Paula is a slender, Vietnamese woman. She is a paraplegic and uses a wheelchair after taking the fall for her estranged husband during one of their crimes. She has black hair that runs down to the nape of her neck, dark eyes, and pronounced cheekbones and lips. Her hair is combed to either side behind her ears, though she has bangs that hang near her eyes and beside both her ears. She wears an open, royal-blue, cardigan-sweater with the sleeves rolled to her elbow and a white shirt beneath it. She wears dark-green trousers and black sneakers.
During her days as the criminal Huntress, she wore a bodysuit that was burnt-orange and brick-red in color. Around her waistline, her costume featured two, large tiger stripes that are also seen on her shoulders. On her sternum lies the marking of a feline paw-print. Her facial features were befitting of a younger lady, being fuller and rounder, and lacking the pronounced cheekbones that mark her later years. She has a large tiger-stripe that runs down her neck and black, facial paintings around her eyes and upper cheek.
History[]
Early life[]
Paula was born in Vietnam, and moved to the States later,[4]as her family was displaced during the Vietnam War.[5] She married Crusher Crock, and had two daughters, Jade and Artemis.
Paula and her husband were both criminals; he was Sportsmaster and she was Huntress. During one of their crimes, Paula became disabled, and as a result took the fall for her husband. She spent the next six years in prison, during which Artemis was raised alone by her father,[6] and Jade ran away.[7]Paula is unemployed, but is receiving a disability pension.[8]
Paula was eventually released from prison and returned home to Artemis. She spoke in private with Lawrence, stating that she had gone straight and that she wanted Artemis to not become a criminal like they had been and that she wanted him to leave. Lawrence expressed his doubts, as it would be impossible to leave the life for their daughter. Unknown to both them, their conversation was overheard by Artemis who became more determined than ever to become a better person.[6]
Batman and Green Arrow found out Artemis had become a vigilante, and confronted Paula about it. Paula was afraid her daughter was in trouble, and begged the two heroes to keep her on a straight path.[1] Batman and Green Arrow eventually offered Artemis to become part of their new covert ops team, but Paula was saddened that her daughter insisted on hiding her true identity.[9]
Shortly after Artemis returned home from her first mission with the Team on August 9, she discussed meeting her sister with her mother. Paula impressed upon her the importance of family that she had learned in the years she had spent in prison. She implored Artemis to try to get Jade to return, should they meet again.[10]
Artemis received a letter, but Paula opened it and read it herself first. It was a full scholarship to Gotham Academy, a prestigious school. After showing her daughter the letter, Artemis declined the invite, because her friends went to Gotham North High. Paula was very upset at this, and Artemis reluctantly agreed to go to Gotham Academy.[11]
After Artemis returned from an adventure with Green Arrow, she was exuberant, and told her mother all about it. Paula was happy for her, and let slip that she begged Batman and Green Arrow to help Artemis out. This sparked a fury and an insecurity in Artemis, who had always thought her place in the Team was based on her merits alone.[1]
After coming home from a failed mission, Artemis completely ignored her mother, needing some alone time in her room. Paula did not know her estranged husband Sportsmaster had snuck into the room.[1]
Paying her respects to her daughter at Gotham Cemetery, Paula thanked Wally West for his support over the past two days, which Paula labelled as the hardest of her life. Crying, she commented that she could not have coped them without him.[13]
Jade had returned home to pick up Lian. Paula told her to treasure her daughter, as she could never know if something would befall her, as had happened to Artemis. Jade told her she had good news about her sister.[14]
Paula spent Thanksgiving at the the Harper house. Before dinner, she sang with Lian. At the dinner, Helga Jace mentioned Artemis's work as Tigress, which caused Paula to storm off. Artemis caught up with her in the hallway. Paula was furious Artemis had returned to the hero life and its dangers. She also indicated her desire for Artemis to settle down with Will and become a mother to Lian in Jade's absence. Artemis denied anything going on between her and Will, to Paula's disbelief.[17]
2019-2020[]
Paula moved to Star City, close by to Artemis, Will and Lian.[18] At some point, Jade set up an emergency signal with her mother, to call her in case of a life or death emergency involving Lian.[19]
Paula was reading in the Harper kitchen when she was surprised by the arrival of Jade. Jade demanded to know why Paula had used an emergency signal to call her, but Paula hadn't. Artemis arrived and revealed she had.[20]
Paula Crock obviously cares about her daughter very much, and is determined that she takes every opportunity make sure she has a good life—opportunities that she never had. She was strict on her, even threatening to take away her "extracurriculars" if she did not do what she said, however it was only out of love as she wanted Artemis to go to a private school to gain an quality education and chances she would never normally get.[11]
Paula's estranged husband for several years. The two used to be in love, however, after going to jail and becoming paralyzed from the waist down she wanted to better her life, but he scoffed at her. This was enough for her to show him the door.[6]
In the comics, Paula Crock is the Huntress and later the Tigress, the wife of Sportsmaster and the mother of Artemis, her successor to the Tigress title. She is, however, not Vietnamese, but a Caucasian American, born Paula Brooks. Paula's post-Crisis on Infinite Earths origin somewhat resembles Artemis's life in Young Justice: coming from a family of criminals, she had a crush on Manhunter (Paul Kirk), and did everything to become a member of the All-Star Squadron. Their love was doomed, however, and she later veered from the straight path.
This is Paula's second animated appearance: in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, she made a cameo in "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure" as Sportsmaster's wife, in her Tigress outfit.