#batman cataclysm 16 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bitimdrake · 3 years ago

Text

Complete Stephanie Brown Timeline & Reading Order

(*for the Post-Crisis/pre-Flashpoint era)

Steph spent over a decade as a supporting character, which means until she finally got her Batgirl run, her appearances are scattered across various bat-books, and hard to track (let alone order) if you don't know where to start. Which is what I’m here for!

This will run through a basic explanation of Steph's entire timeline up to Flashpoint, including every appearance in chronological order. (Well, minus some pointless cameos where she appears for a single panel/line.) If you're just reading for Steph, there are many issues listed where you could just skim through the non-Steph portions.

For the very abbreviated version:

Steph first appears in Detective Comics vol 1 #647-649 as the Spoiler, working against her dad.

She returns and becomes a regular supporting character in Robin vol 2 (1993), which includes getting together with Tim, and going through a teen pregnancy.

Steph starts to appear more across other Batfamily books, particularly Batgirl vol 1 (2000) (while still being a regular in Robin).

For a short time, she is welcomed into the inner circle and trained directly by Batman, before being rejected again.

After Tim is forced to quit, Steph becomes Robin briefly.

Shortly after being fired, she is killed.

Steph returns with a very brief explanation, and floats around as a Robin supporting character again.

Finally, she becomes Batgirl and gets her own run in Batgirl vol 3 (2009), which lasts until the reboot.

Full timeline and issue listings below the cut! I’ve tried to make it possible to just grab the listed issues, ignore any (lower-case s) spoilers, and get a fresh read for yourself OR to read in full for a thorough timeline.

Early Days

Detective Comics vol 1 #647-649 (in 1992) - ft Batman, Robin

(Batman: Knightfall begins here; irrelevant if you’re just reading for Steph. Tim starts dating Ariana Dzerchenko.)

Robin vol 2 #3-5, #15-16

Stephanie is introduced wanting to stop her father, and teaming up with Batman and Robin to that end. The next two stories are also Cluemaster-centric, with Steph and Tim working together again (sans Bruce). These stories are spaced out by irl years.

Batman and Robin figure out Stephanie's identity right away, but she remains unaware of theirs. Bruce is against Spoiler, considering her lack of training to be a hazard, and perhaps remaining wary of her morals after Stephanie nearly kills her dad in her first appearance. He wants to keep her safe, but it mostly manifests in criticisms. Tim is more conflicted, backing Bruce up, but also thinking he's too harsh.

(Note: Steph’s mom is called “Agnes Bellinger“ in her first appearance, but will later be renamed Crystal Brown.)

Showcase '95 #5 (in 1995), second story

Robin vol 2 #25 - ft Green Arrow/Connor Hawke

Robin vol 2 #26

Robin vol 2 #35 - Final Night tie-in, but you don't need to know anything about that story except that the sun is missing and the world is very cold.

Robin vol 2 #40-41, #43-44, #45 (briefly)

Robin/Argent Double-Shot #1, Teen Titans vol 2 #17 (briefly)

Robin vol 2 #50 - ft Batman

Batman: Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma #1 - Part of Batman: Cataclysm, but no prior knowledge should be needed. With Huntress

Robin vol 2 #54

Steph takes a regular role in Robin, and almost all issues here include Tim. Stephanie started as a cynic, only motivated by stopping her father and perfectly happy to leave her enemies to die, but develops here. She finds a passion for helping people, and embraces mercy. R#45 includes a brief mention of her considering quitting the Spoiler thing, but that isn’t followed up on, and she remains active as a newbie vigilante.

In this era, Steph also gets her first stories with neither Bruce nor Tim present in Showcase and Huntress/Spoiler (which also introduces her temporary boyfriend Dean), her first narration in R#40, and meets others in the hero community. Steph is affected by the Gotham-wide earthquake, which also indirectly gets her dad out of prison, but not strongly tied to the plotline.

Now that Bruce is rarely around when he sees Steph, Tim typically makes cursory complaints that it's too dangerous for Steph to be Spoiler--and then works with her and relies on her and enjoys her company nonetheless.

Also prominent in this era is Steph's crush on Tim, despite him having a girlfriend. Ngl, the 90s values and drawn out love triangle can be rough to get through. Steph keeps making moves even when Tim is uninterested. Tim sends mixed signals here too, only wanting to be with Ariana one minute, and then saying he's also attracted to Steph the next.

Pregnancy

Robin vol 2 #56-57, #58-61

Secret Origins 80-Page Giant, fifth story - backstory

Robin vol 2 #62 (beginning of issue), #64-65

Tim and Steph finally start to date in R#56, and Tim breaks up with Ari. Tim thinks it's unfair to date at first because he can't tell Stephanie his identity per Batman's rules, but Steph insists she's okay with it. This won't become an issue in their relationship until later; for the moment, they are happy and tackling the problem together.

Just a week after getting together, Steph realizes she's pregnant with Dean's baby. Over the next issues, she decides on adoption, hangs up the Spoiler costume while pregnant, and starts home-schooling. Tim uses the Alvin Draper alias to take her to Lamaze class and meet her mom, who appears regularly here. Originally a neglectful addict, Crystal is now sober and much more present for her daughter.

Chuck Dixon's conservative, anti-choice politics are blatant in this arc: abortion is eeeevil, some silly teenagers think being pregnant is cool, and a baby needs a mom and a dad.

A minor wrench is thrown in Steph and Tim’s relationship when Jack Drake moves the family to Keystone City in R#62, but Tim returns for Steph’s birth anyway, and convinces his dad to move home shortly after.

Back in Action

Robin vol 2 #68-69, #71-72

Batman Chronicles #22, second story - ft a creepy Uncle Dave

Steph’s mom finds out about Spoiler. Although she’s not mad--even delighted at the idea of Steph sticking it to her father--she is insistent that it’s too dangerous and tries to forbid Steph from taking up again. Obviously this does not work; Steph just hides it from her.

Though a major plot for the rest of the Bats (including in Tim’s plots in these same issues), No Man's Land is really just a side note for Steph.

Robin vol 2 #74, #75

Robin 80-Page Giant - (This oneshot annoyingly contradicts the main continuity in some details, but definitely goes here.) ft Black Canary/Dinah Lance, Wildcat/Ted Grant

Young Justice vol 1 #30 - ft Secret

Robin vol 2 #80, #82-84 - ft Dean in #80 (briefly), Batman in #84

After NML, Steph and Tim happily reunite, but Tim is having problems he can’t or won’t talk about in his Tim Drake life. Steph not knowing his identity really starts to be an issue here, both because of his secrecy and her insecurity.

In other news, Steph is instantly starstruck by her first meeting with Black Canary--whose identity is not secret--and she tries to angle for a partnership. She also first hears about Oracle. Her introduction to Secret is a lot less pleasant, by which I mean Secret attacks her. Whoops.

In the final arc in this era, Tim’s two lives have gotten too close, Steph has gotten wildly jealous, and she’s determined to discover his identity. Also, she tells her mom here that the boy she’s dating is Robin-yes-that-Robin.

In with Batman

Robin vol 2 #87

Robin vol 2 #88 - ft Batgirl/Cassandra, Alfred

Green Arrow vol 3 #5

Batgirl vol 1 #20

Robin vol 2 #92-94

Batman takes Spoiler to the cave for the first time, and reveals Tim’s identity to her--behind his back, which Tim is very upset about. Since Tim is mad at him, Bruce decides to latch onto the new kid and starts training Steph. He is nice to Steph for once in this era, and it's the closest she's been to the inner circle yet. Batman takes her training seriously and genuinely talks to her.

Here she meets Cassandra and Alfred. Neither is particularly warm at first, but Cass asks for Steph’s help to read a note in Batgirl, and the seeds of their friendship are planted in the ensuing team-up.

Almost all appearances here include Bruce, but Steph interacts with Tim less. They reconcile in that last arc, but despite being theoretically on good terms again, still don’t talk much.

The last arc also sees Steph’s dad return to their house, whether Steph and her mom like it or not. (Hint: they don’t.)

Joker: Last Laugh, in which The Joker breaks out a number of supervillains and "jokerizes" them, starts here. (The continuity of this story is extremely vague and messy, but this order is as accurate as I can possibly make it.)

Batman: Gotham Knights vol 1 #22 - with Batman

Batgirl vol 1 #21 - ft Oracle/Barbara

Joker: Last Laugh #3 - ft Cass, Oracle

Robin vol 2 #95 - ft Batman, Huntress

Joker: Last Laugh #6 - ft Batfamily

Steph's first significant role in a bat-family crossover also contains her first on-panel interaction with Barbara (who makes no effort to hide her identity), and the first time the three iconic Batgirls (past, present, and future) work together. Steph helps Cass resuscitate an accidentally-killed villain in Bg#21, marking a turning point in their relationship.

Towards the end of the storyline, Tim is thought dead, and Steph is thrilled when she finds this isn’t true. She also appears on-panel with Nightwing for the first (and only pre-Batgirl) time...immediately after Dick has beat the Joker to death in a fury. So, uh, no small talk for their first meeting.

Batgirl vol 1 #26 - ft Barbara

Steph fills in for Batgirl, while Cass recovers from a fight with Lady Shiva.

Outs with Batman

Bruce Wayne: Murderer? starts here

Robin vol 2 #98

Birds of Prey vol 1 (1999) #39 (end of issue)

Robin vol 2 #99

Birds of Prey vol 1 #40

Name switches to Bruce Wayne: Fugitive

Batgirl vol 1 #27

Birds of Prey vol 1 #43 (end of issue)

Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive sees Bruce arrested for murder and the family scramble to solve the case. (Note: the official order of this storyline is Wrong and I will ignore it because I am Right.) Stephanie, unaware of Batman's identity, is out the loop but still effected. She finds herself locked out of the Cave without explanation.

Steph seeks out Dinah and Barbara instead, remaining with them through most of this storyline. She also works with Tim again in R#99, with no apparent tension. Dinah finally helps Steph get her father and the Riddler out of her house in BoP#40. However, Dinah pulls back on their not-a-partnership in BoP#43, citing her work being too dangerous.

Cass has the same concerns, and Steph is irritated in Bg#27 when Cass keeps forcing her out of the most dangerous fight and knocking her out to avoid arguments.

Robin vol 2 #100 - (This issue is awkward to sort as it takes place over a period of time. Steph's first scene is chronologically before BoP#43, but the rest of the issue is after.)

Robin vol 2 #101 - Continued from #100. Young Justice crossover.

Robin vol 2 #102-105 - Continued from #101

Batgirl vol 1 #28

Batgirl vol 1 #31-32 - ft Robin, Connor Hawke

(Steph does not appear in Robin vol 2 #106, but developments in her story are spoken about.)

Robin vol 2 #107-110

Robin vol 2 #111 - CW: threats of childhood sexual assault.

Batman: Family vol 1 (2002) #2 - ft Catwoman/Selina Kyle

Batman: Family vol 1 #8

Young Justice vol 1 #50-51 (briefly)

R#100 begins Jon Lewis's run on the book, with some usual new writer switch-ups, and Steph maintaining a strong presence. Steph and Tim are back together (though I'm not sure they ever broke up, so much as just took some space), better off with all identities known, and very sweet in this era. Steph’s friendship with Cass also gets closer.

On the flip side, per R#106, the Birds of Prey off-panel decide to stop mentoring Steph, and Bruce no longer wants her around, now that he’s returned from being a fugitive. In the ensuing issues, Steph really considers if she wants to keep being Spoiler.

Things get messier with the new of Cluemaster’s death. Steph really struggles to process--and with her mother's reaction. She starts sleeping in a motel to avoid going home after R#110.

The non-Robin issues here don’t technically have a single correct placement, but per my longer order work best where I’ve put them. In Batman: Family, Steph is called in along with Batman’s greatest network of allies, despite him still disapproving of her. In YJ#50, Steph has a brief conversation with Secret about the latter’s attack.

Batman: Gotham Knights vol 1 #37 - with Batman

Batgirl vol 1 #38

Robin vol 2 #112-113 - ft Black Canary

Robin vol 2 #116 - ft Ives

Robin vol 2 #119, #120

Young Justice vol 1 #54 (briefly)

Robin vol 2 #122 (briefly), #123, #124, #125 (briefly)

Wizard Magazine #150

Batman sets a test in GK#37 to prove Spoiler isn’t good enough. :( After she fails, he moves from largely ignoring her to outright disavowing her and instructing others to do the same. Steph's friendship with Cass disintegrates when Steph realizes that Cass agrees with Batman. Her interaction with Dinah is brief and tense.

Cluemaster's death continues to hang over Steph, and she’s having a really hard time. Tim is the only consistent presence in her life at this point. In R#119, she admits to him she’s still living in a motel, and he pushes her to go home. She reconciles with her mom.

Bill Willingham takes over Robin with #121, dropping that plotline, and writing Steph as more jealous again. She and Tim are alright for these first few issues. Steph breaks her leg during a fight in R#123, but keeps in shape over the next few issues.

Meanwhile, Jack Drake finds out his son is Robin and forces Tim to quit...

Robin

Robin vol 2 #126

Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular (eighth story)

Teen Titans vol 3 #13 (briefly) - ft Batman

Detective Comics vol 1 #796

Batgirl vol 1 #53

Solo vol 1 #10 (third story) - ft Cass

Robin vol 2 #127-128

Laying low under his dad’s watch, Tim doesn’t speak to Steph for a few weeks, while she gets her cast off. Their reunion in R#126 is happy--but then, in a very stupid plot point, Steph thinks Tim is cheating on her and writes him off. She sews a costume, breaks into the Cave, and declares herself Robin. Bruce, continuing his pattern of replacing kids who aren’t talking to him at the first chance he gets, takes her on happily. Alfred’s objections are ignored.

As Robin, Steph once again finds herself on great terms with Batman, who is nice to her and intent on her training--right up until he suddenly isn’t. Though she interacts multiple times with Alfred here, she is still not let in on Bruce’s identity.

Despite their last meeting ending with Steph disavowing the friendship, with Bruce’s approval she’s also on good terms with Cass again. Things are a little more iffy with a skeptical Barbara, but still alright. But her relationship with Tim is on the rocks after she ghosts him. The only other hero Steph gets to interact with as Robin is Superboy in TT#13, who is incredibly unhappy to find someone other that his BFF in the costume, and pretty rude to Steph about it.

Steph finally talks to Tim over the phone in R#127, after he finds out about the new Robin from the news, but she misses their planned meet up for a case. It’s the last time they speak before her death.

In the last issue here, Bruce abruptly turns around from his friendly behavior and fires Steph for ignoring his orders. Fan debates over whether Bruce legitimately wanted Steph as Robin or was bitter towards Tim or trying to lure him back, or any combination thereof, continue to rage.

Not the End

Batgirl vol 1 #54 (end of issue)

Back as Spoiler, Steph tearfully tells Cass that she was fired but isn’t giving up on proving herself. 😬

Batman: War Games starts here. Steph’s treatment turns into straight up torture pͻrn, and you may be better off just skipping it.

Batman: The 12-Cent Adventure - ft Catwoman

Batgirl vol 1 #55

Catwoman vol 3 #34

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight vol 1 #183 - ft Catwoman

Nightwing vol 2 #97 (briefly)

Batman: Gotham Knights vol 1 #57

Robin vol 2 #130 - torture CW, beyond usual comic standards

Catwoman vol 3 #35

Robin vol 2 #131

Batman: Gotham Knights vol 1 #58 - with Batman

Batman vol 1 #633 (in 2004) - with Batman

Steph tries to prove herself by starting one of Batman’s “contingency plans” to consolidate all of Gotham’s gangs, which instead ignites a gang war when she doesn’t have all the information. Cass sees her for the last time in Bg#55, and spends much of the storyline searching for her.

A distraught Steph gets some reassurance from Catwoman, who is perfectly content that Steph knows her identity, before sneaking out, determined to help. She finds Batman’s agent Orpheus--cornerstone of the plan--just before Black Mask kills him. Then some awful issues where Black Mask tortures her. Steph escapes and fights him, but is injured further when she refuses to kill him. Fleeing over the roofs, she’s found by Batman and taken to Leslie Thompson’s clinic, but her injuries are to severe and she dies anyway (until the retcon comes).

More subjectively: reading this storyline exclusively for Steph is a horrible experience. The beginning is a little rough--but everything after Black Mask catches her is horrific. The Robin issues are the worst of the bunch, contrasting a happy storyline for Tim with misogynistic literal torture for Steph.

Batman is nice to Steph on her apparent deathbed, assuring her she really was a true Robin--not that it makes up for his terrible treatment of her before, or abhorrent behavior in this storyline otherwise.

Death

Out of universe, Stephanie’s death was intended to be real and permanent, and issues over the next few years reflected that. Steph obviously doesn’t actually appear here, so I will be less thorough and just cite a few issues with heavy references:

Batman #634 - Epilogue to War Games. Includes, in flashback, Bruce telling Tim about Steph’s death

In the wake of the gang war, almost everyone except Bruce leaves Gotham.

Robin/Batgirl: Fresh Blood - Tim and Cass both move to Blüdhaven (recently abandoned by Nightwing), where their shared grief leads to them bonding for the first time.

Steph’s death continues to linger heavily over Robin and Batgirl, and their lead characters. Cass is broken and grieving for her first friend. Tim, whose dad died mere days after Steph, is falling into a dark place.

Batgirl #61-62 - Cass hallucinates Steph at a moment of near-death.

Batman Allies Secret Files (2005) #1 (last story) - Interesting discussion between Tim and Cass, partially around Steph. Lead-in to War Crimes.

Batman: War Crimes - I do not recommend this story. It introduces the idea that Steph could have been saved, but didn’t get the medical care she need. The initial suggestion is that Bruce delayed saving her--but then, of course, it turns about to completely absolve Bruce of any wrongdoing, and instead commit character assassination on Leslie Thompson. It also sees Steph’s identities revealed to the public and her father back from the dead. HOWEVER, after universe-shattering event Infinite Crisis and Steph’s return, almost everything from this storyline was retconned out of existence. Arthur Brown being alive is pretty much the only thing that remains.

Batgirl #72-73 - Cass hallucinates Steph before dying, again.

Infinite Crisis occurs here, followed by a year time skip.

Robin #156 - Now also mourning best friend Superboy/Kon, Tim talks a jumper off the ledge. Note: because of all the losses Tim had in a short period, there is unfortunately not that much time to focus on Steph specifically, and more taking his grief as a whole.

Birds of Prey #99 - Barbara tells a would-be Batgirl about Steph’s death, to warn her of the dangers of vigilantism.

Nightwing #139 - Part of The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul. Tim nearly uses Lazarus water to try to resurrect his dead loved ones.

Return

Robin vol 2 #170-172 (in 2008) - appearances very brief, but references all over the place.

Gotham Underground #2-6 - (Awkward to sort with the Robin issues, but this is the best spot for it.)

Robin vol 2 #173-174 - ft Bruce, Alfred

Robin/Spoiler Special #1 (both stories)

A purple-clad vigilante appears in Gotham--not Spoiler, but she gets Tim thinking a lot about Steph again...right at the same time Spoiler has returned. She starts out watching Tim from afar, coyly seen in glimpses in panels, before finally being revealed to readers.

Her role in GU is mysterious to the point of complete confusion. The Penguin recruits a number of low-level lowlifes and gives them stolen costumes and tech. He notes one girl with better training than the others--her face conveniently hidden from readers--and gives her the Spoiler costume. Spoiler also gets invisibility tech, and carries a minor and largely unexplained plot thread. I genuinely thought this must just be someone else in the costume at first, but it’s later made clear it is Steph. Just not, you know...why she did any of it or what the point was.

Her real return arc is in Robin, alongside Chuck Dixon’s return to the book. Spoiler returns to fighting crime, and is revealed when she swoops in to warn Tim of a trap. For some reason, she’s very resistant to admitting it really is her, until Tim (and Bruce) tracks her down himself in R#174.

Steph explains how Leslie faked her death to protect her. Bruce admits he always suspected she was alive (oh, retcons), and for some reason is now happy to welcome her back. Despite never having been told before her “death,” Steph also knows Bruce’s identity now. Alfred is delighted to see Steph. Her survival also comes as a huge shock to her mom, who didn’t know either.

Tim’s initial elation turns into very mixed feelings over the deception. Spoiler and Robin team up again, but tensions persist. The lack of resolution to their romantic relationship hangs over them as well--especially now that Tim is maybe seeing another girl from school, Zo.

The second story in R/S Special is largely a flashback to Steph’s time in Africa with Leslie over the time she was faking her death. I’m...not sure they ever specify more than “Africa” :/

Robin vol 2 #175-176 - tie-in to Batman: R.I.P., which you neither need to nor should read.

Batman and the Outsiders vol 2 (2007) #13 (briefly)

Robin vol 2 #177

Teen Titans vol 3 (2003) #66

Robin vol 2 #178-182

Robin vol 2 #183 (very briefly)

Chuck Dixon was replaced with Fabian Nicieza shortly after for the final stretch of Robin. This span of time is tied up in Bruce’s disappearance at the hand of the Black Glove (from RIP), and then in the aftermath of his death (from Final Crisis). Steph is very much treated as a side character in Tim’s story here.

When Bruce vanishes, she’s worried over Tim’s increasingly shady decisions. It turns out she’s also been following orders secretly given to her by Batman before he disappeared, to keep Tim away from the Black Glove stuff and help him in Bruce’s absence. Obviously this only makes things more tense between her and Tim.

Steph tries to learn more about Batman’s disappearance over in Outsiders. As Cass is now part of the Outsiders, this contains their first appearance together since Steph’s “death”...which is extremely underwhelming and addresses none of that at all.

(Bruce dies either before R#177 or after #182. It’s awkward to place, as it is for really all the bat-family books. He’s only referred to as missing in #177-182, and not as explicitly dead until #183. Usually I would prioritize that to say he only dies after #182, but because Tim is in complete denial over Bruce’ death anyway, we could indeed stick Final Crisis right after RIP, as Morrison claimed. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The timing of FC is fucked up anyway, so it’s not like it will ever read smoothly.)

Despite the tension between them, Tim asks Steph to come with him as moral support in TT, when he feels compelled to quit the team so he can focus on bat-problems. (This issue breaking up the Robin storyline is awkward, but it really only can work in this exact spot.)

With Batman gone (and some help from villainous Jason Todd), Gotham’s gangs are stirring against each other. Steph, for some reason, keeps trying to follow Bruce’s secret orders push Tim to be a better vigilante. She hires an assassin, Scarab, against Robin and tries to make a deal with Tim’s old nemesis Ulysses Armstrong, resulting in her being shot, Tim having half his head burnt off, and many people dying. It’s, uh. Not great in- or out-of-universe. imo might be Steph’s worst storyline.

Tim is furious about all of this, and in the immediate aftermath of two kids dying, declares he doesn’t want to see Steph in the Spoiler costume ever again. While I hate the way Steph was written in this story, admittedly I...have a hard time faulting Tim for being upset in this scene.

Gotham Gazette: Batman Dead? #1 (second vignette)

Gotham Gazette: Batman Alive? #1 (third vignette)

Dick becomes Batman; Damian becomes Robin.

Red Robin #2 (end of issue)

Steph does not appear in the main story of Battle for the Cowl, but does appear in the GG framing issues, which go before and after it respectively. Steph considers her future, and again decides to stick with vigilantism. In Alive, she and Tim have a much calmer talk after the blow up in Robin--though Tim still doesn’t believe in her.

Later, in RR, when Dick expresses concern over Tim to her, Steph goes after him to check in. He coldly rejects her worry, shortly before he leaves town to find Bruce.

Batgirl

Batgirl vol 3 #1-3, #4

Batgirl vol 3 #5-7 - ft Batman/Dick Grayson, Robin/Damian Wayne

The Web vol 2 (2009) #3 - ft Barbara

World’s Finest vol 3 (2009) #3-4 - ft Catwoman, Supergirl/Kara Zor-El, Dick, Damian, Barbara, Superman/Clark Kent

Red Robin #9 (end of issue) Batgirl vol 3 #8 - with Tim. Directly leads in to the next:

Red Robin #10-12 - ft Batfamily

Red Robin #15 (briefly)

Steph finally becomes her own starring character in Batgirl. A “three weeks ago” flashback explains that Cassandra left Steph the costume before vanishing (and contains the only other post-death content they get together).

The other bats quickly realize she is not the same Batgirl. Barbara disapproves at first, but comes around and the two soon form a close bond. Babs takes on a deuteragonist role in Batgirl, sharing narration and having subplots of her own. She gives Steph guidance, Oracle-style support, and resources--including Steph’s own costume starting in #4. With the new Batman & Robin operating out of the penthouse/bunker, Batgirl and Oracle take over the Cave.

Steph juggles Batgirl with the start of her first year at college, and hiding her resumed vigilantism from her mom. Other supporting characters introduced here include the bitchy girl at school; another classmate Steph is crushing on; and police detective Gage, the Gordon to her Batman, who she enjoys flirting with.

As a new main member of team bat, Steph gets to meet and interact with a lot of people in this era. Dick initially does not approve, even telling Babs to get out of the Cave, but he comes around by the end of the story arc (#5-7). This is also Steph’s first meeting with Damian. She is as annoyed as everyone is upon meeting Damian, but takes it in stride, and the pair work together pretty successfully. Over in WF, she meets Supergirl for the first time, and the two become fast friends.

Shortly after, Tim returns to Gotham, displeased to find Steph in the suit instead of Cass. He’s unkind, Steph snaps back, and they bicker...but cool off, work together, and make up. The role reversal from their very first appearances--Steph now the bright optimist and Tim falling to the pitfalls of cold loner--is clear. But by RR#10, Tim outright apologizes and asks for her help with his Ra’s al Ghul problem.

Batgirl vol 3 #9-12, #13

Batgirl vol 3 #14 - ft Kara

Steph and Barbara move from the Cave to a new base, “Firewall,” beneath Barbara’s apartment building. Babs introduces Steph to another of her flock, former sorta-Teen Titan, now paralyzed, computer genius Wendy Harris. Wendy soon ends up helping Steph when Babs is taken, and then takes on the name Proxy as she joins the team, filling in when Babs is busy with the newly reformed Birds of Prey.

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Batgirl (2010)

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Oracle

Batman: The Return (2011) (very briefly)

Bruce is found and returned to the current time. Steph initially worries that she’s still desperate for his approval, but when he puts her through another test, she realizes she isn’t. She confident and refuses to let him take Batgirl--though as it turns out, he has no desire to. Bruce approves. Going forward, he includes her as one of the team.

Batgirl vol 3 #15-16

Batgirl vol 3 #17 - ft Damian

Batgirl vol 3 #18

Red Robin #20 (briefly)

Birds of Prey vol 2 (2010) #10 (briefly)

Batgirl vol 3 #19-20, #21

Batgirl vol 3 #22, Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes (2011)

Batgirl vol 3 #23-24

Steph carries on as Batgirl, being briefly framed for murder, bickering and bonding with Damian, and generally finding trouble. Babs fakes Oracle’s death in BoP. She steps away from partnering with Steph (but remains on good terms), leaving Wendy/Proxy to fully take over the job--until Wendy heads off herself on a personal quest in #21.

In #22, Steph goes to London on a mission for Bruce/Batman Inc, where she meets and befriends Squire/Beryl Hutchinson. She gets to the actual mission in B Inc, infiltrating a villainous finishing school.

In the final arc before the reboot, Steph discovers her father is alive. When he puts her under the influence of a Black Mercy, Batgirl is taken to the very hostpital where her mom works. Crystal obvious recognizes her, protects her identity, and is ultimately proud of her daughter. <3

428 notes · View notes

batmannotes · 3 years ago

Text

Batman: No Man's Land Omnibus Vol. 1

After suffering a cataclysmic earthquake, the U.S. government has deemed Gotham City uninhabitable and ordered all citizens to leave. It is now months later and those that have refused to vacate 'No Man's Land' live amidst a citywide turf war in which the strongest prey on the weak. Batman and his allies including the enigmatic new Batgirl, Nightwing, Oracle and Robin must fight to save Gotham during its darkest hour and return Justice to the destroyed city. Includes Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116-121, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #51-57, Batman #563-568, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83-88, Detective Comics #730-735, Catwoman #72-74, Robin #67, The Batman Chronicles #16-17, Nightwing #35-37, Batman: No Man's Land (Collector's) #1, Batman: No Man's Land Gallery #1, and Young Justice In No Man's Land #1

30% OFF at Amazon. Direct link here.

#batman #dc comics #comic book #comic books

32 notes · View notes

filthy-vigilantes · 4 years ago

Text

Batman: Where to start

***long post***

Getting in to comics is rather hard and finding a good starting place or a good recommended must-reads is hard and confusing and you typically get hundreds of different answers.

This is my personal list, that I'm working through and hope to collect. I've done quite a bit of research and feel like this is a adequate reading list for modern (post-crisis) Bruce Wayne

Anyways here's the list in primary chronological order:

Batman: Year One (Batman Vol 1 #404-#407)

This story line established the back story for Batman in the post-crisis timeline, along with the back stories for Commissioner Gordon and Selina Kyle. Not necessarily canon anymore, but a good story to get the feel of the characters

Batman: The Man Who Laughs

This is a one shot that was published in 2005 that tells the story of Batman's first encounter with the Joker roughly a year after the Batman's debut in Gotham. Based on the Joker's original first appearance in Batman Vol 1 #1.

Batman and the Monster Men

This is a 6 part mini series that takes place sometime after Batman: Year One and Batman: The Man Who Laughs. First half of the Dark Moon Rising series. Story revolves around Batman's first dealing with Hugo Strange

Batman and the Mad Monk

This is another 6 part mini series that is the second half of the Dark Moon Rising series. It is a retelling of a story from Detective Comics Vol 1 #31-32

Batman: The Long Halloween

This is a 13 part limited series, that serves as a re-introduction of the Calendar Man and features a wide array of Batman's rouge gallery such as Two-Face, Scarecrow, Riddler, Joker, and Poison Ivy.

Batman: Dark Victory

This is a 14 part limited series that is a sequel to The Long Halloween. The main case in the story is a turf war between Two-Face and the Falcon Mafia. It also serves as a re-telling of Dick Grayson's Robin origin.

Batman: Birth of the Demon (TPB)

This is a collection of 3 Batman one shots: Son of the Demon, Bride of the Demon, and Birth of the Demon. All stories center around Ra's al Ghul and Talia al Ghul.

Batman: Strange Apparitions (Detective Comics Vol 1 #469-479)

This collection reintroduces Golden Age villains such as Hugo Strange and Dead shot along with introducing new villains such as Doctor Phosphorus and Clayface III.

Batman: The Killing Joke

A 60 page one shot that hints at the Jokers true identity, along with pushing the Jokers madness to new extremes, and showing just how dangerous he can be.

Batman: the Cult

This is a 4 issue mini series, in which Batman gets captured, torture and brain washed by Deacon Blackfire. This is also one of the few stories written by Jim Starlin that shows Jason Todd in a favorable light, as Starlin had a dislike for the character and kid sidekicks.

Batman: Death in the Family (Batman Vol 1 #426-429)

The famous 4 issue story arc that allowed readers to vote on the fate of the then current Robin, Jason Todd.

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying (Batman Vol 1 #440-442)

This story is the introduction of Tim Drake and his taking of the Robin Mantle. The story also involves a case with Two-Face

Batman: The Last Arkham (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-4)

This story shows us the inner workings of Arkham Asylum, along with introducing new villains such as Zsasz, Jeremiah Arkham, and Amygdala

Batman: Gothic (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #6-10)

In this story we get to see glimpses of Bruce Wayne childhood.

Batman: Venom (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #16-20)

This story introduces us to the strength-enhancing drug, venom

Batman: Knightfall (Batman Vol 1 #492-510, #512-515; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16-30, 32-35; Catwoman Vol ? #6-7, #12-13; Detective Comics Vol 1 #659-677, #679-682; Justice League Task Force #5-6; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #59-63; Robin #7-9, 11-14; Showcase '93 #7-8; Showcase '94 #10)

The Knightfall collection is a trilogy consisting of Knightfall, Knightquest, and KnightsEnd. In the story, Batman is crippled by Bane leading to him enlisting help from Jean-Paul Valley, while he recovers. Jean-Paul becomes increasingly unstable and violent, ruining Batman's reputation until Bruce can finally put an end to it. The story had long term ramifications in the batcannon as Bruce had to rebuild the trust everyone had for him.

Batman: Contagion (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #48-49; Detective Comics Vol 1 #695, #696; Robin Vol 4 #27-28; Catwoman Vol #31-32; Azrael #15-16; Batman Vol 1 #529; Batman: Chronicles #4)

A cross over even where a deadly virus sweeps through Gotham. One of the story lines leading in to the No Man's Land event.

Batman: Legacy (Batman Vol 1 #533-534; Batman: Bane; Bane of the Demon #1-4; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #53-54; Catwoman Vol 2 #33-36; Detective Comics Vol 1 #700-702; Robin Vol 4 #32-33)

Another crossover, this storyline serves as a wrap up for Contagion as well as Knightfall. One of the story lines leading in to No Man's Land event.

Batman: Cataclysm (Azrael #40; Batman Vol 1 #553-559; The Batman Chronicles #12, #14; Batman: Arkham Asylum- Tales of Madness #1; Batman:Blackgate- Isle of Men #1; Batman/Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma #1; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73-79; Catwoman Vol 2 #56-57; Detective Comics Vol 1 #719-722, #724-726; Robin Vol 4 #52-54)

The final crossover storyline leading in to No Man's Land. After a earthquake, Gotham's heros have to band together to help the citizens in the aftermath.

Batman: No Man's Land (Azrael #47-61; Batman Vol 1 #560-574; Batman: Harley Quinn; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116-126; Batman: No Man's Land #1-0; Batman No Man's Land Secret Files and Origins; Batman: Day of Judgement; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #80-94; The Batman Chronicles #16-18; Catwoman Vol 2 #72-77; Detective Comics Vol 1 #727-741; JLA #32; Nightwing Vol 1 #35-39; Nightwing Secret Files and Origins; Robin Vol 4 #67-73; Young Justice: In No Man's Land)

After several catastrophic events in Gotham, the US government decides to cut off Gotham, destroying all bridges to the city leaving Batman and allies to keep order in the city.

JLA Tower of Babel (JLA #43-46)

This story deals with the discovery of Batman's plans and files on how to take out the members of the Justice League in the event of them going rouge.

Bruce Wayne: Murderer? (Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure #1; Batgirl #24; Batman Vol 1 #599; Batman: Gotham Knights #25-26; Birds of Prey Vol 1 #39-40; Detective Comics Vol 1 #766-767; Nightwing #65-66; Robin #98-99

Bruce Wayne is arrested for murder and the rest of the bat family are forced to solve the crime and help clear his name.

Bruce Wayne: Fugitive (Azrael #91; Batgirl #27, #29-33; Batman Vol 1 #600-601, #603, #605-607; Batman: Gotham Knights #27-28, #30-31; Birds of Prey #41-43; Nightwing #68-69; Detective Comics Vol 1 #768-775)

This story is the follow up to Bruce Wayne: Murderer. After getting out of jail, he must full solve to murder, as those around him begin to doubt his innocence.

Batman Hush (Batman Vol 1 #608-619)

This story arc share a bit about Bruce Wayne's childhood along with introducing a new billion, Hush and furthering Batman and Catwoman's romantic relationship. This story also teases the resurrection of Jason Todd, the second Robin.

Batman: Heart of Hush (Detective Comics #846-850)

A follow up to Batman Hush, once again furthering Batman and Catwoman's romantic relationship. Also serves as a prelude to Batman R. I. P.

Batman Under the Red Hood (Batman Vol 1 #635-#641, #645-650, Annual #25)

This Story focuses on Jason Todd, the second Robin's resurrection and return to Gotham

Batman R. I. P. (Batman Vol 1 #667-669, #672-686, #701-702; Detective Comics #846-853; Nightwing Vol 2 #147-153; Batman and the Outsiders Vol 1 #11-14, special #1; Robin #175-183)

This story leads up to Bruce Wayne's apparent death in the DC Final Crisis event.

What Ever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Batman Vol 1 #686; Detective Comics Vol 1 #853

These two issues deal with the aftermath of Bruce Wayne's apparent death.

Battle for the Cowl

This is a 3 issue minis series that shows the remainder of the bat family hold Gotham together in the wake of Batman's death and Nightwing ultimate decision to take up the mantle.

Batman: Hush Money (Detective Comics Vol 1 #852; Batman Vol 1 #685; Batman: Streets of Gotham #1-4)

Batman's enemy Hush alters his face to look like Bruce Wayne and begins pretending to be him.

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne

A 6 issue limited series that shows Bruce Wayne's journey through time to return to present day Gotham.

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home

A limited series that details the return and aftermath of Bruce Wayne's return. Batman Vol 1 #703 is a prelude to the series.

Batman: House of Hush (Batman: Streets of Gotham #14, #16-21)

A story arc that ties up the Hush Money story and the return of Bruce Wayne.

Batman Incorporated

This series focuses on Bruce Wayne franchising the Batman name across the globe, while Dick Grayson still serves as Batman in Gotham.

Batman: The Gates of Gotham

A limited series that features Dick Grayson as Batman, but was used as a lunching point for major Batman story lines in New 52.

Batman New 52

After the New 52 reboot, DC began Batman Vol 2, aka Batman New 52

Batman Eternal

A weekly limited series that ran for a year, reintroducing numerous villains in to the New 52 canon, along with Stephanie Brown.

Batman and Robin Eternal

A weekly limited series that ran for 6 months as a follow up to Batman Eternal. The story jumps between Dick Grayson's first year as Robin and the present. Cassandra Cain is reintroduced in to the New 52 canon in this series.

Batman Rebirth (ongoing)

Current Batman title

#batman #bruce wayne #jason todd #red hood #robin #tim drake #dick grayson #dc comcis #bat family #batfam #bat fam #comics #selina kyle #catwoman #batgirl #barbra gordon #stephenie brown #cassandra cain #where to start

534 notes · View notes

filthy-vigilante · 4 years ago

Text

Batman: Where to Start

*** long post***

Getting in to comics is rather hard and finding a good starting place or a good recommended must-reads is hard and confusing and you typically get hundreds of different answers.

This is my personal list, that I'm working through and hope to collect. I've done quite a bit of research and feel like this is a adequate reading list for modern (post-crisis) Bruce Wayne

Anyway, here's my list:

Batman: Year One (Batman Vol 1 #404-#407)

Batman: The Man Who Laughs

This is a one shot that was published in 2005 that tells the story of Batman’s first encounter with the Joker roughly a year after the Batman’s debut in Gotham. Based on the Joker’s original first appearance in Batman Vol 1 #1.

Batman and the Monster Men

This is a 6 part mini series that takes place sometime after Batman: Year One and Batman: The Man Who Laughs. First half of the Dark Moon Rising series. Story revolves around Batman’s first dealing with Hugo Strange

Batman and the Mad Monk

This is another 6 part mini series that is the second half of the Dark Moon Rising series. It is a retelling of a story from Detective Comics Vol 1 #31-32

Batman: The Long Halloween

This is a 13 part limited series, that serves as a re-introduction of the Calendar Man and features a wide array of Batman’s rouge gallery such as Two-Face, Scarecrow, Riddler, Joker, and Poison Ivy.

Batman: Dark Victory

Batman: Birth of the Demon (TPB)

This is a collection of 3 Batman one shots: Son of the Demon, Bride of the Demon, and Birth of the Demon. All stories center around Ra’s al Ghul and Talia al Ghul.

Batman: Strange Apparitions (Detective Comics Vol 1 #469-479)

This collection reintroduces Golden Age villains such as Hugo Strange and Dead shot along with introducing new villains such as Doctor Phosphorus and Clayface III.

Batman: The Killing Joke

A 60 page one shot that hints at the Jokers true identity, along with pushing the Jokers madness to new extremes, and showing just how dangerous he can be.

Batman: the Cult

Batman: Death in the Family (Batman Vol 1 #426-429)

The famous 4 issue story arc that allowed readers to vote on the fate of the then current Robin, Jason Todd.

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying (Batman Vol 1 #440-442)

This story is the introduction of Tim Drake and his taking of the Robin Mantle. The story also involves a case with Two-Face

Batman: The Last Arkham (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-4)

This story shows us the inner workings of Arkham Asylum, along with introducing new villains such as Zsasz, Jeremiah Arkham, and Amygdala

Batman: Gothic (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #6-10)

In this story we get to see glimpses of Bruce Wayne childhood.

Batman: Venom (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #16-20)

This story introduces us to the strength-enhancing drug, venom

The Knightfall collection is a trilogy consisting of Knightfall, Knightquest, and KnightsEnd. In the story, Batman is crippled by Bane leading to him enlisting help from Jean-Paul Valley, while he recovers. Jean-Paul becomes increasingly unstable and violent, ruining Batman’s reputation until Bruce can finally put an end to it. The story had long term ramifications in the batcannon as Bruce had to rebuild the trust everyone had for him.

Batman: Contagion (Batman: Shadow of the Bat #48-49; Detective Comics Vol 1 #695, #696; Robin Vol 4 #27-28; Catwoman Vol #31-32; Azrael #15-16; Batman Vol 1 #529; Batman: Chronicles #4)

A cross over even where a deadly virus sweeps through Gotham. One of the story lines leading in to the No Man’s Land event.

Batman: Legacy (Batman Vol 1 #533-534; Batman: Bane; Bane of the Demon #1-4; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #53-54; Catwoman Vol 2 #33-36; Detective Comics Vol 1 #700-702; Robin Vol 4 #32-33)

Another crossover, this storyline serves as a wrap up for Contagion as well as Knightfall. One of the story lines leading in to No Man’s Land event.

The final crossover storyline leading in to No Man’s Land. After a earthquake, Gotham’s heros have to band together to help the citizens in the aftermath.

Batman: No Man’s Land (Azrael #47-61; Batman Vol 1 #560-574; Batman: Harley Quinn; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116-126; Batman: No Man’s Land #1-0; Batman No Man’s Land Secret Files and Origins; Batman: Day of Judgement; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #80-94; The Batman Chronicles #16-18; Catwoman Vol 2 #72-77; Detective Comics Vol 1 #727-741; JLA #32; Nightwing Vol 1 #35-39; Nightwing Secret Files and Origins; Robin Vol 4 #67-73; Young Justice: In No Man’s Land)

After several catastrophic events in Gotham, the US government decides to cut off Gotham, destroying all bridges to the city leaving Batman and allies to keep order in the city.

JLA Tower of Babel (JLA #43-46)

This story deals with the discovery of Batman’s plans and files on how to take out the members of the Justice League in the event of them going rouge.

Bruce Wayne is arrested for murder and the rest of the bat family are forced to solve the crime and help clear his name.

This story is the follow up to Bruce Wayne: Murderer. After getting out of jail, he must solve the murder, as those around him begin to doubt his innocence.

Batman Hush (Batman Vol 1 #608-619)

This story arc share a bit about Bruce Wayne’s childhood along with introducing a new billion, Hush and furthering Batman and Catwoman’s romantic relationship. This story also teases the resurrection of Jason Todd, the second Robin.

Batman: Heart of Hush (Detective Comics #846-850)

A follow up to Batman Hush, once again furthering Batman and Catwoman’s romantic relationship. Also serves as a prelude to Batman R. I. P.

Batman Under the Red Hood (Batman Vol 1 #635-#641, #645-650, Annual #25)

This Story focuses on Jason Todd, the second Robin’s resurrection and return to Gotham

Batman R. I. P. (Batman Vol 1 #667-669, #672-686, #701-702; Detective Comics #846-853; Nightwing Vol 2 #147-153; Batman and the Outsiders Vol 1 #11-14, special #1; Robin #175-183)

This story leads up to Bruce Wayne’s apparent death in the DC Final Crisis event.

What Ever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Batman Vol 1 #686; Detective Comics Vol 1 #853

These two issues deal with the aftermath of Bruce Wayne’s apparent death.

Battle for the Cowl

This is a 3 issue minis series that shows the remainder of the bat family hold Gotham together in the wake of Batman’s death and Nightwing ultimate decision to take up the mantle.

Batman: Hush Money (Detective Comics Vol 1 #852; Batman Vol 1 #685; Batman: Streets of Gotham #1-4)

Batman’s enemy Hush alters his face to look like Bruce Wayne and begins pretending to be him.

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne

A 6 issue limited series that shows Bruce Wayne’s journey through time to return to present day Gotham.

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home

A limited series that details the return and aftermath of Bruce Wayne’s return. Batman Vol 1 #703 is a prelude to the series.

Batman: House of Hush (Batman: Streets of Gotham #14, #16-21)

A story arc that ties up the Hush Money story and the return of Bruce Wayne.

Batman Incorporated

This series focuses on Bruce Wayne franchising the Batman name across the globe, while Dick Grayson still serves as Batman in Gotham.

Batman: The Gates of Gotham

A limited series that features Dick Grayson as Batman, but was used as a lunching point for major Batman story lines in New 52.

Batman New 52

After the New 52 reboot, DC began Batman Vol 2, aka Batman New 52

Batman Eternal

A weekly limited series that ran for a year, reintroducing numerous villains in to the New 52 canon, along with Stephanie Brown.

Batman and Robin Eternal

A weekly limited series that ran for 6 months as a follow up to Batman Eternal. The story jumps between Dick Grayson’s first year as Robin and the present. Cassandra Cain is reintroduced in to the New 52 canon in this series.

Batman Rebirth (ongoing)

Current Batman title

Previously posted on @filthy-vigilantes

#Batman #Bruce Wayne #dc comics #Dick Grayson #Jason Todd #Tim Drake #Robin #barbra gordon #stephenie brown #cassandra cain #batgirl #batfam #batfamily #gotham #mp

153 notes · View notes

crossoverworldtree · 3 years ago

Text

Cataclysm/No Man's Land

The Great Battle in New York in 1999/2000, when King Ghidorah battled Godzilla at the behest of a guardian of the earth (Mothra) left scars. The Battle lay waste to great sections of New York in which repairs did not begin for almost 10 months. During those 10 months, sections of New York were quarantined by the government due to various… exposures. The draconian tactics enforced by the US government were largely decried, as many people found themselves trapped behind a high electric fence. Humanitarian efforts occasionally entered, but none were allowed to leave until a year had passed for the Radiation and Chemical toxins to dissipate.

King Ghidorah Flyby:

During the attack, or just prior to it, King Ghidorah flew overhead blasting all in sight. To simulate such an attack, players take Wind Damage within the radius of the creature. This radius is over a 500ft wide, though ducking inside can save people from the worst of it (or just allow a wall to take the brunt of the blow, negating the damage or reducing it using the inanimate object chart). Everything exposed within the radius takes 30 points of damage from the wind alone. Then, they must dodge Shrapnel carried aloft: against 16 or suffer 45 Slash/Stab damage. Occasionally King Ghidorah will let loose a blast. Determine who will be hit by having the players roll and add their willpower (Drama Points function as normal). The lowest roll (or the lowest 3 who fail to get at least 9) are targeted by King Ghidorah and thus must dodge a gravity beam from the behemoth normally.

Radiation Effects:

Godzilla leaves a trail of destruction where he goes. Most of it is fire and collapsed buildings. Some of it is in raw radioactivity. Godzilla’s path through New York is contaminated. For the first 30 days after the Cataclysm, people who visit his pathway incur 10 rems per hour. After that, it is reduced by 1 rem every 30 days until it fades into the background. However, Godzilla bled on New York in the course of his battle with King Ghidorah. Those visiting those areas where he bled out (in Gotham) results in a dose of 40 rems per hour. If a chunk of Godzilla is located, that chunk releases 20 per hour--and there are some unscrupulous people who will pay top dollar to get their hands on such a sample.

A character recovers from radiation exposure at a rate of 1 rem per day, so it is suggested they are closely recorded. Once 100 rems are reached, the character truly begins to suffer (See Conspiracy X for details). Radioactivity is resisted with a Constitution (doubled) Roll vs. 18 with negative modifiers added for larger and larger doses.

Scrounging:

Scrounging became a way of life for the year No Man’s Land lasted. Picking up the pieces left behind by those who fled and general looting becomes a means of survival for some groups. It’s not exactly easy. Scrounging uses an Intelligence and Crime or Knowledge roll to determine where to go for a required part or item. Then a second Perception and Notice or Crime roll is needed to uncover the item. As time goes on, it becomes harder and harder to find places that haven’t been scrounged and scroungers become more creative in finding what they need. Each month of No Man’s Land places a -1 on all Scrounging rolls in addition to other circumstances.

Factions: One of the effects of No Man’s Land was the formation of large gangs as the only remaining society left. Each fought for control and No Man’s Land didn’t really end until the Police and the Batman took over the last bits of territory held by these gangs. Only then could reconstruction really begin. Territory was marked with urban tagging and some darker practices in some areas. The factions are as follows:

Cops – Also called the "Blue Boys" since, technically, they weren't cops. The police are overworked and stressed as many people turned to them for aid after the attack. They are trying their best, but are stretched thin. The Cops gang generally included all civil service representatives—from lawyers to nurses to firefighters.

Bat-Family – The Bat-Family keep their territory in order, but it is distinctly their territory and not that of the police. Only near the end of No Man’s Land did Batman ‘seed’ his territory to the cops (it was a plan between him and the commissioner). The Bat-Family, at the top, consisted of what generally comes to mind with that group. They also received aid from the Spider, the Shadow and Superman on several occasions—as they could slip by the quarantine with ease. They also received aid from an unlikely source: the Manhattan Gargoyle Clan. Other members of the “Gang” came from all walks of life: prince and pauper alike held rank in Batman’s organization. Many of these were also informants of the Shadow at one time or another.

Two-Face and Penguin – Both Crime Lords extended their reaches as far as they could, living as medieval kings in their territories—with a near total feudal system in operation. The original gang members being akin to landed knights or lords in the new system, and the helpless civilians trapped within the territory became their serfs.

Jokers – the Jokers gang was possibly the most dangerous, marking their territory with joker-venom laden civilians and bystanders—often impaled on makeshift pikes or rigged with venom-laced traps. They ran berserk through the streets, reveling in the carnage for almost a full month before settling into a similarly feudal system as that of the other major players. Other gangs—Vultures, Scorpions and others—held onto territories of their own but were absorbed into one crime lord or other territory.

Poison Ivy – Poison Ivy was first captured by Clayface and held captive in her home. Batman freed her two months in, and she took over the parks and channels between them, turning them into fruitful gardens for the city (a "Neutral Zone") as Batman’s boon for freeing her. Her “Gang” is actually dozens of orphaned children created during the panic and destruction. She did not release them after No Mans Land, however. When the police came to ‘rescue the children’, she resisted them, growing thorny protective vines around her home before sending the children into the spirit world to escape.

Morlocks – The Morlocks, already underground, suffered greatly from the attack and were forced in part to the surface. They took in some more people after a while, but the stress got to Marrow quickly. They allied themselves with the Batman but kept their homes distinct as they remained underground for the most part—and their enemies the CHUDs began appearing on the surface thanks to all the chemical and radioactive material the two Kaiju left in their wake.

Other Dangers:

Because of the radiation and mutative alien DNA of the Ogdru-hem King Ghidorah, many mundane creatures were mutated. Roaming throughout the city—peaking in population in the central months of the event—are many monsters: Giant Mutated Vermin (Ants, Rats, Slugs, Bats, Rabbits, Spiders), Ghouls, CHUDs, Lepus Gigas, and a population of Triffids (at Poison Ivy’s beck and call). These beasts hunt and haunt the rubble, abandoned homes and ruins of No Man’s Land, preying on each other and unfortunate humans alike.

Abandoned Dogs also roam in packs through the streets looking for food where they can. As time goes on, they grow more and more feral and that can include people. Cats quickly turn to wild natures as time goes on. Though not dangerous, they can scratch a player who’s not careful. Feral Dogs, however, operating in a pack, is the Wolf of No Man’s Land. These packs range in size from 3 to 10 on average.

#Batman: Cataclysm #No Man's Land #Batman #Batman No Man's Land #Godzilla 2000 #Marc Cerasini #CHUD #Morlocks #Setting

2 notes · View notes

classicsuperheroworld · 3 years ago

Text

Batman: No Man's Land Omnibus Vol. 1

Available now at Amazon. Direct link here.

#batman #dc comics #comic book #comic books

2 notes · View notes

torvocomics · 5 years ago

Text

My little old crossover

#comics #lobodc #the maxx #bat thing #classic harley quinn #cerebus the aardvark #alice cooper #neil gaiman #bone Jeff Smith #batman cataclysm 16 #mafalda #condorito

0 notes

northoftheroad · 4 years ago

Text

Dick and Tim – brothers in arms

So I got this ask. And it’s a good thing I got it the first night of my summer vacation, and the weather hasn't been great ;-)

Once I started digging for comics with both Tim and Dick, I found several that I've never read. I got the impression Anonymous would like a complete list, so I just kept going. But this means I don't know if they even interact in some of the books, or if they make "blink and you miss it" guest appearances.

I'm sorry if they, by any chance, was asking for reading recommendations for good Dick and Tim moments and not The Complete List... Looking at the number of comics here that I haven't read/can't remember, I'm not really qualified to answer that. But if I had to try, I would mention:

A Lonely Place of Dying

The New Titans #65

All issues of Nightwing vol 2 with Robin as a guest star, including Nightwing Annual #1 but excluding Annual # 2.

Showcase '93 #11-12

Knightfall Prodigal

Robin vol 2 #10, (DickRobin and TimRobin!) 175

Young Justice vol 1 #22

Teen Titans vol 3 #6

Bruce Wayne – Murderer and Fugitive

Birds of Prey #19

Batman: Gotham Knights # 8-11, 45

Red Robin #11-14

Batman: Gates of Gotham

That being said. Here is, as far as I can find, every comic where both Dick Grayson and Tim Drake have made an appearance (pre-Flashpoint):

Batman vol 1 #436. By Marv Wolfman, art Pat Broderick and John Beatty.

Batman # 436. (Tim's first appearance, in the circus audience the day Dick's parents were killed.) (1989)

A Lonely Place of Dying. Batman #440-442, New Titans #60-61. (When Tim tries to talk Dick into becoming Robin again but ends up wearing the Robin suit himself to help Batman and Robin.) (1990)

The New Titans #64 (1990)

The New Titans #65. By Marv Wolfman, art Tom Grummet and Al Vey.

The New Titans #65. (Tim turns up at Dick's place to learn what it is to be Batman's partner.) (1990)

Batman vol 1 #455 (1990)

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-2 (1992)

Superman: The Man of Steel #20 (1993)

Superman vol 2 #76 (1993)

Batman vol 1 #500 (1993)

New Titans #100 (1993)

Showcase '93 #11-12 (1993)

Justice League of America #70 (1993)

Bloodbath #1-2 (1994)

Batman vol 1 #510 (1994)

Robin vol 2 #0, 8 (1994)

Robin vol 2 #10. By Chuck Dixon, art Tom Grummett and Ray Kryssing.

Robin vol 2 #10 (DickRobin meets TimRobin during Zero Hour. DickRobin is also seen in a panel in Batman vol 1 #511 and Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #4 .) (1994)

Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #1-3 (1994)

Detective Comics #676-677 (1994)

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #29-30 (1994)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #62 (1994)

Knightfall Prodigal (Dick's first longer stint as Batman. And he takes care of Tim and the Manor on his own!) In Batman #512-514, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #32-34, Robin # 11-13, Detective Comics #679-681. (1994-1995)

Batman vol 1 #515 (1995)

Detective Comics #686 (1995)

Robin vol 2 #23 (1995)

Green Arrow vol 2 #101 (1995)

Contagion (Detective Comics #696, Batman vol 1 #529, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #49, Batman vol 1 #533, Azrael vol 1 #16, Robin vol 2 #28, Catwoman vol 2 #31) (1996)

The Final Night #2-3 (1996)

Robin vol 2 #29, 32-33 (1996)

Catwoman vol 2 #36 (1996)

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #53-54 (1996)

Detective Comics #698-701 (1996)

Marvel versus DC / DC versus Marvel #2 (1996)

Nightwing vol 2 # 6. (Tim and Dick talk and fight crooks.) (1997)

Batman: Bane (1997)

Ningtwing Annual #1. By Devin Grayson, art Greg Land and Bob McLeod.

Nightwing vol 2 Annual #1. (When Dick fake-marries a girl to investigate if she has murdered her previous husbands.) (1997)

Genesis #1 (1997)

Robin vol 2 #47-48 (1997)

Detective Comics #721, 724 (1998)

Nightwing vol 2 # 20. (Part of Cataclysm.) (1998)

Robin vol 2 #53 (1998)

Nightwing vol 2 # 25. (Tim and Dick talk and ride on train roofs. Dick has decided to become a cop.) (1998)

Batman 80-page Giant #1 (1998)

Brotherhood of the fist (Detective Comics #723, Robin vol 2 #55, Nightwing vol 2 # 28, Green Arrow 3 #135) (1998)

Batman: Bane of the Demon #4 (1998)

Batman vol 1 #554, 556, 560 (1998)

Detective Comics #727-729 (1998-1999)

JLA/Titans: Technis Imperative (1998-1999)

DC Universe Holiday Bash #3 (1999)

Batman 80-page Giant #2 (1999)

Young Justice: Secret Files and Origins #1 (1999)

Batman: Day of Judgment (Zombies...) (1999)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120 (1999)

Robin vol 2 #71 (1999)

Young Justice vol 1 #7 (1999)

Batman and Superman: World's Finest #10 (2000)

No Man's Land. (Robin vol 2 #67, Batman vol 1 #562, Detective Comics #741, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #95, Batman: Legend of the Dark Knight #120, 126, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #56) (1999-2000)

Detective Comics #741 (2000)

Robin vol 2 #74, 76, 82 (2000)

Superman Y2K #1 (2000)

Batman: Gotham Knights #10. By Devin Grayson, art Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Rober Robinson.

Batman: Gotham Knights #10-11 (2000)

Batman: Outlaws 1-3 (2000)

Young Justice vol 1 #22 (2000)

Birds of Prey vol 1 #19 (2000)

JLA: Secret Files #3 (2000)

The Hunt for Oracle. (Birds of Prey vol 1 #20-22. Nightwing vol 2 #46.) (2000)

Superboy vol 3 #74 (2000)

Young Justice: Sins of Youth #1 (2000)

Young Justice: Sinds of Youth Secret Files # 1 (2000)

Titans #12 (2000)

Green Lantern: Circle of Fire #1 (2000)

Batman: Gotham Knights #1 (2000)

Harley Quinn #6 (2001)

Birds of Prey # 27 (2001)

Catwoman vol 2 #90 (2001)

Young Justice: Our World's at War #1 (2001)

World's Finest: Our World's at War #1 (2001)

Joker: Last Laugh. (The Joker "jokerize" a number of metahuman villains. In the later part, Joker taunts Nightwing with that he has killed Tim, just as he did Jason. Dick loses it and punches Joker to death, but Batman turns up and resuscitates Joker). (2001)

Harley Quinn #11-12 (2001)

Robin vol 2 #86, 95 (2001)

Gods of Gotham. (Wonder Woman #166-167.) (2001)

Wonder Woman vol 2 #175 (2001)

Nightwing vol 2 #63. (The aftermath of Joker: Last Laugh, where Dick is too depressed to work as Nightwing. Robin and Blue Beetle take his place in Blüdhaven this issue, so they don't actually meet.) (2002)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #94 (2002)

Young Justice vol 1 #40 (2002)

Birds of Prey vol 1 #37. (2002)

Batman/Nightwing: Bloodborne (2002)

Batman: Gotham Knights #26. By Devin Grayson, art Roger Robinson and John Floyd.

Bruce Wayne: Murderer and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive (Batgirl vol 1 #27, Nightwing #68-69, Batman: Gotham Knight #26, 28, 30, Birds of Prey vol 1 #40, 43, Batman #600, 605.) (Bruce is accused of murder and refuses to defend himself, and eventually escapes and intends to drop the identity of Bruce Wayne. Dick refuses to believe that Bruce can be a murderer and it causes a bit of friction with Tim.)

Batman: Gotham Knights #32-36 (2002-2003)

Batman: Gotham Knights #38, 42, 46 (2003)

Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day # 1-3 (2003)

Detective Comics #782 (2003)

JLA/JSA: Virtue & Vice (2003)

Batman vol 1 #615 (Part of Hush) (2003)

Robin vol 2 #108-110, 118 (2003)

Batman: Family # 6-8 (2003)

Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files (2003)

JLA: Welcome to the Working Week (2003)

Identity Crisis # 1 (2004)

Robin vol 2 #120 (But not really – the issue is about how Tim has been stalking his friends, imagining them as traitors, including Dick.) (2004)

Robin vol 2 #125 (2004)

Teen Titans vol 3 #6. By Geoff Johns, art Mike McKone and Marlo Alquiza.

Teen Titans vol 3 #6 (2004)

Batgirl vol 1 # 46, 50 (2004)

Superman/Batman #5, 13 (2004)

War Games. (Nightwing vol 2 #97-98, Batman vol 1 #631-634, Detective Comics #799, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #183-184, Gotham Knights #57) (2004)

Detective Comics # 800 (2005)

Teen Titans vol 3 # 21-25 (2005)

Outsiders vol 3 #25 (2005)

Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files (2005)

Nightwing vol 2 # 110. By Devin Grayson, art Phil Hester and Ande Parks.

Nightwing vol 2 #110. (During a period when Dick left the Nightwing identity.) (2005)

Infinite Crisis. (2005-2006)

Action Comics # 841-843 (2006)

Adventures of Superman #648 (2006)

Nightwing vol 2 Annual # 2. (I honestly don't recommend this, but in the spirit of making a complete list... Tim is visible in two panels, overlapping with Infinite Crisis where Dick almost dies. Otherwise, it's a retelling of the revamped history of Dick and Barbara, including some things that no-one who likes Dick Grayson would agree is in-character.) (2007)

Teen Titans vol 3 #43 (2007)

Gotham: Underground # 1 (2007)

Wonder Woman Annual vol #1 (2007)

Countdown #43 (2007)

52 #30 (2007)

JLA: Classified #34 (2007)

Robin vol 2 #156 (2007)

Shadowpact #10 (2007)

Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman-Prime #1 (2007)

Nightwing vol 2 #142. By Peter J Tomasi, penciller Rags Morales.

Freefall (Nightwing vol 2 # 140–146). (One of the very best story arcs of any Nightwing comic. It has gruff Bruce, brotherly bonding, Nightwing and Robin infiltrating an island...) (2008)

Batman: Underground # 6-7 (2008)

Green Latern vol 4 #25 (2008)

Titans vol 2 #1 (2008)

Robin vol 2 #178 (2008)

Batgirl vol 2 #1 (2008)

The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul. (Robin vol 2 #169, Nightwing vol 2 #138-139, Detective Comics #839). (2007-2008)

DC Special: Cyborg #2-5 (2008)

Robin vol 2 # 175. (Some fun panels with flashbacks with Dick and Tim.) (2008)

Batman vol 1 #675, 678, 681 (2008)

DC Universe: Lats Will and Testament #1 (2008)

Final Crisis #3 (2008)

Detective Comics #847 (2008)

Batgirl vol 2 # 5-6 (2009)

Superman/Batman #55 (2009)

Detective Comics #850 (2009)

Nightwing vol 2 # 151. (The issue ends with some family time with Dick, Tim and Alfred.) (2009)

Nightwing vol 2 # 153. (Last issue, Dick moves from New York to Gotham and Wayne Manor.) (2009)

Superman #682 (2009)

Teen Titans vol 3 #75 (2009)

Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #5 (2009)

Robin vol 2 #181, 183 (2009)

Batman vol 1 #686 (2009)

Battle for the Cowl # 1-3. (Jason intends to become the Batman "Gotham needs". When Tim can't convince Dick to take up the cowl, he dresses up as Batman himself to fight Jason. In the end, Dick defeats Jason – and becomes Batman.) (2009)

Batman: Blackest Night #1-3 (2009)

Red Robin 1 # 1, 4 (2009)

Batman vol 1 #697, 702, 703 (2010)

Batman: Gates of Gotham #13 (2010)

Red Robin # 11-15 (2010)

Superman/Batman #76 (2010)

Teen Titans vol 3 #88-89 (2010)

Batman: Orphans #1-2 (2011)

Birds of Prey vol 2 #10 (2011)

Gotham City Sirens # 22 (2011)

Secret Six vol 3 #36 (2011)

Batman: Gates of Gotham #1-5 (2011)

Batman vol 1 #708-709 (2011)

Detective Comics #872, 874, 877, 880, 881 (2011)

Red Robin # 22, 23, 26 (2011)

I'm going to skip post-Flashpoint because, well, there's hardly anything there. The worst thing with Flashpoint/New 52, in my opinion, was that it destroyed relationships between characters who used to be family, but ended up hardly knowing or even liking each other. :-(

Detective Comics #975. By James Tynion IV, art Álvaro Martínez and Raúl Fernández.

The only panel worth mentioning with Dick and Tim is from DC #975. Yes, it's sad – one of the best brotherly relationships in DC turned into dust. Here's to hoping future writers will pick up on their wonderful dynamic at some time.

(The pictures in the header are from: Red Robin #12, Young Justice vol 1 #22, Showcase ‘93 #12, Batman #441, Nightwing vol 2 #6, 25.)

#Dick Grayson #Tim Drake #Robin #Nightwing #Red Robin #Batman

137 notes · View notes

farsight-the-char · 4 years ago

Photo

written by DENNIS O'NEIL, GREG RUCKA, DEVIN GRAYSON, CHUCK DIXON, AND OTHERS art by ALEX MALEEV, ROGER ROBINSON, DALE EAGLESHAM, AND OTHERS cover by DALE EAGLESHAM AND SEAN PARSONS ON SALE 10/26/21 $125.00 US | 1120 PAGES | FC | DC Hardcover 7 1/16" x 10 7/8" ISBN: 978-1-77951-322-9 After a cataclysmic earthquake hits Gotham City, destroying much of its infrastructure, thousands are dead and even more are without homes. The U.S. government declares the city uninhabitable and orders all citizens to leave. Many do. But months later, those who refused to vacate live in the lawless territory now known as "No Man's Land." Forsaken by the rest of the country, the former Gotham is now a citywide turf war of gangs and costumed villains in which the strongest prey on the weak. But with the return of Batman and the appearance of an enigmatic new Batgirl, justice is returning to Gotham. Batman: No Man's Land Omnibus Vol. 1 collects the first half of the monumental crossover event that changed the Dark Knight forever. Collects Batman: No Man's Land #1, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83-88, Batman #563-568, Detective Comics #730-735, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #51-57, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116-121, The Batman Chronicles #16-17, Young Justice in No Man's Land #1, Robin #67, Nightwing #35-37, and Catwoman #72-74.

#batfamily #cassandra cain #dc #cassandra my baby #not tagging everyone #GETTING

7 notes · View notes

shmowlwrites · 5 years ago

Text

(LATE) NaNoWriMo Day 4

Daminette pls. But going off the “Wonder Woman’s mother was a Ladybug” thing. Sister/mentor/(personal favorite) treating Marinette like her mom. Whatever you like.

Okay so this turned out as a general “found family” kind of thing and Daminette doesn’t happen until later. Adrien is a decent human being in this because I’m so tired of writing and reading salt that I’m just going to leave the readers to assume Adrien actually had character growth in the show and stopped being a pushy, petty, sacrificial child.

Anyway, this thing was 2340 words so buckle in babes!

Diana Prince perhaps should have been aware of the Hawkmoth problem, seeing as she was an employee of the Louvre. But do not blame her, she would have known the problem her city was going through if she hadn’t been on leave to deal with the other side of the world’s problems.

It was a year before she finally got to return. A year that had so much happen within it. She finally learned of the Hawkmoth issue when Hal was complaining about this reoccurring video about “Miraculous” that also managed to delete itself. If he got to watch it as soon as it appeared, he could only get halfway through before it disappeared again. He couldn’t trace it to the city it came from. Ladybug and Chat Noir never said where they were from before the video deleted itself. But he was also complaining about the Miraculous. What were they? What did they do? Ladybug and Chat Noir only said they held those Miraculous.

Diana knew. Diana nearly threw a fit at the knowledge that the miraculi were active again, somewhere in the world, and she never knew.

On her first day back at the Louvre, her boss filled her in on everything that had happened and she wanted to strangle this “Hawkmoth” and “Mayura.”

Representing the Justice League, Diana, as Wonder Woman, managed to find Ladybug and Chat Noir while they were out on a patrol. Ladybug was stiffly polite and Chat Noir was acting like a puppy getting adopted. Several meetings later, Diana learned that Ladybug didn’t know how to respond to the daughter of a previous holder.

In her meetings with them, Diana could only keep thinking of one thing: whoever their previous mentor was, they sucked. Ladybug and Chat Noir didn’t know much about their powers. They didn’t know the history of their Miraculous. They didn’t know how to properly fight and had been winging their battles since day 1.

Diana found herself connecting to the two strongly. Ladybug was like the little sister she never had. Chat Noir was like a son who melted in any show of affection - which strangely also included compliments on growth.

“I think what you two need is to get out of the city and learn how to fight from someone who has taught kids how to protect themselves quickly,” Diana found herself saying during a break in a training session.

“But what if Hawkmoth sends out an Akuma while we’re gone?” Ladybug fretted.

“You have the horse miraculous, yes?” Diana nodded to the egg box.

“Oh… you want me to take that with us?” Ladybug’s brow furrowed even more.

“Of course! Right now, I’d say nowhere is safer for the miraculous than with you. The temple is still regrowing, they won’t know what to do with your box while it is still incomplete. But, if you are so anxious about leaving Paris, I might be able to convince my friend and one of his sons to come here instead.”

“Really?” Chat Noir perked.

Diana gave him an easy smile. “I’m sure he’d be happy to.”

“For us?” Ladybug asked.

“You two are like my family by now,” Diana held out her hands. “And my friend will do anything for family.”

Bruce and Damian Wayne were in Paris by the end of the week. 16-year-old Damian was still a brat, but he was still a growing teenage boy forgetting old customs and learning about the real world. Bruce thought getting him around other young superheroes might help- he was horrendous at socializing with civilians due to still believing he was superior.

That was a horrible mistake, Robin’s first act was to insult everything about Ladybug and Chat Noir. After a good long lecture from both Bruce and Diana, Robin apologized to both… in a way that left them more confused than accepting of him.

A week later, Bruce tried the “let’s have a civilian day” card. Ladybug nearly threw a fit.

“We aren’t supposed to know each other’s identities!” She recited.

“Why not?” Robin scrunched his face. “I know all of-”

“You’re Gotham’s superheroes,” Chat sighed. “You don’t deal with a magical emotional terrorist. Ladybug and I are not immune to Akumas, we aren’t immune to strong emotions. What if one of us gets Akumatized and we know the other’s identity? We could tell Hawkmoth. We could succeed in taking the other’s Miraculous. And then what? He wins. We have to stay secret until Hawkmoth is gone.” He said it with practice, the concept having been drilled into his mind by Ladybug during their earlier days.

“I’m sorry, Batman and Robin, we would like to, but please understand that for the safety of Paris, we literally cannot,” Ladybug gave a sad smile.

They were there for another week before Robin, after pinning Ladybug with the end of his katana, suggested just hacking CTV cameras to track Akumas.

“It might work,” Chat grinned, before getting a light punch to the stomach and a “constant vigilance!” from Batman.

“I surrender,” Ladybug told Robin before pushing Robin’s katana away and pushing herself into a sitting position. “It might. But I don’t have high hopes- kwami can’t even be seen on camera. What’s to say the effects of a Miraculous can’t either?”

“But,” Chat was buzzing, “you’re Cure always does! We’ve seen it on the news enough times.”

Ladybug pursed her lips. “I don’t know the first thing about hacking.”

“Good thing we do,” Robin cracked a grin.

“Do you normally find such joy in illegal activities?”

“Are you kidding me?” Chat’s voice was shrill and Ladybug had turned to Diana with wide eyes.

“Is it true?”

“We didn’t tamper with the footage besides getting it, if that’s what you’re asking,” Robin shrugged.

“But- but-” Chat sputtered, his cat pupils in fearful slits and tears glossing his eyes.

“Chat?” Ladybug softly called.

“That’s,” Chat’s bottom lip trembled and he looked between Ladybug and Diana. “That’s my house. Hawkmoth can’t be my dad- he can’t be!” Chat shook his head in denial.

Ladybug paused in trying to comfort Chat, now realizing the boy before her was Adrien, the boy that used to be her crush. She was unsure on how to continue.

“Chat,” Diana spoke, moving forward to slowly place her hands on his shoulders. “Whether or not your father is Hawkmoth, somebody is sending out Akumas from your house. Since this is personal now, do you want to go with us? We’ll understand if you don’t.”

Chat blinked several times and looked between each person in his company. “I- I’ll go. You’ll need my help to get inside anyway.”

And so, in the middle of the next almost harmless Akuma attack, Adrien stayed in his room rather than go out. He popped open his window. Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, and Ladybug swung inside and they began their journey through the house. Adrien led them to Gabriel’s study and faced the portrait of his mother.

“There’s a safe behind the portrait. It’s where I found the grimoire. And now that I think about it, the peacock miraculous was in there too. I didn’t think much about it at the time,” Adrien rubbed his arms. Wonder Woman reached out and he grabbed her fingers in comfort.

“What’s done is done, do you think the portrait could also lead to where Hawkmoth is?” Batman asked.

“I think?” Adrien scrunched his face.

Robin walked up to the portrait, running his fingers around it. “There certainly are buttons on this, under the guise of being mosaic pieces.”

Adrien stepped up to it, fitting his fingers onto the supposed buttons, and before anyone could protest, he pressed them. The floor below them opened up and the elevator began to descend. They quickly fitted themselves into the tiny space.

Gabriel was standing in the middle of a garden, before something brightly white.

“Father?” Adrien’s voice was hardly audible but Gabriel Agreste still whipped around and saw the group of five.

“Adrien!” He barked, unsure of who to call. “My son…”

“Father, no,” Adrien moaned, backing away. “How could you!”

“Adrien, I’ve been doing this for us! I’m bringing Emilie back. Don’t you want to see your mother again?” Gabriel stepped aside, tilting his head towards the coffin.

“I would, but not this way,” Adrien shook his head, looking away from his father and the coffin. “I’ve grieved and moved on. Mom is dead and you shouldn’t be trying to change that!”

Gabriel frowned and narrowed his eyes. “Fine then. Nooroo, Dark Wings, Rise!”

He called his Akuma back and sent another one, to whom they didn’t know. But what they were trying to do was get the brooch back. Gabriel, Hawkmoth, had almost lost from the shock of seeing his son transform into one of his own enemies, Chat Noir.

Mayura joined, but Robin was quick to bring her down when she had doubled over from the sickness her Miraculous was causing her. Volpina made another return, hindering a good portion of the entire operation. Chat Noir had accidentally cataclysm-ed the entire platform, sending everyone down. There, in the dark and in the knee-high water, they continued the battle. Hawkmoth’s cane was shattered and he hid behind Volpina and her illusions.

Volpina held up a good fight, but her mistake was physically attacking Ladybug. That had cemented her as the real Volpina.

“Finally,” Volpina screeched, hands on Ladybug’s earrings. “Finally! You little bug will finally be gone!”

She had gotten one earring out before Robin had sent a flying kick towards her, and the two of them began wrestling in the water. Ladybug was slowly disappearing, and the familiar form of Marinette was coming out of the suit.

“Tikki, Spots off! Where’s my other earring?” The two of them began hunting the earring.

Chat Noir’s timer was finally up, and he returned into Adrien and was kicked away by his own father. “Plagg!”

Diana finally managed to shove Hawkmoth’s face under the water and rip the brooch off and left Gabriel to find Marinette. Batman held the struggling Gabriel by his arms.

“What’s her Akuma?” Robin called, having learned the same trick.

“It should be her necklace! Don’t destroy it, we need Ladybug to purify it!” Adrien responded, finally finding Plagg and giving him a soggy slice of cheese. His night vision back, he dove under and plucked the earring from the ground and pushed it into Marinette’s hand.

“Tikki, spots on!” Marinette called and Ladybug shot at Volpina and ripped the necklace off of her. The familiar sound of the Akuma’s wings managed to be heard over the infuriated screeches of Lila and the struggling grunts of Gabriel. Ladybug caught and released the Akuma.

Emilie’s coffin was found in perfect condition after the Cure was cast. Gabriel and Lila were given to the police. Afterward, Adrien and Marinette were standing in front of it.

“Do you think perhaps she isn't actually dead?” Adrien asked, reaching out to touch the coffin while Diana came walking up behind them.

“A misused Miraculous can be damaged, and a damaged Miraculous will injure anyone who uses it,” Diana explained, taking her circlet off.

“I had thought Nathalie was sick with the same thing as Mom, they both started coughing before it began to actually start crippling them. I wonder why she was using the Peacock, then,” Adrien trembled.

“The temple might be able to help,” Marinette suggested. “They are the ones who know everything about the Miraculous. And, now we finally have the whole box.”

“You might be right, sister,” Diana placed a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “But don’t put all your faith in them. They might not be able to bring her back.”

“If-” Adrien began, his voice trembling. “If they don’t, where am I going to go?”

Diana offered her hand again and he squeezed her fingers. “If you want, I would take you.”

“You would?” Adrien raised his eyebrows.

“Of course,” Diana grinned. “Marinette is like the little sister I never had. You, you are like a son to me. Marinette has her family and has grown with guidance. You… when I came, you were like what I imagine Bruce feels when he found his sons. Someone who needed guidance. Someone who needed an adult there who cared.”

Adrien looked on the verge of tears.

Emilie truly was dead, when they gave her to the temple. Adrien changed his last name to Prince and stayed with Diana. Marinette let him keep Plagg, but changed Tikki for a zodiac, taking Mullo. She didn’t want both the black cat and the ladybug active at the same time anymore.

Diana stayed around in the bakery while not on Justice League business or at the Louvre, and got to know Tom and Sabine quite well. Marinette and her relationship strengthened, and Marinette quite liked to tease Adrien at school by calling him “her nephew.” Nobody really knew why.

As they grew older, Adrien and Marinette kept in touch in their civilian lives and stayed as partners in the superhero world. But, Adrien never re-entered Marinette’s love life. No, he got his kicks out of returning Marinette’s teasing here.

Damian Wayne and Marinette had gotten to know each other in the month he and Bruce had been in Paris. Marinette had a delivery to them, and then continued having deliveries. That was on Bruce’s part and him trying to set Damian up. Well, it worked, and the two fell into an awkward “I like you” stage after the downfall of Hawkmoth. When Marinette graduated, she had gone to Gotham University so she could be closer to Damian and they really did start dating then.

Adrien got his kicks from this. Whenever Diana came for a visit, Adrien was with her and always asked how Damian was treating his aunt. There were normally angry, muttered snide remarks in Cantonese from Marinette and smug replies in Mandarin from Adrien.

Life was as peaceful as the life of a superhero could be for our young, found family.

#Maribat #Diana is Marinette's older sister hc #Daminette #platonic Adrienette

283 notes · View notes

katekaned · 5 years ago

Text

Barbara Gordon made her DC comics debut in 1967 in Detective Comics #359, “The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl.” Initially introduced to the comics as a way to test fan reception to the idea of a new “Batgirl” appearing in the 1960s ABC Batman show, Barbara would outlast her television counterpart and go on to become a vital part of the DC universe and a fan favorite character.

Under the cut is a summary of Barbara Gordon’s comic history pre-New 52 and an extensive list of comics in which she appears as the information jockey and wheelchair-using superhero, Oracle.

Basic Reading

Batman Chronicles #5 (1996)

Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey (1996)

Birds of Prey (1999)

Batgirl (2000)

Batgirl (2009)

Birds of Prey (2010)

Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths, Barbara was the daughter of Gotham Police Commissioner James Gordon and the head librarian at the Gotham City Public Library. Barbara takes on a second job as Batgirl after fighting Killer Moth while dressed up in a Batman-inspired costume for a masquerade ball. Although Batman is resistant to the idea of a girl helping him fight crime, he is unable to prevent Babs from assisting him and Robin in protecting Gotham. She also develops a close friendship and working relationship with Supergirl. During the 1970s, Barbara Gordon became a Congresswoman and continued to operate as Batgirl in Washington, D.C. After failing to be reelected, Babs returned to Gotham, where she worked as Batgirl up until the Crisis.

Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths, Barbara’s continuity underwent extensive reconstruction. No longer Jim Gordon’s daughter, she was his niece until her parents died while she was a teenager and her uncle brought her to Gotham and adopted her. A talented athlete and genius with a photographic memory, Babs longed to join the GCPD, but Jim did not like the idea of her having such a dangerous career. Eventually, Babs found her own way to help in joining Batman and Robin in fighting crime as Batgirl. In Batgirl Special (1988), Barbara retired from being Batgirl and resumed her civilian life. Later that year, the infamous graphic novel, The Killing Joke, was published. In Alan Moore’s story, Barbara Gordon was shot and assaulted by the Joker, in an attempt to drive her father insane. As a result of her gunshot wound, Babs was paralyzed from the waist-down and began using a wheelchair to get around. Although she served as little more than a plot device, the repercussions of what happened to her in The Killing Joke would reshape much of the DC Universe.

Here’s where Oracle enters. Although DC editorial, by and large, had no further plans for Barbara Gordon’s character post-Killing Joke, writers Kim Yale and John Ostrander sought to create a place in comics for a superhero in a wheelchair who had no special powers of her own. Thus, Oracle was created as Barbara Gordon’s hacker and information specialist superhero persona. Oracle would first appear in Ostrander’s run on Suicide Squad before slowly reappearing as a Batman supporting character in the 1990s. In 1996, Chuck Dixon wrote the one-shot Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey, which eventually spun off into its own popular and much beloved series in 1999. Oracle remained an integral part of DC canon, training two new Batgirls, working with Batman, the Birds of Prey and even the Justice League, until the New 52 reboot in 2011, when DC decided to return Babs to her status as Batgirl. The editorial decision to have Barbara undergo surgery to rid her of her paralysis has undergone major scrutiny and been heavily maligned by disability advocates, however, Babs is no closer to returning to her role as Oracle or her wheelchair.

Below is a (mostly) chronological list of Oracle’s most prominent appearances in DC comics! (My personal favorites will be bolded.)

[As a note - many of Oracle’s early appearances have her hiding behind a computer/in a cameo role, as her identity was not yet revealed to comic readers. I am including these early appearances in my list to show people how the mystery unfolded, but if you want to skip they will be marked with an asterisk!]

Oracle Appears

Batman Chronicles #5: Oracle -- Year One: Born of Hope (1996) [Not Oracle’s first appearance historically, but the story of how she came to be and essential to her character.]

Suicide Squad #23 [1st appearance!] - #24, #26 (1989)*

Manhunter #13 (1989)*

Suicide Squad #32, #38 (1989-1990)*

Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #98 (1990)*

Batman #451 (1990)

Suicide Squad #48-#49 (1990-1991)

Suicide Squad #51 (1991)

Hawk and Dove #22-24 (1991)

Suicide Squad #54-#57, #59, #61, #63-#65 (1991-1992)

Hacker Files #5-#6 (1992-1993)

Oracle Joins the Bat-Family / Meets Black Canary

Showcase '94 #12: "A Little Knowledge" (1994)

Batman #520 (1995)

Nightwing #2 (1995) [A cameo appearance but the beginning of Dick and Babs’ complicated and lengthy post-crisis history]

Underworld Unleashed: Patterns of Fear #1 (1995)

Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey #1 (1996)

Showcase '96 #3: "Birds of a Feather" (1996)

Detective Comics #695 - #696 (1996)

Robin #30, #33 (1996)

Birds of Prey: Manhunt #1- #4 (1996)

Green Arrow #115 - #117 (1996 - 1997)

Birds of Prey: Revolution #1 (1997)

Nightwing #7 (1996)

Nightwing Annual #1 (1997)

Birds of Prey: Wolves #1 (1997)

Detective Comics #706 - #707 (1997)

Nightwing #½ (1997)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #32, #35 - #37 (1997)

Batman #547 (1997)

DC Universe Holiday Bash #2: "The Old Lane" (1997)

Nightwing/Huntress #3 (1998)

Nightwing #16, #18

Birds of Prey: Batgirl #1 (1998)

Cataclysm

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73 (1998)

Batman #553 (1998)

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #74 (1998)

Nightwing #20 (1998)

Detective Comics #721 (1998)

Robin #53 (1998)

Nightwing #24 (1998)

Oracle Joins the Justice League

JLA #17 - #19 (1998)

JLA: Secret Files & Origins #2 (1998)

DC One Million #1 - #2 (1998)

JLA #1,000,000 (1998)

DC One Million #3 - #4 (1998)

JLA/Titans #1 - #3 (1998)

JLA #36 - #41 (1999 - 2000)

JLA: Secret Files & Origins #3 (2000)

Road to No Man’s Land

Robin #55 (1998)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #47 (1998)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #49 (1999)

Detective Comics #727 (1998)

Batman #562 (1999)

Robin #58 (1998)

Batman Chronicles #15: "Between Stars Above and Below" (1999)

Birds of Prey #1- #14 (1999 - 2000)

No Man’s Land

Batman: No Man's Land #1 (1999)

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83 (1999)

Batman #563 (1999)

Detective Comics #730 (1999)

Batman #565 (1999)

Detective Comics #732 (1999)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #54 - #55 (1999)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #119 (1999)

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #87 (1999)

Batman #567 (1999) [Introduces Cassandra Cain, the second Batgirl and Oracle’s first protege.]

Detective Comics #734 (1999)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120 (1999)

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #88 (1999)

Detective Comics #735 (1999)

Batman #569 (1999)

Batman: Day of Judgment (1999)

Nightwing #35, #37 - #39 (1999)

Robin #71 (1999)

Batman #573 (2000)

Detective Comics #740 (2000)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #60 - #61 (2000)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #126 (2000)

Detective Comics #741 (2000)

Birds of Prey #15 - #19 (2000)

Batgirl #1 - #5 (2000)

Batman: Gotham City Secret Files & Origins (2000)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #64 - #65 (2000)

Batman: Gotham Knights #6 (2000)

Nightwing #44 (2000)

The Hunt for Oracle

Nightwing #45 (2000)

Birds of Prey #20 (2000)

Nightwing #46 (2000)

Birds of Prey #21 (2000)

Nightwing 80-Page Giant #1 (2000)

Birds of Prey #22 - #26 (2000 - 2001)

Batgirl #7, #9 - #10 (2000 - 2001)

Batman: Gotham Knights #12 (2001)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #72 - #74 (2001)

Officer Down

Robin #86 (2001)

Birds of Prey #27 (2001)

Catwoman #90 (2001)

Nightwing #53 (2001)

Detective Comics #754 (2001)

Birds of Prey #28 - #35 (2001)

Batgirl #14 (2001)

Batman #590 (2001)

Harley Quinn #6 - #7 (2001)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #80 - #82 (2001)

Batgirl #17 (2001)

Nightwing #55 - #58 (2001)

Harley Quinn #11 (2001)

Nightwing: Our Worlds at War #1 (2001)

Joker: Last Laugh

Joker: Last Laugh Secret Files #1 (2001)

Birds of Prey #36 (2001)

Batgirl #21 (2001)

Joker: Last Laugh #3 (2001)

Joker: Last Laugh #5 (2001)

Robin #95 (2001)

Joker: Last Laugh #6 (2002)

Nightwing #63 (2002)

Birds of Prey #37 - #38 (2002)

Robin #96 - #97 (2002)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #84 (2002)

Batgirl #22 - #23 (2002)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #88 - #90 (2002)

Batgirl: Secret Files & Origins (2002)

Bruce Wayne: Murderer? / Fugitive

Batgirl #24 (2002)

Nightwing #65 (2002)

Batman: Gotham Knights #25 (2002)

Birds of Prey #39 (2002)

Nightwing #66 (2002)

Batman: Gotham Knights #26 (2002)

Robin #99 (2002)

Birds of Prey #40 (2002)

Batman #600 (2002)

Batgirl #27 (2002)

Birds of Prey #43 (2002)

Batgirl #29 (2002)

Batman: Gotham Knights #30 (2002)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #91 (2002)

Batman #605 (2002)

Batgirl #25 - #26 (2002)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #93 - #95 (2002)

Batgirl #30 (2002)

Birds of Prey #44 - #48 (2002)

Nightwing #71 - #73 (2002)

Batgirl #33 (2002)

Nightwing #75 (2003)

Batman: Family #3, #6, #8 (2003)

Birds of Prey #49 - #53 (2003)

Batgirl #35 - #37 (2003)

Nightwing #77 - #79 (2003)

Birds of Prey: Catwoman/Oracle (2003)

Batgirl #39 - #42 (2003)

Birds of Prey #54 - #55 (2003)

Nightwing #81 (2003)

Detective Comics #790 (2004)

Nightwing #83 - #89 (2003 - 2004)

Batgirl #45 - #54 (2003 - 2004)

Birds of Prey #56 - #74 (2002-2004) [Gail Simone’s iconic run on Birds of Prey begins with issue 56 and goes until 108. This is an absolute must-read for any Oracle/Barbara Gordon fan]

Birds of Prey: Secret Files & Origins (2003)

War Games

Detective Comics #797 (2004)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #182 (2004)

Nightwing #96 (2004)

Batgirl #55 (2004)

Batman #631 (2004)

Detective Comics #798 (2004)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #183 (2004)

Nightwing #97 (2004)

Batman: Gotham Knights #57 (2004)

Catwoman #35 (2004)

Batman #632 (2004)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #184 (2004)

Nightwing #98 (2004)

Robin #131 (2004)

Batman: Gotham Knights #58 (2004)

Batgirl #57 (2004)

Catwoman #36 (2004)

Batman #633 (2004)

Birds of Prey #75 - #90 (2004 - 2006)

Batgirl #67 (2005)

Nightwing #117 (2006)

Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1 (2006)

Robin #148 (2006)

Birds of Prey #92 - #95 (2006)

52 #34 (2007)

Nightwing Annual #2 (2007) [Although this issue is all about Dick and Barbara’s relationship, I would not recommend reading it as it treats both Barbara and Dick’s ex Starfire/Koriand’r incredibly poorly.]

Hawkgirl #64 (2007)

Birds of Prey #96 - #108 (2007)

Black Canary Wedding Planner (2007)

Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding Special (2007)

Birds of Prey #109 - #123 (2007 - 2008)

Batgirl #2 - #3, #5 - #6 (2008)

Nightwing #150, #153 (2009)

Green Arrow and Black Canary #16 (2009)

Birds of Prey #124 - #127 (2009)

Oracle: The Cure #1 - #3 (2009)

Adventure Comics #516 - #518 (2010) [Appears in the backup feature “The Atom”]

Batgirl #1 - #12 (2009 - 2010)

Detective Comics #862 (2010) [Oracle appears in backup feature “The Question”]

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Batgirl (2010)

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Oracle (2010)

Birds of Prey #1 - #7 (2010 - 2011)

Batgirl #15 - #16 (2011)

Birds of Prey #8 - #10 (2011)

Batgirl #19 - #21 (2011)

Birds of Prey #11 - #13 (2011)

Batman Incorporated #8 (2011)

Detective Comics #872 - #873 (2011)

Detective Comics #879 - #881 (2011)

Batgirl #24 (2011)

Birds of Prey #14 - #15 (2011)

#dcedit #barbaragordonedit #dailybirdsofprey #dailybarbaragordon #i did it yall ... i finally finished this #i hope its not too long and its helpful for people #please reblog so that everyone may learn the word of oracle!!!#if theres anything you feel i should add/remove idk any problems plz lmk #my first masterpost!#dc #comics #barbara gordon #my edits

1K notes · View notes

dc-earth53 · 4 years ago

Photo

0012 - Oracle (Barbara Gordon)

Age: 38

Occupation: Librarian, detective, former adventurer, congresswoman.

Marital status: Single

Known relatives: James Gordon (father), Eileen Gordon (mother), Sarah Essen Gordon (stepmother, deceased), James Gordon Jr. (brother).

Group affiliation: Birds of Prey, Gotham Knights, formerly Suicide Squad, Justice League of America.

Base of operations: Gotham Clock Tower, Gotham City, New Jersey

Height: 5’7”

Weight: 126 lbs.

History:

38 years ago: Barbara Gordon is born to James Gordon and his first wife, Eileen.

22 years ago: Barbara befriends Katarina Armstrong in high school, their friendship ending about a year later when Armstrong trips her on the running track during a race.

20 years ago: The first reports of a “Bat-Man” in Gotham City start coming in, and Barbara becomes obsessed.

18 years ago: Barbara eavesdrops on a conversation between her father and Batman, and her obsession only grows. She soon enrolls in self-defense classes, getting a black belt in a short amount of time.

17 years ago:

Barbara applies for the Gotham City Police Academy, but is rejected by her father. To spite him, she fashions a feminine version of Batman’s costume to wear to a masquerade ball held by the GCPD. The newly christened “Batgirl” stumbles upon a scheme by Killer Moth, and played a crucial part in defeating the costumed criminal.

Batgirl soon befriends Batman and Robin, having a close working relationship with the latter.

16 years ago:

Batgirl and Supergirl meet, working together to defeat Mr. Mxyzptlk.

Gordon gets a job at the Gotham City Public Library after graduating from Gotham University with a degree in Library Science.

15 years ago: Barbara meets private investigator Jason Bard, and the two begin dating.

13 years ago: Barbara runs for Congress and is elected, leaving Gotham City and Bard behind for Washington D.C, continuing her adventures as Batgirl during her downtime.

11 years ago: Barbara loses her bid for re-election, returning to Gotham and briefly rekindling her relationship with Bard. She participates in the fight against the Anti-Monitor with the rest of Earth’s heroes.

10 years ago:

Barbara is shot in the spine by the Joker and paralyzed from the waist down, as part of the lunatic’s campaign to prove that just a single bad day can drive anyone mad.

Though confined to a wheelchair, Barbara is still determined to fight crime in her own way. She develops an advanced computer system and aids Amanda Waller’s Task Force X under the pseudonym of “Oracle.”

8 years ago:

Oracle founds the Birds of Prey, an all-female team of superheroes including Black Canary and Huntress operating out of Gotham Clock Tower.

Oracle is asked by Batman to join the Justice League of America.

Gordon comes into contact online with Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle, and the two hit it off, forming a long-distance relationship.

7 years ago: During the aftermath of the cataclysmic earthquake that hit Gotham City, Barbara recruits Cassandra Cain as a field agent, noticing her talents in martial arts, and starts training her to be the new Batgirl.

6 years ago:

Feeling used by Batman after his manipulation of her during a major gang war in Gotham, Oracle relocates her operations to Metropolis.

Gordon starts treatments with Dr. Pieter Cross to begin curing her paralysis, regaining a small amount of movement in her toes. She also starts using a special harness to walk for short periods of time.

5 years ago:

Oracle joins forces with the rest of Earth’s heroes to bring down Maxwell Lord and the Brother Eye satellite after Lord murders Kord.

Gordon and Armstrong, under the alias of Spy Smasher, come into conflict when Armstrong attempts to take over the Birds of Prey.

4 years ago

Cassandra Cain steps down from the role of Batgirl, passing it to Stephanie Brown, who begins training under Barbara.

2 years ago: A psychopathic James Gordon Jr. returns to Gotham, kidnapping Barbara. She stabs him through the eye, holding him off long enough for Nightwing and her father to come to her aid.

1 year ago: Jason Bard returns, revealing himself to be in league with Hush. Oracle, Batgirl, and the Red Hood team up to defeat him.

Present day: Oracle and the Birds of Prey fight against the Joker after he kidnaps Barbara’s mother, saying he’ll release her if Barbara marries him.

Commentary:

My Nightwing post wasn’t as controversial as I thought it would be, so here goes nothing...

This is Barbara Gordon. Former Batgirl, current Oracle and Oracle for the foreseeable future. Yes, the Killing Joke still happens in this timeline, no, she doesn’t return to active duty, and yes, she’s roughly fifteen years older than in mainstream continuity. Deal with it.

This Babs takes a lot of inspiration from her pre-Crisis portrayal, which has been all but forgotten about these days. There, she was a fully grown librarian and a Congresswoman for a time (a plot that didn’t really amount to anything there, but certainly would send waves here - remember when Gabrielle Giffords was shot? That’s the impact The Killing Joke would have here, with Babs having only recently lost her bid for re-election). This also means she’s older than in canon, making a relationship with Dick Grayson impractical during her early years but in turn giving her a closer bond with Black Canary, her lesbian lover- I mean... well, just look at how Gail Simone writes them!

Aaaaanywayyyy.... Barbara, like Nightwing, is another one of those Bat-family characters who has branched out to the universe as a whole, truly becoming her own character apart from Batman’s aegis. She’s built her own network of operatives with the Birds of Prey, and serves as the chief information broker for the superhero community at large, being badass even though she can’t be in the field that often.

I also didn’t keep her entirely crippled - with some difficulty and the aid of a special harness, this Babs can traverse short distances on her own two feet, although she doesn’t usually leave the clock tower with it on - it’s a good compromise between leaving her permanently in the chair and having her disability handwaved away by super-science like in the New 52.

And don’t fret, New 52 Batgirl fans - I haven’t forgotten about Burnside or the stylish as hell Batgirl costume Babs wore there. I have plans for all that, just you wait.

Speaking of costumes... she wears comfortable civilian clothes as Oracle, appearing as that weird green translucent head when speaking digitally to those who don’t know her identity. That’s all I’ve got for her.

Next up: Hakwman and Hawkwoman!

#dc #dc comics #earth 53 #profile #oracle #batgirl #barbara gordon #birds of prey #bat family

11 notes · View notes

multiverseforger · 4 years ago

Text

Prince Uxas, the son of King Yuga Khan and Queen Heggra and the second in line to the throne of Apokolips, plotted to seize control over the planet from his older brother, Drax.[6] When Drax attempted to claim the fabled Omega Force, Uxas murdered him and claimed its power for himself. His skin turned to stone, Uxas rechristened himself as Darkseid.[7][8][9][10] At some point, he fell in love with an Apokoliptian scientist and sorceress named Suli, with whom he had a son, Kalibak. However, Heggra ordered Desaad to poison Suli out of the belief that she was corrupting her son.

Following Suli's death, Darkseid's heart grew even colder and his disdain for his mother intensified when she forced him to marry a woman named Tigra, with whom he had another son, Orion. Seeking vengeance against Heggra for killing the one he loved, Darkseid ordered Desaad to poison her so he could finally became the supreme monarch of Apokolips. Darkseid then tried to force Tigra to eliminate Orion, but the latter was ultimately traded with Highfather's son, Scott Free, as part of a peace treaty between the warring planets of Apokolips and New Genesis.[11] This trade eventually became a setback for Darkseid, with Orion growing up to value and defend the ideals of New Genesis as a powerful champion in opposition to his father. The prophecy foretold that Darkseid would meet his final defeat at the hands of Orion in a cataclysmic battle in the fiery Armaghetto of Apokolips. Likewise, Darkseid and his training minion, Granny Goodness, were unable to break Scott Free's spirit after a long, torturous upbringing and Free ultimately managed to escape Apokolips, taking with him the mightiest of the Female Furies, Big Barda, as his wife. Free, now known as the superhero Mister Miracle, and Barda began living on Earth, and Darkseid used this "betrayal" as a pretext to declare the treaty with New Genesis abrogated so the planets could resume their conflict.

Seeing other deities as a threat, Darkseid invaded the island of Themyscira in order to discover the secret location of the Olympian deities, planning to overthrow the Olympians and steal their power. Refusing to aid Darkseid in his mad quest, the Amazons battled his Parademon troops, causing half of the Amazon population's death.[12][13][14] Wonder Woman was able to gain her revenge against Darkseid for killing so many of her sisters by placing a portion of her own soul into Darkseid. This supposedly weakened the god's power as he lost a portion of his dark edge.[15][16]

Darkseid's goal was to eliminate all free will from the universe and reshape it into his own image. To this end, he sought to unravel the mysterious Anti-Life Equation, which gives its user complete control over the thoughts and emotions of all living beings in the universe. Darkseid had tried on several other occasions to achieve dominance of the universe through other methods, most notably through his minion Glorious Godfrey, who could control people's minds with his voice. He had a special interest in Earth, as he believed humans possess collectively within their minds most, if not all, fragments of the Anti-Life Equation.

Darkseid intended to probe the minds of every human in order to piece together the Equation. This has caused him to clash with many superheroes of the DC Universe, most notably the Kryptonian Superman. Darkseid worked behind the scenes, using superpowered minions in his schemes to overthrow Earth, including working through Intergang, a crime syndicate which employs Apokoliptian technology and later morphed into a religious cult that worships Darkseid as the god of evil.

The Great Darkness SagaEdit

Main article: The Great Darkness Saga

One thousand years in the future, Darkseid has been absent for centuries and is almost completely forgotten. He returns and comes into conflict with that era's champions, the Legion of Super-Heroes. After using both scientific and magical methods to enhance his power, Darkseid transposes the planets Apokolips and Daxam—which places Daxam under a yellow sun and gives each of its inhabitants Kryptonian-like superpowers equal to those of Superman. Placing the Daxamites under his mental thrall, he uses them in a massive attempt to conquer the known universe. However, he is eventually defeated by the Legion and many of its allies.[17][18][19][20][21][22]

The Seven Soldiers and "Boss Dark Side"Edit

In Grant Morrison's 2005 Mister Miracle limited series, it was revealed that Darkseid had finally discovered the Anti-Life Equation, which he then used to destroy the Fourth World altogether. The New Gods fled to Earth, where they hid. Highfather and his followers were now a group of homeless people. Metron used a wheelchair, the Black Racer was an old white man in a wheelchair, DeSaad was an evil psychiatrist, Granny Goodness was a pimp (or "madam") for the Female Furies and Darkseid himself was now an evil gang leader who is referred to only as "Boss Dark Side". It is revealed that Darkseid actually gave the Sheeda North America in return for Aurakles, Earth's first superhero.[23] This was, in turn, purely in order for Darkseid to get Shilo Norman, whom he considers the "Avatar of Freedom", in his clutches so that he could eventually destroy the New Gods.

Final CrisisEdit

Main article: Final Crisis

As prophesied, Orion returns to Earth via boom tube for his final battle with Darkseid. During the massive fight, Orion ultimately kills him by ripping his heart out, which created a firepit of Apokolips from Darkseid's chest cavity (in reference to the prophecy of their final battle). As Darkseid dies, a battered, wounded Orion walks away from the battlefield having "won" the battle against his father once and for all. However, Darkseid's life essence endured even the death of his body and fell back in time, where he was reborn as "Boss Dark Side", aided by his resurrected minions and the supervillain Libra.

Once again bound to the form of a human, "Boss Dark Side" began to appear in a number of titles in the run up to Final Crisis. In Flash (vol. 2) #240, he led an army of fanatics, their will broken by the "spoken form" of the Anti-Life Equation, to kidnap the Tornado Twins. In Birds of Prey #118, he runs his Dark Side Club where superhumans fight to the death, brainwashed by drugs produced by Bernadeth. In Teen Titans #59, it was revealed that he had employed the Terror Titans to capture the Teen Titans and use them in his club fights.

In Final Crisis, Darkseid has begun to take over Earth and corrupt the Multiverse with the aid of his herald Libra, a reborn supervillain and antichrist-like figure who soon converts much of the Secret Society of Super Villains to his cause with the aid of the Crime Bible and the Holy Lance. Darkseid is also joined by the souls of his fellow evil New Gods, who, like Darkseid, now possess either modified human bodies or the bodies of other superpowered beings, such as Mary Marvel.

Darkseid also arranges for detective Dan Turpin to be lured into the Dark Side Club, where Turpin is turned into Darkseid's "final host", as his Boss Dark Side body has begun to mummify due to Darkseid's foul astral presence. With his legion of followers and allies aiding him as he undergoes his latest "rebirth", Darkseid successfully conquers the Earth with the unleashing of the Anti-Life Equation onto mankind. However, the rebirthing process is still far from complete as Dan Turpin's mind and soul, while corrupted by Darkseid's essence, still remains in firm control over his body. However, at the same moment Shilo Norman, the "Embodiment of Freedom" is shot by S.H.A.D.E. operatives, thus signalling the "Victory of Evil". Darkseid wins control over Turpin's body, now twisted in a close copy of his Apokoliptan former appearance, and wearing an updated version of his battle armor. Darkseid then gains the fullest of his power, his "fall" having the effect of compressing and crumpling space-time around Earth.

After escaping from captivity, Batman shoots Darkseid with the same radion bullet that killed Orion, while Darkseid simultaneously hits Batman with the Omega Beam, sending back in time and then "infecting" Batman with Omega energy that will cause him to jump forward in time, with disastrous results when he reaches the present. Darkseid is mortally wounded, but not before his Omega Sanction teleports Batman into prehistoric times. Remains believed to be Batman's (later revealed to be the last of the many Batman clones that Darkseid created) are found by Superman, who confronts Darkseid. As Darkseid mocks his old enemy for failing to defend Earth, it emerges that in Darkseid's fall through the multiverse, he created a doomsday singularity that now threatens all of existence. When Superman attempts to physically assault him, Darkseid reveals that he now exists inside the bodies of all those who fell to the power of the Anti-Life Equation and that killing Darkseid will kill humanity. Darkseid then reloads the gun that was used to shoot him, to kill Orion by way of firing the bullet backwards in time (a move Superman deems to be suicide due to the paradoxical nature of his actions: the bullet used to kill Orion is ultimately fired at him by Batman and is now poisoning him to death).

Before Darkseid can use the Omega Effect to kill Superman, Barry Allen and Wally West lead the Black Racer to Darkseid and making contact with him frees Turpin from Darkseid's control. Wonder Woman (having been freed from possession by one of Darkseid's minions) then uses her lasso of truth to bind Darkseid's spirit form, effectively freeing humanity from the Anti-Life Equation and being controlled by Darkseid. In his final effort, Darkseid's disembodied essence appears and tries to seize the Miracle Machine Superman has created; however, Superman uses counter-vibrations to destroy him. Furthermore, the last piece of Darkseid's plan fails when Batman, thanks to the actions of the new Batman (Dick Grayson), Red Robin (Tim Drake), Robin (Damian Wayne), and the Justice League, is able to return safely to the present, consuming the Omega Energy in his body without damaging the time-stream further, thus becoming the second individual, along with Mister Miracle, to escape the Omega Sanction.

Doctor Impossible later manipulates the Crime Syndicate of America into helping him resurrect Darkseid via a machine that draws energy from the Multiverse itself. The resurrection backfires, and instead creates a new being known as the Omega Man.[24]

The New 52Edit

Darkseid on the cover of Justice League vol 2 #23.1 (November 2013). Art by Ivan Reis, and Joe Prado.

In September 2011, The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Darkseid's name is first invoked by a Parademon in Justice League #1.[25] He is later mentioned again in Justice League #2,[26] and in Justice League #3 Darkseid makes his first appearance in the series, seen in a vision by Victor Stone after he is injured by an exploding Mother Box.[27] In the final pages of Justice League #4, Darkseid himself appears.[28] In Justice League #5, the League confronts him but they are overpowered by him, when he severely hurts Superman with his Omega Beams and breaks Green Lantern's arm.[29] Finally, in Justice League #6, Darkseid is driven out when Cyborg activates the invaders' Mother Boxes and Superman forces him through a boom tube. The incidents that occur in these issues make Darkseid the very first foe the newly formed League faces as a team. The issue also reveals DeSaad and Steppenwolf, referring to Darkseid's daughter and their ceaseless search for her across countless worlds.[30] Darkseid's daughter escapes containment in Justice League of America's Vibe #7 after the dampeners on her cage are temporarily disabled.[31]

In the New 52 continuity, there is only one set of New Gods across the 52 Multiverse. So as Darkseid invades Prime Earth in Justice League, he sends his lieutenant Steppenwolf to do the same, with greater success, on Earth 2, resulting in the deaths of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, and stranding Helena Wayne and Kara Zor-L on Prime Earth. Five years later, Darkseid once again invades Earth 2, which never fully recovered from his armies' earlier assault, and it is revealed that he and Highfather of New Genesis struck a deal allowing him the unchallenged right to invade Earth 2.

In Darkseid #1, his background story was revealed. Formerly a farmer named Uxas, he hated the deities of his world. So he traveled up to their mountain while they slept and tricked them all into fighting each other. As they were all weakened from the war, he killed them one by one with his scythe (similar to Kronos of Greek mythology) and stole their power, before destroying his world and creating Apokolips.

In Justice League: The Darkseid War (after the retirement of the "New 52" imprint), Darkseid comes into conflict with the Anti-Monitor. Darkseid's daughter Grail leads the Anti-Monitor, who is revealed to be a scientist named Mobius, to Darkseid for the former to kill the latter. Mobius believes that with the death of Darkseid, he will be free from being the Anti-Monitor. After an intense battle, the Anti-Monitor fuses the Black Racer with Flash and sends it after Darkseid. Using the fused Flash and his own powers, he kills Darkseid. With Darkseid dead, the universe is unbalanced as it has lost its God of Evil. Later, Lex Luthor would be merged with the Omega Sanction, becoming the new ruler of Apokolips.

After killing the Anti-Monitor using an Anti-Life Equation-powered Steve Trevor, Grail would later resurrect Darkseid through the newborn child of Superwoman. The child has the same powers as his father Mazahs, with the ability to steal the powers of others. Stealing the new "God" abilities of the Justice League, Grail fuses them with the child and brings Darkseid back to life. However, he is under her complete control. Grail later attempts to redeem herself by seemingly killing Darkseid with the Anti-Life Equation. However, it is later revealed that she reincarnated him back as a baby with the intention of teaching him differently.

DC RebirthEdit

Darkseid (as a baby) appears in DC Universe: Rebirth #1 where Grail tells him of Wonder Woman's long lost brother, Jason.

Baby Darkseid reappears in Dark Nights: Metal where it is shown that Batman stole him from Grail and intends to use the Omega Beams to send himself back in time. This never comes to fruition and Darkseid is either returned to or retrieved by Grail.[32]

Sometime afterwards, Darkseid matured into a toddler, and using telepathy, demanded that he needed to feast on Old Gods to return to his former self. After killing A.R.G.U.S. agents that were hunting them down, Darkseid and Grail began hunting down and taking the life force of Zeus' demi-god children, killing several including Perseus and Hercules, and growing into the size of a child. After recruiting Jason and luring Wonder Woman to him, Darkseid ages once again into a young man. He fights Wonder Woman himself and as he starts to drain her life force, he is betrayed by Jason. When Zeus appears and transforms into his true form, Darkseid fights the Olympian God, destroying their surroundings in their brawl. When they take a Boom Tube to Manila, Philippines, Zeus grabs onto Darkseid and unleashes bolts of lightning on him. However, Darkseid reveals that he planned for this and that his true target was Zeus himself, and he begins to drain and kill him, restoring Darkseid back to his original self. When the rest of the Justice League arrive, Darkseid decides it is best not to fight them as he does not want to risk revealing his greater plans, and promptly leaves through a Boom Tube with Grail

2 notes · View notes