BETSY BEATTY

Real Name: Betsy Beatty

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Social worker

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Bill, Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Delaney, Larry, Maxine Lavender, Lt. Nick Manolis, Foggy Nelson, Karen Page

Enemies: Ladykiller

Known Relatives: Melvin Potter (Gladiator, ex-husband)

Aliases: Betsy Potter

Base of Operations: New York City, New York

First Appearance: Daredevil I#166 (September, 1980)

Powers/Abilities: Betsy Beatty is a skilled social worker with special training in diagnostics and rehabilitation. She has worked with underprivileged children, domestic violence survivors, and violent criminal offenders.

Height: 5'8" (by approximation)
Weight: 130 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown

History:
(Daredevil I#173 (fb) - BTS) - As a social worker and parole officer, Betsy Beatty treated many mentally ill patients over the years, and she always looked for the best in them.

(Daredevil I#166 (fb) - BTS) - After Melvin Potter, the Gladiator, was released from prison on parole, he was assigned case worker and social worker, Betsy Beatty. She grew to know Potter as a lonely and complicated man.

(Daredevil I#166) - Betsy was supervising a field trip for a group of underprivileged children, including Larry, to the Dibney Museum of Human History. Inside, they saw Gladiator's armor, on display to showcase its weapons. Potter attacked the guards and reclaimed his armor, putting it on, and then Gladiator confessed to Betsy that he had realized she'd been kind to him because she loved him for being the Gladiator. Before Betsy could explain that her feelings toward him were only compassionate, Gladiator attacked the crowd, and he only injured one man instead of killing him at Betsy's request, though he warned her he wouldn't be so kind to anyone else. Gladiator demanded a champion to face him or he would begin killing the children. He forced a kiss on Betsy, who slapped him furiously, then he stated that he would win her affections through impressing her in combat. Betsy simply begged for him to let the children go. Within an hour, Gladiator was prepared to kill one of the kids, but Daredevil attacked, fighting Gladiator to a standstill in the nearby museum arena. After Betsy got the kids to safety, she rushed back to the defeated Gladiator and promised she would help him.

(Daredevil I#173 (fb) - BTS) - Betsy spent time working with Melvin and she believed there was inherent good in him, and she gave him consistent therapy. She encouraged him to accept the consequences of his crimes and to hire attorneys. Melvin hired attorney Matt Murdock and set up a meeting at the Storefront.

(Daredevil I#173) - When Melvin arrived at the Storefront with Betsy, he was placed under arrest by Lt. Nick Manolis and Officer Delaney, who assumed he was responsible for an assault that had happened nearby. Betsy told Melvin she believed in him as he was taken away. Becky later showed up at court, where Maxine Lavender was prepared to prosecute Melvin, but Matt successfully got the trial delayed for a few days. Despite Betsy's pleas for him to wait things out, Gladiator broke out of jail. Betsy appeared on television defending him, saying he was innocent. That night, she was attacked by Ladykiller in her apartment; she stabbed him, but he beat her until concerned neighbors, including Bill, checked on her and Ladykiller fled. Later, at the police station, Betsy made a full report to Manolis and Daredevil, claiming that Ladykiller was extremely mentally ill. She heard that Gladiator had turned himself back in. Melvin was later cleared of his new charges, having been blamed for Ladykiller's crimes; Floyd and Earl commented on it on television.

(Daredevil I#174) - Murdock got another successful delay on the trial, as Betsy sat next to Melvin to support him. Betsy later celebrated after Foggy Nelson got Gladiator's case dropped.

(Daredevil I#226 (fb) - BTS) - Betsy was kidnapped and tied to a chair. She was put on the phone with Melvin, and the kidnappers ordered him to raise money if he wanted to see her again. Over a few days, she was hit if she made requests, and gagged if she spoke too loudly or too much. During her captivity, Betsy reviewed all the patients she had worked with over the years, including domestic violence victims.

(Daredevil I#226) - Betsy heard about Melvin putting on a costume to commit a robbery. She spoke to the kidnappers, and they hit and gagged her again, but it allowed her to get a view from the window that helped her identify where she was being held. Daredevil (who'd stopped Chigger from robbing Gladiator's costume shop) and Melvin, in a classic Gladiator costume, stormed the apartment where Betsy was being held, and they savagely beat back the kidnappers. Melvin freed Betsy, they both thanked Daredevil, then the went home.

(Daredevil I#231 - BTS) - Melvin called to tell Betsy that Kingpin was forcing him to make a Daredevil costume.

(Marvel Comics Presents I#98/4 (fb) - BTS) - Melvin and Betsy got married and started running the costume shop together. Melvin started working with a new therapist.

(Marvel Comics Presents I#98/4) - Betsy saw Melvin open the shop. Later, he confessed he'd put on his Gladiator costume to scare a young man out of a life of crime, and Betsy said she supported him.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Hardcover#4: Gladiator) - At some point, Melvin divorced Betsy, and ended up fathering a daughter with another woman.

(Daredevil II#8) - Melvin and Betsy attended the funeral of Karen Page.

Comments: Created by Frank Miller, Roger McKenzie and Klaus Janson.

Betsy also appeared behind the scenes in a novel, Daredevil: Predator's Smile, when Kingpin had his aide Gary Weizack kidnap Betsy to force Gladiator back into crime. Daredevil saved her.

Betsy has largely been a background character for the last few years. Gladiator shows up from time to time to commit crimes in costume, and he was driven mad by Mr. Fear, but she's remained unseen.

Frank Miller created a lot of complex female characters that he did bold things with. Yet still they were relegated to being kidnapped and subjected to violence over and over.

Profile by Chadman.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Betsy Beatty should not be confused with:

Bill

(Daredevil I#173) - Hearing screams, Bill and other neighbors checked on Betsy Beatty, scaring off the man who'd been attacking her, Ladykiller.

--Daredevil I#173

Chigger

(Daredevil I#226) - Chigger and his friends robbed Melvin Potter's costume shop, but Daredevil broke in and stopped them.

--Daredevil I#226

Floyd & Earl

(Daredevil I#173) - Floyd and Earl reported on the news about Gladiator being cleared of Ladykiller's charges. They stated that Lt. Nick Manolis was unavailable for comment.

--Daredevil I#173

Larry

(Daredevil I#166) - Larry was among a group of underprivileged children on a field trip to the Dibney Museum of Human History with social worker Betsy Beatty supervising. Gladiator attacked, donning his armor, which had been on display there, and he took the kids hostage, threatening to kill them until Daredevil attacked, defeating him.

--Daredevil I#166

images: (without ads)
Daredevil I#166, p8, pan5 (in green dress)
Daredevil I#166, p3, pan5 (face)
Daredevil I#226, p6, pan3 (tied to chair)
Marvel Comics Presents I#98/4 (with Melvin)
Daredevil I#173, p16, pan1 (Bill)
Daredevil I#226, p9, pan4 (Chigger)
Daredevil I#166, p4, pan7 (Larry)
Daredevil I#173, p21, pan1 (Floyd & Earl)

Appearances:
Daredevil I#166 (September, 1980) - Roger McKenzie (writer), Frank Miller (penciler), Klaus Janson (inker), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Daredevil I#173-174 (August-September, 1981) - Frank Miller (writer/penciler), Klaus Janson (inker), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Daredevil I#226 (January, 1986) - Frank Miller, Denny O'Neil (writers), David Mazzucchelli (penciler), Dennis Janke (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Daredevil I#231 (June, 1986) - Frank Miller (writer), David Mazzucchelli (artist), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#98/4 (March, 1992) - Scott Benson (writer), John Stanisci (artist), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Daredevil II#8 (June, 1999) - Kevin Smith (writer), Joe Quesada (penciler), Jimmy Palmiotti (inker), Nanci Dakesian (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Hardcover#4 (September, 2008) - various writers, Jeff Youngquist (editor)

First Posted: 03/05/2019
Last updated: 03/10/2019

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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