Hellhound
From Batman Wiki
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| Hellhound | |
| Real name: | Kai |
| First Appearance: | Catwoman vol. 1 Annual #2 |
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Created by: | Jordan B. Gorfinkel and Jim Balent |
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Affiliations: | Lew Moxon |
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Abilities: | Expert martial artist. |
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Portrayed by: | None |
Hellhound is a villain and enemy of Batman and Catwoman. He has appeared in many Batman titles over the years, (mainly facing Catwoman), most notably in Batman: Legacy, and Batman: The 12 Cent Adventure. He is killed while attempting to defend Lew Moxon from Philo Zeiss at the commencement of Batman: War Games.
[edit] Character History
Kai was the best student in the Armless Master's dojo in Gotham City. Kai was also a thief, which brought him into conflict with a young Selina Kyle, who "tainted" a religious ceremony he was performing by touching a religious artifact depicting Bast that he had intended to steal himself. After Kai severely beat her for her intereference, Kyle followed Kai back to the secret dojo, where the Armless Master welcomed her as a student. She began studying, and quickly showed Kai up in front of his master. Kai soon learned that Selina had taken on the identity of Catwoman, and, in religious zeal, took it as a sign. Adopting the identity of Hellhound he attempted to force Selina to kill him, believing this would finish the ceremony she had interrupted when they first met, and that he would be reborn as a "true hound of hell". Catwoman scarred his face instead, deepening his already great hatred of her.
In the years that followed Kai became a hired mercenary. Eventually he would get his wish and encounter Catwoman once more, when she traveled to Rheelasia to steal back a microchip before it could be copied and pirated. She got the chip easily, but was attacked and abducted by a group led by Hellhound, who coldly informed her that their master had been killed (although Catwoman is apparently unaware that Lady Shiva was the one to kill her sensei).
Hellhound and Catwoman were forced to work together by an archeological relic connoisseur called the Collector, who wanted them to find him an artifact called the Wheel of Plagues. The Collector" had uncovered an ancient journal describing an underground wheel. It was heavily booby-trapped and Catwoman was to be the front line going in, with Hellhound following. A former member of the Order of St. Dumas, who'd translated much of the journal accompanied them. He and Catwoman entered the labyrinth to look for the wheel. Unfortunately, the Wheel was also being sought by Ra's al Ghul, who knew that the ancient wheel beneath the desert was a recipe for plagues. Ra's again planned to cleanse the world of 90% of humanity. and Catwoman and Hellhound were forced into conflict with Bane after they made it through the traps and to the wheel. Bane bested them and took the Wheel. Shortly after, Batman, Nightwing, and Robin came the same way as Hellhound and Catwoman had earlier, and found the the maze. At the end of the tunnel, they were met by Ra's al Ghul, Talia al Gul, and Ubu. While Batman and his allies battled Ra's, Catwoman broke free from her cell and freed the translator and Hellhound (who vowed only a temporary truce). Outside the compound, she attacked Hellhound and the two fought once again. Catwoman bested him and tied him up. Catwoman and the translator set out toward civilization while Batman pursued Ra's Al Ghul throughout the world to stop The League of Assassins from releasing the pure strain of the virus across the globe. Catwoman had again bested Hellhound, leaving him alive even though he again asked for death.
Hellhound was later employed by Jackie Pamerjanian, the drug kingpin of Rheelasia, to protect his crop. Hellhound was forced into conflict with another costumed hero, this time Black Canary. She also defeated Hellhound, and Pamerjanian lost his drugs as the government raided the compound. Hellhound was recently seen serving as the bodyguard of Lew Moxon at the summit of Gotham gang bosses, and was unable to save his boss from being killed by Philo Zeiss, who killed him in the process.
[edit] Powers and Abilities
Hellhound was an excellent martial artist, although his skills were not equal to his lofty opinion of them. He also trained dogs to serve as his hunting pack.
