Batgirl (DC)

, also known as Batgirl, is a major character and superheroine in the . She is one of the main characters of the Batman franchise. 
She is the daughter of Commisioner James Gordon (though depending on the comic iteration, she could be his niece), a major ally of the Batman, as well as a member of the Bat Family. 
She first appeared in Detective Comics #359 as the original Batgirl. Batgirl has a crush on Dick Grayson, the first Robin and later Nightwing. She also teams up with Batman and Robin to fight the Joker, and other villains from the Dark Knight's rogue's gallery. Batgirl is also best friends with Superman's cousin, Supergirl, and became close friends with fellow Birds of Prey teammates, Black Canary and Huntress. 
She was created by the late Julius Schwartz, the late Gardner Fox, and the late Carmine Infantino, and first appeared in Detective Comics #359 in April of 1967.
==History==
===Post-Crisis===
From a young age, Barbara Gordon had always wanted to be a superhero and would spend hours with her best friend Marcy designing different costumes and coming up with superhero identities. When Barbara was 13 years old, her parents were tragically killed in a car accident and she was adopted by her uncle James Gordon in Gotham City, where Barbara eventually learned about the masked vigilante Batman and how he fights against the city's corruption.
Barbara was inspired by the Dark Knight's actions and began to emulate him by learning self-defense in which she became a black belt within a short period of time. She also buckled down in her school studies and was able to graduate from high school as well as enrolled in university all at the age of 16 due to her high intelligence.
Barbara continued her self-defense training with Jujitsu and got a job at the Gotham library before she eventually pursued her dream job in law enforcement. However, her attempts were shot down by her adopted father and the FBI as she didn't fit the height requirements for the jobs she applied for. Upset by this, Barbara constructed a "Bat-Girl" outfit to wear at a GCPD fundraiser in order to spite Jim Gordon but soon wound up living her role when Killer Moth crashes the party and holds millionaire Bruce Wayne hostage.
Barbara as Batgirl finds a way to save Bruce, although he didn’t actually need saving and uses his "rescue" as an excuse to change into Batman. Killer Moth soon got the better of Barbara until she is saved by the Caped Crusader who chided her for putting herself in harm's way and told her to pursue a different lifestyle. However, Barbara did not give up winning over Batman's trust and secretly continues her crimefighting activities as Batgirl with some help from Dick Grayson, who revealed to her his superhero identity as Robin.
Eventually, Bruce accepted Batgirl as part of his Bat-Family after making her swear an oath and she fought alongside Batman and Robin for many years until deciding to retire from vigilantism. Unfortunately, it was around this time that the Joker invaded her home to kidnap Jim Gordon in a plot to drive him insane. To do this, Joker shot Barbara in the abdomen which left her paralysis from the waist down. He then took pictures of her naked and vulnerable to show her father in an attempt to break his sanity completely, but to no avail. Although Batman manages to save Jim, the experience left Barbara severely traumatized and unable to walk again.
Despite this horrific event, Barbara decided to return to crimefighting by building one of the world's most complex computer networking systems and accumulated massive amounts of information to become an invaluable source of intel for Batman and his allies as the Oracle.
Barbara would also put together her own team of female superheroes called the Birds of Prey, and even chose Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown as her successors to the Batgirl mantle. After years of secrecy, Barbara eventually revealed her careers as both Batgirl and Oracle to her dad, who revealed he already knew and was proud of her using her talents for the benefit of the world.
===New 52===
Batgirl's history was altered for the New 52. In this continuity, Barbara is not adopted by James Gordon (who is back to being seemingly unaware of her superhero identities) and is now his legitimate daughter. Barbara's mother Eileen Gordon left her family when her daughter was a young teen. A few years later, the Batman debuted. 
This inspired young Barbara to become Batgirl. Soon, she began working with Batman and his teen partner Robin. After about a year as Batgirl, Barbara was shot in the spine by the Joker and paralysis from the waist down. During this time, she operated as an information broken under the alias Oracle and served as a valuable source of intel for various superheroes. Barbara gradually regained the use of her legs over the course of three years through the use of special exercises and advanced technology, which allowed her to return to field duty as Batgirl. 
However, she had trouble readjusting to this lifestyle due to past trauma and conflicting emotions, which was not made easier by the manipulations of her psychotic brother James Gordon Jr. and an encounter with the Joker.
===The Darkest Reflection===
Her first real challenge back in the suit was a serial-killer named the Mirror who targeted those who escaped death through miracles. She met a brain-damaged psychic named Gretel who reminded her of the person she could easily have become.
===Birds of Prey===
Batgirl initially refused to join when her old friend Black Canary put together a black-ops team called the Birds of Prey. However, she assisted them on a mission when they went after the super-villain Choke. Their first encounter with him was erased from all the Birds' minds, and Batgirl does not even remember the team-up. Despite this, she helped them take down Choke's sleeper agents known as the Cleaners. They tracked down their leader, a psychic named Trevor Cahill, and Batgirl was finally able to reconnect with Canary as close friends.
==Biography==
===Early Life===
Barbara Gordon is the daughter of Roger and Thelma Gordon, and at an early age, idolized superheroes and wanted to become one. Alongside her best friend Marcy, the two would design their own costumes since they wanted to become heroes on their own.
When she was thirteen years old, Barbara lost her parents in a tragic accident, and she was adopted by her uncle, James "Jim Gordon" and her aunt-by-marriage Barbara Eileen, who lived in Gotham City, New Jersey. Moving to Gotham, Barbara took interest in the city's vigilante, Batman, and became even more obsessed about the crime fighter when she saw her uncle speaking to the Dark Knight. Barbara then asked her uncle to have her take martial class, and he reluctantly agreed to do so when he realized that she could benefit with learning how to defend herself.
Barbara proved herself to be highly intelligent and a quick learner, managing to get her black belt quickly and graduate from Gotham Heights when she was only sixteen years old. She then went on to become a student at Gotham University, becoming their youngest student and graduated with numerous honors. While at the university, she became friends with Katarina Armstrong, but ended their friendship when Armstrong tripped her during a race on purpose. While continuing to train in martial arts, Barbara took a job as a research assistant at the Gotham Public Library. She wanted to become a member of law enforcement, but she was rejected due to not meeting the height requirements.
===Becoming Batgirl===
Wanting to spite her father and the Gotham City Police Department, Barbara decided to crash the Million Dollar Masquerade Ball while wearing a female designed version of Batman's costume. When she arrived at the ball, she discovered that the villain Killer Moth had crashed it first, and she managed to tackle Moth when he took Bruce Wayne hostage. Unbeknownst to Barbara, Bruce allowed her to tackle Killer Moth so he could change into his costume and call in Robin. When Barbara was caught in Killer Moth's silk, Batman and Robin rescued her while letting Moth escape, and she was chastised by the Dark Knight for her recklessness. Despite this, Barbara refused to be dissuaded, and Batman decided to have her become one of his own partners alongside Dick Grayson.
===Becoming Oracle===
As Batgirl, Barbara assisted Batman and Robin on numerous cases while battling some of the Dark Knight's rogues gallery. During her career, Barbara was paralyzed by the Joker, who arrived at her home and kidnapped Commissioner Gordon. She survived her gunshot wound, but was left paralyzed, thus ending her crime-fighting career. Despite losing her ability to physically fight, Barbara continued to act as support for Batman by creating an advanced computer and taking the codename "Oracle". Using her photographic memory and access to networks, she managed to gather information on the Order of St. Dumas and give it to Batman. 
While supporting Batman, Barbara decided to start the Birds of Prey, a vigilante group that was mainly formed of superheroines to stop threats. The first member to join was Power Girl, but she left the group when one mission went awry and caused the death of many people. Barbara became friends with Black Canary, who had been handicapped by losing her power, and also became friends with the vigilante Huntress.
==Love-Interests==
*Dick Grayson/Robin/Nightwing
*Luke Fox/Batwing
*Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
==Portrayals==
===Films===
*In Batman: The Killing Joke, she was voiced by Tara Strong, who also voiced Harley Quinn in DC Super Hero Girls and the Injustice series, Timmy Turner and Poof in The Fairly OddParents, Ben Tennyson in the Ben 10 series, Dil Pickles in the Rugrats series, Twilight Sparkle in the My Little Pony series, and many more.
**Strong previously voiced the character in The New Batman Adventures, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman and Gotham Girls, Batman: Dark Tomorrow, Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu, and Batman Vengeance, and reprised her voice for the character in Super Best Friends Forever, Beware the Batman, and Teen Titans Go!
*LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League - Gotham City Breakout, she was voiced by Sarah Hyland.
*In The LEGO Batman Movie, she was voiced by Rosario Dawson, who also played Claire Temple in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Ahsoka Tano in the second season of The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and her titular series.
*In LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman - Rage of Atlantis, she was voiced by Alyson Stoner, who also voiced Isabella Garcia-Shapiro and Jenny Brown in the Phineas and Ferb series, The Little Engine in the 2011 film, Fluff in Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and Lydia in Milo Murphy's Law.
**Stoner previously voiced the character in Young Justice, and reprised her voice for the character in LEGO DC Batman - Family Matters.
*In Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, she was voiced by Rachel Bloom, who also voiced Silver in The Angry Birds Movie and Andy Hopper in West Young Train YTP Collab.
*In Batman: Hush, she was voiced by Peyton List, who also played young Becky Barnes in The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Emma Ross in Jessie and Bunk'd and Tory Nichols in Cobra Kai.
===Television===
* In the 1960s Batman tv series, she was portrayed by the late Yvonne Craig.
*In The Adventures of Batman, she was voiced by Jane Webb.
*In Birds of Prey, she was portrayed by Dina Meyer.
*In Gotham, she was portrayed by Jeté Laurence.
*In the DC Animated Universe, she was voiced by various actresses:
** The Melissa Gilbert in Batman: The Animated Series.
**The late Mary Kay Bergman in Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, who also voiced Djali in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Daphne Blake in Scooby-Doo and the Witches Ghost, did the yodeling and television voice of Jessie in Toy Story 2, and Wendy Testaburger, Liane Cartman, Annie Knitts, and Carol McCormick in South Park.
** Stockard Channing in the first two seasons of Batman Beyond, who also played Betty Rizzo in Grease.
**Angie Harmon during the last season and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
*In The Batman, Batgirl was voiced by Danielle Judovits as Kellie Martin voiced Oracle. Martin also voiced Roxanne in A Goofy Movie, Sadira in Aladdin, Daphne Blake in A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.
*In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, she was voiced by Mae Whitman, who also voiced Katara in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Tinker Bell in the Disney animated films, April O'Neil in the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Heather in DreamWorks Dragons, and Plaxum in Voltron: Legendary Defender.
*In Harley Quinn, she is voiced by Briana Cuoco.
===Video Games===
*In LEGO Batman: The Videogame, she was voiced by Grey DeLisle, who voices Daphne Blake in the Scooby-Doo series, and also voiced Mandy in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Sam Manson in Danny Phantom, Frankie Foster and Goo in Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Kitty Katswell in T.U.F.F. Puppy, Carmelita Fox in Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time and PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, Catwoman in the Arkham series and the Injustice series, and Kitana in Mortal Kombat Legends.
*In DC Universe Online, she was voiced by Kathy Catmull.
*In Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, she was voiced by Kari Wahlgren, who also voiced Charmcaster in the Ben 10 series, Invisible Woman in Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., Chloe Carmichael in The Fairly OddParents, Mina Monroe in Bunnicula, Starfire in the DC Animated Film Universe, Vicki Vale in Batman: Arkham City DLC Harley Quinn's Revenge, Starfire in Injustice 2, and Kitana in Mortal Kombat 11
*In Young Justice: Legacy, she was voiced by Danica McKellar, who also voiced Judy Jetson, Frost in DC Super Hero Girls, and Hawkwoman in Young Justice.
*In the Arkham series, she is voiced by three actresses:
** Kimberly Brooks in Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, who also voiced Ashley Williams in the Mass Effect series, Luna in the Scooby-Doo series, and Bumblebee in DC Super Hero Girls. Brooks also reprised her voice for the character in Injustice: Gods Among Us and Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham.
**Kelsey Lansdowne in Batman: Arkham Origins, who also voiced Rapunzel in Kingdom Hearts III and Disney Comics in Motion.
**Ashley Greene in Batman: Arkham Knight, who also played Alice Cullen in the Twilight Saga.
*In the video game Gotham Knights, she is voiced by America Young, who voices Barbie Roberts in Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures.
==Quotes==
==Trivia==
*Ranked 17th in IGN's "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes" in 2011.
*Ranked 17th in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics".
*According to BusinessWeek, she is listed as one of the top ten most intelligent fictional superheroes, and is only female character to appear in the list.
*In The New Batman Adventures and Gotham Girls, she is voiced by Tara Strong. Unlike the other characters she voiced, she voiced Batgirl in her own voice. She reprises that role in Super Best Friends Forever, Teen Titans Go! and in the animated feature, Batman: The Killing Joke.
==See Also==
*Oracle
==External Links==
*Barbara on Wikipedia
*Barbara on The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight
*Barbara in the DC Database
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