#'i can train under the batfamily and become one of the best martial artists and superheroes on earth

[inamindfarfaraway]

It's so funny that Cass worked past her suicidal ideation by actually dying, allowing herself to be murdered, and then being brought back, so she could be like "Hmm. Disappointing" and move on with her life satisfied. All for the sake of being the most badass she could possibly be. Like. On one hand, she achieved her goal and did indeed get more badass afterward. But on the other hand. Therapy exists. She probably didn't need to do that.

[twinhood-2dot0]

A Shallow Dive into: The Batfam

Welcome to another episode of Alia-rants-about-stuff-she’s-passionate-about. Today, we’re exploring the Batfamily. You already know that this cast of characters is near and dear to my heart, but why exactly? That’s what you’re going to be seeing today. I wrote a post about the entire history of DC but it got too long and boring so I switched topics :P

Meet The Cast

Batman - The most iconic and second ever comic book superhero ever. Bruce Wayne was your typical rich kid, until one day while returning home from watching The Mask Of Zorro (most adaptations skip this detail but I’m pretty sure it’s canon in the comics), Thomas Wayne decided to take a shortcut FROM CRIME ALLEY, WHY DIDN’T THAT MAKE YOU RECONSIDER??? And a guy gunned down both his parents while trying to mug them but got jumpy. He vowed to war on crime and went around the world to learn literally everything he could that could help him. He returns, tries to stop a crime, gets almost killed, returns home and is sitting in a chair when a bat accidentally flew into his manor, and he took it as a sign to dress as a bat. In some versions (there are a lot of versions to this simple story somehow) Bruce had a fear of bats which also compelled him to turn his fear into criminals’ fear.

His superpowers? 

And he’s extremely smart, trained in every martial art, mastery of every weapon, even an expert marksman even though he refuses to use guns, because parents (like everything about him). In Detective Comics #1000 we see him melt down the gun that Joe Chill used to kill his parents and use it to make the symbol on his suit. He has degrees in forensic fields and engineering and computer science and probably other sciences too. He’s at peak human capabilities. I could list everything he can do but I’ll shorten it to he’s the best at everything a human is capable of doing. If you do wanna know everything, I don’t know why you would but you can check it out here.

Robin - Robin is a mantle donned by several characters. His name came from Robin Hood. I don’t know why else a Bat would have a bird sidekick. 5 characters have taken up the mantle in main continuity, namely, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and the latest, Damian Wayne.

Dick Grayson - Son of the Flying Graysons, trapeze artists famous for their circus appearances where they would perform without a net. Their lives came to a tragic end when Anthony Zucco tampered with the trapezes resulting in them falling to their deaths. Bruce Wayne happened to be in the audience, and took Dick in, because he didn’t want him to turn into what he did and help him find justice.

        He’s a founding member of the Teen Titans, starting the trend. He’s the comedic contrast to Batman, as made apparent by his costume choice. He eventually grows out of Batman’s shadow and becomes a hero in his own right, Nightwing. 

Jason Todd - Considered by many as the most interesting Robin, he did not start out so popular. After Dick left Batman’s side, Batman picked up a juvenile delinquent who attempted to steal the Batmobile’s tires as his next Robin. Fans did not like him, presumably because they felt he was usurping Dick. So, DC decided to kill him off. They published the highly influential story of “A Death In The Family” at the end of which there was a phone number fans could call and vote whether to kill him or not. Yeah, the fans really did not like him, as he was voted to die.

He later came back in “Batman: Hush”, but it was Clayface (a Batman villain with a clay body and ability to change into people), in a ploy to psychologically break Batman by Hush. Nevertheless, it was revealed that Jason’s grave was empty, in a lead up to “Under The Red Hood”, in which it was revealed that Jason was resurrected and claimed the identity of Red Hood, his killer Joker’s identity before an accident turned him into Joker. He became a murderous vigilante which did not sit right with Batman. After Batman’s death in Final Crisis, he creates an armoured Batsuit and becomes a, again, murderous Batman. Murderous is a recurring theme until recently. Dick defeats him and is forced to take up the mantle. A while after Dick became Batman, he resurfaces and goes on a very public murderous rampage leaving notes saying “Let the punishment fit the crime”. He is defeated yet again and arrested this time.

He becomes an ally of Batman following the New 52 reboot and stops killing in an effort to gain Batman’s respect. Sorry this got so long, you can see why he’s so loved now though.

Tim Drake - Tim Drake was just a normal high school kid, but he was an exceptional detective and deduced the identity of Batman and Robin, and following Jason’s death, he approached Batman to become Robin as he felt Batman was a little unhinged without Jason. Tim may not be as strong or a great fighter like Nightwing and Red Hood. He is ummm… I don’t know much about him, except that he was replaced by Damian when Dick became Batman and has other identities of Red Robin and Talon and has gone back to Robin in Rebirth??? Yeah, it’s weird.

Stephanie Brown - A Robin not many talk about. She was the girlfriend of Tim and the daughter of Cluemaster, a super-villain. When Tim’s identity was uncovered by his dad he’s forced to hang up the cape, and Steph offered to fill in for him. She became Batgirl later on along with Cassandra Cain who I’ll talk about later. She was Spoiler before she became Robin. I don’t know much again, but she is kinda rebellious.

Damian Wayne - He’s the sometimes consensual, sometimes not son of Bruce and Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra’s al Ghul. He was trained from birth to be an assassin then just given to Bruce I think. Then Bruce died and he became Dick’s Robin. I love their sibling dynamic though, I love seeing Dick act like an older brother.

Batgirl - The first Batgirl was Barbara Gordon, my personal favourite batfam member, the daughter of Commissioner Jim Gordon, one of the few not incorruptible cop in the GCPD. On a Halloween she dressed up in a Batman costume and fought off Killer Moth, attracting the attention of Batman. While at first not appreciative he slowly warmed up to her. She works as a librarian and is a computer genius. When crippled waist down by the Joker, she assumed the role of Oracle, an information broker to help in the batfam’s crusades.

Cassandra Cain - Cassandra is the second Batgirl. I have yet to read the very influential “No Man’s Land” event, but her first appearance was in that event. She is the daughter of David Cain, a skillful assassin. He raised her only to kill. She wasn’t even taught spoken language so that the language processing part of the brain could read body language so she could react to every action before it happens. This made her second best if not best martial artist on the planet. However a mind reading metahuman rewired her brain so she could speak, and she lost her abilities and she had to ask Lady Shiva to help her regain her abilities. 

Batwoman - Katherine Kane is the maternal cousin of Bruce Wayne raised by a Colonel. She is probably the most influential LGBTQ+ comic book superhero, being lesbian. She was in the army until she was booted for being lesbian. She was attacked by a mugger in Gotham and fends him off but Batman still arrives and inspires her. 

Azrael - Jean Paul Valley was brainwashed by “The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas” as their vengeance enacter. He crosses paths with Batman who helped him break out of his conditioning. He then helps Batman in his crime fighting endeavour. He is famous for taking up the mantle of Batman when he had his back broken by Bane in the “Knightfall” storyline. He becomes a brutal version of Batman and had to be defeated after Bruce recovered.

Alfred - Arguably the most important member of the Batfamily, he’s the Wayne family butler who practically raised Batman and his wards. He’s the man in Batpeople’s ears feeding them information and quips

Alex, I'll see you on Thursday.

-Alia

[megaguardain]

Support me!: Patreon - Kofi 

May have forgotten to post this since the derecho hitting my town...Whoops.

Name: Bruce Wayne

Nickname/Alias’: Batman

Titles: CEO of Wayne Enterprises

Species: Human

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Eye Color: Blue

Hair Color: Black

Height: 5’ 8” (formerly), 6’ 0” (currently)

Weight: 195 lbs

Gender: Male

Orientation: Heterosexual

Birthday: April 17th, 1914

Timeline

1914- Bruce Wayne is born to Martha and Thomas Wayne.

1923- Thomas and Martha Wayne are killed by Joe Chill in a mugging, leaving Bruce an orphan.

1928- Bruce Wayne graduates high school early.

1931- Bruce Wayne graduates college at 17 and leaves Gotham.

1938- Bruce Wayne secretly returns to Gotham and begins operating as a vigilante. After being injured by criminals, he debates letting himself bleed out before a bat crashes into his study. Bruce decides to live, and become a bat to scare criminals.

1939- Batman investigates Apex Chemical during a murder investigation. During the investigation, Alfred Stryker falls into a vat of chemicals and is believed dead First public sighting of Batman

1940- Batman encounters Hugo Strange’s Monster Men and kills them. He realizes that they were innocent people Strange experimented on. Batman vows to never kill again and to never use firearms unless neccessary. Batman aids other heroes in retrieving the Spear of Destiny from Hitler. He joins the Justice Society of America. Bruce Wayne adopts Dick Grayson after his parents are killed. Bruce trains Dick to help him get justice for his parents. First public sighting of Robin

1941- Bruce Wayne and Julie Madison break up when Julie becomes fed up with Bruce’s playboy persona. Batman and Robin arrest Oswald Cobblepot, exposing his crimes as the Penguin. First public sighting of the Penguin

1942- District Attorney Harvey Dent has half his face scarred by an assassination attempt. He is driven insane by his reflection. First public sighting of Two-Face.

1944- Harvey Dent accidentally kills his fiance. He surrenders himself and is treated for his insanity, and plastic surgery is used to heal his face.

1947- Dick Grayson, now an adult, leaves the Robin role and Bruce Wayne after an argument.

1951- Due to the American Government thinking the JSA were secretly communists, they disband.

1952- First public sighting of the second Two-Face (George Blake)

1955- Bruce Wayne marries Selina Kyle in a private ceremony.

1957- Helena Wayne is born to Selina Kyle-Wayne and Bruce Wayne.

1960- Batman aids other heroes in repelling the Appellaxian invasion. He does not join their Justice League.

1961- Batman uncovers evidence that leads to Bill Jensen’s arrest.

1967- Alfred Pennyworth passes away. James Gordon retires as Police Commissioner, his son Tony Gordon, takes over. Barbara Gordon saves Bruce Wayne from being kidnapped by Killer Moth First public sighting of the first Batgirl

1969- The Joker announces his retirement to Batman by robbing several banks and disappearing.

1970- Batman responds to a burglary in ACE Chemicals. A man in a red hood falls into a vat of chemicals and is presumed dead.

1971- Helena Wayne is kidnapped by the League of Assassins Batman rescues Helena from the League after refusing to become their next leader.

1972- Against her parents wishes, Helena Wayne becomes the new Robin. First public sighting of Robin II

1977- Helena Wayne, becoming argumentative with her parents, abandons the Robin role and becomes the Huntress First public sighting of the Huntress

1979- Bill Jensen is released from prison and is granted power by the sorcerer Soul Thief, under orders from a mysterious court, and used his new power to attack Gotham as revenge against Batman. Batman is killed by Bill Jensen’s overloading power.

2010- The Blackest Night falls from the sky.

Powers and Abilities

Peak Physical Conditioning: Bruce Wayne has trained his body to the limit of human condition. He is as skilled or better than Olympic level athletes and soldiers.

Acrobatics: Bruce is one of the best athletes in the world from his training.

Genius Level Intellect: Bruce Wayne is an incredibly intelligent person. He’s travelled the world and acquired knowledge in medicine, deductive reasoning, military tactics and many more areas of study in order to fight crime in Gotham. 

Engineering: Bruce Wayne is a skilled engineer, able to build or disassemble complex machinery even if it’s not his own design.

Investigation: Bruce Wayne is the World’s Greatest Detective for a reason. He is able to notice tiny details that other investigators overlook or miss, and can accurately deduce scenarios whether it’s a murder or a villain’s scheme. 

Driving: Bruce Wayne is a skilled driver, able to remain in control of a vehicle moving at high speeds and under attack. 

Piloting: Bruce Wayne is a skilled pilot. Able to fly planes and helicopters while under attack.

Weaponry: Bruce Wayne has been taught and mastered many different weapons from swords, staves, escrima sticks, knives, archery, thrown weapons and even firearms.

Martial Arts: Bruce Wayne is a skilled martial artist. He has mastered boxing, jujutsu, taekwondo, ninjutsu and has even developed his own martial art called Bam Pow.

Stealth: Bruce Wayne heavily relies on stealth while crime fighting. He is able to sneak around most people and even some superhumans. He is notable for leaving in the middle of conversations without being noticed.

Intimidation: Bruce Wayne is skilled at intimidating people to get information out of them. His reputation proceeds him in the criminal underworld after years of crime fighting that some people do not need to be prompted by him to give him information.

Escapology: Bruce Wayne has studied how to escape from restraints and various traps he might be locked in.

Equipment

Batsuit: Bruce Wayne created the original Batsuit. Originally made of simple cloth and leather, Bruce added metal pieces of armor underneath the suit to protect him from gunfire and blades. Bruce continued to make improvements to the suit.

Utility Belt: Bruce has a utility belt with the Batsuit that houses all sorts of gadgets and weaponry for him to use in crimefighting.

Batvehicles: Bruce Wayne first created the armada of bat-themed vehicles he and the members of the Batfamily use to fight crime in Gotham and around the world.

Pistol (formerly): Bruce Wayne used to carry a pistol with him as the Batman. Since his encounter with the Monster Men in 1940, he has very rarely used it or any other firearm.

Black Lantern Ring (formerly): The Host must Rise from the Grave for the Blackest Night. This has earned them a Black Lantern Ring:

Reanimation: Black Lantern Rings reanimate their Hosts corpses. They are able to access the Host’s memories and powers they had at the time of death, though the soul of the Host is no longer part of their body.

Black Energy Constructs: Hosts of a Black Lantern Ring can create energy constructs by willing them into existence. Constructs can be manipulated to allow certain people or objects to pass through them, become transparent or opaque, or radiate certain wavelengths like Kryptonite. 

Kryptonite Generation: Black Lanterns can have their constructs generate Black Kryptonite if they know the proper wavelength.

Energy Blasts: A Black Lantern Ring can fire blasts of energy. The energy are typically lasers or plasma in nature. The Energy blasts can be attuned to different wavelengths.

Phasing: A Host can phasing through objects they normally cannot pass through, this takes considerable effort and energy from the Ring’s battery.

Universal Translator: Black Lantern Rings will automatically translate spoken word into language the User can understand and translate the words of the User.

Energy Absorption: The Black Lantern Ring can absorb a variety of energies; from technological, magical and alien.

Wormhole Generation: The Black Lantern Ring can allow the Host to enter hyperspace to travel great distances in little time, this takes concentration to maintain the wormhole and emerge unscathed. If multiple Hosts use the same wormhole it becomes easier to maintain.

Regeneration: Black Lantern Rings can completely regenerate their Host so long as the Ring is intact.

Emotional Spectrum Reading: Black Lanterns, being technically reanimated corpses, cannot ‘see’ in a traditional sense. Instead they can see the current emotion Subjects are feeling as colors. Subjects feeling multiple emotions appear as multiple colors. Black Lanterns cannot see those who don’t experience emotions. 

Umbrakinesis: Black Lanterns are able to manipulate darkness by generating depleted protons.

Emotion Spectrum Nullification: Black Lanterns can nullify and deplete the energy of other Lantern Rings by manipulating darkness.

Death Charging: Death is their emotion. Instead of normal Power Batteries, Black Lanterns share a collective charge amongst their rings. They increase the charge by killing sentient beings and devouring their hearts. Those who are killed by Black Lanterns are recruited into the Corps to spread Death.

Death Infection: Black Lanterns can infect Subjects, slowly turning the Subject into another Black Lantern.

Peaceful Death Weakness: Those who experienced a peaceful or content death are unable to Rise and become a Black Lantern.

White Light Weakness: Life is the antithesis of Death. Black Lanterns are vulnerable to destruction by White Lanterns, or by two Users of different Lantern Rings.

Earth-96 Story

Batman needs no introduction. Everyone knows who he is and what he does and why. So why am I making this? Because my interpretation is a bit different. The most notable difference is Batman used to kill.

While that’s seems almost sacrilegious, it fits well with his early adventures in comics. He literally throws a man into acid and says it’s a fitting fate for him and he hangs a monster man from the Batplane until he dies. With that second example however, it was an innocent man who wasn’t in control of himself. This will give rise to Batman’s famous “No Killing” and “No Guns” rules. 

And, like 99% of the characters in this Universe, there must come an end. I personally like the death of the original Golden Age Batman. A man named Bill Jensen is imprison for a crime he thinks he didn’t commit, so he plots revenge against Batman and Bruce Wayne (who becomes the police commissioner on Earth-Two). He is even granted powers by a sorcerer, which overload when he discovers that Bruce and Batman are the same person, killing them both.

I also wanted to connect Bruce’s death to hold more meaning. Bill Jensen was just some rando, even in the comics. He didn’t exist until the story where he killed Batman. So, who sent the sorcerer to give Bill powers? That’s a story for another time...

[cursed-to-be-a-sidekick]

DC Ladies and Why They're so Awesome

Barbara Gordan: So of course Im going to start of with a good part. Babs is probably one of the smartest people in the entire DC universe. She graduated high school early (at like sixteen) and went to college. She got her masters degree so she could be a librarian. In her 20's she became a congresswoman but apparently was too liberal to get re-elected. On top of this all she was batgirl. When the Killing Joke happened the DC universe thought they lost Babs. Not only did Babs stick around she became stronger. Babs used everything she had and built up the Birds of Prey using her quick thinking and computer knowledge to keep her team safe. Not only that but as Oracle Babs was the information keeper for the Justice League. She had every single superheroes number easily accessible and knows them all personally. Also Babs became a Green Lantern! Like thats awesome. Babs has been at war with the Calculator for forever and has won every time. You can not tell me Babs isnt one of the best DC characters hands down.

Diana Prince: Okay I bet you're all surprised I didn't start off with Diana. I love Wonder Woman so much and there's so many reasons why. First off Wonder Woman defied her Amazonian sisters and went out to the real world. She didn't know what was out there and didn't really care. She wanted to promote peace and be a diplomat and that's what she was at least for a while. When Diana killed Maxwell Lord she regretted it so much that she decided not to be Wonder Woman anymore. Even though everyone told her that her reasoning was just (cause like yeah it was). Wonder Woman has this huge sense of responsibility and like how can you not love her for it. Also the fact she's more powerful than most of the Justice League and the Justice League knows and admires it. Yeah that's definitely a plus.

Mary Batson: Okay I love Mary and honestly I don't know much about her but I'm going to take a stab. Mary carries this sense of responsibility, she wants to be a hero and she's damn good at it too. When she lost her powers around Countdown she was devastated. When she got them back and become "Black Mary" that absolutely sucked. But she came back became Mary Marvel again and built herself back up. Mary is a key part of the Marvel family and I don't know what Billy would do without her. She's also still a kid. Like an actual kid. A teenager and she's out helping save the world. Yeah I have respect for that.

Kara Zor-El: Of course Supergirls on this list. Why would she not be? Okay supergirl has an interesting story. She's the sole survivor of not one but to planets. When she arrived on earth she knew nothing about the planet at all. She had to trust her cousin knew what he was doing to help her. She wanted to build a whole life away from being a superhero too. She just wanted to be a normal kid. She has her ups and downs but ultimately Kara is probably one of the best characters because she's realistic. She's written to be an angsty teenage girl who is still trying to figure herself out. Sure she's chronologically 30 years older than Superman (depends on what story you read) but that doesn't make her any less of a kid. Also she fought Darkseid and Lex Luthor while still figuring out her powers, she single handedly took down the entire Justice League and she's more powerful than Superman. I think that's pretty cool.

Dinah Lance: The Black Canary's name has belonged to like three different Dinah's at this point. But that doesn't make her any less awesome. Dinah is trained in all forms of martial arts and is thought to be the second best martial artist in the world. Yeah the entire world. Dinah is hot heated and can be moody at times but she knows what she's doing. Even after losing her Sonic Scream she continued to kick ass with the Birds of Prey. She did get her Sonic Scream back later while in the birds but she never seemed to rely on her powers, she always just used her gut instincts and quick thinking. At one point Dinah adopts a child who was being trained to be an assassin. She kept this child and even stopped being with the birds to settle down with Oliver Queen and have a family. Dinah is undoubtedly one of the best ladies in the whole DC universe.

Helena Bertinelli: Okay not only is Helena a superhero known as the Huntress shes also a school teacher. Helena originally was the daughter of Batman and Catwoman but at some point during Crisis she became a vigilante who was the daughter of a mob boss. After her whole family is murdered in front of her she vows to end the underground crime ring in Gotham. Shes pretty good at it and almost succeeds. Sure her methods arent well liked by Batman but she gets her job done. She joins the Birds at one point and actually gets a family. Babs gets her a job as a school teacher and Helena is happy again. Towards the end of the original Birds run Helena manages to take over the underworld and Gotham and manages to (almost) take it down.

Stephanie Brown: Okay Steph is the daughter of some low class supervillain called the Cluemaster. She becomes Spoiler as a way to make up for all the things that her dad did. She literally built herself up from nothing and became an amazing superhero. Steph might have never had a major standing in the comics but she was there in the background spoiling everyones plans. Also Steph got pregnant as a teenager. Like thats really hard to deal with. And she did it mostly while continuing to be a vigilante. Steph maintained a good friendship with Cass and when Cass ditched the title of Batgirl Steph took it up. While Batman never approved of her actions Steph did everything she could to be an accepted member or the batfamily. Plus she was briefly Robin which is really cool.

Cassandra Cain: Okay daughter of assassins is already cool but the fact she can speak solely with body language is amazing. Cass never learned how to speak and was trained to be the worlds best assassin. When she did learn how to speak she spoke few words. Despite that she maintained a great friendship with Babs and Steph. Babs trained her to be the new Batgirl and Steph ended up being her best friend. Cass is even better at fighting than Batman and she took down the Joker her first time fighting him. Not only did she break the Joker out of Arkham she beat him and sent him back just as easily. Cass had a great character arc and I just love her character. She really brought the name Batgirl to mean something entirely new and when she dropped it and gave the name to Steph she did it with honor. Cass did at one point leave to go run the league of assassins but she eventually came back to Gotham.

Talia Al Ghul: I dont know much about Talia but I think I know enough to write a paragraph about her. Talia is the heir to the demon. She trained as a child to be an assassin alongside her father Ra's Al Ghul. She also fell in love with Batman. But thats probably the least cool thing about her. I mean she is an assassin who will potentially inherit a whole army of assassins and be immortal. Like I dont know about you but I think thats pretty friggin awesome.

Selina Kyle: Okay Catwoman is amazing. She trained to fight under Catman which is pretty cool. Also like she controls part of the Gotham underworld. Selina is an amazing woman who is a great thief and she also has morals. She doesnt do killing (most of the time) and shes even been a hero for a while. Catwoman became a hero alongside Batman but at some point she decided to return back to crime. She's worked alongside the Birds of Prey a few times and at one point was even a member. Selina also decided not to marry Bruce because she knew marrying Batman might give him a reason not to be Batman anymore and she knew people needed Batman more than she needs Bruce. Also Selina helps girls on the street. Like thats a major thing. Helping kids who dont have much. Like thats great. Lastly she feeds and takes in stray cats and thats just wonderful.

Harley Quinn: Okay while I wouldnt consider Harls a hero persay (shut up new 52 and rebirth) she is still an amazing character. Harley is a genius, she blew through med school and became a psychologist. She built herself up from working at Arkham from the bottom all the way to working with the highest class psychos. Harls was also an amazing gymnast and she had tons of medals. After falling in love with the Joker she did some regrettable things but the fact she managed to get herself and she started to redeem herself shows a lot about. Harley now just wants to help people she wants to fix what she did wrong. Harley has a big heart and wants to do right and while she knows her methods arent that great shes trying hard. She just wants to please the people she loves and cares about.

Pamela Isley: Okay Ivy is a tricky character. She doesnt really have a set backstory or anything that I really know of. Ivy was a scientist and something happened that changed her physically. She became connected to the green. Now Ivy isnt really sure who she is. She became the Batman villain known as Poison Ivy and became an ecological terrorist (at least thats what I think they call her). Ivy really just doesnt know her place in the world. Ivy is wicked smart and she has patented a lot of biotech stuff and she made Harley the antidote that made her immune to toxins. She does end up re-entering the field of science a few times and is genuinely trying to turn a new leaf and become a better person. At first she didnt really understand that what she did was wrong she just wanted to help out the plants because she saw all these terrible things happening to them. For the most part Ivy is a misunderstood person who is trying to find her humanity.

Kara Zor-El (Earth Two): Okay Power Girl is a tricky character to figure out because she has so many different backstories due to the destruction and then reformation of the multiverse. Anyways Karen Starr is from another Earth specifically Earth 2. When she arrived on Earth 1 she learned there was already a Supergirl. She took on the name Power Girl and founded a company that focused on software (I think.) Shes older than Earth 1s supergirl and is kind of like a big sister figure at times even though her and Kara are the same person. The two also didnt start off on the right foot with eachother. Karen for a while led the Justice Society of America which is really flipping cool. Karen knows whats right in her heart which is what makes her like Superman in a way. Because like her cousin (even if the two arent really cousins on earth 1) she wants to help people.

Donna Troy: The original Wonder Girl will always hold a special place in my heart but I kid of want to focus on her time as Wonder Woman and also as simply just Donna Troy. When Wonder Woman quit being Wonder Woman Donna took her spot and she made a pretty great Wonder Woman. She doubted herself a lot and didnt think shed ever be as good as Diana she pushed herself up to the top and did it. As Donna Troy she was an amazing Teen Titan and she even cheated death. Her spot in the multiverse has been looked over a few times but her Roy and Jason last I heard were all kicking ass together.

Rachel Roth: Ravens a weird character Im not going to lie. Shes kind of mysterious. Rachel was a key addition to the Teen Titans, her powers are unmatchable in battle a lot of the time. Also shes the child of the demon Trigon. Rachel herself never really knew what to do with herself but while growing up she knew she had to do something and that she has to save people. She spent her teenage years with the Titans and continues to be with the Titans even if shes technically supposed to have aged out by now.

Kate Kane: Kate is one of my favorite characters of all time. Batwoman adds so much to the story and it covers a lot of things Ive never even thought of. Kate was kicked out of Westpoint under Dont Ask Dont Tell. The story talks a lot about her experience with PTSD, being gay and also being in the army. Kate runs a major business and is Batmans cousin. Kate literally gives zero craps about what Batman says and she does what she wants even if he doesnt approve. Kate has a big heart and ultimately she just wants to save her sister. After being kicked out of Westpoint Kate became a party girl and an alcoholic becoming Batwoman changed all of that for her. She became the woman she was meant to be.

Maggie Sawyer: Maggie Sawyer is a badass cop. Shes also Kates girlfriend and shes a mom. Being a cop in Metropolis is one thing but since moving from Metropolis Maggie has joined the GCPD. Being a cop in Gotham versus being a cop in Metropolis are to completely different things. Maggie can do it all and she works well under pressure. Shes an amazing cop and deserves so much more credit that what she gets in the comics.

Renee Montoya: Renee Montoya started out as another Gotham City Cop well until she became The Question. Also one of Kates ex girlfriends Renee has taken up Vic Sage's mantel and become the Question. She's a cop turned vigilante who is trying to do everything she can to keep Gotham safe.

Zatanna Zatara: So Zatanna is a magician. An actually magician with real magic and also a performing magician for kids. She does a lot of volunteering and loves showing her magic to the kids. Shes part of Justice League Dark and her powers are probably some of the most powerful in the whole DC universe. Zatanna can literally do anything just by saying it backwards. She doesnt get as much credit as she deserves but Zatanna is a kid with a big heart and deserves a lot more than she gets. Also did I mention she once climbed Mount Everest?

Courtney Whitmore: Not many people know much about Stargirl but this teenage girl is a key part of the Justice Society. Stargirl is a nobody without her Cosmic Staff but with it she is one of the greatest members of the JSA. Courtney has befriended Supergirl and has run around on all sorts of adventures before she could even vote. Her friendship with Supergirl is strong even if it isnt seen too often in the comics. Stargirl is just another kid who wants to change the world and who does manage to do it.

Lois Lane: Supermans girlfriend has ring to it enough but pulitzer prize winner Lois Lane is so much more than that. Shes an investigative reporter who strives to find the truth no matter the cost. Time and time again she goes undercover and risks her life for her job. She has no powers and no fighting skills just faith and a keen eye for a story. So sure while she's Supermans girlfriend she so much more than that. She's a woman who's going places and will always be independent. (Bonus: the first time Clark meets Lois she's yelling at some guy at the phone for being sexist)

Lana Lang: Supermans other girlfriend. Lana kind of got abandoned for a while but trust me she's still great. Lana takes in Kara while Kara is still struggling to figure her life out. Lana is the most supportive and loving person there is. She really cares about Kara and treats her like a daughter and as a best friend. Her friend ship with Lois Lane is amazing and Lana had an amazing story arc when she became possessed. Moral of the story never mess with any of Supermans girlfriends because they will fight back and theyll fight back hard.

Lady Shiva: If it wasnt for Lady Shiva Black Canary would be the best martial artist in the world. Lady Shiva is a long time Batman villain and not even Batman himself can beat her. Shes said multiple times that the only time he did she let him. She just wanted to know how worthy of an opponent he was. Shiva and Dinah trained under the same sensei together and have a mutual respect for eachother. For a short period of time Shiva even took Dinah under her wing to teach her new techniques no one else in the world even knew.

Mia Dearden: Speedy is hands down the best Green Arrow sidekick. And no Im not talking about Roy I really do mean Mia. Mia was living on the streets for the longest time and as a teenager. Constantly in the comics she talks about what it was like as a teenager being homeless on the streets, doing drugs and even selling her body just to stay alive. She became a great fighter while training with Ollie and Dinah and becomes the second Speedy. Mia is quick thinking and knows how and when to act. Later in the comics before she joins the Teen Titans she gets diagnosed as HIV +. That was the first time the DC universe made a character be HIV + and it hit hard for a lot people. Her backstory is really sad but its meaningful and really tells a lot about things that nobody knows anything about. Mia is a spunky kid with a lot of personality and she wants to help people.

Emiko Queen: Emi wasnt really around until she become the Red Arrow in Rebirth. She had her ups and downs but she stay devoted to Ollie throughout all of it. Emi is a tough character who really wants to be just like her big brother. She does at one point join a cult but then she breaks away from the cult to save her brother. Emi really admires Dinah and their friendship is great. Her story is still just starting to develop and its really cool to see where its going.

Zinda Blake: Lady Blackhawk has been no where in sight since New 52 hit. Im not really sure if theyll bring her back but I hope they do. Zinda is a hotheaded pilot who thinks more with her fists than she does with her brain. Shes a key member to the Birds of Prey and a true hero. After somehow re entering the continuity despite having to have originally been in WW2 Zinda has begun to fit right in with her weird accent and odd slang. I really hope she gets put back in soon.

Charlie Gage-Radcliffe: Misfits not really a well known character but shes a good one. Shes a spunky kid with an obsession with Batgirl. She takes on the mantel of Batgirl briefly before the real Batgirl, Barbara Gordan, stops her. Babs takes her in as one of her Birds and trains her. Charlie is just a kid and Babs knows it. Charlie doesnt get to see much action throughout the series but her character really grows a lot and she molds into this amazing character. Misfit is pretty impulsive and her mind (and body) tend to bounce all over the place. Charlie is just like any other teenager and she does everything she can to look on the bright side of every situation

Cassandra Sandsmark: Cassies Wonder Girl is what got me into Teen Titans. Cassie knows what she wants and knows how to get it. She can be short tempered but she had a really good heart. Her friendship with Supergirl is one of the best friendships in the whole DC universe. Cassie ultimately just wants to impress Wonder Woman. When she's not roaming around with the Teen Titans or on Paradise Island she's like literally every other teenage girl. Sitting at home argueing with her mom. Her power for her lasso comes fron her anger which she seems to carry a lot of. Shes still figuring out how to be Wonder Girl but shes become a valuable asset to the team. Cassie is a really relatable character and I love her for that. Her and Diana are a great pair and seeing them together is amazing. (Bonus: In New 52 Teen Titans she can put up a fight against basically anybody including Tim Drake and she hates the name Wonder girl)

There are more characters but this took me about two hours to write so Im going to cut it here. If anyone wants me to add any more characters let me know in the notes and I'll edit this. Also special shout outs to characters who I didnt have enough info on to put on here but are still equally as awesome: Martha Kent, Director Cameron Chase and Linda Park.

[lumikinetic]

It's me, back with another DC Headcanon

This time, imagine an AU where, when all the heroes and villains are old, they retire and go legit but in their respective fields. If people aren’t on here, I either couldn’t think of something for them or I don’t like them.

Batman: Bruce uses Wayne Enterprises to open a whole bunch of stuff he used to become Batman. Opens a gym, yoga and meditation classes, funds criminology, psychology and chemistry courses at Gotham U, everything.

Nightwing: With funding from Bruce, he opens an acrobatics class and all the new students flip their shit at this like 70 year old man swinging from a trapeze 50 feet up with the grace of a swan and balance of a flamingo.

Oracle: I’m not really sure what Barbara would do once she’s retired to be honest, there’s so much. I quite like the idea of her being a college professor who teaches Sociology, but I think she might also teach martial arts for girls of all ages, perhaps co-run with Dinah. Or maybe join the GCPD where she eventually works her way up to Commissioner. One of those, I like college professor the most.

Red Hood: Jason, on his own, opens a gun store but with Bruce Funding, also purchases and renovates Ma Gunn’s Home For Wayward Boys. He’s also a part-time public speaker who goes around elementary schools giving lectures on gun violence.

Red Robin: Franchises with Starbucks then uses the money to open his own coffee shop and also a mattress store. DC, I’m begging you, let my trash son sleep, he needs it.

Spoiler: Stephanie starts her own fashion line called Purple Rain (yes, like the Prince song). It sells a bit of everything but the main focus is fitness clothing.

Robin: Obviously Damian opens a zoo. Did you expect anything less?

Black Bat: So I’m imagining all the Batkids are in their late 50s to early 70s so I think by this point Cassandra would have learned a few languages and she teaches kids all over the world how to speak as well as opening ballet classes in Gotham.

Signal: I don’t know a whole lot about Duke but I think he would have become a stand-up comedian, I could see him on a bar stage, telling just absolute brilliant jokes. And like, he'd reveal his identity to the public and just tell hilarious stories about working with the Batfamily

Catwoman: She'd sell all the jewellery she's stolen over the years and use the money to buy a beachfront mansion, and live out the rest of her days under the sun. Imagine John Mulaney pointing at Selina's retired life and going "this is the height of luxury!"

Alfred: I should like to think Alfred bought a plot of land and turned it into a park. It's got a big hill and he put a bench on top of it and he sat there twice a day - once to watch the sunrise and once to watch the sunset. Poison Ivy visited him sometimes and they talked about tending to plants. Alfred managed to live to 102 before passing away peacefully in his sleep.

Batwoman: Kate and Bruce were one of the last ones to retire from hero work before passing their mantles to younger generations. When she settled down, similar to Bruce, she used her wealth to open various chains and stuff, but instead of things people could use to become the next Batwoman, her franchises were more leisure focused. A string of gay nightclubs, restaurants, clothing stores where she sells Stephanie’s fashion line, things like that.

Huntress: I don’t know what Helena would do. Something religious based would be an obvious choice but I feel like she could do more. Open a restaurant maybe?

Julia: Julia moves back to London and opens a bat-themed bar.

Joker: The realisation kind of dawns on him that the end is fast approaching as he sees Batman and his kids get older and older, and it offers him just a touch of clarity. He lives the rest of his years killing Nazis as a sort of atonement and he dies in his 90s alone, but not quite as unloved as he would have been 60 years ago.

Scarecrow: Jonathan changes his identity and gets plastic surgery, taking up a professor position teaching psychology.

Bane: Bane opens up a gym and you bet he is absolutely a White Goodman type character. “Motivating” all his patrons through yelling at them via video on TVs all over the place.

Poison Ivy: Well of course she opens a flower shop! She builds a reputation as “nice old plant lady down the street” and everyone knows she’s the BEST for wedding flower arrangements. Occasionally she’ll give a tulip or a bluebell to a little girl who came into the shop that day.

Harley Quinn: Harley opens a kids’ party store right across the street from Ivy’s flower shop, and she’s just an absolute joy with the children, if a little inappropriate at times. They smile at each other through their shop windows from time to time.

Deathstroke and Deadshot: Open a military store together where all new recruits can buy basic supplies such as apparel, equipment, sewing kits (for the badges) and stuff. Deathstroke also runs a support group for vets and a advice group for rookies.

Ravager: Rose gets a job as a bartender at one of Kate’s nightclubs, eventually ending up running the place.

Riddler: Opens a store that sells all kinds on brain trivia stuff. Scrabble, Sudoku notepads, math books and equipment for school, puzzle based videogames, just everything.

Mr. Freeze, Captain Cold and Killer Frost: They buy Ace Chemicals, clean it out, clear everything, renovate it, get new equipment and turn it into an ice cream factory.

Superman and Lois: I think it’d be nice if they open a bookstore/coffee shop together.

Supergirl: I’m super into the idea that Kara is a fucking amazing cook and she comes onto the culinary scene and she does n o t stop. She’s always coming up with these crazy dishes and she actually has two houses, one where she lives and one that is basically just a kitchen where she experiments with food.

Superboy: Comic artist. You can’t change my mind.

Green Arrow: Archery store.

Black Canary: Record store.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl: They’d open a store that sells flight supplies. Parachutes, paragliders, hang gliders, hot air balloon rentals, stuff like that.

Aquaman: Water park

Aqualad: Kaldur would open a recreation centre for LGBT youths who are treated poorly in their home, so they have a place to stay for a little while at least. He’s joined with Jason’s orphanage so that he can call the police on the kids’ parents and give them a place to stay.

Starfire: Beach resort hotel

Condiment King: Diner

Wonder Woman: It’s always been a favourite headcanon of mine that Diana is secretly a MASSIVE nerd, and she opens a Forbidden Planet/D&D/LARPing store, and she takes it sooooo seriously. She crafts all the cosplay weapons herself and recommends good starter campaign books for tabletop games and she makes custom dice, gives GM tips, and holds and participates in various D&D nights for all the new heroes who are fighting crime these days (she is absolutely a gnome druid, fight me) and it’s the best.

Artemis: She also opens a bookstore, but it is specifically aimed at Egyptian and Greek mythology. Her usual patrons are college kids with their History and Ancient Civilisations papers, and when parents come in with their little kids, she tells stories about the gods and she absolutely relishes that little twinkle in their eyes.

Maggie Sawyer: After retiring as Commissioner, she trains the new police recruits. Every time new recruits come in at least 3 go, “heyyyyy, aren’t you married to that Kane lady?”

Every time.

That’s the best I can do. Tack on any more you can think of.

[gangler]

#'i can train under the batfamily and become one of the best martial artists and superheroes on earth#and with any luck live a long happy life surrounded by my loved ones#OR#i can train under lady shiva and become The Best martial artist on earth and have the chance to wreck her shit#but if i lose i will die at nineteen without any of my loved ones even there.#found family or death match?#...#DEATH MATCH'#cass please you're amazing and i respect your commitment but have you tried antidepressants?#perhaps the death match will seem less agreeable after some cbt and ssris#but still. nobody is doing it like her#cassandra cain#batgirl#batgirl 2000#batgirl ii

It's so funny that Cass worked past her suicidal ideation by actually dying, allowing herself to be murdered, and then being brought back, so she could be like "Hmm. Disappointing" and move on with her life satisfied. All for the sake of being the most badass she could possibly be. Like. On one hand, she achieved her goal and did indeed get more badass afterward. But on the other hand. Therapy exists. She probably didn't need to do that.