Pictured above is the million-dollar debut of Bat-Girl in the pages of Batman #139 in 1961. Bat-Girl was young Betty Kane, crafty and resourceful niece of then-current Batwoman, Kathy Kane. Betty’s origin was established like many golden age origins were: via a couple pages of clunky exposition:
The Kane girls, legend has it, were introduced as love interests for Batman and Robin so that readers would stop questioning what Bruce and Dick did in their spare time, and how often, and in what positions.
Bat-Girl and Batwoman retired in 1964, when somebody at DC decided there was nothing wrong with letting two heterosexual men share a close bond and live in the same house and work alongside each other, even if the younger one spent most of his time running around in what were basically green underpants.
In 1966, two years after the Kanes’ disappearing act, Barbara Gordon debuted as a hyphen-less Batgirl, and Betty was seemingly erased from history (nobody ever asked Babs: “Hey aren’t you supposed to be blonde? And ridiculous?”)
In 1977, more than 13 years after Betty Kane’s last appearance, a group of super-powered youths appeared in the pages of the popular sidekick drama Teen Titans. Dubbing themselves the Titans West, their ranks included future corpses Hawk and Dove, Lilith, Golden Eagle, and Joker’s Daughter. Also present: Betty Kane in her Bat-Girl costume.
What’s important to note here is the emphasis on Betty’s tennis career, her affection for Robin, and the way Hawk’s incredulity mirrors the reader’s:
The improbability of two Batgirls (Bat-Girls?) existing at the same time – one quite popular, the other completely forgotten – was the sort of continuity snafu that eventually led DC to wipe the slate clean with Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985.
After Crisis, only one Batgirl had ever existed. Problem solved! Or at least it would have been, if it weren’t for the fact that 1989’s Secret Origins Annual #3 re-introduced Titans West to continuity, and, instead of leaving things well enough alone, the team included a young woman named Mary Elizabeth “Bette” Kane, dressed in a costume remarkably similar to Bat-Girl’s.
Bette, like Betty, was a tennis pro, received a significant career boost aboard a panic-stricken ocean vessel, and had a major girl-bone for Robin:
So Bette Kane is clearly intended to be Betty Kane, yes? Hard to deny such irrefutable evidence. Except for the Who’s Who entry at the end of the book:
That’s right – we’re supposed to pretend this is an all-new character. Groan.
Also, her name is Flamebird now. Flamebird and Nightwing were a legendary Kryptonian duo inspired by Earth heroes Batman and Robin. Originally Superman and Jimmy Olsen, the names would later be taken up by Supergirl and Power Girl (in the 2005 Supergirl storyline “Candor”) and Thara Ak-Var and Chris Kent (in 2008/2009’s multiple-title “New Krypton” storyline). So when Bette took up the Flamebird mantle in 1989, she was actually providing the punchline to a joke Dick Grayson had started five years earlier by assuming the name Nightwing.
WTF, DC? 
Betty Kane and Batwoman was actually erased from DC history for a while due to low sales. In 1964, DC editor, Julius Schwartz (also editor of Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Atom, Adam Strange, and the Justice League) and artist Carmine Infantino (also artist for the Flash and Adam Strange) were taken off Adam Strange and placed on Batman. At the time the sales for both Batman and Detective Comics were facing all time lows and there was even talk that these two titles would’ve had to been cancelled. Since both Schwartz and Infantino reinvented the Flash for a modern audience at the beginning of the Silver Age they were placed on Batman to give the character a bit of a reboot.
The first thing they did to reinvent Batman and Robin was by making it just the basic Batman and Robin team again with more detective, street leveled stories again. This means getting rid of the alien enemies in favor of bringing back villains like the Joker, Penguin, Riddler, etc. and getting rid of the of gimmicky add ons like a Batwoman, Batgirl, Ace the Bathound, and Batmite. To make sure readers would not get the assumption the Dynamic Duo wasn’t gay they killed off Alfred for awhile and added Robin’s Aunt Harriet to have a lady in the house though it did little to help.
When 1966 came around the Adam West Batman TV series hit the airwaves the comics were forced to reflect the show a bit more. This meant bringing back Alfred through the Outsider storyline through the Bat comics and by making a Batgirl as the show wanted a Batgirl. Since Schwartz and Infantino probably didn’t pay attention much to the Batman comics before they took over Infantino winded up creating a new Batgirl which was Babs.
This of course led to later confusions when fans turned creators wanted to bring back certain old characters like Betty Kane.
Yes inspired by The Return of the original Batwoman in Batman Family #10 a reader in conclusion to that letter partially printed in Batman Family # 12 as showed as follows said ….Dick’s hot with both the current Batgirl & his girfriend Lori at College so if you’re going to bring back Batwoman then why not bring back The Original Bat-Girl too and Complicate matters even more?Then as shown above that’s just what they’d done & she appeared in Teen Titans#50-52 & later in a 4 panel cameo in Batman Family #16 and only to get clobbered but still ended up back on her feet of which lead me to this periodic request of an untold story to show the rest of it in to see how she defeats the Villain like Batgirl & Commissioner Gordon had earlier in that issue & he blasts off. DC:The Lost Continuity(ies) of which will among other things will also feature unprinted stories from 1978 including The conclusion of The Ray from Black Lightning #12 to see how he got out of the electrical bind of which he ended up in at the end of Black Lightning #11 while The Black Lightning story itself for #12 came up in World’s Finest #260.Also The Secret Society of Super Villains Stories meant for both S.S.O.S.V. #16 & #17 & revise what happened to The Original as well as Male Firebrand of this group of which was told in a Crisis on infinite Earths Cross-over and had got retconned out of existence and of which is why he was available for The Great Crisis of which as I saw on the back of a Power Girl Doll’s package was coined to be a compact description. Just like in Wonder Woman #200 the back up feature classic as seen was a partial reprint & revised costumewise of Diana Prince as Wonder Woman of which at the same time was not to confuse the then current readers but would still mislead the back issue buyers as I saw when I saw on the cover of that issue #140 & knew I was right before opening it & saw how they redid Wonder Woman’s app.to the then Diana Prince Wonder Woman of whom had temporarily lost her powers Starting in 178 &179 when Paradise Island would go to another vibrational plane temporarily & so Wonder Woman chose instead of going with her Mother & her Amazon Sisters & not lose her powers then instead go to man’s world & fight like a Mighty Mortal Woman without Amazon Powers.Getting back to S.S.O.S.S.#17 it was going to feature Carol Ferris’s Life Story as The original Starfire of The S.A. & Modern age DC Continuity(ies) while The Original Starfire was in The G.A.Flash’s continuity.As I saw in Flash Annual#1 The Starfire featured in S.S.O.S.V.#1-15 was as according to issue# 1 different than the Previous one she looks similar to Carol Ferris’ Starfire while the prior to these 2 has a completely blue suit & a blue diamond in her tiara while the 2 of which to follow have both purple & white trimmed suits with a purple stone in the tiara.Just when in the Summer of 1978 they’d launched The DC Explosion it then both just coincidentally as Ironically turned into instead be The DC Implosion So among the titles to get cancelled were Black Lightning & Firestorm so we must with luck maybe also have the story of which was meant for Firestorm #6 turn up in DC:The Lost Continuity(ies) along with some of my other periodic requests of mine like these in which Bat-Girl and Batgirl first meet in a similar story like the one in Batman Family#10 in which Batgirl & Batwoman had first met then later The one in which Batwoman gets to arrange a vacation with these 2 and whether or not to Ireland?Of which I might suggest for Kathy & Betty to go to the country of their lineage & ask Brbara along to join in on the fun just as they had a vacation together in both Freedom Fighters #14 & 15 and have Kathy get to codename them as follows as Beeg-1 & Beeg-2 (also as sounding like Beej.)and to take place between Freedom Fighters #15 & Detective Comics # 485. Later on Betty gets to appear in Tales of The Teen Titans #50 out of costume.While Starfire was off on Tamaran someone wrote in suggesting to have Bat-Girl returned as a Love interest for Nightwing while she was away & upon making this suggestion was told Bat-Girl is out of the question but she still did get to show up at Donna (Wonder Girl)Troy’s Wedding out of costume as I’d just told above in Tales of The Teen Titans #50.Upon reading the letters Column for this issue it said that they didn’t receive one single negative note.Yes Bat-Girl maybe both does & doesn’t exist in Post crisis DC Continuity(ties) because it was in The Killing Joke that Bruce (Batman) Wayne had looked at a photo in a frame of both Kathy and Betty Kane & later on that same year a new Look Bat-Girl of which looks very similar to the old look Bat-Girl appeared in The New Teen Titans # 47 of which looks very similar to the Old look Bat-Girl with a similar looking green mask and a 2 shaded green cape half olive green & half light green.Then the following year in Secret Origins Annual#3 we’d see The Debut of The New flamebird of whom would replace The Old /Original Bat-Girl with a similar secret identity of Mary Elizabeth “Bette” Kane and of which would lead to my periodic request of an Elseworlds Special of The Original Bat-Girl & The New Flamebird as Nearly Identical Tennis ProCousins incognito.The First Nephew Nick O’leary even had said to me “Yeah that would be good.”In Superman&Batman World’s Funnest a.k.a. Superman and Batman World’s Funniest They show The S..A. Batwoman and S.A. Bat-Girl get trapped in Kryptonite wraps along with The S.A. Supergirl;S.A. Krypto;S.A.Streaky;S.A. Comet The Super Horse;and the S.A.Bat-Hound. Also to take place right after The S.A. J.L.A. returned from Space seemingly after confronting Starro in that Early issue of The S..A.J.L.A. issue.As you’ll also see here in this issue There are 2 Earth-1 continuities.The S.a. one in which these things happened & the latterday one in the then Modern/Bronze age in which we get to see on the satellite Batmite appears before this then Modern Age Batman of whom asks him “Who are you?”Then Mxyzptlk throws the kryptonite tablet and on which it says from top to bottom as follows Superman,Kal-El,Clark Kent to the then modern age Superman and then Batmite used his magic to make the Satellite and Memories of all of these pre-crisis D.C. Universes disappear.Prior to this there were 3 Batmite/Myxyzptlk team-ups in World’s Finest #’s 113,123,& 169 in which Batmite meets Batgirl just as in Batman #144 Batmite meets Bat-Girl.As I’d also pointed out in The Monitor Duty site with Alan Kistler but since comics aren’t real there’s no use to trying to make head or tail a.k.a. sense of it but now on the other hand and whether or not just for fun ? As someone had pointed out in The Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover index that The Earth-2 Story of Bruce (Batman)Wayne’s descendant who’s name is Brayne Taylor might’ve been altered or eliminated?This Story I had first seen when it was reprinted in Batman Family #2. I also saw the reprinted Story of When Batman almost lost Robin in Batman Family #8 if I do remember right if not then maybe #9 of which I got at the same time.When someone wrote in asking why Bruce would make the same mistake twice?The answer given was That’s a story people would see as being a part of The Earth-2 continuity then Charles D.Brown as I recall about it had then next wrote in saying this “I really don’t think it’s necessary for you to be stickler for details,Vickie Vale belongs on Earth-2 if you want to be 100% technical and I laugh at The Paranoia of the aging process in Comics.”Yes that’s right when The G.A.continuity of Earth-2 was reintroduced the heroes on this world with the “wrong” #’s name were introduced as having aged & while they continued to do so but on Earth-1 when they seemingly or otherwise hadn’t it actually got people paranoid that someone was trying to pull something over on them when they shouldn’t be because they’re not real.Yes getting to seemingly it’s as shown in Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest a.k.a. Superman and Batman:World’s Funniest that they had as pointed out above separated 2 Earth-1 continuities.Yes as featured in D.C.C.P. Annual #1 The Earth-1 Lex Luthor said to Ultraman of Earth-3 who’d objected to the # of which he was told was his that they’re indicated according to discovery and the first cross-over was from Earth-1 to Earth-2 hence the numbers then his came next after these 2.Yes later we see Earth-3’s Lois Lane who of whom debuted in S.S.O.S.V.#14 and as according to her 1st panel in this comic is about to change the history of 3 earths(then as we see later on she get’s The Earth-3 Luthor to become this Earth’s first Superhero & later on as we see in Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 they Married & had a baby who ages fast after being blasted off to another Earth maybe Earth-1?.)It was in D.C.C.P.Annual #1 in which on the cover is featured side by side Superman and The Golden Age Superman with The heads of both The 2 Luthors behind them and also seen side by side & back to back that G.a.Batman Story in The Earth-2 Continuity Alfred is seen as in this story as fat & later loses weight while in The Earth-1 Continuity Alfred was never fat. Just there seemingly got to be at least 2 Earth-1 continuities previously there were 2 Earth-X continuities.The first of which in an Issue of Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen it’s featured on The Cover as Jimmy Olsen :The Superman-Batman of Earth-X and later in J.LA.#107 Earth-X is featured as The Earth of Which one Band of Heroes are distinguished as later in their 15 issue series called The Freedom Fighters in Which they choose to move to Earth-1 as a new Stopping Ground where they’d get to be mistaked to be outlaws it’s later revealed in The All Star Squadron that Earth-2 was their original Homeworld and then they went to Earth-X where there were heroes needed more. Later it would be seen in S.S.OS.V.#16 of which never made print that they’d finally had enough of Earth-1 and wanted to go home.Yes this was told in the Letters Column of D.C.C.P.#62 Check out online for Cancelled Comics Cavalcade in which there’s featured among them S.S.O.S.V.#16; Black Lightning#12:and Firestorm #6.It’s as seen in The Crisis on Infinite Earth’s crossover index that Earth Quality is The then WWII time’s Freedom fighters and of which there was never a crossover to any of The Earths of The DC Continuity(ies) Yes Earth Quality has a Kid Eternity like Earth-S but not on Earth-X even though Kid Eternity is originally a Quality Comics Hero and in The Earth-S Continuity it’s as later revealed in an issue of World’s Finest that Captain Marvel Jr. and Kid Eternity who’s a.k.a.’s in order are Freddy Freeman and Kit Freeman are Brothers and also thus possibly in conclusion making The Earth Quality Kid Eternity having a different a.k.a.But if it’s not yet revealed maybe that could be given to him?But then again if we ever get to reprinting these old time Quality Stories then maybe we could find it out if it was ever told?Sorry for all of this lengthiness too.I’d also periodically requested a story for DC:The Lost Contiuity(ies) in which They show a midquel follow-up to J.L.A>#’s 82 & 83 in which While other Heroes got caught in electrical binds with their exact Counterparts The Earth-1 Batman and Owlman of Earth-2 ,If I remember right unlike on The Monitor Duty site where I had said Earth-2 Hourman,got caught in the same one.We also got to see in this same story The Earth-2 Batman using a microscope to do his scientific detective work.So perhaps we can fit in their possible unseen 1st meeting because in J.L.A. #171 The Earth-1 Batman gets to Eulogize the loss with his dopplegangers daughter but without saying that he’d never met him so that therefore he must have.In The Comic of The Power of Shazam! if I recall the # right it’s #27 and it features Dark Night over Faucet City on The Cover with of course Batman as the guest star.As I’d also told in The Monitor Duty Site if Bat-Girl could do the stunt as good as Batgirl did in running towards the Car Straight on as she did in Batman Family#11 and after her Motorcycle had gotten smashed then she(Bat-Girl) wouldn’t be out of the question.Also any of you people reading this and in conclusion had the patience to get this then do please also Write as follows DC Comics at 1700 Broadway NYC 10019 and you can choose which title and whether or not to Detective Comics of which was Dc’s first Publication and what The DC in DC Comics stands for and as it was told in 1980 Detective Comics First and of which they even scored another first with the First Monthly Dollar Comic.By the Way in 1978 during what would turn into The DC Implosion & Ironically as coincidentally not as originally planned The DC Explosion Detective Comics due to low sales at this time was among those along with Black Lightning;Firestorm;and Secret Society of Super Villains originally slated for cancellation but then they instead cancelled The Batman Family of which was outselling it and blending these 2 titles together making it thus Detective comics Starring The Batman Family making it as even shown in The intro in Detective Comics #281 Now introducing two very exiting comics in one. Batman Family thus got cancelled after #20 and The Batmite Story of which was originally meant for Batman Family #23 turned up in Detective Comics #482.also the Demon Series started there in#483 of which was originally going to Start in Batman Family #21 but then #20 was suddenly the last issue.The Huntress was originally after Batman Family # 20 was going to have Showcase Tryouts in #’s 107-109 but that was another title that got discontinued due to The DC Implosion so here’s another worthy entry for my Suggested new Publication of DC:The Lost Continuity(ies) along with the supposed Huntress entries for own book in 1985 that never saw the light.Also a number of Mini-Series’ of which were slated for 1985 hadn’t seen the light either Like as they even put it at the time an unexpected Shazam mini-series.I also at one time had suggested that they do a Huntress maxi-series to print the unprinted data as mentioned above for both The Huntresses own magazine as well as her unprinted Showcase Tryouts and upon finishing this in its last issue at the bottom of the last page it would be printed as follows:The Huntress died as the Result of The Crisis on In finite Earths and The Shadow Demons in issue #12 of that Maxi-series.In 1988 there would then come a publication called The Huntress in which this 3rd character to be addressed as the Huntress would be a.k.a. Helena Bertinelli.While previously on Earth-2 was both as follows The Super Villainess who’d later be known as The Tigress as seen in if I remember right Infinity Inc. #34? )Then Helena Wayne Who would take on that title & to keep it would have to defeat The Super Villainess who was at first known as The Huntress and get to upon beating her get to keep her title.While in Post Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity The Super Villainess would get to be The Tigress.The New Post Crisis Huntress who debuted in 1988 would then eventually become too raunchy and Risque’ to a publication to have the Comics code authority approval’s square and so Starting with #13 it doesn’t get it any further.In Justice League Earth-2 This would be The New Earth-2 in The Post Crisis DC Continuity in which on the cover we see foot to foot The J.L.A. over the C.S.A. for Crime Syndicate of America & original from Earth-3 of which was the first Pre-Crisis Earth to die in The Crisis on Infinite Earths Maxi Series and these Super Villains of whom then would after apparently dying Heroes in this quest to save Earth-3 would as it would turn out instead turn up in a certain dimensional limbo as seen in The Armageddon Maxi-Series of The 1990’s and then to later turn up again as Villains in as I just said J.L.A.:Earth-2 of which is an Elseworlds Special.In this among other things We see Lois Lane as The Villainess of super Woman on Earth-2 where this villainess addressed this way is The equivalent to Wonder Woman She even uses her Lasso to keep this world’s Jimmy Olsen from revealing her Secret i.d.to anyone upon finding her in the Storageroom of which we are most familiar with from both The TV-Show and Comics Clark makes his changes & in which in Action Comics # 484 Lois even puts in a camera in which Clark finds it and exposes the film.The Wizard would later cast a spell on Superman and of which upon Superman going into the ground Clark then resurfaces without his memory of being Superman & proposes to Lois and she accepts knowing Superman has disappeared & during this one year hiatus Clark even fights crime as Clark and makes his own paper’s cover featured as Star Reporter breaks up a brawl in a bar or something like this.Lois on their honeymoon finds out he’s Superman when her scissors break upon trying to cut his hair.She later convinced The Wizard to bring Superman back then upon which she’s about to pack her bags and leave him but then upon about to be doing so he’d agreed she was probably right & might not have known how much he’d really loved her & then Proposed to marry her Kryptonian style and of which they then had done so at his Mountain Fortress of Solitude of which is outside of Metropolis.The DC Implosion had also prevented the Debut of The Vixen of whom would later really debut in Action Comics #521 in 1981.Yes so The series of The Vixen of which Never saw the light might be right for Dc:The Lost Continuity(ties) too?Just as by Popular Demand The Public requested and got a Series of Superman team-ups of D.C. Comics Presents: a.k.a.D.C.C.P. for short I feel this makes a great suggestion too.The original series of The Brave and The Bold got cancelled after 200 issues The Team ups started in #50 while previously there were other variances like in #28-30 of which introduced The J.L.A. Among other DC Issues there’s The Elseworlds Finest of Batgirl and Supergirl as indicated on The back cover as Two Heroines Different as Night and Day.While World’s Finest #136 Features Bruce (Superman) Wayne,Dick (Robin) Grayson along with a Lois Lane Look alike who’s yes addressed as Vickie Vale.Superman #’s 353,358,and 363 feature a 3 part Bruce Superman (Wayne) Wayne series of which in #363 Batgirl while looking and dressed the same is addressed as Batwoman & as she donned her costume for the first time in this it looked just the same as when she the scene in which she did for the first time in Detective Comics #359.The distasteful thing in Batman:Brave and Bold was when The Riddler unmasked Katrina Maldoff in The 50’s and 60’s Batwoman Costume of Kathy Kane and so this must be retracted because this was a poor taste way of bringing Batwoman to animation.They instead should have had her on guard with a hair net like in the debut issue of Detective Comics in which Batwoman said “Most girls carry a hairnet but for me it’s a whole different Story.” then upon taking it off her head it expands but even better in this new and more modern age have the mask with sensors on the mask to set off layer after layer of hairnets upon the mask being reached and in doing so maybe even have Katrina Moldoff from her jail cell window upon seeing Dr,Fate and Watching Cher’s if I could turn back time video then thinks “Why didn’t I think of this in the first place?” She calls Dr.Fate over and asked him to please turn back time and then she’s on guard for Riddler’s attempt with the sensors to set off a hairnet to bind him and then says the quote as mentioned above.I can’t even look at that cartoon again once I’d seen it the first time that unmasking is just too distasteful.In Tiny Titans#13 they feature this Character who’s addressed as Flamebird and of whom is a blended version of both Bat-Girl and Flamebird with Bat-Girl’s Mask and in the lower portions skirt there upon it is a hint indicating that of Flamebird.Upon Proclaiming myself as The #1 fan of The Original Batwoman on The DCU: Monitor Duty Site then Fred Grandetti sent me his Batwoman Follow-up and in doing so showed me that he maybe did meet or beat me as The #Batwoman Fan. He and others may even agree with me that the new Batwon of whom made her cameo debut in Infinite Crisis #7 on the last page of that issue has since then become overdone with her chalk white face and rough red lips like that of the Joker’s.
Truthfully,
Stephen “Steve” G. Baer
a.k.a. “Ste”
Framingham Ma.USA.
Thanks for the comment!
Yes As I’d admitted above Fred Grandinetti just may well have meet or beat me to being the #1 Batwoman Fan but I’d still take pride in being docked to #2 through and through it was in The Encyclopedia of Comics that in Batman’s entry there were other spin-offs to follow robin including Batwoman,Batmite,Batgirl,and Bat-Hound I read this at my Public Library during Christmastime of 1977 and from which shortly after taking out Superman:The 30’s to the 70’s I then took out Batman:The 30’s to the 70’s in which in the intro not only is there a typo saying how Batman came before Superman when he really didn’t But how the first Batgirl was Batwoman’s niece (yes and was really Bat-Girl)But then later Commisioner Gordon’s Daughter got to be the new Batgirl .Yes we even get to see another Batgirl or 2? As well as another Batwoman or 2?to follow.Yes ever since I first saw Batwoman during Christmastime of 1977 I’ve always had the hots for her and when I had bought Batman Family#14 in 1979 and saw her featured on the cover with Robin and Batgirl that’s when I’d first known how she’d ever been revived inside it even said for the advantage of the 2 crooks and those of you who missed out on Batman Family #10 she’s the until recently retired Batwoman.Yes I also got to see her in a cameo in Batman Family #13 and then later she’s Featured in Batman Family #17 of which is the first Dollar issue and in which she does first get to meet Catwoman and Batman had even invited her out of her then latest retirement to along with Batgirl help out The Huntress who’d just come to Earth-1 and from Earth-2.Then following this Batwoman and Batgirl would make guest apps.in Freedom Fighters#’s 14 &15.
Then sadly Batwoman of Earth-1 would have a sad ending in Detective Comics #485.But then her Earth-2 counterpart would turn up again in The Brave and The Bold #182 and then again to follow in The Brave and The Bold #197.Yes The Earth-1 Batwoman’s Spirit would later show up some new Kryptonian Publication then no sooner would the lips of The Batman of Earth-1 meet hers than she’d then disappear and he’d be saying “Kathy.”The newest attempt at a new Batwoman would follow both with her cameo debut in Infinite Crisis #7 and later in 2 Detective issues and a Christmas with the Super Heroes Holiday Special.Then she’d score a series of her own with 40 issues.Next year will be both The 60th Anniversary of the First Batwoman a.k.a. Kathy Kane as well as the 10th Anniversary of The New Batwoman a.k.a. Kate Kane as well as both the 55th Anniversary of The original Bat-Girl a.k.a. Betty Kane and The 50th Anniversary of Batgirl a.k.a. Barbara Gordon.
Truthfully,
Stephen
“Steve” G. Baer
a.k.a.”Ste”
of Framingham,MA,USA
Too bad that Bette’s always screwed over though. Reading a decent amount of her comics and applying Mae Whitman’s voice that she used in young justice for the character i found out that “dumb blonde” is a misconception- Bette during her Batgirl days along with Aunt Kathy actually saved Bruce & Dick’s bacon numerous times if a bit brash before being “DID love puppets” like late Golden Age wonder woman and then going back to being competent but taking unnecessary risks. It’s really sad, everyone completely ignores Bette as the first Batgirl in favor of Babs, even her Flamebird self has moments of saving Dick’s butt if still a bit brash/thrill seeker at first. Why is everyone afraid of her? Is it because Bette is a “disgrace” to the Batgirl mantle despite creating it in the first place? If that’s the reason then we should really have a Batgirl show focusing on her and not Babs all the time. I get that Babs is always going to be the iconic batgirl but just because she’s iconic doesn’t mean she has to be the only Batgirl shown in a large role, that’s the reason DC fans loved Young Justice getting everyone in their universe especially when it came to the Batfamily-sure Babs was still the featured Batgirl but she wasn’t the only Batgirl shown both Bette and Steph got cameos we’re just waiting for their heroic debuts and Cass to have her animated debut in general. 5 robins (Dick,Jason,Tim,Damien, Carrie*-she’s canon now deal with it) equals 5 Batgirls (Bette,Babs,Cass,Steph,Nell) do the math no other Batgirl/Robin would exist without Dick and Bette. Amanda Waller said in JLU that “their world needs a Batman” Damien in Brave & the Bold added “and Batman needs a Robin” with one of the obscure characters in a comic also continuing the sentiment that “Robin needs a Batgirl” which would be followed with “Batgirl needs a Batwoman” so the proper phrase for the DCU in any medium would be “Their world needs a Batfamily” because without a Batfamily- all h*ll breaks loose not only in Gotham but all around the globe and Bruce would have his hands full if he didn’t have his team of allies as disfunctional as they may be the Batfamily is the only family that can actually fight to the finish even if they get finished first- most others should the planet go boom could live elsewhere, and the Batfamily wouldn’t. Therefore as far as i’m concerned the DCU’s best weapons are Bruce,Kate,Selina,Kathy,Helena B, Dick,Tim,Jason,Carrie,Damien,Colin,Bette,Babs,Cass,Steph,Nell and Luke, and the villains are too stupid to realize it (save for their colorful villains of course who just play “bat,cat&mouse just for fun so that the real threats like Darkseid can be taken care of).
About Batman coming before superman it’s not a typo it refers to the operation of the heroes. Batman was active in the 40’s/early 50’s but wasn’t public until the 60’s as Darwyn Cooke’s new frontier depicts the golden age. Superman was the first PUBLIC HERO of the late golden age but not the first hero. Order of public debut Superman Aquaman Wonder Woman Batman Green Arrow and Barry Allen as Flash along with GL Hal Jordan and J’onn at the tail end of the Golden Age and kicking off the silver age with Billy (CM1) Carter and Shiera as the hawks returning alongside the new JLA with the younger Canary seen amongst the Teen Titans which included Supergirl. According to the easiest to use post-crisis timeline Jay Garrick is the original public Superhero and Wesley Dodds was the first hero as Sandman.
Well said!
Crisis wiped the slate clean? Hee hee ha ha…yes…gave up Yuppie Superman and Gordon Gekko Luthor, psycho Batman, novice naif Wonder Woman, militaristic fascist Hawkman, and no Barry Allen, plus an inability to tell what stories happened or didn’t and which characters existed and didn’t. All in all, a failure leading to the need to start from scratch every few years. That’s what you get when you discard nearly 50 years of your own history in hopes of aping Marvel.