"The Joker War" is a comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics in late 2020, featuring Batman and his allies . Primarily written by James Tynion IV , the arc is his first major arc on Batman in DC Rebirth . The main story was from Batman (vol. 3) #95–100, while 16 other issues were tie-ins.
167-621: The arc spans several titles featuring characters of the Batman family including: Batman , Batgirl , Catwoman , Detective Comics , Nightwing , Red Hood and the Outlaws , and Harley Quinn . The story involves the return of Batman's archenemy, the Joker , and his plan to destroy Bruce Wayne's reputation in Gotham City . The storyline received positive reviews for the art, action, and story. The story
334-589: A sensei , memorizing maps and blueprints of the city, excelling in academics to skip grades, and pushing herself to become a star athlete. DC officially retired the hero in the one-shot comic Batgirl Special #1 (July 1988), written by Barbara Kesel . Later that year, she appears in Alan Moore's Batman: The Killing Joke . In this graphic novel, the Joker shoots and paralyzes Barbara Gordon in an attempt to drive her father insane, thereby proving to Batman that anyone can lose their minds after having "one bad day". She
501-575: A successful franchise which pioneered the Kyodai Hero subgenre where the superheroes would be as big as giant monsters ( kaiju ) that they fought. The kaiju monster Godzilla , originally a villain, began being portrayed as a radioactive superhero in the Godzilla films , starting with Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964). By the 1970s, Godzilla came to be viewed as a superhero, with
668-690: A Batman story in quite some time. If the creatives can keep this energy going for the rest of this storyline The Joker War could find itself a spot among the great stories in the Dark Knights history". According to Comic Book Roundup, issue #97 received an average score of 7.9 out of 10 based on 21 reviews. Jeffrey Movie Files wrote: " The Joker War is building to its conclusion with #100, but at this rate, Tynion really could take longer in playing it out as its been an amazing ride so far". According to Comic Book Roundup, issue #98 received an average score of 7.8 out of 10 based on 19 reviews. Wes Greer from Comics
835-560: A Singaporean-American dancer named Alysia Yeoh . In Digital Issue #42 (collected in Print Issue #14), Harley Quinn tells Pamela Isley about encountering "the Belle of the Bog ", who appears to be a vampire version of Batgirl. DC Comics Bombshells Annual #1, published on 31 August 2016, reveals that Barbara Gourdon was a French fighter pilot during World War I. After she lost her boyfriend during
1002-468: A bat. She was like a pesky girl version of Robin. I knew we could do a lot better, so Julie and I came up with the real Batgirl, who was so popular she almost got her own TV show." Yvonne Craig portrayed the character in the show's third season. Barbara Gordon and her alter ego Batgirl debuted in Detective Comics #359, "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl" (1967). In the debut story, while driving to
1169-689: A book entitled Business Zero to Superhero . In 2014, he received a cease and desist from DC and Marvel who claimed that his use of the term superhero would cause confusion and dilute their brands. He was offered a few thousand dollars in settlement to change the name of his book, but he did not concede. A few days prior to the scheduled hearing at the Intellectual Property Office in London, the companies backed down. A similar scenario occurred when comic book creator Ray Felix attempted to register his comic book series A World Without Superheroes with
1336-752: A brilliant peer and a partner in the war on crime, the same way he would a male." Historian Peter Sanderson observed that Barbara Gordon's Batgirl reflected the Women's liberation movement of the 1960s. During the 1980s, Barbara Kesel , after writing a complaint to DC Comics over the negative portrayal of female characters, was given the opportunity to write for Barbara Gordon in Detective Comics . Robin Anne Reid , in Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy: Overviews (2009) wrote that "Kesel's version of Batgirl established her as
1503-492: A character separate from Batman and Robin: a woman motivated to do what men do, but alone and in her own way. Her Secret Origins (1987) and Batgirl Special (1988) countered the victimized and objectified presentation of Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in Alan Moore's acclaimed The Killing Joke (1988)." She notes that Kesel's interpretation of the character emphasized her intelligence, technological skill, and ability to overcome fear. Superhero A superhero or superheroine
1670-453: A choice: save her or the Joker. Harley straps bombs on the Joker and herself and jumps out of the burning building. Batman chooses to save Harley Quinn as the building explodes. A week later, Batman visits Harley and explains that when he got back, the Joker was nowhere to be found. Batman notices how Gotham City looks different. Harley says Gotham City is an ugly city with ugly people, but at least
1837-411: A cliffhanger ending to the first issue that offers a nifty [segue] into the new world of Barbara Gordon and Batgirl." The New York Times critic George Gene Gustines wrote: "Unlike some of the other DC comics I read this week, Batgirl achieves a deft hat trick : a well-shaped reintroduction to a character, an elegant acknowledgement of fundamental history and the establishment of a new status quo. This
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#17328512844942004-454: A costume ball dressed as a female version of Batman, Barbara Gordon intervenes in a kidnapping attempt on Bruce Wayne by the supervillain Killer Moth , attracting Batman's attention and leading to a crimefighting career. Although Batman insists she give up crimefighting because of her gender, Batgirl disregards his objections. In her civilian identity, Dr. Barbara Gordon is a career woman with
2171-662: A decorated officer in the United States Air Force who would become a costumed superheroine herself years later. In 1975 Shotaro Ishinomori 's Himitsu Sentai Gorenger debuted on what is now TV Asahi, it brought the concepts of multi-colored teams and supporting vehicles that debuted in Gatchaman into live-action, and began the Super Sentai franchise (later adapted into the American Power Rangers series in
2338-462: A deep and dark Gotham city full of beautiful characters and details". According to Comic Book Roundup, issue #99 received an average score of 7.4 out of 10 based on 23 reviews. Kevin Lainez from Comic Book Revolution wrote: "In terms of bringing all of the sub-plots in this series and tie-in comics together Batman #99 gets the job done. James Tynion and Jorge Jimenez bring everything together to provide
2505-646: A doctorate in library science, as well as being head of the Gotham City Public Library, "presumably one of the largest public libraries in the DC Comics version of reality." She was given a regular back-up slot in Detective Comics starting with issue #384 (February 1969), alternating issues with Robin until issue #404, after which she had the back-up slot to herself. Frank Robbins wrote nearly all of these back-ups, which were penciled first by Gil Kane and later by Don Heck . Barbara Gordon's Batgirl exceeded
2672-558: A female character, Kathy Kane the Batwoman , appeared in 1956 as a love interest for Batman. In 1961, DC Comics introduced a second female character as a love interest for Robin. Betty Kane as "Bat-Girl" arrived as the niece of, and Robin-like sidekick to, Batwoman, first appearing in Batman #139 (April 1961). The creation of the Batman family , which included Batman and Batwoman depicted as parents, Robin and Bat-Girl depicted as their children,
2839-465: A form of dyslexia that hampers her abilities to read and write. Despite Cain's disability, author Andersen Gabrych describes the character's unique form of language as the key factor in what makes Cain an excellent detective; the ability to walk into a room and "know" something is wrong based on body language. During "Silent Running", the first arc of the Batgirl comic book series, Cassandra Cain encounters
3006-446: A generation of comics readers will be experiencing for the first time ...Barbara Gordon leaping, fighting, and swinging over Gotham. Now, when citizens of that city look up, they are going to see BATGIRL. And that is absolutely thrilling." In the new, revised continuity, the events of The Killing Joke took place three years before the current storyline, and while it is established she was paraplegic during that time, Barbara Gordon
3173-525: A larger one. Another important event was the debut of Mazinger Z by Go Nagai, creating the Super Robot genre. Go Nagai also wrote the manga Cutey Honey in 1973; although the Magical Girl genre already existed, Nagai's manga introduced Transformation sequences that would become a staple of Magical Girl media. The 1970s would see more anti-heroes introduced into Superhero fiction such examples included
3340-449: A letter column of the pulp magazine Thrilling Wonder Stories , the word superhero was used to define the title character of the comic strip Zarnak , by Max Plaisted. In the 1930s, the trends converged in some of the earliest superpowered costumed heroes, such as Japan's Ōgon Bat (1931) and Prince of Gamma (early 1930s), who first appeared in kamishibai (a kind of hybrid media combining pictures with live storytelling), Mandrake
3507-518: A multimedia franchise that used footage from Super Sentai . Internationally, the Japanese comic book character , Sailor Moon , is recognized as one of the most important and popular female superheroes ever created. The first use of the word "super hero" dates back to 1917. At the time, the word was merely used to describe a "public figure of great accomplishments." However, in 1967, Ben Cooper, Inc., an American Halloween costume manufacturer, became
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#17328512844943674-620: A new version of the character was introduced in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83 during the multi-title story arc "No Man's Land" (1999). In Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120 (1999), the new Batgirl is revealed to be Helena Bertinelli, an established DC comics superhero alternatively known as the Huntress. Bertinelli is eventually forced to abandon the mantle by Batgirl. No Man's Land also marks
3841-407: A period. Brown is the fourth in-continuity Batgirl and the second Batgirl to star in her own ongoing Batgirl comic book series. In September 2011, following the company-wide relaunch, Barbara Gordon stars in a new Batgirl series—one of The New 52 titles featuring the company's most iconic characters. The conclusion of the limited series Flashpoint (2011) establishes a new continuity within
4008-423: A profound effect on Japanese television . 1958 saw the debut of superhero Moonlight Mask on Japanese television. It was the first of numerous televised superhero dramas that would make up the tokusatsu superhero genre. Created by Kōhan Kawauchi , he followed up its success with the tokusatsu superhero shows Seven Color Mask (1959) and Messenger of Allah (1960), both starring a young Sonny Chiba . It
4175-499: A promiscuous manner. Through the overdeveloped bodies of the heroes or the seductive mannerisms of the villains, women in comic books are used as subordinates to their male counterparts, regardless of their strength or power. Wonder Woman has been subject to a long history of suppression as a result of her strength and power, including American culture's undoing of the Lynda Carter television series. In 2017's Wonder Woman , she had
4342-601: A psychic who "reprograms" her brain, enabling her to comprehend verbal language, while simultaneously losing the ability to predict movements. This issue is resolved during the second arc of the series, "A Knight Alone", when Batgirl encounters the assassin Lady Shiva who agrees to teach her how to predict movement once again. Six years after its debut, DC Comics cancelled the Batgirl comic book series with issue #73 (2006), ending with Cain relinquishing her role as Batgirl. When DC Comics continuity skipped forward one year after
4509-571: A publishing agreement with DC Comics that allowed them to introduce a line of comics that included characters of many ethnic minorities. Milestone's initial run lasted four years, during which it introduced Static , a character adapted into the WB Network animated series Static Shock . In addition to the creation of new minority heroes, publishers have filled the identities and roles of once-Caucasian heroes with new characters from minority backgrounds. The African-American John Stewart appeared in
4676-631: A reporter (Iris West in The Flash), a lawyer (Jean Loring in The Atom), and even the head of an aircraft company (Carol Ferris in Green Lantern). Shiera Hall was merely a secretary at the Midway City Museum, but as Hawkgirl she was a police officer on her native planet Thanagar and an equal partner to her husband Hawkman (Carter Hall) in their superheroic exploits. Then there was Zatanna, bravely traversing
4843-453: A second printing. Calvin Reid of Publishers Weekly states in a review of the first issue: "The artwork is okay though conventional, while Simone's script tries to tie up of the end of the previous Barbara Gordon/Oracle storyline and setup up the new Batgirl. Her formula: murderous villains, blood splattering violence and high flying superheroics mixed with single-white-female bonding ...plus
5010-747: A secondary character of the Green Hornet media franchise series since its inception in the 1930s. ). Kitty Pryde , a member of the X-Men, was an openly Jewish superhero in mainstream American comic books as early as 1978. Comic-book companies were in the early stages of cultural expansion and many of these characters played to specific stereotypes ; Cage and many of his contemporaries often employed lingo similar to that of blaxploitation films, Native Americans were often associated with shamanism and wild animals , and Asian Americans were often portrayed as kung fu martial artists . Subsequent minority heroes, such as
5177-608: A share of the Wayne fortune upon its seizure. Joker then uses his newfound billions to bribe and thereby paralyze the city government, GCPD, and press. He also hires armies of thugs and uses them and Batman's weapons to terrorize and destroy the city while the GCPD is forced to stand by and watch. Joker seizes Wayne Manor for himself and wastes the Wayne fortune on things like jokerized vehicles, gold chain necklaces, and other lavish items. This, along with Joker supplying and paying his army and bribing
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5344-406: A single source." DC and Marvel have continued to expand their commercialization of the "superhero" mark to categories beyond comic books. Now, the two publishers jointly own numerous trademarks for figurines (see Spider-Man, Batman), movies, TV shows, magazines, merchandise, cardboard stand-up figures, playing cards , erasers , pencils , notebooks , cartoons , and many more. For instance,
5511-506: A skull-faced creature with superpowers to fight evil; she debuted in Fiction House 's Jungle Comic #2 (Feb. 1940), credited to the pseudonymous "Barclay Flagg". The Invisible Scarlet O'Neil , a non-costumed character who fought crime and wartime saboteurs using the superpower of invisibility created by Russell Stamm, would debut in the eponymous syndicated newspaper comic strip a few months later on June 3, 1940. In 1940, Maximo
5678-559: A slightly different history. Here she is also the murderer of Harper Row's mother, an ally of Batman. She called herself Orphan for a while and became part of the Batman family as well as the Outsiders. She later shares the name Batgirl with her friend Stephanie Brown. Stephanie Brown was formerly known as the Spoiler and then as the first in-continuity female Robin until her apparent death in 2006. Following her return to comics in 2009, she assumed
5845-624: A strong set-up for the final chapter of Joker War . Unfortunately by bringing together so many different sub-plots together does show that Joker War may have had way to many things going on for its own good. Hopefully Batman #100's increased page count will help in fixing these story problems and wrap up Joker War in a satisfying way". According to Comic Book Roundup, issue #100 received an average score of 7.9 out of 10 based on 24 reviews. Travis Trucker from On Comics Ground wrote: "Long story short. I loved this ending. It's rare that all of my complaints of an arc are dealt with by its climax, but it
6012-461: A subject that is generally overlooked in comic books. She also explained the method of the character's recovery is based upon real life experiences in that "some of the best real world work in the field of mobility rehabilitation is coming from South Africa. People have been talking about this as if it's some sort of mystical thing like returning from the dead, but there are treatments and surgeries that can restore mobility in some cases. Barbara's spine
6179-406: A suit not unlike the swimsuits in the T.V. show Baywatch . The sexualization of women in comic books can be explained mainly by the fact that the majority of writers are male. Not only are the writers mostly male, but the audience is mostly male as well. Therefore, writers are designing characters to appeal to a mostly male audience. The super hero characters illustrate a sociological idea called
6346-504: A transphobic caricature. In response, the creative team issued a joint apology and revised the issue for the subsequent collected edition, Batgirl Vol. 1: The Batgirl of Burnside . On March 13, 2015, DC Comics released 25 Joker-themed variant covers for its various monthly series for release that June, in celebration of the character's 75th anniversary. Among them was a cover to Batgirl #41 by artist Rafael Albuquerque that took its inspiration from The Killing Joke . The cover depicts
6513-472: A whole, and focus on the earlier part of the careers of each of our iconic characters." Barbara Gordon is biological daughter of James Gordon and Barbara Eileen Gordon in this continuity. Wayne also stated that " The Killing Joke still happened and she was Oracle. Now she will go through physical rehabilitation and become a more seasoned and nuanced character because she had these incredible and diverse experiences. Dan DiDio , Co-Publisher of DC Comics explained
6680-505: Is "a figure, especially in a comic strip or cartoon , endowed with superhuman powers and usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime", and the Merriam-Webster dictionary gives the definition as "a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers; also: an exceptionally skillful or successful person." Terms such as masked crime fighters, costumed adventurers or masked vigilantes are sometimes used to refer to characters such as
6847-442: Is a fictional character who typically possesses superpowers or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero ; typically using their powers to help the world become a better place , or dedicating themselves to protecting the public and fighting crime . Superhero fiction is the genre of fiction that is centered on such characters, especially, since
The Joker War - Misplaced Pages Continue
7014-421: Is a motorcycle-riding hero in an insect-like costume, who shouts Henshin (Metamorphosis) to don his costume and gain superhuman powers. The ideas of second-wave feminism , which spread through the 1960s into the 1970s, greatly influenced the way comic book companies would depict as well as market their female characters: Wonder Woman was for a time revamped as a mod-dressing martial artist directly inspired by
7181-399: Is a must-buy series." Earning a B+ rating in a review from Entertainment Weekly , Ken Tucker writes that Simone "[takes] her Birds of Prey storytelling powers and focuses them on the newly revived Barbara Gordon as Batgirl. The result is a burst of exhilaration, as Barbara/Batgirl revels in her new freedom even as she encounters a so-far not-terribly-chilling villain called Mirror." Since
7348-476: Is a student attending Burnside College in the trendy Burnside neighborhood of Gotham City . The comic was praised for its fun, fresh approach to the character and for Batgirl's realistic new costume design. In 2021, DC's Infinite Frontier relaunch presented a new status quo, where Barbara has returned to the role of Oracle, suiting up as Batgirl only occasionally. For the most part, she supports Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown to operate as Batgirls, sharing
7515-499: Is a sublime feeling to witness it happen. It's about time". Batgirl Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics , depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman . The character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in 1961 by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff as Bat-Girl , and was replaced in 1967 by Barbara Gordon , who became
7682-533: Is a website satirizing the sexualized portrayal of women in comics by recreating the same poses using male superheroes, especially Marvel's Hawkeye . In 1966, Marvel introduced the Black Panther , an African monarch who became the first non- caricatured black superhero. The first African-American superhero, the Falcon , followed in 1969, and three years later, Luke Cage , a self-styled "hero-for-hire" , became
7849-466: Is also notable for prominently featuring the recently introduced Punchline , the Joker's new henchwoman and lover. Following the revealing of Superman 's secret identity and the liberation of Gotham City from Bane , one of the Joker's thugs suggests revealing Batman's secret identity to the world. Joker, enraged at the thought, bashes the clown's head in for daring to even think this, as it would ruin his fun and rivalry with Batman. Joker decides to steal
8016-520: Is arguable that the Marvel Comics teams of the early 1960s brought the biggest assortment of superheroes ever at one time into permanent publication, the likes of Spider-Man (1962), The Hulk , Iron Man , Daredevil , Nick Fury , The Mighty Thor , The Avengers (featuring a rebooted Captain America , Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man , Quicksilver ), and many others were given their own monthly titles. Typically
8183-437: Is deployed as a plot device to cement the Joker's vendetta against Commissioner Gordon and Batman. In 2006, during an interview with Wizard , Moore expressed regret over his treatment of the character, calling it "shallow and ill-conceived". He stated prior to writing the graphic novel, "I asked DC if they had any problem with me crippling Barbara Gordon—who was Batgirl at the time—and if I remember, I spoke to Len Wein , who
8350-570: Is given a starring role in DC's Batman Family comic book which debuted in 1975. The original Robin, Dick Grayson , became her partner in the series, with the two frequently referred to as the "Dynamite Duo: Batgirl & Robin". Batgirl meets Batwoman in Batman Family #10, when the retired superhero briefly returns to crimefighting (before the Bronze Tiger murders Kane). The two fight Killer Moth and
8517-437: Is shot by the Joker and left paraplegic . Although she is reimagined as the computer expert and information broker Oracle by editor Kim Yale and writer John Ostrander the following year, her paralysis sparked debate about the portrayal of women in comics , particularly violence depicted toward female characters. In the 1999 storyline " No Man's Land ", the character Helena Bertinelli , known as Huntress , briefly assumes
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#17328512844948684-498: Is uncommon, the USPTO will grant joint ownership in a mark. For example, in the case Arrow Trading Co., Inc. v. Victorinox A.G. and Wegner S.A. , Opposition No. 103315 (TTAB June 27, 2003), the TTAB held that when "two entities have a long-standing relationship and rely on each other for quality control, it may be found, in appropriate circumstances, that the parties, as joint owners, do represent
8851-404: Is written as having regained her mobility after undergoing experimental surgery at a South African clinic. Although she resumes her work as Batgirl one year after her recovery, she continues to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder , causing her to hesitate in battle when exposed to gunfire that could result in suffering new spinal damage. The character also exhibits survivor guilt due to
9018-584: The DC Rebirth event. The relaunch restores elements of the Pre- Flashpoint DC continuity while maintaining elements of The New 52 as well. Among the new titles and creative teams announced, volume 5 of Batgirl written by Hope Larson and volume 1 of Batgirl and the Birds of Prey written by Julie Benson and Shawna Benson were included. In the critically celebrated fifth volume of Batgirl , Barbara Gordon
9185-548: The Batgirl Special specifically to retire the character and set her in place for The Killing Joke . Gail Simone included the character's paralysis in a list of "major female characters that had been killed, mutilated, and depowered", dubbing the phenomenon " Women in Refrigerators " in reference to a 1994 Green Lantern story where the title character discovers his girlfriend's mutilated body in his refrigerator. Following
9352-565: The Batman television series in 1967, Barbara Gordon's Batgirl has been listed among fictional characters that are regarded as cultural icons. Author Brian Cronin, in Was Superman A Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed (2009) notes that following her 1967 debut, "Batgirl was soon popular enough to appear regularly over the next two decades and Yvonne Craig certainly made an impression on many viewers with her one season portraying young Ms. Gordon." In 2011, IGN ranked Barbara Gordon 17th in
9519-508: The Batman franchise , including television, film, animation, video games, and other merchandise. Dan DiDio , co-publisher of DC Comics, expressed that Barbara is the best-known version of the character. Following the accusations of a homoerotic subtext in the depiction of the relationship between Batman and Robin as described in Fredric Wertham 's book Seduction of the Innocent (1954),
9686-645: The Black Canary , introduced in Flash Comics #86 (Aug. 1947) as a supporting character. The most iconic comic book superheroine, who debuted during the Golden Age, is Wonder Woman . Modeled from the myth of the Amazons of Greek mythology , she was created by psychologist William Moulton Marston , with help and inspiration from his wife Elizabeth and their mutual lover Olive Byrne. Wonder Woman's first appearance
9853-456: The Cavalier , and learn each other's secret identities. Batwoman retires once again at the conclusion of the story, leaving Batgirl to continue crimefighting. Although this series ended after three years of publication, Batgirl continued to appear in back-up stories published in Detective Comics through issue #519 (October 1982). Crisis on Infinite Earths , a limited series published in 1985,
10020-706: The Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline, Betty Kane was retconned out of existence. Mary Elizabeth "Bette" Kane is a reinvented version of the Betty Kane character during the Silver Age. As her original characterization was retconned out of existence during the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline, a discrepancy arose where her Bat-Girl character had joined the West Coast version of the Teen Titans, but simply disappeared. The character
10187-525: The Emma Peel character from the British television series The Avengers (no relation to the superhero team of the same name), but later reverted to Marston's original concept after the editors of Ms. magazine publicly disapproved of the character being depowered and without her traditional costume; Supergirl was moved from being a secondary feature on Action Comics to headline Adventure Comics in 1969;
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#173285128449410354-513: The Lady Liberators appeared in an issue of The Avengers as a group of mind-controlled superheroines led by Valkyrie (actually a disguised supervillainess ) and were meant to be a caricatured parody of feminist activists; and Jean Grey became the embodiment of a cosmic being known as the Phoenix Force with seemingly unlimited power in the late 1970s, a stark contrast from her depiction as
10521-688: The New York Times and The Colbert Report , and embraced by anti- Islamophobia campaigners in San Francisco who plastered over anti-Muslim bus adverts with Kamala stickers. Other such successor-heroes of color include James "Rhodey" Rhodes as Iron Man and to a lesser extent Riri "Ironheart" Williams , Ryan Choi as the Atom , Jaime Reyes as Blue Beetle and Amadeus Cho as Hulk . Certain established characters have had their ethnicity changed when adapted to another continuity or media. A notable example
10688-917: The United States House of Representatives . She moves to Washington, D.C. , intending to give up her career as Batgirl, and in June 1972 appeared in a story entitled "Batgirl's Last Case." Julius Schwartz brought her back a year later in Superman #268 (1973) in which she has a blind date with Clark Kent , establishing their friendship, and fights alongside Superman . Batgirl and Superman team up twice more, in Superman #279 and DC Comics Presents #19. Batgirl also guest-starred in other Superman related titles, such as #453 of Adventure Comics and in Superman Family #171, where she teams up with Supergirl . The character
10855-655: The X-Men 's Storm and the Teen Titans ' Cyborg avoided such conventions; they were both part of ensemble teams, which became increasingly diverse in subsequent years. The X-Men, in particular, were revived in 1975 with a line-up of characters drawn from several nations, including the Kenyan Storm, German Nightcrawler , Soviet / Russian Colossus , Irish Banshee , and Japanese Sunfire . In 1993, Milestone Comics , an African-American-owned media/publishing company entered into
11022-530: The extraterrestrial imp Bat-Mite and the "family pet" Ace the Bat-Hound , caused the Batman-related comic books to take "a wrong turn, switching from superheroes to situational comedy". DC Comics abandoned these characters in 1964 when newly appointed Batman-editor Julius Schwartz judged them too silly and therefore inappropriate. Schwartz had asserted that these characters should be removed, considering
11189-399: The " male gaze " which is media created from the viewpoint of a normative heterosexual male. The female characters in comic books are used to satisfy male desire for the "ideal" woman (small waist, large breasts, toned, athletic body). These characters have god-like power, but the most easily identifiable feature is their hyper sexualized bodies: they are designed to be sexually pleasing to
11356-817: The 1930s, in American comic books (and later in Hollywood films , film serials, television and video games ), as well as in Japanese media (including kamishibai , tokusatsu , manga , anime and video games). Superheroes come from a wide array of different backgrounds and origins. Some superheroes (such as Spider-Man and Superman ) possess non-human or superhuman biology or use and practice magic to achieve their abilities (such as Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel ) while others (for example, Iron Man and Batman ) derive their status from advanced technology they create and use. The Dictionary.com definition of "superhero"
11523-434: The 1970s as an alternate for Earth's Green Lantern Hal Jordan , and would become a regular member of the Green Lantern Corps from the 1980s onward. The creators of the 2000s-era Justice League animated series selected Stewart as the show's Green Lantern. In the Ultimate Marvel universe, Miles Morales , a youth of Puerto Rican and African-American ancestry who was also bitten by a genetically-altered spider, debuted as
11690-458: The 1980s, superhero fiction centered on cultural, ethnic, national, racial and language minority groups (from the perspective of US demographics ) began to be produced. This began with depiction of black superheroes in the 1960s, followed in the 1970s with a number of other ethnic-minority superheroes. In keeping with the political mood of the time, cultural diversity and inclusivism would be an important part of superhero groups starting from
11857-409: The 1980s. In the 1990s, this was further augmented by the first depictions of superheroes as homosexual. In 2017, Sign Gene emerged, the first group of deaf superheroes with superpowers through the use of sign language . Female super heroes—and villains—have been around since the early years of comic books dating back to the 1940s. The representation of women in comic books has been questioned in
12024-561: The 1990s). In 1978, Toei adapted Spider-Man into a live-action Japanese television series . In this continuity, Spider-Man had a vehicle called Marveller that could transform into a giant and powerful robot called Leopardon, this idea would be carried over to Toei's Battle Fever J (also co-produced with Marvel) and now multi-colored teams not only had support vehicles but giant robots to fight giant monsters with. In subsequent decades, popular characters like Dazzler , She-Hulk , Elektra , Catwoman , Witchblade , Spider-Girl , Batgirl and
12191-584: The Amazing Superman debut in Big Little Book series , by Russell R. Winterbotham (text), Henry E. Vallely and Erwin L. Hess (art). Captain America also appeared for the first time in print in December 1940, a year prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese government, when America was still in isolationism . Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby , the superhero was the physical embodiment of
12358-828: The American spirit during World War II. One superpowered character was portrayed as an antiheroine , a rarity for its time: the Black Widow , a costumed emissary of Satan who killed evildoers in order to send them to Hell —debuted in Mystic Comics #4 (Aug. 1940), from Timely Comics , the 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics . Most of the other female costumed crime fighters during this era lacked superpowers. Notable characters include The Woman in Red , introduced in Standard Comics ' Thrilling Comics #2 (March 1940); Lady Luck , debuting in
12525-473: The Avengers) with her brother, Quicksilver. In 1963, Astro Boy was adapted into a highly influential anime television series. Phantom Agents in 1964 focused on ninjas working for the Japanese government and would be the foundation for Sentai -type series. 1966 saw the debut of the sci-fi/horror series Ultra Q created by Eiji Tsuburaya this would eventually lead to the sequel Ultraman , spawning
12692-414: The Batman family. Revising the character history and motivation, Julius Schwartz created Barbara Gordon. This character held the role of Batgirl from 1967 to 1988 when she was retired by DC editorial decision. The character's role was changed to a paraplegic source of information for all members of the Batman family and codenamed the "Oracle". She was later restored as Batgirl during The New 52 relaunch of
12859-517: The Batman related comic books had steadily declined in sales, and restored the Batman mythology to its original conception of heroic vigilantism. Bat-Girl, along with other characters in the Batman Family, were retconned out of existence following the 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths . However, even though Bat-Girl did not exist in the Post- Crisis continuity, a modified version of
13026-574: The Birds of Prey became stars of long-running eponymous titles. Female characters began assuming leadership roles in many ensemble superhero teams; the Uncanny X-Men series and its related spin-off titles in particular have included many female characters in pivotal roles since the 1970s. Volume 4 of the X-Men comic book series featured an all-female team as part of the Marvel NOW! branding initiative in 2013. Superpowered female characters like Buffy
13193-568: The Black Canary offers her a spot on the new Birds of Prey roster. She declines the Canary's invitation, suggesting that Katana take her place instead. Series writer Duane Swierczynski has stated that Batgirl will join the team in issue #4. He commented that while she "is an essential part of this team", she is not the focus of the series, as she is hesitant to be associated with the other characters because of their status as outlaws. In October 2014,
13360-455: The DC Universe, with all characters regressing to an earlier age and stage in their careers, while remaining in a modern timeline. DC Senior VP of Sales, Bob Wayne, explained that with each of their titles reverting to issue #1, "our creative teams have the ability to take a more modern approach—not only with each character, but with how the characters interact with one another and the universe as
13527-456: The Gathering wrote: "Overall, Batman #98 delivers all the excitement and emotions we could ask for in a Batman story, getting us pumped up for Batman to get back up on his feet as well as the excitement of the battles around him all leading to the final blows to come in Batman #100 while all brought to life by an incredible art team who seem to have really found their groove and taking fans into
13694-481: The History of Comic Book Heroines (2009), author Mike Madrid states that what set Barbara Gordon as Batgirl apart from other female characters was her motivation for crime-fighting. Unlike Batwoman who preceded her, "she wears his symbol on her chest, but she is not his girlfriend or faithful handmaiden." Because of the fact she does not pursue a romantic interest in Batman, "Batgirl is a female Batman can actually regard as
13861-414: The Joker insists that he has still won. By using Wayne's tech to cause destruction, he has shown Gotham City that Wayne Enterprises is just as corrupt as any other company. Bruce's reputation has been ruined, Wayne Enterprises is near bankruptcy along with Bruce's personal fortune, and Gotham City no longer needs Batman. Harley Quinn says she is tired of Batman not stopping the Joker for good. She gives Batman
14028-413: The Joker standing next to a tearful Batgirl, who has a red smile painted across her mouth. The Joker has one hand holding a revolver draped over Batgirl's shoulder and is pointing to her cheek with the other hand, as if gesturing to shoot her. The cover quickly drew criticism for highlighting a dark period in the character's history, especially when juxtaposed with the youthful, more optimistic direction of
14195-435: The Joker. Batman is backed into a corner with no help and no resources, while the Joker has possession of his wealth, his tech, and his secrets. The next few months are going to be a wild and crazy ride for Batman readers". According to Comic Book Roundup, issue #96 received an average score of 7.8 out of 10 based on 21 reviews. Charles Hartford from But Why Tho ? wrote: " Batman #96 blew me away. I havent been this taken with
14362-518: The Magician (1934), Olga Mesmer (1937) and then Superman (1938) and Captain Marvel (1939) at the beginning of the Golden Age of Comic Books , whose span, though disputed, is generally agreed to have started with Superman's launch. Superman has remained one of the most recognizable superheroes, and his success spawned a new archetype of characters with secret identities and superhuman powers. At
14529-483: The Silver Age, a female character was introduced as a love interest for Robin. Betty Kane as "Bat-Girl" was depicted as the niece of, and Robin-like sidekick to, the original Batwoman. In 1964, however, editor Julius Schwartz asserted that Bat-Girl and other characters in the Bat-Family should be removed considering the decline in sales and restored the Batman mythology to its original conception of heroic vigilantism. During
14696-510: The Spirit , who may not be explicitly referred to as superheroes but nevertheless share similar traits. Some superheroes use their powers to help fight daily crime while also combating threats against humanity from supervillains , who are their criminal counterparts. Often at least one of these supervillains will be the superhero's archenemy or nemesis . Some popular supervillains become recurring characters in their own right. Antecedents of
14863-784: The Sunday- newspaper comic-book insert The Spirit Section June 2, 1940; the comedic character Red Tornado , debuting in All-American Comics #20 (Nov 1940); Miss Fury , debuting in the eponymous comic strip by female cartoonist Tarpé Mills on April 6, 1941; the Phantom Lady , introduced in Quality Comics Police Comics #1 (Aug. 1941); the Black Cat , introduced in Harvey Comics ' Pocket Comics #1 (also Aug. 1941); and
15030-450: The Top 100 Comic Books Heroes. Cassandra Cain's Batgirl has become one of the most prominent Asian characters to appear in American comic books, and her understated sexuality is notable as being contrary to the common sexual objectification of female characters, especially those of Asian descent. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, before the feminist revolution, Schwartz's leading ladies included
15197-408: The USPTO. Felix is one of many who argue that the term "superhero" has become generic (see discussion below). Felix's mark is currently abandoned, but he has stated that he intends to fight against DC and Marvel for use of the term. In 2024, Superbabies Limited managed to obtain a default judgement and cancel the "super heroes" trademarks as genericized, except for the animation pictures mark. This
15364-526: The Vampire Slayer and Darna have a tremendous influence on popular culture in their respective countries of origin. With more and more anime , manga and tokusatsu being translated or adapted, Western audiences were beginning to experience the Japanese styles of superhero fiction more than they were able to before. Saban 's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers , an adaptation of Zyuranger , created
15531-444: The Wayne fortune to humiliate Bruce in the eyes of Gotham, and tricks Catwoman into obtaining the codes for Wayne's bank accounts for him. Joker drains the accounts and seizes Bruce's fortune, amounting to over $ 100 billion. He then drugs and forces Lucius Fox to give him access to all of Batman's weapons after completing a hostile takeover of Wayne Enterprises . Batman is distracted by Deathstroke , who departs after Joker gives him
15698-519: The West as Astro Boy , was published. The series focused upon a robot boy built by a scientist to replace his deceased son. Being built from an incomplete robot originally intended for military purposes, Astro Boy possessed amazing powers such as flight through thrusters in his feet and the incredible mechanical strength of his limbs. The 1950s saw the Silver Age of Comics . During this era DC introduced
15865-416: The action, plot, and art style. The entire storyline (including tie-ins) received an average score of 7.7 out of 10 according to Comic Book Roundup. According to the review aggregator Comic Book Roundup, issue #95 received an average score of 8.2 out of 10 based on 22 reviews. Derek McNeil from DC Comics News wrote that "Tynion has done a masterful job of setting up the ultimate showdown between Batman and
16032-410: The adventures she shared with Batgirl are retroactively described as having been experienced by Power Girl . In Secret Origins (vol. 2) #20 (1987), Barbara Gordon's origin is rebooted by author Barbara Randal. Within the storyline, Gordon recounts the series of events that led to her career as Batgirl, including her first encounter with Batman as a child, studying martial arts under the tutelage of
16199-508: The archetype include mythological characters such as Gilgamesh , Hanuman , Perseus , Odysseus , David , and demigods like Heracles , all of whom were blessed with extraordinary abilities, which later inspired the superpowers that became a fundamental aspect of modern-day superheroes. The distinct clothing and costumes of individuals from English folklore , like Robin Hood and Spring-Heeled Jack , also became inspirations. The dark costume of
16366-475: The archetypical hero stock character in 1930s American comics, superheroes are predominantly depicted as White American middle- or upper-class young adult males and females who are typically tall, athletic, educated, physically attractive and in perfect health. Beginning in the 1960s with the civil rights movement in the United States, and increasingly with the rising concern over political correctness in
16533-503: The character, Mary Elizabeth "Bette" Kane, introduced as the superhero Flamebird , continues to appear in DC Comics publications. Schwartz stated that he had been asked to develop a new female character to attract a female viewership to the Batman television series of the 1960s . Executive producer William Dozier suggested that the new character would be the daughter of Gotham City's Police Commissioner James Gordon, and that she would adopt
16700-484: The character. The Elseworlds imprint takes the company's iconic characters and places them in alternate timelines, places and events making heroes "as familiar as yesterday seem as fresh as tomorrow". As Batgirl, Barbara Gordon has made several appearances in Elseworlds comics since 1997. The character is given starring roles in the noir -style storyline Thrillkiller (1997), its sequel Thrillkiller '62 (1998), and
16867-595: The city government, severely depletes the Wayne fortune by the tens of billions. When Batman confronts the Joker's thugs, the Joker's new girlfriend Punchline poisons him with her own version of the Joker toxin. Batman escapes while hallucinating under the toxin's influence. Harley Quinn nurses Batman back to health before being attacked by Punchline. Batman wakes up and defeats Punchline. Batman gathers Dick Grayson , Jason Todd , Tim Drake , Cassandra Cain , Barbara Gordon , Stephanie Brown , Duke Thomas , and Harley Quinn . With their help, Batman takes back Gotham City, but
17034-413: The comic-strip characters Patoruzú (1928) and Popeye (1929) and novelist Philip Wylie 's character Hugo Danner (1930). Another early example was Sarutobi Sasuke , a Japanese superhero ninja from children's novels in the 1910s; by 1914, he had a number of superhuman powers and abilities. The French character L'Oiselle , created in 1909, can be classed as a superheroine. In August 1937, in
17201-534: The companies filed a trademark application as joint owners for the mark "SUPER HEROES" for a series of animated motion pictures in 2009 (Reg. No. 5613972). Both DC and Marvel also individually owned trademarks involving the "super hero" mark. Notably, DC owns the mark " Legion of Super-Heroes " for comic magazines and Marvel owns the mark "Marvel Super Hero Island" for story books, fiction books, and children’s activity books. DC and Marvel have become known for aggressively protecting their registered marks. In 2019,
17368-552: The companies pursued a British law student named Graham Jules who was attempting to publish a self-help book titled Business Zero to Superhero . Much academic debate exists about whether the "super hero" mark has become generic and whether DC and Marvel have created a duopoly over the "super hero" mark. Conversely, DC and Marvel hold that they are merely exercising their right and duty to protect their registered marks. The following trademarks were or are registered jointly with MARVEL CHARACTERS, INC. and DC COMICS: As mentioned,
17535-471: The debut of Shotaro Ishinomori 's Skull Man (the basis for his later Kamen Rider ) in 1970, Go Nagai's Devilman in 1972 and Gerry Conway and John Romita's Punisher in 1974. The dark Skull Man manga would later get a television adaptation and underwent drastic changes. The character was redesigned to resemble a grasshopper, becoming the renowned first masked hero of the Kamen Rider series. Kamen Rider
17702-480: The decision by stating that "she'll always be the most recognizable [Batgirl]." Series writer Gail Simone stated: "For many years, I got to write the character as Oracle, and there is to this day, no character who means more to me. This is classic Barbara as she was originally conceived, with a few big surprises. It's a bit of a shock, to be sure, but we’re doing everything we can to be respectful to this character's amazing legacy, while presenting something thrilling that
17869-542: The dimensions in her search for her missing father (as chronicled in the recent DC trade paperback Zatanna's Quest). Barbara Gordon initially conformed to hackneyed stereotypes as a dowdy librarian, but her transformation into Batgirl could be seen in retrospect as a symbol of the emerging female empowerment movement of the 1960s. (Moreover, by the 1970s Barbara had given herself a makeover even in her "civilian identity" and ran for Congress.) — Peter Sanderson , IGN , 2005 In The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and
18036-460: The earlier Bat-Girl and Batwoman characters in popularity, and readers requested for her to appear in other titles. Although some readers requested that Batwoman also continue to appear in publication, DC responded to the fan-based acclaim and criticism of the new character in an open letter in Detective Comics #417 (1971), stating: "I'd like to say a few words about the reaction some readers have to Batgirl. These are readers who remember Batwoman and
18203-401: The end of the decade, in 1939, Batman was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger . During the 1940s there were many superheroes: The Flash , Green Lantern and Blue Beetle debuted in this era. This era saw the debut of one of the earliest female superheroes, writer-artist Fletcher Hanks 's character Fantomah , an ageless ancient Egyptian woman in the modern day who could transform into
18370-490: The entire DC publication line in 2011. This was also the case with the DC Rebirth (2016). After the suicide of her psychopathic brother James Gordon Jr., Barbara ponders her role as Batgirl, becomes Oracle and continues to support the Batman family behind the computer screen, with the option to occasionally return to the role of Batgirl. Above all, she takes on the role of mentor for Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown, who now share
18537-763: The event of his death, handed over the Batgirl mantle to Stephanie Brown, the former Spoiler and the fourth Robin. After declining an offer from Tim Drake to reclaim the Batgirl mantle from Stephanie, Cassandra rejoined the Batman Family under the new identity of the Blackbat. She currently acts as the Hong Kong representative of Batman Inc. Stephanie Brown does take the mantle of Batgirl after Cassandra Cain gives Brown her costume under Batman's orders. Eventually, Barbara Gordon approves of Brown as her newest successor — and she gives Brown her own Batgirl costume and becomes her mentor for
18704-455: The events of the limited series Infinite Crisis , Cassandra Cain is revived as the leader of the League of Assassins , having abandoned her previous characterization as an altruist . The character's progression from hero to villain angered some of her fans and was accompanied by heavy criticism. Cain reprised her role as Batgirl in the " Titans East " (2007) storyline of Teen Titans , where it
18871-438: The fact she has made a full recovery from her paralysis while others have not. Series writer Gail Simone stated that while the character is "one of the smartest and toughest women in comics ...One thing the book is truly about, is that the after-effects of something like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) or other trauma-related syndromes, can strike even very smart, very intellectually tough people, even soldiers and cops",
19038-508: The first black superhero to star in his own series . In 1989, the Monica Rambeau incarnation of Captain Marvel was the first female black superhero from a major publisher to get her own title in a special one-shot issue. In 1971, Red Wolf became the first Native American in the superheroic tradition to headline a series. In 1973, Shang-Chi became the first prominent Asian superhero to star in an American comic book ( Kato had been
19205-451: The first African American character to be portrayed as Batgirl. In the alternate history DC Comics Bombshells universe, there is no singular Batgirl. Instead, there exists a group of young female vigilantes known as " the Batgirls ", whose ranks consist of a Batwoman fan named Harper Row , an African American mechanic named Kathy Duquesne, a young Caucasian girl named Nell Little, and
19372-489: The first Batgirl to star in an eponymous monthly comic book series, as well as one of the most prominent characters of Asian descent to appear in American comics. The series was cancelled in 2006 and Cassandra Cain abandoned the role of Batgirl shortly thereafter. Years later, Cassandra rejoined the Batman family under the moniker the Blackbat. In The New 52 , Cassandra reappeared in the comic series Batman and Robin Eternal with
19539-454: The first entity to commercialize the phrase "super hero" when it registered the mark in connection with Halloween costumes. In 1972, Mego Corporation , an American toy company, attempted to register the mark "World's Greatest Superheroes" in connection with its line of action figures. Mego Corporation’s attempted registration led Ben Cooper, Inc. to sue Mego Corporation for trademark infringement. Due to its financial struggles, Mego Corporation
19706-407: The girlfriend of Tim Drake aka Red Robin before they break up. Eventually she shares the title Batgirl with her friend Cassandra Cain. For a brief time during 1999's No Man's Land storyline, Helena Bertinelli assumed the mantle of Batgirl. After violating Batman's code against extreme violence, she was stripped of the mantle and returned to her alias of the Huntress. After Cassandra Cain abandoned
19873-479: The hypothetical heteronormative male audience. Villains, such as Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy , use their sexuality to take advantage of their male victims. In the film versions of these characters, their sexuality and seductive methods are highlighted. Poison Ivy uses seduction through poison to take over the minds of her victims as seen in the 1997 film Batman and Robin . Harley Quinn in 2016's Suicide Squad uses her sexuality to her advantage, acting in
20040-465: The idea of a masked avenger and the superhero trope of a secret identity . Over the next few decades, masked and costumed pulp fiction characters such as Jimmie Dale/The Grey Seal (1914), Zorro (1919), Buck Rogers (1928), The Shadow (1930), and Flash Gordon (1934), and comic strip heroes such as the Phantom (1936), began appearing, as did non-costumed characters with super strength , including
20207-465: The identity of Batgirl. When Dozier and producer Howie Horowitz saw rough concept artwork of the new Batgirl by artist Carmine Infantino during a visit to DC offices, they optioned the character in a bid to help sell a third season to the ABC television network. Infantino reflected on the creation of Batgirl, stating "Bob Kane had had a Bat-Girl for about three stories in the ’50s but she had nothing to do with
20374-519: The introduction of Cassandra Cain in Batman #567 (1999). Depicted as a martial arts child prodigy , Cassandra Cain is written as a young woman of partly Asian descent who succeeds Helena Bertinelli as Batgirl, with the approval of both Batman and the Oracle. The first Batgirl monthly comic was published in 2000, with Cassandra Cain as the title character. Raised by assassin David Cain , Cassandra Cain
20541-453: The late 1960s and 1970s as a supporting character in Detective Comics , in addition to guest appearances in various titles such as Justice League of America , World's Finest Comics , The Brave and the Bold , Adventure Comics , and Superman . In the early-1970s, Batgirl reveals her secret identity to her father (who had already discovered it on his own) and serves as a member of
20708-459: The latter, complete with a domino mask and a cape, became influential for the myriad of masked rogues in penny dreadfuls and dime novels . The vigilantes of the American Old West also became an influence to the superhero. Several vigilantes during this time period hid their identities using masks. In frontier communities where de jure law was not yet matured, people sometimes took
20875-590: The law into their own hands with makeshift masks made out of sacks . Vigilante mobs and gangs like the San Diego Vigilantes and the Bald Knobbers became infamous throughout that Old West era. Such masked vigilantism later inspired fictional masked crimefighters in American story-telling, beginning with the character Deadwood Dick in 1877. The word superhero dates back to 1899. The 1903 British play The Scarlet Pimpernel and its spinoffs popularized
21042-472: The likes of Batwoman in 1956, Supergirl , Miss Arrowette , and Bat-Girl ; all female derivatives of established male superheroes. In 1957 Japan, Shintoho produced the first film serial featuring the superhero character Super Giant , signaling a shift in Japanese popular culture towards tokusatsu masked superheroes over kaiju giant monsters. Along with Astro Boy , the Super Giant serials had
21209-739: The magazine King of the Monsters in 1977 describing Godzilla as "Superhero of the '70s." In 1971, Kamen Rider launched the "Henshin Boom" on Japanese television in the early 1970s, greatly impacting the tokusatsu superhero genre in Japan. In 1972, the Science Ninja Team Gatchaman anime debuted, which built upon the superhero team idea of the live-action Phantom Agents as well as introducing different colors for team members and special vehicles to support them, said vehicles could also combine into
21376-461: The mark in connection with comic books, and were granted the mark by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 1981. In the years leading up to the assignment of the mark, both DC and Marvel battled to register various trademarks involving the phrase “superhero.” However, DC and Marvel quickly discovered that they could only register marks involving the phrase "superhero" if
21543-407: The monthly Batgirl title underwent a soft reboot with the new creative team Brenden Fletcher (writer) Cameron Stewart (writer, layouts), Babs Tarr (artist) and Maris Wicks (colors). The first six-issue story explored Barbara Gordon's attempt to start a new life as a PhD student in the hip Gotham borough of Burnside. While seemingly light and engaging compared to Gail Simone's darker preceding run,
21710-908: The most iconic Batgirl. The character debuted in Detective Comics #359 (January 1967) by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino , introduced as the niece/adoptive daughter of police commissioner James Gordon . Batgirl operates in Gotham City , allying herself with Batman and the original Robin , Dick Grayson , along with other masked vigilantes . The character appeared regularly in Detective Comics , Batman Family , and several other books produced by DC until 1988. That year, Barbara Gordon appeared in Barbara Kesel 's Batgirl Special #1, in which she retires from crime-fighting. She subsequently appeared in Alan Moore 's graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke where, in her civilian identity, she
21877-488: The most prominent characters of Asian descent to appear in American comics. The series was canceled in 2006, at which point during the company-wide storyline " One Year Later ", she is established as a villain and head of the League of Assassins . After receiving harsh feedback from readership, she is later restored to her original conception. However, the character Stephanie Brown , originally known as Spoiler and later Robin, succeeds her as Batgirl after Cassandra Cain abandons
22044-432: The new Spider-Man after the apparent death of the original Spider-Man, Peter Parker . Kamala Khan , a Pakistani-American Muslim teenager who is revealed to have Inhuman lineage after her shapeshifting powers manifested, takes on the identity of Ms. Marvel in 2014 after Carol Danvers had become Captain Marvel. Her self-titled comic book series became a cultural phenomenon, with extensive media coverage by CNN ,
22211-469: The new arc ultimately dealt with Babs' inability to fully escape her earlier trauma and the villain was revealed as her own brain scans, an algorithm similar to the Pre- New 52 Oracle. While the reboot was highly praised for its fun, energy, innovative use of social media, and particularly for Tarr's art, issue #37 caused controversy with its depiction of a villain named Dagger Type, which some critics saw as
22378-499: The one-shot comic Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl (1998). In 2005, DC Comics launched its All Star imprint—an ongoing series of comics designed to pair the company's most iconic characters with the most acclaimed writers and artists in the industry. Similar to Elseworlds , All Star is not restricted to mainstream continuity and establishes a fresh perspective for the latest generation of readership. According to Dan DiDio , "[t]hese books are created to literally reach
22545-410: The other Bat-girls from years back ... They were there because romance seemed to be needed in Batman's life. But thanks to the big change and a foresighted editor, these hapless females are gone for good. In their place stands a girl who is a capable crime-fighter, a far cry from Batwoman who constantly had to be rescued [by] Batman." Batgirl continued to appear in DC Comics publications throughout
22712-600: The pages of several popular superhero titles from the late 1950s onward: Hal Jordan 's love interest Carol Ferris was introduced as the Vice-President of Ferris Aircraft and later took over the company from her father; Medusa , who was first introduced in the Fantastic Four series, is a member of the Inhuman Royal Family and a prominent statesperson within her people's quasi-feudal society; and Carol Danvers ,
22879-420: The past decade following the rise of comic book characters in the film industry (Marvel/DC movies). Women are presented differently than their male counterparts, typically wearing revealing clothing that showcases their curves and cleavage and showing a lot of skin in some cases. Heroes like Power Girl and Wonder Woman are portrayed wearing little clothing and showing cleavage. Power Girl is portrayed as wearing
23046-460: The people are alive. Batman tells Harley Quinn that he is glad she is okay, and that he just buried Alfred . Batman explains that Alfred once told him that fighting the Joker was like fighting himself, and the fighting is living, continuing on, and Batman is prepared for the fight as well as vowing to be a better man. Other Batman comics expanded on small elements of the larger ongoing storyline: The main story received generally positive reviews for
23213-406: The phrase referenced their own company or a character associated with their company. As a result, DC and Marvel decided to become joint owners of the "superhero" trademark. Although many consumers likely see DC and Marvel as competitors, the two comic book publishing giants are allies when it comes to protecting the trademark "superhero" and variants thereof. Although joint ownership in a trademark
23380-419: The power of a god, but was still drawn to a much weaker, mortal male character. This can be explained by the sociological concept "feminine apologetic," which reinforces a woman's femininity to account for her masculine attributes (strength, individualism, toughness, aggressiveness, bravery). Women in comic books are considered to be misrepresented due to being created by men, for men. The Hawkeye Initiative
23547-520: The public, and policing unauthorized uses. However, misuse by the public alone does not necessarily cause a trademark to become generic if the primary significance of the term is still to indicate a particular source. Some legal experts argue that, like the once-trademarked terms "aspirin" and "yo-yo," the term "superhero" now primarily refers to a general type of character with extraordinary abilities, rather than characters originating from specific publishers. In keeping with their origins as representing
23714-442: The release of the graphic novel, comic book editor and writer Kim Yale discussed how distasteful she found the treatment of Barbara Gordon with her husband, fellow comic writer John Ostrander . Rather than allow the character to fall into obscurity, the two decided to revive her as a character living with a disability—the information broker called the Oracle. Eleven years after the editorial retirement of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl,
23881-443: The role of Batgirl until she is stripped of the identity by Batman for violating his stringent codes. Within the same storyline, the character Cassandra Cain is introduced. Cain is written as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva and takes the mantle of Batgirl under the guidance of Batman and Oracle. In 2000, she became the first Batgirl to star in an eponymous monthly comic book series, in addition to becoming one of
24048-455: The role of Batgirl. She maintained this position until 2011, the relaunch of the DC imprint under The New 52 . The character reappeared in the DCU in Batman (vol. 3) #28, as the Spoiler. Stephanie reappears in the series Batman Eternal , where she again goes by Spoiler in an attempt to thwart her father's machinations. After DC Rebirth , she joined Batman's new team of vigilantes where she became
24215-512: The role, a mystery character appeared as the new Batgirl in the Birds of Prey comic. Possessing superpowers, the teen claimed the empty mantle in an attempt to honor the character. However, Barbara Gordon quickly dissuaded the teen from continuing in the role. Charlie Gage-Radcliffe acquiesced, but modified her costume and changed her name to the Misfit. While Barbara Gordon and Cassandra Cain have both been
24382-560: The role. Stephanie Brown became the featured character of the Batgirl series from 2009 to 2011, prior to DC's The New 52 relaunch, which established Barbara Gordon recovering from her paralysis following a surgical procedure and starring as the title character of Batgirl once again. Barbara later returned to the Oracle role with Infinite Frontier in 2020, and currently operates as both Batgirl and Oracle, with Cassandra and Stephanie also serving as Batgirls. The Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl has been adapted into various media relating to
24549-464: The series at the time. The hashtag #changethecover drew dozens of posts on Twitter and Tumblr asking DC to not release the variant. DC ultimately withdrew the cover from publication at the request of Albuquerque, who stated, "My intention was never to hurt or upset anyone through my art...For that reason, I have recommended to DC that the variant cover be pulled." In March 2016, DC Comics announced it would be re-launching all of its monthly titles under
24716-975: The series relaunch in September 2011, Batgirl has remained within the top 30 of the 300 best-selling monthly comic book publications sold in North America. Monthly estimated sales figures are as follows: Batgirl #1 with 81,489 copies (ranked 12th overall), Batgirl #2 with 75,227 (ranked 14th), Batgirl #3 with 62,974 (ranked 18th), Batgirl #4 with 53,975 (ranked 23rd), Batgirl #5 with 51,327 (ranked 26th), and Batgirl #6 with 47,836 (ranked 30th). The hardcover edition of volume 1, Batgirl: The Darkest Reflection , which collects issues #1–6, made The New York Times Best Seller list , alongside Animal Man: The Hunt , Batman & Robin: Born to Kill , Batman: Detective Comics , Wonder Woman: Blood , Batwoman: Hydrology , Green Lantern: Sinestro . Additionally, Barbara Gordon makes an appearance in Birds of Prey #1, where
24883-499: The series was cancelled prior to publication. Alternate versions of Batgirl aside from Barbara Gordon have also appeared in publications by DC Comics. In Batman Beyond Unlimited #18 (set in the continuity of the animated series Batman Beyond ), the new Batgirl is a 15-year-old girl named Nissa . In Batgirl: Future's End #1 (Nov. 2014), set in an alternate future, a trio of Batgirls include Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown and newcomer Tiffany Fox —the daughter of Lucius Fox and
25050-449: The subject of academic analysis regarding the portrayal of women in comics , commentary on Barbara Gordon's Batgirl has focused on her character's connection to the women's liberation movement , doctoral degree and career as a librarian, while analysis of Cassandra Cain's Batgirl has focused on the character's double minority status as a woman and a person of color . Since her debut in DC Comics publication, and fueled by her adaptation into
25217-594: The superhero supergroups featured at least one (and often the only) female member, much like DC's flagship superhero team the Justice League of America (whose initial roster included Wonder Woman as the token female ); examples include the Fantastic Four 's Invisible Girl , the X-Men 's Jean Grey (originally known as Marvel Girl ), the Avengers ' Wasp , and the Brotherhood of Mutants ' Scarlet Witch (who later joined
25384-410: The term "SUPER HERO" trademark is at risk of becoming generic. Courts have noted that determining whether a term has become generic is a highly factual inquiry not suitable for resolution without considering evidence like dictionary definitions, media usage, and consumer surveys. Trademark owners can take steps to prevent genericide , such as using the trademark with the generic product name, educating
25551-598: The title of Batgirl. During the No Man's Land storyline, Cassandra Cain was given the role of Batgirl under the guidance of Batman and Oracle. Written as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva, she is trained from early childhood to read human body language instead of developing verbal and written communication skills as part of her father's conditioning to mold her into the world's deadliest assassin. However, after committing her first murder, she vows to never again use her martial-arts prowess to kill. In 2000, she became
25718-595: The title. Various alterations of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl have appeared in storylines published in and out of mainstream continuity titles. Variants of the character within continuity often appear in stories which involve time travel, such as the crossover limited series Zero Hour: Crisis in Time , a follow-up story preceded by the 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths which altered mainstream continuity. Notable imprints of DC Comics such as Elseworlds and All Star DC Comics have also featured alternate versions of
25885-421: The two companies also own a variety of other superhero-related marks. For instance, DC owns "Legion of Super-Heroes" and " DC Super Hero Girls " and Marvel owns “Marvel Super Hero Island" and "Marvel Super Hero Adventures." DC and Marvel have garnered a reputation for zealously protecting their superhero marks. As noted above, one of these instances included a man by the name of Graham Jules, who sought to publish
26052-641: The war, she traveled to Louisiana and did indeed become a vampire. In 2021, Barbara Gordon is one of the main protagonists in Batman '89 . While working in Gotham's police department, she dates Harvey Dent . She assumes the role of Batgirl in the second series, Echoes . In 2022 Daphne Blake from Scooby-Doo became a temporary Batgirl in The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries . Batgirl has officially been represented by four different characters – and two claimants – beginning with her introduction in 1961. During
26219-550: The weakest member of her team a decade ago. Both major American publishers began introducing new superheroines with a more distinct feminist theme as part of their origin stories or character development. Examples include Big Barda , Power Girl , and the Huntress by DC comics; and from Marvel, the second Black Widow , Shanna the She-Devil , and The Cat . Female supporting characters who were successful professionals or hold positions of authority in their own right also debuted in
26386-487: The widest audience possible, and not just the comic book audience, but anyone who has ever wanted to read or see anything about Superman or Batman." An alternate Barbara Gordon was adapted into Frank Miller's All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder (2005) as a teenage Batgirl. In addition, another variation of the character had been set to star in an eponymous All Star Batgirl title, written by Geoff Johns ; however,
26553-552: Was discovered that she had been influenced by a mind-altering drug administered by supervillain Deathstroke the Terminator . Following the conclusion of the storyline, DC Comics has restored Cain's original characterization as a superhero and the character has been given a supporting role in the comic book series Batman and the Outsiders . Following the events of Batman's disappearance , Cassandra, acting under her mentor's orders in
26720-598: Was in All Star Comics #8 (Dec. 1941), published by All-American Publications , one of two companies that would merge to form DC Comics in 1944. Pérák was an urban legend originating from the city of Prague during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in the midst of World War II . In the decades following the war, Pérák has also been portrayed as the only Czech superhero in film and comics. In 1952, Osamu Tezuka 's manga Tetsuwan Atom , more popularly known in
26887-448: Was not severed. That makes her a candidate." Prior to its release, Batgirl #1 sold out at the distribution level with over 100,000 copies printed in its first run according to Diamond Comic Distributors . Along with Action Comics #1, Justice League #1, Batman #1, Batman and Robin #1, Batman: The Dark Knight #1, Detective Comics #1, Flash #1, Green Lantern #1, and Superman #1, retailers were required to order
27054-403: Was not taught spoken language, but instead was taught to "read" physical movement. Subsequently, Cain's only form of communication was body language. The parts of the character's brain normally used for speech were trained so Cain could read other people's body language and predict, with uncanny accuracy, their next move. This also caused her brain to develop learning functions different from most,
27221-472: Was our editor on the project", and following a discussion with then-Executive Editorial Director Dick Giordano, "Len got back onto the phone and said, ‘Yeah, okay, cripple the bitch.'" Although there has been speculation as to whether or not editors at DC specifically intended to have the character's paralysis become permanent, Brian Cronin, author of Was Superman A Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed (2009) noted that DC had hired Barbara Kesel to write
27388-410: Was reintroduced as Bette Kane and the alias of Flamebird . Following Infinite Crisis , the character's past as Batgirl was hinted at as being a part of continuity. However, that reference included a revamped origin of the character and it may or may not have been the current Bette Kane. During the run of the Batman television series, DC editorial was approached about adding a female character back into
27555-404: Was unexpected as Marvel and DC had filed a motion to extend time to answer. There is an ongoing debate among legal scholars and in the courts about whether the term "superhero" has become genericized due to its widespread use in popular culture, similar to terms like "aspirin" or "escalator" which lost their trademark protection and became generic terms for their respective products. Some argue
27722-467: Was unwilling to defend itself against Ben Cooper Inc.'s suit. As a result, in 1977, Mego Corporation jointly assigned its interest in the trademark to DC Comics , Inc. ("DC") and Marvel Comics ("Marvel"). Due to the financial prowess of DC and Marvel, Ben Cooper, Inc. decided to withdraw its trademark opposition and jointly assigned its interest in the "World's Greatest Super Heroes" mark to DC and Marvel. Two years later in 1979, DC and Marvel applied for
27889-583: Was written to reduce the complex history of DC Comics to a single continuity . Although Batgirl is a featured character, her role is relatively small—she delivers Supergirl's eulogy in issue #7 of the 12-part series. The conclusion of Crisis on Infinite Earths changed DC Universe continuity in many ways. Following the reboot , Barbara Gordon is born to Roger and Thelma Gordon, and she is Jim Gordon's niece and adopted daughter in post - crisis continuity. Post- Crisis , Supergirl does not arrive on Earth until after Gordon has established herself as Oracle, and many of
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