Originally created as a villain for the hero Wildcat, the Huntress was later reinvented as a hero. Her back story was that she was Helena Wayne, daughter of Bruce Wayne and Catwoman, picking up her father's mantle as a hero striking from the night.
In yet another incarnation, the character was again reinvented as the daughter of a mafia boss who sees her whole family murdered in a mob hit. Before becoming the Huntress, Helena Bertinelli briefly took over the title of Batgirl from Barbara Gordon, but Batman forced her to give up the cowl when he saw how violent and unpredictable she could be.
Outside of the comics, the Huntress has made several appearances.
Legends of the Super Heroes
In an unusual twist, the Huntress made her first two television appearances in live action rather than animated form. In her first ever appearance outside of the comics, Barbara Joyce played the character alongside another rarely seen DC Comics heroine, Black Canary.
The Legends of the Super Heroes shows were a campy version of the Justice League and the Huntress was played for laughs.
Birds of Prey
The Huntress would not be seen again until the Twenty-First Century. In 2002, Birds of Prey debuted on WB and ran for a single season. The Huntress was the main character, supported by Oracle, formerly Batgirl and the daughter of Black Canary.
In this version, the Huntress was the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Catwoman, Selena Kyle, and called herself Helena Kyle. Unlike the comic version of the character, in Birds of Prey the Huntress had some super powers. She exhibited super strength, an ability to leap incredible distances and some limited tracking powers.
The Black Canary guest stars in one episode of the show, giving the two DC heroines another instance where they share screen time.
The DVD release of the show also includes the three seasons of the internet only series "Gotham Girls" which includes the Huntress.
Justice League Unlimited
Voiced by Amy Acker, the Huntress arrives on Justice League Unlimited in its second season in the episode "Double Date". She almost immediately strikes up a rivalry with Black Canary, connecting the two yet again. In the third season episode "Grudge Match" the Huntress and Black Canary renew their rivalry.
The Huntress tries to save Canary from a super powered extreme fighting ring, but the two end up in the cage together, fighting for their lives.
The Brave and the Bold
The Huntress made an appearance on Batman: The Brave and the Bold, sometime in the first season. The was brought to life by Tara Strong.