Barbara Gordon

Barbara Gordon DCWW

*Currently poses as a tech support for Batman & those affiliated with him.*

## History

### Early Life

In November of 97, the Gordons were blessed with an early Christmas gift. Born to Officer James Gordon and Barbara Eileen Gordon. For the first two years of her life, Barbara was an only child, that was until James Gordon Jr was born, Barbara’s little baby brother. Growing up, everyone dreams that their dad is secretly a hero, a white knight that stands firm against crime and helps those that can’t help themselves. Well, for Barbara and JJ that wasn’t a dream at all. Their dad was a hero, yet as great as that sounds and as proud as she was of having a police officer as a dad it did come with some complications you wouldn’t really think about when you have the romanticized image in your head of having a heroic dad. There were birthdays missed, Trick Or Treat plans abandoned and there were nights where he didn’t come home at the usual hour, so much so that after a while there wasn’t really a usual hour for him to come home and in a city as violent and rotten as Gotham, that lead to plenty of concern. Luckily for both Barbara and her brother, they had their mother to put their minds at ease and comfort them when dad missed their bedtime. That’s not to say it always worked, especially since over time it became easier for Barbara to see that her mother shared her concern about her father’s safety but at least they had each other, that counted for something.

Barbara's curiosity and intelligence shone through in elementary school. She had always been an enthusiastic learner who ate up any new challenger her teacher provided for her to test how far she could be pushed. Unlike most kids, especially her age, she was often found in the library. Not to read comics but to read science books, history books, everything that could help her get some sort of advantage in class. Meanwhile at home the contrast couldn’t have been any larger. She barely studied at all, she just prepared her homework and that was usually it when it came to dedicating free time to school. Typically it would worry a parent when a child seemingly does nothing for school when they came home, and it worried her parents too for a while but after seeing her grades time and time again be so terrific it became hard to disagree with their young daughter’s time management. It did give her plenty of free time however, so she decided to start looking for a hobby, a process her mother helped her in which eventually led to Barbara starting ballet practice, a hobby she enjoyed for the most part. Personally she would’ve preferred to look for a hobby she could practice alongside her brother, but JJ never really seemed to take any interest in hobbies, at least none that included outside activities, she didn’t even bother asking if he wanted to do ballet with her, not cause boys can’t do ballet! It’s just that out of all boys she knew, her brother was the last person who’d like it.

Just like most kids, Barbara went through a defining phase in her life when she entered High school. Her distinctive skills and interests started to emerge throughout these years. Barbara increased her interest in extracurricular activities, like her ballet,  while maintaining her academic excellence. She even asked her dad to let her do martial arts alongside ballet, something her mother was very much opposed to; however, her dad allowed her to start doing Taekwondo, a martial art meant to defend yourself, because he knew more than anyone that defending yourself in a city like Gotham was always useful. She joined clubs to try out what she wanted to do, took part in debates to see if they were any fun (they weren’t), and showed a particular interest in areas like computer science and technological advancement which was a subject she actually did see herself pursuing later on in life. Barbara's admiration for some people, specifically her dad really grew around these years and so did her pride in the good her dad was doing. The nights continued to be stressful now and then but at least she trusted her dad and had faith that he’d come home with a bright smile under that ginger mustache like he always did. There were also the people outside Barbara’s social circle she began to admire, Bruce Wayne for one specifically cause of the technologic development Wayne Enterprises was introducing (which was interesting by itself) as well as the good the CEO was trying to do for Gotham’s less fortunate areas, which was basically the vast majority of the city. She guessed people with the kind of money Wayne had usually acquired by walking over the little guy, so it was nice to see that Gotham for all it’s flaws still had some good within it.

All in all, Barbara led a good life. Two loving parents, a good school, good grades, friends so pretty much everything a gal could ask for when she’s eleven. However, she lived in Gotham, so her life was long overdue for something bad to happen in it. Like every Christmas morning before, at least as far back as she could remember, Barbara got up as soon as the sunlight began to push through the darkness of the cold winter night and just like every other time, she did so with the excitement of a thousand children. She couldn’t wait to open her presents, maybe she could even get a sneaky look into one of the boxes under the Christmas tree, however it wasn’t the dozen or so presents under the tree that caught the redhead’s eye when she got downstairs. It was a small note that was  on the table waiting to be read. Naturally her curiosity took over and she darted forward, reading the note out loud.

  **“I’m sorry”**

*-          Mom*

Not something a kid wants to read on the 25th of December, or any day for that matter. She didn’t understand why her mom left, she still doesn’t even as an adult. She asked her dad to search for her, he was a detective after all, maybe she was kidnapped but he wouldn’t. She made a decision, and it was time for Barbara to be realistic.

### Changing Perspectives

After her mom left, Barbara had to step up, become more responsible, more grown up. She wasn’t much older than JJ, only two years, but she still felt responsible for him even if he didn’t really seem to care about anything. For the first time in her life, she also saw her grades begin to drop. Not because she forgot the material she was supposed to know or because she didn’t care about school anymore but because she found it hard to focus on school. She never had to study at home a day in her life, and suddenly, the closer the end of High School got the more needed it became. Her photographic memory was useless if she didn’t take the time to open her books. Luckily, the saying ‘time heals all wounds’ was relatively correct, it wasn’t like she got over the fact her mother left, but she moved on like the rest of life did. With her brother getting older, time moving on, she successfully got out of High School. The graduation ceremony was long and drawn out, but the fact that her dad could make it, that really made it all worth it. There was no way in hell she was going to let him down after all the sacrifices her dad made for her and JJ, not a chance. After all, Gordons don’t give up.

In the last chapter of Barbara’s academic journey, she began University in the exact same flow she ended High School in. She continued to be steadfast in her commitment to her studies and broadened her horizons by exploring more challenging subjects. She became more aware of the value of information and study as she pursued her degree. Now there is one thing every single student in these United States of America could relate to, having no money. Barbara was lucky enough to be given a scholarship, but that still didn’t’ cover all the costs she had and she sure as heck wasn’t going to let her dad pay all of it for her.  So as a relatively hopeful student tends to do, she sends her empty CV to as many people as she possibly can while hoping that her listed hobbies and qualifications are enough to carry her and hopefully land her an interview, that’s where the totally (not) charming personality would have to come out and do the rest of the job. When she sent her CV to all those people, she expected to at least land a job as a waitress, that was probably one of the more realistic ones. As luck would have it though, she managed to get a reply on the one job application she dreamed of getting a reply from, an internship at Wayne Enterprises, like what??

Barbara got the chance to collaborate with some of the industry's top minds during her internship in technology and information management. She was exposed to state-of-the-art programs and data management tools, earning practical knowledge that sharpened her technological prowess. She was able to work with others on a variety of initiatives in this immersive setting, including digitizing and organizing enormous informational libraries and upgrading security protocols for crucial data systems. Her participation in a project aimed at enhancing information accessible in marginalized communities was one of the most influential experiences she had while interning. As she helped create a program that made educational resources more accessible to individuals in need, Barbara's enthusiasm for equal access to knowledge found a useful outlet. Barbara's tenure at Wayne Enterprises not only extended her views but also gave her a special insight into the potential of what may be achieved when the best brains unite to improve the world, in this case, Gotham. However, it wasn't until Bane decided to rear his ugly head once more while squaring off against Gotham's Dark Knight that her life would truly be defined.

### Stadium Attack

Barbara attended a Gotham Steelers vs. Star City Hawks game at Gotham Stadium, but the event quickly evolved into something a lot more intriguing. It seemed like it had turned into more of a wrestling contest between Gotham’s very own Dark Knight and an athlete who clearly wasn’t trying to hide the fact that he was using steroids. After a short time, the two combatants left the field, and police began evacuating the area. There was a huge commotion, people screaming, and someone yelling stuff about a bomb threat. The safest option would have been to travel as far as possible, but her curiosity wouldn't let her. Barbara followed Bane's damage trail, which led her to the neighboring sewers.  The redhead was ready to turn around and flee away when she heard a big thump and a lot of splashing sounds down there. Anyone else would've ran away right there, and she would've too if there wasn't that little voice in the back of her head telling her to go in and check out what's going on...what's the worst thing that could happen?

By the time she caught up with the fight, it was already over. The steroid addict was already out of sight, probably luckily for her. The only thing left was a whole lot of rubble and a wounded Dark Knight who was about to be dragged down into Gotham’s sewers to drown. There was no way she was going to let this be the end of the Batman, the things he’s done for the city, for the people in it, he deserves better than to meet his end in literal toilet water and human waste. She was ready to help after having steadied her footing with a the weight of loose rubble that she managed to retrieve, her jacket was going to have to serve as a rope. It was a risky plan, especially given that Bane could just as easily come back and finish the job and with how heavy Batman is, there was no guarantee she’d be able to lift him up. Luckily, there was still some strength remaining in the Dark Knight, and that combined strength proved to be enough to get him out of dodge. Naturally, she stayed with him for a little while. She would’ve stayed if it was a random stranger, but this was THE Batman. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t think about lifting the cowl up, but she didn’t. If she was going to find out, she wanted to do it fairly, not by taking advantage of his weakness. She did notice he was slipping in and out of consciousness, so she asked him a few things. His voice wasn’t as rough as people described, and there was a familiarity to it that she couldn’t quite place, and the sentences were anything but coherent. He was alive though, that’s what matters. She’d have stayed with him longer, unfortunately not everyone could afford to be a vigilante, some hard work.

The following day was one like most others at Wayne Enterprises, exciting as always. Seeing Bruce Wayne had become a regular occurrence at this point. He always passed by the offices and he always commanded the same attention, even if he was merely passing by. As he passed by, she noted that he favored one leg, putting more weight on his right side. Barbara also noticed a subtle but distinct stiffness in his walk, as if there were some underlying discomfort.  Barbara's eyes detected something else. Bruce Wayne had a few visible scratches on his face, the pattern not straight enough to be from cutting himself during shaving,  suggesting he had been involved in some kind of altercation or accident. But the most telling sign was in the way he moved his left leg. He seemed to favor it, and there was a slight hesitation in his steps, indicating a possible knee injury. His right ankle appeared to be slightly swollen and bruised, suggesting an ankle injury. It could happen, people as outgoing as him could get into a fight, in fact it was pretty inevitable. She just nodded at the billionaire and wished him a good morning, and got a smile in return along with a good morning from him as well. That’s when the last piece of the puzzle clicked.

### Figuring out Batman's True Identity

Bruce Wayne was Batman. There was no other alternative. The injury, the cuts, identical to the same cuts he saw on Batman’s jaw less than 24 hours ago, but the most damning thing was the voice. She knew it sounded familiar, she just didn’t put two and two together. How could she? There is not a person out there who could possibly link billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne and the dark, feared Caped Crusader of Gotham. The only thing that made sense about it was where Batman’s resources came from. Even a minute away from Wayne Manor, her mind was second guessing herself. If she came here accusing her boss of being a masked vigilante who beats up criminals at night while running one of the largest companies in the country…and she was WRONG? Yeaaah, she’d be fired for sure. She wasn’t wrong though, with that sentence in her head, she ringed the front gate. She was surprised she was even let in to be honest, but when a kind British man greeted her she almost ran away, instead she stood frozen in the living room with a cup of tea in her hands. The billionaire didn’t keep her waiting for a long time, and when they both sat down, Barbara spit out the truth. ‘You are Batman.’ The room was filled with silence, and from that point on, a whole new world opened for Barbara Gordon.

## Powers and Abilities

### Abilities

* **Genius-level intellect**
* **Master hacker and computer expert**
* **Skilled tactician and strategist**
* **Proficient in a martial art**
* **Exceptional leadership and teamwork**
* **Photographic memory**