Post by Barbara Gordon on Jul 20, 2009 22:35:40 GMT -5
BARBARA GORDON
Nicknames: Barb, Babs, Barbie Doll, O
Alias[es]: Batgirl (formerly), The Masked Maiden (formerly), the Dark Knight Damsel (formerly), Amy Beddoes, Oracle
Age: 24
Physical Appearance:
Barbara is a blue-eyed, semi-short young woman, standing at 5'7''. For a long time, her height was an issue. Before Batgirl, she wanted to join GCPD but her Uncle Jim laughed at her, claiming that she didn't even meet the height requirements. Her height was also the reason her application to be an FBI field agent was denied.
She is a natural redhead, it's very thick, and is usually has a slight wave to it or flattened. The red mane is usually, if not always, at her shoulders. Despite her short build, Barbara is well-endowed woman. Due to her many years of physical training, she is in great shape at quite healthy at 126 lbs. A little low, given her height, but most of that weight is muscle.
Distinguishing Marks:
Scar on her back from the gunshot that paralyzed her. She also carries scars from the surgery that removed the bullet and saved her life.
Played By: Danneel Harris
Strengths:
Genius-level Intellect
As a skill, it represents a greater capacity for cognitive thought, reason, planning and problem solving. While some individuals may come upon this trait naturally, others (known as polymaths) acquire it through intense study and determination. Barbara is a polymath; prior to her career as Batgirl, Barbara excelled in academics in order to skip grades, graduating high school at sixteen and earning herself a doctorate in history before she was a legal adult. She always had a vast knowledge of computers and electronics, a graduate training in library sciences – possibly with the help of her photographic memory, a very handy natural ability, which she used to memorize maps and blue prints of Gotham, and reads the world's top newspapers and magazines daily.
Skilled Martial Artist
When she was thirteen, she begged her father to enroll her in martial art classes. He did and she excelled, earning her black belt in a short time span. As a paraplegic, she has improved her hand-to-hand and is now above-average. Kung Fu Master Richard Dragon helped Barbara to hone her martial prowess during a time when he too was using a wheelchair. With his help, she has mastered Eskrima (stick and sword fighting), Dragon Style Kung Fu, and Boxing.
Expert Hacker
Barbara maintains control over the twelve technologically advanced satellites that were created by Lex Luthor. She also places her considerable skills and knowledge at the disposal of many heroes. As a skilled hacker, she is capable of retrieving and dispersing information from private satellites, military installations, government files, and the properties of Luthor. Bruce, despite being a genius himself, with a wide knowledge base and access to vast information resources, routinely consults Barbara. She's also constantly gathering information from other, less public sources, such as the CIA's mainframe, not to mention the data networks of the FBI, NSA and Interpol (all without their knowledge or consent).
Weaknesses:
Paraplegic
The state of being paralyzed below the waist. Being confined to a wheelchair leaves Barbara extremely vulnerable. If she is somehow found outside of chair, her only chance of survival would be to fight off an opponent with her limited movement or whatever she can reach with her hands.
Depression
Barbara fell into a deep depression just after she found out she was permenantly paralyzed. She spent a month in deep depression before coming to her sense. Still, depression isn't something that is cured overnite. Barbara misses her cape and cowl days. She longs to not only walk again, but fight in the field. Her depression has subsiquently has led to an obsession to find a cure to her paralysis.
Mother Hen Syndrome
Being the original female of the Bat Family, Barbara learned that men need help whether admit it or not. She often spent her nights after prowling Gotham mending the boys' wounds. While her love of her partners, who are practically her second family, is good, it causes her to be overly emotional, and charge ahead without thinking things through (as is her usual practice).
Personality Traits:
Loyalty
Barbara is fiercely loyal to those she is close to. She is an easy person to get close to, as she is open and friendly. So, once you befriend Barbara, you have a friend for life who will defend you with her last breath. The downside is, if you betray that trust, she may not forgive you. And, if she does let you back into her life, it is a "always forgive, never forget" system.
Stubborn
Like most women, when she thinks she's right, which she usually is, she can't be swayed otherwise. Being a genius comes with an ego, and Barbara's stubborness is the biggest side effect of that ego. When she says she wants something done, she wants it done then and there, and according to her orders. When Barbara puts her foot down, figuratively speaking, watch out.
Sassy
Being in a wheelchair hasn't broken Barbara's sassy attitude one bit. She maintains her positive attitude, despite her emotional turmoil. Jokes, laughs, and her trademark cleverness are still abound. Over secure lines, she is known to let loose a bit and hold normal conversations during missions.
Secret(s/)Motive(s): Trying to find a way to walk again, using technology from the government and Lex Luthor -- neither of which know
Family Members: Roger C. Gordon (father, deceased); Thelma (mother, deceased); James Gordon (uncle/adoptive father); Barbara Eileen Gordon (aunt/adoptive mother); James Gordon Jr. (cousin)
Partners: Batman Family; Birds of Prey; Seven Soldiers of Victory; Suicide Squad; reserve member of the JLA
History:
Barbara Gordon was born to Roger and Thelma Gordon in the suburbs of Ohio. Even as a young girl, she wanted nothing more than to be a super-hero. When she was thirteen, her parents were killed in a car accident (due largely to her father's drinking problem). After the accident, her uncle, James Gordon, and his wife, adopted her and she adjusted as well as she could, living hundreds of miles from Ohio in Gotham. Barbara immediately became infatuated with The Batman. She was completely obsessed and, one evening, she snuck into her father's private home office to discover him secretly working with the Dark Knight. Her obsession with Batman only intensified.
After that, she basically forced Jim to enroll her in martial arts classes, quickly earning a black belt. To pay her sensei, Dragoncat, she accepted a position as a research assistant at the Gotham Public Library. Her true dream, however, was to one day work in law enforcement. Uncle Jim joked about her not being tall enough and her application to the FBI was denied for similar reasons. A few nights later, at the GCPD hosted Million Dollar Masquerade Ball, Barbara arrived in style. She had sewn a feminine version of Batman's costume. Her intent was mostly to spite Jim, but it turned into her vigilante debut when Killer Moth crashed the party, using Bruce Wayne as a hostage. Barbara found herself acting as Batgirl, attacking Killer Moth in the hopes of rescuing Bruce, who quickly escaped.
Moments later, Batman and Robin arrived just as Killer Moth had gotten the upper hand. In order to free her, they were forced to let the criminals get away. Batman chided her for her foolishness, warning her against his own lifestyle. While this was a shock, it did not deter her and she continued to hone and perfect her Batgirl persona. Despite his disapproval, he sent her Batarangs via Dick Grayson, and Barbara was quickly able to discover the identities of both Batman and Robin. She confronted them, and her new partners immediately swore her in an oath.
However, as the years went on, Barbara found her role as Batgirl less and less fulfilling. Just before she fully retired, The Joker showed up at her house, shooting in her spine, successfully paralyzing her. He had also kidnapped her Uncle Jim, which she was not aware of until Batman rescued them both. While a hostage of Joker, he took hundreds of pictures of her in various stages of undress and supposedly raped her, though she has never admitted or denied this. Despite Bruce’s best efforts, Barbara’s vigilante days were over at the age of nineteen. After a month in a deep depression, she came to her senses and got to work on training her body for its newest obstacle. Once out of the hospital, and sufficiently adjusted to life in a wheelchair, Barbara devoted her time to developing one of the world's most complex and powerful computer systems, honing her hacking skills, and becoming an information broker to various vigilantes. Barbara was back in the crime fighter game, renaming herself “Oracle”.
Your Name: Mary
Age: 20
Means of contact: not including PM. mccalvert89@hotmail.com or walking_enigma@yahoo.com
Passphrase: accept
Roleplay example:
"Oracle to Huntress, check in."
Barbara sat at the desk of her base of operations, staring up her computer. The building Huntress, otherwise known as Helena Bertinellie, was currently breaking into both women had suspected to be Joker's newest hideout. After ruling out numerous other locations around Gotham, Barbara was certain that she had Joker's location pinned down. Now, if only her so-so partner would check in.
"Oracle to Huntress. Check. In," she repeated tersely, trying not to lose her temper.
Sighing, Barbara rubbed her forehead and tapped her fingers on the desk. What happened to the good old days? Working with men had been so much easier, even if one was a billionaire playboy and the other said-billionaire's former circus performer ward. Okay so maybe dealing with Bruce and Dick hadn't been easy at times. Actually, if she remembered correctly, working with those two had sometimes been like pulling teeth.
"Huntress. Check. In. Now."
She was starting to lose her temper. Barbara understood that Huntress needed her independence, her own space, but this was getting ridiculous! She never had these kind of problems with Dinah, unless she and Helena were in the same room. Some kind of bird-cat thing, she didn't realize that animal rebellry translated to human relations. Another reason men were easier to deal with: they could put aside their hatred for each other long enough to get a job done.
"Hey! Mafia Princess!" Barbara snapped, finaly fed up with Huntress' non-responsiveness. Normally, Barbara tried to remain a cool, calm composure. She wasn't an easily angered person, Helena just seemed to be able to bring it out of her. And Helena was three years older! She should've been more mature than this! "Check in or I pull the plug, leaving you solo and blind in there!"
"Cool your jets, O! Consider me checked in," came the annoyed voice of Huntress.
"Thank you," she replied overly sweet, showing her annoyance. "It's about time," she mumbled and relaxed in her chair. Yes, working with the boys had been much easier. She'd have to remember that for next time.