Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), Batman Returns (1992)

No less than three ladies played Catwoman during the character's run opposite Adam West back in the 1960s (including Lee Meriwether's perfomance in the 1966 Batman: The Movie). Yet, Michelle Pfeiffer handily delivered the strongest version of the character to date in Tim Burton's sequel. While Batman Returns dramatically strays away from Catwoman's comic book origins, once Pfeiffer is suited up and prowling the alleyways of Gotham, she captures the feistiness, agility and dark playfulness of the character to perfection. The film even nicely develops her romantic connections to both Bruce Wayne and Batman, deftly portraying the similarities between the Caped Crusader and his feline counterpart. Since Pfeiffer hung up her claws, Anne Hathaway ably brought the character to life in The Dark Knight Rises, but we have yet to see an actress top Pfeiffer's take thus far. Perhaps Ben Affleck's Batman will meet up with a new Catwoman in the near future.