DC Comics Change Oracle Character Back to Batgirl–Without the Wheelchair

posted on Dec 19 by Guest Author in the Disability News, Fun category

A favorite DC Comic wheelchair-user superhero resumed her former–and able-bodied–character, a move that angered both the character’s creators and advocates for people with disabilities. In the relaunch of the new comic line, internet superhero Oracle was returned back to her original Batgirl identity–sans wheelchair. DC felt the Oracle character would serve the publisher better by resuming her former identity, which meant she had “to get out of the wheelchair and start wearing spandex again.”

Not everyone agrees.

“[Oracle] is about as ideal a disabled character as you can find,” said Neil Kapit, who writes about disabled issues and comic books on his blog, entitled Handi-Capeable. “I have the suspicion that it was an executive decision to bring Batgirl back, as these characters are meant for franchising first. They likely believe they can sell more T-Shirts, statues, graphic novels, et cetera, with an able-bodied character than with a character in a wheelchair.”

James B. South, Chairman of the Department of Philosophy at Marquette University, who examined the Oracle character for the book, Superheroes and Philosophy, considers the move a step backwards.

“We are losing a major example of an adult woman in comics as well as an example of someone who can be a string leader while finding herself physically incapacitated in certain ways,” he told Newsarama. “It does seem to be sending the message that DC thinks readers of comics are more interested in traditional superhero activities and are not able to handle a strong, disabled woman doing things in her own way.”

To appease fans angered by DC’s decision, Oracle’s disability was incorporated into the Batgirl character by having her go through physical therapy and cope with recovering throughout the story. Writer Gail Simone, who developed the Oracle character while she was recovering from a disability, was tapped to work on the new Batgirl title. According DC Co-Publisher DanDiDio, the decision to put Oracle on the shelf did not come easy.

“Believe it or not, this was the more difficult choice to make for us, because we saw what the benefits of the Oracle character were, we saw what the challenges of making this change were going to be,” DiDio said. “What we needed to do was to continue to make Barbara Gordon one of the strongest characters possible, in or out of the wheelchair. And we felt that this was a strong direction for us.”

In the new comic, Oracle actually returned back to her roots as the character Barbara Gordon, who secretly masqueraded as the crime fighter Batgirl. In 1988, in Batman: The Killing Joke, Batgirl was shot by the Joker and left paralyzed. It was very controversial angle, particularly with female readers, because it victimized a female character to forward the story about male heroes. The controversy led to the creation of the Oracle character.

Comic writer John Ostrander explained how the idea for the new Oracle role, “My late wife, Kimberly Yale, and I were not crazy about how Barbara was treated in The Killing Joke. Since the Batman office had no further plans for her at the time, we got permission to use Barbara in Suicide Squad, [another DC title at the time]. We felt that the gunshot as seen in Killing Joke would leave her paralyzed. We felt such an act should have repercussions. So… we took some of her other talents, as with computers, and created what was essentially an Internet superhero — Oracle.”

Dennis O’Neil, a Batman editor for DC at the time, praised Ostrander’s handling of the character. O’Neil felt Ostrander’s approach allowed Gordon to continue fighting crime despite having a disability, which made her a beloved fan favorite. “I think it was a real inspiration on John’s part to come up with Oracle, and she became one of my favorite characters in the whole Bat-stable. She was unlike anything else,” he said.

Eventually O’Neil officially made Oracle Batman’s sole information source. “It was logical for her to be there in Batman’s world,” he said. “Batman would need someone like that.”

O’Neil never considered changing Oracle back to Batgirl, even though modern technology in animation could explain it. “Giving her her legs back, in addition to being a kind of deus ex machina, would have subtracted from the uniqueness of Oracle,” he said. “And at the same time, I didn’t see anything to be gained by bringing back that version of Batgirl. Even in the stories I wrote, Batgirl was usually just a pale carbon copy of Batman and didn’t have any of that mythic back-story that gives the whole thing resonance, like Batman’s, which has lasted what… 72 years now.”

Professor South said that being a superhero who overcame a disability gave Oracle a strength Batgirl never had. “[Barbara's evolution] shows her developing her own way of being a superhero,” he said.

“While she seems to develop her own style of fighting as Batgirl, she’s still basically following in Batman’s footsteps. Once her life is shattered in The Killing Joke, she has to become, in some ways, a more independent woman who uses her own native skills and intelligence to develop a way of fighting crime that complements Batman’s rather than copying his way. In Birds of Prey, we see Barbara Gordon as a team leader and her transformation from a girl into a woman.”

The new Batgirl possesses as much strength and tenacity as her former character. No explanation was given for her “miraculous” recovery, but her disability was not forgotten. The new Batgirl character appears younger. Simone explained why. “We are seeing Barbara at an earlier starting point,” she said. “She’s been removed from the action and danger for a long time. “With this relaunch, she is still very much Barbara, but she can reclaim a part of her history and legacy with modern stories, in her own book and elsewhere.”

DiDio insists the Barbara Gordon character was the strongest for the Batgirl title relaunch, which necessitated changing Oracle back to Batgirl. “When you talk about Batgirl, whether it’s with a casual fan or even to somebody who just knew the Batman character, Barbara Gordon is always the one people default to as ‘who Batgirl is,’” he said.

O’Neil understands that Batgirl is mostly associated with Barbara Gordon. “You can’t ignore things like that,” he said. “But it comes down to is, are we making this change because we see a brilliant way to reinvent this character? Or is it just that this is the one that we loved in the past? But Barbara Gordon’s perception in the mainstream public as Batgirl would be a very valid consideration.”

However, O’Neil admitted that he would miss Oracle. “From a fan standpoint, I’m kind of sorry to see her go.”

Kapit, a staunch advocate for persons with disabilities, understands DC’s position from a business standpoint, but he strongly disagrees with it. “I can understand, but that doesn’t mean I agree even slightly,” he said.

Oracle creator Ostrander has faith in Simone’s ability to do the new Batgirl character justice. “I’ve been quoted as saying that I think Barbara was a stronger and more effective character, a more important part of the [DC Universe], as Oracle than she ever was as Batgirl,” he said.

“Do I still feel that way? Well, of course. Kim and I created Oracle. Times change and characters and people evolve. I changed things when I wrote characters, including changing Barbara to Oracle. Others do the same for this era,” he said. “Gail Simone is a good friend and a wonderful writer and I’m sure her work will be wonderful.”

Also see our related story: DC’s ‘Batgirl’ Reboot Means Disabled ‘Oracle’ Disappears

Sources:
newsarama.com/comics/why-they-endured-oracle-110907.html

Images sources:
dccomics.com/dcu/
bleedingcool.com