Batman: Caped Crusader has distinguished itself from other Dark Knight adventures by bringing in not only familiar friends and foes but also some of the villainous characters that Bruce Timm had left behind in over 100 episodes of the Batman: The Animated Series running. This time around, the show has taken a fresh look at Nocturna (aka Natalia Knight).
In DC Comics, the character of Natalia Knight was first introduced in 1983 as a jewel thief. Natalia was an orphan who was later adopted by a wealthy man. She later gets exposed to a radioactive laser that makes her sensitive to light. After briefly being friendly with Jason Todd, she learns of the villain's identity and keeps it a secret. She becomes close to Bruce Wayne after they sleep together.
Over time, DC has updated Natalia, giving her additional supernatural abilities that make her similar to a vampire. This allows the DC franchise to use her as both a villain and a victim who has suffered her share of hardships.
Who is Natalia Knight in Batman: Caped Crusader?
In Batman: Caped Crusader, Natalia Knight is introduced as a child, rather than as an adult as in the original comic books. Introducing her as a child allows the show to expose her to the darkness of Gotham City. In the show, Natala works at a carnival with her brother. She has vampire-like abilities after being cursed, giving her supernatural strength.
In the show, everything Natalia does is because of her hunger, she kidnaps children from the carnival to drain their energy. This makes her both a villain and a victim as she struggles to control her powers.
In Batman: Caped Crusader, Natalia has been portrayed as a misguided child that Batman sympathizes with.
How is Natalia Knight in Batman: Caped Crusader different from her comic counterpart?
In DC Comics, Natalia is an adult, while in the show she is a child who was misguided after being cursed. She has no control over her powers, which is why she accidentally kills her brother. When she realizes this, she tries to burn herself with sunlight. But Batman saves her by shielding her with his cape. The evil things she does in Batman: Caped Crusader at the beginning of her story are not done intentionally.
In DC comics, Natalia turns to the world of crime for money to be able to afford treatment for her condition, after being exposed to radioactive laser. The post-Crisis era reimagined her as Natalia Mitternacht, an occultist with hypnotic abilties. She played a primary villain to Tim Drake's Robin.
What do fans have to say about Natalia Knight's Nocturna in Batman: Caped Crusader?
In episode 8 of Batman: Caped Crusader, Natalia is revealed to have kidnapped several children at the carnival. She kidnaps them and drains their energy after blending in perfectly with the crowd. After the children's disappearance is brought to Batman's attention, he investigates and finds a young girl and her brother responsible.
Batman takes all of Natalia's kidnapped and weakened children along with her to the hospital, where doctors tell her it will take time for them to heal. Natalia is overwhelmed with grief and guilt when she is told of her brother's death.
Aside from the complex relationship between Natalia and Batman in the show, fans also have a certain image of Natalia Knight's portrayal in the show. They discussed that the creators could have involved Natalia in more violence and discussed her origin of being a vampire.
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Irrespective of what unfolds in Batman: Caped Crusader, Batman is a compassionate and kind character, which is why he still wants Natalia to be treated.
Batman: Caped Crusader is available for fans to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
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