The Batman villain Roxy Rocket went from being a staple of the DC Animated Universe to a recurring villain in the comic book DC Universe.
For many fans, Batman: The Animated Series is still the definitive version of Batman and his accompanying cast in their minds. The series was also instrumental in debuting several characters that would become mainstays in the comic book DC Universe and beyond. One of these characters is the daredevil villain Roxy Rocket who was created for the DC Animated Universe and eventually flew into the main DC Universe.
First appearing in 1994’s The Batman Adventures Annual #1, Roxy Rocket, a.k.a. Roxanne Sutton was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. In the issue, she was portrayed as a Hollywood stunt double who lost her job after she started performing stunts that were too dangerous to insure. Roxy took Batman for a joyride through Gotham, which eventually stopped when he managed to force her off her rocket-speeder. Roxy was arrested and told the media that she would stop being a criminal after she was paroled. Later on, she seemingly went on another crime spree, only for Batman to deduce that it was actually Catwoman in disguise, which led to a brief fight between Roxy and Catwoman, too.
Roxy made her way into the animated portion of the DCAU when she appeared in The New Batman Adventures episode, “The Ultimate Thrill.” A thrill-seeker at heart, Roxy started stealing jewels for the Penguin. When she was chased by Batman, she sensed a connection between them because of the risks he took to catch her. Roxy saw him as a kindred spirit and attempted to seduce him. Instead of returning her romantic feelings, Batman arrested her. Afterward, Roxy appeared in Superman: The Animated Series episode “Knight Time.” Her appearance in the episode amounts to little more than a cameo. She tried her luck at robbing Metropolitans, but Superman caught her with ease. Roxy alerts Superman to Batman’s absence in Gotham, which eventually leads to Superman teaming up with Robin to find him.
After appearing in both the comic book and TV DC Animated Universes, Roxy Rocket’s first appearance in the main DC Universe came through another cameo in the pages of 2006’s Detective Comics #822 by Paul Dini, Don Kramer, Wayne Faucher, and John Kalisz. The issue opened with Batman chasing her after she stole S.T.A.R. Labs’s plans for an ion thruster. He forced her to crash into a bridge then arrested her easily.
After a four-year absence, Roxy popped up again in her most prominent role in 2010’s Batgirl #6-7 by Bryan Q. Miller, Robert K. Washington III, Trevor Scott, Guy Major and Phil Noto. This has been by far her most prominent role in the DC Universe, appearing on the cover of Batgirl #7. Stephanie Brown teamed up with Damian Wayne to investigate a deadly tournament put on by Roulette in Gotham’s Devil’s Square. Batgirl raced against Roxy, eventually forcing her to crash against the villains fighting Batman and Robin.
Roxy Rocket’s last major appearance in the main DC Universe came in the Batman: Black And White #1 story “Driven” by John Arcudi and Sean Gordon Murphy. As Batman fixed the Batmobile’s engine, he remembered chasing Roxy in a madcap race through the streets of Gotham. While she made him work for it, Batman eventually caught and arrested her.
While it’s still in the DCAU continuity, her latest appearance was in Batman: The Adventures Continue #3 by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Ty Templeton, Monica Kubina and Joshua Reed. It featured a television segment showing that Batgirl caught Roxy after chasing her after the sky. In the grand scheme of things, Roxy Rocket is a minor player in the greater Batman mythology, but she followed the same path that Harley Quinn carved from television into the comic book DC Universe.
About The Author
For all the latest Comics News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
