#the father daughter duo of all time

[casscainmainly]

Bruce Wayne & Cassandra Cain in Batgirl (2000)

My last post covered the top 10 moments overall, but I had to skip a lot of my favourite moments involving specifically Batman and Batgirl. So here's a non-comprehensive, chronological list of great Bruce & Cass moments!!

Who Does She Remind You Of?

One of the most interesting things about their relationship is that initially, Cass doesn't have a name and doesn't know Bruce's name; they are purely Batgirl and Batman. This lack of alter ego allows Bruce to identify very heavily with Cass, and sets up the foundation for why Bruce acts the way he does later. He views Cass as a mirror of himself, which has both positive and negative repercussions.

You Can't Understand A Word I'm Saying

EXTREMELY underrated Bruce and Cass moment from Issue #2. Though I believe they fundamentally understand each other, there's still a disconnect between them (a disconnect Cass shares with everyone). But this disconnect goes both ways - Bruce is the one having trouble communicating here, saying 'I don't know how to say this' and pausing frequently (this speech pattern is very reminiscent of Cass' inner monologue towards the end of this run!). A great example of how neither of them are fully able to express the depth of their feelings towards each other.

Denial

A pivotal moment in Bruce's conception of Cass. When confronted with evidence that she killed a man, Bruce goes into complete denial. She's 'gentle', fully understanding his rejection of murder; how can she be a murderer? It's indicative of just how much he's projecting onto Cass, but also how much he genuinely cares about her. The second panel is underrated too - like David Cain, Bruce sees Cass as 'perfect', a word that will haunt Cass for arcs to come. This is where we start to see how Bruce's belief in Cass' perfection and morals negatively impacts her self-conception (as a perfect tool/weapon).

Good Answer

An incredible moment that's classic for a reason. Perfectly encapsulates both Cass' instinctive desire to protect, and Bruce's recognition of how similar Cass is to him. Also how his belief in her, however unintentionally, feeds into her death wish.

Jason Todd

Another underrated moment!!! This is the first major instance of conflict between death-wish Cass and no-more-dead-kids Bruce, and it's delicious. Bruce willingly opens up to her about Jason's death, and moreover, by comparing Cass to Jason, positions her as his child as well. It's sweet and sad and explains some of Bruce's more overprotective moments.

Denial 2

Not really denial but thematically it fits. When Bruce is framed for murder, the Batfam try to figure out what really happened. Cass sees that Dick has doubts, and helps him re-enact the murder so that he can believe in Bruce again. Not only is it a super sweet Dick-Cass moment, but it also shows how Cass believes in Bruce just as much as Bruce believes in Cass.

Good

A short and sweet moment that showcases how similar these two are. Bruce isn't exactly being a good dad here, but Cass genuinely DIDN'T enjoy that vacation. They just get each other. This is one of many, many times that Cass answers one of Bruce's questions perfectly (and makes Bruce smile).

Overprotective Dad Mode

In the second part of Batgirl (2000), Cass begins to explore her sexuality. This leads to issues of varying quality, BUT we do get tons of overprotective Bruce. A nice showcase of Bruce doing typical dad stuff, and Superman looking SO done. Also Cass in that first panel is hilarious.

Realisation

After lots of (rightful) heckling from Babs, Bruce finally realises that the way he's been using and treating Cass isn't right. Though this speech is couched in a lot of dismissive language ('disobedient', 'she was loyal'), I think that's just Bruce's inability to communicate. He cannot admit how much he cares for her. So he decides to fire her and tells her she jeopardises the MISSION (which, obviously, makes Cass feel terrible). Even when he's trying to put her first, his lack of communication skills only hurts her.

He Never Let Me Touch Him

The Bruce and Cass scene to END all Bruce and Cass scenes. Each panel is loaded with meaning. The first shows that despite Bruce's similarities to Cain, he still IS different; he is willing to be vulnerable around her, and allows her to do the same around him. The third panel is particularly interesting. Underneath all the ideological sniping between him and Babs, Bruce is jealous - he wants to be the centre of Cass' life and loyalty. Cass, however, doesn't fall into the trap. By pointing to the Bat, she both affirms her loyalty to his mission but also refuses any box he can put her in. She is his daughter, but she is not only his daughter, and never will be.

Honourable mention: the only reason I didn't put the Father's Day panel here was because I've already written about it. Also the scene where they mutually touch each other's faces and turn away of course!

[nay-lon]

what if instead of a shady poker player Phoenix became a shady magician

[burglar-bird]

She beat up too many people. Silly baby.

[magicandmundane]

Y’all it’s crying about Hunter and Omega hours

Like what do you mean this hardened soldier crumbled like a Christmas cookie when a little girl looked at him like he was her hero? What do you mean she was there when he and his brothers were born and has spent years trying to find them again?? What do you MEAN he lost a part of himself every time she was taken?? What do you MEAN that even after half a year she never doubted he would show up when she called???? What do you mEAN HE STUMBLED AFTER HER AND THE MAD SCIENTIST WHO CAPTURED HER, HALF DEAD FROM TORTURE BUT STILL DETERMINED TO SAVE HER AS SHE HAS SAVED HIM AND HIS BROTHERS OVER AND OVER AND—

[raayllum]

When you murder your half brother and sit there drenched in his blood in order to resurrect your father's life, but when he sees you he only looks at you with horror and fear and heartbreak, and you understand why but don't want to deal with that so you push it down, and say this is what he taught you to do, that you do anything for family, however dangerous however vile. And then he says that he wants to be free, and that he wants you to be free, even if that means losing his life, because parents should do anything for their children but never the other way around (he doesn't want to see you suffer, so he won't), and he'll do anything for you except stay. But how is that fair, after everything you sacrificed (that he never asked for, but simply showed you how)? Doesn't he understand that

all he ever taught you was how to give, and sacrifice yourself. all he ever taught you was how to take and sacrifice everything around you

[roberrtphilip]

I know it's not that fairy tale book you wanted, but this is better.

[pandeesall]

smol angy man with big forehead full of regret

[robotsandramblings]

Hunter & Omega: Firsts & Lasts

~ first hello ~ last goodbye ~ first & last appearance together

**[on-screen / in-show]

[coolerfox]

OH SO THIS IS WHERE THIS MEME IS COMING FROM HAHAHA

[emimii]

pov apollo comes out as trans or somethin

[casscainmainly]

I feel like part of the reason Bruce likes Cass so much is because her perfection gives off the comforting illusion that she’s untouchable. He finds it easier to set aside his fear of losing her so he doesn’t nitpick as much, but at the cost of struggling to acknowledge her imperfect humanity. Or something like that.

100%!! There's a reason Bruce is so much nicer and more caring to Cass than to Steph - sure, Cass' personality is more like Bruce's, but Cass could make every mistake Steph did and Bruce would forgive her because he sees Cass as capable, where he sees Steph as in over her head. In the context of a post-Death in the Family Bruce, Cass is the ideal new partner, one he knows can take care of herself.

I've talked before about how this perspective is coloured not only by Cass' ability, but by race. Bruce falls heavily into the model minority myth, and the way he glosses over her imperfect humanity is part of that. He doesn't mean to, but he does see her as a tool (see his approval of her not wanting to use her civilian identity). Only when he starts to break out of that model minority mindset (in Horrocks' run) does he fire her, and she starts to be treated like his other partners - horribly, in one sense, but also humanly. That firing scene is a pivotal turning point in Bruce seeing Cass as her own person.

I wish this specific Bruce + Cass dynamic had been continued post-Horrocks, but honestly the Batgirl (2008) adoption scene is a nice cap to their arc. One thing I really really like about that scene is it's framed as a choice - Bruce explicitly says, "if you'll let me". He finally puts her feelings above his, and offering that choice - more than any adoption paper - is when he becomes her father.

[zer0point5ive]

ohhh. them ..

[science-lings]

"A Magician never reveals her secrets!" is the rule but Trucy's family has always been completely made up of other magicians. They've taught her all she knows, cards and throwing knives and sawing people in half and how to smile no matter what. So she may call Phoenix 'daddy' pretty much immediately but when she starts really thinking about him as her family is when she starts to teach him some magic.

She can tell that he's already a bit of a performer as well, his false smiles are practiced and perfected, he appreciates some theatrics, he knows the security that comes with an act. He's her father now, so she teaches him some sleight of hand and how to throw knives so he stops coming back from work all bruised from a card game gone wrong.

Just... the Wrights being a completely in-sync duo who above all, are performers, acting out the life they want others to think that they have. They have smiling iron masks that can only be seen through by each other and they're all each other has.

Phoenix didn't adopt Apollo when he figured out his parentage, no, he figured it was too late when Trucy started making him her magical assistant.

[urlocal-cryptid7]

Personal headcanon that niffty and alastor never actually made a deal, niffty just kept trying to give him her soul and he kept trying to explain that that’s not how it works. Eventually he gave up and let her hang around thinking she’s under contract (she loves it)

[magicandmundane]

I have a headcanon. But first: story time!

I am the elder sister, and when my little sister was born I was about two and a half years old. So, not really cognizant lol. But! I do remember just one moment, an instant really, and that is sitting next to my dad and getting to hold the little twerp (affectionate) and kissing her on the forehead.

Now for the headcanon.

Omega was probably right around the same age (maybe a little older idk) when her little brothers, the OG Bad Batchers, were born. She was probably running around Nala Se’s lab all excited about there being more clones like her, about having brothers. So, the only way Nala Se could get her to settle down was by sitting her down and letting her hold one of them.

And she held Hunter first.

[queenpanpan]

They are so special to me you don’t understand