Batgirl Begins, Part One

**"Batgirl Begins, Part One"** is the first part of the two-part episode which acts as the premier of the third season of *The Batman*. It is also the twenty-seventh episode overall.

## "Batgirl Begins, Part One"

### Writer

Michael JelenicCraig McCracken (unc.)
Aaron Springer (unc.)

## Synopsis

Barbara Gordon recounts the story of how she became Batgirl. In the first part, Barbara recalls how she and her friend, Pamela Isley, led protests against corporations for environmental damage they caused, much to her father's displeasure. Unbeknown to her or Batman, Pamela is the brains behind a string of attacks against these corporations with a powerful new super-villain named Temblor. But she soon gets more than she bargains for when Temblor begins wondering why he has not been paid for his work as promised, placing her and Barbara in extreme danger.

## Plot

In a conservatory, Batman is using wrist-mounted weed-cutters to battle a new villainess, Poison Ivy. Her army of mutant plants knocks him down long enough for her to blow pheromones into his face, knocking him out and revealing she has Commissioner Gordon hostage. A new heroine arrives, Batgirl, and she dodges them and turns to Batman, who is enthralled by Ivy's pheromones and attacks her.

As the two fight and she gets grabbed by a plant, Batgirl tells the tale of how she got her start. The night before at a chemical plant, Temblor is breaking in on the orders of a mysterious patron. Temblor has a pair of gloves that generate seismic shocks and breaks open the plant door. When the police arrive he turns his powers loose on them and Commissioner Gordon uses the Batsignal to notify Batman. The two spar but Temblor makes his escape when the police arrive. Gordon and Batman talk and Batman reveals he got hold of Temblor's communication device. They're interrupted by Barbara calling to let her father know she'll be late. It turns out Barbara is with a friend, Pamela Isley, and they're sneaking into the CEO of Chlorogene to wage a campaign of eco-terrorism.They enter the office of the CEO, Ronald J. Dawson, and mess with him. They run out, ducking by the security guards. As they walk along the streets, Gordon stops by and offers them a ride. Pamela has a reputation in juvenile hall and Gordon considers her a bad seed. At the Batcave, Bruce intercepts a message for Temblor – he is unaware the mercenary's employer is Pamela, who is sending him after companies that destroy plant life. She tells him that his next mission is to destroy Chlorogene.

Batman catches up to Temblor and the two fight – after some back and forth, Temblor buries Batman in rubble long enough to escape. Barbara and the Commissioner are sharing dinner when Pamela calls to ask Barbara to help her break in to another company. Barbara has to refuse because of her father's presence. Gordon is unwilling to have his daughter involved in detective works and reveals where Temblor has been attacking – the same factories Barbara and Pamela have been going after. Bruce traces the Batwave signal to Pamela and makes the connection as well. At the next factory, Pamela is tossed out and Batman intercepts her signal to Temblor giving him a new target. Barbara confronts Pamela at Chlorogene but Temblor shows up when he realizes he's not getting paid as promised.

Pamela runs while Barbara tries to distract Temblor – he sends her flying and goes after Pamela in a conservatory where Chlorogene is growing mutant tomatoes. Pamela drops a vat on him which he easily deflects, and then starts bringing the place down and trapping her under rubble. Batman arrives and fights him while Barbara goes to rescue Pamela. She's is sent flying and knocked out, and a vat of plant mutagens falls on Pamela. Batman manages to take out Temblor's gloves but the aftershocks spray her with the sludge. The police arrive and haul off Temblor and Pamela is taken to the hospital for detox, transforming slowly due to the sludge.

## Cast/Characters

* Rino Romano as Bruce Wayne/The Batman
* Alastair Duncan as Alfred Pennyworth
* Danielle Judovits as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl
* Piera Coppola as Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy
* Jim Cummings as Temblor
* Mitch Pileggi as James Gordon
* Mona Marshall as Pamela Isley's Mom (uncredited)
* Rodger Bumpass as Pamela Isley's Dad (deleted scene only)
* Charlie Adler as Pamela Isley's low-pitched voice (uncredited)
* Neil Ross as Pamela Isley's Grandfather (deleted scene only)
* June Foray as Pamela Isley's Grandmother (deleted scene only)
* Jim Ward as Pamela Isley's Uncle (deleted scene only)
* Laraine Newman as Pamela Isley's Aunt (deleted scene only)
* Diedrich Bader as Pamela Isley's Brother (deleted scene only)
* Bob Bergen as Pamela Isley's Cousin (deleted scene only)
* Nika Futterman as Pamela Isley's Babysitter (deleted scene only)
* Ronald J. Dawson

## Events

- Character debuts:

* Batgirl
* Pamela Isley
* Pamela's family
* Temblor
* Ronald J. Dawson

- Pamela begins her transformation into Poison Ivy.

## Trivia

* Batgirl narrates this episode to the audience and continues to do so into the next episode.
* Batgirl is Batman's first sidekick in this episode, which differs from the comics where Robin is Batman's first sidekick in the comics, due to having the character being in the other WB animated series, *Teen Titans*.
* This episode's title is a reference to *Batman Begins*, which was released in theatres the same year.
* This episode was originally announced with the title "Plant Seeds".
* The first place that Pamela sends her new "Goon" is Neugog Chemicals. Neugog is the last name of Producer Michael Goguen backwards.
* Pamela's low-pitched voice and her mom are uncredited. Ronald's as well.
* Starting from this episode, the theme song by The Edge is changed to a lighter one by Andy Sturmer, with lots of new visuals as well. The credits change too.
* By the time Gordon finished his call with Barbara,Batman vanished. Batman disappearing before Gordon finishes talking and turns away is a habit by Batman in numerous Batman media.
* Batgirl initially wanted to go by Batwoman, an alias for another superheroine in the DC universe.

## Errors

* As Batman throws an ice pellet on Temblor,it turns from a capsule to a ball.
* For one frame when Pamela is being transported by the ambulance, she has her disguise on rather than her regular clothes.Outfit error.