One of the most pivotal members of the modern Bat-Family is Cassandra Cain, the currentBatgirl. Making her on-panel debut in 1999, Cass emerged as a complicated mute running away from a parentage of villainy. She falls into the lap of the Bat-Family and paving a way for heroism for herself, proving she is more than her bloodline.
The positive reception to Cassandra Cain over the course of more than 20 years has earned her anotherleadBatgirlsolo series run, arriving on November 6 just in time for a new era of DC Comics, the All-In era. While long-time fans are all-in on picking up the series, newer readers may be eager to learn more about the character in time for her new series' premiere. This list exists for new fans to get to know Cassandra Cain, while old fans have the opportunity to take a trip down memory lane and recall 25 years of rich history.
10Batgirl’s Debut, Saving James Gordon’s Life
Batman#567 by Kelley Puckett, Damion Scott, John Floyd, Greg Wright, and Todd Klein
At the time, Helena Bertinelli is holding down the mantle, butHuntress' forgotten, underrated run as Batgirlwould soon end. This issue would be the first to set up Cass' journey by establishing her as a student under speech teacher, Barbara Gordon. On the day of one of their sessions, it’s learned that her biological father is David Cain when Cass saves Commissioner Jim Gordon’s life in David’s attempt to assassinate him.
Cass further shows her drive to be a hero when she locks herself in a room with David to stop him. This confrontation also gives readers a glimpse into Cass' origins, where David forced Cass as a child to kill, traumatizing her for life.This one comic sets the stage for the hero that Cass would become, along with her driving motivations.
9Becoming Batgirl, Co-Signed by Batman to the Bat-Family
Legends of the Dark Knight#120 by Greg Rucka, Mike Deodato, Sean Parsons, Pam Rambo, Wildstorm FM, and Willie Schubert
In the following months, Cassandra Cain would prove to be instrumental in helping the Bat-Family before officially becoming a member. Batman would take notice, and was ready to reward her. Earlier in the issue, Helena and Bruce would have a nasty argument, with Wayne and Bertinelli losing each other’s trust and the latter refusing to take orders from the old man.
Instead, he takes her Batgirl costume and is ready to give it to someone he does trust: Cass. This doesn’t initially sit well with the rest of the Bat-Family since they all met Cass that same issue, particularly Nightwing. He questions if he can trust a stranger being ingratiated into the team, but without hesitation, Batman and the former Batgirl, Barb, co-sign Cass.The family approves, officially introducing Cass into the fold as a superhero.
8Discovering Batman’s secret identity
Batgirl (2000)#24 by Kelley Puckett and Damion Scott
While Batman trusted Cass enough to bring her into the Bat-Family, it took time before she fully gained his trust to let her in on his secret identity, even during her Batgirl run. Cass never even cared to ask his real name. However, Cain proves herself asGotham’s real greatest detectivewhenshe uses basic clues to figure out Batman’s secret identity.
In a tie-in issue of the “Bruce Wayne: Murderer?” arc, the billionaire is in police custody when he’s framed for murder. Barb sends Cass to Wayne Manor, where she suspiciously lingers on Bruce’s face as he’s being arrested. Later, she overhears two detectives talking aboutBruce Wayne’s childhood traumaand how it could drive anyone crazy. This compels Cass to investigate that trauma further. Some newspaper clippings and a familiar look confirm Cass' suspicions.
7Stephanie and Cass Officially Become Friends
Batgirl (2000)#28 by Kelley Puckett, Damion Scott, and Robert Campanella
In modern comics, Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain have become the best of friends, but they weren’t always friends. That changed when Batman distanced himself from the Bat-Family during the “Murderer/Fugitive” storyline, and Stephanie needed a new training partner.
Cass would rather train alone, and she doubts Steph could keep up with her. She’s delightfully proven right, andsince Cass communicates best through violence, Cass takes a liking to Steph. The feeling became mutual when they were bonding post-training over having supervillains for dads. They would help each other open up as people, starting a beautiful friendship between the Batgirls.
6Batman Gifts Cass a Birthday Gift on Her New Birthday
Batgirl (2000)#33 by Kelley Puckett, Damion Scott, Robert Campanella, John Costanza, and Jason Wright
When Batman would come out of secluding himself in the aftermath of “Bruce Wayne: Murderer?/Fugitive,” he’d take steps to rebuild his individual relationships with the Bat-Family, especially Cass. Now that she’s learned his secret identity, it was time to build a bond outside of crimefighting. The opportunity came on the one-year anniversary of Cass becoming a superhero. For additional context, because of the strenuous training from her father in childhood, Cass never knew or celebrated her birthday.
An impromptu visit to her father’s prison cell for intel led to Cass beating her dad up for the trauma he created, then learning her birthday was January 26th. Knowing the trauma surrounding her upbringing, Batman encourages her to treat her anniversary as her birthday, providing a gift to mark the occasion.It’s a sweet gesture opening the door for her and Batman’s father-daughter relationship is today.
5Pointing Out the Importance of the Bat Symbol to Batman
Batgirl (2000)#50 by Dylan Horrocks, Rick Leonardi, Jesse Delperdang, Jason Wright, and Clem Robins
After a mission gone wrong, Batman deems Cass too irresponsible to be a hero. He confiscates her costume and sends her away, setting up an apartment for her. When Doctor Death gets the Soul drug back on the streets, she steals Barbara’s old Batgirl costume and hits the town.
When she and Bruce are afflicted with the drug’s effects, they fight under its influence, but also unexpectedly bond. It’s basically family therapy when Cass' love language is violence. Cass expresses that her loyalty lies most with not Batman or the Bat-Family, but the Bat Symbol, something that’s bigger than any of them, even Bruce. It signaled to readers that,despite Batman’s concerns, Cass fully understood the part she plays in the war on crime and what the logo means as a symbol of hope.
4Admitting she wants to BE Batman
Batgirl (2000)#59 by Andersen Gabrych, Ale Garza, Jesse Delperdang, WILDSTORM FX, and Rob Leigh
Cassandra Cain and Tim Drake working together during the four-part “Fresh Blood” storyline exposed the tension they had with each other. The ending sees the two get to the bottom of their animosity and it ultimately boils down to both heroes aspiring for the same goal: become the next Batman.
Batgirl had always admired Batman and thought greatly of The Dark Knight. However,this is the first instance that establishes just how far that admiration goes, steeping a step further into aspiration for wanting to actually be Batman. To this day, Cass' character has been portrayed as wanting that goal for herself. This planted an idea into many critics minds, strengthening an argument for Cass being Batman one day, somethingeven DC can’t deny anymore.
3Defeating Her Mother, Lady Shiva
Batgirl(2000) #73 by Andersen Gabrych, Pop Mhan, Jesse Delperdang, Adam Dekraker, Jason Wright, and Nick J. Napolitano
Nearly all of Batman’s sidekicks have beaten the world’s top assassin, Lady Shiva (even ifBatman can never beat her), but the sidekick the most consistent in defeating her is Cassandra Cain. This is fitting, as although she didn’t raise or train Cass, Lady Shiva is Cass' mother and aspires to a dream duel to the death with her daughter. The first time they fought inBatgirl#9, both parties refused to kill the other, but their inevitable death duel arrives inBatgirl#73, the final issue of the series.
Cass wins by breaking Shiva’s neck, but against her mother’s wishes, Cass saves her life by hanging her dying mom’s body by her cloth above the Lazarus Pit, knowing that eventually, the cloth would tear, and Shiva would fall into the pit, reviving her.She proves herself as the better fighter without sacrificing her morals or becoming the killer her parents are.
2Batman Officially Adopts Cass
Batgirl (2008) #6 by Adam Beechen, J. Calafiore, Jack Purcell, Nathan Eyring, and Sal Cipriano
This is the moment was really, truly indoctrinated into the Bat-Family. Batman watches as Cass fights her father, David Cain, and despite how much hate is in her heart over him, she saves him from falling to his certain death. This convinces Bruce that Cass is deserving of the highest Bat-Family honor: legitimately being adopted by him.
1 Batgirl Line Is the Perfect Reminder of Why Bruce Wayne Adopted Cassandra Cain
One simple line uttered by Cassandra Cain speaks to the often overlooked deeper relationship between Batman and Batgirl - and DC must explore it more.
The Bat-Family has always been something of a found family for lost souls, but few members have legitimately been legally adopted into the family.Given Cass' origins of coming from a broken home and a neglectful father, this is a wholly significant moment for Cass. It solidifies her as a forever staple of the Bat-Family, and whether she remains a superhero forever or not, she will always have a family.
Detective Comics#1082 by Ram V., Stefano Raffaele, and Riccardo Federici
Going into this more recent comic book issue,Batman gets erased from Gotham Citycourtesy of the city’s supernatural family, the Orghams. This leaves Gotham in Cassandra Cain’s hands, and she passes her biggest test to date with flying colors. In a world without Batman,Batgirl continues to represent his mission perfectly.
When critics have argued for Cassandra to eventually adopt the Batman mantle and when a legitimate argument can be made for it with supporting evidence, this story arc solidifies that she deserves to succeed Bruce Wayne in the role of Batman one day. It even suggests that she might actually surpass him in the role. For now, though,Cassandra Cainhas a hotly anticipatedBatgirlsolo series to look forward to releasing.
