#ComicBytes: Cassandra Cain's intriguing and dangerous journey in DC
Cassandra Cain is one of the best combatants in the DC Universe, which makes her an important part of the Bat-Family. Initially trained as an assassin, she finds her way towards the good side as Batgirl, and then Orphan. While her origin has gone through some changes in the current timeline, here is everything you need to know about this lethal fighter.
To create the perfect bodyguard for supervillain Ra's al Ghul, David Cain and Lady Shiva (two of DC's best assassins) decide to have a child. This child (Cassandra) is trained by her father to become the perfect killing machine. In fact, he skips her speech training entirely. However, when she kills a man at the age of eight, the trauma forces her to escape.
After being homeless for almost a decade, Cassandra becomes one of Oracle's agents in Gotham after a devastating earthquake. When she saves Commissioner Gordon's life from her father and exhibits combat training, she is given the mantle of Batgirl, with the approval of Batman, Oracle, and Barbara Gordon. Even when Bruce learns about Cassie's past, he accepts her and eventually adopts her.
When a telepath rewires Cassandra's brain to think with words instead of movements (the basis of her assassin training), her skills become worse. Fortunately, Lady Shiva teaches her to fight reading body language once more, but at a price- combat to death after training. Shiva wins the first match and kills Cassandra before reviving her. Cassandra wins the rematch but spares her mother's life.
After Bruce's apparent demise, Cassie leaves the Batgirl mantle to Stephanie Brown. However, when he returns, Tim Drake visits Cassandra in Hong Kong (where she has been acting as an anonymous vigilante) to persuade her to return. After she refuses, Tim leaves gives her a copy of her old costume. She modifies this to become Black Bat, Batman's representative in Hong Kong.
In the New 52 timeline, Cassandra has a modified origin. After helping Batman's former sidekicks take down an international criminal ring, she joins the Batman Family as Orphan. In DC: Rebirth, Cassandra keeps fighting crime in Gotham as a member of the Bat-Family. Although she operates independently from time to time, she is often seen as a part of Batman assembled.
