Julie Madison
Encyclopedia
Julie Madison is a fictional character
in the DC Universe
, best known as Batman
's first significant love interest.
Julie Madison first appeared in Detective Comics
#31 (September 1939
) only four issues after Batman's own debut. She made her last appearance in the Golden Age of Comics in Detective Comics #49 (March 1941
).
She was originally portrayed an oft-imperiled socialite who is engaged to Bruce Wayne. She was not aware of his activities as Batman when, in her first appearance, she was used as a pawn in the vampiric
Monk's
battle with the Dark Knight.
Detective Comics #40 established her as an actress. In this issue she and others were targeted by the deranged actor Basil Karlo (aka the original Clayface
) who was angry for not being given the chance to star in a remake of a movie he had previously appeared in.
Julie made her last appearance in the early series in Detective Comics #49. In this episode, the head of the film studio and his publicity agent got her to adopt the stage name "Portia Storme" (inspired by Portia
of Shakespeare
's The Merchant of Venice
and the fact that her last performance had "taken the world by storm"). Julie meanwhile ended her engagement to Bruce on the grounds that she felt that he ought to do something worthwhile with his life rather than just being a fun-loving playboy (she still did not know of his secret activities). The split was amicable and they remained on good terms. Batman and Robin
intervened when Clayface escaped from custody and again went after Julie. In the course of capturing the villain, she became the first female to don the Robin costume as part of a complicated deception.
Julie Madison reappeared in two World's Finest
stories in the 1970s as Princess Portia, ruler of the fictional country of Moldacia. This was intended as a loose parallel to Grace Kelly
becoming Princess Grace of Monaco
.
by Matt Wagner
, published in 2006, is set early in (the current post-Crisis version of) Batman's career, and re-introduces Julie Madison. This version of the character is a law student, and the daughter of Norman Madison, a failing businessman who borrows money from mobster Sal Maroni
. Bruce Wayne cares deeply for Julie, but is reluctant to tell her the secret of his nighttime activities. However, Julie herself suspects that Bruce is hiding something from her.
Julie takes on further importance in Wagner's follow-up mini-series Batman and the Mad Monk
. Like Monster Men, this series retells an early story from Batman's publishing history, his conflict with the vampiric villain, The Monk. As in the original, Julie sleepwalks
into the Monk's lair where she is bitten by the vampire, becoming his thrall. The Monk attempts to manipulate Julie into signing over her father's finances to his supernatural
cult
. In the end, Batman saves Julie, but her father is killed by Maroni's thugs, driven partly insane by his fear of Batman. Distraught, she leaves Bruce and Gotham and goes to Africa
as a volunteer member of the Peace Corps
.
In the Batman: Family
miniseries, paparazzi ask Bruce Wayne if he is the "father of Julie Madison's baby."
Julie later makes a flashback appearance in Batman #682 as Darkseid
's minions invade Batman's mind and distort his memories. In Batman's early days, she tells Alfred to inform Bruce she is leaving for Hollywood to try and make it as an actress; Batman later does not realize or recall that she has left.
She appears in a bathtub towards the end of Red Robin #11 as one of Ra's Al Ghul
's targets, identified as Bruce's first love, until she was rescued by Man-Bat
, which shocks and scares her.
. Many of her scenes were edited out of the film's final cut, thus she is the only film love interest of Batman's to not have a prominent role.
When the comic book Batman Adventures relaunched in 2003, early issues featured Julie Madison as Bruce Wayne's steady girlfriend. He nearly proposes to her before discovering that she is only interested in his money, and that she is prepared to go to deadly lengths to preserve their relationship.
Julie Madison has been featured as a love interest for Batman in Elseworlds
stories, including the Gotham by Gaslight sequel Master of the Future; Dark Knight Dynasty
(In a reality where Thomas and Martha Wayne were not killed by Joe Chill
, Bruce is killed in a fight with Vandal Savage
after Savage causes his parents' deaths shortly after his wedding to Julie, although Julie's last appearance in the story shows that she is pregnant with Bruce's child); and Superman & Batman: Generations
.
In Legends of the Dark Knight
#94, a group of people in an elevator discuss Batman. One of these is an 80-year-old Julie Madison, who recalls her encounters with him in the 1930s, a homage to the original series.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, best known as Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
's first significant love interest.
Original version
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
#31 (September 1939
1939 in comics
-Year overall:* A boom year for the burgeoning American comic book industry, as Archie Comics, Fawcett Comics, Fox Feature Syndicate, Lev Gleason Publications, Marvel Comics, Nedor Comics, Quality Comics, and Timely Comics all begin publishing.-January:...
) only four issues after Batman's own debut. She made her last appearance in the Golden Age of Comics in Detective Comics #49 (March 1941
1941 in comics
-Events and publications:Stan Lee becomes editor-in-chief at Timely Comics.Adventures of Captain Marvel, a twelve-chapter film serial adapted from the popular Captain Marvel comic book character for Republic Pictures, debuts...
).
She was originally portrayed an oft-imperiled socialite who is engaged to Bruce Wayne. She was not aware of his activities as Batman when, in her first appearance, she was used as a pawn in the vampiric
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
Monk's
Monk (comics)
The Monk is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He appeared as one of Batman's earliest foes.-Fictional character biography:The Monk first appeared in Detective Comics #31 in 1939. He is one of the earliest significant villains of the series, his battle with Batman being one of the...
battle with the Dark Knight.
Detective Comics #40 established her as an actress. In this issue she and others were targeted by the deranged actor Basil Karlo (aka the original Clayface
Clayface
Clayface is an alias used by several DC Comics fictional characters, most of them possessing claylike bodies and shape-shifting abilities. All of them have been enemies of Batman.-Publication history:...
) who was angry for not being given the chance to star in a remake of a movie he had previously appeared in.
Julie made her last appearance in the early series in Detective Comics #49. In this episode, the head of the film studio and his publicity agent got her to adopt the stage name "Portia Storme" (inspired by Portia
Portia (Merchant of Venice)
Portia is the heroine of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. A rich, beautiful, and intelligent heiress, she is bound by the lottery set forth in her father's will, which gives potential suitors the chance to choose between three caskets composed of gold, silver and lead...
of Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
and the fact that her last performance had "taken the world by storm"). Julie meanwhile ended her engagement to Bruce on the grounds that she felt that he ought to do something worthwhile with his life rather than just being a fun-loving playboy (she still did not know of his secret activities). The split was amicable and they remained on good terms. Batman and Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
intervened when Clayface escaped from custody and again went after Julie. In the course of capturing the villain, she became the first female to don the Robin costume as part of a complicated deception.
Julie Madison reappeared in two World's Finest
World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name...
stories in the 1970s as Princess Portia, ruler of the fictional country of Moldacia. This was intended as a loose parallel to Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly
Grace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of...
becoming Princess Grace of Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
.
Modern version
The six issue mini-series Batman and the Monster MenBatman and the Monster Men
Batman & the Monster Men is an American comic book limited series written and drawn by Matt Wagner with colors by Dave Stewart, published by DC Comics and starring the superhero Batman. It, along with its sequel Batman and the Mad Monk, are set in between the events of Batman: Year One and Batman:...
by Matt Wagner
Matt Wagner
Matt Wagner is an American comic book writer and artist, best known as the creator of the series Mage and Grendel.-Career:...
, published in 2006, is set early in (the current post-Crisis version of) Batman's career, and re-introduces Julie Madison. This version of the character is a law student, and the daughter of Norman Madison, a failing businessman who borrows money from mobster Sal Maroni
Sal Maroni
Salvatore "The Boss" Maroni is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, usually as one of Batman's first enemies, and among the toughest gangsters in Gotham City...
. Bruce Wayne cares deeply for Julie, but is reluctant to tell her the secret of his nighttime activities. However, Julie herself suspects that Bruce is hiding something from her.
Julie takes on further importance in Wagner's follow-up mini-series Batman and the Mad Monk
Batman and the Mad Monk
Batman and the Mad Monk is an American comic book limited series, featuring the DC Comics superhero Batman. It is set during the Batman: Year One continuity, but after the events of Batman and the Monster Men and before the events of Batman: The Man Who Laughs...
. Like Monster Men, this series retells an early story from Batman's publishing history, his conflict with the vampiric villain, The Monk. As in the original, Julie sleepwalks
Sleepwalking
Sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism, is a sleep disorder belonging to the parasomnia family. Sleepwalkers arise from the slow wave sleep stage in a state of low consciousness and perform activities that are usually performed during a state of full consciousness...
into the Monk's lair where she is bitten by the vampire, becoming his thrall. The Monk attempts to manipulate Julie into signing over her father's finances to his supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
. In the end, Batman saves Julie, but her father is killed by Maroni's thugs, driven partly insane by his fear of Batman. Distraught, she leaves Bruce and Gotham and goes to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
as a volunteer member of the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
.
In the Batman: Family
Batman Family
The Batman Family was a DC Comics comic book series which ran from 1975 to 1978, primarily featuring stories starring supporting characters in the Batman comics...
miniseries, paparazzi ask Bruce Wayne if he is the "father of Julie Madison's baby."
Julie later makes a flashback appearance in Batman #682 as Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
's minions invade Batman's mind and distort his memories. In Batman's early days, she tells Alfred to inform Bruce she is leaving for Hollywood to try and make it as an actress; Batman later does not realize or recall that she has left.
She appears in a bathtub towards the end of Red Robin #11 as one of Ra's Al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
's targets, identified as Bruce's first love, until she was rescued by Man-Bat
Man-Bat
Man-Bat is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually as a supervillain and adversary of Batman, though occasionally depicted as a heroic character. He first appeared in Detective Comics #400 and was created by Frank Robbins and Neal Adams...
, which shocks and scares her.
Other versions of the character
A version of Julie Madison appeared in the 1997 film Batman & Robin, played by Elle MacphersonElle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson is an Australian model, actress, and businesswoman nicknamed "The Body". She is perhaps best known for her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s...
. Many of her scenes were edited out of the film's final cut, thus she is the only film love interest of Batman's to not have a prominent role.
When the comic book Batman Adventures relaunched in 2003, early issues featured Julie Madison as Bruce Wayne's steady girlfriend. He nearly proposes to her before discovering that she is only interested in his money, and that she is prepared to go to deadly lengths to preserve their relationship.
Julie Madison has been featured as a love interest for Batman in Elseworlds
Elseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
stories, including the Gotham by Gaslight sequel Master of the Future; Dark Knight Dynasty
Batman: Dark Knight Dynasty
Batman: Dark Knight Dynasty is a graphic novel published by DC Comics under the Elseworlds banner in 1999. It is written by Mike W. Barr and illustrated by Scott Hampton, Gary Frank, and Cam Smith....
(In a reality where Thomas and Martha Wayne were not killed by Joe Chill
Joe Chill
Joe Chill is a fictional character in the DC Comics Batman series. He is best known for murdering young Bruce Wayne's parents , thus making him indirectly responsible for Batman's existence....
, Bruce is killed in a fight with Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 1 #10 , and was created by Alfred Bester and Martin Nodell....
after Savage causes his parents' deaths shortly after his wedding to Julie, although Julie's last appearance in the story shows that she is pregnant with Bruce's child); and Superman & Batman: Generations
Superman & Batman: Generations
Superman & Batman: Generations is the umbrella title of three Elseworlds comic book limited series published by DC Comics in the United States, written and illustrated by John Byrne...
.
In Legends of the Dark Knight
Legends of the Dark Knight
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, commonly referred to as simply Legends of the Dark Knight is a DC comic book featuring Batman. It was launched in 1989 with the popularity of the Batman movie, following on from Frank Miller's Batman: Year One...
#94, a group of people in an elevator discuss Batman. One of these is an 80-year-old Julie Madison, who recalls her encounters with him in the 1930s, a homage to the original series.