Barbara Gordon
From Stephanie Brown Wiki
This gang's getting a little tired of funerals. And that's what you'll be, Steph. Just a bunch of dead flowers and a costume in a display case. -Oracle, Joker: Last Laugh #3
Oracle: I pledge to you, Stephanie Brown-- my guidance. Support. For as long as you want it. When you go out at night, you won't be alone.
Stephanie: I've got your back too. Neither of us is alone in this.
-Batgirl (third series) #3
Relationship: friend, mentor
Name: Barbara Gordon
Aliases: Oracle, Batgirl I
Barbara Gordon was the original Batgirl, but after being shot in the spine, became the cyber-hero, team leader and mentor known as Oracle.
Babs mentored Steph and accepted her into the Birds of Prey briefly. She was always a little short with Stephanie, likely because she saw a lot of herself in Steph. Stephanie was eventually fired from the Birds of Prey, and Oracle dissaproved when Steph became Robin, but assisted in her training, making her do push ups. She was she was the one who spotted Stephanie on the rooftops, near death, during War Games. She alerted Batman, getting Stephanie to the hospital. She was affected by Steph's apparent death, as she once showed a young wanna-be Batgirl called Charlotte Gage Radcliffe Stephanie's autopsy photos in order to discourage her from heroing.
Shortly after Stephanie returned, Bruce Wayne died. Grief stricken, Cassandra Cain handed over the Batgirl mantle to Stephanie without consulting the original Batgirl, Babs, who was already angry and depressed after dissolving the Birds of Prey.
Dick Grayson tipped Barbara off that there was a new Batgirl in town. Barbara, either by herself or with Dick's help, figured out this new Batgirl was Stephanie. She broke into Stephanie's house shortly after Stephanie's second mission as Batgirl. Sitting at Steph's breakfast table, she offered her some waffles and told her they needed to talk, looking sinister enough to make Steph wish she'd done homework instead of put on the Batgirl cowl.
Barbara made it very clear that she disapproves of Stephanie taking up the mantle, citing her past failures and warning her that wearing the Bat will make her the target of bigger villains. She even spitefully told Stephanie about how she used her autopsy photos to discourage Charlie. Stephanie is not cowed and continues crime-fighting.
When Stephanie fought some gangsters peddling a aggression-enhancing drug, Oracle, who was also working on the case, took an interest and contacted her via Cassandra's cowl. Wanting to get her out of danger, she invited Steph back to her new headquarters in the Batcave. After comparing notes, Oracle lashed out at Stephanie again. Though she admitted to herself that there might be some jealousy mixed in with her concern, she threatened to tell Steph's mother if she continued being Batgirl. Stephanie decided to persevere anyway, no matter what Barbara thought of her.
Barbara decided that if she couldn't stop Stephanie, she would work with her. She initially remained passive-agressive towards Steph, but when Stephanie confronted the Scarecrow and found that despite her innoculation she was vulnerable to his fear gas, Barbara began to show concern. As Stephanie was on the verge of being beaten to death by the Scarecrow, tortured by hallucinations that reinforced her own self doubt, Barbara yelled "Batgirl, wake up!" This small sign of acceptance at least partly motivated Stephanie to fight off the drug and defeated Scarecrow, making a speech about how you can't run away from your problems and you stay where you are for a second chance. Barbara was very moved by the speech and Stephanie's bravery and finally accepted her as Batgirl. She was also motivated to try to get over her own anger and self doubt and reconnect with the world by seeing Steph face down her fears.
Barbara got a position at Stephanie's university as an assistant professor in Computer Science. She took Stephanie back to the Batcave and made an oath to her to give Stephanie her support and guidance. Stephanie replied that she also had Barbara's back and that neither of them were in it alone. Barbara also provided Stephanie with her new Batgirl costume, saying that she'd earned it.
Oracle met Steph in the Batcave for her first night out, telling her that the new costume would monitor her vitals on the fly. Babs made several witty remarks during Steph's first mission prompting Steph to complain that SHE should get the chance to say thing like that, to which Oracle responded "Sorry, old habits".
Babs had to leave to talk to Dr. Leslie Thompkins for the rest of Steph's first mission, but Steph was helped by her anyway- the insulation Barbara had added to the Batgirl suit saved Steph from getting shocked Barbara met Stephanie after the mission to give her coffee and offer her a ride home. They enjoyed a quiet moment together watching the sun rise.
The women continued their partnership when Stephanie tracked down The Web on Barbara's orders. Together they convinced the reckless to be more responsible about his superheroic organization and to work with the Justice League. Stephanie even helped the Web install Oracle's software that allowed him to track down a murderer...and also allowed Oracle to keep an eye on him through spyware.
Stephanie went on to fight the villian Diesel when he was burning down a Global Housing buiding. She enjoyed both Oracle's rapport and ice disks to use against the villian. When Batman and Robin showed up, Dick was less than impressed by how Steph used those ice disks to accidentally freeze Damian.
Dick was not impressed with Stephanie's recklessness and argued with Barbara over what she was thinking, throwing someone like that out into the field. Barbara defended herself and Stephanie, saying that Steph had put out the fire and that at least Barbara wasn't training a murderous twit. Dick yelled at Barbara saying that especially since Black Mask was back, Bruce would have never let her get away with sending Steph into the field alone. Babs ended up snapping that Bruce wasn't there anymore, and in grief stricken rage, Dick yelled at Babs to rein Stephanie in and move out of the cave before storming off with Damian. Barbara naturally didn't listen and in fact, spent the next few days wanting to punch Dick in the face.
Babs also lent Stephanie the only things that could fit her from her closet- a slip and a trenchcoat- when Steph needed to quickly change out of her Batgirl costume to intercept Francisco Gracia.
Babs introduced Stephanie to Kara Zor-El when she sent Supergirl to rescue her operative from a trap set by Toyman. When Stephanie and Kara got in over their heads and were attacked by a giant Superman/Batman robot, Stephanie called in a code black, which meant threat of the highest priority. Babs called in Dick, who called in Superman.
Important moments with Steph and Babs:
Babs accepts Steph into the Birds of Prey: Birds of Prey (39)
Steph meets Babs Birds of Prey (40)
Steph hangs around with Babs and Cassandra in the Clocktower. Babs gets angry with her for being too nonchalant about crimefighting, but is forced to send her and Cassandra to save Harley Quinn. Joker: Last Laugh (3)
Stephanie is at the Clocktower when Tim arrives to use Barbara's computer Robin (99)
Stephanie informs Robin she hangs around Barbara and Dinah a lot as a member of the Birds of Prey: Robin (100)
Barbara keeps Spoiler and Batgirl with her while the Joker is on a rampage: Batgirl (21)
Barbara and Steph talk about Cass's fight with Lady Shiva, and Stephanie goes off to fight a martial arts master who wants to kill Batgirl, despite Oracle's protests : Batgirl (26)
Barbara, busy with the Bruce Wayne Case, is short with Stephanie when she complains that Cass has broken her jaw ("If your jaw was broken you wouldn't be able to talk...and my life would be so much easier...): Batgirl (27)
Babs makes Stephanie do pushups as Robin Robin (127
In order to discourage a new teenage heroine, Misfit, from hurting herself trying to fight crime, Barbara shows her doctored pictures from Stephanie Brown's "autopsy" (Birds of Prey #99)
Barbara learns that Stephanie is the new Batgirl and confronts her (Batgirl (third series) (1))
Barbara accepts Stephanie as Batgirl, vows to mentor her and gives her a new Batgirl costume. Batgirl (third series) (3)
Both women successfully convince The Web to be responsible and work with the Justice League. The Web (3)
Learn more about Barbara Gordon here
