The Live Action History of Batgirl
From 1968 to the 21st Century, Batman's Female Sidekick Kicks Butt.
Nov 24, 2008
Batgirl has gone through five distinct incarnations in the pages of DC Comics. Originally, Betty Kane took up the mantle of Bat-Girl, sidekick to Batwoman who was her Aunt, Kathy Kane. The character only appeared from 1961 to 1964, mainly as a frustrated love interest for Robin.
In 1966, the Batgirl character was reintroduced with a new secret identity, Barbara Gordon, the niece of Police Commissioner Gordon. Every version of Batgirl that has appeared outside of the comic books has been based (if loosely) on this version of the character.
After Barbara Gordon's encounter with the Joker that left her in a wheelchair, Helena Bertinelli briefly donned the mantle of Batgirl, until Batman forced her to abandon the guise for stepping across one of his moral lines. Bertinelli fashioned a new character for herself, the Huntress, and eventually joined Barbara Gordon's Birds of Prey organization.
Cassandra Cain became the Batgirl for a time, using her superior hand to hand fighting abilities for 73 issues of Batgirl before its cancellation in 2006.
Finally, Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe, a superpowered teenager, briefly became Batgirl until Barbara Gordon forced her to give up the title.
Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na BATGIRL!
Shortly after her reintroduction in 1966, Batgirl made her first leap out of the static panels of the comic books in the third season of Batman in 1967. Portrayed by Yvonne Craig, Barbara Gordon, the mousy librarian niece of Police Commissioner Gordon, raced to the rescue of the Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin. She had her own Bat-Cycle and a fancy Bat-Closet. Clad in vivid purple tights with a bright yellow cape, she would save the day and then disappear before Batman could figure out who she was.
Unfortunate Timing
The character of Batgirl vanished from live action performance until 1997's disastrous Batman and Robin film. This time, portrayed by Alicia Silverstone, Barbara Wilson was the character's secret identity and she was the niece of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's butler. Although the last name was different, the character was very much a younger version of the Barbara Gordon Batgirl from the comic books. Sadly, while fans were generally happy with Silverstone's casting, the movie itself was beyond salvaging.
Bats, Birds and Belfries
In 2002, the WB produced a single series of The Birds of Prey, which included versions of DC Comics characters The Huntress, Black Canary and Oracle. Oracle is the name taken by Barbara Gordon after she is paralyzed by the Joker. The three heroes worked out of a clock tower in Gotham City.
Dina Meyer was cast as Barbara Gordon and for most of the series she is confined to a customized wheelchair. The character dawned the Batgirl outfit in a few dream sequences and once confronted a villain named Lady Shiva while in costume with the assistance of a custom made exoskeleton that allowed her to walk.
For many fans, the titian haired Meyer, with her gravelly voice and atheletic physique carried off the best of the Batgirl interpretations. Certainly the suit used on the show is the most attractive and truest to the style of the character in the comic books. Meyer's version of Batgirl was smart enough to be a leader, confident enough to be a mentor and still capable of crime fighting, despite being confined to a wheelchair.
Next: Batgirl gets Animated
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