Bette Kane appreciation 2023 version

[scary harpy]

Okay, this: After the Silver Age "Prisoners of 3 Worlds" Bette was not recovering from the hallucinogenic gases the aliens used on the Batfamily. Batman consulted with Superman who had them all meet him at the Fortress of Solitude.
They ended up going to Kandor, since there was an expert about this alien race/elements who could help.
An injection or treatment was given, which seemed to purge the remaining toxic gases from her system.
Bette was the youngest of the four, so maybe more of an impact?
Superman told Robin and "Bat-girl" the story of Nightwing and Flamebird, while in Kandor.
Before they left, Batman or Batwoman suggested Superman use Super-Hypnotism to make Bette forget - - almost everything.

But years later (the Teen Titans stories) it had come back to her and so she returned.
Powers: something suble some enhancements of her natural abilities and maybe a small version of phoenix abilities; the coming back from near deaths that eventually happend.
We could go garish and say an affinity to flame, heck, why not?

Sounds good to me.

[Bat-Meal]

HAWKFIRE was a rough "evolution" for Bette as a character...

That costume was such a downgrade. So was the Hawkfire name.

In recent years it seems the only Kane DC has been interested in using is Kate; and even then it was mostly guest appearances and cameos up until the new Outsiders started. The other members of the Kane family mostly get ignored in the comics. Although, interestingly Beth has gotten a redemption in the comics whilst Jacob has been hit with the villain stick in both comics and a video game. The writers seem to hate Jacob, like Beth, ignore Bette.

Anyway since Luke Fox recently came out of limbo, maybe Bette will get used somewhere soon.

[Frontier]

That costume was such a downgrade. So was the Hawkfire name.

In recent years it seems the only Kane DC has been interested in using is Kate; and even then it was mostly guest appearances and cameos up until the new Outsiders started. The other members of the Kane family mostly get ignored in the comics. Although, interestingly Beth has gotten a redemption in the comics whilst Jacob has been hit with the villain stick in both comics and a video game. The writers seem to hate Jacob, like Beth, ignore Bette.

Anyway since Luke Fox recently came out of limbo, maybe Bette will get used somewhere soon.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks it was a downgrade .

DC basically treating Bette like Kate does, which is a shame because she has a lot to offer as a character.

[scary harpy]

HAWKFIRE was a rough "evolution" for Bette as a character...

That costume was such a downgrade. So was the Hawkfire name.

In recent years it seems the only Kane DC has been interested in using is Kate; and even then it was mostly guest appearances and cameos up until the new Outsiders started. The other members of the Kane family mostly get ignored in the comics. Although, interestingly Beth has gotten a redemption in the comics whilst Jacob has been hit with the villain stick in both comics and a video game. The writers seem to hate Jacob, like Beth, ignore Bette.

Anyway since Luke Fox recently came out of limbo, maybe Bette will get used somewhere soon.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks it was a downgrade .

DC basically treating Bette like Kate does, which is a shame because she has a lot to offer as a character.

I guess I was alone in thinking it was an upgrade for Bette. I love this orange & black costume.

Firehawk might have been a better name...but that belongs to another DC heroine that DC loves to ignore.

[OBrianTallent]

This biggest problem for me with the costume was that it's just not Bette. That's just not her style, she's flashy and flamboyant, yeah the gold was good...she does like to shine, but the black just doesn't suit her much.
The name...that was just terrible.

[kcekada]

I think it was a well-intentioned evolution that failed to stick for many reasons. The character disappeared (I think this was towards the end of the J.H. Williams run). The name was too similar to Firehawk, but that name worked and Hawkfire really didn't. Flamebird has a history -- and that name could/should have worked. I didn't hate the new outfit, but I didn't love it either. I think her previous one was decent -- maybe could have been streamlined a bit. It's crazy with how many characters exist in the Batman universe, that Bette gets ignored. Then again, I can't say I've seen much interesting from Kate lately either (the new Outsiders series concept revisiting the excellent Planetary also seems like a bad decision.

[Oberon]

I think editorial folks didn't like the codename 'Flamebird' because they don't want Bette to be associated with Nightwing/Dick.
HawkFire didn't work and rather than avoid a NW/FB dynamic, they should embrace it.

But they need a better or more clever writer who can pull the right backstories together.
First and foremost, although I'd like to see Bette and Dick's mutual, long ago past revisited in some way,
the focus should be on what their teamup could entail.
Dick has these spy type connections and when you think about it, so can Bette too, through her first mentor

the first Batwoman.
A narrative line should or could be created on how Bette became or knew each of these Batwoman and what was contributed to her as a result.

There is plenty of open space to fill in a credible canon or backstory.
and rather than a romantic involvement it might be more interesting to throw a triangle into it with
the Babs Gordon Batgirl. We've never seen this and there are some interesting possibilities.

[Will Evans]

I think editorial folks didn't like the codename 'Flamebird' because they don't want Bette to be associated with Nightwing/Dick.
HawkFire didn't work and rather than avoid a NW/FB dynamic, they should embrace it.

But they need a better or more clever writer who can pull the right backstories together.
First and foremost, although I'd like to see Bette and Dick's mutual, long ago past revisited in some way,
the focus should be on what their teamup could entail.
Dick has these spy type connections and when you think about it, so can Bette too, through her first mentor

the first Batwoman.
A narrative line should or could be created on how Bette became or knew each of these Batwoman and what was contributed to her as a result.

There is plenty of open space to fill in a credible canon or backstory.
and rather than a romantic involvement it might be more interesting to throw a triangle into it with
the Babs Gordon Batgirl. We've never seen this and there are some interesting possibilities.

I’m pretty sure the whole Dick/Babs relationship is why DC wants to keep Bette and her history far away from Dick.

[Oberon]

I’m pretty sure the whole Dick/Babs relationship is why DC wants to keep Bette and her history far away from Dick.

So the result is they try to deconstruct and reconstruct her at this Hawkfire
btw, I did like the costume a little or thought it could evolve

and her 1 or 2 cameos in Detective where Kate admonished her to stick with that West Point Program etc. to 'explain' her absense.

It seems deliberate.
I'm enough of a psych major to know that rather than the constant avoidance, this *situation*

should be embraced.

How or why is the question

[Oberon]

dear friends,

I hope someone who can, will update this appreciation thread for 2024. I don't know how or can.

I don't read a lot of DC but I try to stay informed and recently noticed that last summer there was a Titans thing with Power Girl

taking on the persona powers, etc of the Kryptonian "Flamebird"

I've not seen this mentioned in these or related threads so I was wondering what if anything

folks thought about that. Bette herself had a Titans connection and possibly canon suggests that Kal-el gave her the name with the knowledge of the Kryptonian god.

At any rate, if this was somehow the way it went, a new "Flamebird" that is not Bette,

what would now be a name for Bette to use, coming back into the picture.

Would DC allow 2 Flamebirds, or would a story develop out of that?

[OBrianTallent]

dear friends,

I hope someone who can, will update this appreciation thread for 2024. I don't know how or can.

I don't read a lot of DC but I try to stay informed and recently noticed that last summer there was a Titans thing with Power Girl

taking on the persona powers, etc of the Kryptonian "Flamebird"

I've not seen this mentioned in these or related threads so I was wondering what if anything

folks thought about that. Bette herself had a Titans connection and possibly canon suggests that Kal-el gave her the name with the knowledge of the Kryptonian god.

At any rate, if this was somehow the way it went, a new "Flamebird" that is not Bette,

what would now be a name for Bette to use, coming back into the picture.

Would DC allow 2 Flamebirds, or would a story develop out of that?

The Power Girl thing wasn't really her taking the name Flamebird in the Titans Beast World event. It was her becoming an actual flaming...bird...person. (She did briefly take up the name Flamebird in a previous Supergirl but that was pre-Flashpoint.) Power Girl has reverted to her own self. No other Flamebirds other than Bette.

[PUGSSSS001]

She needs to return to Flamebird and tell Kate to go f herself.

[Oberon]

She needs to return to Flamebird and tell Kate to go f herself.

Well, a bit harsh, but in essence true. Bette, since she began reappearing in the older Batwoman series and her first volume

seemed to genuinely love her cousin and wanted to be friends with her.

and of course everything that happened with Cutter, then BW's first volume, one would almost think that Bette would reconsider her appreciation to a cousin who seems to not ever notice her - or sends her away so she won't have to be notice. Yeah, that is harsh too.

Flamebird should just come back and be, somewhere, anywhere.

[Will Evans]

If I were a Bette writer, I’d keep the Hawkfire mantle as thing Bette used only when needed. Like Bruce Wayne using the Matches Malone identity. But she’s normally Flamebird.

[Oberon]

If I were a Bette writer, I’d keep the Hawkfire mantle as thing Bette used only when needed. Like Bruce Wayne using the Matches Malone identity. But she’s normally Flamebird.

Taking another look at her Hawkfire costume makes me feel that mask makes her look a little like the Kryptonian God....

I wish there was some connection to the Kryptonian thing.