James Gordon (comics)

James Worthington "Jim" Gordon is a supporting character in DC Comics' Batman series. Created by Bob Kane, he first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). He was the first Batman supporting character to be introduced.

In most incarnations of the Batman mythos, Gordon is the police commissioner of Batman's home of Gotham City. He shares the hero's deep commitment of ridding the dark and corrupting city of crime. In Golden and Silver age comics and on the 1960s Batman television show, Gordon fully trusts, and is even somewhat dependent on Batman. In most modern stories, he is somewhat skeptical of Batman's vigilante method but recognizes the necessity of Batman and the two have a mutual respect and tacit friendship. Gordon is also the father or adopted father, depending on the continuity, of Batgirl.

Gordon is an important part of the Batman mythos and has appeared in most other media adaptations of the character.

Character History

Early Characterizations

In most versions of the Batman mythos, he is at one point or another depicted as Gotham City's police commissioner. He succeeded Commissioner Grogan in the rank at GCPD. Gordon frequently contacts Batman for help in solving various crimes, particularly those committed by supervillains. Batman is also famous for sneaking out of Gordon's office silently, often while Gordon is in the middle of a rant about legal red tape. Because DC Comics retconned its characters' history in the 1985 miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths, and because of different interpretations in television and film, the details of Gordon's history vary from story to story.

In the original pre-Crisis version of his history, Gordon was a police detective who initially bitterly resented the mysterious vigilante's interference in police business. Although the Batman seemed to fight on the side of justice, his methods and phenomenal track record for stopping crimes and capturing criminals embarrassed the police by comparison. Eventually, Batman met up with Gordon and persuaded the detective that they needed each other's help. Batman was deputized and worked with Gordon as an agent of the law.

Post-Crisis

Batman: Year One

The post-Crisis version of the character was introduced in the mid-1980s storyline Batman: Year One, written by Frank Miller. In this version, Gordon was transferred from Chicago to Gotham City's corrupt police department. A man of integrity, Gordon found that his only ally against the mob-controlled administration was the Batman. One of the most significant differences in this version is that Batman was never deputized and Gordon's relationship with him was kept out of the public eye whenever possible. It was also added that he was a Special Forces veteran who was more than capable of hand to hand combat.When Gordon needs to summon Batman, he uses the Bat-Signal, a specially modified Klieg searchlight with a stylized symbol of a bat placed on it so that it projects a large emblem shaped in Batman's bat insignia on the sky or buildings of Gotham City.

Barbara Gordon

In the original comics, Gordon has a daughter, Barbara, who, unbeknownst to him, fights crime as Batgirl. In the final season of the 1990s Batman: The Animated Series and its later spinoffs, the producers made a slight change to continuity by revealing that Gordon knew Barbara was Batgirl, although whether or not he knew Batman's identity was never indicated. In most current comics, she is his niece-turned-adopted-daughter (though it was hinted that he may actually be her biological father as well.)

=Batman: The Killing Joke

=In the 1988 graphic novel The Killing Joke, the Joker kidnaps Gordon after shooting and paralyzing Barbara. He then cages Gordon in the freak show of an abandoned amusement park and forces him to look at enlarged photos of his wounded daughter in an effort to drive him insane, thus proving to Batman that even the most grounded, seemingly normal people can lose their minds after having "a very bad day." Batman eventually apprehends the Joker and rescues Gordon. Despite the intense trauma he has endured, Gordon's sanity and code of ethics is intact; he insists that Batman apprehend the Joker without harming him in order to "show him that our way works."

=Oracle

=In the aftermath of her paralysis, Barbara was forced to end her career as Batgirl, but continued to fight crime as the wheelchair user Oracle, information broker to the superhero community and leader of the all female superhero team, The Birds of Prey.

Batman and Gordon

In most versions of the mythos, Gordon is ignorant of Batman's identity, though some fans and writers feel that Gordon is smart enough to solve the puzzle, but chooses not to in order to preserve Batman's effectiveness. In the 1966 Batman theatrical movie, Gordon explicitly states his desire not to know for such a reason. The Batman: The Animated Series episode "Over the Edge" ends with a conversation between Commissioner Gordon and Barbara which implies in no uncertain terms that Gordon at least knows that Barbara is Batgirl, but cannot acknowledge it because that would put him in an uncomfortable legal position. Likewise, in the 1980s Detective Comics storyline Blind Justice, the world at large incorrectly supposes Batman is dead and Gordon comments to Bruce Wayne that Batman has earned the right to retirement if he so desires. He then rather pointedly asks Bruce's advice on whether or not he should reveal that Batman still lives. In Batman:Year One, Gordon suspects early on that Bruce Wayne may be Batman, though he never follows up on his suspicions. In Frank Miller's the Dark Knight Returns, Gordon and Bruce Wayne are portrayed as close friends, with Bruce having revealed his identity to Gordon years ago (although the details on this are scarce).

No Man's Land

Prior to the ending of the No Man's Land storyline, Batman reveals to Gordon his secret identity as Bruce Wayne after leaving Gotham during its time of crisis. This action symbolizes the trust that Batman has for Gordon as a friend, confidant, and ultimately to regain Gordon's trust. Gordon's faith in Batman had waned, as Batman had let Gotham 'fall into ruin' over the course of a year and then 'returned as if nothing had happened.' But as Batman removed his mask, Gordon turned his back, whispering to himself that he does not want to know, and might already know who he was, and demanded that Batman put his mask back on, restoring the relationship between the two icons.

=The death of Sarah Essen

=Gordon fell in love with and married fellow officer Sarah Essen. However, Essen could not comprehend why Gordon needed Batman so much, which put a strain on their relationship on a few occasions. Unfortunately, she was fatally shot by the Joker at the end of the No Man's Land storyline. Not long after this, Gordon was gunned down by a crook seeking revenge for a previous arrest. Though seriously injured, he eventually pulled through.

Retirement

Gordon retired from the police force after having served more than 20 years in it. He remained in Gotham, and occasionally enjoyed night time visits from Batman who came to him for company and advice. Commissioner Michael Akins has taken his position.

After Barbara required surgery to save her life from the Brainiac virus, Gordon visited his daughter in Metropolis. She revealed to him her current role as Oracle, as well as her past as Batgirl. Gordon admitted he knew of her life as Batgirl, but was pleasantly surprised to know of her career as the upmost computer information broker of the heroes. He is very proud of her accomplishments.

Return

As part of DC's "One Year Later" Gordon has returned to the role of Commissioner; as of the year-long jump he has been back in the job for 3 months. The circumstances behind this are currently unknown, though there have been allusions to extreme corruption within the GCPD. These allusions are supported by events within Gotham Central, especially involving Detective Jim Corrigan. Most recently, Gordon survived an attempt on his life by the Joker (Batman 655), who had drugged him with Joker Venom in an attack on the GCPD. He was taken to the hospital in time.

Family

Pre-Crisis

In Pre-Crisis continuity, James Gordon was the biological father of Anthony "Tony" Gordon and Barbara Gordon (later Batgirl). Originally referred to as a college student, Tony later disappeared while hiding from Communist spies. He was later reunited with his sister Barbara and perished in a battle with the Sino-Supermen. (Batman Family #12, Detective Comics # 482) [1]

Post-Crisis

In Post-Crisis continuity, there has been no mention of Tony Gordon. James Gordon has a brother, Roger Gordon. James and his wife, Barbara Eileen Gordon, are the parents of a son, James Gordon, Jr. (Batman #404-407) [2]

Roger Gordon and his wife, Thelma Gordon, are the parents of Barbara "Babs" Gordon (later Batgirl and Oracle). When Babs was 13, her parents (Roger and Thelma) died. She moved to Gotham City and lived with her uncle, aunt and cousin. Eventually, James and Barbara adopted Babs. However, the couple divorced and James retained custody of Babs, while Barbara moved to Chicago with James, Jr. (Secret Origins #20). Barbara and James, Jr. are rarely mentioned and presumably still reside in Chicago. It has recently been revealed that James had an affair with Thelma, and might be the biological father of Babs. (Batman: Gotham Knights #6)

In one post-crisis story, James and Babs visit the the grave of his late wife. However, this story is later retconned when it is revealed that his wife is not dead, but instead they are divorced. James eventually marries Sarah Essen. (Batman Annual #13, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #2)

Alternate realities

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

The seminal miniseries Batman: The Dark Knight Returns presents a future where a retiring Gordon not only knows Batman's identity, but is good friends with Bruce Wayne.

JLA: Earth-2

On the , where the evil Crime Syndicate of Amerika live, James Gordon's counterpart is a crime boss named "Boss Gordon," who was an ally to Owlman. Boss Gordon was the city's leading crime boss until his empire was toppled by Batman and Commissioner Thomas Wayne.

Other media

Lyle Talbot as Commissioner Gordon in the 1949 Batman and Robin serial.

In the 1949 15-episode movie serial Batman and Robin, Commissioner Gordon was portrayed by Ed Wood regular Lyle Talbot.

In the 1960s Batman series, Gordon was played by Neil Hamilton, and is portrayed as not only having the Bat-Signal at his disposal, but also an emergency "hotline" telephone that connects directly to the Batcave. Batman and Robin are regular visitors to his office.

Gordon makes two appearances in Super Friends. He first appeared in Challenge Of The Superfriends, episode Superfriends, Rest In Peace as The Riddler and Cheetah hold Gordon hostage so they can kill Batman with the Noxium Crystal. The second is in The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians, episode The Fear. He along with Jonathan Crane (Gordon and Batman are unaware his who Crane is) is trying to find and arrest The Scarecrow.

In the 1989 Batman film, and its three sequels, Gordon is portrayed by Pat Hingle. In the first film, he regards the Batman as a rumor at best and vigilante at worst, though by the end of the film, he and the citizens of Gotham publicly acknowledge his usefulness, and receive from him the gift of the Bat-signal. In the sequels, Gordon plays only a minimal role compared to his role in other media.

In the 1990s Batman: The Animated Series, Gordon is voiced by Robert Hastings, and his relationship with Batman was similar to that in the comics, with the alliance largely kept between Batman, Gordon, and Harvey Bullock. Many scenes in the series portray Batman and the Commissioner having clandestine meetings at the Bat-signal. A flashback in the episode "Robin's Reckoning" depicts Gordon as a red-haired police Lieutenant investigating the murder of Dick Grayson's parents. In the episode "What Is Reality?" Batman must save Gordon's life and outwit The Riddler in a computer game at the same time.

Commissioner Gordon also appeared in the follow-up to Batman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures. In the episode "Over the Edge" Batgirl suffers from The Scarecrow's fear toxins, producing in a nightmare where Batgirl dies in battle without telling her father her secret. When Commissioner Gordon finds out, he blames Batman and starts a man hunt againt his former ally after discovering his secret identity. After Barbara awakens from the horrific nightmare, she goes to admit her secret to the real Commissioner Gordon, only to discover that he already knows. Hastings continues his role as Commissioner Gordon in guest appearances on Superman: The Animated Series and Static Shock. The futuristic show Batman Beyond also had Barbara following in her father's footsteps and becoming Gotham's new police commissioner.

In the animated series The Batman, James Gordon is depicted as a newly appointed Gotham City police commissioner after an incident involving The Joker, The Penguin, and The Riddler. Gordon in this series is voiced by Mitch Pileggi.

Gary Oldman as James Gordon in Batman Begins (2005)

In the 2005 film Batman Begins Gordon is portrayed by Gary Oldman. The film partly concerns Gordon's rise from beat cop to Sergeant and, by the end of the film, Lieutenant. He comforts the young Bruce Wayne after the murder of his parents, and Wayne later recognizes him as one of the few honest police officers in the city. The two form an alliance that is kept secret from all other police officers. Oldman will reprise his role of Gordon in the sequel The Dark Knight.