Religion: witch (fake) 
Name: the witch
Classification:
villain
Publisher(s): 
First Appearance: Detective Comics (vol. 1) #336 (Feb. 1965): "Batman's Bewitched Nightmare!"
Creators: Gardner F. Fox, Sheldon Moldoff, Joe Giella
Super? (Has Super Powers/Special Abilities/Technology): Yes
Number of Appearances: 1
Employer: The Outsider (Alfred)
Gender: female
The unnamed witch who is the featured opponent of Batman and Robin in this story is not a genuine witch of the occult variety. But she certainly patterned herself after the stereotypical broom-riding hag-like witch. Although her powers were not truly magical, she did have genuine super-human powers.
At the conclusion of the story, the witch's employer (The Outsider, who was secretly Alfred the butler) explained to Batman the nature of the witch and her powers. In panel 1 on page 15 the Outsider (speaking through an electronic connection hidden in the witch's broom) said: "Actually, of course, there are no 'witches' and no 'magic!' But some people -- like the woman I singled out to be my agent -- possess extra-sensory powers which the broomstick -- being of a rare wood found only in a certain place on Earth -- can release lke a catalyst in a chemical reaction! Without the broomstick, the 'witch' is unable to function! Only a few people, abnormally gifted with paranormal powers, can cause the bromstick -- through me -- to work this 'magic'! I hoped by this unique method to defeat and destroy you . . . Though I failed, rest assured, I shall try again . . . and again . . ."
So, according to the Outsider, the witch in this story has "paranormal powers" but is not truly a "witch" and does not truly use "magic."
But is the Outsider telling the complete truth? The powerful sorceress/witch does not appear to be in this story. But according to ComicBookDB.com's entry for this story (http://comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=61815), Zatanna is indeed in this story: "Zatanna does not seem to appear in this story - but she, in fact, does. Indeed, the relevance of this story to the 'Search for Zatara' arc is not made plain except in the pages of Justice League of America #51."
The Wikipedia.org entry for Alfred (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Pennyworth), in describing his time as the Outsider, notes that the Outsider used Zatanna as a puppet against Batman in this story (Detective Comics #336). So is the witch that appears in this story actually Zatanna in disguise? If this is the case, there is no clue to this effect within this story, as far as we can see. If Zatanna is indeed this story's witch, then the witch does indeed have magical power. If the witch is indeed Zatanna, then this "fact" may have been established by a retcon in Justice League of America #51, which was published two years after this Detective Comics story.
Catwoman (vol. 3) #73 (Jan. 2008): "Crime Pays: Part 2" (visual reference)Detective Comics (vol. 1) #336 (Feb. 1965): "Batman's Bewitched Nightmare!"
Suggested links for further research about this character and the character's religious affiliation:
- https://www.comics.org/issue/18978/
- http://comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=61815
- https://www.comics.org/issue/20730/