Will the real Batgirl please stand up.......
Comic Books are basically a lot like the soap operas, they get a little far fetched at times and the Batman series isn't any different. Batgirl not only has gone through a lot of transformation with just her attire and in the movie but she's gone through actual character changes as well through out the years. There has been seven different "character names" for Batgirl over the years and for a lot of them they weren't just Batgirl. So lets have a look at who's actually been the secret identity of Batgirl.
From Comic Book Superheros to Batman in the Movies
Batgirl Comics of her very own
Batgirl Year One
Dressing like your favorite Superhero Batgirl
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Dress Like Bat-Girl for Halloween
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The Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl made regular appearances in DC comics from 1967 to 1988. The official retirement of Batgirl took place in Batgirl Special #1 (June 1988), which was published a few months after Barbara Gordon's shooting by Th...
Betty Kane
the first Batgirl
Betty Kane was the very first Bat-girl to appear on the scene in 1961 and she was suppose to be the sidekick to Batwoman, Kathy Kane. Betty Kane was her niece and while visiting her aunt she discovered her aunt's secret identity. So, pulling a Dick Grayson, Betty made her own costume which was red and green, similar to Robin's. These characters lasted until 1964 then they both "retired" from the crime fighting and Betty Kane took up tennis instead. However Betty Kane did reappear in Teen Titans as Batgirl for a short time until she heard about the death of her aunt at the hands of the League of Assassins and she hung up the batgirt suit again.
Now here's where the twist comes in, a different version of Batman is that the original Bat-girl didn't exist. So during the "Post-Crisis" stage, Betty Kane became "Bette" and became the character of Flamebird.
Barbara Gordon
the longest running Batgirl
Barbara Gordon was the second alter-ego to put on the Batgirl mask and it was actually done by mistake. Barbara Gordon, according to the original script, was the daughter of police commissioner Jim Gordon. Barbara worked as a librarian and was on her way to a costume party wearing a female version of the Batsuit when she came upon Killer Moth trying to kidnap Batman. She jumped in to help him and the rest is, well shall we say "history" and this was the prelude to introducing Batgirl into the 1966 version of Batman and Robin. Altho in the tv series Barbara worked as head of Gotham City Public Library. 
However according to the post-crisis Barbara Gordon was the niece/adopted daughter of Commissioner Gordon (he adopted her after her parents were both dead). She always wanted to get into law enforcement but was discouraged from doing so by her father. How she became Batgirl was close to the same, going to a costume party dressed as the female version of Batman, but the party was the Police Department Annual Ball and Killer Moth was attempting a robbery there. Afterward Batman and Robin would take her in and train her in martial arts. In the final days of the Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl, she's at the home of her father when a knock comes to the door. When she opens the door she's shot, it's the Joker. As a result she ends up paralyzed and her Batgirl days are over, instead she moves on to another order, Birds of Prey. She also changes alias to Oracle.
There's actually another side to Barbara Gordon that I'm trying to check into so I'll leave it here until I find the facts for sure.
Barbara Wilson
Alfred's neice
Barbara Wilson is the name of the secret identity of Batgirl in the 1997 Batman and Robin with George Clooney and Chris O'Donnell. Barbara Wilson is the niece of Alfred Pennyworth the butler. After her parents died in an auto accident she became very close to Alfred who was her mother's brother. Barbara was in a boarding school in England when she found out about Alfred dying from a rare disease and she decided to head to the states in order to "free" him from his role as "butler". When Alfred was growing steadily worse, he gave a disc to Barbara which had all of Bruce Wayne's secrets on it, she hacked into the disc and learned all about Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson and that Alfred wanted her to join them as well. Putting on the suit that Alfred had made for her she disguises herself as Batgirl, finds and defeats Poisin Ivy saving Batman and Robin.
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The Actresses Who Played Batgirl
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So you wanna know just who played Batgirl? Well you've come to the right spot! Did you also know that Barbara Gordon wasn't the only Batgirl?? Or did you know she wasn't the only one who played Batgirl on the big screen?...
Helena Bertinelli
It had been 11 years since Barbara Gordon hung up the Batgirl suit and Batman was missing, no one was protecting Gotham City. So Helena Bertinelli decided to dress up as batgirl to keep the city safe. Helena actually had a number of different origins throughout her comic life. But the bottom line is she started out as the Huntress but changed to Batgirl because the bad guys were more afraid of her. When Batman returned and found out who was masquerading as Batgirl, he agreed to it as long as she didn't disappoint him. But when she failed to keep Batman's territory safe (she refused to follow Batman's specific orders) from Two-Face and his gang. She was stripped of the Batgirl suit and returned to being Huntress.
Cassandra Cain
After saving Commissioner Barbara Gordon's life, Cassandra Cain was welcomed to take the Batgirl suit. Cassandra was raised by her father David Cain to be an assassin, 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, a form of dyslexia that hampers her abilities to read and write. That all changed tho when she save the Commissioner's life and became a ward of Barbara Gordon's and Batman's. After giving up the Batgirl suit, Cassandra became leader of the League of Assassins, even framing Robin for murder. Eventually it was discovered that she was drugged by Deathstroke in order for him to control her. Cassandra eventually joins up with Batman and the Outsiders but after Batman dies, she passes the Batgirl suit onto someone else.
Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe
For a short period of time Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe became another girl in her own homemade Batgirl suit that looked similar to Barbara Gordon's version of it. When the Oracle heard about the batgirl on the scene she decided to send out a couple of the birds of prey to find out who it was. After seeing her abilities, Charlotte had metahuman powers of tele-portation, super-strength and enhanced healing, she saves Huntress from being wounded, and she displayed her extensive knowledge of the Bird of Prey activities, she tele-ports right behind Barbara to speak with her, the Oracle was impressed with her but her age really was an issue for the Oracle. So she showed Charlotte pictures of Stephanie Brown's autopsy and Charlotte hung up her batgirl costume.
Stephanie Brown
The most recent Batgirl is none other then Stephanie Brown aka The Spoiler aka Robin, well maybe she'll be the next Batgirl. Cassandra as Batgirl and Spoiler were fighting some thugs when Cassandra finally decided she no longer wanted to be fighting under the bat sign anymore and gave her costume to Stephanie. So Stephanie is now torn between finally living a normal life as a college student or going back to the crime fighting under the Batgirl disguise. After a night of being Batgirl, Stephanie got home to find Barbara Gordon waiting for her.....to be continued at a later date (or once I find out more).
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The Comic Book Character Robin
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Dick Grayson may have been the first Robin character but he wasn't the last. Here we'll have a look at who's been the other half of the Dynamic Duo and where they've come from. Bob Kane and Bill Finger decided...
Batgirl's own little corner of the Batcave
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Feel free to leave a little love note for whatever Batgirl you wish
Or if you'd like to see a new one in the next Batman movie of 2010 drop a line and let everyone know who you'd like it to be.
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Reply
- sukkran sukkran Oct 3, 2009 @ 8:06 pm
- what a wonderful design. nice lens.
Actors who played Batman Characters
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The Actors Who Played Alfred Pennyworth
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In this lens, lets have a look back to see what actors have played the loyal and faithful butler, Alfred. Maybe see what types of new gadgets Alfred may think up. Known in the comic books as Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth, l...
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The Actors Who Played Batman
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What actor played the original Batman? Hint, contrary to popular belief it wasn't Adam West. Who played Batman in Batman Returns or The Dark Knight? In this lens we'll look at who's actually played the Caped Crusader ove...
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The Comic Book Character Robin
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Dick Grayson may have been the first Robin character but he wasn't the last. Here we'll have a look at who's been the other half of the Dynamic Duo and where they've come from. Bob Kane and Bill Finger decided...
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Batman vs Superman. Who's the better Superhero?
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Everyone has a favorite comic book Superhero! Don't they?? Well I have two, Batman and Superman. Altho I think I favor Batman movies (except the last two, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) more then Superman movies. But!! I like Superman TV show...
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The Actors Who Played Dick Grayson
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In this lens we'll have a look at what actors have played Dick Grayson in the Batman and Robin series and Batman movies, the original Robin (Boy Wonder). In all the tv series and the movies Dick Grayson was the only one to play...
Actors who played Batman's enemies
better known as The Bat Family's nemesis
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The Actors Who Played Riddler
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Batman has had his nemises over there and the Riddler is another one who's been added to Arkham Asylum. So here we'll have a look at what actors have played The Riddler over the years in the different Batman series. &nb...
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The Actors Who Played Penguin
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Do you know who played the original Penguin in Batman? Have a look here to find out who all the actors were that played Penguin. Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, better known as Penguin first appeared in the comic book Batman in 1941. This SuperVillain...
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The Actresses Who Played Catwoman
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In this lens, lets have a look at all the actresses who have played the Comic Book SuperVillainess, Catwoman over the years in all the different Batman series and movies. Just like the comic book superhero, Superman has his love interest so does Comi...
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The Actors Who Played The Joker
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Which Batman movie had the character of the Joker in and who was the actor who played them? This lens will tell you exactly that and don't forget to vote as to who you thought was the best actor who played The Joker. One of comic book superhero...
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The Actors Who Played Two-Face
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Here is where you'll find all the actors who played the toughest District Attorney of Gotham City who ended up being one of Batman's enemies, Two-Face. Stick around and read some more, you just may be in for a little surpri...
A Night at the Movies in Niagara Falls
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