Wikipedia

Stephanie Brown (character)

Stephanie Brownis afictionalsuperheroineappearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byDC Comics,most commonly in association withBatman.The character first appeared inDetective Comics#647 (June 1992), and was created byChuck DixonandTom Lyle.[1]

Stephanie Brown
Stephanie Brown as Spoiler as seen on the cover ofBatman: Eternal#24 (September 2014).
Art by Jason Fabok.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearance
  • As Stephanie Brown:
  • Detective Comics#647 (June 1992)
  • As the Spoiler:
  • Detective Comics#648 (July 1992)
  • As Robin:
  • Robin(vol. 2) #126 (May 2004)
  • As Batgirl:
  • Batgirl(vol. 3) #1 (August 2009)
Created byChuck Dixon(writer)
Tom Lyle(artist)
In-story information
Full nameStephanie Brown
SpeciesHuman
Team affiliations
Partnerships
Notable aliases
Abilities
  • Expert tracker
  • Master strategist and tactician
  • Trained computer hacker
  • Highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant and martial artist
  • Expert athlete and acrobat

The character originated as the amateur crime-fighterSpoiler,who had taken it upon herself to foil her criminal fatherCluemaster's schemes. Establishing herself as aGothamvigilante, she would have a short, unsuccessful stint as the fourth incarnation of Batman's partner andsidekickRobinin the early 2000s, replacing her longtime love interestTim Drake.Her time as Robin is plagued with struggles and dissensions with Batman, who eventually fires her shortly beforeher deathat the hands ofBlack Mask.She is laterrevealedto have survived and returns as Spoiler, resuming her romantic relationship with Drake. In 2009,Cassandra Cain,the latestBatgirl,entrusts the costume and monicker to Brown; although she is initially reluctant due to Brown's disastrous spell as Robin, former BatgirlBarbara Gordonlater takes Brown as pupil, and the character's run asBatgirllargely redeems her, including in Batman's eyes.

AfterDC's continuity reboot in 2011,Brown is re-introduced as Spoiler inBatman Eternalin 2014, developing into a morally grey character that openly denounces Batman while resuming a complex romantic relationship with Drake. During the 2020 "The Joker War"storyline, Gordon, the sole Batgirl of the new continuity at that point, shares the monicker with both Brown and Cain to form a trio of Batgirls who were later featured in their own comic book series,Batgirls;in this continuity, Brown's costume is a mix of her old Batgirl costume and Spoiler's.

Brown remains the sole mainline female Robin, and the only person to have to have been both Robin and Batgirl, the superhero monickers commonly considered Batman's two closest allies. In other media, Brown was portrayed byMorgan Kohanin a 2021 episode of theArrowverseseriesBatwoman,and by Anna Lore inGotham Knights(2023), in which she is one of the main characters; she does not use the Spoiler, Robin or Batgirl monickers in either apparitions.

Publication history

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Stephanie Brown was introduced in a three-issue story arc inDetective Comics#647–649 in which writer Chuck Dixon reinvented a villain called theCluemaster.Dixon created the Cluemaster's daughter Stephanie as simply a plot device for this story, seeking to "spoil" her father's plans.[2]Even so, the character was well received by fans. The following year, Dixon launched the first ongoingRobinseries and featured the Spoiler as a foil and love interest forTim Drake.The character was at the center of a high-profileteen pregnancystoryline in 1998, which causedWizard Magazineto nameRobinthe best ongoing comic book of the year. Stephanie remained an integral part of theRobinsupporting cast for over a decade, until her death in the 2004 crossover storylineBatman: War Games.

Her death was revealed to have been faked in a 2008 story,[3]and she became theeponymouslead character in the 2009Batgirlseries written byBryan Q. Miller,with pencils byLee Garbett.[4]The title was canceled after 24 issues and replaced with a newBatgirlseries starringBarbara Gordonas part of the New 52 relaunch.

Controversy on Stephanie's death

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There was some controversy in the fan community about both the character's death by torture and the fact that even though she served as Robin for a time, she received no monument or memorial in theBatcaveduring the years of her apparent death unlike the second Male Robin (Third Over All)Jason Todd.[5]

Regarding the former issue, at the 2011 Auckland Writers and Readers Festival, the formerBatgirlwriterDylan Horrockssaid that the writers were told from the start that Spoiler would die in this crossover and she was made Robin "purely as a trick to play on the readers, that we would fool them into thinking that the big event [War Games] was that Stephanie Brown would become Robin". The decision was unpopular with both him andNightwingwriterDevin Grayson,and he felt "pleased and vindicated" over the eventual controversy.[6]

Stephanie Brown on the cover ofDetective Comics#809 (2005). Art byJock.

During a Q&A at a convention in March 2007, DC executive editorDan DiDioresponded to questions about the absence of a Stephanie tribute from the Batcave, saying that the official position of DC Comics is that "She was never really a Robin", despite on-panel claims to the contrary.[7]WhenAlfred Pennyworthasks ifBatman's acceptance of Stephanie as Robin was conceived by him as only a temporary measure from the outset and constituted part of an effort to lure Tim back to the cape, Batman evades the question. However, when a dying Stephanie asks, "Was I ever really Robin?", Batman answers, "Of course you were."[8]However, her memorial has been present in different publications since the controversy arose.[9]

The New 52 publication

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In September 2011,The New 52rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline,Barbara Gordontakes the role of Batgirl once again, with Stephanie Brown no longer existing in mainstream continuity.[10]In June 2012, fans of the character attempted a letter movement, sending waffles, waffle mix, or letters to the editors, expressing a wish to see her published once more.[11]Shortly thereafter,Dan DiDioclaimed in an interview that about ten waffles had arrived and expressed doubt that her fandom was really as strong as it appeared.[12]

On October 11, 2013, writerScott Snyderannounced atNew York Comic Conthat Brown would appear as Spoiler beginning in the third issue of DC's 2014 weekly seriesBatman Eternal.[13][14][15]Brown made her first New 52 appearance inBatman(vol. 2) #28, a teaser issue forBatman Eternal.[16]

Fictional character biography

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Stephanie Brown is the daughter of theCluemaster,one ofGotham City's third-rate criminals, and a registerednursenamedCrystal Brown.Her father spends most of her childhood in jail or away from the family and claims to berehabilitatedupon his return to Gotham. Stephanie becomes furious when she discovers that he is actually returning to crime, this time not leaving his trademark clues behind. She decides something needs to be done.

The Spoiler

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Stephanie as the Spoiler, inDetective Comics#648 (July 1992). Art by Tom Lyle.

Stephanie Brown tailors a costume for herself, and calls herself "the Spoiler" due to her attempts to spoil her father's plans. She learns where her father is hiding out, finds out his plans, and leaves clues so that the police and Batman could stop him.Robin(Tim Drake) tracks her down and, after a few brief confrontations, helps capture Cluemaster. Although she initially wishes to kill her father,Batmanconvinces her to allow him to be arrested.

Each time Cluemaster escapes or starts some new plan, Stephanie dons her costume again. Eventually, she decides she likes being asuperhero,and she begins regular patrols as Spoiler. This also brings her into regular contact with Robin, on whom she has a bit of a crush. At first, Robin thinks of her as a pest, but later comes to enjoy her company. He was dating Ariana Dzerchenko at the time. However, the two sometimes work as partners, and during a point in which Robin and Ariana were unable to see each other, he and Stephanie grew even closer. Robin soon realizes that his feelings for Stephanie have grown into something more, and, after breaking up with Ariana, he begins dating Stephanie. Unfortunately, because Robin needs to maintain the secrecy of Batman and his allies, Robin is unable to reveal his true identity to Spoiler. At first, she seems happy with this arrangement.

Stephanie then finds out she is pregnant by an ex-boyfriend who had run from Gotham City after theearthquakedepicted inBatman: Cataclysm.Robin, under the alias Alvin Draper, takes Stephanie toLamazeclasses, and the two become even closer. Robin moves toKeystone Cityduring the last few months of her pregnancy, but he returns to her when she is giving birth. With Robin's help, she is able to cope with placing her child up foradoption.Although a painful experience, she feels it best to give her daughter a chance at a better life.

Soon after, Robin's father sends him away to boarding school, and the couple is forced into a long-distance relationship, made even more complicated by the fact that Stephanie still did not know his real name. During his time away, Robin befriends a girl named Star. One night, after seeing her go into an alley with some suspicious-looking people, Robin decides to follow her in costume. He runs into Stephanie, also on patrol, and she follows him as he tracks down Star to a gang meeting that erupts in a violent shootout. He saves Star, but Stephanie is convinced that he is cheating on her, and refuses to see him afterward.

Shortly after this, Robin disappears from Gotham for several days, because he is inTibeton a secret mission. In his absence, Spoiler realizes that she still wants to be with him. Batman approaches Spoiler to try to discover Tim's whereabouts, and then offers to train her. He also tells her Robin's real name, and this betrayal by Batman drives a wedge between the two. Spoiler begins to train with Batman,Batgirl,and, briefly, theBirds of Prey.

Stephanie and Tim, as she now knows him, reconcile. Even after Batman, having decided that she was not crime fighter material, tells her to hang up her costume and have the Birds of Prey stop mentoring her, she still patrols secretly, in addition to going on occasional dates with Robin in their civilian identities.[17]When theU.S. governmentcomes to Stephanie and her mother and tells her that Cluemaster had died while working for theSuicide Squad,Stephanie is shocked. She temporarily cuts off ties with Tim and goes on avigilanterampage, hunting down theRiddler,her father's former associate, to try to get a better idea of who he had been in life. Eventually, she makes peace with his memory, and she and Tim rekindle their relationship.

Stephanie is later injured during Tim's battle with the occult hitman Johnny Warlock, breaking her leg. In a fit of rage, Tim apparently beats Warlock to death (though he would later be magicallyresurrected), which sends him into a deep, angrydepression.He refuses to speak with Stephanie, whom he blames for him killing Warlock.

Robin

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Stephanie Brown asRobin.Promotional art forRobin(vol. 2) #126. Art byDamion Scott.

Stephanie Brown snaps Tim Drake out of his depression just as his fatherJack Drakediscovers he isRobin.After Warlock's death, Tim's father orders him to hang up his cape, and Tim is forced to live a normal life for a time. One day after school, Stephanie attempts to surprise Tim with a visit. As she arrives, however, she catches a female classmate, Darla Aquista, attempting to seduce him. Assuming that Tim is being unfaithful, she breaks off ties with Tim and angrily decides to put her attention elsewhere. Creating a homemade Robin costume, Stephanie sneaks into the Batcave and demands that Batman train her as the new Robin. Batman reluctantly accepts her as the new Robin, puts her through several months of intensive training, and makes her a better costume with roughly the same design as Tim's. As Robin, she patrols with Batman, but he thinks she isn't skilled enough to replace Tim. Batman later fires her after she disobeys him in the field.[18]

In an effort to prove her worth to Batman, Stephanie steals one of his long-term plans for dealing with the entirety of Gotham's criminal underworld, arranging a meeting to bring them all together. Since this plan is predicated on the involvement of "Matches Malone" who, unbeknownst to her, is a persona that Batman uses to infiltrate the underworld, it quickly spins out of control. The result is a citywidegang warin which Stephanie is captured by theBlack Mask.She is tortured extensively by Black Mask to get information about Batman, as well as learning enough information to allow him to take control of Batman's plan and assume command of the gangs himself. Although she escapes and makes her way to a hospital, she is severely injured, and supposedly dies in a hospital bed as Batman sits beside her.[8]

Batman later finds evidence that a vital medical treatment that could have saved Stephanie's life had been denied by DoctorLeslie Thompkins.When Batman confronts the doctor, Thompkins claims she willfully withheld such treatment to send a warning to any of Gotham's youth intending to follow Stephanie's example.

Posthumous appearances

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Promotional art forBatgirl#62. Art by Alé Garza.

Following her death, Stephanie Brown appears twice in theBatgirlseries. The first time, inBatgirl#62,Cassandra Cainmeets her during anear death experience.Then, inBatgirl#72–73, Cassandra is near death following a battle withMad Dogwhen Stephanie's "ghost" appears before her again and informs Cassandra of her true parentage and ofBlüdhaven's destruction. During theTitans Eaststoryline, a glass case with Stephanie's Spoiler costume (alongside cases with clothing representing Tim Drake's parents andConner Kent) is in a roomDeathstrokeuses to torture Robin.Barbara Gordonuses photos of herautopsyto dissuade another young superheroine,Misfit,from using the name Batgirl. InBooster Gold(vol. 2) #5,Rip Hunter's chalk board shows the phrase "No Trophy = Stephanie?" written on it. InGotham Underground,an unidentified female in a Spoiler costume (later revealed to be Stephanie) is shown working for thePenguin.

Spoiler returns

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In the events followingThe Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul,Robin follows the trail of a female thief called Violet. This leads him to reunite with his friend Ives during social service classes at St. Camillus Cathedral. He also has random encounters with a blonde student in high school that trigger his memories of Stephanie. During his quest to find Violet, he is followed by a character dressed as Spoiler. This Spoiler reveals herself to Robin, trying to warn him that Violet led him to an ambush. Believing someone else is dressing up as Spoiler, Robin falls into Violet's trap after Spoiler addresses him by his real name.[19]

After escaping the ambush, Robin and Batman track down the woman in a bid to force her to stop imitating Stephanie. When confronted, she removes her mask and reveals that she is indeed Stephanie, with Leslie Thompkins having faked her death. Batmanrevealshis doubts about her death leading him to not erect a memorial for her in the Batcave. Since her secret identity had been compromised, Leslie faked her death so villains could not use her against Batman as Black Mask had done. Living with Leslie in Africa under an alias, Stephanie had been performing volunteer work until an attack from a local witch-hunting tribe prompted her to return to crimefighting, and subsequently to Gotham.[3]Stephanie reunites with her mother, enrolls in Tim's high school, and rejoins the Bat-Family.[20]

Before being revealed to Robin and Batman, Stephanie works freelance for the Penguin and gets information that helps him in his gang wars. She abruptly stops aiding him, after which he loses the advantage and leaves Gotham. She sends Penguin a note apologizing for leaving him when he needed her the most.

During theBatman R.I.P.storyline, Stephanie played the role of both ally and betrayer to Robin. Following Batman's disappearance and descent into madness, Robin attempts to balance his search for Bruce with his attempts to maintain control over Gotham's criminals. Tim asks that Stephanie help him locate Batman, but having anticipated his downfall, Batman has ordered Stephanie to hinder the investigation, believing that Tim needs to learn how to handle things on his own. Tim discovers the deception, and pulls away from his relationship with Stephanie. Unbeknownst to Tim, Batman has also ordered Stephanie to make Robin a stronger hero by challenging him, so Stephanie hires the Scarab, an assassin she encountered while she was Robin. After ordering the Scarab to use non-lethal methods, she also begins working with Tim's enemy, theGeneral,who eventually tries to kill her. Her martial arts skills were able to save her from getting shot in the head—she is instead shot in the shoulder, escaping just in time to save Tim's life when the Scarab goes rogue.

The General, now using the identity of Anarky, decides to plunge Gotham into anarchy by starting a citywide gang war, and Stephanie aids Robin in keeping order and defeating the General. Afterward, Robin reveals that he is aware that Stephanie had worked with the villains to help him become a better Robin under Batman's orders. He notes that her actions were successful, but her methods were questionable. No longer in love with Stephanie, Robin orders her to abandon the Spoiler identity as he can no longer trust her.

InBatman and the Outsiders(vol. 2) #13, Batgirl recruits Spoiler andVigilanteto a new network of heroes that will replace Batman, who is missing after theBatman R.I.P.storyline. She is able to turn completely invisible while fighting the Vigilante, thoughFabian Nicieza,current writer of theRobintitle, said he knew nothing about it.[21]However, inGotham Gazette: Batman Alive,Nicieza incorporates the new ability, with Robin stating she stole the technology to make herself invisible.

InTeen Titans(vol. 3) #66, Stephanie appeared as one of the potential candidates to help fillMiss Martian's vacant seat on the team's roster. She was drawn into a fight withBombshell,who mocked her and accused her of being a coward. In the end, Robin revealed that Stephanie had not come to join the Titans, but instead to help him with his preparations to leave the team.

In theRed Robinseries, Stephanie andDick Grayson(now, the new Batman, following Bruce Wayne's apparent death) become concerned about Tim after Dick transfers the mantle of Robin from Tim toDamian Wayne.Furious, Tim comes to believe that Bruce is still alive, and goes in search of him under the guise of Red Robin. When he cuts off all communication with the Bat-Family and the Teen Titans, Stephanie approaches Tim in his private base. This action, however, only infuriates Tim more. Kicking her in the chest after she sneaks up on him, he reiterates that he cannot trust her and orders her not to follow him on his mission, leading her to return to Gotham.

Batgirl

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Stephanie Brown asBatgirl.Promotional art forBatgirl(vol. 3) #4 by Phil Noto.

Stephanie Brown graduates from high school off-panel, is a student at Gotham University, and is still living with her mother. Cassandra Cain has apparently become disillusioned following Bruce Wayne'sapparent deathand gives Stephanie her Batgirl costume. After operating as the new Batgirl in Cain's costume, Stephanie is confronted by Barbara Gordon who was notified of her activities by Dick Grayson. Barbara tried to reason with Stephanie to get her to stop being a vigilante, as she still saw Stephanie as an impetuous youth, remembering her role in causing a citywide gang war and her near-death experience at Black Mask's hands.[22]However, a new type of recreational drug is hitting the streets of Gotham known as "Thrill", which they discover was manufactured by theScarecrowand the secondBlack Mask,and the two women need each other to stop the drug trade.[23]Stephanie eventually confronts and defeats the Scarecrow, impressing Barbara and proving that she now has the maturity and the responsibility to face her fears and failures. Barbara decides to allow Stephanie to continue on as Batgirl. Barbara later takes a job as anassistant professorat Stephanie's school to continue to keep in contact with her. Barbara also designs a costume for Stephanie to replace Cassandra's tattered costume, incorporating various elements of both the Spoiler and previous Batgirl costumes.[24]

As Stephanie is taking steps to balance her double-life as a college student and a vigilante, Barbara makes a test run on Stephanie's Batsuit, which includes monitoring Stephanie's vital signs and allowing both women to communicate throughwireless links.After some warm-up against minor criminals, Stephanie finds herself againstLivewirewho causes a blackout in the city while draining its power. Fortunately, Stephanie's costume is insulated, and she is able to overpower the villainess. Stephanie also develops an attraction to Gotham PD's newest young recruit who just transferred fromCoast CityPD, Detective Nicholas "St. Nick" Gage, who is also attracted to her as Batgirl. However, this budding romance is complicated byCommissioner Gordon,who is trying to set the young detective up on ablind datewith Barbara. The Commissioner finds their mutual attraction unsettling, because despite the fact that Batgirl's identity is yet unknown to him, Gordon knows that the superheroine is still a teenager.[22][25]Her activities also have led her and Barbara into conflict with the new Dynamic Duo,Batman(Dick Grayson) andRobin(Damian Wayne). However, even though Stephanie and Damian initially do not get along, he is intrigued by her motivations to be a vigilante.

While meeting a classmate, Francisco, Stephanie is left unconscious after being shot while trying to protect him from a group of kidnappers.[26]Stephanie survives the gunshot wound and it is later revealed that Francisco's real name is Fernando Garcia, a son of a real estate mogul whose father's unethical business practices have led to him becoming a target. Because of Garcia's abduction, Stephanie and Barbara join forces with Batman and Robin, as some of the Gotham rogues are involved in the crime, includingRoulette.[27]After they rescue Garcia, Dick, after seeing Stephanie's fight withRoxy Rocket,although still not completely approving of her as Batgirl, realizes that she reminds him of Barbara when she was in the role, so he allows Barbara to continue training Stephanie. Stephanie also receives a new state-of-the-art transportation known as the Ricochet (based from Batman'sBatcycledesigns) from Barbara.

Stephanie was later asked by Barbara to shut down the vigilante operations ofJohn Raymond,a wealthy young superhero who had been giving powerful exo-suits to a number of people in hopes of creating a nationwide army of crime-fighters he dubbed "Web Hosts". After being convinced by John that he could keep his Web Hosts in line, Stephanie and Barbara agreed to not only allow him to continue his vigilante actions, but also upgrade the equipment he was using.[28]

In the first part of theRed Robin/Batgirlcrossover story "Collision", Tim Drake returns to Gotham with proof that Bruce Wayne is not only still alive but also lost in time. At the same time, immortal terroristRa's al Ghulbegins his attack to destroy everything the Wayne family has built, in response to Tim crippling hisLeague of Assassinsorganization during his quest. Tim returns to the Batcave to seek the current Batman's aid, only to find Stephanie as Batgirl.[29]After their confrontation, Stephanie and Tim reluctantly work together to protect Ra's al Ghul's possible targets. After saving Leslie Thompkins from the League, Tim attempts to rekindle his and Stephanie's old romance. She rejects these advances before Prudence, another member of Ra's al Ghul's men, interrupts them with her assignment to target the new Batgirl. Stephanie, however, bested the assassin in combat. Prudence subsequently reveals her true allegiance to Tim, which apparently overcomes her supposed loyalty to The Demon's Head. After narrowly escaping Tim's safehouse (which the League of Assassins had booby-trapped before the three arrived), they encounter members of another organization of assassins, the Council of Spiders. The League of Assassins are eventually defeated after Tim thwarts Ra's al Ghul's plan strategically with Bruce Wayne'swillthat was made before his disappearance.

Stephanie would also show up against her mentor's nemesis, theCalculator,with his daughter,Wendy Harris,to rescue Barbara and Gotham itself after the villain injectsnanitesinto the citizens and heroes of the city and controls them.

In another storyline, Stephanie made a cameo appearance as a member of the assault team led by Dick Grayson to go against the new Black Mask.[30]

She later appears alongsideBatwomanand fellow teen superheroinesStargirl,Supergirl,andLightningas part of an all-female team created byWonder Womanto repelProfessor Ivo's faux-alien invasion of Washington, D.C.[31]

After Bruce Wayne'sreturn,it is revealed that the true reason Cassandra Cain handed over her Batgirl mantle to Stephanie was that she was acting under her mentor's order in the event of his death or disappearance.[32]

Around this time, duringThe Lessonarc, Stephanie was forced to deal with a mysterious group known as The Order of the Scythe, who briefly framed her for murdering a student on her campus.[33]During her final adventure as Batgirl, Stephanie confronts her father and is ensnared by a sample ofBlack Mercy.Stephanie experiences a number of future events, including a time-travelling adventure with Cassandra and Barbara, theRoyal Flush Gangattacking her at her college graduation, and eventually training the new Batgirl, a girl named Nell. She ultimately breaks free from the Black Mercy and confides in Barbara that despite the wonderful things she experienced while in the fantasy world, she preferred to live in the here and now.[34]Stephanie was later tasked to infiltrate Saint Hadrian's Finishing School for Girls as a student inBatman Incorporated.

During theConvergencestoryline, Stephanie (who still uses the Batgirl title) is chosen as the champion of her version of Gotham City, and must fight other city's champions if they are to survive.[35]

The New 52

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Inthe New 52,a 2011 reboot of the DC Universe, Stephanie Brown's history was completely removed from continuity. She makes her first appearance in the new mainstream continuity as Spoiler inBatman(vol. 2) #28 (April 2014), a sneak peek into the future of theBatman Eternalseries; she is seen tied up in a vault bySelina Kyle,with Kyle stating she is the only one who knows how to stop what is coming next for Gotham.[16]InBatman Eternal#3 (July 2014), Stephanie is a purple-clad teen who stumbles into a meeting between her father, the Cluemaster, and his criminal associates. She manages to escape their murderous plot, and over the course of the series, works to "spoil" her father's plans by becoming a vigilante, calling herself the "Spoiler." At first, she merely attempts to spread news of the Cluemaster's plans on the internet, then works actively as a costumed crimefighter to capture and foil him.[36]Following theBatman Eternalstoryline, Brown as Spoiler helped other teens fight the Joker's chaos inDetective Comics: Endgame,and sought training from Selina Kyle and Eiko Hasigawa inCatwoman.In the aftermath of the gang war in that title, Barbara Gordon took Stephanie under her wing for a time. Stephanie also appeared as Spoiler fighting the supervillain Mother alongside the Robins inBatman and Robin Eternal.

DC Rebirth

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InDC Rebirth,the 2016 relaunch of DC Comics, Stephanie was recruited into Batman's emergency response team headed byBatwoman,along withRed Robin,Orphan (Cassandra Cain),andClayface.[37]After Red Robin is "killed" by Jacob Kane's Colony drones, Stephanie becomes depressed and questions her purpose and the world she wants to live in, in the "Victim Syndicate" storyline. The story ends with her challenging the rest of the team and threatening to expose their secret identities if they don't give up their vigilantism. After disarming her by refusing her offer, she leaves the team and tells Batman that until he gives up his cowl, she'll be standing in his way.[38]Stephanie actively opposes Batman and his allies in the field, while still fighting criminals like Wrath.[39]It also appears that she is falling under the influence of Anarky, who is attempting to build an underground society of people who were impacted by Batman's activities. Eventually, Stephanie sees through Anarky's lies and helps Batman apprehend him. However, she walks away from Batman before he can tell her that Tim Drake is still alive.[40]

After discovering Tim is alive, she briefly rejoins the team to help them stop the Victim Syndicate, but leaves again after the death of Clayface and breaks up with Tim since he was consistently dishonest about his intent to remain Red Robin instead of attending Ivy University.[41]When Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong, the General, infects Tim with the OMAC nanites and threatens to control Gotham, Batman and Cassandra ask Stephanie for help, and she reluctantly agrees.[42]Using her drones, she leads an infiltration into the General's Belfry 2.0 stronghold, and hacks into the system to shut it down. The evil AI Brother Eye confronts her with images of her past in the alternate timeline from which Batman Tim Drake from the future appeared, mocking her as "lesser" than a timeline where she was both Robin and Batgirl.[43]Instead of being cast down, Steph laughs and cracks into the timeline history that Brother Eye and the General have been using to manipulate Tim, showing him the truth, and convincing him to destroy the OMACs himself. After the dust settles, Tim decides to investigate the divergence in timelines Steph discovered, and she joins him in his quest.[44]

Batgirl trio

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DuringThe Joker War,Stephanie and Cassandra fight the Hench Master in Bludhaven. At the end of the story, both she and Stephanie reclaim their Bat symbols. Stephanie receives a new costume, which is an amalgamation of her Spoiler outfit and her previous Batgirl suit.[45]

InInfinite Frontier,Barbara Gordon – now primarily operating as Oracle again – explains to Huntress that Stephanie and Cassandra will share the Batgirl title, but that she reserves the right to occasionally suit up as Batgirl in future.[46]InBatman: Urban Legends,it is revealed she and Tim broke up and are not speaking, although she is supportive when he comes out as bisexual and starts dating Bernard Dowd.[47][48]

In 2022, Stephanie and Cassandra received a series calledBatgirlsbyBecky Cloonanand Michael W. Conrad where they take up residence in one of Gotham's poorer areas afterFear Statemade them fugitives. Stephanie and Cassandra acquire a new vehicle they name Bondo.[49]

Powers and abilities

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Like most of the Batman family, Stephanie Brown has nosuperhumanpowers. She has been trained extensively by Oracle, Batgirl, Batman, and the Birds of Prey inmartial arts,acrobatics,strength training, interrogation, engineering, computer operation and detective work. She's spontaneous, inventive and quick on her feet, known for her creative solutions and 'leap before you look' attitude in her vigilante work.[25]Bruce Wayne likens her mobility, wit and determination to that of fellow ex-RobinDick Grayson.[32]She has a strong intuition when it comes to people and is able to get across to and bond with many different kinds of people.[34]Although not a martial artist of the caliber of Cassandra Cain, she is an expert in her own right; an unpredictable fighter and a match for Tim Drake.[35]She carries a belt similar to that used by other Gotham vigilantes containing a grappling hook, tracking devices, and various other crime-fightingparaphernalia.DuringGotham Underground,the Penguin gave her an unknown device that allowed her to become completely invisible. According to Tim Drake, this "ability" was achieved through stolen technology. According toBatgirlwriter Bryan Q. Miller, the ability to become invisible has not been incorporated into Stephanie's Batgirl costume.[4]

After Stephanie took on the Batgirl identity, Barbara Gordon designed a new costume for Stephanie more in line with the rest of the Bat-family's. It is equipped withkevlarandcarbon fiber-reinforced polymerto protect against ballistic, flame, and electrical attacks. Stephanie's Batsuit also carries a wireless relay within the cowl, permitting her to remain in contact with Barbara. The suit also allows Barbara to monitor Stephanie's vital signs. Stephanie now also uses a collapsible bo staff, similar to the one that Tim Drake uses. It is implied that she had been trained by Cassandra Cain in using it before assuming the Batgirl mantle.[25]

Other versions

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In other media

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Television

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  • Stephanie Brown as Spoiler appears inYoung Justice,voiced byMae Whitman.[56]This version is a member of the Team who temporarily left the group to counter United Nations secretary generalLex Luthor's restrictions on theJustice League.
  • Stephanie Brown appears in theBatwomanepisode "I'll Give You a Clue", portrayed byMorgan Kohan.[57]This version is a redhead and technological genius who develops an interest inLuke Fox.
  • Stephanie Brown appears in a photograph in theTitansepisode "Barbara Gordon" as one of Bruce Wayne's potential Robin candidates following the death ofJason Todd.
  • Stephanie Brown appears inGotham Knights,portrayed by Anna Lore.[58]This version is the best friend of Bruce Wayne's adoptive son Turner Hayes who initially develops a rivalry, later romantic relationship, withHarper Row.
  • Stephanie Brown as Spoiler appears in theKite Man: Hell Yeah!episode "Pilot, Hell Yeah!", voiced byStephanie Hsu.
  • Stephanie Brown appears in theBatman: Caped Crusaderepisode "Nocturne", voiced by Amari McCoy.[56]This version is an orphan underLeslie Thompkins' care.

Video games

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Miscellaneous

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Collected editions

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Stephanie Brown as Spoiler/Robin:

Title Material collected Publication date ISBN
Robin: Flying Solo RobinVol. 4 #3–5 July 2000 978-1563896095
Batman: No Man's Land (Modern Edition) Vol. 3 RobinVol. 4 #68–69; #71–72 August 2012 978-1401234560
Batman Black and White Volume 3(B&W) Batman: Gotham KnightsVol. 1 #22; #37 September 2008 978-1401213541
Green Arrow: Quiver Green ArrowVol. 3 #5 April 2015 978-1401259426
Batgirl: Death Wish BatgirlVol. 1 #20 August 2003 978-1840237078
Batgirl: Fists of Fury BatgirlVol. 1 #21, #26–28 May 2004 978-1401202057
Batman: Bruce Wayne: Murderer? RobinVol. 4 #98–99;Birds of PreyVol. 1 #39–40 March 2014 978-1401246839
Batman: Bruce Wayne: Fugitive Birds of PreyVol. 1 #43 July 2014 978-1401246822
Teen Titans Vol. 3: Beast Boys and Girls Teen TitansVol. 3 #13 Juin 2005 978-1401204594
Robin: Unmasked! RobinVol. 4 #122–125 April 2009 978-1435270466
Batman: War Drums Detective ComicsVol. 1 #796;RobinVol. 4 #126–128 October 2004 978-1401203412
Batman: War Games Book 1 CatwomanVol. 3 #34; March 2005 978-1401204297
Batman: War Games Book 2 RobinVol. 4 #130;Batman: Gotham KnightsVol. 1 #57;CatwomanVol. 3 #35;NightwingVol. 2 #97 July 2005 978-1401204303
Batman: War Games Book 3 RobinVol. 4 #131;BatmanVol. 1 #633–634;Batman: Gotham KnightsVol. 1 #58;CatwomanVol. 3 #36;NightwingVol. 2 #98 October 2005 978-1401204310
Robin/Batgirl: Fresh Blood RobinVol. 4 #132 October 2005 978-1401204334
Batman: Under the hood BatmanVol. 1 #635 November 2005 978-1401207564
Robin: To Kill a Bird RobinVol. 4 #134 April 2006 978-1401209094
Batman: City of Crime Detective ComicsVol. 1 #800; July 2006 978-1401208974
Batman: War Crimes Detective ComicsVol. 1 #809; February 2006 978-1401209032
Batgirl: Kicking Assassins BatgirlVol. 1 #60–64 January 2006 978-1401204396
52 Omnibus 52Vol. 1 #8 November 2012 978-1401235567
Robin: Teenage Wasteland RobinVol. 4 #156; November 2007 978-1401214807
Gotham Underground Gotham UndergroundVol. 1 #1–9; April 2009 978-8467474169
Robin: Violent Tendencies RobinVol. 4 #172–174;Robin/Spoiler Special#1 December 2008 978-1401219888
Robin: Search for a Hero RobinVol. 4 #175–183; August 2009 978-1401223106
Teen Titans Vol. 3: Changing of the Guard Teen TitansVol. 3 #66; August 2009 978-1401223090
Batman: Life After Death BatmanVol. 1 #697; October 2011 978-1401229757
Red Robin: The Grail Red RobinVol. 1 #2; May 2010 978-1401226190
Red Robin: Collision Red RobinVol. 1 #9–12; September 2010 978-1401228835
Justice Societe of America Vol. 8: Axis of Evil Justice Society of AmericaVol. 3 #39; December 2010 978-1401229016
Red Robin: Hit List Red RobinVol. 1 #15; July 2011 978-1401231651
Red Robin: 7 Days of Death Red RobinVol. 1 #20; March 2012 978-1401233648
Wonder Woman: Odyssey, Vol. 1 Wonder WomanVol. 3 #600; July 2012 978-1401230784
Batman Incorporated Batman, IncorporatedVol. 1 #1–8; January 2013 978-1401238278
Futures End: Five Years Later Omnibus BatgirlFuture's End;BatmanFuture's End;CatwomanFuture's End December 2014 978-1401251291
Batman Eternal Vol. 1 Batman EternalVol. 1 #3–4; #8; #10–11; #13; #20 December 2014 978-1401251734
Batman Eternal Vol. 2 Batman EternalVol. 1 #24; #26–27; #31–32 July 2015 978-1401252311
Batman Eternal Vol. 3 Batman EternalVol. 1 #41–45; #47–49; #51–52 October 2015

Issues not collected into TPB/HC format:

Detective ComicsVol. 1 #647–649

RobinVol 4: #15–16; #25–26; #35; #40–41; #43–45; #50; #54; #56–62; #64–65; #74–75; #80; #82–84; #87–88; #92–95; #100–105; #107–113; #116; #119–120

BatgirlVol. 1 #31–32; #38; #53–55

Young JusticeVol. 1 #30; #49–51; #54

BatmanVol. 1 #713

NightwingVol. 2 #75

Batman and the outsidersVol 2 #13

SupergirlVol. 4 #60

ConvergenceVol. 1 #1

Convergence BatgirlVol. 1 #1

Detective Comics: EndgameVol. 1 #1

Stephanie Brown as Batgirl:

Title Material collected Publication date ISBN
Batgirl Vol. 1: Batgirl Rising BatgirlVol. 3 #1–7 June 2011 978-1401227234
Batgirl Vol. 2: The Flood BatgirlVol. 3 #8–14, Red Robin #10 May 2011 978-1401231422
World's Finest World's FinestVol. 4 #1–4 June 2010 978-1401227975
Batgirl Vol. 3: The Lesson BatgirlVol. 3 #15–24 November 2011 978-1401232702

See also

edit
Character lists
Concepts and themes

References

edit
  1. ^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016).The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe.DK Publishing. p. 280.ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
  2. ^Greenberger, Robert (2008).The Essential Batman Encyclopedia.Del Rey. pp.330–331.ISBN9780345501066.
  3. ^abRobin/Spoiler Special(August 2008)
  4. ^abRogers, Vaneta (August 20, 2009)."Who's That Batgirl? Bryan Q. Miller Talks Girl Behind Mask".Newsarama.RetrievedAugust 20,2009.
  5. ^Keller, Katherine (April 1, 2007)."An Open Letter (On the Topic of Stephanie Brown)".Sequential Tart.
  6. ^Footage and transcript of the Auckland Writers And Readers Fest panel atBleeding Cool: "“Spoiler Was Gonna Die” – Inside The DC Writer Meeting That Killed Stephanie Brown "
  7. ^Phegley, Kiel (March 17, 2007)."DCU March to the Future Panel: Dan DiDio and company cover the bases in an across-the-board Q&A".Wizard.Archived fromthe originalon December 13, 2007.RetrievedFebruary 28,2010.
  8. ^abBatman#633 (December 2004)
  9. ^Batman#677
  10. ^Demers, Matt (August 29, 2011)."FanExpo 2011 Announcements and Photo Superpost!".Comic Vine.RetrievedNovember 17,2013.
  11. ^"Stephanie Brown fans launch 'Waffles For Stephanie' mail campaign".26 June 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 14 September 2015.Retrieved27 October2015.
  12. ^Johnston, Rich (August 28, 2012)."Talking to Dan DiDo About Stephanie Brown and Rob Liefeld".Bleeding Cool.RetrievedNovember 17,2013.
  13. ^Siegel, Lucas (October 11, 2013)."NYCC 2013: DC Comics – Batman LIVE! STEPHANIE BROWN News!".Newsarama.RetrievedNovember 17,2013.
  14. ^Ching, Albert (October 11, 2013)."NYCC: Scott Snyder Announces Stephanie Brown's New 52 Debut".Comic Book Resources.RetrievedNovember 17,2013.
  15. ^Seifert, Mark (October 11, 2013)."Spoiler Alert: Snyder Announces The Return of Stephanie Brown at NYCC (With Pics & More Info)".Bleeding Cool.RetrievedNovember 17,2013.
  16. ^abRogers, Vaneta (February 12, 2014)."Spoiler Alert: Girl Power Rules in Batman #28's Revealed Future".Newsarama.RetrievedFebruary 12,2014.
  17. ^Beatty, Scott (2008). "Batman". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.).The DC Comics Encyclopedia.London: Dorling Kindersley. pp.40–44.ISBN978-0-7566-4119-1.
  18. ^Robin(vol. 2) #126–128 (July–September 2004)
  19. ^Robin(vol. 2) #173 (June 2008)
  20. ^Robin(vol. 2) #174 (July 2008)
  21. ^"BSR! Exclusive: Interview with Fabian Nicieza".Big Shiny Robot.December 19, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon March 21, 2009.RetrievedAugust 20,2009.
  22. ^abBatgirl(vol. 3) #1 (October 2009)
  23. ^Batgirl(vol. 3) #2 (November 2009)
  24. ^Batgirl(vol. 3) #3 (December 2009)
  25. ^abcBatgirl(vol. 3) #4 (January 2010)
  26. ^Batgirl(vol. 3) #5 (February 2010)
  27. ^Batgirl(vol. 3) #6 (March 2010)
  28. ^The Web#3 (January 2010)
  29. ^Red Robin#9 (April 2010)
  30. ^Batman#697 (May 2010)
  31. ^Wonder Woman#600 (August 2010)
  32. ^abBruce Wayne: The Road Home – Batgirl#1 (December 2010)
  33. ^Batgirl(vol. 3) #15 (November 2010)-Batgirl(vol. 3) #16 (December 2010)
  34. ^abBatgirl(vol. 3) #24 (August 2011)
  35. ^abConvergence – Batgirl#1
  36. ^Batman Eternal#20
  37. ^Detective Comics934
  38. ^Detective Comics#947
  39. ^Detective Comics#957
  40. ^Detective Comics#964
  41. ^Detective Comics#974
  42. ^Detective Comics#979
  43. ^Detective Comics#980
  44. ^Detective Comics#981
  45. ^Batman: The Joker War Zone#1
  46. ^Infinite Frontier#0
  47. ^Batman: Urban Legends#4-6
  48. ^DC Pride: Tim Drake Special#1
  49. ^Batgirls#1-2
  50. ^Batgirl: Futures End#1
  51. ^Young Justice(vol. 3) #8
  52. ^Future State: The Next Batman#1-4
  53. ^Future State: Nightwing#1
  54. ^Future State: Robin Eternal#1-2
  55. ^Future State: Gotham
  56. ^ab"Spoiler Voices (Batman)".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedAugust 4,2024.A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  57. ^Agard, Chancellor (May 7, 2021)."NewBatwomanphoto reveals Stephanie Brown's debut in girls' night episode ".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedMay 7,2021.
  58. ^Otterson, Joe (March 28, 2022)."'Gotham Knights': Anna Lore Joins The CW's DC Pilot ".Deadline.RetrievedMarch 28,2022.
  59. ^Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013)."DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide".IGN.RetrievedAugust 4,2024.
  60. ^The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold#13
  61. ^Earth-Prime: Batwoman#1
edit
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