The following story and photos are from Giant Panda King's book, Gotham 1919-1939 by Russall S.
Beattie, available from www.giantpandaking.com. Viewer discretion is advised.
Robin, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin or Red Wing as he was known.
All of these are people who were inspired by or directly involved with the crusade of the Bat-Man,
but none were as directly inspired by him as the Bat-Girl. The daughter of Gotham City Police
Commissioner, James Gordon, Barbara Gordon was one of the very first admirers of the Bat-Man.
Crime-fighting was in her blood. Creating a costume of her own and
donning a mask to hide her identity, she came flashily onto the crime-fighting scene.
Some would say her costume focused more on fashion than function, but she made an impact nonetheless.
Even though she could not use the tool of fear to combat criminals,
she found her own effective methods of making an impact in crime-fighting.
The Bat-Man soon began to take notice of her effort in the fight on Gotham's underworld.
He tracked her down and officially welcomed her to the Bat-Team.
She was living her dream fighting crime and being an ally of the Bat.
All of that came to a startling end because of the Joker. One fateful,
night while visiting her father, James Gordon, Barbara went to answer a knock at the door.
She was greeted by the pale smile of the Clown Prince of Crime.
She didn't even see the gun before she heard the gunshot that hit her. It hit her spine,
paralyzing her from the waist down and effectively ending her career as the Bat-Girl.
Though her body was broken, her spirit was not. She may have been wheelchair-bound,
but she found another calling in the Bat's crusade against crime. Taking the code name Oracle,
Barbara offered her support to the Bat-Team through logistics and investigative skills.
While the Bat-Girl's career might have come to an abrupt end,
her example inspired many to take up the cause. The Bat-Woman, the Black Bat, the Spoiler,
and the Huntress were such people who were inspired by Barbara's moxie and spirit.
As the years went on, Oracle became invaluable to the Bat-Team. After the golden years of the
Bat-Man's career, Barbara attended law school, pouring herself into becoming Gotham City's
very first female district attorney in 1948. Her family's name held sway in Gotham still and helped
her to build trust with the city's lawmakers and citizens. With the career of the Bat-Girl,
a new dawn shown upon Gotham's citizens. Her bravery, her flying in the face of danger,
helped people to see that anyone could stand up to the darkness of Gotham's underworld.
Many more did rise in her wake, and many more made a difference as a direct result of the inspiration
caused by Barbara Gordon. Whether or not the Bat-Man's impact on Gotham can be proven to
have been good, the Bat-Girl's impact reverberated on for years to come, and she continued to see it
to fruition long after. Although she is no longer with us, Barbara Gordon will always be remembered
for the strides she took, paving the way for women in Gotham, and helping those in need.