Barbara Gordon

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Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics and related media. From 1967 to 1988 she was the superhero known as Batgirl; since 1988 she has been known as Oracle.

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Character History

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Description

The librarian-by-day Barbara Gordon made her debut in 1967 in Detective Comics #359 as the daughter of Gotham City's Police Commissioner James Gordon. On her way to a masquerade ball dressed as a female version of Batman, Barbara intervened in a kidnapping attempt on Bruce Wayne by the villainous Killer Moth, attracting the attention of Batman and leading to a crime-fighting career.

The original adventures of the Silver Age Batgirl depicted her as a spirited, if inexperienced, female copy of Batman. After a handful of guest appearances in Batman stories, she was given her own back-up strip in Detective Comics. This allowed the character to be fleshed out considerably, with the shy, mousey, bookworm version of Barbara Gordon quickly giving way to a more modern, confident Barbara (also known as Babs). Devoid of her plain-Jane glasses and hair bun, Barbara started to date what would be a succession of boyfriends, the most popular being Vietnam veteran turned private investigator Jason Bard.

Barbara proved to be the most popular Batgirl with the readers as well, as they made requests for her to appear in other titles. In addition to her appearances in both Detective Comics and Batman, Batgirl made a guest appearance in World's Finest Comics where she met Superman, Supergirl, Bat-Mite, and Mxyzptlk for the first time. She also fought alongside the Justice League of America against the villainous Queen Bee. She encountered Supergirl again in Adventure Comics #380 when both heroines separately investigated a female criminal gang.

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Batgirl in the 1970s and 1980s

Her back-up stories ran sporadically in Detective Comics until the mid 1970's. During this time, Barbara revealed her secret identity to her father (who already had discovered it on his own), and both ran and won an election to the U.S. House of Representatives. She moved to Washington, D.C. and intended to give up her career as Batgirl forever.

But the fans and editor Julius Schwartz didn't want to let her go. So, soon after, Batgirl returned in Superman #268, where Barbara Gordon had a blind date with Clark Kent which went no where except establishing a friendship, and Batgirl fought alongside Superman. They teamed again in Superman #279. Afterwards, she went on to team up with Supergirl again in issue #171 of Superman Family. Years later, Batgirl would team up with Superman again in an issue #19 of DC Comics Presents.

The success of the Superman Family title caused DC to create the Batman Family comic book in 1975, which ran for 20 issues. Batgirl became one of the main features in the book, frequently teaming with Robin. College student Dick Grayson served as Barbara's summer intern, building a friendship between the two. Soon they discovered each other's alternate identities as well. During this time Barbara dated Senator Tom Cleary. Dick, who was dating fellow college student Lori Elton, had a crush on Barbara that was not returned. The Dynamite Duo teaming of Batgirl and Robin fought the criminal organization M.A.Z.E., the Earth-1 Huntress and Sportsmaster, the Outsider, and future Harlequin Duela Dent.

Barbara met Kathy Kane in Batman Family #10 when Kathy returned to her crime-fighting career as Batwoman. The two heroines fought Killer Moth and Cavalier and learned each other's secret identities. They formed a close friendship and teamed again twice more in Batman Family and again alongside the Freedom Fighters.

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Barbara also met Helena Wayne, the Huntress and daughter of the Earth-2 Batman and Catwoman, in Batman Family #17.

When Batman Family ended at issue #20, the concept of the comic merged with Detective Comics beginning with issue #481 in 1979 for a couple of years, and Batgirl continued her adventures. Even after the "Batman Family" concept left Detective Comics, Batgirl continued as the back-up feature through issue #519 (October 1982). During these years, she fought the Sino-Supermen before losing her re-election bid. She returned to Gotham City and took a social worker job, fighting villains including Lady Snake and the Velvet Tiger. Supergirl visited Gotham and shared an adventure with her. She was shot and nearly killed by the Commorant; this caused her to have a serious crisis of faith and she briefly retired her Batgirl career. But after a talk with Batman, she returned to face down and capture Commorant, and Batgirl continued to thrive.

After her back-up series of stories ended, Barbara continued to be Batgirl, but increasingly felt useless in a world filled with super-powered heroes and villains. She expressed these doubts to Supergirl during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and later spoke at Supergirl's funeral during the same period. Finally, after capturing the Commorant again in Batgirl Special #1 (1986), Barbara retired her Batgirl persona (although later stories revealed she would occasionally put the costume back on for a case here and there).

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Crisis On Infinite Earths and retroactive continuity

Template:Main The Crisis on Infinite Earths changed DC Universe continuity in many ways.

In the new continuity, Barbara was now the daughter of Roger and Thelma Gordon and the niece of Jim Gordon. When her parents died, Barbara moved from Chicago to Gotham City as a pre-teenager to live with her Uncle Jim and his wife (also named Barbara) and son James. Recently however in Batman: Gotham Knights #6, Barbara learned that Jim Gordon dated her mother Thelma before she married Roger, and that there is a strong chance that Jim Gordon is indeed her biological father, although he is not aware of that. Also, Batman and Robin both had a much more active role in training Barbara once she became Batgirl. Much of this training was covered in the 9-issue mini-series Batgirl: Year One, which updated her origin.

Barbara didn't reveal her identity as Batgirl to her father until recently, although it has been revealed that he was already aware of it.

It is undetermined if Barbara was ever a Congresswoman after the Crisis. In her guest appearance in Hawk and Dove she was referred to as a former Congresswoman and her time in Washington, DC was referenced. But in other appearances, it has not been mentioned.

As far as has been established, there was never a Batwoman in the new continuity, although there was a Kathy Kane. Whether Barbara ever met Kathy in the new continuity has not been revealed.

Post-Crisis Supergirl did not arrive on Earth until Barbara had already established herself as Oracle. Many of her earlier adventures (including some shared with Batgirl) were retroactively participated in by Power Girl instead. In addition , Barbara and Dick Grayson had been lovers at some time in the past. And, she had once been engaged to Jason Bard, who was no longer a Vietnam Veteran but was still a private investigator (and former Gotham City policeman).

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The Killing Joke and the birth of Oracle

Template:Main Image:3641 .jpg In The Killing Joke, a graphic novel by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland, the Joker shot Barbara through the spine, paralyzing her, and ending her career as Batgirl forever.

Drawing on her genius-level intellect, photographic memory, her vast knowledge of computers and electronics, her expert skills as a hacker, and her training as a librarian, Barbara adopted the codename Oracle. She now acts as an information broker, gathering and disseminating intelligence to law-enforcement organizations and members of the superhero community. She has also trained herself under the tutelege of Richard Dragon to engage in combat (usually escrima) from her wheelchair should the need for it arise.

Barbara first used the Oracle identity to assist her father on an extremely difficult murder investigations, and the later took it to the Suicide Squad. For a time, she relocated to Belle Reve prison in Louisiana to work with the team under the alias of "Amy Beddoes". Once she left the Suicide Squad, she returned to Gotham City and began aiding Batman and his proteges frequently, as well as many other heroes. She joined the Justice League and was an active member for some time, serving as both an information and communications resource. She is currently on inactive status with the JSA.

Barbara founded the Birds of Prey, a team of female heroes whom she employs as agents. Her first agent was Power Girl. When an early case went wrong and several deaths resulted from it, Power Girl quit working with Oracle. Babs regrouped and joined forces with Black Canary, resulting in a stronger partnership and a great friendship. In time, the Huntress (a.k.a. Helena Bertinelli) joined the team as a full-time agent, as did Lady Blackhawk and Lady Shiva.

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No Man's Land and Cassandra Cain

Template:Main During the period of time known as No Man's Land, Babs kept a record of what was happening in Gotham City by employing various teenagers to be her eyes and ears on the street. One of these teenaged agents was Cassandra Cain, who later saved Barbara's father's life. Seeing that Cassandra was one of the world's top martial artists, and knowing that Batman needed as many allies as possible during ths time, Barbara gave her blessing for Cassandra to become the new Batgirl. Barbara became Cassandra's guardian/mentor for a lengthy time period, teaching her how to become more human, since her father David Cain had only trained her to be a weapon and nothing else.

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War Games and healing

After Batman usurped her computers and satellites during his battle with Black Mask, which resulted in the destruction of her home and headquarters in the clock tower, Barbara cut ties with Batman and moved to Metropolis.

Barbara became infected with a virus from Brainiac and discovered that she had cyberpathic powers and could psychically interact with computer systems. After she killed the virus, she lost those abilities. As a side effect of the virus, when she was operated on by Doctor Mid-Nite with the help of Superman and Cyborg, she discovered she could now move her toes.

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Romance with Dick Grayson

Image:Nightwing117.jpg At long last, Babs and Dick Grayson (Nightwing) re-ignited their love affair, and it was carried out in the pages of Birds of Prey and Nightwing. Babs later ended the relationship when she felt Dick was being over-protective of her. In truth, Dick was being attacked in all areas of his life by the Blockbuster. Babs and Dick still love each other and remain in each other's life. After the destruction of Blüdhaven by The Society, Dick met up with Oracle to discuss their future. He proposed to her and she gladly accepted with a kiss.

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One Year Later

Template:Main A year after the events of Infinite Crisis, Oracle and the Birds of Prey continue to work in Metropolis, although there had been many changes to the team. Black Canary has apparently left the team to train further, Lady Shiva has joined the team as "Jade Canary", as has the former JLA member Gypsy. Recent stories with Dick Grayson in New York City establish that Dick and Barbara's engagment was broken though the cause is yet unknown.

In the latest issue of Robin, Batman indicates he will request Oracle's help, indicating that they've started working together again. It also appears that Oracle was not fully aware of Cassandra Cain's retirement as Batgirl, nor is she aware of what Cassie has been doing as of late.

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In other media

Barbara Gordon and Batgirl were portrayed by Yvonne Craig in the third season of the Batman television series in 1967-1968. Ms. Craig once again appeared as Batgirl in a 1972 television commercial supporting women's rights.

The Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl made a few appearances in the 1960s Batman Saturday morning animated series that was part of the Superman/Aquaman Hour.

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Barbara Gordon, this time working in the District Attorney's office, made several appearances both as Babs and as Batgirl in the 1970s Saturday morning animated series The New Adventures of Batman.[1]

The Barbara Gordon Batgirl was the inspiration for the Batgirl (a.k.a. Barbara Wilson) that was portrayed by actress Alicia Silverstone in the 1997 movie Batman and Robin. In the movie, Barbara is the niece of Alfred Pennyworth, most likely due to the fact that Commissioner Gordon played a very small role in this movie series.

Barbara Gordon has also appeared in the DC Animated Universe. As Batgirl, in Batman: The Animated Series, she was voiced by Melissa Gilbert, while in The New Batman Adventures she was voiced by Tara Strong. Strong also provided the voice of Commissioner Gordon in the episodes of the futuristic Batman Beyond. It is unclear whether Barbara takes on the role of the Oracle in the Batman Beyond continuity, as she was shot during her tenure as Batgirl, but there was no mention made of Oracle or any paralyzation.

Oracle (played by Dina Meyer) was adapted as one of the main characters in the WB television series, Birds of Prey. The series was loosely based on the comic book of that name. Ms. Meyer also suited up as Batgirl in both flashback scenes and modern-day scenes where technology would allow her to walk.

In 2004, the Barbara Gordon Batgirl began making guest appearances on episodes of the The Batman animated series. In this series, which takes place a couple of years after Batman debuts, Robin has not yet appeared, but will soon appear in Season 4.

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See also

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External links

it:Barbara Gordon

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