How Old Is Batgirl In The Killing Joke?

Batgirl is roughly 21 to 23 years old in The Killing Joke.

How Old Is Batgirl In The Killing Joke?

Batgirl, also known as Barbara Gordon, is an iconic member of the Batman family. But how old is she in The Killing Joke? According to the DC universe timeline, Batgirl is approximately 24 years old during the events of The Killing Joke. Barabara Gordon first appears as Batgirl in 1967 at the age of 19. Although she underwent considerable growth and development prior to gaining her role as Batgirl, her peak human physical capabilities are still very much defined by her age. Thus, when we look at Batgirl’s age in The Killing Joke, it is likely that she would be around 24 years old.

Origin of Batgirl

Batgirl is a superheroine character in the DC Comics universe. She was created by Julius Schwartz, Gardner Fox, and Carmine Infantino in 1961. She originally appeared as Betty Kane, the niece of Batman’s sidekick, Robin. In 1967, she was re-introduced as Barbara Gordon, daughter of Commissioner Gordon and is one of the most recognizable female superheroes.

Batgirls origin began when young Barbara Gordon witnessed a robbery at her fathers office in Gotham City and decided to take matters into her own hands. She took her fathers costume for inspiration and created her own Bat-themed costume and called herself Batgirl. She quickly proved herself to be an invaluable asset to Batman and Robin in their fight against crime.

The Killing Joke

The Killing Joke is a one-shot comic book written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland which was published in 1988 by DC Comics. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest graphic novels ever written and has been adapted into an animated movie released in 2016.

The Killing Joke revolves around The Jokers attempt to drive Commissioner Gordon insane by attacking his daughter Barbara Gordon (Batgirl). The Joker kidnaps Commissioner Gordon at his house, strips him naked, photographs him in humiliating positions, then takes him to a run-down amusement park where he plans to torture him further. Meanwhile, Batman races against time to save both Commissioner Gordon and his daughter from the Jokers clutches before it’s too late.

Barbara Gordon’s Age In The Killing Joke

In The Killing Joke, Barbara Gordon’s age is implied but never explicitly stated. However, based on characterization it appears that she is in her early 20’s at this time as she has already graduated college but hasn’t yet established herself professionally yet or moved out of her father’s house (which would likely have happened if she were any older). She also mentions that she has only been operating as Batgirl for a few years which would suggest that she had only recently adopted the role in this particular story arc.

Evolution Of Batgirl Throughout History

Batgirl has seen several changes throughout her long history both in terms of age and character portrayal. Initially beginning as adventurer Betty Kane who was around 12 years old during her first appearance in 1961, the character was later reinvented as Barbara Gordon who had recently graduated college at age 22 during the publication of The Killing Joke in 1988. Since then various reinterpretations have seen Batgirl portrayed as a young adult ranging from 16-25 years old depending on the setting or media adaptation with some even featuring multiple versions of Batgirls such as Stephanie Brown who operated briefly before Cassandra Cain took up the mantle after Barbara Gordon retired from crime fighting due to paralysis caused by The Jokers attack during The Killing Joke story arc .

Modern Batgirl Characteristics

In modern adaptations of Batgirl such as comics or movies she is typically portrayed with a strong sense of justice mixed with confidence and determination which makes her an ideal role model for young girls everywhere. Physically she is usually depicted with black hair tied up into either pigtails or a ponytail along with wearing a custom designed suit featuring yellow bat symbols on either side coupled with blue gloves and boots to complete the look.

Batgirl Identity Before Reboots

The modern incarnation of Batgirl has gone through many iterations over the years. Originally created in 1967 by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino, Batgirl was introduced as Barbara Gordon, daughter of Gotham City Police Commissioner Jim Gordon. She was portrayed as an independent young woman who had a strong sense of justice and a heart for helping others. Although her origin story had some similarities to Batman’s, she was a distinct character in her own right.

Batgirl underwent several changes over the years, including different costume designs, new powers, and expanded roles within both the Batman universe and the DC Universe at large. In the late 1980s, Barbara Gordon was famously paralyzed by The Joker in the iconic graphic novel The Killing Joke, which resulted in her giving up the Batgirl mantle and becoming Oracle – a high-tech information broker and hacker with a connection to superheroes such as Batman and Black Canary.

Post Rebirth Character Change

In 2016, DC Comics launched its Rebirth initiative which saw many characters undergo significant changes to their backstories or appearances. As part of this overhaul, Barbara Gordon was fully healed from her paralysis thanks to an experimental procedure which allowed her to regain use of her legs. With this newfound freedom came a new outlook on life for Barbara who chose to take up the mantle of Batgirl once again – albeit with some updated features such as a sleeker costume design that featured more armor plating than previous iterations.

Age Differences Before and After Reboots

When Barbara Gordon first debuted as Batgirl in 1967 she was portrayed as being around 18 years old (or at least appearing young enough that she could pass for being 18). This age remained consistent throughout most of her early adventures until The Killing Joke which took place sometime after 1986 when she would have been approximately 25 years old (assuming she aged at the same rate as a real person). After her Rebirth era return however, she is still portrayed as being around 18-19 years old despite now having been an active superhero for almost 30 years in story time.

Developers’ Influences on Recent Adaptations of Batgirl

The age discrepancy between Barbara Gordon’s pre-Rebirth age and post-Rebirth age is likely due to two major influences: writers/artists who are more familiar with the character from her later incarnations wanting to keep her feeling young; and fans who associate Batgirl more strongly with her younger self wanting to keep that version alive.

Writer Gail Simone in particular has been vocal about keeping Barbara Gordon young; citing both personal reasons (as Gail herself is also a disabled woman) and practical reasons such as wanting readers to be able to relate more closely with someone closer in age than them (as opposed to an older version of themselves). Similarly artists generally prefer drawing characters that look younger so they can bring out their own style while maintaining fidelity towards established characters; which could explain why there have been few attempts at aging up Barbara Gorden’s appearance since The Killing Joke even though she has technically been alive for much longer than that story would suggest.

Popular Theories Surrounding Barbara Gordon’s Age In The Killing Joke

Due to this discrepancy between pre-Rebirth storylines featuring an older version of Batgirl and post-Rebirth stories featuring a younger one; fans have come up with two popular theories surrounding how old exactly Barbara Gordon was during The Killing Joke:

Theory 1: That Barbara Gordon was 18 Years Old during The Killing Joke this theory follows the logic that since she appeared 18 during most other stories before The Killing Joke then it stands reason that she would still be around this age by then too; even if it means ignoring any potential aging since then or any other inconsistencies that may arise from treating time differently between comics universes compared to real life timelines.

Theory 2: That Barbara Gordon Was 25 Years Old During The Killing Joke this theory follows logic closer aligned with real life ages where it is assumed that characters will age at roughly similar rates if no aging plot points are mentioned within storylines; meaning that by 1986 when The Killing Joke takes place then Barbara should be closer to 25 than 18 even though other stories might show otherwise without directly contradicting anything canonically stated within source material itself.

Debate Over Accurate Age Estimates For Batgirl In The Killing Joke

Despite these two theories there is still debate over what exactly constitutes correct canon regarding how old exactly Batgirl was during The Killing Joke; although most media outlets tend towards one particular side or another depending on their preference for either treating comic book timelines closer towards real life ones or allowing creative license when it comes down interpreting source material differently between different stories or mediums like television or movies etc..

Recent adaptations such as movies tend towards portraying her closer towards 18 whereas comics themselves have kept silent on this issue so far meaning either interpretation could be seen as equally valid depending on individual preference; meaning arguments attempting to converge on a common age have become largely fruitless so far with both sides refusing point blankly acknowledge each others points no matter how valid they might be due respective bias each side holds against one another’s interpretations or preferred canon sources etc..

FAQ & Answers

Q: What is the origin of Batgirl?
A: Barbara Gordon was the daughter of Gotham City police commissioner Jim Gordon. She adopted the costume of Batgirl in 1967, originally as a way to get Batman’s attention and help him fight crime.

Q: What is the plot of The Killing Joke?
A: The Killing Joke is a 1988 DC Comics graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland. It follows a day in the life of The Joker, who sets out to prove that one bad day can make anyone go mad by targeting Jim Gordon and his daughter Barbara, aka Batgirl.

Q: How old is Barbara Gordon in The Killing Joke?
A: There is no explicit information on Barbara Gordon’s age in The Killing Joke, however it has been implied that she must be at least 18 years old due to her characterization in the book.

Q: How has Batgirl evolved throughout history?
A: Since her first appearance in 1967, Batgirl has gone through many changes over the years with different versions appearing across comics and media outlets. She has become more independent with age, with her personality traits and physical appearance evolving as well. In recent adaptations she has become more modernized with new developers influencing her character changes.

Q: Are there popular theories regarding Barbara Gordon’s age in The Killing Joke?
A: Yes, there are two popular theories surrounding Barbara Gordon’s age in The Killing Joke – one theory suggests she was 18 years old while another suggests she was 25 years old at the time of attack. However there is still debate over an accurate estimate for her age as various media outlets have given inconsistent ages for her character.

In conclusion, the exact age of Batgirl in The Killing Joke is unknown. It is speculated that she is in her late twenties or early thirties, but this has never been officially confirmed. While her age is uncertain, it can be assumed that she is an adult and has been a part of the Batman universe for some time.