Wikipedia

Big Barda

Big Bardais ansuperheroineappearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byDC Comics.She first appeared inMister Miracle#4 (October 1971), and was created byJack Kirby.[1]She was raised as a member of theNew Gods,but left to become a hero.

Big Barda
Big Barda as depicted inWho's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe#2 (April 1985). Art by Jack Kirby andGreg Theakston.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceMister Miracle#4 (October 1971)
Created byJack Kirby(writer-artist)
In-story information
Alter egoBarda Free
SpeciesNew God
Place of originApokolips
Team affiliationsNew Gods
Justice League
Female Furies
Birds of Prey
Abilities
  • Immortality
  • Superhuman strength, durability, reflexes, agility, stamina and speed
  • Master hand-to-hand combatant
  • Expert with various types of weaponry
  • Battle armor and wields a mega-rod

Jack Kirby based Barda's physical appearance onLainie Kazan,who had recently appeared topless inPlayboy.[2]Mark Evanier,Kirby's assistant on theFourth Worldcomics, has explained the genesis of the character: "Jack based some of his characters (not all) on people in his life or in the news... the characterization between Scott 'Mister Miracle' Free and Barda was based largely—though with tongue in cheek—on the interplay between Kirby and his wife Roz".[3]

Fictional character biography

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Barda is a member of the race known as theNew Gods,and was born onApokolipsabout 250 years ago.[4]Her mother was Big Breeda, whom Barda was taken away from at an early age to be trained as a warrior atGranny Goodness' orphanage.[5]Granny grooms Barda to one day lead theFemale Fury Battalion,a ferocious pack of warrior women.[6]However, during a raid, Barda meetsScott Free,Darkseid's adopted son, and, sensing a peace about him, falls in love.[1]

Barda risks her own safety to work with the rebel cell led by the New GodHimonafter enforcer Wonderful Willik kills most of Himon's cell. This includes one of Barda's people, Auralie, who is tortured to death for dancing, a crime on Apokolips. Moments later, Himon kills Willik with a bomb. Barda, her Furies, Himon and Metron help Scott escape Apokolips. Darkseid himself calls for Scott to return but does not stop him, as Scott's escape can reignite his war with New Genesis. Barda, not emotionally prepared to escape herself, stays behind.[7]Eventually, Barda turns her back on Granny Goodness and comes to Earth.[8]Once there, she finds that Scott has taken up the mantel of the escape artist Thaddeus Brown, AKA Mister Miracle, and has teamed with his diminutive managerOberon.Oberon and Barda become close friends. For a while, Barda's Furies assist Scott in his showmanship efforts[9]but they return to Apokolips by themselves. Scott and Barda are married by Scott's birth father, theHighfatherofNew Genesis.[10][11]

For a number of years, Barda follows Scott and Oberon on tour. Eventually they retire from superheroing and move to Bailey, New Hampshire.[12]Despite their best attempts, a normal life eludes them. Disasters plague them and eventually Barda, Scott, and Oberon leave Bailey to move into a loft inGreenwich Village.Barda forms a defense-training program for women called the New Female Furies.

Justice League

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Though naïve regarding Earth customs, Barda relishes her roles of wife and housekeeper, but when duty calls she never hesitates to assume the posture of a warrior; and when Scott joins theJustice League,Barda participates in several missions.[13]In one instance, while trainingFire,her weapon, the Mega-Rod, is stolen from her car. With the assistance of her husband and theHuntress,she gets it back, but not before many innocent people are killed by its wielder, who was unable to resist the corrupting influence of the Apokoliptian technology. Barda also led a JLA mission to rescue her husband after he was lost in space. The mission was a result ofManga Khanselling Scott toGranny Goodness.Her teammates includedMartian Manhunter,Rocket Red,andG'nort.In an attempt to dissuade their successful pursuit, Manga Khan hiredLobo,paying him indolphinfeed, to kill them. He almost does, before Barda teleports him to a random location directly behindGuy Gardner.

For a time, Barda mourns Scott, believing him slain in a battle withDespero,but it was a robot double that was destroyed, as part of a plan by Manga Khan.[14]

After their time with the JLI, the two leave Earth forNew Genesis,[15]but, they soon return[16]and take up temporary residence aboard the Justice League Refuge. During this period, the couple separate briefly due to Scott's lack of consideration for her feelings. Barda perishes, but is reborn via Scott's temporary access to great cosmic power.[17]

Barda has served as a member of the JLA in her own right as well. AtTakion's order, she and fellow New GodOrionwere sent as agents of New Genesis to serve on the team. Takion predicted that the Earth faced a grave threat.[18]Their mission is to help mobilize Earth's heroes against the omnipotent Mageddon. Over time, they become involved with several other JLA missions.Adam Strange,needing help with an alien invasion, enslaves the JLA as part of a bluff. The League works for days, turning the planet into a giant teleportation beam. The aliens are sent off to the prison planet of Takron-Galtos, which Barda had mentioned several times during the ordeal. In another instance, Barda is badly wounded fighting theQueen Bee,a member of the newly reformedInjustice League.Once Mageddon is defeated, Barda and Orion resign from the JLA.[1][19]

After the League

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Barda and Scott then reside in the suburbs ofConnecticutand are active adventurers.[20]Barda never hesitates to lend a hand to her friends when her power and expertise are needed.

Barda accompaniesBatman,Superman,andWonder Womanto Apokolips to rescueSupergirlfromDarkseid's clutches,[21]and accepts an invitation fromOracleto become the heavy-hitter on theBirds of Prey.[22]

A similar-looking character named Little Barda appeared as a member of theTeen Titansin52#21; the character leaves the group in the same issue. Her relationship to Big Barda is unknown, though she escaped from Apokolips with Power Boy.

In a confrontation with theSecret Six,she engagedKnockout,another ex-Fury, in hand-to-hand combat. Although the fight is long and continues amid other larger concerns for her team, it ends in a draw.

Big Barda is killed in the first issue ofDeath of the New Gods;her funeral occurs in the second issue of the series.Infinity-Manis later revealed as the killer. He had been slaughtering all the 'New Gods' in the name of restarting a new age of deities.[1]

Final Crisis#7 depicts Barda standing alongsideLightrayand Highfather in front of areincarnatedNew Genesis.[23]

The New 52

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InThe New 52(a 2011 reboot of the DC Universe), Big Barda and Scott are seen onEarth 2.[24]They are later seen with many of the comrades in Supertown.[25]Big Barda and Mister Miracle are recruited by Batman to assist Los Angeles when flooding sea waters threaten all coasts.[26]

Powers and abilities

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Barda is a New God, a race of genetically enhanced beings who evolved godly abilities from their proximity to the Source. This gives Barda a level of strength roughly parallel to Wonder Woman as well as a high resistance to injury approaching invulnerability. She is similarly resistant to disease and most toxins. As a former Female Fury trained by Granny Goodness, Barda is a master combatant in swordsmanship and raw brawling, which - in conjunction with her raw strength and grit - make her an immediate match for Wonder Woman.[27][1]

In combat, Barda wears Apokoliptian battle armor, which enhances her already impressive durability. In addition, Barda uses a high-tech weapon called the "Mega-Rod". This weapon can create boom tubes for teleportation over long distances, propel her high into the air and release energy blasts capable of bringing down such powerful beings asSuperman.For a limited time the Mega-Rod can also increase the gravity force of an individual.

Other versions

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Reception

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In 2011,Comics Buyer's Guideincluded Big Barda as #75 in a "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.[30]

In other media

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Television

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Big Barda as she appears inSuperman: The Animated Series(left) andBatman Beyond(right). Both appearances were used inJustice League Unlimited.

Film

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Video games

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Merchandise

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Big Barda received a figure in theDC Comics Super Hero Collection.

Miscellaneous

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  • Big Barda appears inDC Super Hero Girls,voiced by Misty Lee.[31]
  • The DCAU incarnation of Big Barda appears in the tie-in comicsBatman Beyond(vol. 2),Justice League BeyondandSuperman Beyond: Man of Tomorrow.

References

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  1. ^abcdeGreenberger, Robert (2008). "Big Barda". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.).The DC Comics Encyclopedia.London:Dorling Kindersley.p. 47.ISBN978-0-7566-4119-1.
  2. ^Ro, Ronin (July 2004).Tales to Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and the American Comic Book Revolution.Bloomsbury.ISBN1-58234-345-4.
  3. ^"The Jack F.A.Q."Povonline.Archived fromthe originalon 17 December 2010.Retrieved2011-01-15.
  4. ^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. 38.ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
  5. ^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019).DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle.DK Publishing. p. 141.ISBN978-1-4654-8578-6.
  6. ^Wallace, Dan (2008). "Female Furies". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.).The DC Comics Encyclopedia.New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 120.ISBN978-0-7566-4119-1.OCLC213309017.
  7. ^Mister Miracle#9 (September 1972)
  8. ^Mister Miracle#4 (September/October 1971)
  9. ^Mister Miracle#14 (July 1973)
  10. ^Mister Miracle#18 (February/March 1974)
  11. ^Sacks, Jason; Dallas, Keith (2014).American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s.TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 144.ISBN978-1605490564.
  12. ^Mister Miraclevol. 2, #1 (January 1989)
  13. ^Justice League International#7 (November 1987);Justice League America#28 (July 1989)
  14. ^Justice League Americavol. 2, #37-40 (April–July 1990)
  15. ^Mister Miraclevol. 2, #28 (June 1991)
  16. ^Mister Miraclevol. 3, #1-2 (April–May 1996)
  17. ^Mister Miraclevol. 3, #4-5 (June–July 1996)
  18. ^JLA#17 (April 1998)
  19. ^JLA#41 (May 2000)
  20. ^Orion#25 (June 2002)
  21. ^Superman/Batman#11-12 (August–September 2004)
  22. ^Birds of Prey#100 (January 2007)
  23. ^Final Crisis#7 (March 2009)
  24. ^Earth 2#11
  25. ^"The Multiversity Guidebook" (Jan. 2015)
  26. ^Justice League: Aquaman: Flooded#1 (2018)
  27. ^Beatty, Scott (November 2002).JLA: The Ultimate Guide to the Justice League of America.Dorling Kindersley.ISBN0-7513-4798-1.
  28. ^DC Comics Bombshells#32
  29. ^Bombshells United#31
  30. ^Frankenhoff, Brent(2011).Comics Buyer's Guide Presents: 100 Sexiest Women in Comics.Krause Publications.p. 49.ISBN978-1-4402-2988-6.
  31. ^abcdefgh"Big Barda Voices (DC Universe)".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedJune 13,2024.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.
  32. ^Harvey, James (July 1, 2010)."Trade Ad for UpcomingSuperman/Batman: ApocalypseAnimated Feature Title ".World's Finest Online.Archivedfrom the original on 10 July 2010.Retrieved2010-07-02.
  33. ^Harvey, James (September 16, 2010)."Animated 'Superman/Batman: Apocalypse' Feature Cast and Crew Details".World's Finest Online.Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-15.RetrievedSeptember 16,2010.
  34. ^Patten, Dominic; Fleming, Mike Jr. (15 March 2018)."Ava DuVernay To Direct Jack Kirby Comic Creation 'The New Gods' For Warner Bros, DC".Deadline Hollywood.Retrieved17 March2018.
  35. ^Robison, Seth (March 4, 2013)."INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US Videos Reveal DC Easter Eggs".newsarama.Archived fromthe originalon 2013-03-07.
  36. ^"Halls of Power Part I Launches August 6, 2014!".DC Universe Online.August 6, 2014.RetrievedJune 13,2024.
  37. ^Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013)."DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide".IGN.RetrievedJune 13,2024.
  38. ^Michael, Jon; Veness, John (November 2, 2018)."Characters - LEGO DC Super-Villains Guide".IGN.RetrievedJune 13,2024.
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