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What happened toBatgirlinThe Killing Jokechanged the character evermore . Whether it was for better or worse is up for argument , peculiarly withDC ’s history with the charwoman in refrigerators trope . While Babs is amazing at what she does , her purpose as Oracle is undeniably a result of tragedy , naturally guide many to question whether it had to happen at all . One issue ofBooster Goldhowever explains why the Joker was always entail to paralyze Barbara Gordon .
One of the most controversial comedian in DC ’s history , The Killing Joke , was a traumatic experience for Barbara Gordon . After shooting Barbara and paralyzing her , The Joker strips her naked and take picture of her body , squeeze her father , Jim Gordon , to reckon them all on a perverted theme park drive . Some comics fans may inquire : was Barbara ’s injury write to strengthen her as a character or further motivate Batman in his fight for justice ? irrespective of design , DC argued that it is an unchangeable moment in time .
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In 2008’sBooster Au # 5by Geoff Johns , Jeff Katz , and Dan Jurgens , Booster is desperate to save his best friend , Ted Kord , from his inevitable dying at the hands of Maxwell Lord . Rip Hunter sets an important foreign mission for Booster first : save Barbara Gordon from The Joker . Booster move back in time , over and over as he repeatedly watches Barbara get pip . Even though he gets beaten to a mush each time , Booster Gold persevere . When he asks to go back again , Rip stops him . There was no freakishness in the timestream , Rip explains . “It ’s solidify time , Booster … Anything from the present on back can not be changed . ”Barbara Gordon wasalways destined to become Oracle , and Ted Kord was always destined to die .
Booster is rightfully shocked when hearing this news from the Time Master . Not only does he feel give away that he was lied to , but he ’s horrified that he should just go for and give up the horrible actions of villain like Joker and Maxwell Lord to happen . While characters such asBatman and Superman have been capable to return from the deador recover from sedate injuries , it direct DC more than two decades to make Barabara Gordon Batgirl again . As uncollectible as that seems , it ca n’t be minimise how significant Barbara Gordon ’s time as Oracle was to many people . From a tragic event , the handicapped community gained a legendary role model in Oracle , DC ’s first paraplegic superhero . As controversial and problematical as the circumstances for Oracle ’s creation were , it ’s undeniable that this version of the character was meaningful .
assay to justify the ' women in icebox ' trope may not have been DC ’s sound call . However , following the events ofThe Killing Joke , Barbara forged a path for herself as a paladin independent of Batman . AsOracle , she was no longer a sidekick , but a loss leader . Without these trials , she may never have formed the Birds of Prey , arguably the greatest all - female superhero squad in funnies . While Barbara has once again take up the mantle ofBatgirlin cartoon strip , The Killing Jokewill incessantly remain a defining bit for Barbara and the DC Universe as a whole .
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