Batgirl's Major Enemies

Catwoman

Catwoman has always been one of Batgirl's most formidable foes.   Her real name is Selena Kyle. Catwoman and Batgirl have also tangled in the 60's TV series, and they did once in the Animated Series.  Catwoman (as if you didn't know) is one of Batman and Batgirl's oldest enemies. She dresses in a leather purple and black catsuit.  She is a ninja, and she has razor-sharp "claws" which she can retract at will--like a cat.  She also carries a cat-of-nine tails whip with her at all times, and will turn it on most people who try anything.  In the comics, she is a cat burgular--villain only for the money. She began as a woman of the night, and her "employer", beat her up enough to put her in the hospital. She decides to go to a Ninja instructor, and gains a black-belt in the art.  Her smooth and deadly style is polished. In the Animated Series, she's a rich woman for animal rights who wants every cat related thing in Gotham.   Admittedly, Catwoman usually wins in a fight against Batgirl. The second round, Batgirl comes back and kicks butt!

The Joker

The Joker is one of the first villains Batman ever faced.  He started as Jack Napier, a common street crook, whose (as a result of a chemical accident while on a heist) skin was died white, hair was died green, and mouth fixed into a permanant grin.  He has a sick sense of humor, finds most death funny, and has a dangerously unstable psychological status. In essence he is a homocidal clown. The Joker of the movies was very dangerous.  In the televisions series, he is the same only more annoying.  He also has a lover/helper named Harley Quinn. The Joker uses gas and poisons as weapons, and also has a variety of others.  Where does Batgirl come in? Well, he shot her. During "The Killing Joke", Barbara Gordon was shot when she opened the door.  In penetrated her adomen, and severed her spine.  This is why she is forced to be Oracle. He almost always returns to his cell in Arkham Asylum, but the trouble is what he does when he is out. Oracle no longer seeks vengance, but would like to see him dealt with once and for all.

Two-Face

In the television series, Two-Face and Batgirl were in the episodes "Shaddow of the Bat" 1, and 2.   Commisioner Gordon was framed for charges of corruption.  In a twisted deal with the new police officer, he managed to set this up.  Barbara takes on the identity of Batgirl to help the Commisioner.  Two-Face litterally has two faces; half of his face is normal and the other half is a greenish-blue color and deformed. He is obcessed with duality.  Everything he does--including his crimes have two parts.  He has a coin, which he uses to make all of his decisions.

Poison Ivy

The vain and selfish daughter of well-to-do parents, Pamela Isley discovered an interest in botany as a young girl and went on to study with Dr. Jason Woodrue in college. (Woodrue later became the freakish plant master known as the Floronic Man.) Performing unusual experiments on Pamela, Dr. Woodrue mutated her into a force of nature with an affinity for and power over plant life.  She carries toxins in her blood stream that can make her touch poisonous. Her prefered method of attack is her kiss. She is also has a hyperactive immune system. She can also create truth serums and love potions. In the Animated Series, she has a friendship with Harley Quinn. In the comic book series based on the animated show, Batgirl tangeled with Poison Ivy and Harley durring a kidnapping attempt. Poison Ivy's origin is slightly altered in the movie. She is burried in the Amazon jungle (by Jason Woodrue).  She is reborn as 'poison' and her blood is replaced with clorophyl (and her hair is bright red).  She also gets Bane as a sidekick.  The first time Batgirl met Ivy in the B&R movie was her last. After a furious martial arts battle, Batgirl emerges triumphant.

Harley Quinn

Dr. Harlene Quinzelle after recieving her degree, was hired as a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum. She is very bright, and while she is there sees all of the criminally insane at Arkham.  She sees one man who looks at her the worst, and she begins to fear him--to her he begins to seem like phantom haunting her. She then asks for his case, and after reading his file becomes more scared of him than ever before.  In a way however, she finds him very amazing. What began as a fear, becomes an obcession.  This man is the Joker.  When he escapes, Batman brings him back very bruised and beaten.  This brings Harley into a rage, and she helps him escape.  After they have escaped, he twists her mind.  She becomes just as insane as he is, and like him is also facinated by death. This turns her into a criminal--Harley Quinn.  She dresses like a jester and is the lover of Joker.  She will do anything he tells her, and she loves him. She is an exceptional fighter with Joker or without him.  She and Batgirl fought in the comic book based on the TV series, when she and Poison Ivy attempted a kidnapping. After she helped Batman and Robin take down some guys, she said "Batgirl eat your heart out!"

Mr. Freeze

Victor Fries was a child who was fascinated with freezing animals. His father got so fed up, he shipped him off to a strict boarding school. Well, Victor, managed to meet and marry Nora wo was a very beautiful girl. Unfortunately, though Victor turned out pretty normal, Nora got sick, and was dying from some disease. And Victor couldn't stand to lose her. So he took on a job working for a large company, working on cryogenics. Now, Victor hated business, but he needed the money to help Nora. Victor discovered a way to freeze Nora, until a cure could be found. But Victor's boss, after shutting down the project, became angry, and came to stop the experiment. Victor fired a security guards gun, blowing holes in some coolant pipes, and as a result, Victor became exposed to the coolant. This had the strange effect of lowering his body temperature, but he survived. As a result, Victor had to wear a special refrigerating suit, too keep him cool. And thus, Mr. Freeze was born.  He now carries a giant freezing gun. Mr. Freeze's crimes tend to involve freezing everyone and everything he runs into. Rather nasty, and pointless, actions, except they seem to satisfy his urge to get even with a hard, cruel world.

Batgirl will face Mr. Freeze in the upcoming Batman and Mr. Freeze: Subzero. Nora needs an organ transplant.  As fate would have it, Barbara Gordon is the only Gothamite who has her rare blood type. Rather than take a chance of her saying 'no', he kidnapps her and decides to do it himself. She also was a part of the Bat Anti-freeze Strike-force that saved Gotham City in the movie. Wearing a freeze-proof suit and riding an Anti-freeze Batblade Cycle, she and the Dynamic Duo come crashing onto the scene. She also faced him in the show in the new series called "Cold Comfort".  Freeze was trying to "destroy" Bruce Wayne by destroying his "surrogate family". Batgirl crashed onto the scene.  She managed to dodge all of Freeze's iceblasts (with impresive gymnastic flips), get Mr. Freeze's cyrogun from him and get this--freeze him against Wayne Mannor's wall!! Pretty cool, eh?

Killer Moth

Killer Moth was a semi-prominent villain in the sixties.  Armed with moth sticky "goo", and an invisible wire that made him seem as if flying, he was at one time in Batman's gallery of rogues.  He was the first villain she ever faced. In a mass extortion attempt, he captured Bruce Wayne.  Barbara Gordon saw this while riding to the Policemen's Masquerade partly.  Using her knowledge of Judo, she easily handles the Mothmen but is ambushed by Killer Moth. Batman appears later and defeats more villains, but Killer Moth flies away. In the same issue, she really beat him and his Mothmen up.  Scared, they ran away.  She followed them on the Batcycle and was the key factor in foiling his plot.  She also faced him in Batman Family #10, Batman Family#15 Batman #311, and Detective #484. She also faced him in the unaired pilot for the TV show.  I can't really say what became of him. I guess his pride hurt more. I guess he retired because he was got beaten up by a girl. And so many times, too. : )