Cameron Kane owned Kane county, land just north of Gotham City that was known for its gambling, prostitution and violence. During the construction of what would become known as the Kane Bridge, Cameron agreed to help finance the bridge with the assurance that the bridge would connect to his county. While initially turned down, the bridge's construction met difficulties and the connection with Kane county was established.
Roderick Kane was inheritor of the Kane Chemical fortune, marrying Elizabeth "Betsy" Kane and fathering four children (Martha Kane (Wayne), Nathan Kane, Jacob Kane), Roderick was tricked into a shady investment deal by a mobster named Judson Pierce, which drained the Kane fortune and caused him to suffer a heart attack which left him a vegetable.
His daughter, Martha Kane, became deeply involved with charity work focusing on Gotham's poorest citizens. One of her main projects was raising support for the free clinic founded in Gotham's slums by doctor Leslie Thompkins. During one of Martha's attempts to solicit support from Gotham's elite she had her first encounter with Thomas Wayne who, aside from being a well-regarded surgeon, was an infamous playboy and party animal. Thomas affirmed this reputation to Martha by being extremely drunk and then vomiting on her shoes, causing her to storm off in disgust despite his profuse apologies.
Martha and Leslie's clinic eventually became another target of Judson Pierce after he deemed it a key starting point for taking over the surrounding neighborhood of Park Row. Pierce attempted to prey on Martha's poverty by offering her $60,000 to shut down the clinc. Instead, Martha legally filed his money as a donation to keep the clinic running which enraged him enough to ask his uncle to arrange a hit on Martha and Leslie. Not much later, Martha met Thomas Wayne a second time when he had Alfred chauffeur him to the clinic so he try and apologize to her again. At that moment though, Pierce's hitmen also decided to make their move. Alfred was able to subdue the assailants but not before Leslie suffered a minor gunshot wound. As Leslie recovered from her injury, Thomas volunteered to work in the clinic alongside Martha. Thomas became content with the charity work and and it wasn't wasn't long before Thomas and Martha became romantically involved with each other. By the time Leslie returned to work, Thomas established himself as an official sponsor of the clinic and used his vast resources to keep it running, while distancing himself from his previous carefree lifestyle, citing Martha as his inspiration to change.
Martha would eventually marry Thomas, using her newly aquired wealth and influence to further finance her philanthropic endevours. Known as the "Kennedys of Gotham" Thomas and Martha Wayne were gunned down in Park Row, survived only by their son; Bruce Wayne, who would use the trauma as a trigger to embark on a heroic crusade as the vigilante/hero "Batman".
Nathan Kane, Roderick's eldest son, would eventually court and marry 25-year-old director and poet Katherine "Kathy" Webster, buying her the Kane's Kolossal Karnival circus as a gift. Inheriting the Crest Hill estate after Roderick and Elizabeth Kane passed away, Nathan died of a stroke at 47, passing all of his possessions to Katherine who would become the first Batwoman during a mission to uncover the Batman's identity as she worked for a intelligence agency known as Spyral.
Jacob "Jake" Kane would marry Gabbi Kane and father two daughters; Katherine "Kate" Kane and her twin sister, Bethany "Beth" Kane. On the daughters' twelfth birthday, Kate and Beth were taken out to a restaurant by their mother where they were kidnapped and held for ransom. Their father; as a military colonel, launched a rescue attempt but only Kate survived the conflict; her mother and sister executed by the kidnappers.
Years later Kate attended the United States Military Academy only to be expelled, despite her excellent grades, due to her sexual orientation. Returning to Gotham she began to suffer depression over having no life direction, however a chance mugging-attempt resulted in her meeting Batman saw her inspired and she attempts to fight crime using her father's military equipment in secret.
Discovered by her father, Kate is sent on a two year training regime afterwhich she returns to Gotham to find a Batsuit and secret bunker ready for her use as the new Batwoman.
Niece to Katherine "Kathy" Webster and cousin to Katherine "Kate" Kane, an adolescent tennis star and prodigy; Elizabeth "Bette" Kane, was inspired to superheroics when she saw Robin (Richard Grayson) on a news program. She first took on the identity of "Bat-Girl" and joined her aunt in costume heroics before changing her identity to "Flamebird" and applying for the Teen Titans in her continued attempts to impress Robin/Nightwing.
Trivia[]
- The Kane Family is famed for owning everything in Gotham that the Wayne Family did not.