Batgirl's lair and origins

[BatBomba]

I always found Craig's Batgirl so mysterious. I don't remember if there's any evidence on the series she retains her comic book counterpart's eidetic memory, but she may have travelled a lot, learning martial arts and other skills along the way. Of course, her father did not suspect anything.

Surely, the biggest mystery is how she was able to build the sophisticated secret lair and the Batcycle. Now that I think about it, there's a whole origin movie lying in there!

"Batgirl begins"

Surely she had been heavily inspired by Batman. In my mind, 1966 Batman is 40 years old, but he may have started his career as Batman when he was 25, without Robin (of course). So it makes sense Barbara was a little child when Batman started, and that should have inspired her to train.

By the way, is the name of the Batcycle ever addressed on the series?

[clavierankh]

If your talking about Batgirl's it is called the Batgirl Cycle.

[BatBomba]

If your talking about Batgirl's it is called the Batgirl Cycle.

What a bad name...

[Riddlersgurl]

There was already one other Batcycle, so they couldn't use that name.

It wasn't just a bad name, but the cycle itself was in bad taste!

Tasseled cushions, lace frills on the batwings, and purple besides? OY!

The producers took a perfectly good bike, and girlified it to the extreme.

[clavierankh]

A whole thread could be done about the producers attitudes towards women. Take Nora Clavicle (please) with police women with potholders on their uniforms and rolling pins for nightsticks.

I agree about the cycle. First the could have come up with a better name. Second to many frills. Make it the same lose as her costume and functional looking.You would thin Batgirl would want to be taken seriously and as an equal to Batman. A frilly bike is not the way to do it.

[Lord Death Man]

...and functional looking.

Well, Bat-vehicles are not really known for their functional looks or features . A Batmobile with no top, no windshield wipers, no heater, no brake lights, no regulation headlights, a flamethrower on the back, and is an unlicensed nuclear powered vehicle on top of that . The Batcopter had wings that made it very dangerous to fly.

Batgirl was introduced not only to add sex appeal for the men in the audience but also to appeal to little girls. Most men probably were not looking at the bike . So they made the bike 'girly' to appeal to little girls who grew up on Barbie or Takara Jenny and Easy Bake Ovens. Just like her changing station was made to look like a beauty parlor/makeup table/movie star dressing room. I think the Batgirl Cycle is very beautiful and cool looking. If I ever buy my husband a Batmobile replica (and see if it is legal to import to Japan) I might have to look into having someone make me a Batgirl cycle!

Looking at it further, being from Japan, the bow on the back reminds me of an obi and the tasseled seat looks like the saddle a samurai would use on a horse!

[John Mack]

Well said.

John

[BATWINGED HORNET]

learning martial arts and other skills along the way

To be honest, the TV Batgirl did not have martial arts ability to any degree.

Surely, the biggest mystery is how she was able to build the sophisticated secret lair and, the Batcycle. Now that I think about it, there's a whole origin movie lying in there!

That is one of the big plot problems on the show; she's not rich with the kind of access to equipment like Bruce Wayne or Britt Reid--she's a librarian on a modest salary. Moreover, for TV Barbara being the daughter of a seasoned police commissioner, she does not inherit police/detective skills, or even show interest. Instead, she leans on stereotypes of "women's intuition," tea leaves, etc.

[clavierankh]

I always thought the women''s intuition, tea leave lines were her way of tellingBtaman to mind his own business.

In fairness, after the early episodes, Batman rarely used his detective skills. The show was not written has a mystery but rather adventure, so the writer used simple devices to get the heroes into action.

[BATWINGED HORNET]

I always thought the women''s intuition, tea leave lines were her way of tellingBtaman to mind his own business.

I'm not sure; the way she said it--with a certain pride--sold the idea that she believed her statements to be a true judgement of her knowledge--that she had her own, "female skills."

In fairness, after the early episodes, Batman rarely used his detective skills. The show was not written has a mystery but rather adventure, so the writer used simple devices to get the heroes into action.

Really? I found the early episodes having the duo employing detective skills more in getting to the heart of a crime, rather the heavy reliance on the various computers and utility belt devices seen in the 2nd season.

[Lord Death Man]

I always found Craig's Batgirl so mysterious. I don't remember if there's any evidence on the series she retains her comic book counterpart's eidetic memory, but she may have travelled a lot, learning martial arts and other skills along the way. Of course, her father did not suspect anything.

Surely, the biggest mystery is how she was able to build the sophisticated secret lair and the Batcycle. Now that I think about it, there's a whole origin movie lying in there!

"Batgirl begins"

Surely she had been heavily inspired by Batman. In my mind, 1966 Batman is 40 years old, but he may have started his career as Batman when he was 25, without Robin (of course). So it makes sense Barbara was a little child when Batman started, and that should have inspired her to train.

Barbara has a very close and loving relationship with her father, and no doubt shares his values. As a good daughter she would have wanted to help him in his 'war on crime' and took inspiration from the person who gave him more aid than anyone else-Batman. She would have likely met Batman several times over the years (at any of the various social events he would 'show up' at that her father would also attend, or even on 'official business' in her father's office).

As to her 'secret lair' and Batcycle, there are many possible scenarios. Having a degree in Asian history (southwest Asia, I think the show says) she probably traveled a lot doing research for her thesis. Perhaps on a dig she saved the life of a rich archeologist in her travels, who rewarded her by bankrolling her dreams of crimefighting. Maybe she won the Irish Sweepstakes! Maybe she, like Batman, is a natural scientist and inventor-she could have raised funds by selling some patents (hiding her mechanical and scientific skills from her father as they are 'not ladylike'...remember the times!). If she had this ability, building the Batcycle would have been easy, as well as her lair, and maybe she actually owns the building she lives in (hiding this fact so as not to draw suspicion-Dick Grayson/Nightwing did something like this in the comics). Perhaps she stumbled upon the lair, a long forgotten bootlegger or villain hideout she converted to her own use. Maybe she was just into home improvement and did it herself. Maybe if she just had access to a lot of money, she paid Mr. Racop or some other custom car builder to build her a Batgirl cycle! The same for her gear, if she did not invent it herself. In the comics, there are ‘techs’ that do nothing but provide gear for both the heroes and villains.

I have often thought Batgirl used her femininity to lull her foes (and sometimes allies) into a false sense of underestimating her, as well as wearing provocative attire to distract them (both things are staples of kunoichi tactics she could have learned in her Asian studies). The intuition thing being one of these. The girly bike also-foes might laugh when the girly bike pulls up, but not for long! In many ways, she seemed far too capable, and I think this kind of hurt the show because sometimes she made the heretofore nigh-untouchable Batman look like a bumbler and foolish .

[BatBomba]

Barbara has a very close and loving relationship with her father, and no doubt shares his values. As a good daughter she would have wanted to help him in his 'war on crime' and took inspiration from the person who gave him more aid than anyone else-Batman. She would have likely met Batman several times over the years (at any of the various social events he would 'show up' at that her father would also attend, or even on 'official business' in her father's office).

As to her 'secret lair' and Batcycle, there are many possible scenarios. Having a degree in Asian history (southwest Asia, I think the show says) she probably traveled a lot doing research for her thesis. Perhaps on a dig she saved the life of a rich archeologist in her travels, who rewarded her by bankrolling her dreams of crimefighting. Maybe she won the Irish Sweepstakes! Maybe she, like Batman, is a natural scientist and inventor-she could have raised funds by selling some patents (hiding her mechanical and scientific skills from her father as they are 'not ladylike'...remember the times!). If she had this ability, building the Batcycle would have been easy, as well as her lair, and maybe she actually owns the building she lives in (hiding this fact so as not to draw suspicion-Dick Grayson/Nightwing did something like this in the comics). Perhaps she stumbled upon the lair, a long forgotten bootlegger or villain hideout she converted to her own use. Maybe she was just into home improvement and did it herself. Maybe if she just had access to a lot of money, she paid Mr. Racop or some other custom car builder to build her a Batgirl cycle! The same for her gear, if she did not invent it herself. In the comics, there are ‘techs’ that do nothing but provide gear for both the heroes and villains.

I have often thought Batgirl used her femininity to lull her foes (and sometimes allies) into a false sense of underestimating her, as well as wearing provocative attire to distract them (both things are staples of kunoichi tactics she could have learned in her Asian studies). The intuition thing being one of these. The girly bike also-foes might laugh when the girly bike pulls up, but not for long! In many ways, she seemed far too capable, and I think this kind of hurt the show because sometimes she made the heretofore nigh-untouchable Batman look like a bumbler and foolish .

I utterly love, love, love your post and it made my thread even more worthwhile... that was the kind of fan fiction-ish approach I adore.

[High C]

In many ways, she seemed far too capable, and I think this kind of hurt the show because sometimes she made the heretofore nigh-untouchable Batman look like a bumbler and foolish .

Really!?! Batgirl was 'far too capable?" Is that why, time and time again, she would go into a villain's lair with no backup, announce her presence, and then get ambushed and captured?

I appreciate your passion for the character. I know what it's like to be passionate about a character from the show. But all of your 'backstory' on Batgirl is speculation and has little to do with what actually appeared on screen, given all the times she proved herself to be a liability by being captured easily. That happened in episodes featuring Riddler and Siren, King Tut, Egghead and Olga, Ffogg and Peasoup, Catwoman and finally, Louie the Lilac,

Now don't get me wrong. I am NOT criticizing Yvonne. I am criticizing the producers and writers who chose to make her character look like an semi-competent dilettante, fighting crime because 'it's fun.' I hardly think that was Batman's motivation for doing the same.

[Lord Death Man]

I utterly love, love, love your post and it made my thread even more worthwhile... that was the kind of fan fiction-ish approach I adore.

Thank you! I am happy you enjoyed it so much .

[Lord Death Man]

Really!?! Batgirl was 'far too capable?" Is that why, time and time again, she would go into a villain's lair with no backup, announce her presence, and then get ambushed and captured?

Yes, really . Certainly Batgirl rushed into danger and was routinely ambushed and captured! And Batman and Robin did not? It would not be much of a show if they were not all getting themselves into trouble all the time! Batman (and this is not a criticism-it is part of his charm) was quite the over confident one. He routinely went out of his way to cut the police 'out of the action', even when the circumstances cried out for them. He was big on the dramatic entrance. He often underestimated his foes. And you could even make a case that Batman was guilty of child endangerment, putting Robin into a constant stream of life-threatening situations (of course, no one in the wonderfully insane universe of TV Gotham would think so!). Batman always continued to bring Robin although he was often a liability (getting beat up in lots of Batfights and needing to be rescued, not to mention his status as 'Robin the Boy Hostage' as the Joker says). Batgirl generally made more logical choices especially in her investigations (I say 'generally', not 'always')-perhaps Charlie's counsel was very wise . I have read many articles that agree that Batgirl often made Batman's investigative methods look illogical and foolish (and that she also undermined their status simply by being able to capably stand beside them).

But all of your 'backstory' on Batgirl is speculation and has little to do with what actually appeared on screen, given all the times she proved herself to be a liability by being captured easily. That happened in episodes featuring Riddler and Siren, King Tut, Egghead and Olga, Ffogg and Peasoup, Catwoman and finally, Louie the Lilac,

No, this statement is incorrect. Some is certainly speculation (most of the stuff I prefaced with 'maybe' or 'perhaps'). Obviously trying to 'fill in the blanks' involves nothing but speculation, because if it does not appear on the show, then that is indeed all it is (and they are currently doing a lot of that in the 66' Batman comic).

But some things are well established on the show. Mr. Gordon and Barbara did indeed have a very close relationship, evidenced in many, many episodes. Barbara did have a college degree in southwest Asian history. She clearly has access to a good level of funding and technology. What you do is take what you do know and try to extrapolate logical conclusions from it-that is what we often do in Treasury CI. For example, as a pediatrician and child psychologist, I took what I know about the typical father-daughter dynamic to arrive at a possible motivation for Batgirl. Certainly it is only one of many possible stories, but it is one that makes sense and fits the evidence. The same with her hideout, gear, and funding.

So that is my story, and I will be sticking to it...until someone comes up with a more amusing one !