Barbara Gordon

Oracle
File:Birds58.jpg Barbara as Oracle. Promotional art for Birds of Prey #58 (2003). Art by Ed Benes.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	as Batgirl: Detective Comics #359 (January 1967) as Oracle: Suicide Squad #23 (January 1989)
Created by	Gardner Fox Carmine Infantino
In-story information
Alter ego	Barbara Gordon
Team affiliations	Birds of Prey Batman Family Seven Soldiers of Victory Suicide Squad Justice League
Notable aliases	Batgirl, Amy Beddoes, Oracle
Abilities	Skilled martial artist, Genius-level intellect; Superb hacker Skilled detective Photographic memory

Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics and related media. From 1966 to 1988 she was the superhero known as Batgirl; since 1989 she has been known as Oracle.

Fictional character history

Origin

Barbara Gordon debuted in Detective Comics #359 (cover-dated 1967, although the comic was actually released in late 1966) as the daughter of Gotham City's Police Commissioner James Gordon. On her way to a costume ball dressed as a female version of Batman, Barbara intervenes in a kidnapping attempt on Bruce Wayne by the villainous Killer Moth, attracting the Dark Knight's attention and leading to a crime-fighting career.

In her original adventures during the Silver Age, Batgirl is depicted as a librarian by day, and a spirited crimefighter by night. After a handful of guest appearances in Batman stories, she was given her own back-up strip in Detective Comics. This allowed the character to be fleshed out considerably, with the shy, mousy, bookworm version of Barbara Gordon quickly giving way to a more modern, confident character. Devoid of her plain-Jane glasses and hair bun, Barbara starts to date what would become a succession of boyfriends, the most popular being Vietnam-veteran-turned-private-investigator Jason Bard.

Barbara proved to be more popular than her predecessor (Bette Kane, the Bat-Girl), as readers requested for her to appear in other titles. In addition to her appearances in both Detective Comics and Batman, Batgirl made a guest appearance in World's Finest Comics where she met Superman, Supergirl, Bat-Mite, and Mxyzptlk for the first time. She also fights alongside the Justice League of America against the villainous Queen Bee. She encounters Supergirl again in Adventure Comics #381 when both heroines separately investigate a female criminal gang.

Batgirl in the 1970s and 1980s

Her back-up stories ran sporadically in Detective Comics until the mid 1970s. During this time, Barbara revealed her secret identity to her father (who had already discovered it on his own), and served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She moved to Washington, D.C., intending to give up her career as Batgirl.

Editor Julius Schwartz brought her back in Superman #268, where she has a blind date with Clark Kent, establishing their friendship, and allowing Batgirl to fight alongside Superman. Batgirl and Superman team up twice more, in Superman #279 and DC Comics Presents #19. She also teamed up with Supergirl in Superman Family #171, and the two became close friends, with Batgirl delivering Supergirl's eulogy during the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline.

File:GothamKnights43.jpg

Promotional art for Batman: Gotham Knights #43 (2003), featuring Barbara as Batgirl. Art by Brian Bolland, after Carmine Infantino.

In 1975, DC created the Batman Family comic book, which ran for 20 issues. Batgirl became one of the main features in the book, frequently teaming with Robin. Dick Grayson (Robin's alter ego) served as Barbara's summer intern, building a friendship between the two. Soon they discovered each other's alternate identities. During this time, Barbara dated Senator Tom Cleary. Dick, who was dating fellow college student Lori Elton, had a crush on Barbara that was not reciprocated. The "Dynamite Duo" teaming of Batgirl and Robin fought the criminal organization M.A.Z.E., supervillains Huntress, Sportsmaster, the Outsider, and Duela Dent, who later appeared in the Teen Titans as the Harlequin.

Barbara met Batwoman in Batman Family #10, when the retired superheroine returned to her crime-fighting career. The two fought Killer Moth and Cavalier, and learnt about each other's secret identities. They formed a friendship and teamed up twice more in Batman Family and again alongside the Freedom Fighters.

Barbara also met Helena Wayne, the Huntress and daughter of the Batman and Catwoman in the parallel universe "Earth-Two," in Batman Family #17.

When Batman Family ended at issue #20, the concept of the comic merged with Detective Comics, beginning with issue #481 in 1979, and Batgirl continued her adventures. Even after the "Batman Family" concept left Detective Comics, Batgirl continued to appear in the back-up features through issue #519 (October 1982). She returned to Gotham City and took a job as a social worker, fighting villains such as Lady Snake and the Velvet Tiger. Supergirl visited Gotham and shared an adventure with her. Later, Batgirl was shot and nearly killed by the criminal Commorant; while recovering, she had a serious crisis of faith and briefly retired. After a talk with Batman, however, she returned to face down and capture Commorant, and returned to crimefighting.

After her back-up series of stories ended, Barbara continued to be Batgirl, but increasingly felt unnecessary in a world filled with super-powered heroes. She expressed her doubts to Supergirl during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Finally, after capturing the Commorant again in Batgirl Special #1 (1988), Barbara retired her Batgirl persona (although later stories revealed she occasionally put the costume back on for special cases).

Batgirl after Crisis on Infinite Earths

Main article: Crisis on Infinite Earths

Crisis on Infinite Earths changed DC Universe continuity in many ways.

In the new continuity, Barbara is born to Roger and Thelma Gordon, and is Jim Gordon's niece.

In Batman: Gotham Knights #6, Batman discovers a letter that Barbara has been keeping in a safe deposit box (that is later stolen). The letter reveals that Barbara knew Jim Gordon had dated her mother Thelma before she married Roger, and that there is a chance that Jim Gordon might be her biological father, although he is not aware of that. Barbara states that she has not confronted Jim about this — not because she is afraid it might be true, but because she is afraid it might not be.

She shows interest at a young age in superheroes, often dressing up as one. Barbara's mother and aunt are killed in a car accident, partly caused by her father's drinking. Roger begins drinking heavily and takes his aggression out on the girl. Barbara takes on a great deal of responsibility to cover for her father, consoling herself by thinking her father is not the same man she had once known. Eventually Roger's drinking and self-abuse cause his death.

James Gordon adopts his orphaned niece. James "Jim" Gordon, his wife (also named Barbara), and their son live in Gotham City, where he is a police Captain (Batman: Year One). Although James and young Barbara initially do not get along, with time they grow close (Secret Origins #20) — Barbara comes to think of him as her father.

Barbara is a highly gifted child, and graduates from High School at an early age. In college she accepts a position as a research assistant at the Gotham Public Library, although she dreams of one day working in law enforcement. This is a source of conflict between her and Jim, as she doesn't even meet the height requirements, and he feels she should follow a less dangerous career. She attempts to enroll in the FBI as a field agent, but they dismiss her, mostly due to her physical build.

Angry at her father, Barbara crashes the Gotham City Police Department's annual Ball, wearing a version of Batman's costume. However, Killer Moth, a costumed criminal, attempts to rob the revelers at event, and Barbara now finds herself taking on the Batgirl persona in order to thwart him. This proves to be the start of her successful crime-fighting career. Batman and Robin soon take an active role in training Barbara, as process depicted in the nine-issue mini-series Batgirl: Year One.

Although Barbara's time as a Congresswoman is not mentioned often, it was included in her post-Crisis origin story in Secret Origins #20 (1987), and again in Hawk and Dove #22-24 (1991). However, other than in these comics, this part of her life is rarely, if ever, mentioned.[1]

In the post-Crisis continuity, Supergirl does not arrive on Earth until Barbara has already established herself as Oracle; many adventures she shared with Batgirl are now retroactively described as having been experienced by Power Girl. In addition, Barbara and Dick Grayson have been lovers at some time in the past, and Barbara was once engaged to Jason Bard, (who is no longer a Vietnam veteran but a private investigator and former Gotham City policeman).

Exit Batgirl, Enter Oracle

File:3641 .jpg

Barbara as Oracle. Promotional art for Birds of Prey TP - New Edition (2002). Art by Matt Haley.

In Batman: The Killing Joke, a graphic novel by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland, the Joker shoots Barbara with a handgun (apparently a Ruger Bisley revolver, possibly chambered in .44 Magnum), intending to drive her father James Gordon into madness. The bullet severs her spine, permanently paralyzing her from the waist down and ending her career as Batgirl. The Joker selects Barbara because she is Gordon's daughter; he does not know that Batgirl and Barbara Gordon are the same person.

Initially, Barbara's paralysis plunges her into a state of reactive depression. However, she soon realizes that her aptitude for and training in information sciences have provided her with tremendous skills that could be deployed to fight crime. In a world increasingly centered on technology and information, she possesses a genius-level intellect; photographic memory; deep knowledge of computers and electronics; expert skills as a hacker; and graduate training in library sciences.

After a dream in which Batgirl sees an all-knowing woman (similar to Oracle at Delphi of Greek mythology) with Barbara's own face, Barbara adopts Oracle as her codename. She serves as an information broker, gathering and disseminating intelligence to law enforcement organizations and members of the superhero community.

Barbara also has trained under the tutelege of Richard Dragon, one of DC's premier martial artists, to engage in combat (usually eskrima) from her wheelchair. She develops her upper-body strength and targeting skills with both firearms and batarangs, becoming an even more skilled and effective fighter than she was as Batgirl.

In her first mission as Oracle, Barbara assists her father on an extremely difficult murder investigation; upon the mission's completion she takes her services to the Suicide Squad. For a time she relocates to Belle Reve prison in Louisiana to work with the team under the alias of "Amy Beddoes". After leaving the Suicide Squad, she returns to Gotham City and aids Batman and his protegés, as well as many other heroes.

In her second appearance as a hacker in the DC Comics universe, Barbara was featured in the 12-issue mini-series The Hacker Files.

She joins the Justice League of America, serving as the team's primary information and communications resource; she currently holds inactive status with the team. Since an alternate-reality Batgirl/Barbara Gordon was granted posthumous honorary membership in the League after sacrificing herself to save Damage and defeat Parallax, two different Barbara Gordons have been members of the Justice League: one as Oracle, the other as Batgirl.

Birds of Prey

Barbara founds the Birds of Prey, a team of female heroes, whom she employs as agents. Her first agent is Power Girl. However, when an early case goes awry and several deaths result from it, Power Girl blames Barbara and stops working with Oracle on a regular basis. (Although she helps Oracle occasionally, when Oracle invites Power Girl to rejoin the team after the events of Infinite Crisis, she replies that she'll do so "when Hell freezes over.")

Barbara joins forces with superhero Black Canary. The two – similar in both having lost their original abilities while fighting crime, yet managing to overcome their handicaps – would later meet in person and become best friends (Birds of Prey #29). The two form the nucleus of the Birds of Prey.

The Huntress joins the team as a full-time agent, as do Lady Blackhawk and Vixen. Although the personnel on Barbara's team grows and changes, Huntress and Lady Blackhawk remain core agents.

During the "No Man's Land" storyline, Barbara employs various teenagers to be her eyes and ears on the street. One of these young agents is Cassandra Cain; she later saves Jim Gordon's life. Barbara realizes that Cassandra is actually one of the world's top martial artists; it is revealed that her father, David Cain, had trained her to be a weapon from infancy. Barbara accedes to Cassandra taking up the Batgirl mantle, and becomes Cassandra's mentor.

Metropolis

During the "War Games" storyline, Batman, who is battling the Black Mask, usurps Oracle's computers and satellites. This results in the destruction of Barbara's home and headquarters in the clock tower. Subsequently, Barbara decides to move on, and leaves Gotham City altogether. She cuts her ties with Batman, and after a temporary world trip with her team, relocates to Metropolis.

After becoming herself infected with an advanced virus delivered by Brainiac, Barbara develops cyberpathic powers that allow her to psychically interact with computer information systems. Although she loses these abilities after the virus is renderd dormant, following an operation by Doctor Mid-Nite she discovers she can move her toes (Birds of Prey #85). However, this proves to be a short-lived effect, and Barbara remains wheelchair-bound.

Although Barbara and Dick Grayson (the superhero now code-named Nightwing) re-ignite their romance, Barbara ends the relationship when she feels Dick is being over-protective of her. In truth, the villain Blockbuster is attacking all areas of Dick's life. Barbara and Dick still love each other and remain in each other's lives; after the destruction of Blüdhaven by The Society, Dick proposes and Barbara accepts.

However, their romance is cut short by the Infinite Crisis storyline. Alexander Luthor's master plan to recreate the multiverse relies upon diverting the attention of the world's heroes. Dick is severely injured in the battle for Metropolis, and Barbara stays by his side as he recovers. When Batman asks Dick to join him on his quest to recreate Batman, Dick is torn because of his engagement to Barbara. Barbara returns the engagement ring because she feels that Dick needs a soul-searching quest as much as his mentor, and understands that she and Dick aren't ready for marriage. Dick goes with Batman, but leaves Barbara a note, the ring, and a photograph of them as Robin and Batgirl, promising to come back to her.

One Year Later

Main article: One Year Later

A year after the events of Infinite Crisis, Oracle and her team continue to work in Metropolis. Barbara works with Batman, although not on a regular basis as before — she prefers to work primarily with her own agents. Oracle is not immediately aware of Cassandra's retirement as Batgirl, nor her subsequent take-over of the League of Assassins. (Cassandra becomes a sore point with Oracle: she slaps Misfit, a metahuman girl pretending to be Batgirl, for merely mentioning Cassandra's name.)

Barbara continues to lead the Birds of Prey, and expanded the ranks of the operation. In Birds of Prey #99, Black Canary leaves the team, having decided to devote herself to raising her adopted daughter, Sin. Huntress remains as the team's de facto field leader, and Big Barda has been brought in as the group's heavy-hitter.

In "Whitewater," Gail Simone's final story arc on Birds of Prey, (issues #105-#108), Oracle and her team struggle for power with Spy Smasher, a government agent who has taken over the Birds of Prey organization. After the completion of a mission in Russia in which the team rescues the resurrected Ice, Barbara challenges Spy Smasher to a hand-to-hand fight: the winner takes the Birds of Prey. Barbara wins the fight, and every agent Oracle has ever employed, male and female, appears to provide support. They convince Spy Smasher that the Birds of Prey cannot exist without Oracle in charge. At the end of the issue, Barbara finds Misfit, discovers she's an orphan, and adopts her into the Birds of Prey.

Powers and abilities

As Oracle, Barbara has many technological skills, a genius-level intellect, photographic memory, a vast knowledge of computers and electronics, expert skills as a hacker, and her training as a librarian. Oracle's skills and knowledge are used not only by the Birds of Prey team she heads, but by many members of the DC Universe. Even Batman, who himself has a wide knowledge base and access to vast information resources, routinely consults Oracle for assistance.

Barbara was infected with a sentient computer virus, and gained the ability to mentally interact with computers. However, she lost this power when the virus was surgically removed.

Despite being paralyzed from the waist down, Oracle still utilizes her martial arts training, and has extensive skills with escrima fighting sticks and batarangs; she customarily keeps a pair of escrima sticks stored in the armrests of her wheelchair as a contingency.

Alternate versions

In Batgirl and Robin: Thrillkiller, Barbara Gordon is a rebellious young woman in the early 1960s. Alienated from her father, Commissioner Gordon, due to the unsolved murder of her mother, she becomes a thrill-seeking vigilante with her boyfriend, a circus acrobat named Richard Greystark, who used the alias Dick Grayson. A sequel, Batgirl & Batman: Thrillkiller '62, teams her with Bruce Wayne as Batman.

In Superman & Batman: Generations, Barbara is James Gordon's granddaughter.

The Lovecraftian Elseworld The Doom That Came to Gotham features a version of Oracle. Completely paralyzed following an undisclosed accident, Barbara Gordon's artificial voicebox also gives her the power to speak to the dead.

File:All Star batgirl.jpg

The All Star Batgirl drawn by Jim Lee.

In JLA: Created Equal, Barbara becomes the Green Lantern after she is given Kyle Rayner's power ring. The ring was found by an amoral comedienne named Maria Contranetti, who used the ring for her own purposes until it was taken away by the Justice League.

In the one-shot comic Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl, Barbara Gordon is a wealthy novelist and a take-no-prisoners Batgirl; Batman and Superman have never existed. She is darker than in mainstream continuity due to shooting death of Jim Gordon, who was killed when he saved Thomas, Martha and Bruce Wayne from a street thug. Other heroes fear and respect Batgirl. She and Supergirl become crimefighting partners and friends. In this story, Bruce Wayne's playboy behavior is not an act, as his parents are alive and have taken Babs in. Bruce is not only her foster brother, but also serves as her "Alfred".

In Batman #666 (by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert), Barbara Gordon is the Police Commissioner in a dystopian future Gotham. She wears her hair short, making her appearance closer to Ellen Yindel, the commisioner in The Dark Knight Returns. Gordon dogs Damian Wayne, who has taken up the Batman mantle after the death of his father. When asked why she pursues Batman so ruthlessly, she replies, "That monster was responsible for the death of... of a good friend. He can't be trusted."

In the Amalgam Comics title Bruce Wayne, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. as part of a series of comics produced by both DC and Marvel Comics, Barbara Gordon and Marvel superheroine Black Cat are merged together as Black Bat

In All Star Batman and Robin #6, a younger version of Barbara Gordon dons a homemade costume and becomes Batgirl.

In an interview with Wizard magazine, Geoff Johns announced that he will team with J.G. Jones in an All-Star Batgirl series. Johns stated: "We’re doing the first six issues, the first of which will hit in late 2007 well after J.G. and I are done with 52, so it’s monthly. It’s a mystery revolving around Barbara Gordon and Arkham Asylum, why she’s become Batgirl and more importantly why she remains Batgirl. It’s essentially our Batman: The Long Halloween or Superman For All Seasons for Batgirl."

In other media

Live action television

File:Yvonne Craig Batgirl.jpg

Yvonne Craig as Batgirl.

Barbara Gordon and Batgirl were portrayed by Yvonne Craig in the third season of the Batman television series in 1967-1968. Craig once again appeared as Batgirl in a 1972 television commercial supporting women's rights (specifically, equal pay).

Oracle was adapted as one of the main characters in the WB television series, Birds of Prey, in which she was played by Dina Meyer. The series was loosely based on the comic book of that name. Meyer also suited up as Batgirl in both flashback scenes and modern-day scenes where technology would allow her to walk.

In Smallville episode "Justice", Chloe made use of Oliver Queen's advanced technological databases as "Watchtower" in a role resembling Oracle's in aiding Smallville's incarnation of the Justice League. She continues this role in the online spin-off series Smallville Legends: Justice & Doom.

Animation

The Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl made her first animated appearance in the 1968 series Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder. Jane Webb provided her voice.

Barbara Gordon, this time working in the District Attorney's office, made several appearances in both her civilian persona and as her alter ego in the 1977 Saturday morning animated series The New Adventures of Batman. Despite the fact that Adam West and Burt Ward reprised their roles to provide the voices for Batman and Robin, Batgirl was voiced by Melendy Britt. [2]

File:Batman batgirl1.jpg

Barbara Gordon as the Batgirl from The Batman series.

In 2005, the Barbara Gordon Batgirl began appearing on the The Batman animated series, voiced by Danielle Judovits. On the show, Barbara is a normal teenager who is best friends with Pamela Isley. After an incident at Chlorogene with Temblor and Batman, Pamela transforms into the villainous Poison Ivy. Inspired by the Dark Knight, Barbara makes a costume and primitive version of his weapons to become Batgirl.

Although she appears before Robin in this series, Robin still becomes Batman's "official partner," which Batgirl resents at first. Batman finally lets her into the fold and revealed his secret identity to her. After this, Batgirl begins to accept Robin more. An older version of Barbara, in the guise of Oracle, voiced by Kellie Martin, also appears in the Season Four episode "Artifacts". Her appearance, set in 2027, shows her using a wheelchair and operating as control center for Batman. She mockingly claims to have trouble remembering that Dick Grayson changed his codename from "Robin" to "Nightwing".

Barbara Gordon has also appeared in as Batgirl, in Batman: The Animated Series, where she was voiced by Melissa Gilbert, while in The New Batman Adventures and Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman she was voiced by Tara Strong. Mary Kay Bergman also provided her voice in the animated movie Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, which was made between the two series. An older Barbara Gordon, now Police commissioner, appeared in Batman Beyond, voiced first by Stockard Channing and later by Angie Harmon. Harmon reprised her role in the film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, and Tara Strong provided the voice of the younger Barbara Gordon during flashback sequences.

She was introduced as Barbara Gordon in the first season of Batman: The Animated Series two-part episode "Heart of Steel." In the second season premiere, "Shadow of the Bat" (another two-part episode), Commissioner Gordon is framed for corruption. Barbara contacts Batman and asks him to appear at a rally to support Gordon, but Batman declines, citing more important things to do. Barbara decides to impersonate Batman, intending only to be seen in the shadows. However, when there is a drive-by shooting, she leaps into action to assist. Robin appears as well, and attempts to grab her, but only succeeds in ripping the back of her mask, causing her hair to spill out.

She discovers who is behind the frame-up and goes to rescue her father, only to complicate the rescue already underway by Batman and Robin. In the end, she is the one who captures the criminal. Although Batman had been critical of her at first, he changes his mind. After making only a few appearances in Batman: The Animated Series, Batman allows her into the Batcave, and she becomes a main character during The New Batman Adventures. She develops a relationship with Dick Grayson/Robin, but it does not last very long.

In Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, Barbara Gordon is kidnapped by an associate of Mr. Freeze because she is an exact match for a transplant needed to save Freeze's wife. Batman and Robin rescue her; she plays little more role in this film than as a "damsel in distress."

The character in this continuity also made several brief cameo appearances in the Justice League series. Once in "The Savage Time pt.1", in the alternate timeline where she can be seen kissing an alternate Dick Grayson (this was confirmed by the producers of the show). She was also mentioned briefly in "Comfort and Joy", when Clark Kent asks his mother where Supergirl was. Mrs. Kent responded, "She's skiing with Barbara." (Batgirl and Supergirl had been established as close friends in the New Batman Adventures episode "Girl's Night Out".)

Originally, Barbara was going to appear in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Double Date". The episode would have her getting injured during a case as Batgirl. Since Batman forbids her from participating, she would recreate herself as Oracle, and get in touch with Black Canary and Huntress to finish her case. Neither of them would meet her in person. Because of the restrictions on Batman-related characters, however, Batgirl was replaced with Green Arrow and The Question.[3]

In the movie Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, Barbara appears briefly when she calls Bruce to find out who the Batwoman is. She expresses jealousy, and Bruce dodges the issue by faking cellular phone problems. It is revealed in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker that she and Bruce Wayne/Batman developed a relationship, and they were a couple when the Joker kidnaps Robin (Tim Drake) and brainwashes him to be "Joker Junior." Joker tells Drake to kill Batman, and he instead kills the Joker. Batman and Batgirl bury the Joker under Arkham Asylum and cover the events with the aid of Commissioner Gordon. It is strongly suggested that these events are what ended the relationship with Batman and her career as Batgirl.

In "Rebirth", the pilot for Batman Beyond, an aging, retired Bruce Wayne tells Terry McGinnis to take evidence to "Police Commissioner Barbara Gordon." Terry is prevented from doing so, which leads to him becoming the new Batman. In later episodes, Terry meets her, and she resents Bruce dragging another kid into his world, but she develops respect for the new Batman when he assists her in defending her husband, Gotham District Attorney Sam Young, from the assassin Curare. She also proves that she is still skilled with a batarang.

When the Joker seemingly returns from the dead, Terry goes to her when Bruce refuses to talk about how he knows that this cannot be the Joker. She not only tells him how the real Joker died, but also explains her history with the original Batman and helps reconcile the friendship between the two.

Film

The Barbara Gordon Batgirl was the inspiration for the Barbara Wilson version that was portrayed by actress Alicia Silverstone in the 1997 movie Batman and Robin. In the movie, Barbara is the niece of Alfred Pennyworth.

In Batman Begins, a child is seen briefly at Detective James Gordon's apartment. Through the window, the detective's pregnant wife was nursing their two-year old daughter. According to Dennis O'Neil's novelization, the infant was a young Barbara Gordon. The detective's wife's was also name Barbara, whom the child was named after, and is played by Ilyssa Fradin. Her maiden name was Kean. However, this contradicts Batman: Year One continuity (on which much of Batman Begins was based, in that Batgirl is James Gordon's niece, and the child seen in Gordon's apartment is his infant son, James Jr. However, Dark Knight continuity (Batman stories written by Frank Miller) establish Barbara Gordon as Gordon's daughter. On Batman: Gotham Knights #6, it revealed that James Gordon had a relationship with Barabra's mother before they were married to others, therefore there's a strong possibility Barbara is also the Commissioner's biological daughter as well.

Video games

Oracle also appeared in the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox game Batman: Dark Tomorrow.

Batgirl is a playable character in the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox game, Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu.

Batgirl is a playable character in the video game adaption of Batman & Robin for the Sony Playstation.

External links

• Canarynoir: Home of Birdwatching - Birds of Prey
• Cosmic Team Profile
• Gotham Girls
• Titans Tower Profile
• TVObscurities.com - Batgirl Promotional Short
• Barbara Gordon in The Batman