Tabitha Galavan is an antagonistic character in the TV series Gotham. Debuting in Season 2 alongside her brother Theo Galavan, she was a member of the Order of St. Dumas, a religious sect that sought to dominate Gotham and destroy the Wayne family out of revenge for their banishment from the city. After her brother was killed and the Order dismantled, Tabitha decided to remain in Gotham, forming relationships with both Barbara Kean and Butch Gilzean while settling into the city's criminal underworld.
Personality[]
Tabitha shows numerous traits of a sadist, as well as those of a sociopath, and relishes pushing people's buttons, almost regardless of the danger. She seems less calculating than her brother and more prone to act on impulse although she does become less reckless in later seasons. She is shown to be flirtatious with anyone she finds attractive but can also develop an emotional attraction to others, which was demonstrated when she sent assassins to kill James Gordon for putting Barbara Kean in a coma, and when she defends her niece Silver St. Cloud from Theo. This shows that she draws the line at harming family members or at least those who aren't a threat as she had no problem turning against Theo for mistreating them.
Tabitha has a low tolerance for those who threaten her with violence, as she impulsively attacked Alfred Pennyworth after he interrogated her about the whereabouts of Bruce Wayne, and she left Theo to die after he threatened her and Silver.
Despite betraying Theo, she still seemed to care for him and was angry at Oswald Cobblepot for "killing" him. When Theo returned from the dead as Azrael, she attempted to get through to him and even reminisced about their childhood before the monks took him away.
Despite her frequent attempts to act indifferent towards Butch Gilzean, she also seems to harbour affection for him, even going so far as to allow herself to be mutilated to save his life.
Because of many facts, including Barbara's toxic insanity, Butch's death and a confrontation with Lee Thompkins who reflected her own cruelty, Tabitha seems to act with less impulsivity and more calm or conviction. She later ends up becoming more open regarding her feelings towards Butch, trying to find a way to restore him following his transformation into Solomon Grundy. Her affection towards him also results in her death after Oswald stabs her after she tried to kill him.
However, Tabitha had always romantic feelings for Barbara as they were lovers and her death would be the beginning of Barbara's redemption.
History[]
Plotting with Theo[]
When Tabitha and her brother Theo first arrived in Gotham City, they sent a crazed minion of theirs - "Zaardon" - into the city to cause trouble. Zaardon was promptly arrested and sent to Arkham Asylum, but this was all part of the Galavans' plan. Prior to his arrest, Zaardon had drank a strange concoction which started to slowly poison him. By the time he was put in Arkham, he started to succumb to the toxin and expelled a sickly gas from his mouth while in the asylum's common room. The gas rendered everyone in the room unconscious, at which point Theo's minions entered wearing gas masks. They abducted several inmates - Barbara Kean, Jerome Valeska, Aaron Helzinger, Richard Sionis, Arnold Dobkins and Robert Greenwood - before making their exit, taking their captives back to Galavan Tower.
At Galavan Tower, Theo explained that he intended to bring Gotham to its knees by assembling a team of brilliant criminals who would instill mass panic among the people. After Richard Sionis decided he didn't want any part of Galavan's plan, Tabitha brutally murdered him, stabbing him multiple times as a demonstration to the others if they refused Theo's offer. The murderous lunatics agreed and thus the Maniax were formed.
While Theo formulated the Maniax' activities in Gotham, Tabitha and Barbara seemed to take a liking to one another. As the two quickly began to form an intimate relationship, Tabitha showed Barbara how to use a whip. After Mayor Aubrey James was kidnapped and had a box placed over his head, Tabitha and Barbara took turns whipping the mayor for fun until James blindly ran into a wall and knocked himself out.
Later, while the Maniax were out causing havoc in the city, Tabitha was watching their activities from the rooftops. Following a confrontation with the GCPD, most of the group escaped while leaving Arnold Dobkins behind, who was then arrested. Before Dobkins could be taken into custody, however, Tabitha used a sniper rifle and shot him through the head to ensure that he couldn't tell the police anything about Theo's plans.
The day following the Maniax' attack on GCPD Headquarters, Tabitha accompanied Jerome when he decided to pay a visit to his estranged father, Paul Cicero. Tabitha put a noose around Cicero's neck and tied him to a chair. While Jerome bitterly talked about his past and revealed to his father that he was going to kill him and frame him for the Arkham breakout, Tabitha held herself in the background, at some point searching for food. When she didn't find any, she told Jerome to hurry up. When Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock knocked at the door, Tabitha and Jerome fled, leaving a knockout gas grenade behind. Bullock was quickly knocked out but Gordon managed to attack Jerome. Weakened by the gas, he was overpowered by Jerome who held a gun to his head. Before he could pull the trigger, Tabitha stopped him and knocked Gordon out.
The same evening, Tabitha and Jerome arrived at a benefit gala for the Gotham Children's Hospital. The two of them overpowered the stage magician and Tabitha stuffed him in a chest so that Jerome could take his place at the event. At the gala, her brother introduced her to Deputy Mayor Kane. When Kane told Tabitha jokingly that the "appearance of a handsome billionaire out of nothing" raised questions, Tabitha replied that her brother is a "monster in a sack" which led to an uncomfortable silence. Tabitha then asked the Deputy Mayor if there was any news on Mayor James. After taking their leave from Kane, Tabitha told her brother that everything was ready and that she would see him at home. She then left the event.
When Barbara and Theo returned, Tabitha watched Barbara getting close to her brother and kissing him on the cheek. This sparked a hint of jealousy from her.
Feud with Penguin[]
On her brother's behalf, Tabitha visited Oswald Cobblepot to arrange a meeting between Theo and him. She told Cobblepot that a car was waiting outside to bring him to her brother. When she and Penguin arrived at Theo's apartment, Barbara entered the meeting and kisses her. During the meeting, Tabitha provoked Penguin by telling him that he was the King of Garbage rather than the King of Gotham. Penguin angrily replied that she should not underestimate him. Theo then showed Penguin his plans for the city, which included giant futuristic skyscrapers. When Penguin states that thousands of homes have to be destroyed to allow the building of the skyscrapers, Tabitha expressed complete indifference, not caring at all about who would suffer as a result of her brother's project.
When Penguin declined to kill all other mayoral candidates for Theo, Tabitha blackmailed him by turning on the TV, showing him video footage of his kidnapped mother, Gertrud. On Theo's orders, she kidnapped Sid Bunderslaw and gouged out one of his eyes. That said, Theo did express his disgust towards her methods.
Tabitha was present when Penguin begged Theo for his mother's release and grinned when Theo denied his plea. Later, she visited Penguin and handed him a list of addresses he was to burn down. When Penguin remarked that they were now making him an arsonist and that he had to find a good pyromaniac for this, Tabitha provoked him before telling him that he should pull himself together. Before leaving, she handed Penguin Bunderslaw's eye, saying that his arsonist would need it as "motivation".
She and Barbara listened in when Butch Gilzean visited Theo to become a member of his organization, claiming that Penguin went mad and almost killed him. When Theo asked Tabitha what she thought, she was thrilled and already had plans to put a knife on Butch's stump. After the conversation, Tabitha cut down the rope strangling a congressman after the man agreed to support Theo's candidacy.
Later, Theo revealed to Butch that he knew that he was still loyal to Penguin and searching for his boss' mother. When he found out that Butch was only loyal because Penguin brainwashed him, Theo called upon Tabitha to free his mind. When Tabitha appeared with a whip in her hand, Butch attacked her but was overpowered and strangulated by her until he lost consciousness.
After Butch was freed from Penguin's influence, he led Penguin to the warehouse where his mother his imprisoned at. Theo and Tabitha arrived, with Theo holding the key to Gertrud's cell. Penguin, who had arrived with Butch and two henchmen, ordered Butch to shoot both Theo and Tabitha in the head. However, Butch shot Penguin's men instead, thereby revealing that he was free from Penguin's control. Outnumbered and alone, Penguin begged Theo to spare his mother. Theo indeed seemed to give in when he handed Tabitha the key to the cell, but this changed immediately when Tabitha freed Gertrud and stabbed her in the back moments later. As Penguin comforted his dying mother, Theo ordered Butch to kill Penguin, but Penguin stated that Theo did not have the guts to do it himself and that his family had been banished from Gotham because they came from a line of cowards. Theo then took the gun and sadistically asked if Penguin had any last words. After threatening to kill him, Penguin seized the knife that Tabitha had thrown into his mother's back and stabbed Theo in the neck. He then ran and jumped out of a window as Tabitha attempted to shoot him.
At Theo's victory party, Tabitha stood on the roof with a sniper rifle, ready to kill Penguin if he arrived. When she spots a large crowd approaching, she shot a man she thought was Penguin, but all of the gang members had been disguised as Penguin. When GCPD officer Martinez found her on the roof, she used her whip to drop him to the ground and then crushed his throat with her heels.
Tabitha took part in the attack on Gordon's caravan as part of a trap by Barbara. She injected Jim with a serum that knocked him out. She later brought Gordon's girlfriend Leslie Thompkins to the church where Barbara was holding Gordon. When Gordon managed to save himself, Tabitha attacked him, but was shot in the shoulder and escaped.
Losing faith in Theo[]
Tabitha later approached a woman named The Lady and put a hit out on Jim Gordon in revenge for Barbara's injuries. The Lady complied and sent assassins to Theo's headquarters where the GCPD were collecting evidence after Theo's arrest. But Gordon and Captain Nathaniel Barnes managed to fight off the waves of assassins and survive. When Tabitha went to visit her brother in prison, he was angry at her carelessness. He told her that soon they would be in control of Gotham, and warned her if she pulled off anything like that again, he would kill her.
While at Theo's penthouse, Tabitha was surprised by Alfred Pennyworth who is looking for Bruce Wayne. After disarming him with her whip, Tabitha told him to leave while he still could. Alfred told her that if he learned that anything happened to Bruce, he would hold her responsible for that. He turned to leave and Tabitha used that to attack him with her whip, but Alfred was prepared and used the whip to knock her to the ground. Both of them fought and Alfred almost overpowered her, but she stabbed him in the side with her knife. Alfred knocked her down, and entered the elevator, but was prevented from leaving when Tabitha jumped onto the elevator roof. Alfred managed to get out of the building and jumped onto a garbage truck to escape, but Tabitha hurled a second knife into his back. Alfred fell into the back of the truck and it drove off. Tabitha and some men arrived at the junkyard to look for Alfred and finish the job, but he managed to hide from them and later escape.
During the ceremony for Bruce Wayne's sacrifice, Gordon along with Penguin, Alfred, Selina Kyle, Harvey Bullock and groups of mobsters arrived to rescue Bruce and capture Theo. Tabitha, Theo, and Silver escaped to his office and planned to parachute out the window, but Tabitha noticed Theo only had two parachutes. He revealed he intended to leave Silver behind due to her "failings" and tried to strangle her. Unable to watch her brother mistreat his family any longer, Tabitha knocked Theo to the ground, and she and Silver escaped by jumping out the window and parachuting to the city below, leaving Theo behind to his fate.
Alliance with Butch[]
Not yet finished with Gotham, Tabitha teamed up with Butch Gilzean, who had taken the mantle of "King of Gotham" after Penguin's arrest. Penguin was taken to Arkham Asylum, having pledged insanity after having been arrested for Theo's murder. There, he was reconditioned by Professor Hugo Strange and released as a free man.
Having been released, Penguin at first walked right into the place of Butch Gilzean, who has taken over Cobblepot's role as King of Gotham. Butch and his new partner, Tabitha Galavan, were astonished when they saw their visitor. Oswald was immediately taken by Butch's men and Tabitha jumped up to kill him but Butch stopped her, saying that they should at least listen. Penguin claimed that Arkham changed him and that he thought it would be impolite to be in the area and not pass by to say hello to an old friend. Tabitha and Butch are awed, considering that Penguin had once brainwashed Butch, cut off his hand and murdered Theo. However, they found out that Penguin genuinely meant it and was not even provoked after Tabitha insulted his mother. Butch then ordered his men to release Penguin, claiming that they were even because they all lost something important to them. Tabitha claimed that she won't allow Penguin to leave without some punishment so Butch allowed her to tar and feather him. Penguin saw this as a joke and left Butch's place in high spirits.
Tabitha, much to Butch's surprise, was later visited by Barbara, who had woken from her coma and been released from Arkham Asylum. Together with Butch and a crazed Barbara, Tabitha watched TV when the news from Theo's return from the dead was broadcast. Shortly after, Butch kicked out Barbara despite Tabitha still caring about her.
Search for Theo[]
After finding out that her brother was alive, Tabitha left Butch in order to leave the city, fearing retribution from Theo. Before she could flee, she was approached by Bullock and Gordon whom she told the legend of Azrael. She reluctantly teamed up with Gordon in order to catch Theo and revealed information about the 'Sword of Sin', the sword of the original Azrael, which Theo was attempting to obtain. She led the two to the Dumas Crypt where the sword was hidden.
There, they found the tomb and took the sword. However, they were then attacked by Theo who advanced onto Gordon and threw him through a door. Before he could follow, the way was blocked by Tabitha. Theo, not recognizing her, told Tabitha to step aside, but Tabitha tried to remind him of his true identity. She succeeded, but Theo also remembered that the two of them tried to kill Bruce Wayne and that Tabitha betrayed him. For her betrayal, Theo impaled her on the sword before escaping from the church. The unconscious Tabitha was brought to a hospital where she was later visited by a devastated Butch and, to the shock of the latter, by Penguin, who had returned to his former self after his father got killed by his stepmother. Penguin struck a deal with Butch, promising to leave Tabitha alone if Butch helped him find Theo.
Hunt for Fish Mooney[]
Six months later, Tabitha and Barbara opened up a nightclub in Gotham City. During this time period, Tabitha also broke up with Butch, although the two remain on friendly terms. Butch, however, still had hope that the two would get back together.
When Oswald arrived at the nightclub, he met with Tabitha and Barbara whom he at some point made an offer to sell their nightclub to him. Tabitha and Oswald were still hostile towards one another and Oswald claimed that he offered Butch to kill Tabitha for him in the hope to raise Butch's spirits. He also claimed that Butch refused. Tabitha then rudely refused his offer but was interrupted by Penguin, who told them to raise word that he was offering one million dollars to whoever brought in Fish Mooney.
The nightclub was later attacked by three mobsters who claimed that the club was on their territory. Tabitha snuck in and sliced the throats of two of the men while Barbara beat one unconscious with his own gun. The two called Oswald, who arrived with Butch. The remaining mobster claimed that they attacked because they thought Oswald was not protecting the club anymore. Barbara, however, realized that the man was sent by Butch, who had hoped that the threat would bring Tabitha back to him. Annoyed, Oswald shot the mobster. He also told Tabitha that she was only alive because Butch had not given him permission to kill her yet.
When Barbara hired the hypnotist Jervis Tetch to perform in their club, Tabitha was at first unconvinced. However, she too eventually took a liking to Tetch and, when Tetch hypnotized Barbara on-stage, was amused as well. When Tetch, who had hypnotized Barbara into falling in love with him, told Barbara that he did not return her love, Barbara almost killed him but was released from her hypnosis in time. It fell to Tabitha to apologize to Tetch.
Reuniting with Butch[]
Tabitha continued to live in fear of Cobblepot, who still wanted her dead. When Tabitha witnessed a gangster buying the same explosives used by the Red Hood Gang, a gang who was on the warpath with Penguin, she captured the man and interrogated him together with Barbara. The two found out where the gang's headquarters was located and headed there, finding that the gang was led by Butch who wanted to have the gang attack Oswald's victory party at the Sirens so that he could take them down and be seen as a hero. Barbara claimed that, if they ratted Butch out to Penguin, the two could make a deal with him to ensure Tabitha's life. Barbara left the choice to Tabitha who later decided against it. However, she told Butch that he now owed her.
During Cobblepot's victory party, Tabitha was captured by some of Penguin's henchmen on Edward Nygma's orders. By threatening Tabitha's life, Nygma forced Butch to seemingly murder Oswald. However, Tabitha killed one of her captors with a knife and brutally beat up the other. Tabitha headed to the main room to save Butch but it was already too late. The gun Nygma gave Butch, however, has been filled with blanks and Butch was shot in the knees by Zsasz. Nygma and Penguin called Butch a traitor. Tabitha tried to intervene but was stopped by Barbara. When Butch was later transported away by an ambulance, accompanied by two policemen, Tabitha set out to save him. Later, Cobblepot was informed that the ambulance had indeed been attacked and that Butch had been saved. Tabitha brought Butch to a safehouse upriver and returned to the Sirens.
When Gordon arrived at the Sirens searching for Tetch, he interrogated Barbara by smashing the club inventory. Tabitha attempted to stop him at gunpoint but the situation was deescalated by Barbara who finally answered Gordon's questions.
Losing her hand[]
Tabitha later headed out of the city to be with Butch but the two were hunted down by Edward Nygma. Nygma, whose girlfriend, Isabella, was killed by Oswald out of jealousy, was told by Oswald that Butch was behind the murder. Nygma successfully captured both Butch and Tabitha by poisoning their food. Once both were unconscious, Nygma brought them to an abandoned house where he demanded a confession from Butch. As Butch had never met Isabella, he could not confess, but Nygma, believing that Butch was merely lying, started torturing him with electric shocks. As Butch did not yield up any information, Nygma turned to Tabitha instead, but Butch managed to get Nygma's attention again by insulting Isabella, claiming that she most likely did not even exist.
When Butch, who has passed out due to the torture, regains consciousness, Nygma revealed to both him and Tabitha that he had created an elaborate death-trap. A guillotine was placed over Tabitha's hand, with a timer ticking down. Tabitha could prevent her mutilation by pressing a button which would in turn send a fatal dose of electricity into Butch's head. Nygma swore on Isabella's memory that he would release both of them if Tabitha sacrificed her hand. Nygma then sadistically watched when Butch begged for his life, claiming that the last weeks were the best weeks of his life. Accepting his demise, Butch then turned to Nygma, telling Nygma that he murdered Isabella to hurt him. However, as Butch claimed to have shot Isabella in the head whereas Isabella died because her car was rigged, Nygma realized that Butch was not responsible for Isabella's death. Telling Butch that he was sweet, Tabitha then dropped the trigger, sacrificing her chance to save her hand. Before anyone could do anything, the guillotine came down, severing Tabitha's hand, to the shock of both Butch and Nygma. Tabitha passed out and the horrified Butch pleaded to Nygma to untie him so that he could take Tabitha to a hospital. Moments later, Barbara stormed into the room but Nygma, still shocked about what he found out, just walked past her and out of the building.
Butch and Barbara brought Tabitha to a hospital where she was immediately taken in by doctors. The doctors were able to reattach her hand to her arm but she had trouble even holding a knife. After being released, she returned to the Sirens where Butch and Barbara waited with her. To the surprise of the three, Nygma entered the club as well. Butch and Tabitha were outraged but Barbara allowed Nygma to talk. Nygma revealed that he found out that Penguin was the one to kill Isabella. Nygma claimed that he wanted to see Oswald suffer and apologized to Tabitha. Although Tabitha was still outraged, Barbara told her to calm down. The four of them then plotted to destroy Oswald's legacy. Unknown to Edward, the three also planned to avenge what he did to Tabitha as soon as they were finished with Penguin.
As part of their plan to destroy Oswald, Tabitha captured the mob boss Tommy Bones, who was one of Cobblepot's underbosses. She forced Bones to call Oswald and claim that Gotham's crime bosses did not work for him anymore. Afterward, Tabitha shot him in the chest, killing him.
Doubting Barbara[]
After Barbara had successfully taken over Oswald's business, she was approached by Gordon who managed to convince her to investigate a secret shipment by the Court of Owls. While Barbara, Tabitha and a few henchmen interrogated a dock worker, they were suddenly attacked by a Talon. The Talon slaughtered the henchmen, forcing Barbara and Tabitha to flee from the warehouse. Both made it out alive, however, having still not found out about the Court. Now determined to find out what the Court was, Barbara employed Nygma to find out more because she knew that Nygma couldn't leave an unsolved riddle alone. However, this greatly displeased Tabitha because Barbara had promised her revenge on Nygma after Oswald's defeat.
Much later, Butch and Tabitha were approached by Gordon who was hunting Nygma. However, as Nygma was working together with Barbara, Tabitha was reluctant to give him up even when Butch urged her to. Nonetheless, she ultimately gave Gordon important information that led to Nygma's capture. When a furious Barbara found out, she screamed at Butch and Tabitha, hysterically claiming that Nygma was her only way to take down the Court of Owls, claiming that she could never be the most powerful person in Gotham while the Court existed. When Barbara had stormed off, Butch tried to convince Tabitha that Barbara ultimately only cared about herself and might throw both of them under the bus eventually. Tabitha, despite starting to see that her lover is right, remained loyal.
After the disappearance of Selina Kyle, her friend Ivy Pepper headed into the Sirens because she knew Selina was once a friend of Barbara's. She asked Tabitha whether she had seen Selina and Tabitha was dismissive at first. However, she then felt bad for Ivy and told her to go check Gotham General Hospital, revealing that Selina fell out of a window.
Versus Oswald[]
After returning from his Court of Owls captivity, Nygma revealed to Tabitha, Barbara, and Butch that Penguin was still alive and plotting against them. Tabitha did not believe Nygma and accused him of trying to set a trap for them. Barbara, however, still had not forgiven Tabitha for betraying Nygma to the GCPD and it came to a heated argument which was disbanded by Butch.
Together with Butch and Nygma, Tabitha headed to Oswald's safehouse. While the two men headed through the main entrance, Tabitha scouted the roof where she witnessed Selina Kyle trying to escape. As Selina sprinted towards her, Tabitha jumped out of her cover and knocked her down. They delivered Selina to Nygma and Barbara, but Barbara then sent Tabitha and Butch out of the room, arrogantly dismissing them because she didn't trust him after they betrayed Nygma. As they left, Butch furiously asked Tabitha how long they were going to let Barbara treat them so poorly.
After Oswald had been taken by Fish Mooney, Butch realized that there was someone else to serve besides Barbara. He tried to convince Tabitha that both of them should join Fish and that she might even take care of Nygma and Barbara for them. However, Tabitha had doubts and was not yet ready to make a decision. Butch then turned around and saw Jim Gordon's ex-girlfriend Leslie Thompkins in the club. He was surprised that Leslie would hang out at their club and he approached her, unaware that Leslie has been affected by the Alice Tetch virus. When Butch talked to her and inquired as to why she was there, Lee arrogantly dismissed him and called him an errand boy for better people. When Butch tried to throw her out, Lee let the virus rage and she smashed her glass into Butch's head before throwing him several feet backwards. Tabitha furiously got up and prepared to fight but then realized that Lee had the virus. Lee answered that Tabitha was not as stupid as she thought. She claimed that she had come for Tabitha's boss but Tabitha replied that she had no boss. Lee cruelly stated that Tabitha was a sidekick to her brother in the past and that she was a sidekick to Barbara now. She left a message for Barbara with Tabitha, telling her that the next time she saw Barbara she would rip her head off. After Lee had gone and Butch tried to get up, moaning in pain, Tabitha furiously asked him whether he needs help.
At the Sirens, the assembled team watched their plan come into fruition. While Nygma listened to a telephone call, Butch once again attempted to convince Tabitha that they needed to kill Nygma and Barbara. Tabitha, however, replied that the city would pay them a great ransom for Jervis Tetch and that they needed to play that out before they did anything rash. Butch reminded her that whatever Barbara and Tabitha had, Barbara now treated them like dirt. He claimed that Barbara didn't deserve Tabitha's loyalty. The same moment, Barbara entered the room and the two stopped whispering. When Barbara asked where Nygma was, the two realized that Nygma had vanished and taken Tetch with him. Barbara raged, blaming Butch and Tabitha for the disappearance because their only job was watching a man tied to a chair.
By using her contacts in the GCPD, Barbara realized that Nygma was planning to exchange Tetch for Oswald. From her inside man, she learned where Gordon was taking Oswald and thus knew where Edward and Tetch were. Together with Tabitha and Butch, Barbara turned up to the warehouse and demanded Tetch. Nygma, however, drew a grenade and threw it in the direction of the trio and all three dove for cover. A firefight broke out in which Tabitha desperately tried to kill Nygma. Barbara eventually screamed at her to let Nygma go as her priority was getting Tetch back.
Eventually, Gordon, Bullock, and Tetch escaped from the warehouse but were forced to flee on foot. As Butch, Tabitha and Barbara were still pursuing them, they fled into a nearby scrapyard where they hid. Butch, Barbara, and Tabitha started searching for the trio. They eventually heard a scream and headed to the source where they find a mutilated and unconscious Tetch. He had a gaping wound in his neck and Barbara realized that Jim and Bullock had escaped with Tetch's blood, which was all they needed to create an antidote for the virus.
Versus Barbara[]
Back at the Sirens, Barbara came up with a new plan. She wanted the three to split up and each head to a safehouse where they would later regroup. Butch loudly objected and asked for what they should regroup, but Barbara screamed at him to do whatever she told him to. Butch then furiously turned to Tabitha, telling her that he wasn't going to wait any longer and reminded her that Barbara had broken every promise she had made to her. Tabitha finally agreed. When Butch turned to leave and make the arrangements, Tabitha told him that they would do it together and kissed him. Butch then headed out to assemble his tools but while he did so, he was confronted by Barbara who revealed that she knew all along that Butch planned to kill her. Before Barbara killed him, Butch claimed that Tabitha had nothing do do with the plan and that it was him alone.
When Tabitha later arrived at the safehouse she found neither Barbara nor Butch, only a metal case on a table. When she opened the case, she found Butch's metal hand inside. Barbara then entered the room, aiming a gun at Tabitha and asked whether killing Nygma was really that important to her. Tabitha asked whether Barbara had killed Butch. She, in turn, replied that Butch told her Tabitha had nothing to do with the plot to kill her. She wanted to know whether this was true but Tabitha replied that it didn't matter any more. Barbara admitted that, for arguments' sake, she had not been the best friend and asked Tabitha whether they could leave that behind them and start anew. Tabitha did not answer, she only asked whether Barbara killed Butch, stating that she needed to know and that knowing was the only way the two of them could move forward. Barbara then admitted to killing Butch but added that Tabitha left her no choice.
Tabitha replied that there was always a choice. She grabbed the metal hand from the table and hurled it at Barbara. While Barbara ducked, Tabitha grabbed her whip and disarmed Barbara. Tabitha then slammed Barbara into a wall and Barbara started kissing her. Tabitha was surprised and Barbara knocked her forehead into Tabitha's face. Tabitha fell backwards but immediately attacked again. She threw Barbara through a wooden wall, into a part of the room where rain was dripping through the ceiling and water was covering the floor. Barbara managed to grab her gun and, although Tabitha used her whip again, the whip soared past Barbara. Barbara got back up and laughed, claiming that Tabitha should not have brought a whip to a gunfight. Tabitha, however, revealed that Barbara was not her target and that the whip was attached to en electric lamp standing in the corner. Tabitha pulled the whip and the lamp crashed onto the floor. Due to the water on the floor, Barbara was electrocuted to death. Looking at Barbara's corpse, Tabitha stated that they now could move forward.
Tabitha returned to the now empty Sirens. While she was there contemplating her next move, Selina Kyle appeared and asked whether Barbara was around. Tabitha told her that she wasn't and that wouldn't be coming back. She asked Selina what she wanted and Selina stated that while she didn't really know what she wanted, she was tired of just surviving and wanted to move up. Tabitha stated that she was at a crossroads herself and asked Selina whether she was hungry. Selina then saw Tabitha's whip and Tabitha invited her to give it a try. When Selina immediately hit a target, Tabitha was surprised. Later on, Tabitha left the Sirens with Selina, heading towards an unknown destination.
Training Selina[]
Over the course of the next three months, Tabitha trained Selina. After she deemed her ready, Tabitha sent Selina into the streets of Gotham to beat up several thugs that were located in a nearby alley. Using her whip and her fighting skills, Selina beat up all of them but turned her back to one combatant she believed to be down. Before the man could attack her, Tabitha knocked him out from behind. She complimented Selina on her performance but also reminded her to never turn her back on an enemy.
The two went back to Tabitha's place where they were suddenly confronted by Victor Zsasz. Despite holding guns, Zsasz claimed that he hadn't come to fight. He stated that the two were hard to track down, and, looking over the rundown apartment, asked Tabitha why she lived like that when she used to be right. Tabitha reminded him that Penguin stole her club and Zsasz replied that Tabitha killed his mother, so they should just call it even. Tabitha asked Zsasz why he had come and Zsasz reminded Tabitha that every criminal in Gotham now needed a licence to commit crime under the "Pax Penguina". Zsasz invited Tabitha to come to the opening of Penguin's new club the next evening, where she was supposed to "kiss the ring" and get her license. Zsasz then left the apartment after implying that Tabitha didn't really have a choice. Once Zsasz was gone, Tabitha claimed that the two need to find a new place immediately but Selina stopped her and tried to convince her that it was in their best interest to join Penguin. Tabitha, however, sternly claimed that she would never work for Penguin and ordered Selina to pack her things.
When Selina headed to the opening alone to swear loyalty to Penguin, Zsasz confronted her and asked her why she had come alone. To the surprise of both, Tabitha revealed herself and told Zsasz that Selina hadn't come alone after all. Before she could swear loyalty to Penguin, however, a gang attacked. During the chaos, Tabitha disarmed one of Penguin's henchmen and took his gun.
After both Tabitha and Selina had received an invitation to a building in Gotham, the two met up on the entrance. Heading inside, both were surprised and shocked when they were welcomed by none other than Barbara Kean. Tabitha was shocked, having killed Barbara when last they met, but Barbara replied that Tabitha should check for a pulse next time. Tabitha drew a knife but did not engage, curious as to what Barbara wanted from her. Barbara stated that she was back in Gotham and that an opportunity - a new beginning - was awaiting all three of them. Barbara then apologized to Tabitha, claiming that not a day had gone by that she didn't wish that she could take back all she had done. Tabitha held her blade to Barbara's throat but Barbara kept talking, offering a heartfelt apology and allowing Tabitha to kill her should she choose to. The conversation came back to business and Tabitha stated that it was quite unoriginal to start another club in Gotham. Barbara replied that his was not a club and pulled a lever, revealing hidden cabinets inside the walls that were filled with weapons. Barbara claimed that with Penguin owning the city and issuing licences, every criminal in town would be turning to her for weapons. She offered both Tabitha and Selina the chance to join her but Tabitha furiously refused, claiming that she could never get back what Barbara took from her. She stated that Barbara could consider herself lucky that Tabitha didn't burn the place to the ground and stormed out of the building.
The Sirens[]
Back at their place, Selina tried to convince Tabitha that joining Barbara was in their interest. Tabitha wanted to know why Selina wanted this so badly. Selina replied that she was sick of being treated like a useless child and that joining Barbara was their best move. Suddenly, a voice behind her agreed and Tabitha pulled her gun and aimed it at the source of the voice, which turned out to be Ivy Pepper. Ivy stated she wanted to talk, but Tabitha refused, claiming that she was Penguin's lapdog. Ivy, however, claimed that she hated Penguin and wanted to get back at him and the men who treated her badly. Tabitha didn't believe it and ordered Ivy to leave. She then told Selina to get word out to Barbara; Tabitha was ready to talk business but needed something from Barbara in return. The two returned to Barbara's store where Barbara confirmed that Tabitha could ask anything of her in return. Tabitha demanded Barbara's hand - as both she and Butch lost one during the battle with Penguin, Nygma and Barbara. Now it was Barbara's turn to lose one. Barbara agreed to the terms, holding out her arm as Tabitha brandished a cleaver, but in the last moment, Tabitha moved the cleaver so it missed Barbara's arm. Claiming that she would trust Barbara for now, Tabitha left the building.
After a few weeks of business, Tabitha and Selina were called to the dealership. There, Barbara revealed to them that her benefactor, Ra's al Ghul, had died and thus, she no longer needed the dealership - which she only had to be Ra's' eyes and ears in Gotham. Selina disappointedly claimed that she couldn't believe it but Tabitha flatly stated that she could. She confronted Barbara and asked whether the partnership she proposed was all a lie and Barbara revealed that it was, as Barbara couldn't have done the job without Tabitha and Selina. Selina claimed that they could still work together but Barbara coldly brushed her off. Once Barbara left, Selina revealed to Tabitha that she had intel on one of Gotham's motorcycle gangs and that the two of them could rob them to prove to Barbara that their partnership could still work out. However, Tabitha refused and claimed that the two of them could find something else.
Later, Tabitha was called by Selina, who had attempted to rob the bikers on her own. She claimed that she was trapped in the bikers' warehouse and that they were searching for her. Tabitha told her to stay hidden and set out to get her. She told Barbara that the two of them should go and get her but Barbara seemed uninclined to do so. Tabitha argued with her, claiming that Selina only went to prove herself to Barbara and that she only wanted a purpose. Barbara was not impressed and Tabitha realized that Barbara had not changed one bit, she was still completely selfish. Without another word, she stepped out of the building in order to save Selina herself.
Tabitha distracted the bikers by blowing up their motorcycles. She then met up with Selina inside the warehouse and the two hid. Tabitha whispered that she would take the fire of the bikers in order to let Selina escape. However, Selina stated that they were in this together and would get out together as well. Before the two could act, Barbara suddenly appeared at the warehouse entrance and shot all of the gangsters. Barbara was seemingly content with leaving with her share of Selina's haul, but then revealed that she had actually decided to listen to Selina and to keep their operation running. Together, the three left the warehouse.
Reunited with Butch[]
The leader of the biker gang the Sirens robbed visited Penguin and demanded justice. The three, also present, were not impressed and Oswald was suddenly interrupted by his secretary Mr. Penn, who informed him that Nygma had resurfaced in a fighting club in the Narrows, where he was openly mocking Penguin. Penguin was outraged and furiously stabbed the other criminal when he dared to laugh at that. As the three Sirens previously owed a debt to the mobster, Penguin claimed that they now owed him. He told the three to have a look at Nygma's act for themselves and then capture him and bring him to the Iceberg Lounge. When Selina asked what they would gain from this, Oswald told her that in return, he would not set every criminal in Gotham after them. After the three had left, Oswald also sent Firefly to the club in order to kill everyone inside should the Sirens fail.
While heading to the club, Tabitha revealed that she looked forward to getting her hands on Nygma. Once they arrived at the fight club and watched Nygma's horrible performance, all three were completely dumbstruck. Tabitha and Barbara were even more horrified when they found out that Nygma's partner, Solomon Grundy, is none other than the recently deceased Butch Gilzean. Tabitha was at loss for words and asked Barbara whether she knew what this meant. Barbara, still shocked as well, claimed that this meant Tabitha owed her an apology for electrocuting her. Not listening, Tabitha set off to find a way to talk to Butch, unaware that he did not remember his past life. Behind the stage, she caught up to Butch and hugged him but soon realized that Solomon Grundy was not the Butch she knew. She wondered what happened to him, and the question seemed to enrage him. Tabitha found out that Butch did not even remember her anymore. The same moment, Barbara and Selina entered the room with a captured Nygma, which greatly angered Butch. Using the opportunity, Nygma ordered Grundy to rip the women to pieces and although Tabitha tried to convince Butch that Nygma was not his friend, Grundy didn't listen. The situation was defused when Selina proposed that they settle their differences in the ring - the winner takes Nygma. Realizing that Selina wanted to pit one of them against Grundy, Nygma easily accepted the offer. He once more donned his Penguin attire and prepared the people in the fight club for the upcoming match.
Tabitha was the one chosen to fight Grundy and was confident that Butch was still there and wouldn't hurt her. She planned to simply choke him out but once the fighting began, Grundy didn't hold back in the slightest. Using his superhuman strength, Grundy easily knocked her to the ground and Tabitha could only save herself when Barbara provided her with a mace in the last moment. Tabitha hit Grundy in the face with it and drove him into the back of the ring. Slowly remembering Tabitha, Grundy muttered the word "Tabby" but Tabitha had already taken another swing and knocked him out, too late realizing that he actually recognized her. She tried to wake him back up but suddenly, the club began to riot. In their hatred for Oswald, the crowd were not willing to give Nygma up to his enforcers. When Firefly turned up as well, prepared to burn everybody inside on Oswald's orders, even more chaos ensued, but it was defused when Lee Thompkins took out Firefly and Barbara killed the club's owner Cherry, secretly a lackey of Penguin's. Before the club guests could attack them once more, Tabitha and the Sirens were forced to leave. Looking back, a hurt Tabitha saw Grundy turning to Nygma for help.
Alliance with Sofia Falcone[]
When Sofia Falcone came to Gotham to seize control of her father's old empire, she attempted to strike a deal with the Sirens. Barbara knew that the Falcones learned to lie before they could read so she did not trust Sofia. Barbara planned to still blackmail Penguin into leaving them alone and knew that Penguin would want Sofia whether she was his friend or his enemy and asked to get him on the phone. Penguin took the phone from Zsasz and Barbara greeted him with a friendly hello. He asked what she was doing with Sofia and she explained to him that they thought Sofia was his best friend at the time they kidnapped her. Penguin asked for a price for Sofia and Barbara told him that she wanted to keep her gunshop, not share profits with him and that they work alone going forward. Penguin agreed and told her that he would send Zsasz to collect Sofia. The Sirens were suspicious of Penguin as it didn't take him long to agree to their offer and sense that he was plotting against them, Sofia explained that he couldn't wait for Barbara to hang up the phone and that they needed to get out of the building. Selina told Tabitha and Barbara that they should listen as Zsasz was standing outside with a rocket launcher. He fired into the building, sending it up in flames with the Sirens and Sofia just narrowly escaping.
Later, the Sirens kidnapped Penguin's friend, Martin, and brought him into their car. Barbara thought he was cute but Tabitha just called him creepy. They brought him to a secluded location and waited for Penguin to arrive. Once he had, Barbara watched as Sofia and Penguin threw insults at each other but Sofia ultimately let Martin go. The Sirens and Sofia thought they had won until Penguin blew up the car Martin was in and began shooting at them, forcing them to run for cover behind a car. Back at Sofia's mansion, Sofia began explaining their future plans and how they were going to overthrow Pengui., Barbara told her that she had her shot and missed, even accusing her of not being used to someone telling her no. The Sirens began to leave until Sofia told them that they had nowhere else to go except with her and they stayed. After Oswald was arrested and taken to Arkham Asylum, the Sirens helped Sofia take control of Penguin's empire.
Penguin's revenge[]
After losing a battle against Ra's al Ghul and Jeremiah Valeska, Tabitha and Penguin fled to the Falcone Mansion. Tabitha immediately held a blade to Hugo Strange's throat and asked him where Butch was and what he had done with him. However, Gilzean then stepped out of the shadows behind her, with his human form now completely restored. Touched by the cure, both lovers reunited by confessing their love for each other and sharing a passionate kiss. Butch then turned to Penguin, who was watching them in glee the whole time. He told Penguin that he would never forget this and that he would be there no matter what he needed. Oswald thanked Butch, telling him that he considered him a friend. However, he then confessed that he was truly sorry to the confusion of Tabitha and Butch, right before pulling his gun and shooting Butch in the chest. Butch collapsed on the floor, instantly dying in Tabitha's arms. From the other end of the room, Penguin softly asked the shocked woman if she really thought he forgot that she had murdered his mother or that he had just gotten over it. Oswald then revealed that he had lived with that pain every day for the past few years.
Moreover, he explained that he could have killed her any time he wanted, but that he believed in an eye for an eye. She took away the one person he loved, so he took away the one person she loved, something she should get used to living with as he had to. Enraged, Tabitha ran to Cobblepot in order to kill him, but he casually used his gun a second time and shot her right in the leg, causing her to kneel down in front of him from the pain. Still in disbelief and shock, she asked him if all of this: finding Strange, curing Butch, was all so he could kill him in front of her. Penguin confirmed this and then looked right into her eyes, telling her that she shouldn't worry, since he planned on killing her too, but only in time when he felt that she had suffered enough. Full of hate, she told him that this wouldn't happen if she killed him first. Gloating, Cobblepot said that she was welcome to try before having her carried out of the mansion by two of his henchmen. While Tabitha was still groaning and threatening to kill him, Oswald then looked at Butch's motionless body, somewhat feeling sorry that he had to kill his old friend in order to get his revenge.
Death[]
Weeks later, after Gotham had been cut off from the rest of the world, Tabitha began her plot to take revenge on Penguin. She ambushed him and his men in the Lo Boyz' territory and attempted to shoot him, but the gun had misfired due to the shoddy workmanship on the ammunition. As Penguin gloated over Tabitha's misfortune, he walked up to her and stabbed her just as Barbara arrived. Her final words before succumbing to her wounds were "Barbara, don't." Enraged by Tabitha's death, Barbara swore revenge on Penguin.