Batgirl

Batgirl is a DC Comics superheroine who fights crime in Gotham City and often operates alongside Batman and the Batman Family. The mantle has been taken up by several characters, with Barbara Gordon being the most prominent.

Barbara Gordon first appeared as Batgirl in Detective Comics #359 (January 1967), created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino. As Barbara, she is the daughter of Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon and an accomplished martial artist and detective who uses gadgets and intellect to aid Batman.

In The Killing Joke (1988), the Joker shoots Barbara, leaving her paralyzed. She later reemerges as Oracle, a wheelchair-using information broker and computer hacker who provides strategic support to Batman and the DC Universe. Barbara returns to the Batgirl identity in some continuities, notably during the DC Rebirth era.

Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown have also assumed the Batgirl role. Cassandra Cain, introduced in 2000–2001, is the daughter of assassin David Cain and becomes Batgirl with a highly disciplined, defensive fighting style. Stephanie Brown, previously known as Spoiler, briefly becomes Batgirl in 2009–2011 before Barbara returns.

Across different media, Batgirl has appeared in television, animated series, and films, with Barbara Gordon depicted in live action in the 1960s Batman show and various animated interpretations. Batgirl is widely regarded as a symbol of female empowerment in superhero fiction.