Supergirl Vs Batgirl

Supergirl vs. Batgirl

They may wear the mantles of their male counterparts, but these ladies have more than proven themselves as heroes in their own right. Welcome to MsMojo, and in this instalment of versus we’re pitting Supergirl against Batgirl.

Just to be clear, we’re looking at the most widely accepted versions of these characters, those being Kara Zor-El’s Supergirl and Barbara Gordon’s Batgirl.

Round 1: Powers and Abilities

As a Kyrptonian, the light of our yellow sun grants Supergirl fantastic abilities that, much like her cousin, make her one of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe. She’s able to fly at incredible speeds, has a variety of ocular powers such as heat and x-ray vision, is invulnerable to anything and everything other than that pesky kryptonite, and with her super strength is able to go toe to toe with some of DC’s biggest juggernauts. Due to her often reckless nature and lacking Superman’s self-restraint, she’s been noted to have a stronger swing than even the Man of Steel on occasion.

In order to battle the dregs of Gotham City, you can’t exactly be physically lacking. Luckily Barbara Gordon is as a fit as a fiddle, described as a star athlete and martial arts prodigy even before taking on her iconic alter ego. Her time spent alongside the Dark Knight allowed her to quickly master all the classic gadgets such as batarangs and the grappling gun to the point where she can scale and traverse the cityscape with ease. However, undoubtedly her greatest ability is her intellect, which is nowhere better emphasised than after she was paralysed and became Oracle, an expert hacker and information broker who serves as the Caped Crusader’s eyes and ears.

While she may be the smartest member of the Bat Family and been able to take out a whole flood of villains early on in her superhero career, Batgirl wouldn’t stand a chance should the Maid of Might fully let loose with her arsenal of highly-destructive abilities.

WINNER: Supergirl 1 / Batgirl 0

Round 2: Courage

Having her family and entire civilisation disappear before her eyes, Supergirl had to overcome the immense shock of losing her old life, made all the more difficult given the fact she was no more than a teenager when awakened from her suspended animation, thus was much more rough around the edges when she arrived on Earth. Despite this, it didn’t take long for her to follow in the footsteps of her cousin and choose to protect her new adoptive homeworld. As such she has no problem with tussling with the worst the universe can throw at her and even willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of greater good, the best of example of this being her harrowing death during the landmark series: Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Just having the balls to choose Gotham City as your superhero stomping ground is worthy of praise. After taking on her new identity, Batgirl was flung into constant scuffles against not only gangsters, but the most frightening and depraved villains in the DC Universe, all with no superpowers powers to back her up. However, her ultimate display of courage came after she was crippled by The Joker, and instead of falling into despair rose up to become Oracle, whose sharp mind has saved the World’s Greatest Detective on more than one occasion. You can’t keep a Gordon down for long.

Supergirl is plenty courageous in her own right and worthy of that S on her uniform, but to go through something as sickening as what Batgirl went through and come through it with a stronger resolve is truly superheroic.
WINNER: Supergirl 1 / Batgirl 1

Round 3: Origins

Hailing from Argo City, Kara Zor-El’s home managed to survive Krypton’s destruction, floating through space until it became inhabitable due to a kryptonite resurgence. While the rest of her people died, Kara was jettisoned to safety via spaceship. However, due to a collision with a meteorite, she was held in suspended animation for many years until she eventually arrived on Earth. After coming into contact with her cousin Kal-El, she found a new place to call home and took on the title of Supergirl. This transition would lead her to becoming an icon in her own right that would find a place among such legendary teams such as the Justice League and the Legion of Superheroes.

While physically and mentally gifted, above all else Barbara Gordon always had a strong belief justice like her father, an ideal she took into her own hands when she took on the mantle of Batgirl to aid both him and the Dark Knight. While she was a much welcomed addition as one of Gotham’s crime fighters, her subsequent paralysis and decision to become Oracle made her nothing short of invaluable. With an information network and tech-savvy skills that would make Lex Luthor jealous, she has gone on to aid Batman, the rest of the Bat Family and even the Justice League with her skills, even founding all the all-female, all deadly vigilante group; The Birds of Prey.

Batgirl’s transition to Oracle is one of the most profound and inspiring character changes in all of comics, but as for her actual ascension to wearing the mantle of the bat – it just doesn’t have the same depth and weight that Supergirl’s backstory does.

WINNER: Supergirl 2 / Batgirl 1

Round 4: Stories

As we said, Supergirl’s struggle against the Anti-Monitor during Crisis on Infinite Earths is still remembered to this day, and is regarded as her greatest character highlight. As such, not many other storylines can stand up to that level of grandiose, but we have to give a shout out to a few of her Post-Crisis tales such as Supergirl: Kandor, where the discovery of the lost Kryptonian city of Kandor is discovered and freed from Brainiac’s control, leading to Supergirl temporarily take up residence within the bottled civilisation as well as taking up the identity of Flamebird in order protect her people once again.

There’s no way to talk about significant Batgirl storylines without discussing The Killing Joke; the Alan Moore graphic novel that not only gave us one of the most sadistic and complex interpretations of the Joker, but also resulted in Barbara Gordon becoming paralysed. This one event had such a profound effect on comics that it not only spilled into other forms of media, but gave us some pretty awesome Oracle stories, even when guest starring. Look no further than Battle for the Cowl Companion and Birds of Prey for examples of why you don’t mess with Ms Gordon.

Even when comparing their biggest hits, the shock value and significance surrounding The Killing Joke just about manages to outdo the actions of Crisis on Infinite Earths, with its impact resonating far more powerfully than anything surrounding the actions of The Girl of Steel.

WINNER: Supergirl 2 / Batgirl 2

Round 5: Appearances in Other Media

Both of these ladies have had both highs and lows when it comes to the likes of animation and live action. With regards to Supergirl, her personal journey in Justice League Unlimited was relatable and investing, making her a standout character who we could easily distinguish from her more iconic counterpart, a sentiment which has been replenished in her recent television series, with her portrayal by Melissa Benoist going down very well with fans. Lest we forget she was also pretty kickass in the DC Animated Movie Universe as well. As for the negatives, well…there was that rather infamous 1984 film that everyone wishes never existed.

Batgirl also has many triumphs to her name, with many agreeing that her debut in Batman: The Animated Series did the character justice and holds her best moments ever put to animation. She’s also made herself well known in the Arkham video game series whose constant presence and assistance as Oracle was a much welcomed featured. Alas, she shares the same fate as Supergirl by having a horrific live action incarnation, and while Batman and Robin could be argued is her lowest point, there’s no escaping the fact that the animated movie version of The Killing Joke was a huge slap in the face. No one was asking to see Bat-sex, but we got it all the same.

While both characters have garnered praise for their animated TV counterparts, its Supergirl’s own television show that just nudges her ahead as it captures everything we love about the character from the comics and her animated appearances.

Soaring high while her opponent wallows in the shadows, it’s Supergirl who manages to win the day this time.

WINNER: Supergirl 3 / Batgirl 2

Do you agree with our verdict? Who do you think should have one? With more versus on the way, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.