Barbara Gordon cured by Braniac?

[Kevin Reeves]

I'm so excited after having read the last issue of Birds of Prey! Is Barbara Gordon finally going to have the ability to walk again? That's what I'm betting is the big finale to the whole Brainiac-infection is. But, perhaps more importantly, will Barbara Gordon go bad ? That would be great to see, no?!? Anyone know something I don't about where this all is going to end up going for Oracle & Birds of Prey?

[Terry Verticchio]

To be honest I hope not, because of that whole 'healed by your enemy' rigamorle. As well, I think she's been infected by some kind of computor virus that is taking over her body, so her 'walking' may be a result of that take over. And to be honest again to see Babs as a bad guy would be really scary...she'd smoke everybody easily. Can you imagine her breaking Bats and Supes...I can and like you said it'd be great. ;)

BoP check it out those who aren't. Gail Simone is an awesome writer. Love this book.

[Blake Petit]

I don't see it happening. Babs losing the use of her legs was a real turning point for the character. Frankly, she's a much, MUCH better character as Oracle than she ever was at Batgirl, and I think part of what makes her so unique would be lost if she could walk again.

If I may ask, what have you read that makes you think that would even happen?

[Kevin Reeves]

I do NOT think it would be good for Oracle's character development if she were suddenly able to walk again...that is, not unless there were horribly-dark shadow-self repurcussions/costs. But would I find delight in seeing Babs' version of Dark Willow (from BUFFY) or Fred's Illyria (from ANGEL) or Picard's Lucutis (from STAR TREK) walking around & kicking *** literally.
I agree Oracle really is MUCH more interesting than where the comical albeit-cute Batgirl was headed. Barbara has gotta be one of the five most amazingly-coolest characters in all the books I've ever read. I'm so glad Gail Simone has got her hands on Babs. A great fictional character & an awesome writer.
I imagine Babs is flying the plane by herself with her arms up, with the mask on? Like, she's interfacing with the plane?

[Ammar Al Subahi]

WHAT!?

Can some one give me a brief summary of what's happened?

[Kevin Reeves]

Sure, Carnage...here goes:

In the last big 6-issue (I think 6 issues?) story arc of Birds Of Prey, there was a cult led by a guy named Sovereign Brusaw (somewhere in middle America...or was it Oregon?). The cult was formed because Braniac, via electrical impulses from cyberspace, coerced the fanatically-religious Sovereign Brusaw to hardwire metahumans to car batteries...metahumans like Geo-Force, for example, & other C-list heroes who have been left without their own titles. 8-) But wait! It gets better...all of this allowed Braniac to mind-control the metahumans like his own zombies from his respite in cyberspace....that is, until Huntress was dispatched out there as an agent of Oracle's, & she (with the help of former-JLA-member, Vixen) shut the operation down. BUT NOT BEFORE Braniac managed to zap Oracle through her remote connection to Sovereign Brusaw's network. The zap sent Babs to the hospital, with Dinah/Canary in-tow. Babs got outta the hospital & as far as everyone knew, she fully recovered.
HERE'S THE PUNCHLINE-----Barbara is hiding from everyone (yes, even her bestest friend, Dinah/Canary) the fact that she has been infected by Braniac somehow. She has this weird green circuitry growing on her belly (maybe insider her body as well?), & in the new story arc of Birds Of Prey, we see her waiting until the girls (Huntress & Black Canary) leave her alone, after which she gets out a green face mask (it's the mask of the face of Oracle, her cyberspace icon) with circuitry on the back of the mask. She puts on the mask & raises her arms skyward, in a V. But WHY!?!? Why is Babs hiding this from the girls? What has Braniac infected Babs with????
The plot thickens every month in one of DC's best books, Birds Of Prey (hooray for awesome writer, Gail Simone!)....

[Ammar Al Subahi]

ahhh thank you

I think whatever upgrade she got will be gone after the arc

[Kevin Reeves]

Carnage: maybe so, but it's already spanned from the last big arc, through a one-shot issue after that, & now into this latest Birds Of Prey arc.

So far, this Braniac thing is going further than just one story arc.....

of course, if Babs DOES walk again, I hope it's NOT permanent. The darkness of her crippling is just too cool of a story device in the Bat-world. Much like the death of Jason Todd (although, DC is teasing that whole topic a lot lately, too)

[Bad_Monkey]

Originally posted by Carnage
ahhh thank you

I think whatever upgrade she got will be gone after the arc

I think you are confusing BoP with a Marvel book, Carnage.

[Ammar Al Subahi]

Originally posted by Bad_Monkey
I think you are confusing BoP with a Marvel book, Carnage.

hehe, very possible

As others have said: Babs as Oracle is a MUCH more interesting character than Batgirl, and if they are not making her into a new Batgirl or something...then why bother with giving the use of her legs again unless it's some kind of temporary plot device.

[Blake Petit]

I still don't see what's giving anybody the impression that she's getting her legs back at all, even temporarily...

[Kevin Reeves]

you're right. I don't see any evidence pointing to her regaining her leg usage. I just thought it would be cool to see her used as a puppet by Braniac. Of course, I think that shot of her raising her arms in a V (while wearing her circuit mask thing on her face) still had her sitting down, so probly no walking for Babs.

I was just saying it would be neat to see her as an object of meta evil, given how most folks from the Bat-realm are so steeped in NON-meta activity. And I thought it would be interesting if, during that possession (for lack of better term), she was walking around.

Just a thought. No tangible evidence.

[klwiggs]

I wouln't like her to walk either(she's more effective as Oracle) but I read in Wizard that Supergirl will face off against Barbara Gordon as Batgirl in Superman Batman #19. So it looks like she is going to be out the wheelchair one way or another, but the question is will she be turning evil or not?

[AmazingMattMan]

i kinda doubt she will walk again. i mean brainiac doesnt need to do anything physical to wreck havoc. why bring extra attention to babs, that could possibly lead to brainaic being found out?

[Kevin Reeves]

I thought the SUPERMAN/BATMAN title was NOT part of regular continuity...like it's an Elseworlds, or it's happening in a different time period, or something like that?

Am I wrong? Do I have to be reading that title too, in order to keep up with current on-goings in the DCU? good grief!!! I mean, it looks like a really sweet title to read, but I have to be choosy what I spend my $$$ on these days, & besides I can't find any affordable first issues of the title........

[klwiggs]

I thought the SUPERMAN/BATMAN title was NOT part of regular continuity...like it's an Elseworlds, or it's happening in a different time period, or something like that?

Am I wrong? Do I have to be reading that title too, in order to keep up with current on-goings in the DCU? good grief!!! I mean, it looks like a really sweet title to read, but I have to be choosy what I spend my $$$ on these days, & besides I can't find any affordable first issues of the title........

Superman/Batman seems to be a regular continuity with the DCU. At the end of Superman/Batman #6 when Lex Luthor is defeated he says "There will be a reckoning....A CRISIS...." which points to the Villians United mini-series and Infinite Crisis. So I am pretty sure that Superman/Batman is a continuity of the DCU.

[Blake Petit]

AAARGH!!!! NOT THE LUTHOR CRISIS LINE AGAIN! I THOUGHT WE WERE DONE WITH THAT!!!!

:Whew: Sorry.

But yeah, Superman/Batman is continuity. Luthor has been deposed as President, the Kryptonite metors are showing up in other titles and Supergirl is getting her own series.

[LeatherWings]

Well if Babs is gonna be able to walk again, maybe its Gail's way of saiying that its rediculous that all these Bats people are coming back, and the one who actually is alive, but has a handicap is getting no treatment. I mean Winnick's bringing Jason and possibally Spoiler back, if they're crazy enough the bring one of the most hated characters ever back, then I say "they better get Babs on her feet"

Aside from the fact that, Jason coming back is lame though, I'd still like Babs to walk again someday, so why not now. Sure she's more intersting and not to mention smarter, more mature as Oracle, but she's already mature, so now she deserves to walk again, if Jason deserves to come back to life, then Babs should certainly wlak again. Plus even if Babs walks again, even forever, as long as Simone's writing it should still be good. If she does come back as a villian, it'd be cool if the one to bring her back to the side of justice is Dick, however that pans out. But I have confidence that Simone will come through no matter what the story.

[chrismozer]

I'm so excited after having read the last issue of Birds of Prey! Is Barbara Gordon finally going to have the ability to walk again? That's what I'm betting is the big finale to the whole Brainiac-infection is. But, perhaps more importantly, will Barbara Gordon go bad ? That would be great to see, no?!? Anyone know something I don't about where this all is going to end up going for Oracle & Birds of Prey?


I hope she doesn't walk again. This will ruin the impact of The Killing Joke much like Jason Todd being alive has ruined A Death In The Family story.
Throw in Hal Jordon being GL again plus the return of the GL corp and it seems as though the DCU is taknig big step backwards instead of fowards.

[Terry Verticchio]

Well it was over 15 years ago that Babs was shot. It not like she was cured a year later or something lame, like Superman's supposed death or Bat's own crippling.

Killing Joke will still be remembered for being one helluva great story, despite whatever changes happen.

As well, if it does happen, I'm glad Gail Simone is at the helm. I don't think I'd appreciate any other writer making such a change.

[chrismozer]

Well it was over 15 years ago that Babs was shot.

15 years already???? Wow....it seems like only a few years ago to me. What the heck did i do with those 15 years of my life?? When i hear things like that i makes me realize how long comics have been part of my life.

I'll accept her walking again as long as she doesn't go back to being Batgirl or (heaven forbid) Batwoman.

Tell Estee i said hello!!

[Terry Verticchio]

Yea, it was 1988 when Killing Joke came out. :sigh:

And I think her days of swinging over Gotham are over. She is a much more effective as a hacker. Only now she can dance the night away with Dinah...I mean Dick, yea Dick...heh, a little fantasy-burp there. ;)

[LeatherWings]

Yeah, plus what made Killing Joke great was the Joker back story, unlike DitF where the cool part was Jason dying.

Only now she can dance the night away with Dinah

I see your Dinah, and add a Helena. ;)

Plus, she wouldn't be Batgirl, Batman prefers Cassie, cuz she's a better fighter, and Babs most likely would stay Oracle anyways. She'd msot liekely just now help the BoP, she'd go on field missions, and could join them, and help them out from the sidelines, she'd still be the brains of the operation, she'd just have more proactive role. She'd probably either rename here identity or stay Oracle, and wear a suit, and if the government ever gort curious about the hacking again, she'd be able to confuse them even more by leaving the site etc. or something. Plus I want to see what an Oracle costume would look like, someone mentioned a pair of O's on the front of her outfit to me once. ;)

[LeatherWings]

Just read in on anohter board about the recent issue of BoP, the guy just skimmed it, but he said "to make along story short", SPOILERS:



this is the guy'd quote: "but basically Dr. Mid-Nite, Cyborg and a bunch of other people show up to help Barbara. Long story short, Braniac virus get taken down, bunch of DCU martial artist kick some *** and Barbara can move and feel her toes again." So I don't know if she can walk(he just says move and feels her toes) but I think the issue ends right after that, so not much has been explained, and thats all I know. I'm pretty sure its legit, I'll notify you if its not.

[AmazingMattMan]

well they are certainly making the jokers life harder. all that work and he has to do it over again! :eek:

[LeatherWings]

Yeah, chances are is Babs really is able to walk again, it'll be temporary, and I'm still betting Jason is killed again. Which serves no purpose to bring him back, heal Babs, and then just re-kill/cripple them.

[Cardiac]

Even if Babs does get cured, she knows she does more good as Oracle than she ever did as Batgirl, so I doubt much will change.

[LeatherWings]

/\
If that was a response to me, I already said much wouldn't change, but I did read some where that Batgirl was suppost to fight Supergirl and Babs was Batgirl(in Superman/Batman it was suppost to happen) so it got me confused.

Anyways, I'll have to get the issue.

[Cardiac]

That was Clayface masquerading as Barb a few months ago.

[chrismozer]

Yeah, chances are is Babs really is able to walk again, it'll be temporary, and I'm still betting Jason is killed again. Which serves no purpose to bring him back, heal Babs, and then just re-kill/cripple them.


How about Dc cripples Jason and Kills Barbara??

I agree with Cardiac, Babs was a much more effective crime fighter as Oracle. As Oracle, she cemented her place as one of the more important figures in the DCU. As Batgirl, she was just another mediorce fighter in a hot costume.

[Kevin Reeves]

I never gloat because...well, frankly, I rarely have anything to gloat about! But I just have to say I was ACTUALLY RIGHT about what I predicted when I was starting this particular string! Holy Moly!

[Cardiac]

Spoilers! :rolleyes:

[Terry Verticchio]

yeah, we should all thank the Comic Gods that the Marvelous Simone is on the writing detail with BoP. Cause the reveal didn't feel forced or lame. Great writing, hot butt-kicking ladies...what more does a inert comic want?

[AmazingMattMan]

not so sure i like this. im withholding judgement till i see what simone can do with this. i trust her enough that i dont think it will be lame and in 2 comics shes batgirl again. so heres hoping for some future good stories.

[LeatherWings]

/\
*raise glass* Amen to that. Here's to many more years of good comic stoires.