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Barbara Gordon (New Earth)

From DC Database

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This page is similar in name or subject to other pages.

See also Batgirl for a complete list of references to distinguish between these closely named or closely related articles.

Character Template
Character Template
Current Alias

Aliases
Batgirl, Babs; Barbie Doll; O; The Masked Maiden; the Dark Knight Damsel

Identity

Alignment


Relatives
Roger C. Gordon (father, deceased); Thelma (mother, deceased); James Gordon (uncle/adoptive father); Barbara Eileen Gordon (aunt/adoptive mother); James Gordon Jr. (cousin)

Universe

Base Of Operations

Characteristics
Gender

Height


Eyes

Hair

Unusual Features
Barbara Gordon is paralyzed from the waist down.

Status
Citizenship

Marital Status

Occupation
Computer hacker and Coordinator of the Birds of Prey; Former student; former librarian; former vigilante

Education
College Graduate

Origin
Origin
On her way to a costume ball dressed as a female version of Batman, Barbara intervenes in a kidnapping attempt on Bruce Wayne by the villainous Killer Moth, attracting the Dark Knight's attention and leading to a crime-fighting career.

Place of Birth


First appearance


Contents

History

Barbara Gordon was born the daughter of Roger C. Gordon and his wife Thelma in the suburbs of Ohio. Even as a young girl, Barbara wanted nothing more than to be a super-hero. Her best friend Marcy and she would spend endless hours designing super-hero costumes and heroic identities for themselves. At this precocious age, the seeds of Barbara's future crime-fighting career began to foment.

When Barbara was 13, her mother and father were tragically killed in an automobile accident (due largely to her father's drinking problem). Barbara adjusted as well as she could. After the accident, her uncle, James Gordon, adopted the orphaned Barbara. James Gordon and his wife (also named Barbara) lived hundreds of miles east in Gotham City, where James worked as the police Captain. Barbara immediately became infatuated with the gothic city's most legendary phantom of the night – the Batman.

Barbara had become completely obsessed with the Batman and learned everything that she could about him. One evening, she snuck into her father's private home office to discover him engaged in a secret conversation with the Batman. Barbara had no idea that her adoptive father was actually worked with this mysterious dark knight. Her obsession with Batman only intensified.

The following morning, Barbara insisted that James enroll her in martial arts classes. While reluctant at first, he recognized that the daughter of Gotham City's police captain could definitely benefit from some knowledge of self-defense. Barbara excelled in her training and earned her black belt within a short span of time.

As dedicated as she was towards her physical development, Barbara equally committed herself towards her academic achievements. Gifted with a photographic memory, she easily rose through the ranks of Gotham Heights High School, and graduated early at the age of sixteen.

That same period, Barbara earned herself a scholarship to Gotham State University. She became one of the University's youngest students, graduating with honors before she was even a legal adult. She became friends with Katarina Armstrong(Now know as Spy Smasher) but that friendship ended when Katarina trip Barbara on the run track and that she won the race. (They never spoken again until a few years later.)

Just starting out at the tender age of 16, Barbara continued with her self-defense training, this time learning the art of Jujitsu under a sensei named Dragoncat. To supplement her income, she accepted a position as a research assistant at the Gotham Public Library. Her true dream however, was to one day work in the field of law enforcement. She asked her father about joining the police academy, but James laughed at her, claiming that she didn't even meet the height requirements. She also attempted to enroll at the local FBI office as a field agent,but they dismissed her, citing many of the same reasons.

A few nights later, Barbara found an opportunity that would ultimately change her life forever. The Gotham City Police Department decided to host the Million Dollar Masquerade Ball at the Bristol Country Club. Dozens of Gotham City's most affluent leading citizens, including the likes of Bruce Wayne and J. Devlin Davenport, were expected to attend. Barbara sewed a stylish, feminine version of Batman's costume based upon designs that she first conceived as a child. For the most part, she intended on crashing the party as this "Batgirl" merely to spite her father.

When she arrived however, she found that somebody else had decided to crash the party before her. A costumed criminal named Killer Moth and his cronies raided the country club, grabbing Bruce Wayne as a hostage. It was their intent to rob the charity proceeds as well as extort hundreds of thousands of dollars from Gotham's wealthiest patrons.

Barbara now found herself acting as Batgirl in deed as well as in name. She tackled Killer Moth in the hopes of rescuing Bruce Wayne from his clutches. What she didn't realize though, was that Bruce Wayne was actually Batman. He allowed Batgirl to rescue him so that he could sneak off to change into his work clothes. Returning to the scene with his sidekick, Robin, Batman discovered that Killer Moth had gotten the better of Batgirl. In order to free her from the morass of Killer Moth's silk-spinner gun, they were forced to let the criminals get away. Batman chided Batgirl harshly for her foolish antics, and warned her against pursuing such a reckless lifestyle. Hearing such criticism from a man she idolized for so long was a shock for Barbara, but it did not deter her from her chosen path. Despite his disapproval, he sent her Batarangs via Dick Grayson, who subtly revealed to her that he was Robin. Barbara was able to solve the case, and by story's end, Batman swore her in an oath and also revealed his identity.

As the years went on, however, Barbara found her role as Batgirl less and less fulfilling, and she eventually more or less retired. That's when the Joker showed up at her house, shooting and paralyzing her and when he kidnapped her Uncle Jim. Batman rescued Jim Gordon, but 19 year-old Barbara Gordon's career as a crime fighter was over. She spent a month in a deep depression.

Recognizing she could no longer be the kind of superhero she had been, she instead devoted all her time to developing one of the world's most complex and powerful computer systems and set to work accumulating information, renaming herself "Oracle."

Blessed with a photographic memory, Barbara reads dozens of the world's top newspapers and magazines daily. She's also constantly gathering information from other, less public sources, such as the CIA's mainframe, not to mention the data networks of the FBI, NSA and Interpol (all without their knowledge or consent).

Oracle has proven an absolutely invaluable resource to the Batman and his allies, as well as countless other superheroes, few of whom know anything about the person behind the name. Oracle has formed an alliance with fellow heroes Black Canary and The Huntress to aid those in need. Together, they are the Birds of Prey, combining their unique abilities and skills in the war against crime and terror.

Birds of Prey

Barbara founds the Birds of Prey, a team of female heroes, whom she employs as agents. Her first agent is Power Girl. However, when an early case goes awry and several deaths result from it, Power Girl blames Barbara and stops working with Oracle on a regular basis. (Although she helps Oracle occasionally, when Oracle invites Power Girl to rejoin the team after the events of Infinite Crisis, she replies that she'll do so "when Hell freezes over.")

Barbara joins forces with superhero Black Canary. The two – similar in both having lost their original abilities while fighting crime, yet managing to overcome their handicaps – would later meet in person and become best friends (Birds of Prey #29). The two form the nucleus of the Birds of Prey.

The Huntress joins the team as a full-time agent, as do Lady Blackhawk and Vixen. Although the personnel on Barbara's team grows and changes, Huntress and Lady Blackhawk remain core agents.

During the "No Man's Land" storyline, Barbara employs various teenagers to be her eyes and ears on the street. One of these young agents is Cassandra Cain; she later saves Jim Gordon's life. Barbara realizes that Cassandra is actually one of the world's top martial artists; it is revealed that her father, David Cain, had trained her to be a weapon from infancy. Barbara accedes to Cassandra taking up the Batgirl mantle, and becomes Cassandra's mentor.

Metropolis

During the "War Games" storyline, Batman, who is battling the Black Mask, usurps Oracle's computers and satellites. This results in the destruction of Barbara's home and headquarters in the clock tower. Subsequently, Barbara decides to move on, and leaves Gotham City altogether. She cuts her ties with Batman, and after a temporary world trip with her team, relocates to Metropolis.

After becoming herself infected with an advanced virus delivered by Brainiac, Barbara develops cyberpathic powers that allow her to psychically interact with computer information systems. Although she loses these abilities after the virus is renderd dormant, following an operation by Doctor Mid-Nite she discovers she can move her toes. However, this proves to be a short-lived effect, and Barbara remains paralyzed.

Although Barbara and Dick Grayson (the superhero now code-named Nightwing) re-ignite their romance, Barbara ends the relationship when she feels Dick is being over-protective of her. In truth, the villain Blockbuster is attacking all areas of Dick's life. Barbara and Dick still love each other and remain in each other's lives; after the destruction of Blüdhaven by The Society, Dick proposes and Barbara accepts.

However, their romance is cut short by the Infinite Crisis storyline. Alexander Luthor's master plan to recreate the multiverse relies upon diverting the attention of the world's heroes. Dick is severely injured in the battle for Metropolis, and Barbara stays by his side as he recovers. When Batman asks Dick to join him on his quest to recreate Batman, Dick is torn because of his engagement to Barbara. Barbara returns the engagement ring because she feels that Dick needs a soul-searching quest as much as his mentor, and understands that she and Dick aren't ready for marriage. Dick goes with Batman, but leaves Barbara a note, the ring, and a photograph of them as Robin and Batgirl, promising to come back to her.

One Year Later

A year after the events of Infinite Crisis, Oracle and her team continue to work in Metropolis. Barbara works with Batman, although not on a regular basis as before — she prefers to work primarily with her own agents. Oracle is not immediately aware of Cassandra's retirement as Batgirl, nor her subsequent take-over of the League of Assassins. (Cassandra becomes a sore point with Oracle: she slaps Misfit, a metahuman girl pretending to be Batgirl, for merely mentioning Cassandra's name.)

Barbara continues to lead the Birds of Prey, and expanded the ranks of the operation. Black Canary leaves the team, having decided to devote herself to raising her adopted daughter, Sin. Huntress remains as the team's de facto field leader, and Big Barda has been brought in as the group's heavy-hitter alongside a larger, rotating roster.

Oracle and her team struggle for power with Spy Smasher, a government agent who has taken over the Birds of Prey organization. After the completion of a mission in Russia in which the team rescues the resurrected Ice, Barbara challenges Spy Smasher to a hand-to-hand fight: the winner takes the Birds of Prey. Although Barbara wins the fight, Spy Smasher reneges on the deal. Every agent Oracle has ever employed, male and female, appears to provide support. Black Canary leads the group and, deploying reason and threats, convinces Spy Smasher that the Birds of Prey cannot exist without Oracle in charge. Spy Smasher is forced to admit her defeat. At the end of the issue, Barbara finds Misfit, discovers she's an orphan, and adopts her into the Birds of Prey.

In Countdown, Barbara dispatches the Question and Batwoman to capture Trickster and Piper following their role in the murder of the Flash. She struggles to keep the identities of the world's heroes from being stolen and coordinates the response to a global crisis engineered by the Calculator, a villainous hacker and information broker. At the same time, the Legion of Super-Heroes members Karate Kid and Triplicate Girl storm her headquarters, demanding her assistance. Unfortunately, Oracle was busy trying to keep Calculator from hacking her system, and so she attempted ot send them away. After defeating the lesser computer hacker, Oracle runs a series of test on Karate Kid and discovers that he is dying of some unknown illness, and she then sends him out to locate someone who might be able to help him.

Later, after discovering that Green Arrow has proposed to Black Canary, Oracle tries to talk Dinah out of the marriage, reminding her of all the times that Oliver cheated and hurt her. In the end however Dinah states that her love for Oliver is too deep to just give up. Dinah then asks Oracle to be her maid of honor at the wedding, which Oracle agrees to do.


Powers and Abilities

Powers

Cyperpathy (formerly): While she was infected with the Braniac virus she had cyberpathic powers and can psychically interact with computer systems.

Abilities

Photographic Memory

Genius-level Intellect (Computers)

Expert Computer Hacker

Master Detective

Martial Arts Master: trained martial artist. Barbara is an above-average hand-to-hand combatant. Kung Fu master Richard Dragon helped Barbara to hone her martial prowess during a time when he too was using a wheelchair. Has mastered Stick Fighting, Dragon Style Kung Fu, and Boxing.

Strength level

Above Average: Barbara Gordon possesses the strength level of a woman her age, size and weight who engages in intensive regular exercise. In part because of her use of her manual wheelchair, Barbara maintains prodigious upper body strength.

Weaknesses

Paraplegic


Paraphernalia

Equipment: As Batgirl, her equipment where Batarangs, Smoke bombs, a grappling hook, and some other gadgets.

  • Cowl Lenses: As Batgirl, Barbara could press a button on her cowl which put various lenses over her eyes. She had a clear lens, a telescopic-vision lens, a microsopic-vision lens, a thermal lens, and a multi-light tracer lens. The multi-light tracer device had eventually replaced her Batcycle's function.

Transportation: As Batgirl, Barbara Gordon used to ride a specially modified motorcycle, with a built-in crime-detection lab.
Weapons: None known.


Notes

  • While communicating over secure lines, Oracle often refers to herself as "O". [1]

Trivia

  • Barbara Gordon has a photographic memory.
  • In Pre-Crisis continuity, Barbara Gordon was a brown belt in Judo. In her Post-Crisis origin, she has a black belt in Karate.
  • In Pre-Crisis continuity, Barbara Gordon held a doctorate in history.
  • Batgirl was once featured in a one-page advertisement for Hostess Twinkies Cakes. In the story, she must stop jewel thief extraordinare, Jet-Set Jesse, from robbing a supply of jewels. Batgirl distracts her by throwing her a handful of Hostess snacks before taking her to prison.
  • In Batgirl #45 Souls: Barbara says that she was 18 years old when she was Batgirl.
  • Barbara Gordon is scheduled to receive the "All-Star" treatment in 2007 when DC Comics launches All-Star Batgirl. The series will be written by Geoff Johns with illustrations by J.G. Jones. According to Johns, "It's a mystery in the vein of Batman: Long Halloween that revolves around the 'new' Batgirl, Barbara Gordon." [2]

Appearances in Other Media

Batman

Yvonne Craig as Batgirl
Yvonne Craig as Batgirl

The Silver Age Batgirl was actually based upon a character first featured in the 1966 live-action Batman television series. Actress Yvonne Craig played the role of Barbara Gordon – daughter of Gotham City police commissioner, James Gordon. ABC submitted an eight-minute movie-short to studio executives featuring an encounter between Batgirl and Killer Moth. The promotional footage proved satisfying enough, that they included the character in the third season premiere episode, "Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin". Although this proved to be the final season of series production, Batgirl managed to make 26 appearances before cancellation. Craig's portrayal of Batgirl led DC Comics executive editor Julius Schwartz to re-envision the character for their comic line, and Barbara Gordon debuted that same year in Detective Comics #359 (cover dated January, 1967). In her first live-action adventure, Batgirl found herself the victim of the villainous Penguin who kidnapped Barbara with the intent of marrying her. It was the Penguin's hope that as the son-in-law to Gotham City's police commissioner, he would be exonerated from his past crimes. Batman and Robin attempted to rescue her, but Barbara managed to extricate herself, swinging into action as Batgirl. She even managed to save the Dynamic Duo from being dipped into a vat of boiling water.

New Adventures of Batman

The Silver Age Batgirl was a recurring supporting character on the 1977 animated series The New Adventures of Batman. She first appeared in the fifth episode "The Bermuda Rectangle", voiced by Melendy Britt. She also appeared in the following episode "Curses: Oiled Again!" Britt also provided the voice for Catwoman for the series. The animated version of Batgirl was very similar to her comic book counterpart, boasting a costume similar to the one seen in the comics, as well as a motorcycle. An eight-inch Mego action figure of Batgirl was re-released that same year bearing a slightly different costume design than the 1974 Batgirl toy.

Birds of Prey

Barbara Gordon from Birds of Prey
Barbara Gordon from Birds of Prey

Barbara Gordon was a feature character in the short lived Birds of Prey television series which aired on the WB network from October of 2002 until February of 2003. Played by actress Dina Meyer, Barbara Gordon functioned as the handicapped coordinator of a group of young female vigilantes operating in a Gotham City of the near-future. Her origin in the series closely mimicked that shown in the comic books, including an encounter with the Joker, which led to her paraplegia and wheelchair use. The series was peppered with flashbacks showing Meyer wearing a version of the traditional Batgirl costume, and in the series finale, she briefly regained the ability to walk and adventured as Batgirl one final time.

Recommended Reading

Related Articles

See Also


Links and References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Batman #608
  2. ↑ Comic Shop News #1005




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