Random Happenstance

Just under four years to find the conclusion of this one! That's a speedy turnaround for around here! From 1998, Legends of the DC Universe #11, "Folie a Deux, part two" Written by Kelley Puckett, layouts by Terry Dodson, finishes (and cover) by Kevin Nowlan.

This opens with Batgirl getting shot, a few years ahead of schedule, but it's Jim Gordon's nightmare. He resolves to confront Barbara about her secret identity, but instead walks into a bank robbery: thinking she might be in danger, he uncharacteristically goes in guns blazing, but catches a bullet when he's distracted by seemingly seeing Barbara in the hostages. His distraction gives Batgirl the chance, to also uncharacteristically charge in headlong, and she gets knocked out by a desk lamp to the back of the head.

Tied up together, Batgirl tells Gordon she was glad to meet him, and that she would get them out of there. Considering it, Jim decides she could do it, and helps her get free. Using her training from Batman, she is able to defeat the last of the bank robbers, and get Jim to the hospital. But, in having gone into action before he deemed her ready, this meant the end of her training with Batman. Which once again is bullcrap, as we say from Batman's abortive training of Spoiler: girl disobeys once and she's done, while every guy Robin inevitably breaks the rules and gets rewarded for it. Still, when Batman points out if she had been ready, she wouldn't have been distracted by Gordon getting shot, Barbara realizes she wouldn't want to be that 'ready.' She visits her dad in the hospital, with both of them acting completely normal and not bringing up Batgirl at all. 

God, Batman's in this for like a page, and I'm sick of his dickery. The new Batgirl in "No Man's Land" was still a year away, and about 14 years until Barbara was Batgirl again with the New 52. Whether or not Jim knew her secret, well, that one seems to go back and forth.