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From SCIFIPEDIA
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Batgirl is a fictional comic book character owned by DC Comics. The first Bat-Girl was a silly character created in 1961, before the Silver Age of Comics really kicked in for Batman which was in 1964 when he received what was called his “new look”. This look, best recognized by the slim race car Batmobile and the yellow circle behind his chest symbol, carried over to the Batman live action TV Series in 1966. The Barbara Gordon Batgirl character (referred to as the Silver Age Batgirl) was first created and seen on this same Batman TV Series during its third season. The comic book company was quick to create their own version of the character for their comic book line. After the retirement this Batgirl, a third Batgirl, named Cassandra Kane, was created.
Original Bat-Girl
Origin
When she had discovered that her Aunt, Kathy Kane, had become Batwoman largely to try and attract Batman, Betty Kane decided she would join her to go after her longtime crush, Robin.
History
This character wasn’t seen again after 1964, when a new Batman editor decided that Bat-Girl (along with Batwoman, Ace the Bat-Hound and Bat-Mite, the Magic Imp) was too silly for the “new look” Batman. She appeared about four times in the early 1970s in Teen Titans West, and then was not included in the Modern Age of Comics continuity at all. In the Modern Age, the character was partially resurrected in the form of Bette Kane, Flamebird.
Silver Age Batgirl
Origin
| Silver Age Batgirl
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The Utility Purse would not last!
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| Gender
| Female
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| Publisher
| DC Comics
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| Origin
| Gotham City
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| First Appearance
| Detective #359 (1967)
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| Creator(s)
| Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino
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| Alter ego
| Barbara Gordon
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| Aliases
| Oracle
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| Abilities
| Martial Arts, Photographic Memory
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| Affiliations
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Barbara Gordon’s parents were killed in a car accident at a young age. She is taken in and adopted by her uncle, James Gordon, who happened to be a Police Captain in (later to become Police Commissioner of) Gotham City. Living in this new place, she becomes interested in the city’s local legend, Batman. She also convinces her adopted father to allow her to take martial arts courses from a young age. Barbara has a high level intellect and a photographic memory. With these gifts, she graduates high school at 16, and is in her second year at Gotham State University at the age of 18. She continues her martial arts training and works part time as a research assistant at the Gotham Public Library. She wants to go into law enforcement, but her father discourages her, and the height requirement keeps her out of the FBI.
At a masquerade charity ball, she decides to attend in a female version of a Batman costume she designs and puts together. The ball is interrupted by the villain Killer Moth, who is there to rob the charity money and its patrons. Already dressed for the part, Barbara decides to throw caution into the wind and go into action as Batgirl. Bruce Wayne has also attended the ball, and allows Batgirl to rescue him so that he, as Batman, can come back and catch the costumed villain. By the time he returns, Batgirl has easily defeated the villain. Barbara’s career as Batgirl has begun.
Character History
Batgirl is not as well-trained as Batman, but her enthusiasm, martial arts training, and intellect help her learn on the job. It is during this time that she becomes friends with Dick Grayson, the first Robin. Eventually, she loses interest in costumed crime fighting, and becomes semi-retired. At this point, she appears very seldom in comics as Batgirl, and only occasionally as Barbara Gordon.
Batgirl hanging with Robin (Dick Grayson)
It would be the events occuring in the graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) by Allan Moore and Brian Bolland that would change the character forever and bring her back to the attention of comics fans.
Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.
In Batman: The Killing Joke, the Joker comes to her home, shoots her, and kidnaps Commissioner Gordon. Batman rescues Gordon, but Batgirl’s career is over. The bullet has paralyzed her, and she no longer has the use of her legs.
Though now wheelchair bound, Barbara Gordon was not done. She would return to the superhero community as a disembodied voice and computer avatar known as Oracle.
Modern Age Batgirl
Origin
Cassandra Cain was raised by David Cain, considered by some to be the world’s deadliest assassin. Hoping that she would go into the family business, Cain made sure that she was trained in every form of combat that existed. So intense was her martial arts training that her language skills were impaired, and Cassandra couldn’t read and could barely speak. Making up for this loss, she could read body language so intently that she could predict her opponent’s next move. After her first assassination, Cassandra regrets the path she has taken, and decides to spend her life making up for it. Eventually, she becomes one of Oracle’s Birds of Prey. When she saves Commissioner Gordon’s life from David Cain, Oracle (former Batgirl Barbara Gordon) convinces Batman to take her in and make her the new Batgirl.
Character History
When Batgirl telepathically gains the ability to use language readily, she loses the ability to read body language. Lady Shiva, who travels the world looking for combat challenges and yet has never been defeated, helps her regain her body language reading ability in return for a duel. Eventually, Batgirl defeats Shiva, making her, perhaps, the greatest martial artist in the world (even better than Batman). It is later revealed that Lady Shiva is Cassandra’s biological mother.
Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.
When Robin returns from a year traveling the world with Batman, he is shocked to discover Cassandra the head of the League of Assassins. Is Cassandra a villain now? It is revealed in Teen Titans #44 that she has been under the mental control of Deathstroke, the Terminator. Robin seems to free her of the control, but at the end of the battle she disappears.
Currently, Cassandra seems back on the side of the angels, working for Batman as a member of his "other" superhero team, The Outsiders.
Batgirl Portrayals
- Batgirl was originally played by Yvonne Craig in the Batman 1966 live action TV Series.
- Jane Webb voiced Batgirl on the Superman/Batman Hour in 1968.
- Melinda Britt voiced Batgirl in the animated New Adventures of Batman and Robin (1977) and in the Tarzan and the Super 7 (1978).
- Tara Strong voiced Batgirl in the animated New Batman Adventures TV Series (1997).
- Mary Kay Bergman voiced the character in the straight to video animated movie Subzero (1998).
- Dina Meyer played the Batgirl/Oracle character in the live action TV series Birds of Prey (2002).
- Danielle Judovits voiced the character in the new animated TV series The Batman (2004).
External links
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