Character Name: Batgirl
Real Name: Betty Kane/Barbara Gordon
Team Affiliation: none
First Appearances:
Batman #139 (comic
book-1961)
Batman (TV Show
1966-1968)
Batman
the Animated Series (cartoon-1992)
Batman
& Robin (live action movie-1996)
Superhuman Powers: Photographic memory; utility belt which contains
battarang (bat boomerang), tear gas pellets, bola, smoke bombs,
mini-binoculars, swingline with grapple; utility pocket book which has other
helpful aids. She also has keen
athletic and acrobatic skills.
Biography: The original Batgirl was created by Bob Kane in
1961. Betty Kane was the niece of
Batwoman. Betty Cane was not a
popular character during her first appearance in DC Comics. Batgirl became popular when ABC
introduced Batman to TV in 1966. In this series, Batgirl was introduced as
Barbara Gordon, the niece of Police Commissioner Gordon. In 1967, DC Comics reintroduced Batgirl
as the niece of Commissioner Gordon as well. Barbara's mother Thelma died in a car accident when she was
a young girl. Her father Roger
became an alcoholic, and her uncle, James Gordon, gained custody of her when
she was thirteen. She attended
Gotham State University and graduated with a degree in library science. She was also accomplished in Juno,
Karate, gymnastics and running.
Her journey as Batgirl began with an
invitation to a costume ball.
Barbara decided to go as Batgirl.
On her way to the ball, she saw a villain, Killer Moth, trying to kidnap
Bruce Wayne. She rescues Wayne,
eventually helps to capture Killer Moth, and decides to lead a life as a masked
superheroine helping to protect the community from crime. She continued to fight crime until she
was shot by the Joker in the back, which paralyzed her (1989). Since she was confined to a wheelchair,
Barbara continued as Oracle, a cyber-superheroine. She used her knowledge of computer skills to aid all of the
superheroes in Gotham City and beyond.
Two more Batgirls emerged in 1999.
Helena Bertinelli, also known as the Huntress, becomes Batman II. Later in the same year, Batman and
Oracle pass on the Batgirl mantle to an Asian-American assassin, who is mute.
So Many Characters, So Little Time: When considering the evolution of the Batgirl character, it is interesting to consider why Betty Kane did not survive as Batgirl. Although she was reincarnated as a character named Flamebird in the Teen Titans series, she spent six years in limbo. It is possible that Catwoman, who appeared for the first time in 1940, overshadowed her good-doer counterpart. Interestingly enough, Batgirl's aunt, Batwoman, who was created in 1956, did not survive as a superheroine either. She died in 1979. These two characters call into question the loyalty to good women in the comic book world. They start a trend of superheroines who are stripped of their powers after a period of time, while their villianness enemies continue to thrive over the years. Catwoman's popularity is also evident after the creation of her own comic book in 1993, while Batgirl III just received her own book in 2000. People seem more intrigued by evil women than good ones, at least in the realm of supernatural.