James Gordon is a character from the Batman comic series

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

As you know, Batman first appeared in the 27th issue of DC Detective Comics. At the same time, a completely different character was depicted on the first page of the new edition. It was the incorruptible police officer James Gordon, who became a loyal companion of the Dark Knight. Despite not having any superhuman powers, this man has become one of the most popular comic book characters, along with Batman and Robin.

James Worthington Gordon

This brown-eyed brunette with gray hair, who almost always wears glasses and smokes a lot, was feared and hated by all the criminals of Gotham no less, and sometimes more, than Batman. He was the ideal of a policeman: brave, strong, smart, and most importantly, incorruptible.

The main feature of this hero, which distinguishes him from other DC characters, is his willpower. Thanks to her, James Gordon overcame difficulties in which other superheroes were lost. However, the most dangerous opponent of this character wascorruption. By the way, it was his anti-corruption stance that helped win this hero the love of readers around the world.

Gordon's biography before transfer to Gotham

James was born in gangster Chicago. In his youth, he served in the US Special Forces, where he learned martial arts, which was very useful to him in the future.

Becoming a policeman in his hometown, he quickly made enemies not only in the underworld, but also among dishonest colleagues. After James Gordon began to "dig" under one of the most influential crime families in Chicago, he was transferred to Gotham.

In the new place, the life of an honest policeman did not get better, because the corruption of the police in Gotham was no comparison with Chicago. Despite all this, Gordon did not change his principles. Soon he was assigned to form a team to capture Batman.

The beginning of cooperation with Batman

At first, James didn't really trust the Dark Knight and his methods. But soon, to his horror, he was convinced that the masked hero was his only reliable ally in the fight against crime in this city.

Because the Defender of Gotham is outlawed, the honest policeman had to hide the fact of their cooperation. Soon the fighters for justice (James Gordon, Batman) were joined by the local district attorney Harvey Dent. Together, this trio destroyed Carmine Falcone's criminal organization. In addition, James soon became the captain.

Fighting Two-Face and Joker

Unfortunately, defeating the Falcone crime family is notwas donated. Harvey Dent began to progress with schizophrenia, which he had struggled with since childhood. During the court session, one of the criminals doused the prosecutor with acid, disfiguring half of his face. This all together served to cause Dent to go insane and become a criminal under the pseudonym Two-Face.

Gotham's new enemy gave Gordon and Batman a lot of trouble. However, from time to time they managed to defeat him and send him to the hospital. True, leaving there, Dent again took up the old.

Over time, the talented surgeon Thomas Elliot (aka criminal Hush) was able not only to restore Harvey's appearance, but also to help him cope with the disease. In the future, Hush wanted to destroy Batman with the help of Two-Face. But Dent again took the side of the law and saved the Defender of Gotham, which returned his and Gordon's trust. However, later he again became on a crooked path.

Another dangerous enemy of the tandem of crime fighters is the clown Joker. Once he took Gordon hostage and began torturing him, trying to drive him crazy. However, Batman managed to stop it in time. James Gordon, having endured all the trials and retained common sense, kept the Knight of Gotham from reprisal against the criminal and sent the latter to the hospital. During the same period, Gordon becomes Commissioner.

Gordon and the new Batman (Azrael)

Years of fighting criminals, as well as smoking, led to the commissioner having a heart attack. Because of this, he left the service for a long time.

After recovering and returning to work, Commissioner James Gordon learned that due to a spinal injury, Bruce Wayne's role as Defender of Gothamperformed by Azrael. Unlike Wayne, the new Batman was more violent, which worked well at first. However, Gordon did not like the new Dark Knight's work style and did not cooperate with him. Because of this behavior, the new mayor of the city, who approved of Batman's behavior, removed James from the post of commissioner.

Realizing that he had ceased to solve something in the fight against crime, Gordon decided to run for mayor. By then, Wayne had regained his powers and, disillusioned with his successor, reclaimed the role of Batman. Realizing that it was better than James Gordon to find a police commissioner, he persuaded the latter to withdraw his candidacy and support Marion Grange. After becoming mayor, this woman returned Gordon to the position of commissioner.

The further fate of the hero

After a powerful earthquake and the intrigues of some criminal geniuses, Gotham was destroyed and excluded from the United States. Many of its inhabitants left the city. However, Commissioner Gordon remained. He tried his best to maintain order in Gotham. Due to the long absence of Batman, James was forced to team up with Two-Face. Soon he tried to kill the commissioner, but Gordon was able to play on the split personality of the criminal and escape.

When Batman returned to the city, his friend could not forgive him for his absence for a long time, but later they were able to find a common language. Gradually, Gotham began to recover, and many citizens returned here. True, there were also criminal elements among those who returned, in particular the Joker.

On Christmas Eve, this villain intended to kidnap everyonechildren in the city. Trying to stop him, Gordon lost his wife. The commissar was kept from killing the criminal by Batman who appeared in time.

Barely recovering from the death of his beloved, James was seriously wounded by a former colleague from Chicago, whom Gordon convicted of corruption and brought to justice. Having recovered, James did not return to the service, but went on a journey. Later, back in Gotham, he began teaching at the local university.

After Batman was once again forced to leave his hometown, the crime rate began to rise steadily. This forced Gordon to take up the commissioner's seat again.

After a while, the Dark Knight returned to his post. Unfortunately, he is not alone: the Joker escaped again and decided to get even with his sworn enemies. During the fight, he intended to poison James Gordon with laughing gas, but the brave commissioner managed to survive.

Personal Life of Valiant Commissioner James Gordon

In matters of the heart, this hero was not very lucky. While still in Chicago, he married Barbara Eileen. Shortly after moving to Gotham, the couple had a son, James Gordon Jr.

Due to constant employment, the relationship of the spouses has cooled. Moreover, James started an affair with his colleague Sarah Essen. Despite the flared feeling, the hero did not dare to leave the family. However, Gordon's corrupt colleagues, having learned about the office romance, tried to blackmail him. Upon learning of this, Sarah left the city so as not to be the “Achilles heel” of her lover.

The commissioner himself refused to comply with the demands of the blackmailers, and the wife of James Gordonlearned about everything. In order to still make the policeman dance to his tune, the criminals stole his son. But Batman managed to save the boy and punish the scoundrels. By the way, it was after this incident that Gordon and Wayne struck up a friendship.

Barbara Eileen, after everything she had experienced, decided to take a break in the relationship and, taking her son, left Gotham. However, this did not save the Gordons' marriage, and they soon divorced.

After the Joker captured and tortured the commissioner, Sarah returned to the city. Between her and James resumed the affair, and they soon got married. The union of James and Sarah was very harmonious, but when Gordon was removed from the post of commissioner, replacing him with his wife, problems began in the marriage. Fortunately, the Gordons were able to overcome them.

After the earthquake in Gotham, it was Sarah who persuaded her husband not to leave the ruined city. Only after the Joker returned there, she died from his bullet.

Later, Gordon reconnects with ex-wife Barbara Eileen, but their common child, who returned to Gotham, causes a lot of problems for his father.

Barbara Gordon

Once Gordon had a brother Roger, but later he died along with his wife Thelma. After their death, thirteen-year-old Barbara was left an orphan. James adopted his niece.

Moving to Gotham, the girl became interested in Batman, dreaming of fighting crime herself. When Barbara grew up and wanted to work in the police, her adoptive father ridiculed her desire. To spite him, she showed up to the police ball in a homemade costume. Batgel. Thanks to the appearance of the killer Moth at the celebration, the girl was able to prove herself, and after a while Wayne accepted her into the Bat-Squad, revealing her identity.

Barbara Gordon was the original Batgirl until she was accidentally captured by the Joker. He tortured the girl in front of her adoptive father in order to break him. After these events, Barbara remained confined to a wheelchair. But that didn't stop her from fighting crime.

Possessing a photographic memory, a girl under the pseudonym Oracle created a unique computer database that brought considerable benefits not only to Batman, but also to the Suicide Squad, as well as other heroes. Later, she retired and, hiding from everyone, simply watched the activities of friends and enemies using the Internet.

After the Joker killed Sarah, Commissioner Gordon wounded him in the leg, thus avenging Barbara's paralysis.

When James got back together with his ex-wife and her half-brother returned to town, the girl suspected something was wrong…

James Gordon Jr

The son of the brave commissar did not look like his father at all. Even in early childhood, he was distinguished by an evil disposition and did not get along well with others. After the murder of her friend Bess, Barbara began to suspect her stepbrother of this. However, she had no proof. Having become the Oracle, the girl followed her brother, but did not tell her father about it.

When James Jr. returned to Gotham, he told his dad about his mental problems. But he reassured him by accepting the neweffective medicine. Tormented by doubts, the commissioner asked his daughter to do an analysis of the drug and found out that he did not cure his son's psychopathy, but, on the contrary, strengthened it. What's more, Gordon Senior and Barbara found out that the guy was giving this drug to babies to turn them into psychopaths.

While the commissioner was trying to stop his son, he kidnapped his half-sister and tried to kill her, but was stopped by Wayne and sent to the hospital.

Commissioner Gordon in Batman franchise reboot

In the new version of the comics about the adventures of the Dark Knight from DC publishers, a slightly modified James Gordon appears before readers. The biography of this hero in the general mass remained the same.

However, now he has no children, no wife, and besides, he turned from a graying brunette into a red-haired one.

James Worthington Gordon on TV

There are three of the most successful Batman series that have given enough attention to Commissioner Gordon.

In the late 40s, the series "Batman and Robin" was filmed, consisting of 15 episodes. In it, the role of James Gordon was initially played by Ed Wood, and then was replaced by Lyle Talbot.

In the 60s, the television series "Batman" was most famous. Neil Hamilton played the role of the courageous commissioner in it.

Since 2014, the television series Gotham has enjoyed great success for several seasons. It takes place after the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents.

Although the young Batman is an active participant, James Gordon still plays the lead role. "Gotham" (actor Benjamin McKenzie plays the role of the future commissioner) is the story of the formation of the personality of the Dark Knight, but so far the main character of the project is Commissioner Gordon.

James Gordon's movie character

Unlike television, there are many more projects devoted to Batman in the cinema.

In four 80s-90s Batman films. the role of Gordon went to Pat Hingle, despite the fact that he is not painfully similar to this character.

But in the Nolan trilogy with Christian Bale in the lead role, he was very similar to his prototype from the comics, James Gordon. Actor Gary Oldman did a great job of portraying this character.

Recently, DC started creating its own cinematic universe (similar to "Marvel"). In addition to several films about the alien from Krypton and the Suicide Squad, they soon plan to release the film "Justice League". In this project, the role of the Commissioner went to the recently won Oscar JK Simmons.

James Gordon has become a cult character over the years of its existence. In the updated Batman comic series, this hero is also present. However, no one knows how his biography will turn out this time. Gordon's fans hope that this time their favorite will suffer less at the hands of the villains. Whether their expectations will be justified, time will tell.