The Untold Truth Of Batgirl

Batgirl is, unfortunately, at the center of an ongoing controversy that concerns the representation of women in comics, and it all centers on Alan Moore's The Killing Joke. In this comic, the Joker is determined to prove it only takes one bad day to drive anyone crazy. The Clown Prince of Crime ends up kidnapping Commissioner Gordon and crippling his daughter, Barbara Gordon. Things get much worse when he strips off Barbara's clothes, takes photos of her body, and quite possibly rapes her.

It was a really low point for the character. In fact, Alan Moore wishes he'd never written that part in the first place, citing that scene as one of the reasons he doesn't like The Killing Joke. But thanks to Moore's graphic novel, Barbara Gordon didn't appear as Batgirl in mainstream DC comics for decades, though other characters filled her Bat-boots in the meantime. Still, the controversy started anew when DC adapted the comic into an animated movie. This time, not only was Barbara horribly brutalized, but the movie also added a subplot about Barbara starting a sexual relationship with Batman shortly before she's crippled.

Not only was this gross all around, but it further cemented Barbara Gordon as an example of the "Women in Refrigerators" trope. In other words, that's a female character who's killed or tormented merely to provide motivation for a male protagonist. Come on, DC. Batgirl deserves way better than that.