing with Kate and Bette they way I could for Kathy and Betty. Not if they are the ages they are "supposed" to be. Supposed in quotes, because ages shift and continuity changes, but my head puts Kate debuting in her late 20s, when Dick is in his mid-to-late 20s and so I don't like the unequal dynamic. Could move Bette's age and not make her Dick's peer, as she's had little to do with him for decades, but I can't see Kate (at least from the time I read her, which has been a long time ago) having a child in the fray.

Bette really, to me, has been adrift ever since they brought her back in the 70s. She had only a few appearances to begin with, and seemingly had no connection to Dick afterwards (and comics had changed a lot). While they set up Titans West, it never happened. She had a mini with Gar, but since I never saw their relationship actually develop on-panel, it didn't do a lot for me. Since Bette isn't Betty, and the old dynamic with Kathy isn't a thing (so far as I know), she doesn't really feel connected to any other heroes to me. But, of course, she was never a solo title person with a civilian supporting cast of her own, either. So she doesn't really have other characters that I want to see her interact with or with whom her relationship is important with, at least to me.

[Frontier]

When I think of Bette I think of:

- Kathy Kane

- Kate Kane and her family.

- Beast Boy

- Her Titans West teammates.

- Dick Grayson

She seemed to be in her early 20's when she started hanging around Kate.

[thwhtGuardian]

Prior to the last run, Kate was said to be 34 but the rebirth title moved it to 27 for some reason but regardless she was a mentor to Bette and helped her get back into being a superhero again, not much has been done with that since Blackman's run but it did happen.

And from both Batman Inc. and Batwoman we know that Bette did operate briefly with the original Batwoman, but what her relationship to Kathy Kane was though is unclear as we don't know if it she is Bette's mother, stepmother or an aunt.

[Oberon]

I had to think about this.

I'm a person who sees value in merging the silver and other ages into something somewhat understandable.

So I guess I'm thinking her more significant stuff happened in the Silver Age.
But the first Batwoman volume, nu52 era, was a great time for her as well, post Silver age.

The secret sauce would be in seeing how (with retcons) Bette is tied to Flamebird, her reinvention.

Canon is very loose, but I favor a story from 20 some years ago where Superman tells Lois that he more or less gave/influenced Dick and Bette to take the names Nightwing and Flamebird.
So, not Silver Age but seems to want to inform the Silver Age story of Dick and Betty. I've only seen a few panels, but I believe it is a Kandor/Fortress story with Superman and Lois.

Anyway, the only time I can figure this could have happened is back in those early years.
There are a small amount of stories that had the old Batman family mix it up with Superman.
Maybe circumstance (I have an idea or two) led to the Batbamily at the Fortress. Superman shows the kids the Krypton legend of NW and FB, and it just somehow sticks, in their subonscious or whatever.

There is a bit of mystery about Bette showing up in Batwoman's Detective era stories (around Elegy era)

The aspects of Bette's later Titans era are glossed over.
If we recall originally both Batman and Kathy-Batwoman wanted Bette out of things, the usual "Too dangerous" etc.

What if Superman used the old super hypnotism to make Bette forget her earlier exploits.

But something triggers her remembering - and she eventually does become Flamebird.

Conclusion: Remembering and integrating Bette's Silver and later eras is the best way to reinvent or continue the character.